From: allin
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia and the role of U.S. foreign policy in global relations are central themes in the discussion with Robert Kennedy Jr. [00:01:12].
The Ukraine-Russia Conflict: Causes and Objectives
Robert Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) supported humanitarian aid to Ukraine initially, but became suspicious that the mission evolved beyond humanitarian efforts [00:04:45]. His son even joined the Foreign Legion and fought as a machine gunner in Ukraine, coming to the same conclusion that the U.S. decisions have been about prolonging and maximizing the war’s violence [00:05:00].
RFK Jr. asserts that the neocons in the White House desire regime change in Russia and aim to exhaust Russian armies, as stated by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in 2022: “Our objective is to exhaust and degrade Russian forces so they cannot fight anywhere else in the world” [00:06:00]. He also notes that President Biden acknowledged regime change in Russia as an objective [00:06:19]. RFK Jr. views this as the “opposite of a humanitarian mission,” designed to maximize casualties and prolong the war of attrition, with Ukrainian youth bearing the brunt [00:06:29].
The conflict has resulted in over 300,000 Ukrainian deaths, making it the most violent conflict since World War II [00:06:45]. Russian forces are reportedly killing Ukrainians at a ratio of 5:1 to 8:1, according to leaked Pentagon documents [00:07:06]. Russia cannot afford to lose this war, viewing it as existential, and possesses a 10:1 artillery advantage [00:07:27].
Origins of the War
RFK Jr. attributes the start of the war to 2014, when the U.S. government, particularly neocons, supported a violent overthrow of Ukraine’s democratically elected government, installing an anti-Russian government [00:08:01]. This prompted Russia’s preemptive invasion of Crimea, fearing the U.S. Navy would be invited into the Black Sea [00:08:31]. The new Ukrainian government then enacted laws that turned Russian populations in the Donbas region into “second-class citizens,” illegalizing their culture and language, and ultimately killing 14,000, which sparked a civil war [00:08:48]. While condemning Vladimir Putin as a “gangster and a thug,” RFK Jr. states that Russia’s response in Donbas was “not irrational” [00:09:17].
Proposed Solutions for Ukraine
If elected president, RFK Jr. would immediately call for a ceasefire and settle the war [00:09:43]. He points to the Minsk Accords of 2014 as the best settlement, which outlined an autonomous Donbas region within Ukraine, a commitment not to place NATO missile systems in Ukraine, and Ukraine’s non-entry into NATO [00:09:55]. He would cease sending armaments to Ukraine, effectively forcing Zelensky to settle the war due to Ukraine’s dependence on U.S. support [00:10:38].
NATO Expansion and its Role
RFK Jr. suggests that U.S. foreign policy “induced this thing to happen” by actively integrating the Ukrainian military into NATO forces, despite a prior promise not to expand NATO “one inch to the East” [00:11:05]. This expansion into 13 countries is seen as a “red line” for Russia and a “provocation” [00:11:26]. He questions the continued existence of NATO after the Soviet Union’s collapse, suggesting a Marshall Plan for Russia instead of treating them as an enemy [00:15:52].
Presidential Perspectives on Foreign Policy
RFK Jr. contrasts recent presidents on the dimension of keeping the nation out of war:
- Joe Biden: Described as a “go to war guy” and a strong supporter of the Iraq War and “every war that’s come along” [00:14:17].
- Donald Trump: RFK Jr. “liked a lot of what Trump said about foreign policy,” specifically about disentangling the U.S. from constant wars and the cost they impose [00:14:47]. However, Trump is criticized for walking away from the intermediate nuclear missile treaty, seen as another provocation for Russia [00:15:05].
- John F. Kennedy (JFK): RFK Jr. highlights his uncle’s view that the principal job of a president is to keep the nation out of war, which JFK achieved during his term [00:11:36]. JFK signed an order to withdraw all troops from Vietnam by 1965, a decision reversed by Johnson [00:12:09]. JFK’s American University speech called for understanding Russia’s motives, acknowledging their immense suffering in World War II, rather than “vilifying each other” [00:12:51].
Fiscal Responsibility and Military Spending
RFK Jr. highlights the alarming U.S. national debt of 25 trillion [00:21:05]. He identifies military expenditures as the “primary cause,” with $1.11 trillion spent annually on military, homeland security, and surveillance [00:21:20]. He advocates for stopping the U.S. role as “policemen of the world” (with 800 bases globally) and instead focusing on rebuilding the American middle class and economic power [00:21:50]. This aligns with his grandfather’s idea of “Fortress America” – arming the U.S. at home to be “too expensive to conquer” [00:22:04].
He criticizes the U.S. for borrowing 8 trillion spent on the Iraq War and $16 trillion on the pandemic, which yielded “nothing in return” [00:27:55]. He finds it unacceptable to cut food stamps for 30 million Americans while spending lavishly on military and bank bailouts [00:30:03]. He metaphorically describes the U.S. as an “alcoholic who is behind on his mortgage and who takes the milk money and goes into the bar and buys rounds for strangers” [00:32:00].
Taiwan
RFK Jr. would de-escalate the conflict surrounding Taiwan and cease provocations toward China, allowing the Chinese and Taiwanese to determine their relationship [00:17:30]. He would not commit to defending Taiwan if China were to invade, explaining that such a commitment would be “bad strategy” as it would commit the country to a potentially “bloodiest war ever fought” and remove room for negotiation [00:18:19]. This contrasts with President Biden, who has stated he would defend Taiwan [00:18:51].
The “Deep State” and Regulatory Capture
RFK Jr. avoids the term “Deep State,” preferring to describe the systemic corruption within U.S. bureaucracies as “captive agencies” [00:43:21]. These agencies, he argues, are ultimately working for industries like oil, coal, and military contractors, maintaining ties since their inception [00:43:48]. He cites examples like the CIA, USDA, and EPA being influenced by powerful corporate interests [00:43:51]. He believes that while most agency employees are good citizens, those who rise to powerful positions are often “in the tank with industry,” and this systemic corruption needs to be unraveled [00:45:34].
CIA and the Kennedy Assassinations
RFK Jr. believes the CIA was “definitely involved in the murder” of his uncle, John F. Kennedy, and the subsequent “60-year cover-up,” withholding documents that are legally required to be released [00:39:36]. He recounts his father’s immediate suspicion of the CIA after JFK’s assassination [00:34:32]. He notes that JFK realized during the Bay of Pigs invasion that he had been “lied to” by CIA heads and stated he wanted to “take the CIA and shattered into a thousand pieces and Scatter it to the wind” [00:36:35]. JFK recognized that intelligence agencies had “devolved” and become “captive of the military industrial complex,” serving to provide a “constant pipeline of new Wars” [00:37:03].
RFK Jr. supports his father’s idea of removing the “Espionage Branch” (information gathering) from the “Plans Division” (dirty tricks, assassinations, fixing elections, Black Ops), arguing the latter has been “wagging the Espionage dog” [00:37:42]. He would rethink the CIA, FBI, and DOJ, and release the remaining documents [00:40:39].
Whistleblowers and Transparency
RFK Jr. advocates for pardoning whistleblowers like Julian Assange and Edward Snowden [00:41:18]. He views Julian Assange as a “newspaper publisher” who published leaked documents of “great import to the American people” that should not have been secret [00:41:34]. Edward Snowden, he argues, revealed that Americans were being spied upon, leading Congress to pass laws to protect the public. RFK Jr. believes the U.S. should not be “jailing dissenters” or “whistleblowers,” but rather “jailing the people who break the law” [00:42:42].
Media and Censorship
RFK Jr. asserts that the mainstream media is heavily influenced by pharmaceutical companies due to advertising revenue [01:26:49]. He provides anecdotes where his stories or interviews on topics like vaccine safety were suppressed or censored by media outlets like Fox News and CNN due to corporate pressure [01:26:27], [01:27:22]. He notes that 70% of Fox News’s non-network news revenue and 17 out of 22 ad spaces on evening news were pharmaceutical ads [01:26:49].
He questions the media’s role in manipulating public information and “protecting Americans from dangerous thoughts,” advocating for the traditional role of media as “Guardians of free speech” [01:32:47]. RFK Jr. is critical of media outlets that declare his statements as “misinformation” without allowing the audience to hear his side or engage in a thoughtful debate [01:35:39]. He states that he has a “robust factchecking operation” with over 320 MDs and PhD scientists on his advisory board, and every post he makes is cited to a government database or peer-reviewed publication [01:37:50]. He states he would change his opinion if presented with facts [01:38:29].
The discussion highlights concerns about media bias and censorship, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the mainstream media was perceived as “carrying water on certain issues” and dismissing alternative viewpoints, such as the Wuhan lab leak theory or the efficacy of masking toddlers [01:23:12].