Cold War II as Comfortable Shoes

Posted by Sean on August 29, 2008 Leave a comment (7) Go to comments

A colleague sent me this cartoon from the 1 September issue of the New Yorker.  It’s quite an appropriate addendum to “Loving Cold War II.”

"Cold War", US Politics, US-Russia
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7 Comments.

  1. ivanov August 31, 2008 at 7:07 am

    I’m not saying that I’m hell smart and all this :)
    Just some comments that I made at the first hours of “new page of modern history” (sorry, in Russian but with some explanations in Eng.). Watch dates and timing!

    http://m-yu-sokolov.livejournal.com/419325.html?thread=21744381#t21744381
    From: [info]ivanov_su
    Date: August 8th, 2008 01:31 am (local)

    моя версия ликбеза

    Мишико (Saakashvili) по согласованию с потомакским райкомом (White House) решили ситуацию “катализировать”.
    Если получится Южную Осетию “вернуть” – Мишико получает уйму бонусов и экспириенса (как говорят геймеры). (computer games joke)
    Если нет – то силой в ситуацию втягиваются “иврапейские друзья”. Типа “просим заshitы от русских агрессоров”….

    Видимо Мишико не уверен, что ему удаться продержаца (to keep his president chair) до вступления в нату (NATO) методом “мытья” и он решил прейти к “катанью”. (old Russian proverb “Не мытьем – так катаньем”. Means “By one way or another but anyway”

    Ликбез – ЛИКвидация БЕЗграмотности, a project in early Soviet days to eliminate illiteracy.

    From: [info]ivanov_su
    Date: August 8th, 2008 01:43 am (local)
    кажись я прав

    QUESTION: Gonzo, do you have anything about Ossetia?

    MR. GALLEGOS: South Ossetia?

    QUESTION: Yes.

    MR. GALLEGOS: I think so.

    QUESTION: President Saakashvili — you know, there were some victims, some fighting last night. And President Saakashvili said that the – he’s – he called several world leaders asking them for their help in maintaining peace. I wanted to know if he called Secretary Rice.

    MR. GALLEGOS: Well, we’re – I don’t believe – I don’t have any further information. I don’t have it that he spoke to Secretary Rice. But we’re in close contact with senior Russian and Georgian officials. We’re urging Moscow to press South Ossetia’s de facto leaders to stop firing. We’re urging Tbilisi to maintain restraint. We’re very concerned about the situation. We call for an immediate end to the violence and for direct talks between the parties.

    QUESTION: Do you think the South Ossetian people started the fighting, or who do you think is responsible?

    MR. GALLEGOS: We think it’s important that both sides stop firing, that they sit down and they discuss this in a peaceful manner.

    http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2008/aug/107990.htm

    “Мы призываем Россию оказать влияние на власти Южной Осетии и добиться прекращения огня, – говорится в заявлении официального представителя Госдепартамента США Гонсало Гальегоса (Gonzalo Gallegos). – Мы также призываем Грузию проявить сдержанность”.

    Типа мы требуем, чтобы Ю.Осетия капитулировала и просим грузию “проявлять сдержанность”….дипломаты ху**вы (motherfuckers diplomats)

    (Reply)
    From: [info]sergeyhudiev
    Date: August 8th, 2008 01:50 am (local)

    Re: кажись я прав

    Угу. Что еще он скажет? “Мы идиоты, вбухали кучу денег американских налогоплательщиков в людей, которых не можем контролировать”

    From: [info]ivanov_su
    Date: August 8th, 2008 01:55 am (local)

    насчет методов контроля – не волнуйтесь за США.

    Есть методы. Мишико – не мулла (aka Bin Laden), у которого есть или пещеры (чтобы прятаться) или нефть (aka Saudis) (чтобы откупаться). Ему, кроме парней с Потомака (White House), надеятся не на кого…

    From: [info]sergeyhudiev
    Date: August 8th, 2008 02:00 am (local)

    Re: насчет методов контроля – не волнуйтесь за США.

    Это если полагать Мишико умненьким и благоразумненьким, что вовсе не факт.

    From: [info]ivanov_su
    Date: August 8th, 2008 02:03 am (local)

    Он псих, но без суициидальных наклонностей…

    так что вполне управляем…
    ну там часок-другой может побуянить
    но войсковая операция – это долгое и трудное дело, требующее планирования… и согласований
    (as all communication and air control system is NATO/US controlled – it was IMPOSSSIBLE for Georgian army to plan ANYTHING without knowledge/participation of their supervisors)

    to be continued…(hope tags are correct)

  2. ivanov August 31, 2008 at 7:13 am

    Now read this

    Saakashvili Speaks of Russia’s ‘Strategic Mistake’
    Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 26 Aug.’08 / 21:42

    Saakashvili said in a televised address to the nation:
    • We should remain calm and maintain unity;
    • Now it is up to the west to respond;
    • Revival of Russia’s imperialism ended in Georgia;
    • Georgia’s NATO integration should be accelerated;

    “Now the restoration of Georgia’s territorial integrity and the protection of Georgia’s independence are no longer matters for only Georgia or Georgian-Russian relations; they are matters for Russia and the rest of the civilized world,” he said.

    http://civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19303

  3. ivanov August 31, 2008 at 7:17 am

    Saakashvili said that he had already asked western leaders to “accelerate [Georgia’s] integration into NATO in order to prevent a reoccurrence of past mistakes” as well as to accelerate Georgia’s integration into the EU.

    It is really funny cause many Saak fan insisted that “peaceloving” Mishiko would never ever use force there as this might close NATO’s doors for him….

  4. ivanov August 31, 2008 at 7:38 am

    And this was my PLAN

    http://m-yu-sokolov.livejournal.com/419614.html

    From: ivanov_su
    Date: August 8th, 2008 12:13 pm (local)

    надо БИТЬ

    В рамках миротворческой операции:

    1. Отозвать посла из Грузии.
    2. Дать ТРИ часа на прекращение огня и начало отвола воинских подразделений в места постоянной дислокации.
    3. Организовать прямые репортажи бибиси и сиэнэнов из гарнизонов 58 армии (пакующих боекомплекты), аэродромов ВДВ (пакующих парашюты) и аэродромов ВВС (подвешивающих бомбы).
    4. немедленно направить в воздушное пространство над ЮО разведывательную авиацию (под прикрытием истребителей).
    5. Через ЧАС нанести авиационные и артиллериские удары по местам расположения грузынской армии в ЮО.
    6. заявить, что “три часа” – это была опечатка машинистки, перепутавшей три и тринадцать часов.
    7. Блокировать ВСЕ дороги между ЮО и Грузией (воздушное минирование и бомбардировки).
    8. Сбить ВСЕ, что летает над ЮО и не принадлежит ВВС России.

    То есть провести полномасштабную, гуманитарную миротворческую операцию по прекращению вооруженного конфликта на территории братской республики Грузия (ни в коем случае не признавая ЮО) с целью защиты мирного грузинского и российского населения.

    ПыСы. Про такие приятные мелочи, как отгрузка вагонами (до границы – а дальше пишком) нелегальных иммигрантов и “неожиданные” проверки паспортного, санитарного, пожарного и прочих состояний легальных представителей братского народа – я и не говорю.

    если сейчас Мишико не остановить – потом будет гораздо все сложнее. Пока можно обойтись авиацией только.

    Well, forcing to peace appeared to be more complicated that I assumed (from my far-far away place). But in general – I could be a good general :)

  5. ivanov August 31, 2008 at 7:58 am

    So was all this done under US control? No doubt.
    Was all this a part of Republican presidential campaign? No doubt.
    Is is a good plan? It was but there is one flaw in the plan. It didn’t take into account how fast and how hard Russia would hit back.

    PS. By US I don’t mean the USA nor Bush (he is not that “smart”). But there is a group of eggheads in current administration who planned all this. Timing was perfect.

    Short term bonuses.

    1. Although “Russian invasion” gives BOTH candidates the ground to claim who is more patriot, it gives current administration chances to show that they can do something “in time of crisis”. Well, it is not their fault that time of crisis was so short. ;)

    2. It couldn’t be started later – for both military and political considerations. Autumn in mountains is hard time for war. Autumn in US – prime time for prime show Barak vs. John/Sarah not Saakashvili.

    3. Small free gift to China (as poject “free tibet” failed).

    Long term bonus

    1. Bring “peace and democracy” (Iraq style) to Russian door.

    PS. I’m not paranoid. I just studied eggheads long enough…

  6. ivanov August 31, 2008 at 8:21 am

    Am I or am I not [paranoid]- that’s the question!

    Saakashvili Offers ‘Patriot Act’
    Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 29 Aug.’08 / 23:12

    Saakashvili said late on August 29:
    • Russia wants regime change in Georgia;
    • ‘Patriot Act’ is needed;
    • No civil liberties will be restricted;
    • State should resume party funding.

    Saakashvili said that he planned to propose the parliament to develop “the patriot act” and added that this new legislature – details of which he did not elaborate – would no way infringe the civil liberties.

    “This will be carried out under the condition of maintaining democracy; freedom and liberties,” he added and repeated it for coupe of more times.

    He said that the act was needed to prevent “external attempts to destabilize the country.”

    The first time when the ruling party politicians started talking about the need for, what they called, “a U.S. Patriot Act-style” legislature, was in the summer, 2006, shortly after the Kodori events.

    У Мишико точно башню сорвало….

  7. ivanov August 31, 2008 at 12:45 pm

    Mr Brown said both the EU and Nato should review their ties with Russia

    “When Russia has a grievance over an issue such as South Ossetia, it should act multilaterally by consent rather than unilaterally by force,” he said.

    “My message to Russia is simple: If you want to be welcome at the top table of organisations such as the G8, OECD and WTO, you must accept that with rights come responsibilities.”
    ———————————-

    PS. I heard Brown’s rating is so high that it’s higher than Mugabe’s one. This explains why he can afford to live in his own magic world. : ))))))