My son sent me a CNN article concerned about this development. This is the message I sent back to him:
He responded with:
And I responded to that:
I really think it is a tempest in a teapot. Putin did not get to where he is by being stupid, and I have my doubts that the US can goad him into a war, try though they might... and appear to be doing. Putin, unlike BidenHarris, is aware that you fight wars on your own terms, not your enemy's terms, and I think is unlikely to be pushed beyond the point of no return. No victorious general ever let his enemy set the rules. Every day that goes by, the idea gets stronger with me that it is just a diversion to take attention away from Taiwan and the Chinese.
Putin's "demands" are as unrealistic and ridiculous as the American demands. When demands are unrealistic and ridiculous, there is some other hidden motive they are meant to mask by jerking folks' emotions and causing them to stop thinking.
That makes me wonder what China has promised Russia if they can divert western attention from Taiwan for just long enough.
.
Quote:Yeah, it's significant that is in the "Politics" section at CNN, because it's just political grandstanding meant to push Russia into a war. We already have 70,000 US troops permanently stationed in Europe, not to mention the national armies that live there, so I dunno what he thinks another 3k are gonna do other than send a political message.
He responded with:
Quote:I'm just not sure why we are doing anything when NATO hasn't blinked this entire time! I'm starting to think Trump was right about them they're outdated and useless. Ukraine they ain't worried they just want a shit ton of stinger missiles I think they wanna pull an afghan guerilla repulsion
I think all those eastern block countries learned from Crimea being annexed
And I responded to that:
Quote:Yup, NATO is useless in this day and age. It was originally formed to counter the Warsaw Pact, and when that collapsed in 1993 or so, there was no further reason for NATO to exist, much less admit members from places like Turkey, which is nowhere near the North Atlantic. Look at Germany - they are allegedly in NATO, yet are trying to block sales of weapons from Poland to the Ukraine. With "friends" and "allies" like Germany and Turkey, do we really need to make any more enemies?
I really think it is a tempest in a teapot. Putin did not get to where he is by being stupid, and I have my doubts that the US can goad him into a war, try though they might... and appear to be doing. Putin, unlike BidenHarris, is aware that you fight wars on your own terms, not your enemy's terms, and I think is unlikely to be pushed beyond the point of no return. No victorious general ever let his enemy set the rules. Every day that goes by, the idea gets stronger with me that it is just a diversion to take attention away from Taiwan and the Chinese.
Putin's "demands" are as unrealistic and ridiculous as the American demands. When demands are unrealistic and ridiculous, there is some other hidden motive they are meant to mask by jerking folks' emotions and causing them to stop thinking.
That makes me wonder what China has promised Russia if they can divert western attention from Taiwan for just long enough.
.
Diogenes was eating bread and lentils for supper. He was seen by the philosopher Aristippus, who lived comfortably by flattering the king.
Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’
Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’