Michael Lester - Are We the Bad Guys? | SRS #277

The current global environment, characterized by widespread unease and strategic positioning by various nations (e.g., China, Taiwan, Russia, Ukraine, Venezuela), is more akin to the 'tinderbox' state before World War I than World War II. Information itself has become a primary area of warfare, contributing to domestic division and international instability.

Michael Lester states, 'I see massive parallels to before World War I. I think we are more of a tinderbox than we were before World War II.' He cites information dissemination, strategic positioning of global powers, and domestic division as key factors.

The United States, acting as an empire, has a history of intervening in other countries for its own economic and strategic benefit, often through coercive means, rather than solely for the promotion of democracy or liberty. This includes historical actions like the forced annexation of Hawaii and the orchestration of Panama's independence for canal control.

Lester details, 'We helped Panama secede from Colombia... we put warships off of the east and west coast to make sure that they maintained it because we wanted control of the whole canal area.' He also mentions Hawaii's queen abdicating 'purely to keep the Americans from killing my people.'

The U.S. political system is deeply influenced by money and foreign lobbying, particularly from groups like APAC, which orchestrate significant financial support for politicians. This influence leads to policies that prioritize external interests (e.g., billions in aid to Israel) over critical domestic needs and undermines the integrity of democratic processes.

Lester highlights, 'We spend $18 billion a year to Israel. Why? Just ask the question, what do we get out of it? Nothing.' He explains APAC's strategy of orchestrating donations through individuals and funding trips to Israel for politicians, noting that 'every time there's a person in Congress that speaks out against Israel, the very next election, they have a challenger who is very pro-Israel that has huge amounts of funding.'

The vast U.S. military budget and procurement processes are heavily influenced by the military-industrial complex and political incentives, leading to wasteful spending, outdated systems (like building battleships in the age of drones), and a potential compromise of actual combat readiness, as seen in past conflicts where ammunition supplies ran out.

Lester notes, 'We spend more on our military than the next 10 countries combined.' He criticizes the F-35 program for having parts built in all 50 states for political reasons and recounts the Gulf War experience where 'we went into war without the ammunition to sustain it.'

A pervasive lack of accountability in U.S. institutions, combined with a political system that incentivizes short-term gains and re-election over long-term national welfare, contributes to deep divisions, crumbling infrastructure, and a loss of public trust. This systemic failure makes the U.S. vulnerable to internal collapse and external manipulation.

Shawn Ryan states, 'It's obvious obviously a two-tiered system.' Lester adds, 'Every four years we try and undo what they did.' He points out '600 billion dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse' annually, which goes unaddressed because 'nobody cares' and politicians are focused on re-election.