CrossTalk: Destroying Syria (Excellent show! Must watch)

@astabada

Good thing about Egypt and the military regime is that they will not be as willing to support the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria when they are opposing them in Egypt and might have some talks and agreements with Russia.

@Vineyardsaker

I had that suspicion, in particular given the economic support that Egypt enjoys from Saudi Arabia.

However I do not have your knowledge of militaria to jump to conclusions.

Thanks

From alternative news sources I’ve read that Russia is also sending warships to the Mediterranean.
Do you reckon this to be true?

Sorry to say, but I feel disgusted to see Putin quickly backing off in face of danger and abandoning Assad recently… I can only hope the news about Russian warships joining the party are true.

You see, I feel Russia thinks its nuclear weapons are enough of a deterrent, when, really, they aren’t. One only needs to remember Bush threatening Pakistan after 9/11. Recent news about the NATO GenSec’s statements in Serbia, about it belonging in NATO, would be a good read in the Kremlin also.

Divide and conquer ACTUALLY WORKS!
Been proven time and time again.

@Saker

And what would you have him do? Use military force to protect Syria and thereby start a war with the US/NATO? Do you realize that simply because of geography Russia *CANNOT* win a war in Syria? Yes, the Russians could make the Americans pay, but at the price of being defeated. Or are you suggesting that they start, or threaten to start, a nuclear war?!

I would have him stand his ground!
I would say to him: ‘Why don’t you put your money wher your mouth is’?
And, YES, I would have him threaten the US in the SAME way that the US threatens Russia!

Besides, since when does Russia have the obligation to protect the entire planet from Uncle Sam?

I was talking about Russia defending ITSELF actually, we saw how it defended Serbia already… I was thinking (and I still hope) that wiser heads than mine in Russia know that this isn’t about Syria at all…

You say you are “disgusted” with Putin:

I’m also disgusted by politicians in my country, but see:

would you be ready to sacrifice YOUR country for Russia’s sake?

I told you divide and conquer ACTUALLY works!

And why do you – and American politicians – pick on Russia anyway?! Why not demand that China also commit its military to protect Syria? Has Russia EVER promised something beyond what China has committed to, i.e.: to use all political means to prevent the US Empire from attacking Syria?

Yes, Russia committed itself FAR MORE than China in this particular situation, and I don’t see why should we avoid being objective about it. If you don’t like my comments, please say so, and I will comment on your blog no longer.

Forgive me for saying so, but it’s all very well for you to sit at the keyboard and tell the two biggest nations on earth how they should act, but responsible heads of state like Putin or Xi Jinping are first and foremost responsible for the safety and welfare of THEIR people. They are not “rent-a-cops” which can be dispatched all over the planet to fix the many wrongs out there under the threat of eliciting somebody’s “disgust”.

Sorry, am I talking to an actual warrior on the battlefield here?! Are we not exchanging ideas on the internet?! Is this not a blog where you write your thoughts, and expect people to voice their opinion?! Or am I not worthed to comment because I fire words instead of bullets?!
And come back to me with that “rent-a-cops” thought when ‘The Empire’ is at the gates (God forbid).

So if Putin makes you feel disgusted, I wonder whom you admire and respect?

Rather a personal question, but I don’t mind answering it:
All of the people I respect and admire took the same example, you can find their names in the Orthodox Calendar. Each day – we commemorate a different Saint. Most of them went (humbly) against ‘The Empire’ of that time – The Romans, until the Empire was defeated with the weapons of humility and sacrifice. Sadly, words that have little meaning in todays world…

British MPs just voted Cameron’s proposal for Syria military intervention down… I hope US follows suit.

(No hard feelings for your censorship of my comments)

:)

Define this is practical terms, not just as a slogan. Would you have him attack US/NATO forces using Russian warships?

Is that the only alternative at his disposal than? I should think not!
No, he could’ve been less vocal about the S-300, and actually deliver it to Syria (and Iran for that matter) without the media pompousness. He could not back down in the face of Western pressure. He could put do many things that I am not aware of, since Russia has a powerful military/Espionage/Diplomacy. Must everything be black and white?! Must all solutions be radical? See US policy, he could act similar, but from a high moral ground. That would’ve been admirable (in my more-than-humble opinion).

His mouth, and that of his diplomats, ALWAYS said that Russia would NOT resort to military force.

I would have him be more of a Lavrov, and less of a Medvedev. As I’ve said before, there is more than brute obvious use of force.

Agreed. But Russia would hardly “defend” itself by starting a war with the US/NATO.

Again, you use the extreme option to illustrate… What I’m saying is that Russia shouldn’t wait until WAR is the only option. And, it is sure to come to that (if millenniums worth of Empires history is anything to go by).

How so? Please give an example of that.

I know I’m speaking with someone smart enough to know, so I’ll live this unanswered.

I do not agree with your view, but that sure does not mean that I want you to stop posting. Now if *you* want to stop – that is your prerogative, of course.

It’s your blog, you’re the host, so I’ll be acting by the rules you setup (kinda like being a guest in your house). And not to nitpick, but prerogative’s definition is “privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class”…as you can see – I have no class. Just a barely literate man asking questions here…

Neither of us is on the battlefield, but you are disgusted by the fact that Russia does not want to start a war whereas I say that it is unfair to tell others to go and fight and die.

Well, to be fair, I never said that (nor do I want that) and you’re just making silly/baseless accusations (one could say – you’re USing me:) )

Does that include Saint Alexander Nevsky who CHOSE not to fight the Mongols who were too powerful to be beaten and with whom he joined forces to boot out the Papists? Does that include Saint Mikhail of Chernigov who accepted the humiliating obligation to submit the Khan except in matters of faith?

Yes, both of them, and also Saint Paul the Apostle who wanted to be judged in Rome because he was a Roman citizen. See, all of those actually had ‘a higher goal’ than what was obvious…

Christ told us to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matt 10:16)

True, I thought I was suggesting just that.

not stupid like a lemming or aggressive like rabid bobcat.

That’d be your theological comparison/view, I never read that particular comparison from any of the Holy Fathers.

Euh?! Which comment did I not post? It has been weeks since I did reject somebody’s comment, what are you talking about?! I have as a policy NEVER to reject a comment unless it is an advertisement/spam, or really rude towards somebody besides me, or unless its just a link without any explanation. I always post all other comments…

Must be a Blogger glitch or something, my first comment was up in a minute, while my other comments didn’t seem to appear until an hour afterwards…though in my defense, I DID say ‘No hard feelings’ on my part…

:)

@Saker

Please don’t play the ‘words out of contest’ game. If I wanted that, I’d comment on the BBC/CNN/DT/Guardian website…I should come clean that I only came to comment here because I respect your opinion(s). My offer of not commenting here still stands though.

Not true. You wrote One only needs to remember Bush threatening Pakistan after 9/11.

I wrote that in the context that even a nuclear power can be threatened. (Threatened to oblivion it seems it was).

Recent news about the NATO GenSec’s statements in Serbia, about it belonging in NATO, would be a good read in the Kremlin also.

Yes, I wrote that in context of American NGOs playing with popular opinion. This vis-a-vis Russia and ‘foreign agents’. Something that should keep the Kremlin alert.

Then you asserted (with no evidence) that Russia did not use other non-military means,

Please point to where I’ve said this?

you then claimed (with no evidence) that Russia mde but did not deliver on these promises, then you claimed (with no evidence) that Russia was more committed than China – and now you tell me that I am using you?!

Russia was indeed more committed than China, and I felt I needn’t show evidence since this is common knowledge, and as to the ‘you are using me part’, sorry I played a word game, what I meant is you are US(as in United States)ing me…
Yes, I know – my humor is not that of John Cleese..I bow my head in shame here :)

But ok, let set it all aside, maybe its a communication issue.

Indeed it might be. Certainly was on my humor part.

Can you give a FACT-based and LOGICAL-reason to express “disgust” with Putin?

That might prove to be tricky.
How can I point to a fact, that makes me feel in a certain way?! After all, I’m only human. My feelings might not be proven by a forensic.
I can only say – in this instant, I’m disappointed in the man. After all he has done for Russia in the past decade, I thought he gave it much more thought before going with a bluff on Syria – one which might backfire and make Russia look weak and pitiful. Another point for the Anglos to laugh at Russia (and use against him personally also).

@Saker

Of-course that would be easy if Putin said what you say explicitly…

How about this:
Putin NEVER said that he would bring Russia back to be a major world player, and yet HE DID! I truly like and respect him for it!
Did he lie?!
Not really, he tried his best and succeeded. Now he tried again, and seems to have failed and I hate that he didn’t think it trough.

Yeltsin tried many things, one was putting Russian soldiers in Chechnya and Kosovo, and he failed MISERABLY
Do I respect him for tying?
Somewhat, but I couldn’t say I’m disappointed in him either, since he never was a true Russian leader.
Putin I believed in, but on this issue he (seems to) have let me down.
But seeing how you seem to be OK with recent developments, and Russia’s/Putin’s role in them, I’ll refrain from further comments on the matter…

Cheers,
The Anonymous
:)

Obama is getting really stupid advice right now. After the vote in the UK, he should have told his aides to shut up. Instead they are now talking about ‘going it alone’ with very ‘limited’ strikes, just a ‘shot across the bow’ to ‘send a message.’

At this point, I can’t help but think that Obama must be fuming mad and just wants to save face — but probably knows that it’s all futile.

It’s amazing to watch the total lack of professionalism and intelligence in Washington — a sign that the US has lost the capacity to generate the talent to reproduce its old hegemony. Just recall Susan Rice’s angry rant after the Palestine vote at the UN. The Obama administration is now behaving in a similar fashion — lashing out like an embarrassed schoolyard bully and insisting that it can still do as it pleases.

What do you think: are we seeing the reality of multi-polarity asserting itself on the global battlefield of public opinion *and* strategic balance?

On another note, please see this article:

http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/syrias-assad-western-military-strike-we-shall-be-victorious

It suggests (towards the bottom) that the Syrian military has learned the lessons of the past decades of US/NATO wars — i.e., that air strikes will not win major conflicts and thus can be countered with smart decoys and disguises. This is the lesson which you have written about in the past.