I can’t say I really understand this sort of thing, but I keep trying:
Comments
Open thread 2/25/23 — 83 Comments
It is fascinating how do they know it only happened 400,000 years ago though
Miguel,
Not 400,000 years ago. About 400,000 years AFTER the Universe began.
Pretty sure they assume the Big Bang theory is correct and work backwards. The currently accepted age of the Universe is about 14 billion years old, so this began a l-o-n-g time ago.
YEAH!! Our health care provider system is lifting the Mask mandates as of March 1. Finally!!
UCHealth in Colorado.
Speaking of going way back:
In trying to figure out why our responses to the left, even those that “Totally Shut Down the Libs!” have been so ineffectual, I have been enjoying the (admittedly a bit dense) series by Lorenzo Warby, “Worshipping the Future: The Spiralling Catastrophe of Transformative Politics”, which is being published on Helen Dale’s substack, with a supplemental essay for each on Warby’s own:
ok I missed that part of the video, I stand corrected, we get an idea of the vastness of the universe, and our tiny part in it,
Ironic choice Neo. Today’s my birthday, and it certainly seems like time (or at least how my biology interacts with the day) means something. But I suppose I am just a feeble human, and coming after the obituary for Gerard does give me thought.
Re : When the universe was born.
What is not explained is where did all the stuff come from that allowed the (a) universe to be born?
Well, it must have come from other universes, I suppose.
But where, then, did that stuff come from that gave birth to the universe that gave birth to our universe?
I guess this sort of conjecture had no real “start” date.
well there is the thing, there had to be a catalytic force that put things into motion, you can’t mention God, because we are too arrogant to admit that (collective we)
but we invite the old gods from the pagan pantheon to rule our world,
So I’m learning French these days (had you heard?) and I’ve noticed what an effective metaphor language learning is for life.
Learning French, I am becoming a new person with a new identity and a new brain. The reason it takes so long to learn a new language is because one is literally adding a huge new set of connections in the brain.
That’s true of other major changes in life. Becoming a conservative was much like learning a new language. It didn’t happen over night. I had to work. At first it was hard. There was much I didn’t understand. I lacked confidence when I spoke to conservatives because I was afraid to say something wrong. Yet, bit by bit I became a new person — a conservative.
It was the same for all the other things I became — a math student, a chess player, a surfer, a hippie, a poet, a progressive activist, a programmer, a Christian. Now I’m becoming a French speaker.
When people tell me they don’t get poetry or math, it’s like telling me they don’t get French. Those are all substantial languages with their own communities and history.
No one is born knowing those things. One must immerse oneself, soak in the new world and to some extent join a new community.
Hey Turtler, today is my birthday too! Let’s not get into how many there have been!
And to neo, congrats on trying to keep up on theoretical physics! I follow Dr. Sabine Hossenfelder, who is a serious scientist but not too stuffy. Perhaps you could make some fashion recommendations to her, though.
Recent book purchase I can recommend:
“The Myth of Artificial Intelligence” by Erik J. Larsen – follows the history of AI up to the present ChatGPT stuff, and calls BS frequently. I am almost finished, but no indication that a big breakthrough is imminent.
In trying to figure out why our responses to the left, even those that “Totally Shut Down the Libs!” have been so ineffectual
Nancy B.:
I’ll take a look at your links. However, tagging on to my previous comment, we are speaking Conservative and they are speaking Progressive. Different languages.
Their brains are literally wired differently. Conservatives often seem like travelers in a foreign land who somehow believe if they speak English slowly and loudly, they will be understood.
And vice versa.
(Jeez. How many times do I have to look up “vice versa”?)
Earworm for the day “and the photon sped on.”
I prefer Genesis.
we are soaking in their narratives, they only see our perspective, through a cracked mirror,
if American is utterly corrupt, from the get go, then what is the point in defending any of it, hence the sulfuric nature of the 1619 project,
huxley said, “When people tell me they don’t get poetry or math, it’s like telling me they don’t get French. Those are all substantial languages with their own communities and history. No one is born knowing those things. One must immerse oneself, soak in the new world and to some extent join a new community.”
Yep– now try interspecies communication; after 20+ years living with the critters, I’m still not fully fluent in Cat.
so Marx was a teller of fairy tales, repurposed into an economic theory, now industrial revolution seemed grimier than the pastoral small scale mercantilism and above the feudal mindset that ruled for at least 500 years, but this new clean energy mirage is a new feudalism in practice,
dog is fluent in at least two languages,
‘Nother linguistic question for huxley: Which version of Klingon is Brandon speaking?
Q: “Are you planning on traveling to East Palestine?”
BIDEN: “At this moment not. I was, I did a whole video, I mean, uh, you know, the uh, what the Hell? On Zoom. All I can hear every time I think of Zoom is that song of my generation, ‘Who’s Zoomin’ Who?’”
I can relate to what you’re saying, huxley. Each sub-culture has its own language and iconography. Biner, sling, rap, pitch, ring-lock, on-sight, smear hold, friction plate, etc. are used frequently and with specific meaning in the rock-climbing world. It requires submerging yourself in it to learn it.
I admire your ambition and energy in learning French. My energy is too low for learning many new things, although I’m probably absorbing a bit of what I’m exposed to here at Neo’s place. My task right now is remembering what I have learned. Trying to not become like Joe Biden.
A link to a bit about a once upon a time, non-metaphorical, by golly no kidding Ukrainian located stinky swamp gassy quagmires, makers of natgas, coal and crude oils — the Dnieper-Donetsk Basin: https://youtu.be/LvxzEa9Rkpg
Setting next to an a more ancient region of crust stacked with banded iron, you’ve got a sweet place to produced steel, among other uses.
Fun video. Thanks for posting. The idea of a photon experiencing no passage of time is very difficult to grasp. The video below uses geometry and an analogy to help build intuition regarding the concept. I think it’s pretty effective. https://youtu.be/A2JCoIGyGxc
“We must stop believing the siren calls of the college-prep and career readiness shysters to surrender our time and treasure in pursuit of fallback positions. We must stop submitting our children to the indoctrinators of that failed paradigm. They are the dream-killers and life-stealers.
Instead, we can take matters back into our own hands, trusting in the human brain and boot-strapped ingenuity, like our American forefathers did, and like we were created to do.
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Great video, sdferr. Petroleum geology 101 and metal production primer. So, maybe Vlad wants more resources. Wars have been fought over less.
The days of nations conquering their neighbors are supposed to be over. Vlad doesn’t like that. Biggest land area nation in the world with more natural resources than most, and he’ s still not satisfied. Bad news.
Biggest land area nation in the world with more natural resources than most . . .
What puzzles me no less JJ, is the extent to which Putin leaves the vast Russian east open to potential Chinese predation, should the urge seize. Boggling, in strategic terms. Kinda reminiscent of another miscalculation back aways, albeit from an wholly different direction.
“Re : When the universe was born.
What is not explained is where did all the stuff come from that allowed the (a) universe to be born?”
John Tyler, this question has dogged me for well over 50 years. When I was in 3rd grade (early 60s in California) the teacher, Miss Nichols, was talking about some science topic and mentioned about how it all began, etc. I raised my hand and asked about the matter she said exploded (or whatever…it’s a long time ago), but I DO remember asking her where THAT came from.
I will never forget her reply. She told me that was a question I needed to ask my parents about. Of course, I went home and asked my mom, and she told me that God created everything (we were not a religious family, but still…it was like 1964).
I’ve never found a satisfactory answer to the question to this day, no matter how much I’ve read or studied, debated or probed.
sdferr:
Thanks for posting the link to the geology of Ukraine!
I think Vlad is after the vast deposits of Ukrainian upsidasium. (19 minutes)
gwynmir, you’ve made an important point. That is, how does something come from nothing? As far as non-physicists can tell, it doesn’t. My trite answer is that it’s turtles all the way down. But seriously, something from nothing sounds like fantasy. If there is a case for God perhaps it can be found in the origin of the universe.
Regarding the video. The important point is that the speed of light is inviolable. If nothing can go faster than light then other aspects of the universe (things we normally think of as inviolable) must change to accommodate light. And that would be space and time. And remember that for us humans living in the slow-verse, relativistic speeds (meaning speeds somewhere beyond say 20% of light) are not possible now. So time and space are immutable for us. Excepting of course viewing the universe or otherwise verifying Einstein’s special relativity like with our GPS satellites.
No thats this administration indulges in such foolishness
Yes the energy and mass increase re relativistic speeds make travel near impossible
sdferr, yes, it’s quite the question. No accounting for the lack of recognition of that by Vlad.
The far east of Russia is rich but has a history of corruption and lawlessness. I once talked with a timbe magnate who, in the late 1990s, tried to establish a lumbering operation there. The constant robbing and sabotaging of his operations coupled with no protection from the government drove him out after a few years. Putin may prefer to stay west of the Urals where he has more control.
“Time Means Nothing”?
Really? My 74 years argues otherwise.
“There are some ideas so absurd that only an intellectual could believe them.” George Orwell
The Columbia Journalism Review, one of the establishment media’s more neutral-seeming organs of internal criticism, recently published 24,000 words chronicling the American news industry’s serial wrongdoing across seven years of Russiagate coverage. Given the apparent lack of length constraints, it’s curious that the words “Lee Smith” appear nowhere in the piece. Smith began mapping the networks that peddled and marketed the “collusion” theory in Tablet starting all the way back in mid-2017. This was long before Robert Mueller found no evidence to support the claim that Trump was secretly in league with the regime of Vladimir Putin, and nearly five years before the discovery that the British ex-spy Chris Steele got most of the information for his infamous dossier third-hand, from a midlevel staffer at the Brookings Institution. Former New York Times and ProPublica reporter Jeff Gerth dug up an amusing stray detail or two for CJR, but almost nothing in Gerth’s report would have come as a surprise to dedicated readers of Smith, a writer who needed only until Trump’s first summer in office to uncover how the collusion thesis advanced through the Democratic Party, the communications firm Fusion GPS, the U.S. intelligence community, and the media.
true, lee smith, and john solomon and sarah carter, and just a few others, really were the real sleuths, all the other scribes like haberman or entous or pick any other high flyer, had nothing but they just laundered danchenko or mueller or any other node of lawfare crumbs,
so is this ancient history, sadly no, all of this kultursmog, (ht emmett tyrell) not only blocked trump’s policy initiatives, in the near east, and central asia, but ended up on the path we find ourselves in the caucasus, and set us on a self destructive path at home, dismantling every aspect of our energy infrastructure, our legal system,
Glenn Loury and J. McWhorter host a Fairy-God-MotherRetard (with a big bright magical Hegelian wand, poof!) and somehow manage to get through it: https://youtu.be/3x5vKN3ZNDM
I couldn’t take more than a few minutes myself.
Yawrate: yes, God, or SOME body/thing has got to be eternal, right? At least with the type of mind I’ve been given, nothing else makes sense. And of course, that doesn’t make sense, either.
I often say to my husband it doesn’t HAVE to be God (the God of the Bible). It could be…and then I go on to all the other theories I’ve come up with over the years and his eyes roll again. The eternal being or force doesn’t have to be GOOD, either, which doesn’t fill me with hope.
Vox looking ahead, perhaps jumping the gun a bit. We’ve only passed the one year mark – hardly enough time for “grim milestones” and such (but they can hope). If it’s a wrap in six months, they’ll be disappointed.
Some COVID date
Two fields
1. Deaths recorded per million inhabitants, last 12 months (2/25/22 – 2/25/23)
2. Ratio: deaths recorded last 12 months to deaths recorded previously
Given our data collection protocols, hypothetical numbers for the United States had COVID been experienced as something as lethal as a seasonal flu (such as it was in 2013-19) would have been 105 and 0.035.
Guy does have a point…(as many of these threats are actually coming from inside the WH…).
A bit odd, though, that he doesn’t mention America’s gravest, most vicious, most resolute enemy: Climate Change(TM).
(Wonder how he could possibly have missed that one…)
French has led me into some interesting new terrain — the language learning wars. Goody! I’m always up for a new intellectual war.
The sort of new kid on the block is the Input Hypothesis, that:
_________________________
Understanding spoken and written language input is seen as the only mechanism that results in the increase of underlying linguistic competence, and language output is not seen as having any effect on learners’ ability.
If one pauses to take that in, it means the conventional classroom method of teaching a second language is more wrong than right.
Grammar lectures, conjugation/declension memorization, vocabulary drills, immediate speech demands, canned dialogs, language games contribute little or nothing to linguistic competence.
What matters is exposing oneself to spoken and written input in the target language. Furthermore, that input should be comprehensible and compelling. That should be the focus, not output (speech).
That’s the direction I’m instinctively pursuing, so I’m rooting for the Input Hypothesis.
The answer is 42
Immersion seems to work but you need the ground rules like the notes on the scale
The Ukraine conversation continues from multiple perspectives. Tucker Carlson’s Friday open made this point from an American angle:
Now Elon Musk echos what we’ve heard from many quarters:
Elon Musk Calls 2014 Regime Change In Ukraine A ‘coup’
…Elon Musk claimed that Ukraine “indeed” witnessed a coup d’etat in 2014 after the country saw a major change in the government in 2014…
“That election was arguably dodgy, but no question that there was indeed a coup”.
Indeed.
An uprising supported by foreign elements adverse to the current regime sometimes its most bloodless iran guatemala uruguay sometimes not
Call it a color revolution if you think coup is too charged like what we saw in 2000
Is Elon right about all things, or just Twitter? Must be. (sarc)
There are Panic Whores on the right. Because the Democrats (left) used Russia to attack Trump doesn’t make Russia something to sidle up or sleep with. But you be you.
Banned:
A Ukrainian perspective (not unbiased like Tucker or Elon (sarc)):
Annexation of Crimea, Donbas and Hybrid Russian War 2014. Russian Crimes – Anna from Ukraine
And if a frog had wings it wouldn’t smack its but on the ground when …. And if Russia wasn’t an aggressive imperialist nation ….. Generally “and ifs” aren’t too helpful in the “now.”
om, the video you linked @ 6:04 pm is indeed heavily biased. I’m glad you didn’t post think thinking otherwise. I hear the Ukrainians are pretty good at propaganda.
Her first comment that Russia can’t imagine a successful future without Ukraine is certainly an exercise in mind reading.
‘Russia made us sign the Budapest Memorandum’. What?
I started going through it, but had already decided to take a day off from commenting on Ukraine.
Then the comment about the Minister of Defense Dimitry Salamatin holding a Russian passport caught my attention. He was a former Russian citizen.
But when Poroshenko took power after the illegal overthrow of Viktor Yanukovych, Poroshenko proceeded to appoint three foreigners to Ukraine’s new government.
“US-born Natalie Jaresko became finance minister, Lithuania’s Aivaras Abromavicius economy minister and Aleksandre Kvitashvili – from Georgia – health minister. Hours before the vote in the parliament that installed them, all three were granted Ukrainian citizenship by President Petro Poroshenko.
The move is part of a fresh anti-corruption drive in Kiev. Politicians and other officials supportive of the idea say outsiders in the cabinet will have fewer vested interests, or links to local lobbyists. President Poroshenko also said Ukraine should make use of “the best international experience”.
But his opponents argue that Ukrainians should run their own country. Nationality is politically sensitive, as pro-Russian rebels in the east refuse to recognise the Kiev leadership.”
These weren’t former citizens of other countries, or dual citizens, but foreign citizens (actually they were granted Ukrainian citizenship after their appointments).
Why if I didn’t know better, I’d think the Ukrainian government was just a puppet for Western governments, making sure they toed the Western line!
Hard to be unbiased when a foreign army has invaded your country (Crimea, 2014), fomented and supplied a civil war (Donbas, etc.), interfered with domestic politics. And then of course there are the actions of Russia in 2022 starting with the invasion. Yeah, she might have a point of view that is not as “objective” as Tucker or you. Air raids, funerals, destruction of the preexisting way of life tends to affect ones opinion of the Russian actions, and that’s just 2022.
But you are fixated on the removal of Yanukovitch, grasping at straws, almost as bad as a blaming NATO for Vlad’s invasion. As far as mind reading goes; she doesn’t have to, just watch Russian statements in the media, if you paid attention.
As to Ukraine having to toe the line of the West or being a puppet of the West; well that is a Russian talking point you are happy to parrot. You do remember that Brandon offered Zellinsky an exit from Ukraine in the early days of Vlad’s war of choice. The Western line has been pretty squiggley and spagetti-like; a limp noodle for most of 2022 (talking about you, Germany). You do recall that the fear of escalation after the war began has been a constant theme; can’t give the Ukrainians weapons that would really provoke (impede) the Russians, Crimea isn’t really Ukrainian after all,… The aggressor gets to set the rules of his war, eh, Brain E?
Takes all kinds.
Brain E:
Does Yanukovirch have any videos (from Moscow) that you can post that would show an “unbiased” Ukrainian view of The Russian Federation’s Special Military Operation (aka Vlad’s war of choice against Ukraine)?
Takes all kinds.
Brain E:
Way back in the last century there were “leaders” like the old Petan (not the younger Petan of WWI) and Quisling that were an anticipation of Yanukovitch.
Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS: Elon is correct. Both Nuland and Blinken have a deeply rooted irrational hatred of Russia, and they seek to get the US involved in another world war. These are dangerous fools who can get us all killed.
Correct!
@Banned Lizard
How Ukraine could become America’s next forever war
Vox looking ahead, perhaps jumping the gun a bit. We’ve only passed the one year mark – hardly enough time for “grim milestones” and such (but they can hope). If it’s a wrap in six months, they’ll be disappointed.
Honestly I’d argue that in many ways they are actually far behind the curve.
A year on, the Russia-Ukraine war has no end in sight. The war is at a semi-stalemate, and both Russia and Ukraine are sticking to their demands.
This really doesn’t surprise me because while the “Special Military Operation” is about a year old, the actual war is actually going to hit 9 years within a few months. And on the whole No End in Sight probably plays to the defender’s advantages. I have plenty of reasons to dislike Poroshenko (starting with his snootiness and corruption or at least cronyism) but he was brutally accurate when he pointed out that it was unlikely that the warlord regimes propped up by the Kremlin’s arms would be able to actually satisfy their peoples’ wants or desires, or that Russian Bureaucrats would be capable of investing in Crimea again after their failure to do it was the reason the Soviets transferred its jurisdiction. If I were being generous to Putin I’d almost wonder if that was part of the calculations he made to escalate, and on some level it might even work if Ukraine can’t keep its finances in order under the war.
Ukraine has been able to defend itself against Russian aggression in large part due to the $29.8 billion worth of weapons and equipment that the US has sent so far. While the US has hit some limits, it is sending ever more advanced weaponry and provides Ukraine with intelligence to help it target Russia more effectively. Ukraine cannot continue the war without Western military and economic support.
Maybe to some degree, but it can continue the war to a large degree on a minimum of support. And if the war isn’t wrapped up in the next year or two it’ll likely filter down to the kind of more static war we saw the fighting in the Donbas turn into after 2016 or thereabouts.
All of which raises the question of whether the Russia-Ukraine conflict is entering forever war territory.
*Entering*?
I still regularly talk about the conflicts in 2014 and how they shape the battle space and politics we see today. There never really was a great ceasefire, just the ebbing and flowing of the killing and shelling.
The US’s post-9/11 wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan turned into decades-long conflicts because the objectives kept shifting, because they were guided by ideological goals, and because they were enabled by legal authorizations that gave policymakers room to expand the wars.
Honestly I think Vox (not surprisingly from the idiots who tried to claim the National Socialists aren’t National Socialists) are being overly selective in focusing only on post-9/11 wars. The truth is that the US has had to deal with forever wars to a large degree, and I’m NOT just talking about the obvious like Vietnam and Korea.
The truth is, the US has had to fight a lot, lot LOT of nasty, ugly “forever wars” in its history, and if anything they were more common in our earlier history. Take a gander at the horror shows of the Western Frontier and realize that a militiaman could be born in Massachusetts in 1688, die a century later, and never, ever have lived through a year of true peace (though there would be troughs where the violence died down). Moreover, we famously continued occupying Germany and Japan for years and are still there, and while the war in Europe at least petered out to a pretty decisive ending the Asia-Pacific really had such a decisive ending of the bloodshed so much as limited disengagement (which generally turned out to be a bad thing in the case of Indochina and Indonesia).
So frankly a certain degree of flexibility in how to manage these is baked into US culture and politics, and that’s probably a good thing.
What REALLY alarms me is how if anything we are getting WORSE at how to manage it. And I think a lot of that has to do with culture, both military and especially civilian.
The situation in Ukraine is obviously different from US engagement in Iraq or Afghanistan — for one, the US does not have troops on the ground in Ukraine. But when I asked former high-ranking military officials and national security experts about the risk of protracted war in Ukraine, they told me that those other forever war factors are currently present in the US’s support for the Ukraine war.
Again, “the risk of a protracted war in Ukraine”?
This thing has lasted longer than the Croatian War of Independence and longer than the time between the Marco Polo Bridge Incident and the surrender of Japan. It just hasn’t been going full bore all this time, and certainly nothing quite as intense as what we saw in the first half-year or so after Feb 2014. But it’s there.
All wars are ultimately unending until they end, and sometimes not even that. This was something we understood when dealing with groups like the Iroquois where it was an open secret that they regarded no peace treaty as permanent. And ultimately it calls for some pretty big readjustments in American culture and how we confront struggles, ones we might have been more prepared to face after 9/11 but which there is little stomach for now (and I can’t blame people for that after the fiasco of Afghanistan and the murky success of Iraq).
“This is going to be a generational conflict between the West and Russia,” says historian Michael Kimmage of Catholic University, who has researched Putin’s strategy in the war.
I’m sorry, but where were you people to say this when Obama was trying to “Reset” relations with Putin? Where were you to mention that struggles against Islamist terrorism and the underlying philosophy would be a generational conflict (something little old me picked up in my youth within days of 9/11)?
This smells like Vox wants it both ways. They want to grandstand against Putin but at the same time being able to wallow in the endemic issues with the US military and especially civilian culture. I suppose I should be glad we are mostly having the Ukrainians pay in blood for their chance to determine it rather than relying on a gutted post-Bagram US?
“The further the West moves in, the more Putin is going to be motivated to keep on going,
WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY I ENCOURAGE LIMITING WESTERN VISIBILITY, precisely TO limit both our losses and Putin’s ability to wave the bloody NATO flag to gin up domestic support.
Sun Tzu stated that the victorious commander first obtained victory and then went to war. Putin waltzed into a war he was on many levels unprepared for looking for victory. Our first goal should be to deny it to him, and in many respects a quagmire benefits us more than it does him.
Especially since Putin has set a number of offensive objectives in the near future that he is unlikely to watch.
” he told me. “This is going to be the mother of all forever wars, because of the nature of the adversary.”
Kimmage my dear soul, I’m of Dutch blood.
And my Dutch forbearers fought for sixty years against the first truly global empire and then fought another decade against the Portuguese more or less for fun and colonial profit.
I can also point to the Thirty Years War (which itself tied into that) and its long aftershocks, as well as to the endless shooting on the borders of Georgia. ANd do not even get me STARTED on Sudan or the Congo.
So will you kindly shut the hell up?
Yeah, the War in Ukraine could go long. In many ways it already has. But it is unlikely to ever be “the mother of all forever wars” and if you’ve understood how many wars an 18 year old Massachusetts Militiaman who signed up to fight the British in 1775 might have gotten into if he died in 1850 or what the “Sixteen Prefectures” were you’d understand that.
So what can the US learn from its interventions in its Middle East forever wars? In the first year of the Iraq War, a young Gen. David Petraeus said he would repeat the mantra to himself, “Tell me how this ends.”
The issue I see is that a lot of times it is less important to see HOW this ends than to establish how it WILL NOT end, and work to avoid those. The fetish for a clear and decisive outcome can be a sign of clear planning and foresight, but it can also be a symptom of ankle biting and desperation to get out that will lead to mistakes (such as the desire to make a deal with Hanoi and the Taliban that led us to legitimize both far beyond what we should have).
. “I think the most important question has to do with how one might see this war ending,”
I can see it ending in a number of ways. The issue is so can many others. So the issue is to parse through the foreseen potential outcomes and grade them. Then work to get them.
Petraeus wrote in an email. “Related to that is the critical question of what needs to be done to convince Vladimir Putin that the war in Ukraine is not sustainable for Russia on the battlefield in Ukraine and also on the home front in Russia.”
Honestly I will have to break with Petraeus. We’ve spent a quarter of a century trying to persuade Putin of this and that with at best lukewarm success. It’s time for a new strategy, especially on an issue where he so clearly views this as a personal matter.
We need to persuade the wider Russian political elite and society that this war is not worth fighting. And unfortunately two of the best ways of doing that are economic pain on the one hand, and killing or crippling more Russian troops.
But there are other ways of posing the question. Thomas Pickering, a former career ambassador who served in Russia and rose to be undersecretary for political affairs at the State Department, says the potential for a nuclear conflict means the US does have to think about “whether it would make sense to try to terminate the war on an advantageous but not perfect basis.”
Which ignores the issue that all the US can do is TRY to do that. Oh and by the way Mr. Pickering, I am sure someone at Sputnik is cracking open some imported champagne for this little quote that implies the US can “try to terminate the war” by implying it so dominates Ukrainian policy.
The global war on terrorism was a sprawling and ill-defined project.
Yes it IS. But that’s partially because it had to be sprawling and was faced with a host of ill-defined and shifting enemies, not helped by a toxic leftist public culture whose thought on “Why we Fight” was to make a conspiratorial No Blood For Oil balderdash.
After 9/11, the US was responding to an attack on its soil, but then the George W. Bush administration expanded its international campaign to target not just al-Qaeda but the concept of terrorism — one that somehow the US is still fighting today.
I agree, expanding the definition to terrorism as an entire concept was a horrid mistake, arguably one of Bush’s greatest. But it was in no small part due to how anathema blunt discussions of AQ etc. al.’s ideology and practices are and were.
Though President Joe Biden withdrew from Afghanistan, US troops are still in the Middle East, and many aspects of the counterterrorism wars endure.
This is true. Though it is worth noting that most of those are ongoing with significant success and generally little controversy (unless you count the obligatory virtue signaling about drone strike deaths in Yemen). Which is both good and bad. On one hand the Somali Piracy problem should have been solved by now, and honestly probably could have been. But it also points out that the problem is less in the costs of the struggle or its effects (or lack thereof) themselves than in how they are perceived.
The way that Bush’s interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan began made that possible. Congress approved a joint resolution against threats to the US homeland in 2001 that was so broad that it evolved as the threats did. That vote authorized the use of military force against “nations, organizations, or persons” connected to the 9/11 attacks, and in 2002, Congress passed another broad authorization on Iraq that two decades later is used to counter the Islamic State terrorist group.
Which for all my issues with Bush era overreach and especially the looming mess of the Patriot Act was probably notable. And honestly comparing it to how we handled things earlier is illuminating. What official Legislative or even formal executive act allowed the US to invade territory of the (Vichy) French Government in 1942 in order to persecute a war against Germany, Italy, and Japan? What about running commando operations in neutral Portuguese Timor occupied by Japan?
But I think Cambodia and especially the neutering of Nixon on the issue was decisive. The “Bombing of Cambodia” issue was a controversy should not have been anywhere near as dramatic as it was given the defacto and de jure state of the Cambodian border (under hostile North Vietnamese occupation that utterly invalidated the Cambodian government’s claims to sovereignty and neutrality). But it happened anyway. And Bush, unsurprisingly, did not want to be screwed over like Nixon was.
The US’s goals in Iraq, for example, ran the gamut of eliminating the risk of purported weapons of mass destruction, regime change, nation-building, countering Iranian influence, and then debilitating ISIS.
Which REALLY SHOULDN’T BE SURPRISING because ACTUAL military and occupation goals DO tend to be complicated. The issue is trying to iron out policies that satisfy all or most of them in a somewhat realistic fashion.
Which is hard to do when you have subzero narrative control and the endless Death Tolls.
And when there were opportunities to end the initial invasion of Afghanistan — like when hundreds of Taliban fighters surrendered to the US — the Bush administration rejected them.
In large part because it correctly regarded the Taliban organization as still hostile and unbroken, and likely to strike.
Funny how they’re ignoring that.
Even now, 18 months after the US withdrew its last troops from Afghanistan and more than a year after the US assassinated perhaps the last known planner of the 2001 attack, the initial authorization has yet to be repealed.
“Perhaps the last known planner of the 2001 attack.”
Translation: Vox is trying to massage the fact that we let many 9/11 masterminds out or are about to. Because leftist.
But perhaps what the US ought to have learned from the forever wars is the importance of practicing humility and not underestimating one’s enemies. A more difficult lesson to put into practice is the importance of incorporating dialogue and negotiations with adversaries into policy.
The problem is that only works when your enemies can be negotiated with. The problems with the Taliban underline that. So at least as important a lesson is working to divide the enemy and be willing to uproot those that cannot be reasoned with root and branch. That requires a certain consensus, a Union Sacree as the French called it in WWI. But that’s utterly lacking in Current Year and has been, especially given how many Leftists were so happy to twist the knife even while Ground Zero was still a mess.
The Biden administration may believe that. But rhetoric like that is also how wars continue in perpetuity. It’s how the objectives creep, the goalposts shift. Ideological struggles are not so easy to win.
No, but they are often NECESSARY to win, and that involves blunt, even passionate rhetoric. As we saw in the World Wars and many others, including the Mexican-American War and the Revolutionary War (which is still our longest declared war).
Vox would much rather outright lose the struggle than face the ugly realization that while short wars are good, victorious ones are usually better. And some struggles will remain.
It’s also telling how Vox at no point discusses the incredibly obvious point. That Ukraine has been fighting a war on a much higher intensity than the Coalition did for nearly a decade, since 2014. It has sustained truly hideous casualties well in excess of what the US did, as well as economic costs. But it has remained largely committed to the idea of a united and free, pro-Western Ukraine. As they have every right to given recent history.
So what is different there?
By some metrics, the objectives that the US set out to achieve in Ukraine have already been achieved. Christopher Chivvis, a researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, explained that the US in the past year has managed to avoid a direct war with Russia, made Russia suffer a strategic defeat, and kept the NATO alliance unified. Ukraine has also maintained its sovereign independence.
Yeah ask the Ukrainians about that.
Continued unqualified support is “good in the sense that it puts pressure on the Russians to try to moderate their more extreme objectives,” Chivvis told me. “But it’s not likely to get the Ukrainians to think seriously about restraining their own war aims, because they see the whole set of Western nations backing them to the hilt.”
A few things that are left unsaid are why we should push the Ukrainians to moderate their war aims, and particularly *TO WHAT*. Ironic given the obsession with a clear exit plan this clown show has.
I was able to come up with what I considered the maximal possible ideal outcome, as well as a bunch that were less ideal but probably possible. Mostly centering on Ukraine reconquering all or almost all of its territory (save some on the Donbas that clearly vote to join Russia), and whether or not Putin and co can be extradited following a sort of Exit-Milosevic.
Where is the discussion there?
Also, what is conveniently left unmentioned is the implications of a war “ending” by Ukraine “moderating” its aims. As we saw from the heavy pressure around Minsk I and Minsk II, which have had most of their negotiators admit were failures when they aren’t desperately trying to spin them into some kind of Buying Time thing.
Though many experts told me that it’s time to begin plotting the contours of talks between Russia and Ukraine, neither side sees value in negotiating right now.
Gee, WHY MIGHT THAT BE?!?!
For the record, I Cntrl+F’d on this shoddy, despicable little article for “Minsk” and came up with zero pings. Unsurprising.
Once again, like many Vox pieces, this is a thinly disguised political hatchet job rather than any actual attempt to learn the lessons of the past.
“The trend is toward more and more military support to the Ukrainians, and they have no real reason as of now to limit their own war objectives,” says Chivvis, who previously worked as a US intelligence officer in Europe. “So it’s hard to see how it ends at this point.”
I would be very surprised if we did not see similar rhetoric regarding Korea and Vietnam.
And again, Chivvis is utterly vague about WHAT exactly “limit their own war objectives” is.
Ironic since I’m not actually OPPOSED to some degree of limiting Ukraine war aims, and in fact came up with my own (mainly focused on accepting that the Kremlin leadership being trialed in any capacity will be a miracle, and giving up on the hopes of formal reparations in exchange for securing the liberation of its 1994 borders and achieving dominance over the Black Sea by means of sinking the Russian navy there and ravaging their major ports).
But I am not at all surprised that Chivves doesn’t want to. Because I’m guessing his set of “moderation” is a lot more Minsk-y than mine. Which would mean that to articulate it would mean trying to articulate why Ukraine and others should be ok with the Kremlin consolidating more control over the region, claiming it as a victory in propaganda, and continuing to try and establish a hostile “Novorossiya” that will gradually suffocate Ukraine.
Not unlike Moscow’s strategies during the second half of the 17th century in this region.
Those who do not learn from history and all…
Less attention has been paid to how this conflict might end in a way that serves US interests in Europe and the world, according to Samuel Charap, an analyst at the RAND Corporation.
According to who>
And those trying to have that conversation about how to end the war, he told me, are sometimes cast as Russian sympathizers.
Gee, when it sounds like you’re trying to sell Minsk 3.0 or revisit the Taggu Truce, why would you?
Strictly speaking I fully accept many and even most of those raising this question are not in fact Kremlin patsies, or even willful or unwitting stooges. But I’d be lying if I didn’t see how most of the proposed “pressure for peace” proposals wind up favoring the Kremlin’s ambitions, especially if it wants to salvage something from this war such as territorial annexations.
Of course if we heard this from the likes of the SPD or Erdogan or the PRC, we’d recognize this for what it is. Mealy mouthed realpolitik of kicking a can down a road. But apparently the merits or lack thereof of the argument becomes better?
But there is an urgency to have these difficult conversations.
I’m not at all opposed to having these difficult conversations, indeed I welcome it. But let’s ACTUALLY have difficult conversations and about what that means, rather than resorting to tired tought-terminating cliches.
I’ve already mentioned what I find as likely acceptable concessions for the Ukrainians that will let them end the war with honor and some modicum of security without demanding Putin be hanged or the world burn.
Why did Mistuh Academic Historian or Mistuh RAND Corporation Analyst not do so?
“We know that, for example, conflicts that last more than a year are more than likely to continue to go on for 10 years,” Charap told me.
“I don’t think that we should tolerate a war that stretches on for years, because if we do, it means that we are tolerating greater risk that the war will spread,” said Evelyn Farkas, a former Obama defense official who now directs the McCain Institute think tank. “If we knowingly accept a war that will go on for years, then I think we are taking on a moral hazard because Ukrainians are dying every month this war goes on.”
How do I put this gently, Oh Evelyn?
IT’S KINDA F***ING LATE FOR THAT. BY ABOUT EIGHT FREAKING YEARS.
Of course you don’t want to openly acknowledge that, because your boss was one of the leading people pushing for Minsk in spite of the obvious hazards that entailed. Which is why people are trying to downplay the nature of the Donbas War as a Russian Federation occupation so that they don’t have to deal with what they were prepared to push other people to lose in order to try and sustain Muh Reset.
The toll on human life is unfathomable, and the long-term effects on the country will be many.
Correct.
But the horrifying thing is that in many ways it is probably viewed as less unfathomable than the alternatives. Compare the total tally of the greater Ukraine War and its death to that of the Holodomor, or the “Southern Wrath” of Pyotr the Great.
Especially if you adjust by population.
Kurt Volker, a former ambassador to NATO now at the Atlantic Council think tank, is worried about how the wartime mentality has forever changed Ukrainian institutions. “We’re going to have to help Ukraine get back to normal,” he told me.
Very true. And we should make some prep work for that now. But it’s not the primary issue.
Oh, and “help Ukraine get back to normal”?
Please tell me what “Normal” is defined as.
And how it differs from the status it was in in 2016 or thereabouts.
“You have the presidential administration basically running everything. You have one centralized media operation for news for the country, which is highly censored,” Volker said. “These are things that can’t go on in a normal society.
Oh you sweet summer child. The horrifying reality is that those descriptions were the norm for most human societies, in large part BECAUSE war was so endemic. Honestly I’m relieved the Ukrainians have not slid further down the rabbit hole and at least seem to retain the capability for peaceful transfers of power.
So they’re going to have to decentralize. They’re going to have to open new media outlets, going to have to have political pluralism in terms of political parties and competition — all kinds of things that they are not currently grappling with.”
Sure, but there’s a reason they aren’t currently grappling with them. Because it REALLY isn’t their primary position.
Moreover, trying to force them to “moderate” their “war aims” will likely make things WORSE by likely continuing the crisis that has caused such centralization, and also undermining what trust there is with them.
The rebuilding of Ukraine will require massive investments, too. The country’s energy infrastructure will need to be rebuilt, and just keeping its economy afloat in the meantime may require up to $5 billion a month, the International Monetary Fund has estimated. After the hot conflict ends, the US commitment will likely continue.
Agreed.
But an end to the conflict seems increasingly hard to find.
Breaking news from 2016.
A Defense Department leader, Celeste Wallander, was recently asked at a Washington think tank event whether the Pentagon is planning for a negotiated outcome or an outright Ukrainian victory on the battlefield. “It is difficult ahead of time to precisely predict how an armed conflict will end,” Wallander said, though she did emphasize that “it ends in Russia’s strategic failure, no question,” and that the US will support the choices made by Ukraine as to whether it would negotiate with Russia.
I hate to say it but this kind of supportive nonanswer by Wallander is probably the CORRECT approach to take. Especially for a conflict like this, for the reasons I’ve mentioned before. But I’m not surprised Vox disagrees.
I’ll step in here one more time. (Or maybe that should be, “step in it one more time”)…
“Biden” and Putin are working TOGETHER(!), along with the “Shhh! Syndicate” (i.e., Xi and Schwab) to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes and ultimately ushhher in the Great Reset(TM), Halleluyah! To be sure, as this massive deception/distraction takes place, all of them also intend to get something as a side bonus, something they believe they must have—and DESERVE, wise, far-seeing people that they are—along with (i.e., as a consequence of) the overall “Great Reset”. Let’s just say, this “something” has to do with tremendous power, influence, and…need it be said?, wealth. (Oh, and also to save the world, have I mentioned that yet?)
(And they believe that they can trust one another on this—at least up to a point—since the stakes are so high, the forces so delicately balanced and the danger of failure so—at least for them—“unfortunate”. The chance of a lifetime!, as it were, all dolled up as “Saving the World”(TM)….and boy, do they have to perfume that pig…but at least, one could say, they’re working together!…Ah the joys and pleasures of UNITY!)…
Unfortunately, Ukraine and its people are paying a steep price for this sinister collusion (that absolutely favorite “concept” of the Democratic Party and the one they love throwing at their opponents).
Alas, if all goes to plan, the pain and agony, panic and despair—and destruction—(think “Reset”) will spread far and wide beyond Ukraine.
OMMV.
@Barry Meislin
Well said on the whole. I’m not sure about how much they are working together or on what – I don’t think it is total – but the heated rhetoric officially belies the often very close relations we have seen. Blood enemies rarely meet to try and organize a win-win involving Iran giving Nukes.
Actually, “Biden” and Putin working together makes NO SENSE at all…from a healthy, wholesome, “normal” (more or less) POV.
But such “normalcy” is long gone. Over. Evaporated. Disappeared.
The PROBLEM is that nothing “Biden” has done (and intends to do) makes any sense at all…UNLESS one is—finally(?), if reluctantly—willing/able to come to the conclusion that “dare not speak its name”: viz., that “Biden”‘s intentions (and resultant policies—ALL OF THEM) are meant NOT to build the country, improve the nation, help its people (i.e., ANY of its people), reward innovation, hard work and ambition (of the positive sort) or encourage individuals or society to do their best.
To the contrary—in spite of his dishonest pronouncements—ALL of “his” policies are intended to alienate people one from the other, to destroy their societies and their families, to tear apart their communities and puncture all their hopes and dreams.
TO ENCOURAGE HATE, LOATHING, PANIC AND DESPAIR. To engender DESPERATION, FEAR and ANGER.
Once one understands this, once one truly comprehends it—and for all the apparent hyperbole, I don’t believe I’m exaggerating here, unfortunately—once destruction is UNDERSTOOD to be THE GOAL (disguised by the utterly misleading mantra of “transformation”), then it alas makes much more sense that the counter-intuitive has become THE NORM in EVERY OTHER REALM.
Of course, we can’t know this for sure (or can we?)…because of the hope that people naturally continue to maintain and the belief that it is SIMPLY NOT POSSIBLE for—even—“Biden”‘ to be so venal, so corrupt, so evil.
So horrible. So utterly grotesque.
Ah, but is it, really, so impossible? Especially when “Biden” (along with his new friends) is so impassioned to “BBB”, to “save the globe”, to “stamp out racism”, to “provide opportunities to the oppressed”, and all that specious boilerplate that has been adapted by people of “dubious” (and outright evil) intentions “from time immemorial”….
And “he”‘s really just reaching “his” stride….
+ Bonus (for a bit of humor):
“Tens of thousands protest Mexico’s electoral law changes”— https://nypost.com/2023/02/27/mexicos-electoral-law-changes-lead-to-protest-in-mexico-city/
Key grafs:
‘…Brian A. Nichols, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Western hemisphere affairs, wrote in his Twitter account that “Today, in Mexico, we see a great debate on electoral reforms that are testing the independence of electoral and judicial institutions.”
‘ “The United States supports independent, well-resourced electoral institutions that strengthen democratic processes and the rule of law,” Nichols wrote….'[Emphasis mine; Barry M.]
A previous report in the Daily Mail that no gun was found in the Arkancide death of Clinton associate Mark Middleton was in error. A shotgun was found 30 feet from Middleton’s body, which was hanging from a tree by an extension cord. Local sheriff says the deceased stood on a bench with the extension cord tied to the tree and around his neck. The shotgun blast to his chest was the intended primary cause of death. The extension cord was a backup cause just in case. Recoil caused the gun to land ten yards away.
Investigators scored the scene as follows:
Technical difficulty
9.0 9.5 9.5 10.0 9.0 10.0
Artistic merit
9.5 10.0 10.0 10.0 9.5 9.5
Middleton’s score has him leading the Arkancide derby, which is ongoing.
A previous report in the Daily Mail that no gun was found in the Arkancide death of Clinton associate Mark Middleton was in error.
Which should tell you to not take their revised report at face value.
Mark Middleton worked for Bilge Clinton for three years and change (1991-95). He’s spent the other 90% of his adult life in the family business. He was a campaign official who landed a position in the chief of staff’s office, one of thousands of Democratic Party hacks who received patronage positions in the Administration. He wasn’t a line administrator. The position he held was less consequential than the one held by Miles Taylor in the Trump Administration. He knew something about the financial pipeline with which the Democratic Party’s wealthy retainers bought Webster Hubbell’s silence. Since Meadows’ boss Mack McLarty and Hubbell himself are still very much alive, that doesn’t seem a motive to kill him. Evidently, he was acquainted with Jeffrey Epstein ca. 1994 (per the Daily Mail), but so were scads of other people. I’m fascinated to know why you suppose his family and the Montgomery County, Arkansas Sheriff’s department would be covering up a murder.
I imagine that with the dam breaking all over the place, several more of these “accidents” may “occur”.
Speaking of cover ups, the Corrupt media is now insisting it must also have access to the J6 material, whose coverup they justified with monomaniacal consistency.
“A JANUARY 6 NARRATIVE? WE CAN’T HAVE THAT!”— https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/02/a-january-6-narrative-we-cant-have-that.php
Key grafs:
‘…Where have they been for the last two years? Why haven’t they wanted to see the footage until now? To date, apparently, they have been happy with the isolated clips and spin provided by Nancy Pelosi. This is the hilarious part:
‘ “Without full public access to the complete historical record, there is concern that an ideologically-based narrative of an already polarizing event will take hold in the public consciousness…”….’
Only quibble I have is that the Democdrats went bonkers quite a while ago.
And while “insane” may be understandable occasionally, even tolerable at times, criminally insane is not as easy to co-exist with…or to rationalize.
I imagine that with the dam breaking all over the place, several more of these “accidents” may “occur”.
What accident? He’s a late-middle-aged man who committed suicide.
Evelyn farkas was part of the get orange man club that got us where we are today
They wanted to cover it with a pillow until it stopped moving (how else do people get 4 years for wearing a water buffalo costume) out of season?
Oh BTW, NONE of this is accidental.
It’s called “Overloading the System” (think of it as “The Americans by day and the British by night”) and is just another—rather ingenious—“Biden” design feature.
Barry Meislin:
Your truth commissions are a great idea. The possibility that one or more of these might occur and gain traction keeps the southern border influx and Democrat ballot production operating at maximum capacity. They might prefer names of actual people, and perhaps actual addresses for them. But the stakes are so high that they will fabricate as much as needed – especially now that they know that most of our judiciary will reject attempts to hold them accountable.
Interesting video. It gives a quick overview of the first two years of introductory undergrad Physics. Many years ago I foundered on the shoals of quantum mechanics and relativity introduced in the second of those two years. It is no wonder most of us struggle to understand so much based on the occasional short video like this one. It leaves most of us unable to even ask relevant questions.
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It is fascinating how do they know it only happened 400,000 years ago though
Miguel,
Not 400,000 years ago. About 400,000 years AFTER the Universe began.
Pretty sure they assume the Big Bang theory is correct and work backwards. The currently accepted age of the Universe is about 14 billion years old, so this began a l-o-n-g time ago.
YEAH!! Our health care provider system is lifting the Mask mandates as of March 1. Finally!!
UCHealth in Colorado.
Speaking of going way back:
In trying to figure out why our responses to the left, even those that “Totally Shut Down the Libs!” have been so ineffectual, I have been enjoying the (admittedly a bit dense) series by Lorenzo Warby, “Worshipping the Future: The Spiralling Catastrophe of Transformative Politics”, which is being published on Helen Dale’s substack, with a supplemental essay for each on Warby’s own:
https://helendale.substack.com/p/worshipping-the-future
and
https://lorenzofromoz.substack.com/
ok I missed that part of the video, I stand corrected, we get an idea of the vastness of the universe, and our tiny part in it,
Ironic choice Neo. Today’s my birthday, and it certainly seems like time (or at least how my biology interacts with the day) means something. But I suppose I am just a feeble human, and coming after the obituary for Gerard does give me thought.
Re : When the universe was born.
What is not explained is where did all the stuff come from that allowed the (a) universe to be born?
Well, it must have come from other universes, I suppose.
But where, then, did that stuff come from that gave birth to the universe that gave birth to our universe?
I guess this sort of conjecture had no real “start” date.
he was over the target,
https://legalinsurrection.com/2023/02/video-we-the-whistleblowers-of-project-veritas-stand-with-james-okeefe/
well there is the thing, there had to be a catalytic force that put things into motion, you can’t mention God, because we are too arrogant to admit that (collective we)
but we invite the old gods from the pagan pantheon to rule our world,
So I’m learning French these days (had you heard?) and I’ve noticed what an effective metaphor language learning is for life.
Learning French, I am becoming a new person with a new identity and a new brain. The reason it takes so long to learn a new language is because one is literally adding a huge new set of connections in the brain.
That’s true of other major changes in life. Becoming a conservative was much like learning a new language. It didn’t happen over night. I had to work. At first it was hard. There was much I didn’t understand. I lacked confidence when I spoke to conservatives because I was afraid to say something wrong. Yet, bit by bit I became a new person — a conservative.
It was the same for all the other things I became — a math student, a chess player, a surfer, a hippie, a poet, a progressive activist, a programmer, a Christian. Now I’m becoming a French speaker.
When people tell me they don’t get poetry or math, it’s like telling me they don’t get French. Those are all substantial languages with their own communities and history.
No one is born knowing those things. One must immerse oneself, soak in the new world and to some extent join a new community.
Hey Turtler, today is my birthday too! Let’s not get into how many there have been!
And to neo, congrats on trying to keep up on theoretical physics! I follow Dr. Sabine Hossenfelder, who is a serious scientist but not too stuffy. Perhaps you could make some fashion recommendations to her, though.
Recent book purchase I can recommend:
“The Myth of Artificial Intelligence” by Erik J. Larsen – follows the history of AI up to the present ChatGPT stuff, and calls BS frequently. I am almost finished, but no indication that a big breakthrough is imminent.
In trying to figure out why our responses to the left, even those that “Totally Shut Down the Libs!” have been so ineffectual
Nancy B.:
I’ll take a look at your links. However, tagging on to my previous comment, we are speaking Conservative and they are speaking Progressive. Different languages.
Their brains are literally wired differently. Conservatives often seem like travelers in a foreign land who somehow believe if they speak English slowly and loudly, they will be understood.
And vice versa.
(Jeez. How many times do I have to look up “vice versa”?)
Earworm for the day “and the photon sped on.”
I prefer Genesis.
we are soaking in their narratives, they only see our perspective, through a cracked mirror,
if American is utterly corrupt, from the get go, then what is the point in defending any of it, hence the sulfuric nature of the 1619 project,
huxley said, “When people tell me they don’t get poetry or math, it’s like telling me they don’t get French. Those are all substantial languages with their own communities and history. No one is born knowing those things. One must immerse oneself, soak in the new world and to some extent join a new community.”
Yep– now try interspecies communication; after 20+ years living with the critters, I’m still not fully fluent in Cat.
so Marx was a teller of fairy tales, repurposed into an economic theory, now industrial revolution seemed grimier than the pastoral small scale mercantilism and above the feudal mindset that ruled for at least 500 years, but this new clean energy mirage is a new feudalism in practice,
dog is fluent in at least two languages,
‘Nother linguistic question for huxley: Which version of Klingon is Brandon speaking?
Q: “Are you planning on traveling to East Palestine?”
BIDEN: “At this moment not. I was, I did a whole video, I mean, uh, you know, the uh, what the Hell? On Zoom. All I can hear every time I think of Zoom is that song of my generation, ‘Who’s Zoomin’ Who?’”
https://twitter.com/alx/status/1629256968547233796
Here’s an interesting news item, about an organization which has a lot of influence on elections but which is apparently a phantom.
So where is this organization’s actual Hq, and where is the massive amount of voter information which has been transmitted to it?
See https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/eric-empty-alabama-secretary-of-state-wes-allen-visits-eric-headquarters-in-washington-dc-but-nobody-was-there-there-were-no-servers-there-were-no-computers-there-were-no-employees/
the language of moisture evaporators,
All I can hear every time I think of Zoom is that song of my generation, ‘Who’s Zoomin’ Who?’” — Joe Biden
PA+Cat:
That was a hit in 1985, when Biden was 42.
Who’s zoomin’ who?
huxley–
Brandon was going through his second adolescence in 1985– question remains– did he ever grow past the first one? Only his babysitter knows for sure.
https://redstate.com/bradslager/2023/02/25/the-tucker-effect-news-outlets-are-suddenly-interested-in-obtaining-the-january-6-video-footage-n708432
I can relate to what you’re saying, huxley. Each sub-culture has its own language and iconography. Biner, sling, rap, pitch, ring-lock, on-sight, smear hold, friction plate, etc. are used frequently and with specific meaning in the rock-climbing world. It requires submerging yourself in it to learn it.
I admire your ambition and energy in learning French. My energy is too low for learning many new things, although I’m probably absorbing a bit of what I’m exposed to here at Neo’s place. My task right now is remembering what I have learned. Trying to not become like Joe Biden.
A link to a bit about a once upon a time, non-metaphorical, by golly no kidding Ukrainian located stinky swamp gassy quagmires, makers of natgas, coal and crude oils — the Dnieper-Donetsk Basin: https://youtu.be/LvxzEa9Rkpg
Setting next to an a more ancient region of crust stacked with banded iron, you’ve got a sweet place to produced steel, among other uses.
Fun video. Thanks for posting. The idea of a photon experiencing no passage of time is very difficult to grasp. The video below uses geometry and an analogy to help build intuition regarding the concept. I think it’s pretty effective.
https://youtu.be/A2JCoIGyGxc
Free books on Kindle:
https://rwmalonemd.substack.com/p/defending-the-dream?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=583200&post_id=104230903&isFreemail=true&utm_medium=email
“We must stop believing the siren calls of the college-prep and career readiness shysters to surrender our time and treasure in pursuit of fallback positions. We must stop submitting our children to the indoctrinators of that failed paradigm. They are the dream-killers and life-stealers.
Instead, we can take matters back into our own hands, trusting in the human brain and boot-strapped ingenuity, like our American forefathers did, and like we were created to do.
FREE KINDLE BOOKS!
Lies My Gov’t Told Me: And the Better Future Coming by Robert W. Malone
The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“Cause Unknown”: The Epidemic of Sudden Deaths in 2021 & 2022 by Ed Dowd
Jill and I want everyone to have free access to the information contained in these three books. I was able to convince my publisher, Tony Lyons, to make this happen. The electronic versions of the three books listed above will be free on Amazon from Monday, February 20th through Monday, February 27th. I urge you to download them and read them carefully so that you can better understand what’s happened to our country, our freedom, and our health. Hopefully, this will help wake up those still suffering the effects of the massive PsyOps campaign which has been deployed on all of us during the COVIDcrisis, and to jumpstart the process of working towards solutions. Unfortunately, this offer may be restricted to the United States- we cannot control this.”
Great video, sdferr. Petroleum geology 101 and metal production primer. So, maybe Vlad wants more resources. Wars have been fought over less.
The days of nations conquering their neighbors are supposed to be over. Vlad doesn’t like that. Biggest land area nation in the world with more natural resources than most, and he’ s still not satisfied. Bad news.
What puzzles me no less JJ, is the extent to which Putin leaves the vast Russian east open to potential Chinese predation, should the urge seize. Boggling, in strategic terms. Kinda reminiscent of another miscalculation back aways, albeit from an wholly different direction.
“Re : When the universe was born.
What is not explained is where did all the stuff come from that allowed the (a) universe to be born?”
John Tyler, this question has dogged me for well over 50 years. When I was in 3rd grade (early 60s in California) the teacher, Miss Nichols, was talking about some science topic and mentioned about how it all began, etc. I raised my hand and asked about the matter she said exploded (or whatever…it’s a long time ago), but I DO remember asking her where THAT came from.
I will never forget her reply. She told me that was a question I needed to ask my parents about. Of course, I went home and asked my mom, and she told me that God created everything (we were not a religious family, but still…it was like 1964).
I’ve never found a satisfactory answer to the question to this day, no matter how much I’ve read or studied, debated or probed.
sdferr:
Thanks for posting the link to the geology of Ukraine!
I think Vlad is after the vast deposits of Ukrainian upsidasium. (19 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yI_rxu436c
gwynmir, you’ve made an important point. That is, how does something come from nothing? As far as non-physicists can tell, it doesn’t. My trite answer is that it’s turtles all the way down. But seriously, something from nothing sounds like fantasy. If there is a case for God perhaps it can be found in the origin of the universe.
Regarding the video. The important point is that the speed of light is inviolable. If nothing can go faster than light then other aspects of the universe (things we normally think of as inviolable) must change to accommodate light. And that would be space and time. And remember that for us humans living in the slow-verse, relativistic speeds (meaning speeds somewhere beyond say 20% of light) are not possible now. So time and space are immutable for us. Excepting of course viewing the universe or otherwise verifying Einstein’s special relativity like with our GPS satellites.
No thats this administration indulges in such foolishness
Yes the energy and mass increase re relativistic speeds make travel near impossible
sdferr, yes, it’s quite the question. No accounting for the lack of recognition of that by Vlad.
The far east of Russia is rich but has a history of corruption and lawlessness. I once talked with a timbe magnate who, in the late 1990s, tried to establish a lumbering operation there. The constant robbing and sabotaging of his operations coupled with no protection from the government drove him out after a few years. Putin may prefer to stay west of the Urals where he has more control.
“Time Means Nothing”?
Really? My 74 years argues otherwise.
“There are some ideas so absurd that only an intellectual could believe them.” George Orwell
Armin Rosen, Tablet Mag, “Why Jeff Gerth’s Endlessly Long Four-Part CJR Limited Hangout Doesn’t Wash”: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/cjr-russiagate-limited-hangout
true, lee smith, and john solomon and sarah carter, and just a few others, really were the real sleuths, all the other scribes like haberman or entous or pick any other high flyer, had nothing but they just laundered danchenko or mueller or any other node of lawfare crumbs,
so is this ancient history, sadly no, all of this kultursmog, (ht emmett tyrell) not only blocked trump’s policy initiatives, in the near east, and central asia, but ended up on the path we find ourselves in the caucasus, and set us on a self destructive path at home, dismantling every aspect of our energy infrastructure, our legal system,
Glenn Loury and J. McWhorter host a Fairy-God-
MotherRetard (with a big bright magical Hegelian wand, poof!) and somehow manage to get through it: https://youtu.be/3x5vKN3ZNDMI couldn’t take more than a few minutes myself.
Yawrate: yes, God, or SOME body/thing has got to be eternal, right? At least with the type of mind I’ve been given, nothing else makes sense. And of course, that doesn’t make sense, either.
I often say to my husband it doesn’t HAVE to be God (the God of the Bible). It could be…and then I go on to all the other theories I’ve come up with over the years and his eyes roll again. The eternal being or force doesn’t have to be GOOD, either, which doesn’t fill me with hope.
I really do want it to make SENSE.
How Ukraine could become America’s next forever war
Vox looking ahead, perhaps jumping the gun a bit. We’ve only passed the one year mark – hardly enough time for “grim milestones” and such (but they can hope). If it’s a wrap in six months, they’ll be disappointed.
Some COVID date
Two fields
1. Deaths recorded per million inhabitants, last 12 months (2/25/22 – 2/25/23)
2. Ratio: deaths recorded last 12 months to deaths recorded previously
India: 7.5; 0.02
Brazil: 243.4; 0.081
Argentina: 97.8; 0.036
Netherlands: 84.4; 0.068
Iran: 100.8; 0.064
Mexico: 118.8; 0.048
Poland: 211.0; 0.07
Colombia: 92.5: 0.03
Peru: 281.5: 0.045
South Africa: 57.5; 0.035
Sweden: 607.9; 0.346
United States: 491.4: 0.166
Given our data collection protocols, hypothetical numbers for the United States had COVID been experienced as something as lethal as a seasonal flu (such as it was in 2013-19) would have been 105 and 0.035.
“Biden” intent on “spreading the wealth”.
Equity RULES!!
“Michigan, Texas officials unaware Ohio contaminated soil, water, taken to their areas: ‘We were sandbagged’ “—
https://www.foxnews.com/us/michigan-texas-officials-unaware-ohio-contaminated-soil-water-taken-areas
Open thread Sunday,
Defence strategy for small nations – force design, friends, and deterrence on a budget – Perun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVqGEtPj0M0
Banned misread the headline:
How Ukraine became Vlad’s lost forever war. – POX
We cant afford a forever war
https://thespectator.com/topic/vladimir-putin-war-ukraine-one-year/
Newsflash. No one can. Forever is a long time Senor.
Is ChatGPT any good?
Fisking it brings to mind “Deep Thought” of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy”
ChatGPT Put To The Test: What It DOESN’T KNOW about Submarines – H I Sutton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8DIwNfIijU
Whats this?
“Former NSA director: Threats facing US today more numerous, varied than in Cold War era”—
https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/former-nsa-director-threats-us-faces-today-worse-cold-war-era
Guy does have a point…(as many of these threats are actually coming from inside the WH…).
A bit odd, though, that he doesn’t mention America’s gravest, most vicious, most resolute enemy: Climate Change(TM).
(Wonder how he could possibly have missed that one…)
French has led me into some interesting new terrain — the language learning wars. Goody! I’m always up for a new intellectual war.
The sort of new kid on the block is the Input Hypothesis, that:
_________________________
Understanding spoken and written language input is seen as the only mechanism that results in the increase of underlying linguistic competence, and language output is not seen as having any effect on learners’ ability.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Input_hypothesis
_________________________
If one pauses to take that in, it means the conventional classroom method of teaching a second language is more wrong than right.
Grammar lectures, conjugation/declension memorization, vocabulary drills, immediate speech demands, canned dialogs, language games contribute little or nothing to linguistic competence.
What matters is exposing oneself to spoken and written input in the target language. Furthermore, that input should be comprehensible and compelling. That should be the focus, not output (speech).
That’s the direction I’m instinctively pursuing, so I’m rooting for the Input Hypothesis.
The answer is 42
Immersion seems to work but you need the ground rules like the notes on the scale
The Ukraine conversation continues from multiple perspectives. Tucker Carlson’s Friday open made this point from an American angle:
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was the endpoint of a much longer story
…the DNC’s lies about Russian hacking paralyzed the Trump administration and expanded the national security state… etc, etc
Now Elon Musk echos what we’ve heard from many quarters:
Elon Musk Calls 2014 Regime Change In Ukraine A ‘coup’
…Elon Musk claimed that Ukraine “indeed” witnessed a coup d’etat in 2014 after the country saw a major change in the government in 2014…
“That election was arguably dodgy, but no question that there was indeed a coup”.
Indeed.
An uprising supported by foreign elements adverse to the current regime sometimes its most bloodless iran guatemala uruguay sometimes not
Call it a color revolution if you think coup is too charged like what we saw in 2000
You move one piece on the board expect a response
https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/1629955392167112704?cxt=HHwWgMDT3eLy4Z4tAAAA
Banned:
Is Tucker the font of all ‘nowledge? Seems so?
Is Elon right about all things, or just Twitter? Must be. (sarc)
There are Panic Whores on the right. Because the Democrats (left) used Russia to attack Trump doesn’t make Russia something to sidle up or sleep with. But you be you.
Banned:
A Ukrainian perspective (not unbiased like Tucker or Elon (sarc)):
Annexation of Crimea, Donbas and Hybrid Russian War 2014. Russian Crimes – Anna from Ukraine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muuisqMrrH0
Information warfare. Time will tell.
And some tactical analysis about fighting just north of Bakhmut.
26 Feb: BAD LUCK! Ukrainians Are TWO STEPS FROM CATASTROPHE | War in Ukraine Explained – Reporting from Ukraine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-X8Zaev5o4
“Catastrophe” is Bakhmut.
Time will tell.
There wouldnt have been an invasion if trump was president comprende putin only chooses democrat presidents to torment
Those words you are using
http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CB%5CA%5CBakhmut.htm
And if a frog had wings it wouldn’t smack its but on the ground when …. And if Russia wasn’t an aggressive imperialist nation ….. Generally “and ifs” aren’t too helpful in the “now.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/james-webb-space-telescope-images-shatter-understanding-of-age-of-the-universe-164025413830
I read about this a few weeks ago. Early Webb photos suggest current understanding of the age of the universe is incorrect. Which means understanding of the universe is incorrect. Fascinating. Time to keep an open mind. At least until more photos come in.
om, the video you linked @ 6:04 pm is indeed heavily biased. I’m glad you didn’t post think thinking otherwise. I hear the Ukrainians are pretty good at propaganda.
Her first comment that Russia can’t imagine a successful future without Ukraine is certainly an exercise in mind reading.
‘Russia made us sign the Budapest Memorandum’. What?
I started going through it, but had already decided to take a day off from commenting on Ukraine.
Then the comment about the Minister of Defense Dimitry Salamatin holding a Russian passport caught my attention. He was a former Russian citizen.
But when Poroshenko took power after the illegal overthrow of Viktor Yanukovych, Poroshenko proceeded to appoint three foreigners to Ukraine’s new government.
“US-born Natalie Jaresko became finance minister, Lithuania’s Aivaras Abromavicius economy minister and Aleksandre Kvitashvili – from Georgia – health minister. Hours before the vote in the parliament that installed them, all three were granted Ukrainian citizenship by President Petro Poroshenko.
The move is part of a fresh anti-corruption drive in Kiev. Politicians and other officials supportive of the idea say outsiders in the cabinet will have fewer vested interests, or links to local lobbyists. President Poroshenko also said Ukraine should make use of “the best international experience”.
But his opponents argue that Ukrainians should run their own country. Nationality is politically sensitive, as pro-Russian rebels in the east refuse to recognise the Kiev leadership.”
These weren’t former citizens of other countries, or dual citizens, but foreign citizens (actually they were granted Ukrainian citizenship after their appointments).
Why if I didn’t know better, I’d think the Ukrainian government was just a puppet for Western governments, making sure they toed the Western line!
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30348945
Brian E:
Hard to be unbiased when a foreign army has invaded your country (Crimea, 2014), fomented and supplied a civil war (Donbas, etc.), interfered with domestic politics. And then of course there are the actions of Russia in 2022 starting with the invasion. Yeah, she might have a point of view that is not as “objective” as Tucker or you. Air raids, funerals, destruction of the preexisting way of life tends to affect ones opinion of the Russian actions, and that’s just 2022.
But you are fixated on the removal of Yanukovitch, grasping at straws, almost as bad as a blaming NATO for Vlad’s invasion. As far as mind reading goes; she doesn’t have to, just watch Russian statements in the media, if you paid attention.
As to Ukraine having to toe the line of the West or being a puppet of the West; well that is a Russian talking point you are happy to parrot. You do remember that Brandon offered Zellinsky an exit from Ukraine in the early days of Vlad’s war of choice. The Western line has been pretty squiggley and spagetti-like; a limp noodle for most of 2022 (talking about you, Germany). You do recall that the fear of escalation after the war began has been a constant theme; can’t give the Ukrainians weapons that would really provoke (impede) the Russians, Crimea isn’t really Ukrainian after all,… The aggressor gets to set the rules of his war, eh, Brain E?
Takes all kinds.
Brain E:
Does Yanukovirch have any videos (from Moscow) that you can post that would show an “unbiased” Ukrainian view of The Russian Federation’s Special Military Operation (aka Vlad’s war of choice against Ukraine)?
Takes all kinds.
Brain E:
Way back in the last century there were “leaders” like the old Petan (not the younger Petan of WWI) and Quisling that were an anticipation of Yanukovitch.
Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS:
Elon is correct. Both Nuland and Blinken have a deeply rooted irrational hatred of Russia, and they seek to get the US involved in another world war. These are dangerous fools who can get us all killed.
Correct!
@Banned Lizard
Honestly I’d argue that in many ways they are actually far behind the curve.
This really doesn’t surprise me because while the “Special Military Operation” is about a year old, the actual war is actually going to hit 9 years within a few months. And on the whole No End in Sight probably plays to the defender’s advantages. I have plenty of reasons to dislike Poroshenko (starting with his snootiness and corruption or at least cronyism) but he was brutally accurate when he pointed out that it was unlikely that the warlord regimes propped up by the Kremlin’s arms would be able to actually satisfy their peoples’ wants or desires, or that Russian Bureaucrats would be capable of investing in Crimea again after their failure to do it was the reason the Soviets transferred its jurisdiction. If I were being generous to Putin I’d almost wonder if that was part of the calculations he made to escalate, and on some level it might even work if Ukraine can’t keep its finances in order under the war.
Maybe to some degree, but it can continue the war to a large degree on a minimum of support. And if the war isn’t wrapped up in the next year or two it’ll likely filter down to the kind of more static war we saw the fighting in the Donbas turn into after 2016 or thereabouts.
*Entering*?
I still regularly talk about the conflicts in 2014 and how they shape the battle space and politics we see today. There never really was a great ceasefire, just the ebbing and flowing of the killing and shelling.
Honestly I think Vox (not surprisingly from the idiots who tried to claim the National Socialists aren’t National Socialists) are being overly selective in focusing only on post-9/11 wars. The truth is that the US has had to deal with forever wars to a large degree, and I’m NOT just talking about the obvious like Vietnam and Korea.
The truth is, the US has had to fight a lot, lot LOT of nasty, ugly “forever wars” in its history, and if anything they were more common in our earlier history. Take a gander at the horror shows of the Western Frontier and realize that a militiaman could be born in Massachusetts in 1688, die a century later, and never, ever have lived through a year of true peace (though there would be troughs where the violence died down). Moreover, we famously continued occupying Germany and Japan for years and are still there, and while the war in Europe at least petered out to a pretty decisive ending the Asia-Pacific really had such a decisive ending of the bloodshed so much as limited disengagement (which generally turned out to be a bad thing in the case of Indochina and Indonesia).
So frankly a certain degree of flexibility in how to manage these is baked into US culture and politics, and that’s probably a good thing.
What REALLY alarms me is how if anything we are getting WORSE at how to manage it. And I think a lot of that has to do with culture, both military and especially civilian.
Again, “the risk of a protracted war in Ukraine”?
This thing has lasted longer than the Croatian War of Independence and longer than the time between the Marco Polo Bridge Incident and the surrender of Japan. It just hasn’t been going full bore all this time, and certainly nothing quite as intense as what we saw in the first half-year or so after Feb 2014. But it’s there.
All wars are ultimately unending until they end, and sometimes not even that. This was something we understood when dealing with groups like the Iroquois where it was an open secret that they regarded no peace treaty as permanent. And ultimately it calls for some pretty big readjustments in American culture and how we confront struggles, ones we might have been more prepared to face after 9/11 but which there is little stomach for now (and I can’t blame people for that after the fiasco of Afghanistan and the murky success of Iraq).
I’m sorry, but where were you people to say this when Obama was trying to “Reset” relations with Putin? Where were you to mention that struggles against Islamist terrorism and the underlying philosophy would be a generational conflict (something little old me picked up in my youth within days of 9/11)?
This smells like Vox wants it both ways. They want to grandstand against Putin but at the same time being able to wallow in the endemic issues with the US military and especially civilian culture. I suppose I should be glad we are mostly having the Ukrainians pay in blood for their chance to determine it rather than relying on a gutted post-Bagram US?
WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY I ENCOURAGE LIMITING WESTERN VISIBILITY, precisely TO limit both our losses and Putin’s ability to wave the bloody NATO flag to gin up domestic support.
Sun Tzu stated that the victorious commander first obtained victory and then went to war. Putin waltzed into a war he was on many levels unprepared for looking for victory. Our first goal should be to deny it to him, and in many respects a quagmire benefits us more than it does him.
Especially since Putin has set a number of offensive objectives in the near future that he is unlikely to watch.
Kimmage my dear soul, I’m of Dutch blood.
And my Dutch forbearers fought for sixty years against the first truly global empire and then fought another decade against the Portuguese more or less for fun and colonial profit.
I can also point to the Thirty Years War (which itself tied into that) and its long aftershocks, as well as to the endless shooting on the borders of Georgia. ANd do not even get me STARTED on Sudan or the Congo.
So will you kindly shut the hell up?
Yeah, the War in Ukraine could go long. In many ways it already has. But it is unlikely to ever be “the mother of all forever wars” and if you’ve understood how many wars an 18 year old Massachusetts Militiaman who signed up to fight the British in 1775 might have gotten into if he died in 1850 or what the “Sixteen Prefectures” were you’d understand that.
The issue I see is that a lot of times it is less important to see HOW this ends than to establish how it WILL NOT end, and work to avoid those. The fetish for a clear and decisive outcome can be a sign of clear planning and foresight, but it can also be a symptom of ankle biting and desperation to get out that will lead to mistakes (such as the desire to make a deal with Hanoi and the Taliban that led us to legitimize both far beyond what we should have).
I can see it ending in a number of ways. The issue is so can many others. So the issue is to parse through the foreseen potential outcomes and grade them. Then work to get them.
Honestly I will have to break with Petraeus. We’ve spent a quarter of a century trying to persuade Putin of this and that with at best lukewarm success. It’s time for a new strategy, especially on an issue where he so clearly views this as a personal matter.
We need to persuade the wider Russian political elite and society that this war is not worth fighting. And unfortunately two of the best ways of doing that are economic pain on the one hand, and killing or crippling more Russian troops.
Which ignores the issue that all the US can do is TRY to do that. Oh and by the way Mr. Pickering, I am sure someone at Sputnik is cracking open some imported champagne for this little quote that implies the US can “try to terminate the war” by implying it so dominates Ukrainian policy.
Yes it IS. But that’s partially because it had to be sprawling and was faced with a host of ill-defined and shifting enemies, not helped by a toxic leftist public culture whose thought on “Why we Fight” was to make a conspiratorial No Blood For Oil balderdash.
I agree, expanding the definition to terrorism as an entire concept was a horrid mistake, arguably one of Bush’s greatest. But it was in no small part due to how anathema blunt discussions of AQ etc. al.’s ideology and practices are and were.
This is true. Though it is worth noting that most of those are ongoing with significant success and generally little controversy (unless you count the obligatory virtue signaling about drone strike deaths in Yemen). Which is both good and bad. On one hand the Somali Piracy problem should have been solved by now, and honestly probably could have been. But it also points out that the problem is less in the costs of the struggle or its effects (or lack thereof) themselves than in how they are perceived.
Which for all my issues with Bush era overreach and especially the looming mess of the Patriot Act was probably notable. And honestly comparing it to how we handled things earlier is illuminating. What official Legislative or even formal executive act allowed the US to invade territory of the (Vichy) French Government in 1942 in order to persecute a war against Germany, Italy, and Japan? What about running commando operations in neutral Portuguese Timor occupied by Japan?
But I think Cambodia and especially the neutering of Nixon on the issue was decisive. The “Bombing of Cambodia” issue was a controversy should not have been anywhere near as dramatic as it was given the defacto and de jure state of the Cambodian border (under hostile North Vietnamese occupation that utterly invalidated the Cambodian government’s claims to sovereignty and neutrality). But it happened anyway. And Bush, unsurprisingly, did not want to be screwed over like Nixon was.
Which REALLY SHOULDN’T BE SURPRISING because ACTUAL military and occupation goals DO tend to be complicated. The issue is trying to iron out policies that satisfy all or most of them in a somewhat realistic fashion.
Which is hard to do when you have subzero narrative control and the endless Death Tolls.
In large part because it correctly regarded the Taliban organization as still hostile and unbroken, and likely to strike.
Funny how they’re ignoring that.
“Perhaps the last known planner of the 2001 attack.”
Translation: Vox is trying to massage the fact that we let many 9/11 masterminds out or are about to. Because leftist.
The problem is that only works when your enemies can be negotiated with. The problems with the Taliban underline that. So at least as important a lesson is working to divide the enemy and be willing to uproot those that cannot be reasoned with root and branch. That requires a certain consensus, a Union Sacree as the French called it in WWI. But that’s utterly lacking in Current Year and has been, especially given how many Leftists were so happy to twist the knife even while Ground Zero was still a mess.
No, but they are often NECESSARY to win, and that involves blunt, even passionate rhetoric. As we saw in the World Wars and many others, including the Mexican-American War and the Revolutionary War (which is still our longest declared war).
Vox would much rather outright lose the struggle than face the ugly realization that while short wars are good, victorious ones are usually better. And some struggles will remain.
It’s also telling how Vox at no point discusses the incredibly obvious point. That Ukraine has been fighting a war on a much higher intensity than the Coalition did for nearly a decade, since 2014. It has sustained truly hideous casualties well in excess of what the US did, as well as economic costs. But it has remained largely committed to the idea of a united and free, pro-Western Ukraine. As they have every right to given recent history.
So what is different there?
Yeah ask the Ukrainians about that.
A few things that are left unsaid are why we should push the Ukrainians to moderate their war aims, and particularly *TO WHAT*. Ironic given the obsession with a clear exit plan this clown show has.
I was able to come up with what I considered the maximal possible ideal outcome, as well as a bunch that were less ideal but probably possible. Mostly centering on Ukraine reconquering all or almost all of its territory (save some on the Donbas that clearly vote to join Russia), and whether or not Putin and co can be extradited following a sort of Exit-Milosevic.
Where is the discussion there?
Also, what is conveniently left unmentioned is the implications of a war “ending” by Ukraine “moderating” its aims. As we saw from the heavy pressure around Minsk I and Minsk II, which have had most of their negotiators admit were failures when they aren’t desperately trying to spin them into some kind of Buying Time thing.
Gee, WHY MIGHT THAT BE?!?!
For the record, I Cntrl+F’d on this shoddy, despicable little article for “Minsk” and came up with zero pings. Unsurprising.
Once again, like many Vox pieces, this is a thinly disguised political hatchet job rather than any actual attempt to learn the lessons of the past.
I would be very surprised if we did not see similar rhetoric regarding Korea and Vietnam.
And again, Chivvis is utterly vague about WHAT exactly “limit their own war objectives” is.
Ironic since I’m not actually OPPOSED to some degree of limiting Ukraine war aims, and in fact came up with my own (mainly focused on accepting that the Kremlin leadership being trialed in any capacity will be a miracle, and giving up on the hopes of formal reparations in exchange for securing the liberation of its 1994 borders and achieving dominance over the Black Sea by means of sinking the Russian navy there and ravaging their major ports).
But I am not at all surprised that Chivves doesn’t want to. Because I’m guessing his set of “moderation” is a lot more Minsk-y than mine. Which would mean that to articulate it would mean trying to articulate why Ukraine and others should be ok with the Kremlin consolidating more control over the region, claiming it as a victory in propaganda, and continuing to try and establish a hostile “Novorossiya” that will gradually suffocate Ukraine.
Not unlike Moscow’s strategies during the second half of the 17th century in this region.
Those who do not learn from history and all…
According to who>
Gee, when it sounds like you’re trying to sell Minsk 3.0 or revisit the Taggu Truce, why would you?
Strictly speaking I fully accept many and even most of those raising this question are not in fact Kremlin patsies, or even willful or unwitting stooges. But I’d be lying if I didn’t see how most of the proposed “pressure for peace” proposals wind up favoring the Kremlin’s ambitions, especially if it wants to salvage something from this war such as territorial annexations.
Of course if we heard this from the likes of the SPD or Erdogan or the PRC, we’d recognize this for what it is. Mealy mouthed realpolitik of kicking a can down a road. But apparently the merits or lack thereof of the argument becomes better?
I’m not at all opposed to having these difficult conversations, indeed I welcome it. But let’s ACTUALLY have difficult conversations and about what that means, rather than resorting to tired tought-terminating cliches.
I’ve already mentioned what I find as likely acceptable concessions for the Ukrainians that will let them end the war with honor and some modicum of security without demanding Putin be hanged or the world burn.
Why did Mistuh Academic Historian or Mistuh RAND Corporation Analyst not do so?
How do I put this gently, Oh Evelyn?
IT’S KINDA F***ING LATE FOR THAT. BY ABOUT EIGHT FREAKING YEARS.
Of course you don’t want to openly acknowledge that, because your boss was one of the leading people pushing for Minsk in spite of the obvious hazards that entailed. Which is why people are trying to downplay the nature of the Donbas War as a Russian Federation occupation so that they don’t have to deal with what they were prepared to push other people to lose in order to try and sustain Muh Reset.
Correct.
But the horrifying thing is that in many ways it is probably viewed as less unfathomable than the alternatives. Compare the total tally of the greater Ukraine War and its death to that of the Holodomor, or the “Southern Wrath” of Pyotr the Great.
Especially if you adjust by population.
Very true. And we should make some prep work for that now. But it’s not the primary issue.
Oh, and “help Ukraine get back to normal”?
Please tell me what “Normal” is defined as.
And how it differs from the status it was in in 2016 or thereabouts.
Oh you sweet summer child. The horrifying reality is that those descriptions were the norm for most human societies, in large part BECAUSE war was so endemic. Honestly I’m relieved the Ukrainians have not slid further down the rabbit hole and at least seem to retain the capability for peaceful transfers of power.
Sure, but there’s a reason they aren’t currently grappling with them. Because it REALLY isn’t their primary position.
Moreover, trying to force them to “moderate” their “war aims” will likely make things WORSE by likely continuing the crisis that has caused such centralization, and also undermining what trust there is with them.
Agreed.
Breaking news from 2016.
I hate to say it but this kind of supportive nonanswer by Wallander is probably the CORRECT approach to take. Especially for a conflict like this, for the reasons I’ve mentioned before. But I’m not surprised Vox disagrees.
I’ll step in here one more time. (Or maybe that should be, “step in it one more time”)…
“Biden” and Putin are working TOGETHER(!), along with the “Shhh! Syndicate” (i.e., Xi and Schwab) to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes and ultimately ushhher in the Great Reset(TM), Halleluyah! To be sure, as this massive deception/distraction takes place, all of them also intend to get something as a side bonus, something they believe they must have—and DESERVE, wise, far-seeing people that they are—along with (i.e., as a consequence of) the overall “Great Reset”. Let’s just say, this “something” has to do with tremendous power, influence, and…need it be said?, wealth. (Oh, and also to save the world, have I mentioned that yet?)
(And they believe that they can trust one another on this—at least up to a point—since the stakes are so high, the forces so delicately balanced and the danger of failure so—at least for them—“unfortunate”. The chance of a lifetime!, as it were, all dolled up as “Saving the World”(TM)….and boy, do they have to perfume that pig…but at least, one could say, they’re working together!…Ah the joys and pleasures of UNITY!)…
Unfortunately, Ukraine and its people are paying a steep price for this sinister collusion (that absolutely favorite “concept” of the Democratic Party and the one they love throwing at their opponents).
Alas, if all goes to plan, the pain and agony, panic and despair—and destruction—(think “Reset”) will spread far and wide beyond Ukraine.
OMMV.
@Barry Meislin
Well said on the whole. I’m not sure about how much they are working together or on what – I don’t think it is total – but the heated rhetoric officially belies the often very close relations we have seen. Blood enemies rarely meet to try and organize a win-win involving Iran giving Nukes.
Actually, “Biden” and Putin working together makes NO SENSE at all…from a healthy, wholesome, “normal” (more or less) POV.
But such “normalcy” is long gone. Over. Evaporated. Disappeared.
The PROBLEM is that nothing “Biden” has done (and intends to do) makes any sense at all…UNLESS one is—finally(?), if reluctantly—willing/able to come to the conclusion that “dare not speak its name”: viz., that “Biden”‘s intentions (and resultant policies—ALL OF THEM) are meant NOT to build the country, improve the nation, help its people (i.e., ANY of its people), reward innovation, hard work and ambition (of the positive sort) or encourage individuals or society to do their best.
To the contrary—in spite of his dishonest pronouncements—ALL of “his” policies are intended to alienate people one from the other, to destroy their societies and their families, to tear apart their communities and puncture all their hopes and dreams.
TO ENCOURAGE HATE, LOATHING, PANIC AND DESPAIR. To engender DESPERATION, FEAR and ANGER.
Once one understands this, once one truly comprehends it—and for all the apparent hyperbole, I don’t believe I’m exaggerating here, unfortunately—once destruction is UNDERSTOOD to be THE GOAL (disguised by the utterly misleading mantra of “transformation”), then it alas makes much more sense that the counter-intuitive has become THE NORM in EVERY OTHER REALM.
Of course, we can’t know this for sure (or can we?)…because of the hope that people naturally continue to maintain and the belief that it is SIMPLY NOT POSSIBLE for—even—“Biden”‘ to be so venal, so corrupt, so evil.
So horrible. So utterly grotesque.
Ah, but is it, really, so impossible? Especially when “Biden” (along with his new friends) is so impassioned to “BBB”, to “save the globe”, to “stamp out racism”, to “provide opportunities to the oppressed”, and all that specious boilerplate that has been adapted by people of “dubious” (and outright evil) intentions “from time immemorial”….
And “he”‘s really just reaching “his” stride….
+ Hmmm-inducing Bonus:
“Putin’s £274million spy plane ‘is destroyed in drone attack near Minsk by pro-Ukraine Belarus group’ “—-
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11797397/Putin-274million-spy-plane-destroyed-drone-attack-near-Minsk-pro-Ukraine-Belarus-group.html
OK, OK, discuss amongst yerselves…
Some clarity from Joe Manchin. (Or has he finally had it with his transformed, and unrecognizable, party)?
“Sen. Joe Manchin declines to call himself a Democrat: ‘I’m an American’ “—
https://nypost.com/2023/02/26/sen-joe-manchin-declines-to-call-himself-a-democrat/
+ Bonus (for a bit of humor):
“Tens of thousands protest Mexico’s electoral law changes”—
https://nypost.com/2023/02/27/mexicos-electoral-law-changes-lead-to-protest-in-mexico-city/
Key grafs:
‘…Brian A. Nichols, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Western hemisphere affairs, wrote in his Twitter account that “Today, in Mexico, we see a great debate on electoral reforms that are testing the independence of electoral and judicial institutions.”
‘ “The United States supports independent, well-resourced electoral institutions that strengthen democratic processes and the rule of law,” Nichols wrote….'[Emphasis mine; Barry M.]
Update: Details in the Death of Former Clinton Adviser Change Again
A previous report in the Daily Mail that no gun was found in the Arkancide death of Clinton associate Mark Middleton was in error. A shotgun was found 30 feet from Middleton’s body, which was hanging from a tree by an extension cord. Local sheriff says the deceased stood on a bench with the extension cord tied to the tree and around his neck. The shotgun blast to his chest was the intended primary cause of death. The extension cord was a backup cause just in case. Recoil caused the gun to land ten yards away.
Investigators scored the scene as follows:
Technical difficulty
9.0 9.5 9.5 10.0 9.0 10.0
Artistic merit
9.5 10.0 10.0 10.0 9.5 9.5
Middleton’s score has him leading the Arkancide derby, which is ongoing.
A previous report in the Daily Mail that no gun was found in the Arkancide death of Clinton associate Mark Middleton was in error.
Which should tell you to not take their revised report at face value.
Mark Middleton worked for Bilge Clinton for three years and change (1991-95). He’s spent the other 90% of his adult life in the family business. He was a campaign official who landed a position in the chief of staff’s office, one of thousands of Democratic Party hacks who received patronage positions in the Administration. He wasn’t a line administrator. The position he held was less consequential than the one held by Miles Taylor in the Trump Administration. He knew something about the financial pipeline with which the Democratic Party’s wealthy retainers bought Webster Hubbell’s silence. Since Meadows’ boss Mack McLarty and Hubbell himself are still very much alive, that doesn’t seem a motive to kill him. Evidently, he was acquainted with Jeffrey Epstein ca. 1994 (per the Daily Mail), but so were scads of other people. I’m fascinated to know why you suppose his family and the Montgomery County, Arkansas Sheriff’s department would be covering up a murder.
I imagine that with the dam breaking all over the place, several more of these “accidents” may “occur”.
Speaking of cover ups, the Corrupt media is now insisting it must also have access to the J6 material, whose coverup they justified with monomaniacal consistency.
“A JANUARY 6 NARRATIVE? WE CAN’T HAVE THAT!”—
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/02/a-january-6-narrative-we-cant-have-that.php
Key grafs:
‘…Where have they been for the last two years? Why haven’t they wanted to see the footage until now? To date, apparently, they have been happy with the isolated clips and spin provided by Nancy Pelosi. This is the hilarious part:
‘ “Without full public access to the complete historical record, there is concern that an ideologically-based narrative of an already polarizing event will take hold in the public consciousness…”….’
Hmmm, maybe Manchin read this (not that he actually had to…but it’s as good an excuse as any)…
“Dems have finally gone totally bonkers”—
https://jewishworldreview.com/0223/murdock022723.php
Only quibble I have is that the Democdrats went bonkers quite a while ago.
And while “insane” may be understandable occasionally, even tolerable at times, criminally insane is not as easy to co-exist with…or to rationalize.
I imagine that with the dam breaking all over the place, several more of these “accidents” may “occur”.
What accident? He’s a late-middle-aged man who committed suicide.
Evelyn farkas was part of the get orange man club that got us where we are today
They wanted to cover it with a pillow until it stopped moving (how else do people get 4 years for wearing a water buffalo costume) out of season?
We require a J6 Truth Commission.
Then we need a J6 Committee Truth Commission.
On top of that we need a Covid-19 Truth Commission.
https://blazingcatfur.ca/2023/02/27/the-covid-truth-commission-we-all-need/
https://blazingcatfur.ca/2023/02/27/covid-lab-leak-is-a-scandal-of-media-and-government-censorship/
Throw in a Southern Border Truth Commission.
“Former U.S. ambassador for human rights alleges Biden has created humanitarian crisis at border”—
https://justthenews.com/accountability/holdformer-human-rights-ambassador-accuses-biden-creating-humanitarian-crisis-border
A Transitory Inflation Truth Commission.
A Transgender Truth Commission.
https://blazingcatfur.ca/2023/02/27/hannah-barnes-my-tavistock-expose-scared-off-22-publishers/
https://blazingcatfur.ca/2023/02/27/i-was-sexually-assaulted-by-paedo-trans-rapist-in-womens-jail/
An Urban Violence Truth Commission.
A CRT Truth Commission.
A DEI Truth Commission.
A November 2020 Truth Commission.
A November 2022 Truth Commission.
An Energy Crisis Truth Commission.
A Media/Infotech/USGOV Censorship Truth Commission.
A New Palestine, OH Truth Commission.
And no doubt a dozen more…
Probably a Truth Truth Commission, as well.
(Gosh all this Truth…)
So what are the chances…?
Oh BTW, NONE of this is accidental.
It’s called “Overloading the System” (think of it as “The Americans by day and the British by night”) and is just another—rather ingenious—“Biden” design feature.
Barry Meislin:
Your truth commissions are a great idea. The possibility that one or more of these might occur and gain traction keeps the southern border influx and Democrat ballot production operating at maximum capacity. They might prefer names of actual people, and perhaps actual addresses for them. But the stakes are so high that they will fabricate as much as needed – especially now that they know that most of our judiciary will reject attempts to hold them accountable.
Interesting video. It gives a quick overview of the first two years of introductory undergrad Physics. Many years ago I foundered on the shoals of quantum mechanics and relativity introduced in the second of those two years. It is no wonder most of us struggle to understand so much based on the occasional short video like this one. It leaves most of us unable to even ask relevant questions.