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Saturday, March 1, 2014

Real-World Preparedness: Learning from the Ukraine Crisis


5 comments:

Don Williams said...

Ukraine may possibly have a significant impact on US citizens as well.
To see why, you first need to see how this looks from the Russian
viewpoint.

1) Ukraine is 4500 miles from the USA and is on Russia's doorstep.
Moscow is roughly 250 miles from the border. And yet the USA has
dumped over $5 Billion into Ukrainian politics. The US government calls it spreading democracy, Russians see it as subversion and propaganda. Ron Paul thinks the Russians have a point.
Ref:
a) http://www.antiwar.com/paul/?articleid=4135
b) http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2013/12/20131216289031.html#ixzz2uDCREyNA
(fourth paragraph from the bottom )
c) http://www.ned.org/where-we-work/eurasia/ukraine

2) The fact is that CIA officers used to be trained in this but the job has since been handed over to the moral demigods known as Non-Governmental Organizations
(NGOs.)--even though they are largely funded by the US Government.

Plus the way things work behind closed doors was revealed a
few weeks ago when a phone conversation between US Asst Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and US Ambassador to Ukraine Pratt was recorded
and leaked. Some excerpts:

"Nuland: Good. I don't think Klitsch [Vitaly Klitschko, one of three main opposition leaders] should go into the government. I
don't think it's necessary, I don't think it's a good idea. "

"Nuland: [Breaks in] I think Yats [Arseniy Yatseniuk, another opposition leader] is the guy who's got the economic experience, the governing experience. He's the... what he needs is Klitsch and Tyahnybok on the outside"

"Nuland: ... So that would be great, I think, to help glue this thing and to have the UN help glue it and, you know, Fuck the EU."

Ref: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26079957

3) Ha ha ha . So a few weeks later the new leader of Ukraine is selected behind closed doors and it is ..ta da.. "Yats". People who need a $35 Billion
economic rescue are remarkably open to suggestions.

Although if you look at the BBC transcript, Vicky Nuland wasn't exactly offering a tentative
suggestion to be debated and discussed by those unwashed protestors on the Maidan.

Don Williams said...

1) Now the reason why US intervention in Ukraine scares the crap out of the Russians is simple: We have 287 stealth fighter which --if they were launched from bases in Ukraine --have the range to destroy almost every one of Russia's 318 ICBMs in a single, coordinated surprise strike. Boom -- within 10 seconds Russia is totally defenseless. The exception is two sites in central Russia but those are vulnerable to F22s launched from our bases in Afghanistan. Details available if anyone is interested.

2) Plus the Russians are asking what possible reason could the US government have to pour $Billions into a bankrupt Ukrainian --if not to obtain a base from which to dismember Russia and seize her natural resources. And thereby conquer the world.
Good question -- I can't think of any other reason.

Don Williams said...

1) After the Cuban Missile Crisis, Russian and American leaders agreed they would not push each other into a corner. But Putin is obviously being pushed into a corner --where he either needs to use his nukes or lose them. Short of starting a nuclear war, what can he do? Just taking the Crimea won't be enough.
2) Well, one thing he could do is start evacuating Russia's major cities -- the opening kickoff to nuclear war. That would force the Pentagon to do the same -- 70% of US population is in 484 urbanized areas and the USA would collapse if that many people were lost.
3) Evacuating Russian cities would not be an act of war --but it would really screw Obama and the USA. Wall Street would panic, the stock market would crash, the economy would fall into recession, unemployment would soar and the Democrats would lose both houses of Congress this November. And that is looking on the bright side.
4) So realize the US stock market --which has risen significantly in the past year --has suddenly gotten more risky and watch your savings.

Anonymous said...

What world do you live in, Don? Why in hell would the US ever want to invade Russia? We are war weary fighting a few small countries with much smaller armed forces. America is barely holding together, but you honestly think the government wants to invade (or nuke) Russia?

Don Williams said...

1) I live in a world in which the USA is separated from Eurasia by two large oceans, is $17 Trillion in debt, and has a large baby boomer generation entering retirement with a $40 Trillion shortfall in Social Security retirement and Medicare healthcare.

2) And yet:

US military budget: $682 Billion

Russia military budget:$91 billion

3) But maybe my map is off--maybe Ukraine is actually on the US border and is 4500 miles from Russia.