Thank you, Tony. It is in absorbing yours, Adam Tooze's and Heather's lessons, along with ideas of mine and others and our exchanges that learning comes alive. I thought Mearsheimer's lectures instructive, rigid and one sided, so recommended his tapes to two knowing friends. One of them emailed the following, and our discourse has just …
Thank you, Tony. It is in absorbing yours, Adam Tooze's and Heather's lessons, along with ideas of mine and others and our exchanges that learning comes alive. I thought Mearsheimer's lectures instructive, rigid and one sided, so recommended his tapes to two knowing friends. One of them emailed the following, and our discourse has just begun:
'First video: 15:55 No, I don't get that bit about supposed western expectations at all. Surely we know damned well that there is no question of Putin backing down, because he does not do that. However, what follows sounds correct, at least as far as the destruction of Ukraine and the threat of nuclear war are concerned.'
'For the time being, I have not started on the second, longer, film.'
'I see that I have always looked at Ukraine in terms of its own geography, its own outlook—not Russia's, not the West's—seeing it, as I've said before, as a natural bridge, a natural buffer state. But in the early 2000s and until relatively recently, I was very troubled by the extreme weakness of Ukraine, especially in terms of political governance and great corruption, consequently regarding the country as a threat to peace because that weakness made it a standing temptation both to Russia and to unwise Neo-Con type elements in the West. The term I often used for the country was a “black hole”. And the temptation for the neighbors, to see it in terms, not of a bridge or a buffer, but of bridgeheads.'
'Consequently, I regarded it as a very dangerous place, one that I would not want to touch with a bargepole if I were in a position of responsibility in Moscow, in Washington, in Western Europe...'
'Since, however, the danger would persist if nothing was done to help, something would have to be done about this morass of a state...'
'I shall send you these few preliminary remarks as they stand.'
'I have difficulty in following some of Mearsheimer's reasoning because they don't seem to take adequate account of the problems that arise from the neighborhood of states that function relatively well and dysfunctional states, which must include both Russia and Ukraine. This exerts a strong pull on the inhabitants of regions bordering the West, as it did at the time of the Soviet empire... M seems to think solely in terms of governments, not peoples... I'm reminded somewhat of Kissinger, without his political bent. Or bent politics...'
***
I will email the rest of what he writes if you are interested.
Thank you, Jeff. Your sense of overload with articles and books -- I won't number the books to read behind me and you're suggesting another I would like to read!
The book analyzes successive world orders, and establishes the timelines, up through the British Empire, then the American-led hegemony, and now it’s eclipse by what he sees will be run by the Chinese. But even in that eclipse, America will try to keep asserting its former position of sole super-power, and that’s where things can go off the rails.
In his final analysis, the Climate Crisis will change the game so that only a true unity of world powers will be able to take control.
Jeff, You are the perfect co-subscriber. Of course, I have to read it now - not now but in a couple of months. I think Russia and the U.S. have to be allied to balance against China. Can you imagine that alliance, Jeff? Your opinion about the U.S. is the same as mine, unless there is a big change. The trend is not good. Unity of the world, that is a very difficult one to imagine. Does the book supply any good ideas about that?
The Ministry and its allies fight for a new international bit-coin currency backed by the major central banks, issued to those who forgo carbon emissions and, instead, invest in its sequestration. In effect, it’s a scheme to buy out the petro-states and fossil fuel conglomerates with a modest yet secure compensation for their troubles, amortized over the remainder of the century. They also exploit blockchain technology to create a worldwide credit union that, as a happy corollary, abolishes tax havens. They sneak their way into a meeting with the heads of all the central banks in the world, and precipitate a financial crisis that only that group can address, and only by shifting the world economy from that based on the dollar to the new currency. And it's described so convincingly, almost like you're reading history.
Your are a splendid and perfect torturer, Jeff. When Trump or DeSantis becomes the president in 2025, your talents will be sought after and the pay, just fabulous.
Thank you, Tony. It is in absorbing yours, Adam Tooze's and Heather's lessons, along with ideas of mine and others and our exchanges that learning comes alive. I thought Mearsheimer's lectures instructive, rigid and one sided, so recommended his tapes to two knowing friends. One of them emailed the following, and our discourse has just begun:
'First video: 15:55 No, I don't get that bit about supposed western expectations at all. Surely we know damned well that there is no question of Putin backing down, because he does not do that. However, what follows sounds correct, at least as far as the destruction of Ukraine and the threat of nuclear war are concerned.'
'For the time being, I have not started on the second, longer, film.'
'I see that I have always looked at Ukraine in terms of its own geography, its own outlook—not Russia's, not the West's—seeing it, as I've said before, as a natural bridge, a natural buffer state. But in the early 2000s and until relatively recently, I was very troubled by the extreme weakness of Ukraine, especially in terms of political governance and great corruption, consequently regarding the country as a threat to peace because that weakness made it a standing temptation both to Russia and to unwise Neo-Con type elements in the West. The term I often used for the country was a “black hole”. And the temptation for the neighbors, to see it in terms, not of a bridge or a buffer, but of bridgeheads.'
'Consequently, I regarded it as a very dangerous place, one that I would not want to touch with a bargepole if I were in a position of responsibility in Moscow, in Washington, in Western Europe...'
'Since, however, the danger would persist if nothing was done to help, something would have to be done about this morass of a state...'
'I shall send you these few preliminary remarks as they stand.'
'I have difficulty in following some of Mearsheimer's reasoning because they don't seem to take adequate account of the problems that arise from the neighborhood of states that function relatively well and dysfunctional states, which must include both Russia and Ukraine. This exerts a strong pull on the inhabitants of regions bordering the West, as it did at the time of the Soviet empire... M seems to think solely in terms of governments, not peoples... I'm reminded somewhat of Kissinger, without his political bent. Or bent politics...'
***
I will email the rest of what he writes if you are interested.
It's 1:37 AM -- morning or night?
Perhaps, I'll see you tomorrow.
Goodnight,
Fern
In esponse to your points, TC and Fern, I have found the clearest understanding from Alfred W. McCoy in his book, To Govern the Globe.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58648492-to-govern-the-globe?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Q3e8xHEhmU&rank=1
I hope you may get a chance to read it.
Thank you, Jeff. Your sense of overload with articles and books -- I won't number the books to read behind me and you're suggesting another I would like to read!
The book analyzes successive world orders, and establishes the timelines, up through the British Empire, then the American-led hegemony, and now it’s eclipse by what he sees will be run by the Chinese. But even in that eclipse, America will try to keep asserting its former position of sole super-power, and that’s where things can go off the rails.
In his final analysis, the Climate Crisis will change the game so that only a true unity of world powers will be able to take control.
If we can survive that long. (my opinion)
Jeff, You are the perfect co-subscriber. Of course, I have to read it now - not now but in a couple of months. I think Russia and the U.S. have to be allied to balance against China. Can you imagine that alliance, Jeff? Your opinion about the U.S. is the same as mine, unless there is a big change. The trend is not good. Unity of the world, that is a very difficult one to imagine. Does the book supply any good ideas about that?
No one has any good ideas about that, except some novelists. Although I am reluctant to read futuristic novels about the Climate Crisis, there are some great ideas about a clever underground economic revolution in the second half of "Ministry for the Future" https://www.amazon.com/Ministry-Future-Kim-Stanley-Robinson/dp/0316300144/ref=asc_df_0316300144/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459638379039&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13971699850612043723&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007303&hvtargid=pla-986809498480&psc=1
Jeff, We are approaching friendship. If you recommend one more book, however, our future together may be in jeopardy.
The Ministry and its allies fight for a new international bit-coin currency backed by the major central banks, issued to those who forgo carbon emissions and, instead, invest in its sequestration. In effect, it’s a scheme to buy out the petro-states and fossil fuel conglomerates with a modest yet secure compensation for their troubles, amortized over the remainder of the century. They also exploit blockchain technology to create a worldwide credit union that, as a happy corollary, abolishes tax havens. They sneak their way into a meeting with the heads of all the central banks in the world, and precipitate a financial crisis that only that group can address, and only by shifting the world economy from that based on the dollar to the new currency. And it's described so convincingly, almost like you're reading history.
Your are a splendid and perfect torturer, Jeff. When Trump or DeSantis becomes the president in 2025, your talents will be sought after and the pay, just fabulous.
I'll take your friendship, instead.
It's a deal, Jeff! I'm relieved, Wouldn't want see you hanging out with the wrong people!