Your posts, augmented by a few others ( usually drier) give me a perspective and understanding of the intricacies of war I never wanted to have, but am thankful for. I also got a lot out of Tom Friedman's column today: Free Advice for Putin: ‘Make Peace, You Fool’
John Arquilla explains how Ukrainians have adopted the three new rules of war.
Hi MaryB. Thank you for linking Friedman's article. I didn't have a chance to read it during the day. Arquilla's rules are noteworthy. I copied an excerpt containing them and a link to the article for Allen. He and his wife, Tanya, are in Manitoba now. Salud, Fern
While the horrifying effects on the ground are similar, Russia's aggression against Syria and its war on Ukraine are very different. TC depicted the incompetence of Russian army and country's institutional shortcomings against Ukraine's well trained military and the deeply united county behind it.
America kept popping into my mind as I read about Russia, Ukraine and Syria.- How does our country compare to them. Trump's rule, the Republican Party and the Supreme Court -- legislation passed in the Red States, along with the policies of governors, Abbott, DeSantis and Ducey; SOCTUS decisions along with the political control acquired by the superrich, power-brokers, such as Charles Koch were on my mind almost as much as Russia's war against Ukraine.
If you reread UKRAINE IS NOT SYRIA, you may ask yourself if U.S. is becoming more like Russia than it used to be and less like Ukraine in spirit. One particular point struck home; disinformation in Russia is the people's reality; in the US disinformation has become reality for many millions of Americans.
Good points! I was thinking something of the same, but the US is not Russia: the support for Ukraine is uniting the US as nothing else. I remember some film glorifying half naked men fighting and outsmarting the big aggressor with primitive weapons in the jungle; right after the US defeat in Vietnam. I understood it as: 'rather romanticizing the enemy than acknowledge the brave home opposition'.
Olof, I laughed at the image that came to mind when I read your line about the film. I would like to agree that Putin's war is bringing Americans together, but that's not so. A vast majority of us know what Putin is doing, but agreement between us ends there. It would make sense and, perhaps, effective to connect Trump to Putin as well as showing how elected members in the House of Representative and Senators, along with some governors are mimicking Putin. It is easy to see what Putin is doing,, and people are watching.
Unfortunately, many Americans are lost. I don't know if or how they could join the real world. The threat of this propaganda via Fox News and social media, particularly Facebook/META, is enormous.
Olof, please ask if anything I've written needs to be better understood. I'm going to bed soon, but will use clearer language in the morning if that would be helpful. Please let me know.
No, you are making things as clear as they need to be, and I am seriously worried too. I was just thinking of this mindset of the little guy righteously defending himself against the big oppressor, that might be a tiny remainder of something genuine in the US. But of course, also that can be twisted, abused, and corrupted into something quite different.
I fear that the Russian campaign of terror will lead the Ukrainians to reciprocate, which would be a moral shame, and change the dynamic of the conflict. I would hope that the Butcher of Aleppo ends his military career on the steppes of eastern Ukraine, in the worst way possible..... At any rate, the Russians will not win Ukraine in the long run - they are completely outmatched in real military operations; they excel only in committing war crimes..... The loss of their Black Sea flagship, the Moskva, has to hurt, and severely limits what the Russian navy can do. The Ukrainians actually could win, certainly in the long run, but the Russians seem not to realize this yet.....
I hope they painted "For the Children" on the side of the rocket that sent Russia's flagship to the bottom of the sea, they should be painting that on everything they shoot at the Russians.
The "For the children" -attack was based on a false accusation of Ukrainians crucifying a boy, made up by Russian black shaman, Alexander Dugin, and touted into the Russian public.
Sinking "Moscow" is a good enough message without writing anything, as is the propaganda value of Ukraine focusing on military targets.
Thank you, TC for all factual clarification and all opinions emanating from fact and history. That is what helps me keep my emotional response to the chaos in the world centered and tempered with Light. Truth can be fleeting when forces of darkness not seen in this country at such a level for decades abound. My optimism for democracy does not waver.
TC - something I've wondered about: what was happening in Ukraine in the latter half of 1945, after the conference at Yalta? There was a lot of angst about Poland, but I don't know much about Ukraine. Other than Ukraine has been war-torn for many many decades. nr
Your posts, augmented by a few others ( usually drier) give me a perspective and understanding of the intricacies of war I never wanted to have, but am thankful for. I also got a lot out of Tom Friedman's column today: Free Advice for Putin: ‘Make Peace, You Fool’
John Arquilla explains how Ukrainians have adopted the three new rules of war.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/13/opinion/putin-ukraine-war-strategy.html?smid=em-share
Hi MaryB. Thank you for linking Friedman's article. I didn't have a chance to read it during the day. Arquilla's rules are noteworthy. I copied an excerpt containing them and a link to the article for Allen. He and his wife, Tanya, are in Manitoba now. Salud, Fern
While the horrifying effects on the ground are similar, Russia's aggression against Syria and its war on Ukraine are very different. TC depicted the incompetence of Russian army and country's institutional shortcomings against Ukraine's well trained military and the deeply united county behind it.
America kept popping into my mind as I read about Russia, Ukraine and Syria.- How does our country compare to them. Trump's rule, the Republican Party and the Supreme Court -- legislation passed in the Red States, along with the policies of governors, Abbott, DeSantis and Ducey; SOCTUS decisions along with the political control acquired by the superrich, power-brokers, such as Charles Koch were on my mind almost as much as Russia's war against Ukraine.
If you reread UKRAINE IS NOT SYRIA, you may ask yourself if U.S. is becoming more like Russia than it used to be and less like Ukraine in spirit. One particular point struck home; disinformation in Russia is the people's reality; in the US disinformation has become reality for many millions of Americans.
Good points! I was thinking something of the same, but the US is not Russia: the support for Ukraine is uniting the US as nothing else. I remember some film glorifying half naked men fighting and outsmarting the big aggressor with primitive weapons in the jungle; right after the US defeat in Vietnam. I understood it as: 'rather romanticizing the enemy than acknowledge the brave home opposition'.
Olof, I laughed at the image that came to mind when I read your line about the film. I would like to agree that Putin's war is bringing Americans together, but that's not so. A vast majority of us know what Putin is doing, but agreement between us ends there. It would make sense and, perhaps, effective to connect Trump to Putin as well as showing how elected members in the House of Representative and Senators, along with some governors are mimicking Putin. It is easy to see what Putin is doing,, and people are watching.
Unfortunately, many Americans are lost. I don't know if or how they could join the real world. The threat of this propaganda via Fox News and social media, particularly Facebook/META, is enormous.
Olof, please ask if anything I've written needs to be better understood. I'm going to bed soon, but will use clearer language in the morning if that would be helpful. Please let me know.
No, you are making things as clear as they need to be, and I am seriously worried too. I was just thinking of this mindset of the little guy righteously defending himself against the big oppressor, that might be a tiny remainder of something genuine in the US. But of course, also that can be twisted, abused, and corrupted into something quite different.
I fear that the Russian campaign of terror will lead the Ukrainians to reciprocate, which would be a moral shame, and change the dynamic of the conflict. I would hope that the Butcher of Aleppo ends his military career on the steppes of eastern Ukraine, in the worst way possible..... At any rate, the Russians will not win Ukraine in the long run - they are completely outmatched in real military operations; they excel only in committing war crimes..... The loss of their Black Sea flagship, the Moskva, has to hurt, and severely limits what the Russian navy can do. The Ukrainians actually could win, certainly in the long run, but the Russians seem not to realize this yet.....
I hope they painted "For the Children" on the side of the rocket that sent Russia's flagship to the bottom of the sea, they should be painting that on everything they shoot at the Russians.
The "For the children" -attack was based on a false accusation of Ukrainians crucifying a boy, made up by Russian black shaman, Alexander Dugin, and touted into the Russian public.
Sinking "Moscow" is a good enough message without writing anything, as is the propaganda value of Ukraine focusing on military targets.
https://snyder.substack.com/p/the-sadness-of-sloviansk?s=r
I think putting that message, on any weaponry is despicable.
"The medium is the message" as we remember from Marshall McLuhan
Thank you, TC for all factual clarification and all opinions emanating from fact and history. That is what helps me keep my emotional response to the chaos in the world centered and tempered with Light. Truth can be fleeting when forces of darkness not seen in this country at such a level for decades abound. My optimism for democracy does not waver.
Salud TC. 💜💫
TC - something I've wondered about: what was happening in Ukraine in the latter half of 1945, after the conference at Yalta? There was a lot of angst about Poland, but I don't know much about Ukraine. Other than Ukraine has been war-torn for many many decades. nr
In 1945, Ukraine was considered part of the USSR and thus an "internal problem" the other Allies would not comment on.
Thank You, TC.