Which is more dangerous; Armored Tanks or Think Tanks?
29 January 2023 by Bob Bishop
The Ukraine military conflict’s latest narrative is NATO allies have initially committed to sending 59 battle tanks to Ukraine. The American-made Abram and Germany-made Leopard are the latest generations of battle tanks that could theoretically retake Ukrainian territory for Russian forces. The flat plains of eastern Ukraine are thought by strategists to be ideal for tank warfare. The estimated cost exceeds $600 million, excluding training, parts, and fuel costs.
Almost certainly, think tanks arm-twisted the Biden Administration into sending tanks to Ukraine, which will escalate the conflict but won’t win the war. So let’s peer behind the curtain to see two big pro-military think tanks formulating Biden Administration’s war strategies.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Biden’s transition team consisted of eight out of 23 team members from pro-military think tanks. The most influential and dominant think tank is CSIS, placing four team members, including CSIS’s SVP Kathleen Hicks, who now serves as Deputy Secretary of Defense.
CSIS is a hawkish non-profit globalist think tank with its mission to provide strategic insights and policy solutions to influence political and bureaucrat decision-makers. It is ranked number four of the top worldwide think tanks by the University of Pennsylvania.
CSIS hosts frequent Washington D.C. program events with discussion panels pushing a jingoistic propaganda agenda. Many speakers are deep state actors like John Brennen, former Directors of the Central Intelligence Agency, and James Clapper, a former National Intelligent Director.
It receives a significant portion of its revenue through government grants and contracts. According to its latest 990 tax return had revenues of $45.5 million and net assets of $157.9 million. Henry Kissinger serves as trustee and counselor. Other notable trustees, to name a few, are former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and CIA Director Leon Panetta. It’s a deep state syndicate funded by US tax dollars to promote the military-industrial complex and formulate government policy.
CSIS funding also relies on private foundation grants and corporate donations. High-profile contributors are the Ford Foundation, the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, George Soros’s Open Society Foundation, and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. In addition, it would be essential to mention funding from war contractors such as General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon.
Center for a New American Security (CNAS)
Smaller but yet formidable is CNAS. Its Board of Directors comprises former Democratic administration henchmen. Jeh Johnson, the former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, and Michèle Flournoy, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of WestExec Advisors, are prominent directors.
For those unfamiliar with WestExec Advisors, Politico called it “a government-in-waiting for the next administration.” It played an outsized role in the Biden transition team and placed Antony Blinken as Secretary of State. As a result, WestExec is considered by some as the puppet masters of the Biden Administration.
According to its newest 990 tax return had revenues of $11.4 million and net assets of $12.5 million. So, like CSIS, it is funded from the same feeding trough.
Clear and Present Danger
CSIC and CNAS will continue to promote strategies for expanding the conflict rather than advocating diplomacy. For example, CSIC is now pushing equipment options to include more artillery. Will NATO F-16s be next?