Bankrupt west playing Russian roulette

The stupid Western so-called leaders are playing a fatal game of Russian roulette as they ratchet up threats of sanctions against Russia over the tensions in Ukraine. Washington, London, Paris and Berlin think they are being smart by threatening Russia over bogus claims of "aggression" and "violation" of Ukrainian sovereignty. US President Barack Obama and his European puppet pals have drawn up a list of Russian officials whom the West says it will impose "costs" on, such as travel bans and financial asset freezes. "We are at level two of sanctions, and may go up to level three," says French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in a hollow attempt to sound macho. Let's not even get involved in discussing ridiculous Western claims that Moscow has violated Ukrainian sovereignty over its latest support for the referendum in the Southern Crimean Peninsula last weekend calling for secession from Kiev and unification with Russia. The Western war-criminals-in-office have violated every international law in the book with their decades of illegal wars of aggression against dozens of countries, and more recently in their covert support for terrorism in Ukraine that brought a bunch of fascists to power in a coup d'état against an elected government last month. This month alone, the US has so far carried out seven aerial drone strikes in Yemen killing more than 18 people, reports Rania Khalek, citing figures from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Meanwhile, the French illegal invasion of the Central African Republic continues apace with thousands in that country killed or displaced due to French-induced sectarian clashes between Christians and Muslims. So let's not waste time debating with these Western rogue terror states and their preposterous self-righteousness over alleged Russian transgressions. The fact is that these criminal Western governments, with all their hyper hypocrisy and hubris, are recklessly over-playing their bloodstained hands in their baseless aggression towards Russia. Way before an all-out war even begins Russia has the power to bring these bankrupt Western has-been powers to their knees. France's top diplomat Fabius told French media this week that his country may not deliver on a military contract with Russia for building two warships. The deal for two Mistral helicopter-carrying assault ships is worth nearly $1.6 billion to the French government and the STX company based in Saint-Nazaire. Who is Fabius trying to kid? As an official Russian source told Voice of Russia in response, if France insists on trying to intimidate Moscow, it is Moscow that will cancel payment for the ship order. And sue France for several more billion dollars for breach of contract. "It is unlikely that dock workers of the STX France company in Saint-Nazaire and unions will be thrilled with such response measures," said the Russian official. With France teetering on bankruptcy, record unemployment and seething austerity among its population, it is Russia that holds the power, not its vain French foreign minister. And that's just for starters in the real economic and social costs that Russia can inflict on France; and not just France, but the rest of the European Union, as well as the US. As former World Bank economist Peter Koening points out, Russia can drop its dollar holdings and unleash a global stampede away from the clapped-out American currency. The process may already be underway with reports that Moscow has withdrawn up to $100 billion from US Treasuries in recent weeks in anticipation of Western sanctions. Such a global panic-flight on the redundant US dollar is long overdue, and Russia is in a position to open the floodgates, with China and other American debt-holders following suit. Koening reckons that Washington is nervously aware of its dollar vulnerability and that was a factor in why Obama backed down against Russian leader Vladimir Putin over threats to launch military strikes on Russia's ally, Syria, last year. Then there is the vast dependence of the European Union on Russian gas and oil. The EU relies on Russia for one-third of its total fuel consumption. For Germany, the EU economic powerhouse, the dependence on Russian fuel is as high as 40 per cent of supply. The impact of Russia cutting off fuel supplies to Europe cannot be overstated. Soaring gas and oil prices - the global markets are already jittery - will bring enfeebled European economies crashing to a standstill. The crumbling American economy will not be spared either. In the ensuing social chaos, the people of Europe and America will not blame Russia for their greatly exacerbated misery and social collapse. They will turn long pent-up anger and disgust on to their venal and corrupt so-called leaders. The Western ruling class has used up every vestige of moral authority and legitimacy in the face of millions of irate workers and unemployed. Illegal wars of aggression, massive austerity and years of elite plundering will come home in a tidal wave of revolt. Western threats against Russia with idle and spurious revenge is like firing a gun at Moscow where a pathetic flag pops out saying "bang". But the repercussions for the reckless Western mis-rulers will have, for them, the grim finality of playing Russian roulette. So, go-ahead Obama and Company, pull that trigger, and make our day. This commentary first appeared on 'Islam Times' on March 20, 2014.