Will support Russia's survival after its teeth are cut and its troops out of Ukraine.
No other sane position for a East European. I think this invasion would've happened regardless of NATO expansion. Empires simply do this all the damn time, and smaller countries, if we are to survive, must play them cynically against each other.
NATO will do for now.
Not our fault Russian bros, you could've pushed your OrthoBro religious stuff and sustain traditions in the area, instead you've went in with the tanks and sent like 500K refugees (that should be helped!) in my country and destabilized MY cozy area.
There will be a HUUUUUGE price to pay for going against the End of History.
Mar 12, 2022·edited Mar 12, 2022Liked by Niccolo Soldo
"pure competitor" This should be "peer competitor", looks like Isaac Chotiner never read a single page of Mearsheimer and doesn't actually understand Mearsheimer's US-China theory so he's unable to transcribe correctly
PS they corrected it - your link is to the archive of the original
As a European I could only dream of a rearmed Europe. The thing that Russia and the US don't seem to realise or just haven't been drilled enough is that there is a very nasty historical cycle in which German go broke -> German starve -> German make big army -> German wreak royal havoc. Ask Russia and the US how it went for them the last time they had to fight off an armed Europe. Yes, at the end they were victorious but the cost was immense, always was - when Germans go to war it's quite ugly. And BTW I have a secret theory that the Germans have been waiting for a conflict like this for the better part of 80 years now. It took them less than 20 years to go from absolutely destroyed, bled out country to military hegemon during the 2nd World War. How much time is it going to take them now, as a G8 economy. We talk about not waking up the bear a lot, but no one talks how we've been internationally humiliating the eagle for so long, what if it decides to fly?
I'm a boomer and hated that music. Not to mention the clothes and hair. I'm watching the Dave Brubek Quartet on Youtube these days. Check out "Golden Brown." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXEh9e7VL7k
Too bad the Beatles blew guys like that out of the water. But, instead of corporate cool the womyns went literally berserk for feminized boys. The massive cultural shift that occurred in less than a decade is mind-boggling. Before the Beatles, rock music was considered something for teenagers. As an intelligent man you were supposed to grow up and into jazz and/or classical music. There was supposed to be some room for decorum, reflection and moderation. You dressed up a bit when you went to a concert.
Someone needs to write a book on what the hell happened to Anglo-American men, or western men in general.
William Perry recently had an interview in which he confirmed everything Mersheimer said.
For him, the beginning of an aggressive approach to Russia is the Clinton administration and the conflict of two currents within it: one that was against American expansionism and the other that "Russia is a third-class power that cannot demand anything, but have to accept the fait accompli."
The leader of that aggresive current, Perry's main opponent in the Clinton administration and the author of this schathing attitude towards Russia was - Richard Holbrooke, of course.
Why has the US again turned Russia into its enemy? After Obama made fun of Romney's then antiquated anti-Russia views in 2012 it seemed like America had moved on. What changed?
Thank you for this thoughtful and measured view on the current war in Ukraine, it's the best I've read so far. I wholeheartedly agree that what we are witnessing is a proxy war waged in Ukraine by the west, primarily the United States, and that the invasion wasn't the least bit surprising to anyone paying attention. Okay, I admit I was surprised by the extent of Russia's "military operation" in Ukraine, as I had just expected them to come in and quickly give Ukraine a good spanking, not to try and obliterate the Ukrainian military as it appears they are doing.
A lot of what you write here speaks to the vast disconnect in world views notable today between the west and other parts of the world, and within the west itself, especially in the United States, caused by seemingly unreconcilable differences in epistemological assumptions. This leads to an inability to perceive the morality of the other side, especially by those assuming a postmodern framework. Oddly enough, the Chinese and Russians seem much better able to appreciate the epistemology and moral objectives of the other side, even while disagreeing with them. This is, I think, what Orban was referring to with his remarks on China.
It is highly ironic that the west appears keen to welcome WWIII for the sake of Ukraine's national sovereignty while at the very same time the EU sanctions Poland and Hungary for attempting to assert their own nations' sovereignty on questions of sexual morality and immigration. This and the fact that because Ukraine is the new fashionable cause the western media has deep-sixed all previous concerns about that nation's lack of 'progress' on DEI issues and rather broad historical ethnonationalist streak. Perhaps since Ukraine's government seems to have been mostly run by CIA psyops for the past decade or so it's a natural fit with our own highly suggestible postmodern elite. Sorry that was a bit snarky but it's really a struggle to suss out the big picture and a great deal seems to be at stake.
I was born in 88, Zeppelin was the first music I got into. Classic rock and then other things. My dad's coworker taught me to play drums and his kit was Bonham-sized, lent it to me for years and gave me rock albums to listen to and learn. Zeppelin IV was the one.
There were a lot of streamlined classic rock rehashes happening when I was a teenager, I think there was a marketing thing going on with that. School of Rock....And stuff like Arctic Monkeys...White Stripes. I did not like the sound of grunge or Nirvana or 90's music at first, the 60's and 70's sounded better right away.
I played in a Zeppelin cover band a few years back. It was fun. People get into it, old and young people came out.
I was a massive fan of Omar Rordriguez Lopez and the Mars Volta, still am. Saw them a few times and the rhythm section takes it to the moon. He does some super out there stuff but lots of Santana and Zeppelin stylings.
We should be back to regular posting schedule this week. Please hit the like and share buttons above and pls do subscribe if you haven't already.
The Russia piece that I wrote is now the most read, most commented, and most liked entry that I have ever written. Thanks to everyone here.
Will support Russia's survival after its teeth are cut and its troops out of Ukraine.
No other sane position for a East European. I think this invasion would've happened regardless of NATO expansion. Empires simply do this all the damn time, and smaller countries, if we are to survive, must play them cynically against each other.
NATO will do for now.
Not our fault Russian bros, you could've pushed your OrthoBro religious stuff and sustain traditions in the area, instead you've went in with the tanks and sent like 500K refugees (that should be helped!) in my country and destabilized MY cozy area.
There will be a HUUUUUGE price to pay for going against the End of History.
What do you think of the view that this is a clash of civilizations, and that if sanctions unseat Putin it's more likely to usher in a new Stalin than a new Gorbachev? e.g. https://www.lotuseaters.com/sanctions-on-russia-will-create-a-monster-11-03-22
"pure competitor" This should be "peer competitor", looks like Isaac Chotiner never read a single page of Mearsheimer and doesn't actually understand Mearsheimer's US-China theory so he's unable to transcribe correctly
PS they corrected it - your link is to the archive of the original
As a European I could only dream of a rearmed Europe. The thing that Russia and the US don't seem to realise or just haven't been drilled enough is that there is a very nasty historical cycle in which German go broke -> German starve -> German make big army -> German wreak royal havoc. Ask Russia and the US how it went for them the last time they had to fight off an armed Europe. Yes, at the end they were victorious but the cost was immense, always was - when Germans go to war it's quite ugly. And BTW I have a secret theory that the Germans have been waiting for a conflict like this for the better part of 80 years now. It took them less than 20 years to go from absolutely destroyed, bled out country to military hegemon during the 2nd World War. How much time is it going to take them now, as a G8 economy. We talk about not waking up the bear a lot, but no one talks how we've been internationally humiliating the eagle for so long, what if it decides to fly?
I am a Zoomer and my favorite bands are Led Zeppelin and Steely Dan.
I'm a boomer and hated that music. Not to mention the clothes and hair. I'm watching the Dave Brubek Quartet on Youtube these days. Check out "Golden Brown." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXEh9e7VL7k
Too bad the Beatles blew guys like that out of the water. But, instead of corporate cool the womyns went literally berserk for feminized boys. The massive cultural shift that occurred in less than a decade is mind-boggling. Before the Beatles, rock music was considered something for teenagers. As an intelligent man you were supposed to grow up and into jazz and/or classical music. There was supposed to be some room for decorum, reflection and moderation. You dressed up a bit when you went to a concert.
Someone needs to write a book on what the hell happened to Anglo-American men, or western men in general.
William Perry recently had an interview in which he confirmed everything Mersheimer said.
For him, the beginning of an aggressive approach to Russia is the Clinton administration and the conflict of two currents within it: one that was against American expansionism and the other that "Russia is a third-class power that cannot demand anything, but have to accept the fait accompli."
The leader of that aggresive current, Perry's main opponent in the Clinton administration and the author of this schathing attitude towards Russia was - Richard Holbrooke, of course.
another fine addition to this morning’s coffee but you really should have mentioned John Paul Jones
Why has the US again turned Russia into its enemy? After Obama made fun of Romney's then antiquated anti-Russia views in 2012 it seemed like America had moved on. What changed?
Thank you for this thoughtful and measured view on the current war in Ukraine, it's the best I've read so far. I wholeheartedly agree that what we are witnessing is a proxy war waged in Ukraine by the west, primarily the United States, and that the invasion wasn't the least bit surprising to anyone paying attention. Okay, I admit I was surprised by the extent of Russia's "military operation" in Ukraine, as I had just expected them to come in and quickly give Ukraine a good spanking, not to try and obliterate the Ukrainian military as it appears they are doing.
A lot of what you write here speaks to the vast disconnect in world views notable today between the west and other parts of the world, and within the west itself, especially in the United States, caused by seemingly unreconcilable differences in epistemological assumptions. This leads to an inability to perceive the morality of the other side, especially by those assuming a postmodern framework. Oddly enough, the Chinese and Russians seem much better able to appreciate the epistemology and moral objectives of the other side, even while disagreeing with them. This is, I think, what Orban was referring to with his remarks on China.
It is highly ironic that the west appears keen to welcome WWIII for the sake of Ukraine's national sovereignty while at the very same time the EU sanctions Poland and Hungary for attempting to assert their own nations' sovereignty on questions of sexual morality and immigration. This and the fact that because Ukraine is the new fashionable cause the western media has deep-sixed all previous concerns about that nation's lack of 'progress' on DEI issues and rather broad historical ethnonationalist streak. Perhaps since Ukraine's government seems to have been mostly run by CIA psyops for the past decade or so it's a natural fit with our own highly suggestible postmodern elite. Sorry that was a bit snarky but it's really a struggle to suss out the big picture and a great deal seems to be at stake.
Realists blame the victim for the acts of the oppressor. Makes perfect sense to me:
It’s a great power’s right to oppress. If you defy, you are asking for it.
I was born in 88, Zeppelin was the first music I got into. Classic rock and then other things. My dad's coworker taught me to play drums and his kit was Bonham-sized, lent it to me for years and gave me rock albums to listen to and learn. Zeppelin IV was the one.
There were a lot of streamlined classic rock rehashes happening when I was a teenager, I think there was a marketing thing going on with that. School of Rock....And stuff like Arctic Monkeys...White Stripes. I did not like the sound of grunge or Nirvana or 90's music at first, the 60's and 70's sounded better right away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR3r3ezTRT0
I played in a Zeppelin cover band a few years back. It was fun. People get into it, old and young people came out.
I was a massive fan of Omar Rordriguez Lopez and the Mars Volta, still am. Saw them a few times and the rhythm section takes it to the moon. He does some super out there stuff but lots of Santana and Zeppelin stylings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-U8M77mAaY&list=OLAK5uy_lUArurxxQe2I05dfQw-iqDwDMa6aiCviE&index=1
These live vids I love with freakazoid Deantoni Parks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6ZgytCOBw8