Ah, another masterclass in deflection by Matthew Miller of the U.S. State Department! When confronted by Liam Cosgrove [The Grayzone] about the very real possibility of nuclear escalation and the blatant hypocrisy in U.S. foreign policy, what does Miller do? He sidesteps the core issue entirely, of course. Why address the U.S.’s complicity in the genocide in Gaza when you can simply dismiss the question as a “speech” and suggest there are other places for that? Classic!
Instead of grappling with the serious risks of nuclear war or acknowledging the moral contradictions of the U.S. lecturing other nations on human rights, Miller essentially says, “Move along, nothing to see here.” How convenient. And all this while his own administration continues to finance atrocities, yet somehow maintains the moral high ground, or so they’d have us believe. Because, apparently, the U.S. can do no wrong—especially not when someone else is the villain of the week.
Bravo, Mr. Miller. It’s always easier to dodge accountability than to actually answer a tough question, isn’t it?
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The transcript:
Liam Cosgrove: So, Israel is still poised to strike Iran, and in July, Blinken said that Iran was one to two weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon. For all we know, they might have one by now. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, they’ve struck deep within Russian territory several times— as deep as 300 miles from the border. In that case, we don’t have to guess; we know that Russia has the largest nuclear arsenal on the planet, with as many as 6,000 warheads.
One of the risks of arming militaries that are striking within the territories of nuclear powers is that one of those warheads might get deployed. That could escalate things very quickly. It’s rarely discussed, but it’s important to address that the nuclear risk is real, and it could abruptly mean the end of what humans have worked for thousands of years to collectively achieve. We, today, are very lucky to live with the fruits of that achievement, yet it feels like we’re treating the risk kind of brazenly.
My question for you is this: we often hear, in response to these concerns, that Putin and others are war criminals and terrorists, implying they are too inherently evil or immoral for us to negotiate with. But meanwhile, this administration has financed a genocide in Gaza over the past year. Every day, you’re up there denying accountability for it. So, what gives you the right to lecture other countries on their morals?
Matthew Miller: If you have a policy question for me, I’m happy to take it. If you want to give a speech, there are places in Washington where you can do that.
Liam Cosgrove: But people are sick of bullshit it in here. I mean, it is a genocide, and you are risking nuclear war in Ukraine.
Matthew Miller: Other places to give a speech, go ahead. Thank you.
