Today I’ve been listening to a two hour discussion that you can find at Larry Johnson’s blog: GREAT ROUNDTABLE WITH GONZALO LIRA, BRIAN BERLETIC AND ALEX CHRISTOFOROU This roundtable happens to dovetail in important respects with a new article by Gilbert Doctorow, which I’ll get to shortly. Obviously a two hour discussion is going to be very wide ranging. However, Brian Berletic made a variety of points that deserve attention from those who are stuck in a Cold War time warp. I bring this up because several commenters have mentioned conversations with acquaintances who insist on the usual Neocon/Globalist narrative, which has been coopted from Evil Empire days: Putin is a “thug”, Putin is a “killer” (elbow Zhou aside and look in Vlad’s eyes—you can tell!), Putin is a dictator, Russian elections are just for show—unlike our own (which are ranked on a level with Mexico by international election watchers), Russia launched an “unprovoked” invasion (as Hillary likes to say), and so on.
I forget whether it was Andrea or Clarice over at American Thinker that said they resented how much work was involved in trying to winnow the “truth” of what is happening in the world when we are dealing with all of the managed news and outright propaganda that passes for objective reporting. I’ve said it before, but it bares repeating, Mark, you make that job a whole hell of a lot easier with the information and insights that you provide. Thanks!!
I am disheartened and appalled to think that I see Vladimir Putin as the sane voice in the midst of all of this sabre rattling, while the people on our side seem to be nothing more than a bunch of jingoistic incompetents.
Anyone looking at how Putin has proceed in Ukraine would be very hard pressed to make a case for the man being a reckless tyrant.
My impression of the man is that he measured and restrained in both actions and words. I’ve wondered how “measured and restrained” the DC crowd would be if Russia had instituted such punishing sanctions against the US?
MAD used to be one of the guiding principles in diplomacy for the Nuclear Age, but judging from the frivolous way that a nuclear exchange is bandied about in the West, seems it’s just another tool like any other! This madness cannot end well.
Just a couple of points - First, Putin threatened the use of nukes if Russian sovereignty is attacked. That's a conditional that is helpful for our clarification. Second, nukes are not very effective as an offensive weapon, in that they tend to render the area they are used in useless because of radioactivity. Defensively, it might make sense since you could attack concentrations of enemy power. But offensively they are not going to open up a lot for your forces, and the political price in their use will be too high to be worth it unless it's an all or nothing situation.
I think we need to look at players outside of Ukraine's borders. Russia is being bled dry and for no discernible objective except to try and save face. Those countries on her periphery will no longer worry about an invasion to enforce the Kremlin's will at this point. That leaves just China. I always thought China was going to turn Russia into a client state as Russians depopulate and drink themselves to death. I think that action is being accelerated as China examines the wealth of resources in Siberia that cannot be defended.
The only serious conflict there will be nationalist Russians who may object, but if Putin was worked into the deal, it may be more of an easy sale. Combining China's industrial power with the energy, metals and other natural resources and China could become almost self sufficient. That is also where I see the Russians more likely to use their nukes in defense of their sovereignty.
"the wealth of resources in Siberia that cannot be defended."
As I've explained previously, Russia's main center for resources is largely in the Ural region, which is the divide between European Russia and Western Siberia. It is far from China and eminently defensible. Try searching "Urals as treasure chest/house" or some such search. China is also on the brink of rapid depopulation--a common dilemma of the modern world.
I forget whether it was Andrea or Clarice over at American Thinker that said they resented how much work was involved in trying to winnow the “truth” of what is happening in the world when we are dealing with all of the managed news and outright propaganda that passes for objective reporting. I’ve said it before, but it bares repeating, Mark, you make that job a whole hell of a lot easier with the information and insights that you provide. Thanks!!
I am disheartened and appalled to think that I see Vladimir Putin as the sane voice in the midst of all of this sabre rattling, while the people on our side seem to be nothing more than a bunch of jingoistic incompetents.
Anyone looking at how Putin has proceed in Ukraine would be very hard pressed to make a case for the man being a reckless tyrant.
My impression of the man is that he measured and restrained in both actions and words. I’ve wondered how “measured and restrained” the DC crowd would be if Russia had instituted such punishing sanctions against the US?
MAD used to be one of the guiding principles in diplomacy for the Nuclear Age, but judging from the frivolous way that a nuclear exchange is bandied about in the West, seems it’s just another tool like any other! This madness cannot end well.
Amazing roundtable. Thanks very much to our host for the pointer to it.
Just a couple of points - First, Putin threatened the use of nukes if Russian sovereignty is attacked. That's a conditional that is helpful for our clarification. Second, nukes are not very effective as an offensive weapon, in that they tend to render the area they are used in useless because of radioactivity. Defensively, it might make sense since you could attack concentrations of enemy power. But offensively they are not going to open up a lot for your forces, and the political price in their use will be too high to be worth it unless it's an all or nothing situation.
I think we need to look at players outside of Ukraine's borders. Russia is being bled dry and for no discernible objective except to try and save face. Those countries on her periphery will no longer worry about an invasion to enforce the Kremlin's will at this point. That leaves just China. I always thought China was going to turn Russia into a client state as Russians depopulate and drink themselves to death. I think that action is being accelerated as China examines the wealth of resources in Siberia that cannot be defended.
The only serious conflict there will be nationalist Russians who may object, but if Putin was worked into the deal, it may be more of an easy sale. Combining China's industrial power with the energy, metals and other natural resources and China could become almost self sufficient. That is also where I see the Russians more likely to use their nukes in defense of their sovereignty.
"the wealth of resources in Siberia that cannot be defended."
As I've explained previously, Russia's main center for resources is largely in the Ural region, which is the divide between European Russia and Western Siberia. It is far from China and eminently defensible. Try searching "Urals as treasure chest/house" or some such search. China is also on the brink of rapid depopulation--a common dilemma of the modern world.