Sheep were meant to be shorn - Updated Tags!

I am and have been NO WAR for my entire life and have the blog history to prove it.

But yet, when you're assaulted in an alley (dancing in the pale moon light?) or someone threatens your family, you need to act.

After 8 years of appeasement and failed "red lines" we have

Georgia
Ukraine
Crimea
Syria
Weapon deals with Iran
Accords with China

And on and on it goes

Now, after buzzing ships, invading sovereign countries and bombing the shit out of Syrian civilians the Ruskies send another message by strolling through the English Channel

Huge Russian fleet seen heading through English Channel by Royal Navy

http://metro.co.uk/2016/10/20/royal-navy-starts-tracking-russian-fleet-o...

What a fool the Mtzser was and oh how wise the once and future Potus was/is...

Oh, I know you want another analogy..

Fiddles were meant to be played.

The EU is just as intimidated having become so dependent on Russian oil and gas they have no options to keep the lights on. Go Green? How's that working for you in a geopolitical hegemony sense? Oh, Russia, like China, signed the accords. So glad we can trust them so well. Wait, Wut? Russia has moved nukes to the Polish border? You have to be joking. Nope. Sheesh.

I know, let's send John "Live Shot" Kerry back in for more "tough" negotiations with Sergey Lavrov.

Yeah. That'll work.

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tourniquet's picture

of six ships. a carrier group, practically naked and well-announced. most likely with more anti-sub support than actual submarine support.

i wonder how the US would respond to such provocative measures taken against it's fleet movement.. how would we respond to china deciding to "escort", say, one of our carrier groups from the south pacific to the middle east?

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GIANT ALL-CAPS SIG

EdMass's picture

you not pose questions that you don't want answers to...

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Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!

Firesign Theater

Stop the War!

tourniquet's picture

pretty entertained over the last few days reading the brutal snark coming out of russian media.

"what do they think, the russians are going to storm the beaches at kent? where's churchill when you need him?"

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GIANT ALL-CAPS SIG

This can't be the same EdMass I know

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tourniquet's picture

this was weapons-grade snark.

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GIANT ALL-CAPS SIG

Pluto's Republic's picture

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
EdMass's picture

Can run but can't hide.
Was it the Batman/Joker pale moon reference or "Live Shot" that gave it away?
Tags amended.
Crap.

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Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!

Firesign Theater

Stop the War!

shaharazade's picture

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The last time the Russians sent a ship through the English channel it was to effect Euro 2016 match with England. NATO found a tug boat pulling the Stary Oskol at surface speeds through the channel. Several English papers reported the obvious fact that the lone submarine was meant as a message to the English team at Euro 2016. UK and NATO defense sources showed their capabilities by finding the submarine and tugboat. Sailors on merchant ships going the other way gave into Russian propaganda and waved at the submarine sailors.

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Pluto's Republic's picture

Anyone get a picture of it?

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
tourniquet's picture

the subs are already there. i'm no naval historian but it seems like a carrier group limping along waiting for subs would be a tactical no-no.

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GIANT ALL-CAPS SIG

Pluto's Republic's picture

Battlegroups do not move without subs. Quite so.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
tourniquet's picture

a carrier group would deliberately gimp it's speed so subs could keep up with it? i was assuming that the subs would be either distributed generally, or more likely in place long before a carrier group's movement would be announced.

i can't imagine that the russians didn't have missile subs in the mediterranian since the beginning of their involvement in the middle east. maybe i'm overly conservative as a strategist. lol.

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GIANT ALL-CAPS SIG

earthling1's picture

to be the sole suppliers of oil and gas to the EU. Conversion to sustainable energy will come about much, much faster with the prospect of shutoff facing them every day.
Benevolent fearmongering.
Although I'm not a politician, I approve of this message.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Does this mean the USA will not get to rule the seas? What a doggone shame. I hear we're having a bit of trouble with the Philippines too... though over there it's not the Russkies giving us trouble, it's the Chinks! I don't know why all these foreigners have to be so damn uncooperative.

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native

Pluto's Republic's picture

Apparently,

China Accords

…are an act of war against the US. Hahahha.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Citizen Of Earth's picture

Edit: Opps, posted this comment before the snark tag was added to the essay. Never mind. Smile

Worth starting WWIII over -- NOT EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE.

Sounds more like a Putin giving the middle finger to our future Warmonger in Chief Hellery over her Putin statements in Debate3.

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Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.

Pluto's Republic's picture

…without permission from …. wait! Who own's them, again?

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
k9disc's picture

ship their ships over land like the rest of civilized society. /snark

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“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu

Pluto's Republic's picture

…they've used continuously for more than 200 years.

In Sebastopol, Crimea.

Oh. Wait…..

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
dervish's picture

at Tartus, Syria.

Oh. Wait...

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"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."

Pluto's Republic's picture

That's an act of war against the United States. Even if has been there for fifty years, a few miles from Russia.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
tourniquet's picture

forgetting the FUCKING MOONBASES MANN!! they could just DROP BATTLECRUISERS ON SYRIA FROM ORBIT!!!1111

super high orbit too, none of this geosynch crap.

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GIANT ALL-CAPS SIG

warm water ports all along the Arctic Ocean. Hell, in 20 years all their Arctic Ports will be the go to place to bask in the summer sun and swim in the cool not boiling water...

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Centaurea's picture

What the heck good is it to be an empire if you can't own everything and control everything?

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"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi

"If you want revolution, be it."
~Caitlin Johnstone

Pluto's Republic's picture

…does not explain your original Russia-baiting comment.

All opinions are welcome around here. No need to edit.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Citizen Of Earth's picture

???

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Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.

can always draw a red line. Seem to remember he was good at doing that...

Also, I'm with tourniquet.

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Pluto's Republic's picture

…Putin had to rescue his ass.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato

SoS then? I forget.

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Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .

Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .

If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march

Pluto's Republic's picture

They removed Assads weapons to Russia, when global intel realized the sarin bomb was a false flag originating out of Turkey. Obama's red line provoked the situation. Who could resist?

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Big Al's picture

One time I sat in a Russian tank. I was sent to do an audit at a secret military base I can't tell you about located out in the Texas desert about 36.3 miles from El Paso, where they stored "acquired" and replicated enemy weaponry mostly Russian at the time. They used them in and for war games. I'm 6'5" and the damn tank was made for people 5'3", but I somehow got in it.
I'm still there, could never get out. They gave me a laptop to keep me busy.

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Hillbilly Dem's picture

But we'll be ready for 'em. "Nuclear warfare, toenail to toenail with the Rooskies."

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"Just call me Hillbilly Dem(exit)."
-H/T to Wavey Davey

Big Al's picture

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solublefish's picture

Not knowing everyone here so well as most of you seem to know EdMass, I read the story thinking I was on TOS.

I was feverishly trying to figure out how to respond to shut this argument down! before the meme got out of control - then I read the tags. Whew!

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Pluto's Republic's picture

…and I've known and appreciated Ed Mass for years.

Most everyone has had it worse than I have. I wasn't around for the betrayal. I didn't see it or feel it. But I happened to be visiting here when the refugees began arriving. The sociopathic jettisoning of half the active participants at Daily Kos, for me, became a paradigm for the current political class war in the US.

For the refugees, it was emotional. Some were traumatized. Many disappeared or never made it this far. It took months and months for them to talk it out, which was a difficult adjustment for the established community here. But they were strong. Nevertheless, experiencing good friends turned into zombies in an instant is a PTSD experience.

When things like this light up, those who can will rush in to neutralize it. Your reaction is understandable these days.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
solublefish's picture

first hand.

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shaharazade's picture

and then Can't Stop The Signal (SouthernLiberalMD) signaled that there was a lifeboat party assembling for parts unknown. I withdrew from dkos gradually. No cold turkey for me. It did not take long to unwash my brain and feel the joy of being able to not self censor and to realize that I'm not a RW spouting Marxist, sexist, racist, extremist, white privileged, far leftie. Like Pluto says I'm still kind of defensive and still gun shy when snark or dkos scouting parties appear. I never go back these days even for links. They fry my head with there obsessional fandom of pols and party.

A couple of days ago i was reading the comments in a Guardian article about Assange having his internet cut off. I came across two comments that said Assange had been using his internet to groom and procure young girls. Both comments had links to a dkos diary. The one that published the disgusting cooked up child sex scandal to smear Wikileak's and Assange. Down and dirty. Dkos definitely requires one to leave their brains and commonsense behind. IMO the RW lunatic sites like Briebart have a better grasp on what is going down then dkos. A topsy truvy internet where the establishment media offers nothing but crazier then a bed bug. Sort it out yourself folks as nothing and everything is believable in this Brave New World.

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solublefish's picture

I never posted anything but comments there (or anywhere); but I did appreciate the insight I gained from many liberal-left perspectives, including the "anti-capitalist meetup" team, some great climate science stuff, and, for a time, the excellent work of Shaun King (among others). I recognize many of the people here from reading them on TOS.

But DKos has really changed, it seems to me, just as you say: "They fry my head with there obsessional fandom of pols and party." I still check in there once in a while, but I do not stay long; it's just too toxic. The lack of reality-based thinking there now is something I find extraordinary, and very sad: it was much more vibrant and intelligent before Kos launched his Inquisition.

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dervish's picture

in just a couple of days. It seems like a complete fraud now. The company, an alleged on-line dating site, was called "Todd and Clare". Their website is down now, and apparently they never actually existed, authentically anyway. The "evidence" they claimed was fabricated.

This is a serious crime, framing someone on child molestation charges. What's more, it's become apparent who the perps are. If we had a genuine justice system, they would be arrested, indicted and tried, but as it stands, they will probably not even be questioned, and will be free to frame anyone else they deem a political enemy.

This is what it has come to, if you criticize the rich and powerful, you will be dogged, chased, ruined, framed, and possibly worse, and nothing will happen to those that persecute you, even if they commit crimes in the process.

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"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."

Pluto's Republic's picture

(in the Permanent Federal Federal Government, not the elected government.) They also posed as the people who discovered the info at news sites like the Guardian. This goes on all day every day. It almost always touches upon sex for obvious reasons.

Some Americans are starting to catch on.

It's not subject to any investigation.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
dervish's picture

is to poke someone in the eye, then when they respond or poke back, scream to the media about the hideous "aggression" that the retaliation represents. Loyal plebes will then line up and dutifully howl in outrage, on cue, against the evil retaliation, completely oblivious to the causal factor (and culpability for it).

It works remarkably well in every generation.

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"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."

TheOtherMaven's picture

Provoke and poke until older sister/brother hits back, then run yelling to Momy - and Sis/Bro gets in trouble for being "old enough to know better".

Jeez, are we naked apes ever going to grow up out of the kindergarten sandbox?

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

I'm a King Kong man, I'm a HooDoo man, I'm an ape man.
I looked out my window and couldnt see the sky
The air pollution is a-foggin up my eyes;
I want to get out of this city alive
And live like an ape man"

The Kinks

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"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

fakenews's picture

This ship movement was well expected 2 weeks ago. There is NO surprise here. The Russians are moving the carrier into the Mediterranean and the channel is the shortest and legal path to get there. It's all about creating an outrage that is unwarranted. Gees whiz, when will the West stop creating havoc when there is NONE. Carriers require a multi ship support group and that is why there are at least 6 supply ships with it...

Peace
FN

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"Democracy is technique and the ability of power not to be understood as oppressor. Capitalism is the boss and democracy is its spokesperson." Peace - FN