Comments on: The Ghost of Stalingrad http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/the-ghost-of-stalingrad/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:57:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Dave Silver http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/the-ghost-of-stalingrad/#comment-28424 Dave Silver Sat, 20 Sep 2008 01:11:36 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3166#comment-28424 Walberg has made a contribution to understand the ways of the US imperialist empire in the Caucuses. By using the symbolism of Stalingrad he perhaps reminds some folks that the possession by the Soviets of missiles and other military prowess helped to keep the Cold War Cold. Walberg has made a contribution to understand the ways of the US
imperialist empire in the Caucuses. By using the symbolism of Stalingrad he perhaps reminds some folks that the possession by the Soviets of missiles and other military prowess helped to keep the Cold War Cold.

]]> By: Michael Kenny http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/the-ghost-of-stalingrad/#comment-28354 Michael Kenny Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:10:14 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3166#comment-28354 Not a bad analysis. Ukraine: as far as can be seen, most Ukrainians want nothing to do with NATO, but everything to do with the EU. That is Tymoshenko's trump card, as are the facts of geography. Bad relations between Ukraine and Russia are just plain silly and would be inconvenient for everybody in Europe, not just those two countries. I would guess that Ukrainian membership of NATO will, offficially, be put on hold but, in practice, will be allowed to die quietly. In return, Ukraine will get a fairly good association agreement with the EU, with membership at the end of the road. Georgia: I think Saakashvili has given up on NATO membership. Certainly, his ongoing antics serve only to anatgonise the rest of Europe against him and he must know that. He is essentially playing to the American gallery. Russian military: The Soviet military was a shambles, with incompetent commanders, shoddy equipment and unwilling soldiers and the Russian military is no different. Desertion in the largely conscript force is widespread, for example, and nobody in Europe wants to go to war. They can handle another ex-Soviet army like Georgia but would be totally outclassed on the world stage. They are also, of course, in the same quagmire in Chechnya and, increasingly, Ingushetia and Dagestan, as the US in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thus, nobody should take seriously the idea of Russian military bases far and wide accross the planet, particularly on the American continent. Moreover, the Russian Federation is the last of the European multi-ethnic states and is therefore condemned to unravel, sooner or later. The economy of the Russian Far East is already largely in the hands of the Chinese, for example. Thus, the idea of a "confrontation" between Russia and the US is unrealistic. Israel: US foreign policy is totally Israel-centered and Russia is no threat to Israel. Worse than that, all the current attention on Russia is diverting US recources away from Israel and antagonising Western Europe, which serves as a forward base for US forces in Israel's near neighbourhood. The Israelis can't be pleased with that situation and they, and the Lobby, are probably trying quietly to re-centre American attention on the Middle East. Not a bad analysis. Ukraine: as far as can be seen, most Ukrainians want nothing to do with NATO, but everything to do with the EU. That is Tymoshenko’s trump card, as are the facts of geography. Bad relations between Ukraine and Russia are just plain silly and would be inconvenient for everybody in Europe, not just those two countries. I would guess that Ukrainian membership of NATO will, offficially, be put on hold but, in practice, will be allowed to die quietly. In return, Ukraine will get a fairly good association agreement with the EU, with membership at the end of the road.

Georgia: I think Saakashvili has given up on NATO membership. Certainly, his ongoing antics serve only to anatgonise the rest of Europe against him and he must know that. He is essentially playing to the American gallery.

Russian military: The Soviet military was a shambles, with incompetent commanders, shoddy equipment and unwilling soldiers and the Russian military is no different. Desertion in the largely conscript force is widespread, for example, and nobody in Europe wants to go to war. They can handle another ex-Soviet army like Georgia but would be totally outclassed on the world stage. They are also, of course, in the same quagmire in Chechnya and, increasingly, Ingushetia and Dagestan, as the US in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thus, nobody should take seriously the idea of Russian military bases far and wide accross the planet, particularly on the American continent. Moreover, the Russian Federation is the last of the European multi-ethnic states and is therefore condemned to unravel, sooner or later. The economy of the Russian Far East is already largely in the hands of the Chinese, for example. Thus, the idea of a “confrontation” between Russia and the US is unrealistic.

Israel: US foreign policy is totally Israel-centered and Russia is no threat to Israel. Worse than that, all the current attention on Russia is diverting US recources away from Israel and antagonising Western Europe, which serves as a forward base for US forces in Israel’s near neighbourhood. The Israelis can’t be pleased with that situation and they, and the Lobby, are probably trying quietly to re-centre American attention on the Middle East.

]]> By: Arch Stanton http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/the-ghost-of-stalingrad/#comment-28320 Arch Stanton Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:01:10 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3166#comment-28320 A "commitment to the principles of international law?" What country with nukes bothers with that little detail? A “commitment to the principles of international law?” What country with nukes bothers with that little detail?

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