War with RUSSIA? - no ...

I think much of America is going insane.

This weird and violent fetish regarding Russia has no positive outcome, and can only lead to destruction.

I'm not sure if madness is the best explanation, but certainly the American people are being lied to. The thing about lying, however, is it requires two participants - the person (or persons) telling the lies, and the people who have an innate desire to believe the lie. Lies really don't work unless the person being fooled has a willingness to suspend disbelief. I'm here to say that the "Putin did it!" narrative is bullshit.

The united states has been operating illegal wars in Libya, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Our government toppled an elected government in 2014, in the Ukraine, and this too was illegal. We have hundreds of military bases worldwide, and recently we conducted military exercises which put U.S. artillery within range of St. Petersburg (Russia). If Russia conducted military operations in Mexico? If Russia stationed military forces on the U.S. border in Canada? - yes, I think Americans would be rightfully worried. But Russia is not doing this, the USA is the bad actor here.

And Crimea? - Crimea is more Russian than Texas is American ... so please, read a history book.

What's even more perplexing are the mental gymnastics that Trump supporters must go through to get behind Trump's recent bellicose rhetoric towards Russia; and yet, it's not that surprising. Liars need willing believers, and Trump supporters, after Hillary's defeat, believed that some new "morning in America" was upon us - but this, too, was a lie.

For those who believe that Putin is evil and terrible - whatever, we once elected a neocon and former CIA director as U.S. president (the elder Bush).

For those who accept the "nerve gas" stories coming from the UK without any real evidence being supplied? - gee, where were those "weapons of mass destruction" Saddam supposedly had? - where were they? - they were CIA fantasies.

For those who believe that a war with Russia could be easily won, how? - by being willing to sacrifice several million Americans on the altar of nuclear war? Is that victory for you? - the fallout will be your reward.

It isn't Putin who inspects your grandmother's anus when she boards a plane at the airport - it is the U.S. government.

It isn't Putin that is destabilizing the Middle East by supporting radical jihadists and arming them - it is the CIA.

It isn't Putin that taxes you to death, that denies you due process ... that's happening here, in America.

It isn't Putin that builds shoddy bridges, using social justice engineers, and then hides the truth (as just happened in Florida) ... nope ... not Putin.

It wasn't Putin that poisoned the citizens of Flint (Michigan) by mismanaging the water supply there - those were Americans.

Putin is likely average by Russian leader standards - a little corrupt, a little atavistic, but not Hitler and definitely not Stalin.

Don't look to boogeymen in Moscow for the source of your hellish existence here in the USA. The cause of our pain is a financial oligarchy without bounds and that currently holds our society captive.

But by all means, keep hoping we have some war with Russia ...

When the mushroom clouds start sprouting, and you're shivering in fear, remember that this LIE was also your fault.

Americans should be in the streets DEMANDING that this warmongering bullshit stop - instead, we're listening to CNN and FOX NEWS and believing their crap (and you can include NPR as well).

Good luck ...

(you will need it)