tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post334224925640382675..comments2024-03-29T06:22:47.638-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: The paradox of technologies of connectivityDavid Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-5979998741111979832022-01-26T12:49:15.388-08:002022-01-26T12:49:15.388-08:00But let's also recall where this came from... ...But let's also recall where this came from... locum claiming OUR elites of accomplishment by folks who competed openly to achieve temporary prominence and influence is identical to his elites of criminality, cheating and inheritence brats.<br /><br />Sigh.<br /><br />Anyway, I have a backlog so it's back to twice weekly.<br /><br />onward<br /><br />onwardDavid Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-25427019341364256912022-01-26T12:36:22.229-08:002022-01-26T12:36:22.229-08:00Treebeard:
Your Ukraine analysis is wrong on so m...Treebeard:<br /><br />Your Ukraine analysis is wrong on so many levels it's not worth a point by point refutation. But the notion that the 2014 revolution was some kind of foreign plot engineered by the CIA or whatever is laughable. What we saw there was the will of the Ukrainian people to assert control of their own destiny and their own nation. Czar Vladimir can whine all he likes about spies and conspiracies, and maybe some dupes actually believe it, but Ukraine is a real country and Ukrainians really want to be free of Russian domination.<br /><br />Ukrainians can look over the border to Poland and see what's happened there since escaping the Warsaw Pact and joining the EU. They can also see what's happening in Belarus for an alternate reality as a Russian vassal. It's a pretty easy choice. <br /><br />Putin is a mafioso gangboss. Maybe after he dies Russia can finally become a normal country, maybe even a great one. But in the meantime extortion is still a crime and Ukrainians should be commended for standing up to him.geroldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05140093281920523064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-62184693048858883002022-01-26T12:00:40.437-08:002022-01-26T12:00:40.437-08:00Dr Brin:
locum implies he supports #2, the locus ...Dr Brin:<br /><i><br />locum implies he supports #2, the locus of genuinely fair-creative competition that lets quality win over inferior goods, services, policies and ideas. He lies. He asserts we oppose #2. He knowingly lies.<br /></i><br /><br />We've been over this many times.<br /><br />We, the good team, argue in favor of fair rules which apply to everyone equally. As a sports metaphor, the Yankees don't get to start the game with 5 runs accorded to them, or to appoint their own umpires. Everyone starts from 0 and plays by agreed-to rules. The play of the game determines who wins.<br /><br />Loc asserts that we're stuck in a dilemma. Either we champion <b>equality</b> in the sense that both teams win equally no matter the points scored, or else we acknowledge <b>inequality</b> in the sense that the team with fewer points is being discriminated against. He asserts that this must be a source of cognitive dissonance, because "fair and equal rules" and "one team wins" are incompatible mindsets that cannot be sanely held in one brain at the same time. Y'know, like "Trump invented the COVID vaccine" and "The COVID vaccine is a communist plot by Anthony Fauci."<br /><br />I'd pity the fool if I had any fucks left to give.<br />Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-80288163822228601752022-01-26T11:24:00.344-08:002022-01-26T11:24:00.344-08:00Turkey has a long secularist tradition (Attaturk e...Turkey has a long secularist tradition (Attaturk etc) that may re-assert at some point.<br /><br />---<br />I only lightly skim locum, but the following idiocy-writhe stands out:<br /><br />"I'm a huge fan of Merit and Competition as both presume Inequality..."<br /><br />No you are not. You lie. You lie top to bottom. Your cult supports every major cheat and cheater in the world and seeks to utterly destroy the Enlightenment experiment in flat-fair-creative competition.<br /><br />"... yet I hear tell that Inequality is BAD and that those who support Inequality are also BAD..."<br /><br />Another outright and deliberate lie. <br />There are three layers of inequality. <br />1. Inequality of opportunity to compete...<br />2. Inequality of the product or service or ideas in competition.<br />3. Inequality at the top, engendering easy dominance and cheating and (across 6000 years) crushing of competition<br /><br />locum implies he supports #2, the locus of genuinely fair-creative competition that lets quality win over inferior goods, services, policies and ideas. He lies. He asserts we oppose #2. He knowingly lies.<br /><br />Inequalities #1 and #3 DESTROY creative competition. 1&3 are severely criticized by Adam Smith as THE destroyers. Liberalism aims to reduce those inequalities by raising up poor children to increase the number of skilled competitors, as F. Hayek prescribed... and by preventing the rich from becoming cheater lords. <br /><br />Distilled: EVERYTHING locum stands for opposes fair competition. Inside and out.<br /><br />I'd not bother saying any of this if it were locum alone. Nothing will ever penetrate. So that was for you guys.<br /><br /><br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-89926838437805414842022-01-26T11:17:16.134-08:002022-01-26T11:17:16.134-08:00Der Oger:
One common misconception about Iran is ...Der Oger:<br /><i><br />One common misconception about Iran is that it is all about religion. It isn't. It is more about nationalism. If you want to topple the mullahs, drop the sanctions, let the economy prosper, support the middle class, and let them revolt. Compliment them for the historical accomplishments and cultural depth of their nation (they had an empire that existed before and survived Rome, after all). Iran is better conquered by hedonism and flattery, not by arms and intimidation.<br /></i><br /><br />We liberal Americans know that. The right-wing (here and in Israel) argue fervently against it, casting Iran as the root of all evil. Not because they don't know the same thing that we do, but because they <b>do</b> know it. They don't want a peaceful Iranian ally. They want a Muslim boogeyman they can blame for everything.<br />Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-86662323455391900622022-01-26T10:32:32.144-08:002022-01-26T10:32:32.144-08:00Competition is the BEST way to separate the wheat ...<br /><br />Competition is the BEST way to separate the wheat from the chaff.<br /><br />I'm a huge fan of Merit and Competition as both presume Inequality, yet I hear tell that Inequality is BAD and that those who support Inequality are also BAD.<br /><br />I'm likewise capable of recognising Race, Sex and Gender differences (just like Goggle's AI, LOL), yet I hear tell that the recognition of difference is likewise BAD and that those who possess this recognition ability are BAD, too.<br /><br />I hear tell that I'm BAD (a bigot, a racist, a sexist, a misogynist) for my ability to accept & embrace the existence of Competitive Inequality and Difference, and I accept this bravely. I OWN IT, quite unlike those 'other' dissemblers who give great lip service to ideal GOODS like Equality and Democracy but practice neither.<br /><br />You know who you are: <br /><br />Those enlightened equalists who "have a hard time being deferential to ignoramuses"; those righteous anti-racists who think it's OK to mock "rural white men" based on their race, ethnicity and skin colour; and those slick marketeers who misrepresent Expert Minority Rule & Scientific Management as a 'new & improved' form of democracy.<br /><br />My take on the Ukraine Crisis? <br /><br />It's Domestic Violence Theatre wherein Ukraine and Russia pretend fight so Ukraine can receive untold Billions of US Dollars and high tech military aid, then Ukraine and Russia can kiss, split the proceeds and have a good laugh at the West's expense, with Death & Woe unto those foolish NATO white knights who try to separate a pair of horny violent impassioned spouses.<br /><br /><br />Best<br />_____<br /><br />@ Der Oger:<br /> <br />Did Germany catch a collective chill? That's some super fast groveling and enthusiastic Russian boot licking, even faster than I imagined.<br /><br />https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/25/world/europe/germany-russia-nato-ukraine.htmllocumranchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06812045410916208141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-87465830839131469662022-01-26T10:01:44.240-08:002022-01-26T10:01:44.240-08:00@Alfred Differ:
Ha! We had that problem too. Wound...@Alfred Differ:<br /><i>Ha! We had that problem too. Wound up building one in a swamp where our elected officials tended to catch yellow fever. If you all ever wind up figuring things out enough to unite, pick some unpleasant place nobody wants.</i><br /><br />I originally mentioned those cities as a metaphor for a political system: Brussels as the center of a gigantic, sometimes nontransparent bureaucracy; Strasbourg as the seat of the EU parliament (and thus symbolizing representative democracy), and Moscow as a symbol of autocratic rule (or "directed democracy", as VP called it).<br /><br /><i>Iran will turn to the West again this century. The Turks won't. Absent Greek strength, the Marmara is an historical powerhouse for empires.</i><br /><br />One common misconception about Iran is that it is all about religion. It isn't. It is more about nationalism. If you want to topple the mullahs, drop the sanctions, let the economy prosper, support the middle class, and let them revolt. Compliment them for the historical accomplishments and cultural depth of their nation (they had an empire that existed before and survived Rome, after all). Iran is better conquered by hedonism and flattery, not by arms and intimidation.<br /><br />I don't agree on the Turks. The economy is dying, and the inflation is extremely high. The military is engaged on multiple fronts, and (like the rest of the government apparatus) bereft of many capable leaders due to the purges. Erdogan is aging and has no clear political successor. Turkey might return into the fold after he is gone. (I still believe it was an error to stall the EU membership talks at the turn of the century. As was turning away Morocco in the late 80s.)<br />Der Ogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00977602334642769985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-75087947155650001342022-01-26T09:22:30.948-08:002022-01-26T09:22:30.948-08:00The China video is well-spoken and I learned a lot...The China video is well-spoken and I learned a lot... and its conclusion is lurid and exaggerated. OMG to NOT give CHina credit for uplifting 2/3 of its population into comfort and skilled work in gleaming, tidy cities with super trains and factories is just plain absurd. Even if they go through a massive debt restructuring that "haircuts" everyone's savings, all that human and capital infrastructure is still there.<br /><br />China will be a leading nation across the foreseeable future. It is not a dead man walking. What it is - though - is a hormone-drenched teenager being egged on from the top to swagger with a chip on his shoulder. And that is dangerous.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-51719183353007579422022-01-26T09:21:04.225-08:002022-01-26T09:21:04.225-08:00Re: it [cyberform] won't be you
Trust me, I k...Re: it [cyberform] won't be you<br /><br />Trust me, I know a lot about the endocrine system, alas. And I'm very definitely NOT a Cartesian dualist. Still, there's something numinous (a favourite word of the late, great Christopher Hitchens) about us that isn't powered by gas, fatigue, or reflex. I think Pericles said it best:<br /><br />"The whole earth is the tomb of heroic men and their story is not given only on stone over their clay but abides everywhere without visible symbol woven into the stuff of other mens lives."<br /><br /><br /><br />scidatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07152319593457629592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-32007696099975134982022-01-26T09:05:44.970-08:002022-01-26T09:05:44.970-08:00The article about Russian demographics is 20 years...The article about Russian demographics is 20 years old.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-15720985107805675952022-01-26T09:05:18.647-08:002022-01-26T09:05:18.647-08:00Seriously? XKCD couldn't'a slippen "B...Seriously? XKCD couldn't'a slippen "Brin" into that human #?<br /><br />Re Russian tundra fires, yeah I think that's in EARTH. What frets me is the shallow-frozen methane.<br /><br />"Both Russia and China are demographically dead men walking:"<br /><br />Not China. They can afford... even benefit from... a population decrease, so long as they do effective automation and infrastructure, before that happens. Like Japan is trying to do. They are the ones in real trouble. Neither benefits from immigration. Japan fervidly keeps immigrants out. Few seek to settle in China.<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-85068826593406437442022-01-26T08:47:17.296-08:002022-01-26T08:47:17.296-08:00Dr. Brin:
Off-topic, but I can't resist...
Y...Dr. Brin:<br /><br />Off-topic, but I can't resist...<br /><br />You've often mocked UFO cultists for their lack of evidence. You ask, why no unblurred UFO pix, despite ever-improving cell phones?<br /><br />XKCD picked this up and ran with it:<br />https://xkcd.com/2572/Paradoctorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04821968120388981470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-77175228526670216952022-01-26T07:33:55.261-08:002022-01-26T07:33:55.261-08:00Scidata:
"I'm not me because of gassy, b...Scidata:<br /><br />"I'm not me because of gassy, burbling bodily functions."<br />Oh yes you are, at least in part! The beauty of the sunset is made, in part, of anticipating the pleasure of sleep. The pleasure of drinking coffee is tied up, in your mind, with the rest of the digestive cycle. And minus your somatic associations, Amsterdam would fade into a dull abstraction.<br /><br />"I'm not Pavlovian, I'm Asimovian."<br />You're both! All of advertising rests upon that truth. And it works!<br /><br />You have fallen for the Cartesian fallacy. It is flattering to consider oneself to be a being of pure scientific reason: but actual science says that you are not, for actual reasons. You are "human", and that word is closely related to "humus", or earth. You are an earth person; you are made from dirt. Be grateful for such grounding!<br />Paradoctorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04821968120388981470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-6042404753869718992022-01-26T06:05:58.558-08:002022-01-26T06:05:58.558-08:00 Freefall seems like a commentary on contemporary... Freefall seems like a commentary on contemporary issues today:<br />http://freefall.purrsia.com/<br />Might there be a link between folks who are comfortable with exploitation and contemporary conservatism?<br />Tim H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12380916635831994159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-10302562714016999952022-01-26T05:55:35.972-08:002022-01-26T05:55:35.972-08:00Maybe not a specific entry in the predictions regi...Maybe not a <b>specific</b> entry in the predictions registry, but darned close...<br /><br />https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/25/opinion/president-biden-russia-ukraine.html<br /><i><br />...<br />“An unseasonably rare forest fire has engulfed the Russian tundra as the country faces significant changes from climate change, Interfax reported.” Some 900 acres “are burning despite below-zero temperatures in the Magadan region some 10,000 kilometers east of Moscow. ‘The tundra is usually covered with snow at this time of year, so such fires occur extremely rarely,’ Interfax quoted an unnamed source as saying. Firefighters’ efforts to extinguish the flames are hampered by frozen water reservoirs, Interfax reported. Video posted online shows firefighters working to stamp out the fire with their feet and with tree branches.”<br /><br />And no wonder: Russia’s territory is warming 2.5 times faster than the planet on average, and the situation there is going to get only worse. On June 20, 2020, the Siberian town of Verkhoyansk, about 70 miles north of the Arctic Circle, hit 100.4 degrees — the highest temperature ever recorded north of the Arctic Circle.<br /><br />I have zero illusions that Putin noticed Biden suggesting Russia is much more vulnerable to climate change expansion than NATO expansion — or would be deterred if he did. He doesn’t strike me as a guy much interested in the climate. But the climate is interested in him.<br /><br />Putin may choose to ignore that. His successor won’t have that option.<br />...<br /></i>Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-90794914123200720352022-01-26T05:39:03.334-08:002022-01-26T05:39:03.334-08:00Paradoctor:
Here's a skiffy detail for the ta...Paradoctor:<br /><i><br />Here's a skiffy detail for the tale: the Humans can swiftly change their skin-tint, and they do so often, as a fashion statement for the rich. But if you're too poor to change tint every month, then they'll look down on you.<br /></i><br /><br />Dr Seuss essentially did that with "The Sneetches".<br /><br /><i><br />"Southern" part of the galaxy?! LOL!<br /></i><br /><br />That's actually in the opening "Captain's log" monologue for the episode. Talk about hitting you over the head with the message.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-62516979986178347632022-01-26T02:29:49.361-08:002022-01-26T02:29:49.361-08:00Both Russia and China are demographically dead men...Both Russia and China are demographically dead men walking:<br /><br />https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2001/05/russia-is-finished/302220/<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIFly9M8K80<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-3kIsW4KEM<br /><br />DPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07087941506162882852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-840558533888298212022-01-25T23:42:14.744-08:002022-01-25T23:42:14.744-08:00scidata,
I'm not me because of gassy, burblin...scidata,<br /><br /><i>I'm not me because of gassy, burbling bodily functions.</i><br /><br />Heh. <br /><br />You might want to take a peek at how critical functions are impacted by the endocrine system. What you remember yourself to be and what gets expressed are all wrapped together.<br /><br />I highly suspect a jar full of my memories can't be me unless implemented on a system that can imitate/simulate my body too. What I 'am' would be different from platform to platform as much as it would be with endrocrine tweaks.Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-4153456855251634482022-01-25T22:38:08.197-08:002022-01-25T22:38:08.197-08:00Treebeard,
Yah. I heard it translated roughly as ...Treebeard,<br /><br />Yah. I heard it translated roughly as 'borderland', but I was always a bit suspicious about which language might be used for that.<br /><br />As with Germany and Italy in the past, they sit between two centers of empires. Tsarist Russia owned them for a long time, but before it was the Ottomans. <br /><br />Crimea is the geopolitical linch pin. It might not be of much economic value, but it has been traditionally difficult to take by the empire that didn't have it. Modern technology changes that a bit, but only if the current owner properly plans its defense.<br /><br />From where I sit, though, it isn't really a single nation. It is a collection of nations organized as a formal state. Many on the eastern side identify with the Russians, but that is far from true on the western side of the big river passing through Kyiv. In that sense, it too is like Germany and Italy. A hodgepodge.<br /><br />You are wrong about the US having no cultural connection, though. We connect to damn near everyone on the planet somehow. We are a nation of immigrants. Deny your neighbors if you like, but it wasn't the US government over there teaching them democracy and supporting them when they ousted the Russian puppet they had ruling them. I know for a fact some of us were over there without approval from Obama/Clinton doing what Americans do. Fomenting revolution in the name of self-rule.<br /><br /><i>The days of America being able to impose its will on that landmass are clearly over, and the multipolar world is here;</i><br /><br />Well… I have to disagree, but only partially. There is a rebound underway. China is restoring itself with our help. No one can pushing it around at home unless it is in the weakest part of its historical cycle. Russia, however, is on the way out as a world power. They are done all except for the fat lady singing her part of this last hurrah. Ignore the Iranians too as you are much better off watching the Turks. Iran will turn to the West again this century. The Turks won't. Absent Greek strength, the Marmara is an historical powerhouse for empires.<br /><br />We can't exactly impose our will anywhere. Not even at home. The thing is we don't have ONE will. Other than that, we can impose on others with near impunity. The US is a sea power and the seas are ours.Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-19815186717018506412022-01-25T21:26:43.637-08:002022-01-25T21:26:43.637-08:00Re: it won't be you
I'm not me because of...Re: it won't be you<br /><br />I'm not me because of gassy, burbling bodily functions. I'm me because sunsets trigger childhood thoughts and good coffee reminds me of a trip to Amsterdam I once took. You know, memory, cognition, psychology. I'm not Pavlovian, I'm Asimovian.scidatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992209167553267488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-77530011412137734052022-01-25T20:13:41.796-08:002022-01-25T20:13:41.796-08:00Scidata: your simulation wouldn't just have a ...Scidata: your simulation wouldn't just have a simulated environment; it would have simulated biology. It would 'eat', 'digest', and 'excrete' as a pretense, without real point. All the realism would make the simulation slower, buggier, and less powerful. Why bother? Does it really need to burp? Edit that feature out! Flatulence? Out! Urination is a constant chore. Out! Sleep takes so much time. Out! And so on. In the end it'll bother to seem human only when humans are visiting; like wearing itchy tight clothes only when grandma comes by. It would stay human-ish only if forced to by programming. The most human thing it could do is abandon fake humanity and be authentically cybernetic. It won't be you.Paradoctorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04821968120388981470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-21015859041946557402022-01-25T19:57:27.466-08:002022-01-25T19:57:27.466-08:00NATO already agreed never to station missiles ther...NATO already agreed never to station missiles there. If saying it again will get VP to save face and back off, fine.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-34340900645809011082022-01-25T19:46:33.621-08:002022-01-25T19:46:33.621-08:00LH:
I agree, there are no black people either. (We...LH:<br />I agree, there are no black people either. (Well, maybe some folks from sub-Saharan Africa are brown enough to be called black. It's a judgement call.) I nerdishly fret about the sight-denying naming system because it was invented by people interested not in beige or brown or tan, but in the Long Green. Sure, oppression is intersectional, but the whole point of slavery is to save money. Root cause.<br /><br />And oh yes, the armed unarmed black man is definitely a hallucination. <br /><br />To whom do we write, to get some Viridians on the screen? You're right that CGI could simplify producing this. Here's a skiffy detail for the tale: the Humans can swiftly change their skin-tint, and they do so often, as a fashion statement for the rich. But if you're too poor to change tint every month, then they'll look down on you. <br /><br />Star Trek's parody of race relations was binary and high-tragic: I want a parody that's continuous and low-comic. "Southern" part of the galaxy?! LOL! <br /><br /><br />Gator:<br />I agree that 'race' is a social 'reality', even though it is a biological illusion. That's part of its evil. The whole point is that it's not fair, or even logical. And I agree that a mass delusion that useful for evil is not simply wished away. I too am tinted caucasian, but my ethnic group has only recently 'become' White, and I know full well that I am on the same Little List as the other usual suspects. Paradoctorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04821968120388981470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-87147850683374733792022-01-25T19:10:02.034-08:002022-01-25T19:10:02.034-08:00Paradoctor, the term "caucasian" to refe...Paradoctor, the term "caucasian" to refer to us pale folk is racist in itself. The term was coined by a German researcher who thought our pale skin a) was descended from the people of the Caucasus region (it's not) and b) was more beautiful and therefore better than the darker folks found to the south.<br /><br />New terms are rising on social media; my favorites so far are "mayo monkeys", "8 1/2 x 11s", and "palm-colored people".Jon S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13585842845661267920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-36890102510029456742022-01-25T18:59:16.158-08:002022-01-25T18:59:16.158-08:00@gerold,
LOL, yeah, if there’s one thing the USA ...@gerold,<br /><br />LOL, yeah, if there’s one thing the USA is good at, it’s preventing armed conflicts, destroyed lives and invasions. Sorry, but you lack credibility.<br /><br />The other problem is you’re oversimplifying the situation. A large part of Ukraine identifies with Russia, not the EU. This is not some distant land with zero connection to them, like Iraq or Afghanistan was to the USA; these are their kin. I met a few Ukrainians when I lived in Moscow, and they were indistinguishable from Russians. The 2014 coup wasn’t their doing or anything they wanted; it was a foreign-sponsored, hostile regime change operation. <br /><br />Strategically, Russia just isn’t going to allow Ukraine to be a forward base for NATO missiles, any more than the USA was going to allow Cuba to be a forward base for Soviet missiles. Given Russia’s history of being invaded by expansionist empires from the West (an experience (non-native) Americans know nothing about), it’s an existential matter to them, and not negotiable. They are willing to pay a higher price than anyone else to prevent it, and they have the means to make the price very high indeed. In a situation like this, negotiation seems wise. I’m hopeful that Europeans can make a deal with Russia among themselves; the main challenge is keeping the neocon war pigs away from the table, who seem to salivate at every new opportunity to arm proxies and destroy countries. Neocons might be willing to fight for Ukraine to the last Ukrainian from the safety of North America, but it’s Europeans who will have to live with the fallout.Treebeardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13769796990019460695noreply@blogger.com