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“However China is a reality, as is Russia , and neither can be wished away.” If only our “intelligence” were indeed based on reality! Remember the ancient art of “shuttle diplomacy?” - Kissinger flying back and forth btw Egypt and Israel? So many commenters here have bemoaned the decline and fall of American diplomacy, but A. Crooke’s latest deep dive into what has replaced it is chilling, and makes the Chinese look like veritable statesmen, à la Bizmarck (“politics is the art of the possible”), Talleyrand, even Tzu:

“The dominant characteristic here is remaining loyal to the group – even when the policy is working badly and its consequences disturb the conscience of members. Loyalty to the group becomes the highest form of morality. That loyalty requires each member to avoid raising controversial issues, questioning weak arguments, or calling a halt to wishful thinking.

The ‘Groupthink’ allows some self-imagined reality to detach; to drift further and further from any connection to reality, and then to transit into delusion – always drawing on like-minded peer cheerleaders for its validation and extended radicalisation.

So, it’s ‘goodbye’ to traditional Intelligence! And ‘welcome’ to western Intelligence 101: Geo-Politics no longer revolves around a grasp on Reality. It is about the installation of ideological pseudo-realism – which is the universal installation of a singular groupthink, such that everyone lives passively by it, until it is far too late to change course.“

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Larry Johnson republished that yesterday. I had considered quoting some passages. Also, Mercouris had a panel on the decline of Western diplomacy yesterday with Glenn Diessen and Karin Kneissl.

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Mark, I’ll take a listen - boy, when woke hooks up (pardon the expression) with Neocon, realpolitik doesn’t stand a chance…I forget where I saw the photo, but it showed Nuland and Blinken in Kiev some years back. She was standing and speaking and he was sitting, displaying an attitude of “ well, I’ll let her handle it.” Enough said!

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It's long and I only listened to the first maybe 1/2 hour.

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Scott Ritter also describes diplomacy 101 as it applies to his field of the expertise, US-Russian arms control . Great read from a guy who knows!!

https://www.scottritterextra.com/

“Give Peace a Chance”

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All that matters today is "The Narrative".

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Yup

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File this one under of heading of WW III ... in preparation.

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I sort of remember a line from Brecht, maybe Mutter Courage, where the combatants complain the peasants just go on forever while we fight and die. Once again, the peasants will survive. The powermongers will compete, make and lose fortunes, try to get us all riled up, and now, more than ever in history, meet up with complete indifference, Let the aristocrats fight. Now they don't even bother to have kids, so what's the worry?

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"Logically that means that economics in a Neo-Malthusian world ends up being a race for the resources."

I agree, they got it badly wrong.

Resources may be finite, and old resources may be depleted, but new ones go from "too low grade to be a resource" to "valuable, extractable. resource" from good old supply and demand. Li price for example has been rising, meaning a lot of these South American low grade deposits are now economic to process as their size and grade being known for a long time.

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Resources are finite; stupidity is infinite. In fact, move over diamonds, it may be the strongest thing in the universe.

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Mar 11, 2023·edited Mar 11, 2023

Doug Macgregor for POTUS… about as likely as Carlo Maria Vigano for Pope!

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True, but SecDef or some other high level position?

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Since when does stuff that make sense stand a chance anymore? (Sorry, I'm corroded by cynicism I guess).

The '4 Star General' being asked for legislative guidance really says it all tho'. I remember when warriors actually became proficient hoping never to need to go to war.

Thank you once again Mark. (WRH)

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I wonder what wars she’s actually seen? What are all those things on her uniform? Did she earn them?

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She earned them alright, Joseph. Gender Recognition at 300m Medal, with Oak Leaf Cluster.

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Yeah. That’s about what I was thinking.

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Mar 11, 2023·edited Mar 12, 2023

In 'Nam, going 'In Country' meant getting a ticket-punch for promotion. W/O the decent Non-Coms cadre of the time many more lives would have been wasted by poor leadership. As it is, too many were.

Ms. 4Star likely has been in Iraq, Afghani, etc. with the ribbons to show for such. Any present General officer today survived the Obama purge of non-conforming ideology. The real warriors left without necessarily being pushed out: real warriors have integrity. I'll cite Mark's endorsement of Col. Doug [Edit: MacGregor H/T Steghorn21] as example. Best at you JK! (WRH)

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I think you meant Doug MacGregor there, Brother Wayne. I make that mistake all the time too! As for today's "warriors", the less real fighting they do, the more medals they get. Exhibit A: Thoroughly Silly Milley.

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Oops. Some things, particularly that have eroded Military standards, get my blood boiling. Yes S21 Col. MacGregor is right! When you look at Gen. Milley, note his medals comparison to what President Ike wore: and then note Gen. M has never led a winning war effort. Best to you sir!

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RemovedMar 12, 2023·edited Mar 12, 2023
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I assume she's simply saying what she was told to say. Note that when asked for specifics she totally flubbed it.

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Removed (Banned)Mar 12, 2023
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Because that is their real priority: not trying to sort out real problems and avoid WW3 but making sure every tick box is filled.

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What says it all to me is that with crazy as the guide you wind up with the "First Ever Woman Admiral" (or whatever she/it is called) actually being a male. biden's legacy: stupid, crazy and deadly.

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Removed (Banned)Mar 11, 2023
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It's a newer version of the PP, where Equality of Opportunity is replaced by Equality of Outcome. This was always going to happen.

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