Putin/Ukraine/and other actions

[savage560]

Originally Posted by Jake Gittes

On one hand you have Assad, who's murdering his own people, and then the Rebels who are backed by Al Qaeda.

Are the people who you say, by western sources I presume,that he is "murdering", in his nation, mostly members of militant Islamic extremist groups?A lot of propaganda, that is anti-US, says the American government is murdering Blacks in the US, is that IYO completely true?

[Jake Gittes]

Originally Posted by savage560

Are the people who you say, by western sources I presume,that he is "murdering", in his nation, mostly members of militant Islamic extremist groups?A lot of propaganda, that is anti-US, says the American government is murdering Blacks in the US, is that IYO completely true?

The sources that we have here in the U.S. show that Assad used Sarin gas against his own people, thus breaking the "Red Line" set by Pres. Obama which means we should've gone to war with Syria. But because we've already experienced a disastrous war in Iraq, another war against our national interests was highly frowned upon, which is why Obama had to turn to the U.S. Congress to declare military action to save face.

Us Americans have also learned that the Rebels have been armed and backed by Al Qaeda, the very enemy we've been fighting since 9/11.

So that leaves us in a pickle: Support a Dictator, or arm the Rebels backed by a terrorist organization that killed 3,000 innocent people.

As far as the American government killing Blacks is concerned, the government and local police forces are not murdering African Americans at will. The recent police shootings need to be taken on a case-by-case basis; if that is what you mean.

Not to sound insensitive, but obeying the Law seems to be the best method to avoid being shot by the police.

Yes, there are bad cops; but most are simply trying to enforce the law and protect themselves and those they serve.

I often wonder why there is still a single cop left in Ferguson right now.

As far as Putin's aspirations are concerned, this is a great debacle, but based on what I have read, it appears that he is asserting Russia's role as a Superpower in the world.

Russia is going through tough economic times currently. I for one have no problem with Russia 86ing terrorists in Syria.

[Arturo2nd]

My 2 cents worth on some of these discussions:

1. As a U.S. citizen with ancestors dating back to colonial times, I am embarrassed and deeply troubled by our governments continuing imperial activities and level of state terrorism. It is clear that the interests of the very wealthy are being pursued to the deficit of the society and world at large.

2. Neither China nor the U.S. can effectively wage war with each other. Distance protects the U.S.; the discrepancy in population protects China. Sheer geographical area protects both. In addition, the U.S. is dependent on China financially and for manufactured goods, while China is dependent on the U.S. for food imports and technology. Several factors are temporary in nature, but the fact remains that both countries have much to lose and little to gain from war with each other.

3. I do not believe the PRC has warlike intentions, however the inherent chauvinism in the Han world view will make peaceful coexistence with its neighbors difficult.

4. Russia will implode after Putin's death. if not before.

5. Ukraine and Russia are joined at the hip. Ukraine deprived of the areas inhabited by ethnic Russians and predominantly Russian speaking does not appear to be economically viable, no matter how much ethnic Ukrainians resent Russian domination.

6. Middle Eastern questions must be settled by the inhabitants themselves. It will be a bloodbath. The best case scenario would be to quarantine the area and interdict all arms shipments to the area. They like killing each other and want to do so. So, let them until the area depopulates itself.

7. Nobody with any power or influence gives a damn about my opinions.

[deepsepia]

Originally Posted by Brian249x

My 2 cents worth on some of these discussions:

{snip}

7. Nobody with any power or influence gives a damn about my opinions.

You'd be surprised. You'd find similar attitudes among a number of influential military professionals-- the guy I think of most closely associated with these views is Andrew Bacevich.

See, for example: "A war the West cannot win"
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/...TXO/story.html

in part:

Originally Posted by Andrew Bacevich

It’s past time for the West, and above all for the United States as the West’s primary military power, to consider trying something different.

Rather than assuming an offensive posture, the West should revert to a defensive one. Instead of attempting to impose its will on the Greater Middle East, it should erect barriers to protect itself from the violence emanating from that quarter. Such barriers will necessarily be imperfect, but they will produce greater security at a more affordable cost than is gained by engaging in futile, open-ended armed conflicts. Rather than vainly attempting to police or control, this revised strategy should seek to contain.

Such an approach posits that, confronted with the responsibility to do so, the peoples of the Greater Middle East will prove better equipped to solve their problems than are policy makers back in Washington, London, or Paris. It rejects as presumptuous any claim that the West can untangle problems of vast historical and religious complexity to which Western folly contributed. It rests on this core principle: Do no (further) harm.

FWIW I agree with all that and I'd vote for him if he were running for something . . . he's not, he's a retired Colonel (son was also in the Army, killed in Iraq), and teaches history and strategy at Boston University.