Escalators in Chief

Stephen Falken: General, are you prepared to destroy the enemy?
General Beringer: You betcha.
Stephen Falken: Do you think they know that?
General Beringer: I believe we've made that clear enough.
Stephen Falken: Then don't!
--WarGames

As Glenn Greenwald writes, it remains clear that the US government is avoiding neutrality and diplomacy in favor of hostile escalation of the Ukraine conflict. 

I was personally dumbstruck a couple days ago when reading that the secretary of state has not been in direct contact with his Russian counterparts since the middle of February. It is impossible to justify such inaction by any state that desires peace.

Then, on a visit to Poland this weekend, the president poured more gasoline on the fire. While visiting US troops in the region, he told them that they would soon see firsthand how Ukraine was pushing back against Russian troops. Subsequently, in a Warsaw appearance, the president called Putin a 'butcher' and during formal televised remarks said, "For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power."

The White House has since been in damage control mode trying to put out the conflagration resulting from the sequence of the president's inflaming statements.

As Greenwald quotes a former Greek foreign minister:

"A U.S. President who, during an atrocious war, does not mean what he says on matters of War and Peace, and must be corrected by his hyperventilating staff, is a clear and present danger to all."

Yet, the actions of these people suggest that this is precisely what they want. Hostile words and actions that continue to escalate the situation. No leadership through neutrality and diplomacy.

The president and his minions are bumbling through roles of Escalators in Chief.