Are we wiser? Definitely not. During the Cold War, all us grunts got were daily brifes. Now as a civilian, we get gobs of contradictory garbage. What would have happened if that coup had been successful?
Who can say?
Will Putin ever get off his ass and retaliate against the west?
It just kind of happened. Other than the pieces from.last year all.of that came yesterday and mostly today. I haven't "celebrated" any personal mile markers on this journey. But it occurred to me that Prigozhin and his exploits were so elemental to my ultimate processing. And truly I have not changed my position on YP. Or Putin. He's totally found what he needs to do.
That "March" last June was almost certainly to achieve exactly what he has in the past year. Kept NATO from changing the dynamics. Cleaned house. Allowed Iran to get positioned for the Israel conflict if it comes. Allowed China to economically get positioned to replace the Western economy for.the Global South when that split comes.
People who only think about the kinetics can't truly get how very important those other fronts are. Lots of people to feed once the UN aid structure shuts off.
I get more encouraged every day. There are no contingencies left to chance. Winning battles but losing the war out of impatience is not on my Bingo card. Putin or Xi's either.
I think most of it will be "fun" seen in a providential light. Discomfort is part of the base package to make it real. But winning it at least always satisfying, which is a precursor to fun in this case.
I'd dearly like to know what Surovikin has been up to during this last year. The sporadic references in MSM to his being 'disgraced' and/or implicated in the Prigozhin panto suggest that he's sidelined and lucky to be drawing a pension. I can't shake the notion that he has been closely involved in the steady rise of Russian influence in (mostly) northern Africa.
While Ukraine is desperately important for RF, the longer-term picture, with a large part of the global 'South' in mutually beneficial relationships with Russia and/or China, is coming into focus more and more clearly.
I can't see a man of Surovikin's talent remaining sidelined, or play-acting that, for much longer.
I recall seeing him there, too. Especially in Libya. That's a place he apparently can blend right into. And I think Russia may be coordinating with the Haftar (Benghazi) government in matters with Sudan and Chad. Russia is steam rolling the Americans right out with nearly pure diplomacy and targeted assistance. But mostly no strings or diktat instructions on their governance. And China takes care of the economic and infrastructure. A perfect team for this transition at least.
I still remember all the commentary on MOA. Everyone had their take. I’m still not sure exactly what happened. I tend to the “flew too close to the sun narrative “. Irregardless, it couldn’t have ended any different than it did. I remember commenting somewhere that “he would never need to worry about a retirement plan “.
I know a lot of people are frustrated with Putin. I don’t think he’s playing Ten Dimensional Chess, but I don’t think he’s clueless either. Russia is certainly in a much better position now than it was a year ago. He’s trending properly.
You’ ve hit new highs with your presentations lately. I’m going to drink a can of Dew in your honor.
Actually what Putin and Xi are accomplishing can only be done in tandem. Last year if you recall NATO was all over Xi for messing around in the ME. This year it's Putin in Asia. All these many fronts - financial, economic, kinetic, and information - have to be hyper coordinated. Like a water ballet. Or a world wide coordination of the Global South separating from the West. The armed parts can't get ahead of the financial or economic. The kinetic guys are used to thinking only in ter!s of battlefields. But Ukraine is an excellent example of running full tilt at windmills without their own manufacturing base. Their agrarian based economy is useless - even a negative - in this war. They leapt before they vetted their benefactors. Anyone wasted their best opportunity to win. Too many cooks in the kitchen - not enough meat, though.
The most interesting part really is the shake ups in the military ranks over the past month +/-. That likely had to be timed as well. We'll all know one day. But I feel safer know at Putin is where he is. And very confident in the outcome (in case I'm wrong about the script being settled!).
I became fascinated by Yevgeny Prigozhin in the first quarter of last year. He was a media proxy for Putin even before being a big part of the Bakhmut military action. I found him in Africa then driving Western and affiliated press insane. I was hooked then and followed all the way to the plane incident and beyond. A breakout experience for a very new reporter really. The writing part is only tying it all together. Which as you rightly point out Western media (and not much outside of it) rarely ever do.
The world needs more guys like YP. But especially more people to tell the stories not just the sound bites. Thanks for reading!
Are we wiser? Definitely not. During the Cold War, all us grunts got were daily brifes. Now as a civilian, we get gobs of contradictory garbage. What would have happened if that coup had been successful?
Who can say?
Will Putin ever get off his ass and retaliate against the west?
Who knows?
Great work today,Karen.
It just kind of happened. Other than the pieces from.last year all.of that came yesterday and mostly today. I haven't "celebrated" any personal mile markers on this journey. But it occurred to me that Prigozhin and his exploits were so elemental to my ultimate processing. And truly I have not changed my position on YP. Or Putin. He's totally found what he needs to do.
That "March" last June was almost certainly to achieve exactly what he has in the past year. Kept NATO from changing the dynamics. Cleaned house. Allowed Iran to get positioned for the Israel conflict if it comes. Allowed China to economically get positioned to replace the Western economy for.the Global South when that split comes.
People who only think about the kinetics can't truly get how very important those other fronts are. Lots of people to feed once the UN aid structure shuts off.
I get more encouraged every day. There are no contingencies left to chance. Winning battles but losing the war out of impatience is not on my Bingo card. Putin or Xi's either.
Agreed, Karen. At this point a win for me is waking up each day, to see the Mohave Desert has not been turned into a sea of molten glass.
Other than that I may get to see Trump eat his words on "send them all back"
That would be fun too. 😃 😀 😄 😁
I think most of it will be "fun" seen in a providential light. Discomfort is part of the base package to make it real. But winning it at least always satisfying, which is a precursor to fun in this case.
I'd dearly like to know what Surovikin has been up to during this last year. The sporadic references in MSM to his being 'disgraced' and/or implicated in the Prigozhin panto suggest that he's sidelined and lucky to be drawing a pension. I can't shake the notion that he has been closely involved in the steady rise of Russian influence in (mostly) northern Africa.
While Ukraine is desperately important for RF, the longer-term picture, with a large part of the global 'South' in mutually beneficial relationships with Russia and/or China, is coming into focus more and more clearly.
I can't see a man of Surovikin's talent remaining sidelined, or play-acting that, for much longer.
I recall seeing him there, too. Especially in Libya. That's a place he apparently can blend right into. And I think Russia may be coordinating with the Haftar (Benghazi) government in matters with Sudan and Chad. Russia is steam rolling the Americans right out with nearly pure diplomacy and targeted assistance. But mostly no strings or diktat instructions on their governance. And China takes care of the economic and infrastructure. A perfect team for this transition at least.
❤
Stroll with Karen down memory lane.
I still remember all the commentary on MOA. Everyone had their take. I’m still not sure exactly what happened. I tend to the “flew too close to the sun narrative “. Irregardless, it couldn’t have ended any different than it did. I remember commenting somewhere that “he would never need to worry about a retirement plan “.
I know a lot of people are frustrated with Putin. I don’t think he’s playing Ten Dimensional Chess, but I don’t think he’s clueless either. Russia is certainly in a much better position now than it was a year ago. He’s trending properly.
You’ ve hit new highs with your presentations lately. I’m going to drink a can of Dew in your honor.
Well I'll eat a just finished nacho in yours!
Actually what Putin and Xi are accomplishing can only be done in tandem. Last year if you recall NATO was all over Xi for messing around in the ME. This year it's Putin in Asia. All these many fronts - financial, economic, kinetic, and information - have to be hyper coordinated. Like a water ballet. Or a world wide coordination of the Global South separating from the West. The armed parts can't get ahead of the financial or economic. The kinetic guys are used to thinking only in ter!s of battlefields. But Ukraine is an excellent example of running full tilt at windmills without their own manufacturing base. Their agrarian based economy is useless - even a negative - in this war. They leapt before they vetted their benefactors. Anyone wasted their best opportunity to win. Too many cooks in the kitchen - not enough meat, though.
The most interesting part really is the shake ups in the military ranks over the past month +/-. That likely had to be timed as well. We'll all know one day. But I feel safer know at Putin is where he is. And very confident in the outcome (in case I'm wrong about the script being settled!).
You’re right. I think they work in tandem. Putin seems to be dead serious about reform. The new guy seems to be completely no nonsense.
I became fascinated by Yevgeny Prigozhin in the first quarter of last year. He was a media proxy for Putin even before being a big part of the Bakhmut military action. I found him in Africa then driving Western and affiliated press insane. I was hooked then and followed all the way to the plane incident and beyond. A breakout experience for a very new reporter really. The writing part is only tying it all together. Which as you rightly point out Western media (and not much outside of it) rarely ever do.
The world needs more guys like YP. But especially more people to tell the stories not just the sound bites. Thanks for reading!