These days, you never know who is talking just to rile people up, who is speaking in hyperbole, and who to take seriously.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) is not someone prone to sensationalism.
However, he not only announced that he will not be running for re-election in what is expected to be a tough cycle for Republicans, but he also issued an alarming warning about WWIII.
President Donald Trump recently blew up a suspected drug boat that was allegedly working as part of a cartel drug operation.
The boat was reportedly carrying 11 people from Venezuela.
Trump previously designated cartels as terrorist organizations, which allowed him to change the rules in terms of taking action against the cartels.
Not everyone was a fan of the move, as some, even members of the GOP, believe that this escalation could start a new conflict, possibly even an outright war.
Article 5 of the NATO alliance makes it clear that any strike against a member country is considered a strike against all others and will be treated as such.
Last week, a drone incursion took place in Poland, but Russia initially denied that its aircraft violated Poland’s airspace.
Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, believes that Russia launched the incursion just to see how far it could go before a war would break out.
He stated, “Interestingly, they were all duds, which suggests to me that Russia tried to test us without starting a war.”
McCaul is considered one of the top Republican minds when it comes to foreign policy, and at a time when tensions have never been higher, he has decided that he has had enough, and he issued a rather ominous warning on his way out the door.
The 11-term congressman stated, “We’ve never seen anything like this in recent times. And so, what I’m concerned about is that the escalation here and the temperature rising, we got to be very careful not to be on the precipice of a World War III.”
Trump appears to believe Russia’s excuses, but McCaul is not buying them, stating, “With all deference to the president, I don’t think that was a mistake. I think Putin is testing the resolve of NATO.”
I doubt Trump believes it was a mistake, but I do believe he was just trying to calm the situation down. I agree with McCaul, and I think the world is a big powder keg, mostly because the United States is stretched so thin on resources right now. If there was ever a time to test us, this would be it. Point being, when McCaul says we're on the brink, I think we need to take his words very seriously.
