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Leon
Joined: 31 May 2010
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 Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Titus wrote: |
I mention it as evidence that he's an American lapdog.
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I get your point, I just happened to know that so I mentioned it. I had planned to go to his talk, but for some reason I don't remember had a time conflict, I heard afterwards he's a good speaker, whatever that's worth. He wasn't the only the only Pro-American leader of an ex-soviet country to come to Tufts, there was also the President of Estonia, whose talk I did see and found interesting. |
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maximmm
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Titus wrote: |
Poroshenko, an oligarch, won the election.
Saakashvili, who isn't Ukrainian, or Ukrainian citizen, and who teaches in the USA at Tufts:
http://en.itar-tass.com/world/733270
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| KIEV, May 25. /ITAR-TASS/. Ex-president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili and Georgian ex-minister of economy Kakha Bendukidze may join the team of Petro Poroshenko as advisors to the president. UDAR party leader Vitali Klitschko, who, according to exit polls results, has won the Kiev mayoral elections, stated this in a televised interview on Monday. |
Poroshenko's first act has been to escalate the shelling and bombing of Donetsk. It's getting out of hand. The Ukrainian military, or Right Sector, are driving around and shooting unarmed civilians:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90tOlHZp8Z4
^ do not watch if squeamish. It's unpleasant.
https://twitter.com/russian_market/status/470979370933567489
^ same.
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| Yeah, but that's different. That was the new Hitler Assad personally directing his nasty Alawite loyalists to kill activists and innocent women and children. This is the Ukrainian government dealing resolutely with Russian insurgents ,militants and separatists, who are hiding among civilians, backed by that new Hitler Putin. See the difference? |
Now we have New Hitler Farage and New Hitler Le Pen. Maybe they'll be able to insert some sanity into EU foreign policy. |
Well, from what I can tell, Poroshenko is taking the same approach with Donetsk as the one Putin took with Chechnya. I'm not saying it's right, but his rhetoric most certainly matches the one utilized by Putin during that time.
In other news, Russia seemed to have made a move of sorts. Several squads of Chechen soldiers have arrived in Donetsk a few days ago.
Of course, Russia can always say that Chechnya sent them without asking Russia's permission, but I'm quite certain that this permission was granted.
On the other hand, Poroshenko said that his first trip would be to Donbas (donetsk region) - one has to wonder though if he means that he'll first level the place and visit only afterwards.
All in all, lots of mental games going on right now in the region - Russia saying one thing, doing something else. Ukraine saying one thing, doing something else. It makes game of thrones seem juvenile in comparison. |
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Titus
Joined: 19 May 2012
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| Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 9:20 am Post subject: |
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| Poroshenko is taking the same approach with Donetsk as the one Putin took with Chechnya. |
Yes. Assad did the same, too. The Union to the Confederacy. There are countless examples. A region attempts to break away from a state and the state kills heaps of them.
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| In other news, Russia seemed to have made a move of sorts. Several squads of Chechen soldiers have arrived in Donetsk a few days ago. |
I've seen reports of this from Kiev media. Kadyrov has said a few times that he'd send support if things got out of hand. It is a useful way for Russia to help without enforcing a no-fly zone or sending Russian troops. |
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bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 9:57 am Post subject: |
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It's NYT spin time
Friedman thinks Putin f'd up. Big shocker. |
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maximmm
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 5:19 pm Post subject: |
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| bucheon bum wrote: |
It's NYT spin time
Friedman thinks Putin f'd up. Big shocker. |
I do think that this is Putin's 'red line' meme. I suppose there is still a chance of him rethinking things and sending army to Donetsk, but for now it seems like he's backing down after talking big.
The funny thing is, if Russia does send military to the Donetsk region, Putin would then be a double flip-flop in that he's stated just prior to the elections that he'd support the Ukrainian government - regardless of who would be elected.
In that sense, Putin has made quite a few political blunders as of late. |
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Titus
Joined: 19 May 2012
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| Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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| maximmm wrote: |
, but for now it seems like he's backing down after talking big.
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For example? |
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Chaparrastique
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
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| Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 1:18 am Post subject: |
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| bucheon bum wrote: |
Friedman thinks Putin f'd up. Big shocker. |
...They will try to spin it that way of course.
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| but for now it seems like he's backing down after talking big. |
The western media talked him up. |
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maximmm
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 4:48 am Post subject: |
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| Chaparrastique wrote: |
| bucheon bum wrote: |
Friedman thinks Putin f'd up. Big shocker. |
...They will try to spin it that way of course.
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| but for now it seems like he's backing down after talking big. |
The western media talked him up. |
On one hand, Putin did say that he had no interest in occupying lands beyond Crimea. On the other hand, he also said that his main interest was in protecting the lives of ethnic Russians living on Ukrainian soil. He got an approval from congress/senate(?) to bring Russian troops on Ukrainian soil for that very reason. In the past month, the red line drawn by Putin (lives of ethnic Russians being lost/endangered) has been crossed time and time again and Putin's inaction does put him in an awkward situation.
Again, he may do a u-turn again and send the Russian troops as 'peace keepers', but by doing that he'd have to go back on his word on accepting/working with the newly elected Ukrainian government (he said that he'd accept/work with the new government a few days prior to Poroshenko being elected).
Of course, it's not as if Poroshenko is credible either, since he pledged to negotiate with the separatists during his elections campaign. Once he was elected though, he did a u-turn of his own and said that he would not negotiate with terrorists (haha - I suppose you could argue that he kept his word, since it's not separatists that he was now unwilling to negotiate with, but rather terrorists).
Like I said earlier, there is so much political maneuvering going on there right now (or what I call bullshitting) that it makes one's head spin.
PS. I don't base my analysis on the media spin. |
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maximmm
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 6:16 am Post subject: |
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So, 1 Ukrainian chopper is downed - 14 people dead and Donetsk got a significant aid package today in form of Russian troops/weapons. Meanwhile, Donetsk troops are now being directed by Chechen urban warfare professionals.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/05/ukraine-helicopter-downed-fresh-fighting-2014529125522484879.html
While Ukraine already has CIA operatives on the ground, once USA starts sending major weaponry/troop shipments To Ukraine, the proxy war will commence in full swing.
Basically, Ukraine is screwed. I keep thinking that there was a way out of this whole mess when the new Ukrainian president got elected (and I think that majority of Ukrainians picked him because of his promise to find a peaceful way out) - but given his major flip-flop, everything is now likely to get worse. |
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Chaparrastique
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
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| Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 7:07 am Post subject: |
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| maximmm wrote: |
On one hand, Putin did say that he had no interest in occupying lands beyond Crimea. On the other hand, he also said that his main interest was in protecting the lives of ethnic Russians living on Ukrainian soil. He got an approval from congress/senate(?) to bring Russian troops on Ukrainian soil for that very reason. In the past month, the red line drawn by Putin (lives of ethnic Russians being lost/endangered) has been crossed time and time again and Putin's inaction does put him in an awkward situation. |
Russian populations outside of Russia may need protecting as a last resort, but their continuance also suits the kremlin because it garantees Russian influence over neighbouring countries. There are different interests to balance. The economy is only one.
if you're investigating big talkers you might want to consider Obama. |
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Titus
Joined: 19 May 2012
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Titus
Joined: 19 May 2012
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| Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 8:35 am Post subject: |
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The above with the below:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/02/us-ukraine-crisis-usa-kerry-idUSBREA210DG20140302
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(Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday condemned Russia's "incredible act of aggression" in Ukraine and threatened economic sanctions by the United States and allies to isolate Moscow, but called for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
"You just don't in the 21st century behave in 19th century fashion by invading another country on completely trumped up pre-text," Kerry told the CBS program "Face the Nation." |
The USA is in bed with Nazi's in Ukraine and Al Qaeda in Syria. It has completely lost any moral authority on anything. Russia and China are more responsible global actors. America is giving surface to air missiles to the same organization that attacked WTC on 9/11. America is supporting a political organization in Ukraine that isn't even "neo-nazi" but is just straight up Nazi.
The next 100 years will belong to China and Russia and our species is much better off because of it. USG is the Great Satan.
American people are cool, though.
The biggest issue facing humanity is not the Peaceful Rise of China. It is the Peaceful Fall of America. |
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Titus
Joined: 19 May 2012
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| Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 8:44 am Post subject: |
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| bucheon bum wrote: |
It's NYT spin time
Friedman thinks Putin f'd up. Big shocker. |
How does he still have a job. Does anyone take him seriously? Even regime loyalists must roll their eyes.
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| Basically, Ukraine is screwed. I keep thinking that there was a way out of this whole mess when the new Ukrainian president got elected (and I think that majority of Ukrainians picked him because of his promise to find a peaceful way out) - but given his major flip-flop, everything is now likely to get worse. |
The country was lost as a single entity when the gov started shelling Ukrainian cities. If Russian intervenes after a few weeks of shelling it is an invasion. If Russia intervenes after a year of civil war it is a liberation. |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 8:51 am Post subject: |
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| Titus wrote: |
The next 100 years will belong to China and Russia and our species is much better off because of it. USG is the Great Satan.
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China will certainly play a major role in the coming century, but Russia? Russia will have to demonstrate it can project power beyond its borders in a substantial way that involves more than simply petroleum sales.
It is too early to count the Evil Empire out, as well. I do suspect that the US's economic malaise will continue to hamper the US gov't for quite awhile. But the US economy also has some tricks up its sleeve. |
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Titus
Joined: 19 May 2012
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| Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 10:12 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| It is too early to count the Evil Empire out, as well. |
Maybe Hillary or Jeb will right the ship. Or the gay "latino" that is installed after. Or the tranny genderqueer poloamourous furry that comes after Juan.
I know, I snark. It's true. The American military is having drag shows and putting women in combat and trying to get gay black trannys to fly fighter planes.. American businesses are being dragged though the coals for not hiring enough ferals from Oakland. This stuff is going to get more insane and America more dysfunctional.
http://www.stripes.com/news/gay-lesbian-troops-perform-in-drag-at-kadena-air-base-fundraiser-1.270747
http://www.amren.com/news/2014/05/more-mush-from-our-leaders/
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But the three concrete examples of “leadership” he gave were astonishing. Here’s the first:
As a leader, you are a role model—maybe your biggest responsibility of all—and you have the power to inspire and encourage others to do the right thing.
For example, you will all be counted on to lead in helping eliminate sexual harassment and sexual assault of your sisters and brothers in uniform. You’ve seen what these crimes do to the survivors, their families, institutions, and communities. You know how they tear people and units apart, how they destroy the bonds of confidence and trust that lie at the very core, the center, the heart of our military.
In other words, leadership challenge number one for the Navy and Marine Corps is stopping sexual harassment.
Here is Mr. Hagel’s second example, drawn from his own experience in Vietnam in 1968:
We had racial differences. Discipline issues. The Army was in trouble in 1968. Our country was in trouble in 1968.
This young African American, our lieutenant—a lieutenant out of Chicago—came to our unit, and he stepped into the middle of this. And he brought everybody together—African Americans, whites, Hispanics. And he said, ‘No more of this. We’re in this together. We’re Americans first. We’re gonna work together. We’re gonna get along. We’re gonna fight together. And we’re gonna take care of each other. No more segregated tents. We’re together.’
And the force of this one young second lieutenant—African American, in a majority white unit—brought that unit together, that company together, like nothing I’d ever seen.
That’s leadership. That’s stepping up. That’s doing the right thing.
Setting aside whether this really happened, leadership challenge number two is getting blacks, whites, and Hispanics to fight the enemy rather than each other.
Mr. Hagel’s last example of leadership is about soldiers with mental problems or drug habits:
When they come to you for help, it doesn’t mean they’re weak. It means they’re strong. Because asking for help when you need it takes courage [the only time Mr. Hagel uses the word] and strength. . . .
These brave [the only time he uses the word] individuals don’t need to be avoided or stigmatized. They need to be embraced. They need to be helped. They need leaders, leaders with compassion and humility—leaders they know and trust, and will go the extra mile for them.
You will be that kind of leader.
So here are the Secretary of Defense’s three challenges of “exceptional leadership” for “this period of transition and uncertainty:” sexual harassment, racial conflict, and burned out soldiers. |
Mush. |
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