New York-based internet media website BuzzFeed recently reported, citing an unnamed source inthe US intelligence service, that the legislation inquestion calls torevive a presidentially-appointed group tocounter "Russian spies and Russian-sponsored assassinations," inthe United States. The group would also investigate the funding ofRussian "covert broadcasting" and "media manipulation."
"One should never forget that all these kinds ofbills actually put money intosome people's pocket," Armstrong told Radio Sputnik.
The analyst asserts that there is money behindthe invention and constant promotion ofa "Russian threat." The US military is currently committed to "fabulously" expensive projects that "never really come toan end buteverybody makes a pile ofmoney outof." Playing the "bad Russians" card is a good way tostimulate business, he suggests.
"My favorite one was the Panama papers. Ha! Finally we have proof that Putin is stealing money and hiding it abroad', [although] Putin's name doesn't appear anywhere inthe papers [but] today we have the theory that obviously it's Putin behindthe leak ofthe Panama papers," Armstrong observed. "There is no limit tothis ridiculousness."
"What are the current stories now?" he asked. "Oh yes, Russia hacks intothe DNC (Democratic National Committee) computer. No, it's some guy ina basement inRomania, just likethe last guy who hacked intoHillary Clinton's stuff."
"Nobody's going tocome outand say Oh Gee, I guess we're just plain lying aboutRussians inSyria, invasion inUkraine and the coming collapse ofRussia What they're going tosay is that'Putin has somehow cleverly got intopeople's minds, we need more money.'"
Another motive, Armstrong suggests, is US determination toexpand NATO, inan attempt toget "better control ofthings."
"Somewhere," he asserted, "along the line, [the US] realized that expanding NATO when all NATO membership meant was that you blew upLibya, or you joined into celebrate the third decade ofa losing war inAfghanistan wasn't going topull innew members. So it's trying torevive the old Russian threat."
A so-called 2017 Intelligence Authorization Bill was passed bythe US Senate Intelligence Committee inMay, and awaits Senate approval. Armstrong predicts that the bill will most likely be approved, butnoted that the idea ofa "big enemy" is not really selling. He cited a recent Pew poll showing that no more than1/3 ofEU nationals consider Russia tobe a threat toanything.
As for the Moscow's reaction to such moves, Armstrong said that Russia doesn't want war and, along with China, is playing an "intelligent" hand.
"[Russia] is playing a much more intelligent game thananybody inthe West," he said. "The problem is managing the downfall ofthe American empire. 20 to30 years fromnow, when China, Russia, Iran, India are much more important thanthey are today, and the US is definitely declining, the trick is, how do you get tothere, fromhere, withoutblowing everything up? The last days ofa declining empire are always very dangerous."
The analyst shared his thoughts onAmerica's next president.
"We've got toget throughthe next 25-30 years withoutthe US blowing the [] outof all ofus, so what I would liketo have forthe next four years is a president good atnegotiating. What we've had untilnow is, do what we want or we bomb you.'"
By Sputnik News
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