Europe at War

[Todd]

Good enough I should say:  I'm thing of you being a psychological Russian puppet and projecting that on Zelensky.

What does "thing of you" mean?

Zelensky is a western puppet.

[Karl Henning]

It's High Time to Prepare for Russia's Collapse (foreignpolicy.com)


Indeed....

The bottom line is that it is irrelevant whether you are an optimist or a pessimist – we can only watch the drama of Russia's potential collapse unfold. Neither Western policies nor Putin himself can do much to stop this. That's because Russia is already beset by deep-rooted institutional crises, greatly exacerbated by the man who made Russia brittle and unstable and provided the potential spark for its demise: Putin.

[LKB]

That's from Foreign Policy, arguably the most unabashedly hawkish specialist press outlet covering international relations.  It routinely advocates for grossly immoral policy.  That the author complains about Russia trying to install a puppet government in Ukraine while failing to mention that Zelensky is a puppet, and even received a purportedly prestigious title from Time for being an obedient puppet, demonstrates the bias.

What civilian body count will sate the bloodlust of hawks?  50K?  75K?  Nah, it's gotta be six figures.  100K it is.  Hawks are 100Kers. 

You would have done well working for Goebbels some eighty years ago.

And who knows, there still might be openings within Putin's staff. You'd fit right in.

[Todd]

You would have done well working for Goebbels some eighty years ago.

And who knows, there still might be openings within Putin's staff. You'd fit right in.

Godwin's Law again.  And what appears to be a contemporary corollary. 

At least you still care.

[Que]

That's from Foreign Policy, arguably the most unabashedly hawkish specialist press outlet covering international relations.  It routinely advocates for grossly immoral policy. 

It is a good piece, nuanced and well informed. And it hits the nail right on the head... in my opinion.
The desastrous end - for Russia - of its imperial war will have serious consequences, like many lost imperial wars before it.

[Todd]

It is a good piece, nuanced and well informed. And it hits the nail right in the head... in my opinion.

Foreign Policy's articles typically satisfy warmongers.

[drogulus]

    Zelensky has wide support from Ukrainians to continue the fight. The number I've seen is 85%.

    Maybe the Ukes are only mistakenly fighting for their country. Is that a thing?

    I'm glad I asked. No, Ukraine is universally recognized as a sovereign nation, including by Russia.

    What does it say about Putin that he allowed himself to be so completely out fought and out thunk by Pinnochio and his senile puppeteer?

It's not your fault, buddy. Ernie is characteristically oblique.

     That must be it.

[Madiel]

Okay, the claim that Zelenskyy is a puppet is truly the moment when we all know Todd has drunk the proverbial Kool-Aid.

The insistence that people in other countries have no independent will is some of the most embarrassing American exceptionalism I've ever seen.

[Que]

Foreign Policy's articles typically satisfy warmongers.

Oh... really?  Very informative.

I guess you forgot euro centrics and wishful thinkers...

[Todd]

Oh... really?  Very informative.

I guess you forgot euro centrics and wishful thinkers...

Foreign Policy devolved into a neocon/liberal interventionist journal starting in the 90s and is geared toward an American readership.  Given that, it naturally appeals to certain types of Eurocentric readers overseas, who are prone to wishful thinking regarding the scope of the power of the "allies" and the types of change, starting with regime change, these powers can impose from without. 

[Herman]

Clearly a lot of research has gone into FP's readership and how they feel about things.

[Que]

Clearly a lot of research has gone into FP's readership and how they feel about things.

The author is a professor of political science at Rutgers University-Newark.

https://sasn.rutgers.edu/about-us/faculty-staff/alexander-motyl

https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/01/07/russia-ukraine-putin-collapse-disintegration-civil-war-empire/

[Herman]

The author is a professor of political science at Rutgers University-Newark.

I was talking about the GMG-er who apparently knows exactly who's reading FP and why.

[Todd]

The author is a professor of political science at Rutgers University-Newark.

Generally speaking, international relations specialist journals publish articles by academics, politicians, and military leaders.  All authors and all articles are biased.  Publications tend to emphasize publishing articles that reflect a certain view.  Foreign Policy was run by Daniel Rothkopf for five years.  Mr Rothkopf worked for the Clintons.

[Todd]

The Long War in Ukraine

The West Needs to Plan for a Protracted Conflict With Russia

Given the strong incentives on both sides to continue fighting, a third outcome is much more likely: a prolonged, grinding war that gradually becomes frozen along a line of control that neither side accepts.

Raytheon and Boeing stock ain't gonna boost themselves.  It's looking like 100K dead civilians is an optimistic estimate.  Hawks are 250Kers.


About the authors:

James Goldgeier is a professor of international relations at the School of International Service at American University

Ivo Daalder is President of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs

[drogulus]

     I get that warmongers think we'll need a policy for the collapse of Russia, and peacemongers think it's bloodthirsty to even contemplate the eventuality.

     It's clear that I was spot on. To study war, the outcome of war, or whatever is next to war in a dictionary or encyclopedia is itself evidence of bloodthirstyness.

     It's Don't Study War No More for any purpose, Morbius!



     How come Russia conducts war but doesn't appear to harbor warmongers? How they do that?

[Karl Henning]

How come Russia conducts war but doesn't appear to harbor warmongers? How they do that?

They're just peaceniks being bullied by those Ukrainian Nazis.

[Florestan]

The Long War in Ukraine

The West Needs to Plan for a Protracted Conflict With Russia

About the authors:

James Goldgeier is a professor of international relations at the School of International Service at American University

Ivo Daalder is President of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs

This a more rational and reasonable article than the one about Russia's facing inevitable disintegration in the foreseeable future.

[Todd]

This a more rational and reasonable article than the one about Russia's facing inevitable disintegration in the foreseeable future.

To a great extent, yes, but it includes the phrase "evil empire" and it also includes a passage about Russia minding its own business.  Such writing is either perfectly cynical or perfectly lacking in self-awareness.  My bet is on the former.  Current US policy is based on an expectation of protracted war.  This has not been hidden in any way.

[drogulus]

    Russia has its stealth fighters at a base from which strikes against Ukraine are launched. Thinky warmongers say the SU-57 doesn't fly over Ukraine and just launches missiles from Russian territory.

    The SU-57 is not terribly impressive by 5th gen standards. The Chinese stealth jet is better.

    Russia only has 10 of these fighters. They're supposed to have more than 70 eventually. The problem Russia is having is they can make very good planes and tanks in small numbers but can only produce at scale if foreign buyers fund their production.