In the 60-minute news cycle that has become the world in which we now find ourselves, it’s easy to get distracted from developments that could lead to far greater adverse consequences than most Americans yet fully realize … much less, completely appreciate.

To be sure, the invasion at our border, the corruption of both our government institutions and schools, the decay of our nation’s morality, the impending bankruptcy of our country due to a soaring national debt, and the uncertainty surrounding our upcoming election this November are all most certainly important matters deserving of our attention.

But, at the end of the day, will any of these issues really matter very much if WWIII erupts into a realm that could very well quickly become nuclear?

That is why our attention now is better directed at doing anything we can to avoid the Biden administration’s further corrosion of what remains of our fragile relationship with the Russian people.

That is, if we may still want to have any hope of averting our mutual destruction.

Whatever anyone here in America may think of Putin, about one thing we can probably all agree: he is not a man known for bending a knee to his adversaries  … which is putting it mildly.

So, when he broadcasts to the world that all the perpetrators identified to be involved in last week’s terrorist attack in Moscow will be punished… we must assume he means it.  Which, of course, should leave any reasonable person to ask: who is it exactly that Putin is likely to blame for the massacre and how exactly does he intend to punish them?

To address the first of these two issues, the American people are urged to listen to the video of Victoria Nuland below, excerpted from a speech she gave at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) concurrently with her resignation from the State Department; this was less than one month before the terrorist attack last week at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow.

Not very long ago Victoria Nuland made the statement that money going to Ukraine would ensure that Putin faces some nasty surprises on the battlefield. Just saying. pic.twitter.com/jB9ESLAAPQ

— Freyja™ (@FreyjaTarte) March 23, 2024

Especially important, so far as Putin and perhaps others in his government may be concerned, is the part where she smugly advises her audience with a smirk on her face that America’s funding of Ukraine will — to her evident glee — accelerate “asymmetric warfare” that will ensure that Putin faces some ‘nasty surprises’ on the battlefield this year.”

Of course, by asymmetric warfare she is referring to a form of irregular warfare — i.e. conflicts in which enemy combatants are not regular military forces of a nation-state… like America.

In other words, it is warfare engaged in by a country — like ours — using terrorists similar to those miscreants involved in the recent attack on innocent Moscow civilians that occurred just days following Ms. Nuland’s thinly veiled threat issued to Mr.  Putin.

Based on the foregoing, about certain matters with respect to Putin there can be no doubt: (i) last week’s attack in Moscow was a “nasty surprise” that he will not soon get over; (ii) he is aware of Nuland’s speech in which she bragged about such events being funded (and planned?) by America; and (iii) some form of harsh retribution against those he ultimately determines are responsible for that attack will be forthcoming.

All of which brings us around to what should be concerning us all.

According to The Economist, Putin’s investigation of the Moscow tragedy has now led him to conclude that Ms. Nuland wasn’t just spewing hot air, nor was she working alone… but with all who until recently served at her behest in our intelligence agencies.

In short, his finger is now pointing at the intelligence agencies of both Ukraine and America.

From all of this, the truly sad part is it doesn’t really matter at this point whether or not Putin is correct in his assessment.

It only matters if he thinks he has identified these culprits accurately!

Which, in turn, should be causing our “leaders” in the White House — not to mention the rest of all of us out here in America — to be asking one question: What “nasty surprises” for America might Putin have in store for us that we may not be able to either fully appreciate or adequately anticipate?

And that is where we find ourselves today on the world’s stage.

Ms. Nuland… do you really think we should thank you for all you and your ilk within the Biden administration have done to create this fine mess in which we now find ourselves?

Please, don’t hold your breath.

Perhaps you will enjoy your retirement, but be forewarned.  Just as pride is known to go before a fall, your arrogance could very well be a foretelling of your personal untimely demise at the hands of a man like Putin.  Although we pray this would never happen, we must also acknowledge that the possibility exists.  Putin, after all, is known to be a man with a powerful reach that on a number of prior occasions has proven to be both long… and frequently fatal.

And with respect to the rest of us out here in America, just know that you and the Biden State Department you claimed to represent but a few short weeks ago have left us just hoping that, if you do find yourself having to take a fall, we won’t have to be taken down with you.

That said, please do not be offended if we don’t thank you for leaving us behind to live in these scary times… that are of your making and, for which… you will not be missed.

That is, if once this drama you have helped create all plays out there are any of us left around to be missing anybody.

Clifford C.  Nichols is an attorney, the author of A Barrister’s Tales, the curator of The American Landscape and (with the assistance of T. Jefferson) the drafter of The Declaration of Liberty.

Image: Public domain.