Staff Reports
On March 16, 2023, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina made a statement that could potentially lead to World War III. After an unmanned U.S. drone was brought down in an encounter with Russian aircraft, Graham suggested a course of action to Fox News’ Sean Hannity that could result in a global conflict. He stated that the U.S. should “hold them accountable and say that if you ever get near a U.S. asset flying in international waters, your airplane will be shot down.”
Lindsey Graham calls for the US military to launch WWIII, shooting down Russian planes, in retaliation for the heinous attack on the US homeland that actually took place thousand of miles away over the Black Sea and cost zero American lives. pic.twitter.com/QKNTOzO0Ci
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) March 16, 2023
This statement is alarming for many reasons. It is still unclear whether the incident was intentional or an accident. Professor Michael Clarke of Sky News suggested that it was more likely an accident, as “any pilot of a jet who could deliberately fly into a propeller of a drone that goes so slowly is a complete idiot.” If the incident was indeed an accident, then shooting down a Russian aircraft in response would be an extreme escalation and could be interpreted as an act of war.
.@LindseyGrahamSC wants us to play a game of chicken with a nuclear power.
That doesn’t seem like the best idea if your goal is to avoid a potentially apocalyptic war. But frankly, that doesn’t seem to be Graham’s goal.@brad_polumbo:https://t.co/WQhTAbkBWJ
— Hannah Cox (@HannahDCox) March 16, 2023
Senator Graham has previously called for the assassination of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, which is an outrageous suggestion that could put the U.S. directly at war with Russia. His latest suggestion of shooting down Russian aircraft is just as dangerous and could have devastating consequences.
It is clear that Senator Lindsey Graham has a penchant for war and conflict, but his latest suggestion could have catastrophic results. If the U.S. were to follow his advice, it could lead to a global war with nuclear powers. Those who do not want to see nukes flying should be incredibly averse to the senator’s suggestion and instead look for solutions that will de-escalate tensions and avoid war.
