tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post1096912200029498744..comments2024-03-27T18:24:19.683-07:00Comments on Steve Sailer: iSteve: Putin's Secret PlanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-29559257022055383862014-03-07T20:17:14.821-08:002014-03-07T20:17:14.821-08:00BTW the US had another crack at Baja, Chihuahua, a...BTW the US had another crack at Baja, Chihuahua, and Sonora a few years later during the Gadsden purchase. The Mexicans were considering selling it to the French to repair their treasury. <br /><br />The US diplomats muffed it that time, too. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-54041202497785863752014-03-07T14:09:28.865-08:002014-03-07T14:09:28.865-08:00"It's the second most discussed event in ..."It's the second most discussed event in Polish history, after WWII."<br /><br />Do they discuss in Poland the fact that Poland started that war because Pilsudski decided it was time to grab some land in the East? Speaking of nasty imperialists.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-45344479730829218292014-03-07T09:02:07.109-08:002014-03-07T09:02:07.109-08:00I said . . .
Putin does not have to stop with Crim...<br />I said . . .<br /><i>Putin does not have to stop with Crimea. In fact, if he is going to take Crimea, he may want to take all of South and East Ukraine---those parts are already making noises in that direction, though not as loud as the noises Crimea is making.</i><br /><br />Art Deco said . . .<br /><i> You do realize that the conventional terms "Southern Ukraine" and "Eastern Ukraine" (less the Crimea) comprehend areas with a population of 21 million? Rather a tall order to occupy and subjugate.</i><br /><br />Subjugate? The fact that the clowns over at National Review are fantasizing about some Red Dawn scenario in Eastern Ukraine does not mean that such a scenario is likely to occur. Given their track record, quite the opposite. In the far east of Ukraine at least, there is significant sentiment to join Russia.<br /><br />Why would they not want to join Russia? It is a hell of a lot better off than Ukraine, and the people in Eastern Ukraine are more likely to consider themselves Russian rather than Ukrainian.Billnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-14331682577936848702014-03-07T04:34:18.979-08:002014-03-07T04:34:18.979-08:00Art Deco: I'm terribly sorry, I think I confus...Art Deco: I'm terribly sorry, I think I confused you with DR. My apologies. I'm only half a cup of coffee to the good so far.Hunsdonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-45770830838307111192014-03-07T04:31:09.068-08:002014-03-07T04:31:09.068-08:00DR said: I will repeat myself and hope your read...DR said: I will repeat myself and hope your reading comprehension has improved in recent hours.<br /><br />Hunsdon said: I've got this funny little standard I use. It's called, "If they did it to us, what would we call it?"Hunsdonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-34166689463171706022014-03-07T04:29:58.753-08:002014-03-07T04:29:58.753-08:00Anonydroid at 12:43 AM asked:
BTW, how did the g...Anonydroid at 12:43 AM asked: <br />BTW, how did the government ask for the bombing?<br /><br />Hunsdon said: I'll bet DR would say by being dirty Slavic Serbs, that's how they did it.<br /><br />I'm willing to engage anyone in good faith argument, but DR's assertion that "none of those count" simply boggles the mind. I've seen the battle honors for some of them, but DR's opinion is apparently dispositive of the issue, not the US military's.Hunsdonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-76654511362827355422014-03-07T03:55:56.735-08:002014-03-07T03:55:56.735-08:00"the obscure war in 1919 between Poland and t...<i>"the obscure war in 1919 between Poland and the Soviet Bolsheviks"</i><br /><br />It's the second most discussed event in Polish history, after WWII. Everyone in Poland knows about the miracle on the Vistula, and there was an epic style movie treatment that was a popular movie in Poland two years ago. I agree it is very obscure in Russia - Russians don't talk about wars they lose. <br /><br />The war is obscure in the West because the idea that the Soviet Bolsheviks were actually nasty imperialists intent on restoring the 1913 borders of the Russian empire was not something leftists in the West wanted to discuss.Peter the Sharknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-62160848647392584872014-03-07T00:43:08.729-08:002014-03-07T00:43:08.729-08:00No, the United States did not invade Kosovo or any...<i>No, the United States did not invade Kosovo or any other component of Yugoslavia. They did have a bombing campaign against the Serb government. The campaign was pretty effective (and that government had been asking for it).</i><br /><br />The US troops have been in Kosovo since 1999, see Camp Bondsteel.<br /><br />BTW, how did the government ask for the bombing?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-39334688373959707642014-03-06T22:11:15.728-08:002014-03-06T22:11:15.728-08:00You jest, but it's actually a good thing. Beca...<i>You jest, but it's actually a good thing. Because the peninsula juts so jar south relative to mainland Mexico, we would have the problem of swarms of boat people crossing the narrow Sea of Cortez to get to the US. The current land border between CA and Baja is much more defensible.</i><br /><br />I disagree. If the US had picked up Chihuahua and Sonora (roughly from Big Bend west), and the Baja peninsula it would have shortened the border by a few hundred miles. The border would still have run across sparsely populated mostly-desert to the Sea of Cortez, only shorter. Fifty miles of salt water is a better border than dry land. And possession of the mouth of the Colorado River would have simplified water rights. <br /><br />And don't forget the surf and condo-fodder beaches.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-50006711199456908582014-03-06T19:48:42.536-08:002014-03-06T19:48:42.536-08:00And it required pledges from Kohl and Baker to Gor...<i>And it required pledges from Kohl and Baker to Gorbachev to not extend NATO eastward. </i><br /><br />You do recall that the Soviet Union dissolved less than two years later? Art Decohttp://wwrtc.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-67304073874512595052014-03-06T19:43:33.019-08:002014-03-06T19:43:33.019-08:00The Empire has troops in 170 nations of the world....<i>The Empire has troops in 170 nations of the world. </i><br /><br />What you do not mention is that they are usually in single digit dribs and drabs as part of the defense attache program. The Southern Command had all of 2,000 billets the last time I checked, nearly half of them at Guantanamo Bay. There were all of 5,500 troops in all of Tropical Africa, and so forth. Most American troops abroad in recent years have been in one of five countries (Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Germany, and Japan). No, we do not have a pro-consular relationship with either Germany or Japan.Art Decohttp://wwrtc.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-8577658963670905002014-03-06T19:39:47.071-08:002014-03-06T19:39:47.071-08:00Granada, Somalia, Dominican Republic, Lebanon, Hai...<i>Granada, Somalia, Dominican Republic, Lebanon, Haiti, Nicaragua (hey, mining of harbors does count, right?), El Salvador (but only "advisors"----like in VietNam, amirite?). By what standards, I wonder, does the US "intervention" in Yugoslavia get a pass? What was it, 78 days of strategic bombing on Belgrade? Does Camp Bondsteel ring any bells for you? Panama?<br /><br />None of those count? Explain, please.</i><br /><br />None of them count, for reasons already explained, but I will repeat myself and hope your reading comprehension has improved in recent hours.<br /><br /> We never occupied the Dominican Republic or Somalia or Lebanon. We merely had some troops in their capital. They were not, in the Somali case and the Lebanese cases, even intended for combat initially. (Somalia had no functioning government at all and Lebanon's government in 1983 had little or nothing in the way of an armed force). <br /><br />No, mining someone's harbors is not occupying them. Neither is sending 55 military advisors to a country which has armed forces of 70,000 men and a population of 5.4 million. <br /><br />No, the United States did not invade Kosovo or any other component of Yugoslavia. They did have a bombing campaign against the Serb government. The campaign was pretty effective (and that government had been asking for it).<br /><br />Yes, the United States occupied Haiti for a period of 18 months. There was no military resistance to this nor any objection to it on the part of that country's legitimate government. That occupation was co-incident with the dissolution of that country's military. <br /><br /><br />I mentioned both Panama and Grenada. American troops were universally welcomed in the latter country and stayed only a matter of weeks. They were generally welcomed in the former and stayed only a matter of weeks. <br /><br /><br />Art Decohttp://wwrtc.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-91397408641333230552014-03-06T16:52:22.586-08:002014-03-06T16:52:22.586-08:00Our host said: Putin probably figures taking back...Our host said: Putin probably figures taking back Crimea is revenge for German unification and the violation of the NATO pledges.<br /><br />Hunsdon said: And Kosovo.Hunsdonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-64532896101665636702014-03-06T16:50:53.747-08:002014-03-06T16:50:53.747-08:00Anonydroid at 3:21 PM said: Well, minus the littl...Anonydroid at 3:21 PM said: Well, minus the little part where they made an alliance with the Nazis (cf the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact)and split Poland between them....And during said alliance with the Nazis, the Russians committed their fair share of brutal acts against the Poles (cf Katyn Massacre)....<br /><br />Hunsdon said: Yep! That's right. I grew up an aggressive Cold Warrior; you want me to cheer on what the Soviet Union did back then?<br /><br />Same anonydroid: Putin's boys have been quite keen on painting their enemies in Ukraine as Nazis.<br /><br />Hunsdon said: If the jackboot fits . . . . Say, you have watched some of those Pravii Sector videos, right? Olexander Muzychko?<br /><br />I don't throw around the word fascist, since it's mostly just become a term of opprobrium. But damn.Hunsdonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-16796005022983154022014-03-06T16:43:09.381-08:002014-03-06T16:43:09.381-08:00Art Deco said: Yes, four countries. South Korea (...Art Deco said: Yes, four countries. South Korea (invaded by North Korea), South VietNam (mix of subversion by North VietNam and invasion), Afghanistan (casus belli), Iraq (1991 on Kuwaiti territory, and again in 2003, after 12 years in a state of belligerency).<br /><br />Hunsdon said: So you hand-wave away Granada and Somalia. Would we, I wonder, apply the same fine distinctions with the British in the War of 1812? They were only in the capital for a short while, after all.<br /><br />Granada, Somalia, Dominican Republic, Lebanon, Haiti, Nicaragua (hey, mining of harbors does count, right?), El Salvador (but only "advisors"----like in VietNam, amirite?). By what standards, I wonder, does the US "intervention" in Yugoslavia get a pass? What was it, 78 days of strategic bombing on Belgrade? Does Camp Bondsteel ring any bells for you? Panama?<br /><br />None of those count? Explain, please.Hunsdonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-82342860298429714182014-03-06T16:22:51.215-08:002014-03-06T16:22:51.215-08:00Very embarrassing set of predictions there from Mr...Very embarrassing set of predictions there from Mr Pukhov.<br /><br />.<br /><br />"the US stock market has rallied aggressively, especially on Tuesday, signaling the belief that the Ukraine "crisis" poses no major economic threat.......is the market correct?"<br /><br />Yes. They realise Putin is going to win and win in a way that doesn't rock the boat much.<br /><br />.<br /><br />"Invite the World"<br /><br />The neocons had a plan to take out seven countries in five years. The reason it didn't pan out was because they suck so bad and got bogged down.<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RC1Mepk_Sw<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-88452523295204478732014-03-06T15:21:12.591-08:002014-03-06T15:21:12.591-08:00Hunsdon:"The thing you have to understand, th...Hunsdon:"The thing you have to understand, though, is that for Russia, Hitler is a pretty big deal.<br /><br />For most of the 20th century, Russia pretty much got handed the dirty end of the stick. Collapse of empire, that whole Soviet thing, the civil war that made us look like pikers. But the fight against the fascists, they could stand up and be proud of that."<br /><br />Well, minus the little part where they made an alliance with the Nazis (cf the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact)and split Poland between them....And during said alliance with the Nazis, the Russians committed their fair share of brutal acts against the Poles (cf Katyn Massacre)....<br /><br />Hunsdon:"They took the Wehrmacht's best punch, and kept standing . . . and then they hit back."<br /><br />And ended up with a massive Empire in Eastern and Central Europe. In 1945, Stalin boasted about having won for Russia an empire greater than it had known under the Tsars.<br /><br />Hunsdon:"Maybe one American in a hundred could tell you when VE Day is. Every Russian can tell you when Victory Day is.<br /><br />Playing the Hitler card was stupid, provocative and pointlessly inflammatory."<br /><br />Sure, it was silly. But, then again, Putin's boys have been quite keen on painting their enemies in Ukraine as Nazis....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-18151266623312961312014-03-06T15:06:30.988-08:002014-03-06T15:06:30.988-08:00Simon:
Right, I overlooked the Big One: German re...Simon:<br /><br />Right, I overlooked the Big One: German reunification. <br /><br />But that was hugely controversial in the inner circles at the time as the argument between Mrs. Thatcher and General Odom I watched, agog, a decade later attested. And it required pledges from Kohl and Baker to Gorbachev to not extend NATO eastward. <br /><br />Putin probably figures taking back Crimea is revenge for German unification and the violation of the NATO pledges.Steve Sailerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11920109042402850214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-62716559256022538632014-03-06T15:02:03.104-08:002014-03-06T15:02:03.104-08:00Hunsdon said: Can I use your calculator when it...<i>Hunsdon said: Can I use your calculator when it's time to pay my taxes? Four countries in the last sixty-eight years?</i><br /><br />Yes, four countries. South Korea (invaded by North Korea), South VietNam (mix of subversion by North VietNam and invasion), Afghanistan (casus belli), Iraq (1991 on Kuwaiti territory, and again in 2003, after 12 years in a state of belligerency).<br /><br />Your all fixated on small things. Grenada had a population of about 110,000 and we left in short order. In the Dominican Republic, Lebanon, and Somalia, we were only in the capital and were there anticipating patrols, not combat. Panama was on a larger scale than Grenada, but we only there a matter of weeks. <br /><br />--<br /><br />I know it sounds clever to say 'invade the world, invite the world'. The trouble is, it's not true. We invaded Iraq and Afghanistan, which last time I checked comprehended about < 1% of the world's population and a smaller share of the world's domestic product. Both countries had ample opportunities to get out of harm's way, opportunities they squandered.<br /><br />Art Decohttp://wwrtc.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-53202138313203490442014-03-06T14:20:27.922-08:002014-03-06T14:20:27.922-08:00"The dominant prejudice since 1945 has been t..."The dominant prejudice since 1945 has been that redrawing borders should be restricted to cases where no country gets bigger" <br /><br />I did not actually realise this, until you put it in so many words. This explains a lot - many thanks. <br /><br />So, <br />1. Countries can <br />(a) split apart violently - Yugoslavia, Serbia/Kosovo, Sudan/South Sudan and can <br />(b) merge peacefully - east Germany/West Germany<br /><br />2. Countries cannot <br />(a) conquer and absorb other countries - Iraq/Kuwait - I knew that one - or<br />(b) Redraw disputed boundaries through force to their benefit - Israel, Russia, etc<br /><br />I didn't appreciate 2(b) or its implications. Eg: 2(b) means Albania cannot fight a war with Serbia and prise off a chunk. But 1(a) allows Kosovo to be violently split off from Serbia. And 1(b) allows the independent nation of Kosovo to peacefully merge with Albania.<br />1(a) + 1(b) can get the same eventual result as if 2(b) were not the case, but it requires a civil war not an interstate war, so usually a lot more people die. I'm not sure this is progress. 2(b) also explains the 'decline of the State' as per 4th Generation War theory.<br /><br />Thanks again.Simon in Londonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-31886633231349529142014-03-06T14:04:52.598-08:002014-03-06T14:04:52.598-08:00Art Deco said: I cannot figure why four countries...Art Deco said: I cannot figure why four countries in 68 years counts as 'all the time', most particularly when two of them had been invaded by others and a third was asking for it without question.<br /><br />Hunsdon said: Can I use your calculator when it's time to pay my taxes? Four countries in the last sixty-eight years?<br /><br />And as far as Somalia goes, we may not have occupied much territory, but we sure filled plenty of six by two plots down that way.Hunsdonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-9552150267410157012014-03-06T13:52:12.077-08:002014-03-06T13:52:12.077-08:00Playing the Hitler card was stupid, provocative an...<i>Playing the Hitler card was stupid, provocative and pointlessly inflammatory.</i><br /><br /><br />Playing the Hitler card was stupid. There are other things she could have said to make her point. To play the Hitler card against a Russian President is as distasteful as playing it against an Israeli PM.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-28796669928592379292014-03-06T13:25:45.668-08:002014-03-06T13:25:45.668-08:00. Putin does not have to stop with Crimea. In fact...<i>. Putin does not have to stop with Crimea. In fact, if he is going to take Crimea, he may want to take all of South and East Ukraine---those parts are already making noises in that direction, though not as loud as the noises Crimea is making.</i><br /><br />You do realize that the conventional terms "Southern Ukraine" and "Eastern Ukraine" (less the Crimea) comprehend areas with a population of 21 million? Rather a tall order to occupy and subjugate. That area x takes one side of an intramural political dispute is not an indication they will happily accede to being annexed by a neighboring state. Art Decohttp://wwrtc.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-19463250173192767772014-03-06T12:40:55.954-08:002014-03-06T12:40:55.954-08:00"A border has been breached thousands of mile..."A border has been breached thousands of miles away!<br />We must send fighter jets!<br />All borders are sacrosanct!<br />This must not be allowed!"<br /><br />wow. just. wow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9430835.post-81799862151765445782014-03-06T11:22:40.569-08:002014-03-06T11:22:40.569-08:00Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Panama, Grenada...
W...<i>Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Panama, Grenada... </i><br /><br />We had a brief peacekeeping mission in Somalia which hardly occupied any territory. Our time spent in Panama and Grenada was measured in weeks, and favored by the majority in one locus and nearly unanimously in another; Afghanistan was responsible for a bizarre casus belli; and we had been in a state of belligerency with Iraq for 12 years. I cannot figure why four countries in 68 years counts as 'all the time', most particularly when two of them had been invaded by others and a third was asking for it without question. Art Decohttp://wwrtc.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com