"You can take the man out of the KGB but you can't get the...",well you know where I am going with that. This guys does have the cajones. It seems that as soon as the Europeans started to question his pressure on Georgia, and offered to intercede, Putin went into disinformation mode. Georgia is at fault. Now, why am I going on about Georgia? It is my contention (and I am certainly not alone) that Putin wants to create a Russian model of China. Forget the democracy nonsense. That is gone. He will use the pretense of a Russified democracy so he can maintain his European credentials. He will use oil and natural gas to reinvigorate the military and re-establish client states. Putin is putting down a marker in Georgia. There will be no Nato in Georgia.There are huge oil reserves in the Caspian and Russia wants control . Check this out from Reuters:
MOSCOW (Reuters) - "
Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Friday urged the West to persuade Georgia's leadership to change its "irresponsible" policies, the Kremlin press service said in a statement.
"Our position is that the international community cannot ignore the irresponsibility of the Georgian authorities," Putin said in a letter to Karel De Gucht, chairman in office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Putin rejected an OSCE offer to mediate in Russia's dispute with Georgia, which erupted after Tbilisi arrested four Russian soldiers on spying charges. Russia retaliated with economic sanctions against Georgia.
"I believe that at the moment the OSCE's efforts should be concentrated on stimulating a fundamental change in the policies of Georgia's current leadership."
Those policies were "aimed at ratcheting up tension and preparing for a military scenario for 'settling' the Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-South Ossetian conflicts," the Kremlin quoted Putin as saying.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia are Georgian breakaway regions backed by Moscow. Tbilisi says it wants to restore its control over the regions. It says it will use only peaceful means. "
I've been posting for a week over the Soviet/Georgia situation.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe there is still time for NATO to embrace Georgia but it may take more courage than they can muster...which then opens the Fulda Gap gambit again.
Putin and W's upcoming meeting should be a Reagan/Gorbachev meeting in Reykjavik,Iceland, Oct. 12, 1986 when President Reagan walked away after refusing to give up SDI, even after he had offered to share it with the Soviets.
That stunned the world and eventually collasped the Soviet Union. Putin needs to be made aware that we will not brook a return to Soviet domination of countries such as Georgia.
The EB has already had many discussions regarding Islam and what year it is '32-'38. Well that discussion is back in play vis a vis the Soviets and Putin ... is it October 1962 and the missiles or Reykjavik, Iceland,1986?
It is no accident that Russia has been the bear.
ReplyDeleteWhile some of us living in the South are still mowing grass and running around in shorts and sandals, in much of Europe it is getting as cold as a well diggers ass. Mr. Putin has picked the most opportune time to obliquely threaten to shut off the gas valves. Neither NATO nor the EU will be of much help to Georgia until spring.
habu1,
ReplyDeletere: Fulda Gap
Mr. Reagan had twice the divisions now available to Mr. Bush, although Mr. Rumsfeld obviously believes his divisions capable of some square of the Reagan era military's performance.
The Russians and the Mohammedan, a long history of working together, against the Anglosphere.
ReplyDeleteCircles and cycles.
Half a league, half a league, half a league onward.
Primarily it is not the size of the Force that matters. It is the Will to use that Force.
ReplyDeleteMr Rumsfeld knows the "real deal". The US is not prepping for War, it is downsizing, come hell, highwater or events on the ground.
Winks & nods denied.
That phase line was crossed long ago.
Alphabet Wars
ReplyDeletethat would be a brilliant, and earth-shaking, move.
ReplyDeleteCapacity for 3 million people, couldn't be that much. Perfect nonmilitary response.
ReplyDeleteLet's watch and see what the One Worlders decide to do.
North American Union
Trans Russian Federated Union
Pan Arabiac Union
Where were the other nodes?
Just where did the map makers draw the new lines?
I believe in the history of our country our "will" has been suspect many times. In October of 1941 despite a war that had raged in Europe for three years 86% in a Gallop poll thought we should stay out of it.
ReplyDeleteBut that was a different generation, not even the generation of John Kennedy's masterful Inaugural Address.
This generation of "boomers", conflicted over their responsibilities do not seem, on the whole, to have an abundance of "will". Dr. is right on the will part.
The Fulda Gap is back precisely because we don't have the divisions Reagan had.
Adlai Stevenson, our onetime Ambassador to the UN likened the Soviet Union to a theif in a hotel, turning each doorknob until he found one unlocked. We're back to that now.
The EU nor NATO may play ennui with the situation because they are pusillanemous shells but Rufus' idea of tankering a load of fuel to Tablisi's rescue would be akin to the Berlin Airlift and send a vitally needed message to the Soviets. Would they start a war over that action? Unlikely.
JFK speech& an great one
From Purdue Bay to the Panama Canal
ReplyDeleteOne Land, Our Land, America
Has a certain "ring" to it
Played like the Guthrie tune, retooled.
But since Mexico and Canada are our greatest sources of imported oil, plus US reserves, plus rufus's bio fuel infusion.
The "new" America would be an Energy Exporter.
well, there's the language problem. No not spanish--that;s easy--but who wants to "go in the hoose" or go fishin in a "boot"?
ReplyDeleteThe "New" United States of America.
ReplyDeleteThere'd be about what 85 States, after the expansion and reoganization.
Putin may have the bearings.
ReplyDeleteBut it seems to me the Russian man on the street does too. Afterall, they may even think of themselves as nationals, not cultural amalgams destined for an iPod and universal health care.
Good for those citizens; they've the wherewithal to pursue their own self defense and it looks like retaliation is still a valuable virtued in Russia. In happy America land, retaliation seems archaic, Barnett's colorful descriptions of the Leviathan aside...
o/t but, Uh0h, looks like, back to the NIE Report, and/or Bob Woodward.
ReplyDeleteThe EU is dependent on Russian energy supplies. Georgia is the least of Europe's worries in the coming winter.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I am for what our forefathers fought for I am not blind that "the times they are a chang'n".
ReplyDeletePerhaps it is time for an open discusssion (Geo.W. Bush or the next President ) over an expanded land.
But I would dearly love to just add two new stars to the flag and still call it the United States of America.
Both countires do have a lot to offer.
Lets do it for the children.
"Fifty-Two in the Field of Blue, or Fight!"
ReplyDeletelet's grab Koober, too, for the bitches...er, beaches.
ReplyDeleteBuddy,
ReplyDeleteIt looks like the contrarian has the word douchebag down pretty well.
hell, the russians can do it--why not we?
ReplyDeletehabu, i think rufus was right--Foleygate ain't squat, vote-changing-wise.
ReplyDeleteM. Simon checks in on the wowa, via instapundit:
ReplyDeletecitizens fighting the jihad through the courts
ReplyDeleteOh, lordy, them samba beauties...make an old guy act plum silly....
ReplyDeleteAhh, but that's the sticker, habu.
ReplyDeleteOld Mexico has 31 States, currently.
Reorganization could get 'em to 20 or so.
Canada has ten.
If we go south all the way to sur america, that's another six stars.
86 Stars on the new Stars & Stripes
Mexico, by all sensible reckoning, has the resources, human & natural, to be much, much wealthier than she is. What you see is not natural, except in the Hobbesian sense.
ReplyDeleteThe President's poll numbers are not down because the US is fighting in Iraq. His numbers are down because of the public's perception that the US is not fighting in Iraq. On each occasion of some significance, the President's numbers have moved up. If the Republicans want to give the Democrats an October surprise, try the death of al Sadr and his militia, live and in living color.
ReplyDeleteand, AMLO is NO answer. Steady, manageable reform is. Fox, on paper, has done some good stuff. not that anyone ever hears of it.
ReplyDeleteDamn right on those beauties...they are really beautiful..
ReplyDeleteDR 86 means "throw out" so we're gonna need to bring in a few more or jettison a few.
Your math = Mexico=31
USA 50
Canada 10
Sur AM 6...thats 97 without reorganizing Mexico down to 20...reducing Mexico to 20 leaves us with 77...If we could get one less we'd have our flag '76 as in 1776...76 in the middle and a galaxy of stars in circular fashion surrounding it...
The Bear continues forward.
ReplyDeletehabu, we could give Massachusetts to someone. Holland or something.
ReplyDeleteRufus,
ReplyDeleteNo welfare payments..we use the e-coli waste to power our Summa Cum Country.
Buddy,
ReplyDeleteThe current political aroma of Massachusetts certainly lends itself to that idea but it's too vital to our overall history.
I say we join the Dakotas into one state..that gets it done and who'd ever know?
As a lagniappe to Canada we have our Eagle on top of the pole standing on a maple leaf.
ReplyDeleteAnd for our southern compadres we dedicate the gold fringe bordering the flag to them.
We'll be wanting to change "Saskatchakachewan" to just "Saskatch", or even "Saska", i think.
ReplyDeleteBuddy,
ReplyDeletethink we could get away with Snatch-one?
Saskatchakachewan
ReplyDeleteA WACK HA ASS KETCH
The Dakotas merger are a good idea, but a more pressing need will be to resolve the "New Mexico" question.
ReplyDeleteEasiest solution, which could be accomplished with various paintings-over, erasures, and "white-outs", would be to just drop the confusing "Mexico" and call the place "New" (added virtue, the name "New" would in fact *be* "new").
But, the original problem being the having of an excess state anyway, let's just merge New Mexico with say Texas.
This would also solve the annoying problem of having Alaska (which is mostly ice anyway and should be disqualified on that basis) as the so-called "biggest" state.
Good job Whit
ReplyDeleteThose sneaky bastards are do'in what Hitler did. They're rebuilding their force levels back up way beyond what is needed for self defense. They are going expansionist while our Transformationalists will take 10 more years..we ain't got that time.
Dr help me out here..think another 10 years?
Buddy,
ReplyDeleteSolid ideas but one challenge is that Texas has too many people that would protest.
In the "Dakota" there aren't but 10 to 20 people and do you think the MSM would ever cover a story in the "Dakota"..Congress could get it done in late January or early February and no one is going there then...too damn cold and windy
Also as a lagniappe to Mexico all cars made in the USA would be required to have those little dingle balls hanging 'round the windows...
ReplyDeleteReal story here...in the Aussie outback the locals wear fringe on their hats to keep the flys off their faces..it works great
well, of course the Oz hat fringe is to keep flies off their faces. why would they wear something to keep flies *on* their faces?
ReplyDeleteYeh, that Rus battalion in Leb is troubling. In many ways. bastards are on offense, now, for sure.
ReplyDelete"New Texaco" has a ring to it, somehow. It might sit better with New Mexicans to share equal billing, tho. Perhaps "Co-Tex"? The state slogan is already "the Land of Enchantment".
ReplyDeleteThat's so dumb, i had to laff out loud
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI pledge a lesion, to the untied state of Ancumsex...
ReplyDeletehey, that's what pastry man was saying, way up at the top.
and this, too
ReplyDeleteBuddy,
ReplyDeleteDidn't mean to leave you high and dry on the comments but decorum gotz the best of me
You don't want the flys on your face, especiall when participating in the Henley-on-Todd Regatta.
ReplyDeleteI've been lucky enough to be in three.
Regatta
The Todd River is in a very arid part of Australia and has zero to very low flow during 95% of the year.
ReplyDeleteThe Henley-on-Todd Regatta has been held in Alice Springs annually since 1961. The ironic regatta is held on the dry riverbed, and draws up to 200,000 spectators. Bottomless boats are picked up by the competitors standing within them and running down the course. The regatta carries insurance against the risk of water in the riverbed. The Henley-on-Todd Regatta has once been cancelled, in 1993, due to flooding - the river had too much water for the race.
God, i love the Aussies. Wot a sodden world it'd be without them.
hated 'em in the bars back in the day, tho. The lassies loved their bleed'n accents too much ("too much" = "more exotic than USA/South").
ReplyDeletehabu,
ReplyDeletere: regatta
River des Peres Yacht Club
A Sewer Runs through It
River des Peres Coalition
Good point--there are so few examples of Muz-western cooperation, that they make great films about them.
ReplyDeleteBuddy,
ReplyDeletere: Chris Matthews
What!? As a multi-culti guy, you do not support employing the handicapped?