SecDef Austin Says Russia “Ultimately Responsible” Despite Officials Admitting Missile Likely Fired By Ukraine

After pretty much everyone very publicly blamed Russia for a missile that struck NATO ally Poland and killed 2, with Zelenskyy even calling it “a very significant escalation,” US officials are now admitting that the missile was likely fired by Ukraine, not Russia. The AP cited “three U.S. officials” saying that “preliminary assessments suggested the missile was fired by Ukrainian forces at an incoming Russian one.”

But apparently, that fact doesn’t actually matter to the United States. Perhaps that’s because we’ve thus far given tens of billions of dollars-worth of “aid” to Ukraine, much of which might have ended up with a crypto company that just went bankrupt. But not before donating tens of millions directly to Democrats and establishment GOP candidates… It’s a weird scheme that looks a whole heck of a lot like money laundering. But I digress.

Despite the fact that Ukraine seems to have shot the missile that killed 2 in a NATO ally country, Secretary Lloyd Austin has declared that Russia is still “ultimately responsible.” The Secretary of Defense for the United States of America is essentially saying that he doesn’t care about what the facts reveal about the incident because he’s already decided that Russia is to blame, even if they didn’t actually shoot the missile that killed 2 in a NATO ally country.

Now, there’s certainly a valid argument to be made that the Ukrainian missile wouldn’t have been shot had there not been incoming Russian missiles, and I’m not discounting this valid argument. Nor am I absolving Russia of guilt for their many crimes. But the sweeping dismissal of facts and diversion of responsibility by top U.S. government officials does not bode well for our nation, and here’s why. Today, it’s Russia and a missile. They’ve already decided that Russia is to blame even if Russia didn’t actually shoot the missile, because Russia is the enemy so that’s what matters most in determining guilt and responsibility. The only thing that matters is the opinion that Russia, as the enemy, is ultimately to blame. That’s today.

But tomorrow, or next month, or next year, they will have established that facts don’t matter and that the only thing that matters is The Party’s opinion about who is the enemy and who is therefore considered “ultimately responsible.” Then it could be any American citizen in any given situation where they can label you their enemy. Sure, you didn’t actually commit the crime, but you’re “ultimately responsible” because you espouse views and opinions or engage in unapproved behaviors that make you the enemy and therefore make you “ultimately responsible” for any incident at hand. The accusation of racism is a good example. How may times have we heard that a particular criminal isn’t “ultimately responsible” for their crimes because the social enemies who perpetuate so-called ‘oppressive systems’ are the ones who are “ultimately responsible?” It may not matter that you didn’t commit the crime. If you aren’t sufficiently “anti-racist,” then you’re part of the problem (the enemy) and you’re “ultimately responsible.” When facts stop mattering and everything becomes subjective, then anyone can be the enemy and anyone can be labeled as “ultimately responsible” for anything The Party decides. And that’s dangerous.

Interestingly, SecDef Austin took his statement almost directly from NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, who likewise admitted that the missile was likely fired by Ukraine but absolved them of all guilt, laying the blame fully on Russia as being “ultimately responsible.”