Nato has failed. Lord Ismay, first Secretary General for Nato famously said that its purpose was to keep the Germans down, the Americans in and the Russians out. The Russians, in typically boorish fashion, are on their way in. The Americans have pivoted away though they make regular ineffective gestures to appear to be in. And the Germans are on top of Europe.
The Germans, twice having tried to conquer Europe unsuccessfully in the last century understand that to do so again would be folly. Are they now seeking to pursue their goal through other means, however unconsciously? Consider their response to the “migrant” crisis.
Every country in the EU must take their fair share of the incoming based on the maximum number the Germans are willing to take, regardless of the impact on the others. They must all accept the migrating Muslims who had such close relations with the Germans in their efforts last century to dominate Europe.
Contrast that vision of Europe acting as one to address a crisis with the German approach to the Greek debt crisis; each boat on its own bottom with the Germans as the creditor of last resort. A great way to gain economic control over the smaller powers of unstable Eastern Europe, while increasing their instability by the importation of a fifth column.
Policies of design? No. But it is convenient.
Update:
I see now that Germany has stopped all trains from Austria and implemented passport checks at the borders. How convenient. Having primed the pump and led all to believe they would happily receive the “migrants” the Germans now shut the spigot when the pipeline is full. Maybe because Neo-Nazis have firebombed a transit house for “migrants” in Thuringia.
Or Germany is letting the Syrians in now to keep the Africans out in 20 years.
Or they’re not acting like Germans at all but the vassals of the American Empire which enforces multiculti at home and abroad?
In any case all are better if we leave, I’m think of America first and rest after…if at all.
Europe has faced onslaught from the East before and has survived. The question is whether modern Europeans any longer have the will to survive. If not they will pass into history.
WWW I was not an attempt on the part of the Germans to conquer Europe but a disaster for all of Europe brought about by a series of catastrophic errors and miscalculations on all sides.
I’ll bet a large part of the Germans want nothing to do with mass immigration of Muslim refugees. The growth of Muslim no-go neighborhoods and associated lawlessness in a number of urban areas has many Germans seriously concerned with the disintegration of their culture. I’m guessing Merkel has misjudged her political position by a great deal. One major incident involving these ghetto Muslims or the first wave of new refuges and Merkel will have to do more than back off her quota offer.
I really don’t think the US has been the source of European PC or multiculturalism, rather the cancer has spread in the opposite direction. We expected assimilation, Europeans were much more into group identity. Following WW II non-judgementalism in the name of post-modern relative truth was added. At least a significant number of Europeans are now asking what constitutes their fundamental cultural values. I don’t think most Americans are ready to think seriously about that. Too bad it might come too late for both the Europeans and for us.
Mike
The problems in Germany are caused by desperate Syrian refugees who are afraid they will die of disease and starvation in European refugee camps like the ones in Jordan. They would rather die in Europe than die in Syria.
Obama, Victoria Nuland, Samantha Power and Hillary Clinton have tried for 6 years to overthrow President Assad of Syria. They could have done this simply by invading Syria with 100,000 troops. But U.S. policy – supported be US media – has been to arm Al Qaeda, ISIS and anyone other “freedom fighter” in order to bomb Syrian cities, towns and villages and shoot unarmed civilians.
Russia has arrived in Syria. Russia can restore peace and prosperity to Syria by Christmas. The Europeans can then send the Syrian refugees back to their homes.
Keynesian theory holds that breaking windows is good for the economy because replacing them creates lots of new jobs. Well the US and its allies have broken lots of windows in Syria and there will be lots of jobs for returning refugees. Naturally, the Fed, via the world bank, can print the money needed to pay to rebuild Syria.
Obama is trying to stop Russia from bringing peace to Syria. He wants war with Russia and China.
As a good Muslem he wants to bring the world to an End. Please note that civil defense no longer exists and there are no air raid shelters – except for Cheyenne Mountain which has been recently restocked and redecorated.
America is still in Europe. Compared with the period between the wars, the U.S. is very much in Europe, with troops and airbases and the Sixth Fleet.
Russia is still out. Russia is messing with Ukraine, but that’s almost two thousand kilometers east of where they used to be.
And if the Germans are up, it’s because they are paying everyone else’s bills.
It seems to be only a matter of time before the locals start killing these muslim invaders. At first it will be frowned upon by all right thinking folks but then the brakes will be off and they’ll be cut down in rapidly increasing numbers. Then the immigration problem will solve itself as the invaders flee back home.
Dies Irae – The neocon policy of destabilizing the Middle East has been a massive disaster. The chaos we have created now threatens to destabilize Turkey and spread into Europe.
Die Irae – One can hope that Russian intervention will improve things in Syria but the disastrous consequences of US foreign policy in the Middle East will be with us for a long time.
“the disastrous consequences of Obama foreign policy in the Middle East will be with us for a long time.”
FIFY
BHO’s Killing Fields nets a reconstituted and fortified Hamburg Cell. Farrakhan teeth say “the Mahdi already heah”
The Sixth Fleet no longer has a carrier. When we reduced carrier number Europe took the hit. We aren’t out, but we’re pivoting.
Are there a bunch of Russian trolls here?
To Joe Wooten – I don’t know that the Russians can do much in Syria. However Russian foreign policy in the Middle East is most unlikely to be as insame as US policy has been.
“Are there a bunch of Russian trolls here?” You don’t need to be a Russian troll to shake your head in despair at the reckless stupidity of so much American foreign policy over the last couple of decades. Or, at least, it looks very stupid if you suppose that it was intended to defend the USA’s vital interests. If it had some other purpose I suppose that would be different.
Obama, Clinton, Nuland and Power earned their spurs through lies, deceit and war in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa. They are the Four Horsemen – Death, War, Famine, Pestilence.
If you think We are Russian trolls you read too much Progressive Propaganda.
Dies Irae Says…
Always weird to see Putin’s professional Russian propaganda corps here at Chicago Boyz.
[Jonathan: “Dies Irae” posts from the same IP address as “grey eagle”, an “anonymous” and a couple of other pseudonyms. So it may be that the corps in this case is one person.]
As for the propaganda line about the neocons destabilizing the Middle East, it wasn’t exactly going well before. The bottle was originally uncorked, if I remember correctly, when the USSR invaded Afghanistan. In an effort to expand the Soviet Empire southward towards the Persian Gulf, they overthrew a relatively stable and peaceful kingdom. The world has been dealing with the fallout from that phenomenally stupid blunder for 35 years now. 99% of the rest can be laid at the feet of radical islam. Whatever blunders the West have committed are minor by comparison.
How about Jim? He’s always upvoting the Russian line.
“Germany’s Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said today that the country may take in up to a million refugees this year.”
Just what Germany and Europe needs, I’m sure. A million new muslims. Great plan. Islam is incompatible with Western Civilization.
Recent American involvement in the Middle East, ostensibly to protect and secure oil supplies to the West, ultimately ended up in a number of ways facilitating the end of Western dependence on Middle Eastern oil.
“The chaos we have created now threatens to destabilize Turkey and spread into Europe”
The purpose of American involvement in the Middle East was never to protect or secure Europe, and Turkey has made its own bed by first trying to overthrow Assad in a fit of neo-Ottoman grandiose delusions then having this effort blow up in its face.
“If it had some other purpose I suppose that would be different.”
The middle east has not recovered from the original event of the fall of the Ottoman Empire which misruled the middle east for about 500 years. Tribal behavior is not unique to Islam as the Serbs developed a form of tribal behavior from Ottoman rule.
The unique fact that brought the middle east into our collective living rooms is oil. Now that fracking allows the US to withdraw from the middle east, this will result in chaos and genocide but Obama already ruled that out as a reason to stay in Iraq.
I don’t buy the argument that we are responsible for the failure of Islam as a political system.
We were driving to our hotel yesterday afternoon and saw a rather bizarre flea market with lots of “migrants” and other Muslims buying and selling used clothing. Walking around today, I saw a population of central Brussels with lots of middle eastern people.
Ypres, which is in Flemish Belgium, seems to have much fewer middle easterners and the Flemish signs are prominent. Brussels is in French speaking Belgium. There are beautiful old buildings, most of which have been destroyed in several wars since 1500 and rebuilt. I wonder if future Belgians will have the energy to do so?
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was something the Soviets came to regret and it certainly was not stabilizing. However the neocon policy in the Middle East was in no way a minor mistake. It was a catastrophic disaster whose consequences continue to unfold.
You say, quite correctly, that Islam and the Western Civilization are incompatible. I have frequently made exactly that statement. Of course that means that efforts to transform Middle Eastern societies into something similar to modern Western societies are hopeless. We cannot make Arabs like us – in either sense of the term.
You don’t want Europe flooded with millions of alien refugees who will engender future bloody conflict within Europe. Why then create chaos in the Middle East that will eventually spill over into Europe?
When we escalated in Iraq the price of oil rose high enough for capital investment in fracking. Then when fracking developed enough for production, we completely withdrew from Iraq, which sent the price of oil, after stabilizing for a few years, crashing down. That ended Arab petro-hegemony and critically damaged their source of power. We couldn’t have planned it out any better.
“However the neocon policy in the Middle East was in no way a minor mistake. It was a catastrophic disaster whose consequences continue to unfold.”
The suspicion that you are a Russian troll is stimulated by those statements.
Maybe you are just a leftist with no history. Also a real possibility.
Bush was willing to see if Arabs could rule themselves without tyrants. Iraq seemed to me to be a reasonable possibility. We now know it wasn’t.
I agree that he botched it by appointing Bremer but that was who State wanted, apparently.
Who knew that Japan could become a modern society, although not strictly a democracy.?
South Korea is another.
Maybe Confucian societies are better able to adapt to modern life. Islamic ones are not. Now we know.
Syria is a country with a Christian populace that dates directly back to Jesus and Muslim populace that dates directly to Mohammed and Jews who have lived in Syria since Solomon. They can handle their hatred unless some one steps in with a few billion dollars and destabilizes these “interfaih” relationships.
Russia is a federation of many sovereign states – like the US constitution – each state with laws acceptable to its residents. Obama will never put boots on the ground. Putin will and he can quickly stop ISIS in both Syria and Iraq and Syria. He has Assad’s promise to hold snap elections in Syria in order to elect a popular government.
Now the US could do the same but Obama will never ask Petraeus to command these troops and Petraeus will never accept command from Obama. No one but Petraeous can do this job for the US.
Russia has troops in Syria and it can bring peace to Syria by Xmas. The Fed can print an extra trillion dollars and give it to the world bank to loan to Syrian migrants in order to rebuild Syria. The migrants will buy their supplies from the EU which will stop the current decline/depression in the EU. A trillion dollars will lure the Syrian immigrants swiftly back to rebuild Syria.
Russia will emerge a hero in EU and Victoria Nuland will give the Ukraine back to Russia and the US will stop trying to destroy the Russian economy, and also will stop using NATO to force Russia into a nuclear war with the US. France will be allowed to sell 2 ships to Russia.
The Fed has already spent 4 trillion on QE and another trillion for world peace won’t matter. However, as Sen Dirkson said, “A trillion here and a trillion there and pretty soon you are talking real money”.
In 1984 Russia had 9000 troops in Syria. They suffered many casualties fighting in Lebanon including dozens of officers and three generals. They didn’t bring peace or victory then, and they won’t bring it now. The only thing the Russians have proven they can do is secure enclaves for separatists. This is their real mission – secure the Northwest corner of Syria for the Assad regime and its ethnic group.
“Russia is a federation of many sovereign states – like the US constitution – each state with laws acceptable to its residents. ”
Now we know you are a Russian troll. Who knew Chicagoboyz was so important ?
To Mike K – Your comparison of Japan with Iraq is idiotic. Japan is a real nation that goes back in history more than 1500 years. Japan has a highly homogeneous population with enormous social cohesion. Everybody speaks Japanese (the Ainu language has almost no speakers left). The average IQ of the Japanese population is about 107 and for the
last 1500 years Japan has generally had one of the highest standards of living in the world exceeded by Western Europe only at the end of the 18th century.
Iraq is a completely artificial “country” with arbitrary borders carved out of the remains of the Ottoman Empire. The peoples of Iraq are mostly tribal and clannish, belong to different sects and religions with a history of violent conflict, and speak different languages. To speak of Iraq has a nation is to indulge in total fantasy.
Democracy tends to exacerbate internal conflict so it is a stable form of government only for homogeneous countries. For most of the world democracy tends to engender violent conflict. The “country” of Iraq is totally unsuitable for democracy.
To Mike K – Japan is not a Confucian society. Confucius had relatively little influence on Japan.
“Who knew that Japan could become a modern society ..”
Japan has been a highly dynamic and successful nation for a very long time. Living standards in Japan exceeded those in Western Europe until the latter part of the 18th century. While the West did surge ahead in technology during the early 19th century Japan quickly learned and adopted Western science and technology during the latter part of the 19th century.
“Your comparison of Japan with Iraq is idiotic.”
I don’t deal with questionable characters who make wild statements.
Bye.
Zero Hedge has a nice article on Syria. Worth reading. It explains why there are so many refuges and suggests why Putin wants to fight ISIS and why the US wants ISIS to run free
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-09-15/putin-accuses-world-using-terrorist-groups-destabilize-governments
BTW. I don’t work for Putin or Russia or even the Russian Troll works. Born in 1942 I grew up with the atomic bomb and the spread of International Communism. Now that Russia and China have abandoned International Communism it would be pointless to follow NATO’s lead and start a nuclear war with them. But I’m a stupid old crone who thinks SJWs are very much like 1930’s NAZIs.
” But I’m a stupid old crone who thinks SJWs are very much like 1930’s NAZIs.”
I agree and am willing to have discussions with people who don’t reflexively insult me.
“why the US wants ISIS to run free”
Don’t make the mistake of equating the US with Obama and his SJWs.
“the Assad regime which, you’re reminded, must remain in place if Putin intends to protect Gazprom’s iron grip over Europe’s supply of natural gas. ”
Fair point.
“being more honest about its motives than The White House. ”
Notice the accurate distinction between “The White House” and US policy at all other levels. Many of us are trying to figure our what it is that The White House wants.
“The first thing to note there is that Putin has essentially called the US out for using terrorists to destabilize Assad. So for anyone just looking for the punchline, that was it. Everyone else, read on. ”
Again, the article os conflating the US and Obama and his minions.
“the role that natural gas plays in all of this, and ii) that the Kremlin will seek to prevent anyone from overthrowing Assad, so to the extent that there are any real, well-meaning “freedom fighters” in Syria, they’ll find themselves on the wrong end of Russian tank fire just the same as ISIS.”
Aha ! Now we are getting somewhere.
I think the rest of the article, which I read, is into conspiracy theories that Zero Hedge has a reputation for.
I just don’t think Obama and his allies have the first notion what they are doing. Conquest’s Laws of Bureaucracy apply here. The Pentagon is a special case these days.
The simplest way to explain the behavior of any bureaucratic organization is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies .
At first I was impressed that ChicagoBoyz was attracting a better class of troll, but then this happened:
“ No one but Petraeous can do this job for the US.”
Oy oy oy oy veh.
To Mike K. – Perhaps I have been overly severe with you. But before we involve ourselves in foreign quagmires mightn’t it be a good idea to learn at least a tiny amount about the lands we are intervenibng in?
“mightn’t it be a good idea to learn at least a tiny amount about the lands we are intervenibng in?”
I’m in Belgium tonight. Tell us your extensive experience that make you an expert.
How long were you in Iraq or Iran ? How long in Libya ?
Come on, don’t be shy. We would love to know who you are and why you are such an expert.
As usual the Tyler Durdens have all got their tin foil hats on too tight. The situation is too complicated for that.
Russia is currently far more worried about natural gas coming from Azerbaijan through Georgia than any coming through Syria. And, with gas set to be pumped out of the eastern Mediterranean by Israel and possibly now Egypt, that pushes Syria even farther out of the equation. Gas isn’t why Russia is there. Over the summer they already worked out agreements to build another pipeline to Germany through the Baltic Sea (yet another reason why we don’t care about defending Germany anymore – they are Russian allies).
And the US is not currently using terrorists to overthrow Assad. It’s true that after Qaddafi fell arms were funneled from Libya to Syria, and some Jihadists got their hands on them. It was part of the Obama/Valerie Jarret/Muslim Brotherhood/’Responsibility to Protect’ plan. That went down in flames after Benghazi.
The biggest threat to Damascus is the Southern Front, who are actually comprised of moderates, but some reports that they get logistical assistance from the Al Qaeda affiliate.
Here’s the battle map. They’re primarily fighting Iran and Hezbollah, and they’re winning. We don’t help them, but Israel has provided them cross border medical help, although there are now complications with that because of the Israeli Druze population. Normally loyal to Israel, they also have significant numbers in Syria who stand to lose out if Assad goes because they’re considered heretics by Jihadists.
The Al Qaeda Jihadists are mostly striking in the north, threatening Latakia, the ancestral homeland of Assad and his ethnic group, and they are winning. This is why Russia is there. To defend this northwest enclave, especially if Assad needs to retreat from Damascus.
We don’t help these rebels either. We did try to train some rebels to fight in the north, the “Division 30”, but that was a joke from the get go. We spent $500 million to train 60 guys in Turkey who were promptly captured at the border. Turkey is playing Obama for the complete fool that he is.
At present, we’re only assisting one rebel group, and that is the Kurds. They’re so moderate they’re building a liberal confederation.
If we really cared about winning – something, anything – we would double down and help them complete their sweep across the northern border and seal off the Al Qaeda and ISIS supply lines completely.
As that will never happen as long as Turkey is to the north, the best that can result from this colossal mess for the foreseeable future is a multi-sided stalemate.
Grurray, good summary from what I know.
The people who claim wisdom and make these assertions about, for example,
Japan has been a highly dynamic and successful nation for a very long time.
Japan was a feudal state that treated the inhabitants like slaves and which banned the wheel lest the common people learn how to travel.
In 604 the regent Prince Shōtoku (573–620) enacted a constitution of 17 articles, with a very Chinese and indeed Confucianist flavour, esteeming harmony and hard work.
Another example of the dope being certain about things that are not true.
But before we involve ourselves in foreign quagmires mightn’t it be a good idea to learn at least a tiny amount about the lands we are intervenibng in?
Liberals (that includes virtually the entire Anglo right) genuinely believe in the universality of current Western values. So they don’t need to know anything about other peoples as, ultimately, we are all the same!
I grew up in a family in which just about every adult male did or still does contract work in the Middle East or North Africa – after all those countries are so hopeless they need Westerners to do everything that requires skills. Yet, as far as I know, none of them or the ex-colleagues (mostly British, Australian, and North American) with actual experience of the region thought the stated goals of Operation Iraqi Freedom could possibly work. These are all practical people working in fields that require the application of empirical evidence. Those who drew up OIF were (alas, still are) liberal ideologues who grew up in white middle/upper class bubbles. Practical knowledge and empirical evidence simply don’t matter to these insular know-it-alls as they have a near religious faith in universal liberalism. They probably believe the Muslims currently invading Europe will integrate into European societies unless, of course, white Islamophobic racists prevent them from doing so.
Russia is currently far more worried about natural gas coming from Azerbaijan through Georgia than any coming through Syria. And, with gas set to be pumped out of the eastern Mediterranean by Israel and possibly now Egypt, that pushes Syria even farther out of the equation. Gas isn’t why Russia is there
Correct. Obviously a good patron doesn’t want to see its client overthrown but practically speaking Syria is of little importance to Russia. A few years ago we were hearing Russia’s main concern was the naval base at Tartus. That was never believable either. Here’s an interesting article on Russia’s intervention by Mark Galeotti. As the subheadline says the whole thing reeks of Russian desperation.
Those who drew up OIF were (alas, still are) liberal ideologues who grew up in white middle/upper class bubbles. Practical knowledge and empirical evidence simply don’t matter to these insular know-it-alls as they have a near religious faith in universal liberalism.
The people who decided we had to invade Iraq as the program to contain them was collapsing, were not necessarily “liberal ideologues who grew up in white middle/upper class bubbles.”
The US State Department that sent Paul Bremer to rule Iraq after we defeated Saddam’s army might well fit that description.
The ignorance about why we invaded in just staggering, I have spent some time describing what happened. I cannot be the only one who understands this.
“Here’s an interesting article on Russia’s intervention by Mark Galeotti”
That is a very fine assessment, especially the last paragraph. Putin stopped Obama’s red line a few years ago and made Obama look like an amateur. Since then he spent all his geopolitical capital in Ukraine and won’t be able to repeat the same maneuver. With time running out on the weakest presidency in American history, Putin has just about run out of time and options.
East Anglian – Yes, you are right. The professed beliefs of the American\European elite would be just hilarious if it were not for the the power these people have. I remember being utterly astonished by the nonsense written about Iraq by neocon ideologues in the run up to the disastrous US invasion. Just get rid of Saddam and the place would become a model of Western modernity for the Arab world. Instead we got ISIS.
“the nonsense written about Iraq by neocon ideologues in the run up to the disastrous US invasion.”
It would be interesting to see a link to those comments. There were a few but not many.
Mike, also when feudal Japan was ruled by the samurai they banned contact with foreigners for over 200 years. This was also the time they banned firearms. That didn’t work out too well for them when Commodore Perry came sailing in. Nowadays they have very strict gun control. It sounds good to liberals, but it had the unintended effect of promoting Japanese organized crime gangs, who unsurprisingly don’t follow the gun laws, into the most powerful crime syndicates in the world.
“And the US is not currently using terrorists to overthrow Assad.”
Amazing. Well there is no room for argument here. With this kind of thing, and of course Mike K’s massive intellect and historical grasp, we are just wheat to your chaff.
I may have some of that wrong.
“I may have some of that wrong.”
Is there anything you don’t have wrong ?
I can’t think of anything.
Here is today’s headline from President Putin (as reported by RT)
RT says:
“Putin: ISIS has designs on Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, endangers Europe & RussiaIslamic State has designs on the holy cities of Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem and endangers Europe and Russia, Vladimir Putin said. Moscow is concerned about IS-trained jihadists returning to EU countries, the CIS and Russia.
The situation is very serious, Putin said, adding that Moscow is very worried that IS terrorists are publicly announcing their designs on Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. The jihadists also plan to spread their activities to Europe, Russia, central and southeastern Asia.”
http://www.rt.com/news/315374-isis-danger-spread-putin/
CNN covered up for the four horsemen by not asking about Russia, Syria, Putin or Syrian refugees. Reporters in US are devoted Obama and to producing propaganda that praises our dear leader.
IF ISIS captures Medina and Mecca and Jerusalem Obama may be forced to postpone the 2016 elections in order to fight terrorism and Russia.
I doubt that ISIS will get anywhere near Jerusalem, at least for more than the interval when the projectile leaves the muzzle and arrives at target.
Mecca and Medina could be an issue. Obviously Yemen is the doorway.
Grurray – Yes, the Japanese were astonished by the accuracy of Perry’s artillery in comparison with their own antiquated cannons. No question that the Japanese had fallen behind the West technologically in the first half of the 19th century. However the speed at which the Japanese learned and adopted Western science and technology in the latter part of the 19th century is one of the most amazing episodes in history. In contrast a place like Haiti, located right near the US, has a lower standard of living today than it had 200 years ago. The difference between an average IQ of 107 and and average IQ of about 70.
The Japanese are highly dependent on Middle Eastern oil but they have never gotten involved in the myriad conflicts of the Middle East thus saving themselves trillions of dollars in wealth not to mention thousands of lives and amputees. They care not which brutal strong man controls this or that Middle Eastern hellhole. Perhaps the difference between US foreign policy in the Middle East and Japanese foreign policy has something to do with the average IQ of 107 in Japan.
Japanese foreign policy is based on serving the welfare of the Japanese people. What an astonishing idea! Perhaps we should consider basing US foreign policy on serving the welfare of the American people. Then maybe we wouldn’t have so many young men sitting in wheelchairs missing a leg or two.
And that would open the field to the Russians, which is the point.
Only four or five U.S.-trained Syrian rebels are still fighting in Syria.
The program reportedly cost $500 million and only trained about 100 rebels, so that works out to around $5 million per rebel with a 95% failure rate. I believe this makes the program a success by Washington standards.
At the same time, the senate blocked direct aid to the Kurds. The problem is the Kurds are actually winning, which is clearly opposite of our strategic objectives of managing short term challenges, degrade, destroy, trust, fairness, etc.
Grurray – We have to make a choice. We cannot be on the side of both the Turks and the Kurds. We can be on one side or the other or we could try to stay neutral but it is an illusion to think that we can be on both sides. Support for the Kurds means conflict with the Turks. Do we want to deal with a destabilized Turkey? Life is a matter of choices – generally difficult.
Do we want to deal with a destabilized Turkey?
We aren’t?
You ain’t seen nothing yet.
http://www.vocativ.com/news/231962/kurds-mock-men-for-fleeing-conflict-while-women-stay-and-fight
The Kurds have a female battalion that wins regularly against ISIS but gets no money from Hillary/Obama. T wins every fight with ISIS.
The Russians have a female battalion too.
ISIS men are too proud to run from women on the battlefield.
“Perhaps the difference between US foreign policy in the Middle East and Japanese foreign policy has something to do with the average IQ of 107 in Japan.”
So, I guess that IQ rose pretty quickly since 1945. Amusing to see such brilliance in one commenter.
So brilliant that no links to supporting evidence is ever offered. No need, I guess.
Erdogan is learning that Turks west of the Bosphorus are not interested in resuming Ottoman rule. The Islamists are all in Anatolia.
Sitting next to one of Turkey’s highest mountains, Mount Erciyes, Kayseri was once home to thousands of Greeks and Armenians until they were driven out or slaughtered a century ago. Their once grand mansions stand derelict, the basements dotted with gaping holes where looters tunnelled to look for gold. But today Kayseri symbolises the “new Islam” ushered in by AK when it came to power in 2002. This mix of piety and entrepreneurship has produced a class of so called “Islamic Calvinists” who have popularised such things as Turkish jeans and furniture across the world. Abdullah Gul, Turkey’s president and a co-founder of AK, is Kayseri’s most famous son.
Loot, in Turkey or Baltimore, is the main attraction of these politics.
Wow! My comment actually made it. Slow link to the site.
According to Grurray the neocon wars were a clever manipulation of the price of oil. The American people were not told that their sons and daughters were dying in Iraq to manipulate the price of oil. Their were told that they were dying for democracy and human rights and to save us from non-existent weapons of mass destruction.
Whatever the true motives of the neocons the professed goal of the neocons was to transform places like Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Iran into modern democracies with Western style human rights, religious tolerance etc.(No one mentioned transforming Saudi Arabia in a similar fashion.) Does anybody here any longer believe (if they ever did) that this is possible? At this point it seems highly unlikely that places like Iraq, Syria or Libya will even be united under a single government in the forseeable future. If perchance they are it will be under the rule of a strong man tyrant whose devotion to democracy or human rights will differ little from that of Khadaffi, Assad or Hussein.
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/russia-fsu/2014-06-16/what-kremlin-thinking
Here is an interesting article that suggests
– that US policy is to completely dismember Russia into tiny pieces and create a billion refugees who will flood Europe with pleas for asylum
– that Russians, having experienced all the joys that socialism can bring, want to become American style entrepreneurs like Donald Trump or Waren Buffett
Syria is the test bed for the plans to dismember Russia