In the past months the Obama Administration has clearly also escalated tensions in the seas surrounding the Peoples' Republic of China—East China Sea with Japan and South China Sea with the Philippines—tensions which potentially could provoke a catastrophe. While both provocative operations could give the Pentagon budget a boost in times of budget austerity, they could easily detonate a preemptive nuclear strike by either China or Russia or by both. In the 21st Century such primitive behavior by the Obama Pentagon is not only inexcusable. It's mad … If someone in Washington was trying deliberately to firm up a strategic military alliance between Beijing and Moscow to parallel their unprecedented economic alliance, then they are doing brilliantly. It is not so brilliant for mankind or the prospects for world peaceful economic development of our planet to blindly march toward mutual annihilation.- 4th Media.Org

The Pentagon continues to escalate tensions in Russia and Asia. One likely reason is to ensure that its $1 trillion budget request moves through Congress without a hitch.

But increasingly, the Pentagon's manipulative behavior is being questioned – and by the alternative media in particular. Perhaps this time the scheming of the military-industrial complex will not be so richly rewarded as usual.

Not long ago, we posted an article (here) that came to the attention of the alternative media regarding the Pentagon's misappropriation of some $8 trillion. That doesn't mean the money was in some way stolen, only that after years and years, the Pentagon still cannot account for its own funding in ways Congress demands.

The issue is not one merely of book-keeping, however. Because Pentagon brass don't keep books properly, top officials have apparently been making up numbers to try to conform with what the budget should be rather than what it is (here). Yes. this does provide ample space for embezzlement, misappropriations, etc.

Not being able or willing to account for $8 trillion is an almost-impossible-to-contemplate lapse. But there are other activities in which the Pentagon is involved that seem even worse.

Most obvious is the constant escalation of tensions with both Russia and China. We've written about this before. It's the same tired and terrible game that has been played out over the past century. Every time the faux central banking economy reaches the limits of its cyclical monetary debasement, the other boot comes down and military tensions are escalated unto war.

The most obvious example is World War II, which despite the misdirection of mainstream history narratives was basically a bankers' creation. There is certainly reason to believe that the same formula is being applied again.

The analysis excerpted above is by F. William Engdahl, best-selling author on oil and geopolitics, exclusively for the online magazine "New Eastern Outlook." He sees what we do in terms of the Pentagon's operation (and presumably that includes NATO).

Take a look at key phrases from his article, entitled, "Washington Plays Nuclear Chicken Now With China As Well As Russia." He explains, for instance, that provocative operations by the US military in Russia and Asia "could give the Pentagon budget a boost in times of budget austerity."

This only confirms our own recent article (here) entitled "Nuke Miniaturization Threat Emerges Conveniently as Pentagon Seeks $1 Trillion."