ALL SOULS DAY TO REMEMBRANCE DAY


Who in heaven’s name would write to the Pope in Today’s turbulent World, thinking it would get through to him and he would get the Message?

Finding the Vatican email addresses below online, the last 2 to the Pope’s Embassies in CanaDa and France, in my Personal Faith I took the chance 1 of them might have direct access and convey the Spirit of the letter to Pope Francis.

The one immediately following was emailed on All Souls Day, November 2, directly connecting it to Remembrance Day November 11.

No one acknowledged receipt of the email. For those with the interest and patience to continue reading, in the brackets, you will see for yourselves, evidence that even if the Pope himself didn’t read the Message, the God of my Faith that moved me to write, touched him directly. In his Public comments on November 4 & 5 he cited explicit words and visions taken from my email.

The 1st Message I sent to the Pope further on down, was emailed April 18. No one acknowledged that one either, but for those who get that far, reading between the brackets, you will see evidence that Message got directly to the Pope too.

You will notice the Salutation, “Dear Francis, my Brother in Christ.” I could not in Good Conscience to Christ call the Pope ‘Holy Father’ or any Catholic/Orthodox priest “Father.” The Resurrected Christ Today is the same Christ Jesus revealed to the World 2000 years ago as it’s written, ‘And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.’

Fathers, Mothers, Sons and Daughters, Brothers and Sisters can see this Material World Today, 2000 years in Flesh Time, the Dawn of the 3rd Day in Spirit Time, is moving in the Opposite Direction. Silence is Consent to the World going Down the Path described in the following paragraph.

My hope and intention in writing is to show if you don’t at least try, nothing in your life will make a difference in this money-things loving & serving World rushing down this Path as it’s written, ‘you enter in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in there:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.’

The Pope says we are living through Third World War and once again urging everyone “not to get accustomed” to this piecemeal third world war, which, he says “is becoming a full-fledged third world war under our eyes”.

—— Original Message ——

From: rayray

To: info@vaticannews.va; direzione.affarigenerali@spc.va; direzione.editoriale@spc.va; segreteria.tecnica@spc.va; info@salastampa.va; nuntiatura@nuntiatura.ca; valoisiux@gmail.com

Sent: Wednesday, November 2, 2022 4:49 PM

Subject: ALL SOULS DAY

Dear Francis, my Brother in Christ,

This is the 3rd Time writing to you in the hope you will take a more active consistent and extraordinary role as the Vicar of the Prince of Peace, striving to end the War in Ukraine. President Macron of France also urged you to undertake this Mission on an urgent basis.

By the Grace of God, you have the platform to do just that and you must use it urgently. (The Pope in Bahrain November 5, “He noted that, although this sounds like a contradiction, as “we often notice that the more power is sought, the more peace is threatened”, the prophet announces the extraordinary news that “the Messiah to come will indeed be powerful, not in the manner of a commander who wages war and rules over others, but as the Prince of Peace who reconciles people with God and with one another.”)

On ALL SOULS DAY, November 2, 1976, The Kansas City Times published this picture 46 years ago,

It is generally understood in religious circles 7 is God’s number, and 7 years to the month later, on November 20, 1983, the TV movie ‘THE DAY AFTER’ Kansas City was incinerated in a Nuclear Holocaust was shown to the World. Of the 100 Million People watching it that night, most probably I was the only one watching it to notice AT THE END, the movie pauses at the same picture frame shown above on ALL SOULS DAY in 1976.

You can see that END for yourself in this brief clip from the movie which could have been made in any other major American City. It is not random chance or coincidence it was made in Kansas City. It is a SIGN from Almighty God to our Generations this Material World has arrived at the PRECIPICE:

(The Pope in Bahrain November 4, “First of all, one can be struck by an observation: after two tremendous World Wars, after the Cold War, “that for decades kept the world in suspense, catastrophic conflicts taking place in every part of the globe, and in the midst of accusations, threats and condemnations, we continue to find ourselves on the brink of a delicate PRECIPICE and we do not want to fall…” Poised on the brink… A graphic image of the absolute precariousness in which the whole of humanity finds itself living today in the face of the risk of a nuclear conflict with incalculable consequences.)

It is now 37 years since the Spirit of God moved me to interject these words into the Official 1985 Remembrance Day Commemoration in the hearing of the Governor-General, the Prime Minister, the Military Brass, the Ambassadors of the Nations and the Public. This was after the Moment of Silence, the prayers to God by the 3 Establishment Religions there should be no more WAR, during the Silence for the laying of the wreaths by the Dignitaries,

“Hear O people and Nations, even to the ends of the Earth, the Word of the LORD God, who is, and was, and is to come, The Almighty.

The LORD has a controversy with the people.

Do you do well to honour the dead, and yet, deny the God of the Living?

Why do you follow the vain traditions of men, and make of no effect, the Principles of God?

You come here for one hour, one day a year, in a great show of Public Patriotism, and then forgetting, go back to work and make the same careless mistakes made by the generations prior to the 1st and 2nd World Wars.

Hitler is dead, but it’s his legacy that remains. A Soviet-American military-industrial complex consuming $trillions of dollars every year, holding the entire World hostage…………”

“Hostage” was the last word said perched on a bus shelter roof, as police got up and grabbed the megaphone. I was arrested for shouting, causing a disturbance, convicted and fined $250. I appealed without a lawyer to The Supreme Court of Canada.

All these 37 years later, the US-Russian Military-Industrial Complex is holding our current World “hostage” like never before and escalating. THE DAY AFTER will be too late!

Peace

Ray Joseph Cormier

http://www.rayjc.com

—— Original Message ——

From: rayray

To: direzione.affarigenerali@spc.va; direzione.editoriale@spc.va; segreteria.tecnica@spc.va; direzione.teologico.pastorale@spc.va; info@salastampa.va

Sent: Monday, April 18, 2022 1:23 PM

Subject: ARMAGEDDON/WWWIII

Dear Francis, my Brother in Christ,

God strengthen you to resist the pressure from the US dominated NATO Nations to Judge President Putin. Only God is the Judge of you, me, the Cardinals, and all living Flesh from the Greatest to the Least.

The old adage still applies, ‘TRUTH is the 1st casualty of WAR’ and that is especially TRUE in this War.

US/NATO WAR Propaganda does not inform the Public the Ukrainian government increased the shelling of the Civilians in the Donbas that provoked Russia to make the incursion into Ukraine to stop it. (Two weeks later on May 3rd Pope Francis said NATO may have caused Russia’s invasion of Ukraine doubling down on that June 14, here, here, here and here.

US/NATO War Propaganda does not inform the Public why President Putin said Minsk is Dead in recognizing the Independent Status of Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics. He did not annex the territories into Russia.

The Path to Peace was embodied in the 2015 Minsk Agreement signed by Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany, requiring Ukraine to start negotiations with those territories giving them some Autonomy within a Federal Ukrainian system. Within those 7 years Ukraine REFUSED to negotiate as required. The US, Germany and France did not use their leverage to get Ukraine to the negotiating table. They just armed them for the Time the US/NATO WAR PLAN with Russia was ready to implement. (Ex German Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed only on December 8, 8 months later, my assessment given the Pope April 18 was True. ‘German ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel reveals that in 2014, the Minsk agreements aimed to give Ukraine time to get stronger and for NATO to increase its support to the country in the face of Russia.)

I was very disappointed you did not go to the Islamic Mosque in Nineveh ISIS blew up in 2014, containing the Tomb of Jonah in the whale fame from the Jewish/Christian tradition during your visit to Iraq last year. No Religious or Political Leader recognized that event as the SIGN from Almighty God this Material World is at that same point on the Path to Destruction, making that 3000 year old Bible record CURRENT.

As if to buttress that SIGN, it was in the same Year of the Lord 2014, the US orchestrated the Coup/regime change of the Elected Russian friendly government, installing the Neo-Nazi anti-Russian government headed by the man US Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland was caught on tape saying she wanted to head the changed government even BEFORE it was changed. That was by design, not co-incidence, and Russia knew it if Americans don’t.

I lost my child’s Faith in Jesus when I was 12-13 making no room in my life and thoughts for Christ until, to my great Surprise and Wonder, I was unexpectedly BORN AGAIN February 1, 1975, making me 78 going on 47 years learning the Ways of the Christ Spirit. That was the Day after I quit my position of ‘National Marketing Representative, Mining Division, Dominion Engineering Works Ltd.’ of Montreal. I was 29 going on 30.

Francis, the US is the biggest Arms Merchant in the History of Nations. Never mind the Russian Oligarchs, the US Oligarchs must be rubbing their hands with glee since Russia was provoked into this War. ARMS SALES to the captive NATO Nations dramatically increased. Most Christian America is blind and oblivious to this most important insight into God who is above ALL Nations, the US, Israel and Vatican City included, ‘Not by military force and not by physical strength, but by My spirit,’ says the Lord of Hosts.’

The following message was just sent to US Senators who replied to my Message with an actual email address without having to use their embedded character limiting Office email system. It should interest the Vatican too. Maybe there’s a buried record in the Vatican of the Lunch I had with the Apostolic Nuncio to CanaDa Angelo Palmas in late October or early November 1985. The Charge D’Affaires and Secretary attended.

From: rayray

To: Senator_Kennedy@Kennedy.senate.gov; Senator_Merkley@Merkley.senate.gov; senator_ossoff@ossoff.senate.gov; mike@rounds.senate.gov; phillip_waller@wicker.senate.gov; elizabeth_warren@warren.senate.gov; Senator_Bennet@bennet.senate.gov; senator@cotton.senate.gov; correspondence_reply@durbin.senate.gov; Info_Sanders@sanders.senate.gov; SenatorHawley@hawley.senate.gov;

Sent: Monday, April 18, 2022 12:57 PM

Subject: ARMAGEDDON/WWIII

Senators,

I quit my Position of ‘National Marketing Representative, Mining Division, Dominion Engineering Works Ltd.’ of Montreal. The next Day, February 1, 1975, to my great unexpected surprise and wonder, I was BORN AGAIN Spiritually, making me 78 going on 47 years learning the Ways of the Christ Spirit. I was 29.

I sold all my possessions and 7 months later, with shoulder length hair, beard and backpack on my back, entered the US to discover the Spirit of 76. That Spirit led me to the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City where I reach a high level of visibility.

The night President Ford won the nomination over Ronald Reagan, the Lobby of the Crown Centre Hotel held a compressed crowd of delirious Republicans looking up to the Secret Service restricted mezzanine having the President’s podium set up, as he was expected to be standing there any minute.

The Secret Service spotted me in the crowd below and called me to come up for questioning. Instead of questioning me in some anteroom, the Secret Service Agent let me to stand right at the President’s podium and questioned me in view of everyone in the Lobby below, and the 3 TV networks broadcasting live. If that wasn’t surprise enough, eventually the SS Agent asked me if I was Jesus Christ? Having no illusions about than then or now, in a nanosecond answered NO! The next question was, “Who are you then, a Prophet?” That I couldn’t answer on the spot never having imagined finding myself in that exceptional spot. With my shoulder length hair, beard and wearing my trademark #13 jersey, it was a Revolutionary imagine for anyone to be standing at the President’s podium in the Revolutionary Spirit of ’76, most probably before and since? The best part, is the Secret Service should have a record of that one night in my Curriculum Vitae buried in their Archives as it’s written, God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders.

After the Republicans left town, I was the guest on an open line radio show a dozen times, interviewed on TV, and The Kansas City Times published 2 reports on my Time in the City, the 1st on September 13, 1976 with the follow up on ALL SOULS DAY, November 2, 1976. That was a lot of exposure for an unknown Canadian arriving in the City.

These are brief excerpts from so much more in the September 13, 1976 Historical Newspaper record,

“He came to town for the Republican National Convention and will stay until the election in November TO DO GOD’S BIDDING: To tell the World, from Kansas City, this country has been found wanting and its days are numbered […] He gestured toward a gleaming church dome. “The gold dome is the symbol of BABYLON,” he said.” […] He wanted to bring to the Public’s attention an “idea being put out subtly and deceptively” by the government that we have to get prepared for a War with Russia.”

That 1976 FUTURE is NOW with the Revelation of the details GENERALLY unfolding in the spirit of the letter.
The World is waking up to see Americans may hasten “its days are numbered” part of the 1976 Vision, and waits with bated breath.

With the benefit of 45 years hindsight, the last 8 years of intensified FBI, Military, Intelligence and Think Tank “experts” on TV constantly, unanimously, demonizing Putin and Russia, with no dissent allowed, the People have been prepared.

For all the Times it’s a Cultural necessity for American Politicians to say ‘God Bless America’ after their political speeches, I doubt many or any of you recognize “this country has been found wanting and its days are numbered” as the 1st 2 parts of the 3 part Writing on the Wall from Daniel 5 in the Bible.

Between the 3-6 of February, I sent a Message to all 100 Senators on the possible conflict in the US Tug of War over Ukraine with Russia and altogether 17 Senators replied and Congressman Swalwell whom I didn’t write to on the matter. That Message was not pro-Putin but pro-Peace. By all of your replies, the Message fell on deaf ears and BLIND patriotism.

While I never wrote a book, there are many chapters from my Curriculum Vitae in my Blog. This latest was posted April 13.

US POLITICIANS ARE SLEEPWALKING TOWARD THE NUCLEAR ABYSS

No one has to account to me, and I can’t compel anyone to follow any links in this Message, but Believe it or not, this describes my assigned role in Today’s World The Kansas City Times chronicled way back in 1976.

Son of man, speak to the members of your people and say to them: When I bring armed attackers upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among themselves and appoint him for them as a lookout,
And he sees the army coming upon the land, and he sounds the trumpet and warns the people,
And whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take heed, and the army comes and takes him, his blood will be upon his own head.
He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take heed; his blood will be upon him, for had he taken heed, he would have saved his life.

But the lookout-should he see the army coming and not sound the trumpet, and the people did not take heed, and an army came and took a soul from them-he was taken for his iniquity, but I shall require his blood from the hand of the lookout.

That’s between a rock and a hard place!

Peace
RayJC
Ottawa-Hull, CanaDa

Being human, it would have been nice if someone from the Vatican acknowledged the email, but that isn’t really important. I was happy to see the Pope say what he did in Public.

In 1976 I was washing dishes at Suzanne’s Kitchen on the Boardwalk of Venice Beach California facing the Ocean, for $1/hour.

One Day I woke up from a very powerful and vivid Dream I will never forget. In the Dream I was a small child wearing a big Adult General’s Uniform. I was at the bottom of a high stairway, and at the top, Crowned and Enthroned, was the Pope. He came down from the Throne and gave me the Keys to everything saying to me, “It’s all yours and you can do what you want with it.”

I answered, “If it’s all mine, let’s order Champagne for the World and go Uptown Saturday Night.” Then I woke up.

For obvious reasons, I, more than anyone, was surprised to see in the REAL WORLD, 2 years later in 1978, Pope Paul VI died. He was the last Pope in 1000 years of Catholic Ritual and Tradition to be Crowned and Enthroned.

The 1st Papal Pronouncement of new Pope John Paul I was, ‘The Pope is only a simple Priest. No Crown and no Throne for the Pope!’ He abdicated and came down from the Throne for Real, and he came from Venice, Italy! Was that co-incidence or design?

Sadly, he was dead in a month! Maybe for thinking and acting like he was Pope, starting to take charge and cleaning House?

‘Not by military force and not by physical strength, but by My spirit,’ says the Lord of Hosts.
And he shall judge between the nations and reprove many peoples, and they shall beat their swords into plow shares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift the sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

I THINK THEREFORE I AM


I-AM-WHO-I-AM_

I will exalt You, O Lord, for You have raised me up, and You have not allowed my enemies to rejoice over me.

O Lord, I have cried out to You, and You have healed me.

O Lord, You have brought my soul from the grave; You have revived me from my descent into the Pit.

Sing to the Lord, His pious ones, and give thanks to His holy name.

For His wrath lasts but a moment; life results from His favour; in the evening, weeping may tarry, but in the morning there is joyful singing.

And I said in my tranquility, “I will never falter.”

O Lord, with Your will, You set up my mountain to be might, You hid Your countenance and I became frightened.

To You, O Lord, I would call, and to the Lord I would supplicate.

You have turned my lament into dancing for me; You loosened my sackcloth and girded me with joy.

“What gain is there in my blood, in my descent to the grave? Will dust thank You; will it recite Your truth? Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me; O Lord, be my helper.”

So that my soul will sing praises to You and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will thank You forever.

Psalm 30

I took refuge in You, O Lord; let me not be shamed forever; rescue me with Your righteousness.

Incline Your ear to me, quickly rescue me; be a rock of strength to me, a stronghold to save me.

For You are my Rock and my Stronghold, and for Your name’s sake, You shall lead me and guide me.

You shall free me from this net which they have hidden for me, for You are my stronghold.

In Your hand I entrust my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord, God of truth.

But I trusted in You, O Lord; I said, “You are my God.”

Cause Your countenance to shine upon Your servant; save me with Your kindness.

How great is Your goodness that You have laid away for those who fear You, that You have worked for those who take refuge in You, in the presence of the sons of men!

Love the Lord, all His pious ones. The Lord guards those who believe [in Him] and He pays with a bowstring him who works with haughtiness.

Psalm_31-24

The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want

He causes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake

May only goodness and kindness pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for length of days.

Psalm23-4_1200x

 

I have greatly hoped for the Lord, and He extended [His ear] to me and heard my cry.

He put a new song into my mouth, a praise to our God, so that many may see and fear, and trust in the Lord.

Praiseworthy is the man who made the Lord his trust, and did not turn to the haughty and those who turn to falsehood.

Praiseworthy is the man who made the Lord his trust, and did not turn to the haughty and those who turn to falsehood.

You have done great things, You, O Lord my God. Your wonders and Your thoughts are for us. There is none to equal You; were I to tell and speak, they would be too many to tell.

You desired neither sacrifice nor meal offering; You dug ears for me; a burnt offering or a sin offering You did not request.

Then I said, “Behold I have come,” with a scroll of a book written for me.

O God, I desired to do Your will and [to have] Your law within my innards.

I did not conceal Your charity within my heart; I stated Your faith and Your salvation-I did not withhold Your kindness and truth-to a great assembly.

Psalm 40

GOD ON OUR SIDE?


All US Politicians are obligated in most Christian America to end their speeches with ‘God Bless America!’ President Biden limits that to ‘God Bless OUR Troops!’

The US is the biggest ARMS MERCHANT in the History of Nations, and US Christian Leaders remain BLIND and OBLIVIOUS to this Vision in their Bibles, “‘Not by Military Force, and not by physical strength, but by my Spirit’ says the Lord of Hosts. Mirroring the US government, there are more weapons in private hands than for any other People on Earth reserved unto that Day of Judgment when they will be used by Americans against Americans

Bob Dylan, Masters of War, and the Ukraine Crisis

Red-white-and-blue chauvinism is running wild. Yet there are real diplomatic alternatives to the collision course for war

Fifty-nine years ago, Bob Dylan recorded “With God on Our Side.” You probably haven’t heard it on the radio for a very long time, if ever, but right now you could listen to it as his most evergreen of topical songs:

Oh, my name, it ain’t nothin’, my age, it means less
The country I come from is called the Midwest
I’s taught and brought up there, the laws to abide
And that the land that I live in has God on its side

Oh, the history books tell it, they tell it so well
The cavalries charged, the Indians fell
The cavalries charged, the Indians died
Oh, the country was young with God on its side

The Spanish-American War had its day
And the Civil War too was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes I was made to memorize
With guns in their hands and God on their side

The First World War, boys, it came and it went
The reason for fightin’ I never did get
But I learned to accept it, accept it with pride
For you don’t count the dead when God’s on your side

The Second World War came to an end
We forgave the Germans, and then we were friends
Though they murdered six million, in the ovens they fried
The Germans now too have God on their side

I learned to hate the Russians all through my whole life
If another war comes, it’s them we must fight
To hate them and fear them, to run and to hide
And accept it all bravely with God on my side

But now we’ve got weapons of chemical dust
If fire them we’re forced to, then fire them we must
One push of the button and they shot the world wide
And you never ask questions when God’s on your side

Through many dark hour I been thinkin’ about this
That Jesus Christ was betrayed by a kiss
But I can’t think for you, you’ll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot had God on his side

So now as I’m leavin’, I’m weary as hell
The confusion I’m feelin’ ain’t no tongue can tell
The words fill my head, and they fall to the floor
That if God’s on our side, he’ll stop the next war

In recent days, media coverage of a possible summit between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin has taken on almost wistful qualities, as though the horsemen of the apocalypse are already out of the barn.

Fatalism is easy for the laptop warriors and blow-dried studio pundits who keep insisting on the need to get tough with “the Russians,” by which they mean the Russian government. Actual people who suffer and die in war easily become faraway abstractions. “And you never ask questions / When God’s on your side.”

During the last six decades, the religiosity of U.S. militarism has faded into a more generalized set of assumptions—shared, in the current crisis, across traditional political spectrums. Ignorance about NATO’s history feeds into the good vs. evil bromides that are so easy to ingest and internalize.

On Capitol Hill, it’s hard to find a single member of Congress willing to call NATO what it has long been: an alliance for war (Kosovo, Afghanistan, Libya) with virtually nothing to do with “defense” other than the defense of vast weapons sales and, at times, even fantasies of regime change in Russia.

The reverence and adulation gushing from the Capitol and corporate media (including NPR and PBS) toward NATO and its U.S. leadership are wonders of thinly veiled jingoism. About other societies, reviled ones, we would hear labels like “propaganda.” Here the supposed truisms are laundered and flat-ironed as common sense.

Glimmers of inconvenient truth have flickered only rarely in mainstream U.S. media outlets, while a bit more likely in Europe. “Biden has said repeatedly that the U.S. is open to diplomacy with Russia, but on the issue that Moscow has most emphasized—NATO enlargement—there has been no American diplomacy at all,” Jeffrey Sachs wrote in the Financial Times as this week began. “Putin has repeatedly demanded that the U.S. forswear NATO’s enlargement into Ukraine, while Biden has repeatedly asserted that membership of the alliance is Ukraine’s choice.”

As Sachs noted, “Many insist that NATO enlargement is not the real issue for Putin and that he wants to recreate the Russian empire, pure and simple. Everything else, including NATO enlargement, they claim, is a mere distraction. This is utterly mistaken. Russia has adamantly opposed NATO expansion towards the east for 30 years, first under Boris Yeltsin and now Putin…. Neither the U.S. nor Russia wants the other’s military on their doorstep. Pledging no NATO enlargement is not appeasement. It does not cede Ukrainian territory. It does not undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty.”

Whether or not they know much about such history, American media elites and members of Congress don’t seem to care about it. Red-white-and-blue chauvinism is running wild. Yet there are real diplomatic alternatives to the collision course for war.

Speaking Monday on Democracy Now!, Katrina vanden Heuvel—editorial director of The Nation and a longtime Russia expert—said that implementing the Minsk accords could be a path toward peace in Ukraine. Also, she pointed out, “there is talk now not just of the NATO issue, which is so key, but also a new security architecture in Europe.”

Desperately needed is a new European security framework, to demilitarize and defuse conflicts between Russia and U.S. allies. But the same approach that for three decades pushed to expand NATO to Russia’s borders is now gung-ho to keep upping the ante, no matter how much doing so increases the chances of a direct clash between the world’s two nuclear-weapons superpowers.

The last U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union before it collapsed, Jack Matlock, wrote last week: “Since President Putin’s major demand is an assurance that NATO will take no further members, and specifically not Ukraine or Georgia, obviously there would have been no basis for the present crisis if there had been no expansion of the alliance following the end of the Cold War, or if the expansion had occurred in harmony with building a security structure in Europe that included Russia.”

But excluding Russia from security structures, while encircling it with armed-to-the-teeth adversaries, was a clear goal of NATO’s expansion. Less obvious was the realized goal of turning Eastern European nations into customers for vast arms sales.

A gripping chapter in “The Spoils of War,” a new book by Andrew Cockburn, spells out the mega-corporate zeal behind the massive campaigns to expand NATO beginning in the 1990s. Huge Pentagon contractors like Lockheed Martin were downcast about the dissolution of the USSR and feared that military sales would keep slumping. But there were some potential big new markets on the horizon.

“One especially promising market was among the former members of the defunct Warsaw Pact,” Cockburn wrote. “Were they to join NATO, they would be natural customers for products such as the F-16 fighter that Lockheed had inherited from General Dynamics. There was one minor impediment: the [George H. W.] Bush administration had already promised Moscow that NATO would not move east, a pledge that was part of the settlement ending the Cold War.”

By the time legendary foreign-policy sage George F. Kennan issued his unequivocal warning in 1997—“expanding NATO would be the most fateful error of American policy in the post-Cold War era”—the expansion was already happening.

As Cockburn notes, “By 2014, the 12 new members had purchased close to $17 billion worth of American weapons.”

If you think those weapons transactions were about keeping up with the Russians, you’ve been trusting way too much U.S. corporate media. “As of late 2020,” Cockburn’s book explains, NATO’s collective military spending “had hit $1.03 trillion, or roughly 20 times Russia’s military budget.”

Let’s leave the last words here to Bob Dylan, from another song that isn’t on radio playlists. “Masters of War.”

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good?
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could?