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July 25, 2014

The Tsar

a_putin_cover010814.jpg

The President behaves as though he is made of bronze, as if he shines.
He seems to know that they will flinch when meeting his eye. There is a silence around him. The voices of grown men change when they speak to him. They make their voices as low as possible. Their faces become solemn, almost stiffened. They look down: worried, ­nervous, alert. “He doesn’t talk,” the interpreter says. “He feels no need to smile. He doesn’t want to go for a walk. He doesn’t want to drink... At anyone time there are 10 people around him... You cannot get more than 3m close to him because the space is guarded so carefully. He is endlessly surrounded by whispering aides, cameramen, bodyguards.
Behind the Scenes in Putin's Court: The Private Habits of a Latter-Day Dictator HT: Never Yet Melted

Posted by gerardvanderleun at July 25, 2014 8:22 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.

Your Say

Not too happy with what I saw from Gen Dempsey today at The Beast. He says that Putin may light a fire that he cannot put out.

The reason I'm unhappy is that is too timid of Dempsey. The better strategy will be an active defense in Europe, not one driven by the fear of spreading the conflict. Why hasn't Putin already driven into Ukraine? He's held back by something (hint: the American people). Disagree? Then use your logic and rule out everything that does not apply. In the end you see he wants to avoid widening the conflict up to a point.

Of course, the more non-response Putin gets, the better his hand going forward.

Build up Europe militarily. Then, put a full armored division in Poland. Then, place a Ranger battalion and an SF Group in Ukraine and start training Ukes to stop tanks en masse. A US Ranger battalion, properly supported, can stop a Corps of Russian tankers on the move. Note to Obama: that's pronounced "core."

Posted by: Casey Klahn [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 25, 2014 8:34 AM

A more immediate and pressing threat comes from Muslims. The armored division and Rangers and SF would be better deployed against any and all Muslims.
The reasoning that justified bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki is not invalid. Never mind collateral damage and world opinion, Muslim cities should be laid waste to such that no stone remains standing atop another.

Posted by: chasmatic [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 26, 2014 5:22 AM

chas - There was a time when we could have done both. But we pissed that strength away and are having an EBT party instead.

Posted by: BillH [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 26, 2014 8:09 AM

Can anyone tell us how Putin is any different from Hitler? Anyone?

Hitler blustered, and then invaded the Sudetenland on the pretext that there were German speakers there. WWII resulted. Fifty million dead.

Putin is doing the same thing re: Ukraine. If Europe and the U.S. don't man up, WW3 is entirely possible. Fifty million in WWIII would be just the opening gambit; the first 12 hours.

"Power does not back down, except in the face of more power." ~ Malcolm X

History repeats. Obama is spineless, which doesn't bode well. The Europeans are little better.

Also, re: Israel & the Islamists. In WWII, civilians were destroyed with bullets, bombs and fire just as fast as the enemy's military. You are either with us, or against us. Crocodile tears over civilians don't matter, when the opposition presents an existential threat.

Posted by: Smokey [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 26, 2014 7:47 PM

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