The American Puppet Show

Google says the longest running American TV shows are ‘Gunsmoke’, ‘The Simpsons’ ‘Lassie’ and ‘Law & Order’. But the longest is the ‘American Puppet Show’. the latest episode of which was live, at the DNC Convention in Chicago, Illinois from August 19 to August 22; hosting myriad actors giggling, gesticulating and jumping on stage. that included former POTUS’, and their spouses, some POTUS “dutifully” speaking after the spouse.

The best joke drawing most guffaws was Barack Obama saying, “History will remember Joe Biden as an outstanding president who defended democracy at a moment of great danger.” This was hilarious with Biden cementing his name in American history as “the most dementia-ridden POTUS the country ever had” so far?

Biden’s hands are bloodied like many of his predecessors, but with the distinction of killing at least 16,456 children (among 40,000 plus Palestinians killed), over 20,000 children maimed, and another 21,000 missing. These figures are of June 2024 and are rising with the continuing genocide. That’s why an awestruck Obama simply adores Biden.

Nancy Pelosi was erudite and effervescent, with hope writ large on her face that she may be given a good assignment under the next dispensation. Bill Clinton was as suave and eloquent as ever. The crowd perked up when he took the podium, hoping Monica Lewinsky would also show up, adding spice to the show, but ended up disappointed.

Kamala Harris praised Biden on the first day wearing a tan coloured suit as an ode to Obama (his favourite). This raised smiles and some wondered if it was a gift from Obama. Others wondered whether Vance or Walz would be best suited to waltz with Harris.

The Kursk offensive was launched, simultaneous with the DNC convention by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky (Washington’s political prostitute), using chemicals and participation of NATO troops. This was to show how strong the rogue-based order is: fixated on removing Vladimir Putin and delivering a death blow to Russia.

This also helped snub Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, making him a laughing stock in spreading the ‘gospel of peace’ in Poland and Ukraine.

With Poland having the NATO Multinational Corps Northeast located at Szczecin and Polish troops fighting in support of Ukrainian forces, Polish President Andrej Duda would have been mighty amused with Modi talking peace, while Zelensky, Biden’s favourite boy, would have been sniggering behind his poker face.

Concurrent to the above is the charade of Gaza ceasefire while the United States is loading Israel with billions of dollars and armament, Netanyahu is bombarding Gaza daily and radical Israelis in the occupied West Bank are attacking the Palestinians. An Israeli Nobel laureate says Israel has gone to the dogs, but Netanyahu knows stopping war means prosecution and prison.

Meanwhile, Washington’s poster boy Antony Blinken is hopping around in the Middle East (Qatar, Egypt, Tel Aviv included) posing as Biden’s “peace dove” but probably carrying a matchbox and a bottle of petrol labelled “water”.

The dilemma gripping the US is when will Iran respond to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and in what manner? At the same time, it is interesting to watch police rounding up protestors against forcible recruitment of radical Jews in Tel Aviv – anticipating manpower shortage in the event of wider Middle East war?

The ongoing American Puppet Show is about choosing the next “Puppet POTUS”. To this end, Kamala Harris, groomed by Joe Biden, will in all probability be the next POTUS.

The coming US presidential election is about continuing the war against Russia or ending it. Donald Trump made the cardinal mistake of indicating he would stop the war in Ukraine. This is loath to the arms and oil lobbies of America; who will back Harris to the hilt.

The American public remains lulled in complacency that the POTUS has always kept America safe and will continue to do so; witness Obama eulogising Biden for defending democracy at a moment of great danger. But the fact is that the US has been fighting inferior adversaries all these decades.

Also, the fake bravado in Ukraine is because Putin does not want the civilians in Russian-speaking areas of Ukraine to be massacred, and he never had designs to invade Europe.

This has encouraged Biden to go after Iran now and a wider Middle-East war, although an attack on Iran may have some surprises for the West. Whoever the next POTUS, Biden will rule the roost till about mid-January 2025 and he has plans more than a wider Middle East War.

Having gradually raised the bar of conflict in Ukraine, with Zelensky saying Russia has no redlines, Biden has been hoping Putin would initiate a nuclear conflict. Zelensky has even been attacking the Zapporizhzhhya nuclear power plant to instigate Putin.

Now Biden has approved a secret nuclear strategy for coordinated nuclear confrontation with Russia, China and North Korea. Biden probably hopes either of these countries “may” fire a nuke on instigation and then the US-UK-France can plaster them collectively, without acknowledging America will be equally destroyed.

The interesting part is that the two nuclear strategists who worked on the above American nuclear strategy are Indian-Americans. The Indian media and many Indians simply go gaga over Indian-Americans hoping they will place Indian interests over American interest. One writer has even associated Kamala Harris to the Kamal (Lotus) symbol of the BJP – calling her Lotus POTUS.

Some Indians, including a starlet-MP, call Modi “Vishnu ka Avatar”, while some foreigners are now calling Biden “Satan Incarnate” because of the Gaza genocide. So, it would be interesting when both face each other during Modi’s trip to the US next month. While the India Foundation, as always, will be organising Modi’s interaction with the India Diaspora in the US, the Lotus POTUS will be hoping Modi will canvas for her, raising the slogan: “Ab Ki Baar Harris Sarkar”.

Finally, the POTUS somehow feel they have been “sent” to reduce the population on the planet and being the puppet of America’s deep state is incidental. So the show will go on.

Lt General Prakash Katoch is an Indian Army veteran. Views expressed here are the writer’s own.