‘NATO must prepare to counter a rapid Russia invasion in Europe’

From the militarytimes.com, Dec. 18, 2018:

“Russia is positioned to quickly defeat forward-deployed U.S. and NATO forces and grab land before reinforcements could arrive, according to a new paper from the Atlantic Council, an international affairs think tank.

In the Dec. 13 paper, In the Dec. 13 paper, “Permanent Deterrence: Enhancements to the U.S. Military Presence in North Central Europe,” former NATO Supreme Allied Commander and retired Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove and former Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow propose “a carefully calibrated mix of permanent and rotational deployments in Poland and the wider region” to deter Russia and reinforce the alliance.

Breedlove and Vershbow warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin is pushing to roll back the post-Cold War, rules-based order that has ensured European security since World War II. They point to Russia’s invasion and continued occupation of parts of Georgia and Ukraine, military buildup in its Western Military District and Kaliningrad, and “hybrid” warfare, which includes the use of disinformation through social media, against Western societies to heighten instability.

The Pentagon is also shifting to prepare for a return to so-called “great power competition,” and is adjusting the services to prepare for a potential conflict with a major nation such as Russia or China.

The U.S. and NATO have taken steps since 2014 to respond to and deter Russian provocations, the authors acknowledge. The U.S. is rotating an armored brigade combat team to Europe every nine months and prepositioning equipment for a second team that would deploy from the U.S. in a crisis.”

NATO is deploying four multinational battle groups of about 1,200 troops to each of the Baltic states and Poland through the enhanced Forward Presence initiative. This “deterrence by trip wire,” agreed upon at the 2016 Warsaw Summit, is intended to show Russia that any aggression would be met by alliance forces alongside local forces.”

But the authors warn: O, my: those battle groups and brigades don’t have a coordinated battle plan, nor necessary enablers such as intelligence, recon and surveillance, air and missile defense, so: they’re so very vulnerable!

“A determined Russian conventional attack, especially if mounted with little warning, could defeat these forward-deployed NATO and U.S. forces in a relatively short period of time, before reinforcements could be brought to bear,” the paper said. “Concerns have grown that a quick Russian land grab might present the Alliance with a fait accompli, dividing the Alliance and paralyzing decision-making before reinforcements could arrive.”

Many of the enhancements Breedlove and Vershbow recommend would bolster the U.S. presence in Poland, which is a key staging area for most NATO efforts to defend the Baltics. And it would make some elements of the U.S. deployment to Poland permanent.”

The Council recommends: upgrading the U.S. Mission Command Element in Poznan, Poland, to a U.S. division headquarters with a permanent deployment which would act as a hub to rapidly flow in reinforcements from the US, Poland, and the Baltic states in a crisis. Yanno, when Revanchist Russia moves on the Baltic Nations to repatriate them into a ‘Soviet Union 2.0’ as per the secret protocol Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939.  The US also needs to bolster the presence of its air farce in Poland, cargo planes for supplies, etc., and:

“It should make the U.S. detachment at Miroslawiec Air Base in Poland permanent to better support its MQ-9 Reapers, which quietly started flying there in May.”

Additionally, the Navy should park destroyers in Denmark and Poland, patrol the Baltic Sea, and so on, but hey!  The $2 billion bucks Poland has offered to host a permanent base there ain’t enough, but it’s a good start!  Warning: spit-take worthy:

“Breedlove and Vershbow stressed that the deployment changes would not exceed the agreements on what constitutes “substantial combat forces” in the NATO-Russia Founding Act of 1997, which sought to reassure Russia that NATO enlargement would not present a military threat to Russia. Even though a division headquarters would be located in Poland under this plan, the division itself would not be deployed there, the paper said, and the deployment would remain a reinforced brigade with some enablers.”

You don’t think the Russians might be reading the report, do you?

And right on cue: ‘Russia may have nuclear arms in Crimea, hacked EU cables warn;  Diplomatic messages describe annexed area of Ukraine as ‘hot zone’ and Trump as ‘bully’, the Guardian, Dec. 19, 2018; a few bits and bobs:

“Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian territory in 2014. In public, neither the EU nor the US has suggested there is any evidence of the presence of nuclear weapons.

The EU’s secretariat said in response to the first report of the leak in the New York Times that it was “aware of allegations regarding a potential leak of sensitive information” and was “actively investigating the issue”. [snip]

The notes, covering three years of diplomatic activity, had apparently been posted online by hackers, where they were discovered by a security company called Area 1, who passed the information on to the New York Times.

The newspaper said the techniques deployed by the hackers resembled those used by a unit of China’s People’s Liberation Army. The leaked cables, of which 1,100 were passed to the New York Times, were only ‘restricted’ documents, however, rather than the EU’s most secretive communications which are held on a different network.

Blake Darche, co-founder of Area 1, said he believed that tens of thousands more such documents have been stolen. “We estimate that the ones we found are a small fraction of the overall operation,” he said. “From what we can see, the EU has a significant problem on their hands.”

Just 4 fun, from Area 1 security.com/resources: ‘.Ex-NSA Official: Russian Hack of DNC Was ‘Assembly Line Operation’

But see, Area 51 is correct: ‘Russia’s support for Trump’s election is no longer disputable’, Dec. 17, 2018, washingtonpost.com, w/ accompanying video to prove it.


TWO REPORTS prepared for the Senate on Russian disinformation unfold a now-indisputable narrative: The Kremlin engaged in a coordinated campaign to elevate Donald Trump to the presidency, and this country’s technology companies were central to its strategy.

The Russia operation is staggering in its scale, precision and deceptiveness. Pages generated by the Kremlin-linked Internet Research Agency elicited nearly 40 million likes and more than 30 million shares on Facebook alone, reeling in susceptible users with provocative advertisements and then giving them propaganda to spread far and wide. The aim was not to toss the country into tumult, but to put the preferred candidate of a foreign adversary in the Oval Office. All the while, Americans were entirely unaware of what was happening: What seemed like local Black Lives Matter activists were actually Russian trolls well-versed in the buzzwords of social justice. Ostensible patriots for Second Amendment rights were broadcasting from St. Petersburg.

Republicans have protested over the past year that election interference is neither unusual nor important. This week’s reports comprehensively put both arguments to rest. Russia waged an unprecedented campaign, targeting Americans across all segments of society, on platforms large and small. The studies do not even cover the entirety of Russia’s online tampering: The hack-and-leak operation that led to the release of Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta’s private emails, orchestrated by the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency, was another crucial salvo in a pro-Trump onslaught.”, and yada, yada.

That dratted Putin! The House’ll  show him what’s what!

‘Blocking Nord Stream 2: To Fight “Russian Dictatorship,” US Dictates to Europe’, Dec. 19, 2018, tony cartalucci, journal-neo.org

“Rarely is irony and hypocrisy so thoroughly combined as it was when the US House of Representatives passed resolution 1035 – “Expressing opposition to the completion of Nord Stream II” (.pdf).

And just for some more fun cuz I love Cohen, although it’s dated: ‘Max Boot vs. Stephen F. Cohen: You’re A Russian Apologist; Cohen: “You Are Criticizing Diplomacy” [#Treason Summit in Helsinki]

(cross-posted from Café Babylon)

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Even somebody as The Saki who claims that the Russians have better weapon systems could not defeat NATO because of the sheer volume of the US/NATO firepower. The Russians would not have enough S-300 systems to shoot down the mass of missiles and military jets that NATO/US could throw their way.

The US still has not subdued Iraq and Afganistan, but the Russians could subdue the Baltics, Ukraine, Poland, and Romania?

Unfounded paranoia looks to be profitable nowadays.

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thanatokephaloides's picture

@MrWebster

Unfounded paranoia looks to be profitable nowadays.

Profit -- that's what it's all about!

Bad

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

wendy davis's picture

@thanatokephaloides

smedley butler, deadhead? ; )

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thanatokephaloides's picture

@wendy davis

you channelling smedley butler, deadhead? ; )

Naw, I'm just tuned into General Butler's channel!

Wink

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

wendy davis's picture

@thanatokephaloides

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wendy davis's picture

@MrWebster

'the saker', but the whole idea is preposterous. and yes, russian weapons are far superior, but russia is NOT revanchist. russia wants peace, nato wants war. it all may be about money, but it's hilarious to imagine/posit russia 'invading eastern europe'.

the atlantic council does seem to know that if it ever, ever...came to pass, they'd get their asses handed to them on a silver platter. the russian military budget is a tenth of what amerika's is, to boot.

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@wendy davis Thanks for the correction. Yes, Meant The Saker. I read one of his reviews of a book on how the US military capabilities were going downhill in serious ways compared to the Russians. A point was made that the purpose of US weapon systems is to generate profits. Being effective is secondary. In Russia weapon systems are made to be effective as they have fought wars on their soil and cannot afford to build systems that don't work. It is all a matter of life and death vs. money.

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@MrWebster
The USA built Destroyer escorts (renamed 'frigates') that had a single propeller and shaft. I was in the Navy Department then. Old Timers who were WW II vets were aghast at warships that could be disabled by a single failure. Shafts DO seize up. Propellers DO fall off or get blown off. This is another example of the same thinking that allowed HMS Sheffield to go down from a single missile in the Falklands War (no watertight doors - saved money). I'm told that whole FFG-7 class is retired now.

I couldn't understand this until the Falklands War. These ships were corporate boondoggles never intended to fight, only to generate profits.

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

Bollox Ref's picture

@The Voice In the Wilderness
Was set up for NATO anti-submarine efforts in the North Atlantic, not missile attacks in the South Atlantic. French Exocets.... who knew.

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

@Bollox Ref
It was 40 years earlier so they should have known that ships get holed in warfare and you don't want one hole to send you to the bottom.

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

wendy davis's picture

@MrWebster

by my reckoning he's correct. no 'cost over-runs' built in, no financial punishment/accountability for the failures of f-35s a, b, c, what.evers, etc.

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wendy davis's picture

@MrWebster

by my reckoning he's correct. no 'cost over-runs' built in, no financial punishment/accountability for the failures of f-35s a, b, c, what.evers, etc.

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snoopydawg's picture

@MrWebster

US next generation jet set to replace F-22 & F-35 may cost $300m

The US is designing a sixth-generation fighter to beat Russian and Chinese analogues, but the budget watchdog says it’s 3 times higher than the cost of an F-35 and wonders if the new jet’s whopping price tag is affordable.

Well sure it is affordable after congress guts every program that supports the 99% silly. But by the time the plane is able to fly it will cost upwards of $350 million because of cost overruns and graft for congress members.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

NATO worried about energy security of Europe? Anybody remember the oil embargo the 1970's where American companies held tankers off the coasts of America waiting for gas prices to go higher and higher? Sure EU, put your energy security into the hands of American CEOs. Suckas!!!!

From what I can tell, Russia has never played with the gas supplies. They need the money. However, the only incidents I have read about is Ukraine stealing the gas headed into Central Europe.

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wendy davis's picture

@MrWebster

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@MrWebster
If it was true or not, who knows?

IMHO, Europe should not depend on energy from Russia OR the USA OR the Middle East.
Can't trust ANY of them.
They should develop solar, wind and tidal resources and use what oil they can't avoid from their own North Sea resources.

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

@MrWebster I remember that I was totally ignorant of it until one day when I watched news from the USA and saw all those long lines at the gas stations where a license plate determined if you could even be in that line,odd or even number on different days.
The real crazy thing was I was less than fifty miles from the US border,living in Vancouver BC and for the first time ever (afaik)people from the US were crossing the border to buy gas in Canada. Of course it didn't last all that long and just like today the gas stations on the US side of the border at Blaine have almost all of their business from vehicles with Canadian plates, along with Americans than know before visiting BC they better 'fill up' before crossing the border.
Right now the cost per gallon ,at the cheapest places in Bellingham Wa. is $2.65 but across the border it is $1.26...a LITER and that is the cheapest gas on the lower mainland.

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have always been at war.

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wendy davis's picture

@HenryAWallace

mackinder geopolitics and heartland theory, amigo?

of course, the neo-neo-colonial rape of africa in in half-throttle already, god bless africom and the compromised NGOs such as CFR w/ their star power. create chaos, then rescue from the created chaos.

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40 million "likes" and 30 million "shares" might sound like a hell of a lot -- but ... how many "likes" and "shares" does the typical politically engaged member of the dooferati toss out in the course of the 6 months leading up to an election?

30 million whatevers doesn't mean much unless you tell me how many "likes" and "shares" were generated for pages composed by actual americans just exercising their own inane political dumfoolery. or for that matter, how many "likes" and "shares" were generated for pages composed by the paid shills of the political campaigns themselves.

over and over again, the one thing the russiagaters simply will not address is that 10s of thousands of americans, some acting on their own, others being paid within the institutional framework that now spends billions in a presidential cycle, were flooding the political memespace with a volume of communication that the Kremlin could not hope to approach. believing that somehow the russian efforts, with funds that could not have begun to approach what our own institutions were throwing at the election, were somehow central to the outcome, is so fucking childishly, willfully stupid that it makes baby jesus cry.

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The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.

@UntimelyRippd @UntimelyRippd From Consortium article which you may have read by Gareth Porter on FB news feeds.

In addition, Facebook’s Vice President for News Feed, Adam Moseri, acknowledged in 2016 that FB subscribers actually read only about 10 percent of the stories Facebook puts in their News Feed every day. The means that very few of the IRA stories that actually make it into a subscriber’s news feed on any given day are actually read.

And now, according to the further research, the odds that Americans saw any of these IRA ads—let alone were influenced by them—are even more astronomical. In his Oct. 2017 testimony, Stretch said that from 2015 to 2017, “Americans using Facebook were exposed to, or ‘served,’ a total of over 33 trillion stories in their News Feeds.”

To put the 33 trillion figure over two years in perspective, the 80,000 Russian-origin Facebook posts represented just .0000000024 of total Facebook content in that time.

Shane and Mazzetti did not report the 33 trillion number even though The New York Times’ own coverage of that 2017 Stretch testimony explicitly stated, “Facebook cautioned that the Russia-linked posts represented a minuscule amount of content compared with the billions of posts that flow through users’ News Feeds everyday.”

There is that, and also, there is no proof the FB ads actually changed votes. From the one report on computational propaganda I did read, they provide no measurable proof the campaign actually work. One measure could have been looking at when the ads were most prevalent and polling numbers at the time. Did they move down or up as the case maybe. Maybe look at voter registration rates in African American areas. The assumption is that sheer volume will change outcomes. But we saw that Clinton spent more on TV ads, which are probably a more effective way method that FB ads. From what I remember, the poll numbers dropped the most for Hillary when the Comey memo came out.

edit link: https://consortiumnews.com/2018/11/02/33-trillion-more-reasons-why-the-n...

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wendy davis's picture

@MrWebster

the area 51 anti-pfishing peeps who'd found the hacked emails on some site...somewhere.

i had grabbed the NYCrimes link just in case, but if it's already behind a paywall for you, and you want to check it out, try right-clicking the link and choosing 'open in private window'.

Hacked European Cables Reveal a World of Anxiety About Trump, Russia and Iran’, NYT, 12/8/2018

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wendy davis's picture

@UntimelyRippd

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@wendy davis
hyperventilating is pretty stupid, because 40,000,000 likes doesn't really amount to a hill of beans. all along, the concern about Russia's social-media-based meddling has been ridiculous, suggesting as it does that somehow the efforts of thousands of americans (paid and not) and billions of dollars spent were simply nullified by a bit of childish trollery directed by nefarious kremlinistas.

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The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.

wendy davis's picture

@UntimelyRippd

i'd confused the 'reports to the senate' with the area1 psyop. but no, phasesbook likes don't mean tiddley-pom to changing election results. but some ads created chaos among black voters!

'Do Russiagate promoters prefer impeaching Trump to avoiding war with Russia? - Stephen Cohen', RT today, the winter solstice.

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Bollox Ref's picture

What's the difference...

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

CB's picture

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wendy davis's picture

@Bollox Ref

enough for me to recommend. ; )

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CB's picture

Total NATO budget is almost a trillion dollars yearly. That's enough to clothe, feed and house the world's entire poor!

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wendy davis's picture

@CB

africom destabilizes africon nations (cia, et. al.) in order to rescue them, and er...'borrow mineral wealth'. it was crossed crocodiles who'd first taught me about africom: AFRICOM: Keeping Africans Safe from Chaos…or Something', May 4, 2013 by wendyedavis

"Six months ago crossedcrocodiles.org took note of two items that surfaced in the same week in July 2012 which seemed related, although not intentionally so; xcroc added 1 = 1 and got ‘Uh-oh’. (Xcroc’s ‘about me’ page is here; he’s been tracking AFRICOM since its inception in 2007). One was this Marine Corps ad that played during the 2012 Euro Cup commercials that William Easterly at NUDRI had called ‘the worst promotional video of all time’, and said:" etc. africom's taken down some of the most hilarious and hypocritical videos, but the intentions were clear. ; )

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Electing Republicans or electing Democrats.

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

Pricknick's picture

@The Voice In the Wilderness
bad for the common humans health.

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Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

wendy davis's picture

@The Voice In the Wilderness

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Bisbonian's picture

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

wendy davis's picture

@Bisbonian

in the legacy duopoly parties, kokopelli (w/ a banjo?)?

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Bisbonian's picture

@wendy davis

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

wendy davis's picture

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It's 1948 not 2018!

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

wendy davis's picture

@The Voice In the Wilderness

have pity on a poor bind widdy and tell her what you mean by 1948? not eisenhower's 'beware the military industrial complex', that was in 1961 (i had to check).

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@wendy davis @wendy davis
"Who lost China?" "Reds in the State Department" "If Mommy is a Commie then you have to turn her in". HUAC, Joseph McCarthy"

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

wendy davis's picture

@The Voice In the Wilderness

HUAC, thank you. checked whether you might have meant the potsdam conference, but nope.

good job, though. : )

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@wendy davis
Just picked the date because it's an even 70 years ago.
I do rememvber watching the Army-McCarthy hearings with my Dad on black and white TV, though.

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

wendy davis's picture

@The Voice In the Wilderness

i reckon. but whoosh, we didn't have a teevee until maybe 1955 or '56.

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wendy davis's picture

this diary to be a rollickin' rock in the park; dunno if i've achieved my aim. but i will say loudly that russia hasn't taken the provocations bait so far, making me think once again that putin/lavrov exercise diplomatic efforts toward peace and a multipolar world, not bellicosity for war.

long long day for me, scant sleep lately. so tonight's closing song comes from the lovely john gorka:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWQeyy8hfqg]

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snoopydawg's picture

Congress wants Trump to send some ships to the Black Sea to retaliate against Russian aggression, but I'm pretty sure that if Russia doesair base off Venezuela's coast they will be singing soprano. But, but ... wait a durn minute! Only this country can build bases, send troops and military equipment into countries that have borders with Russia! Russia would be way out of line if they build a base in any country other than theirs even if it's nowhere close to the USA. Imagine Russia being invited to build a base in Mexico. Goose and Gander thing again.

US lawmakers' 'reckless' call for navy op in Black Sea incites more mischief from Kiev– Senator

A resolution by US Senators calling on President Donald Trump to spearhead "multinational freedom of navigation operation" in the Black Sea is inciting Ukraine to commit new military provocations, a Russian lawmaker says.
The resolution introduced by 41 US Senators on Wednesday urges Trump to retaliate against what it calls "Russian aggression" seen during a standoff between Ukrainian and Russian ships in the Kerch Strait in November. The Senators want the US to lead a "robust freedom of navigation operation" in the Black Sea, and call for an end to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, linking Russia and Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

Hmm .. some members must be feeling the heat from their masters in the gas industry.

BTW. Notice how it isn't called United States aggression when we defend the waters off our coasts?

Prelude to Caribbean Crisis 2.0? Russia reportedly eyes air base off Venezuela's coast

As Washington is determined to leave the landmark INF Treaty, it seems Moscow is looking for a response. Russian media has cited diplomatic sources as saying that Moscow is eyeing a strategic air base off Venezuela's coast.
The arrival of two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers to Venezuela earlier this month has provoked a nervous reaction from Washington and led to a brief heated exchange between the US and Russian officials. This might have been a prelude to a more ambitious endeavor, Russia's Nezavisimaya Gazeta (NG) daily revealed, citing military and diplomatic sources.

Sources told the paper that Moscow seeks to create a semi-permanent base for the Russian long-range aviation on one of Venezuela's islands in the Caribbean Sea as it prepares for “long-time military presence” the US 'backyard'.

Sigh

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

wendy davis's picture

@snoopydawg

but it's always been so. goose/gander: nope. loved the rt coverage and maduro's 'the russians can rotate fliers', etc, just like the military times' rationale.

i do have on one of these word docs a very nuanced piece from counterpunch i'd meant to bring as a sorta Part II, but aha: 'monroe doctrine' still rules for so many of these assholes.

guess russia could make a deal to put a semi-permanent base in Cuba. i'm still stuck on the various accounts of whether colombia is a new member of NATO or 'almost a member' under nato's umbrella, as are georgia and ukraine. same diff, really, as far as i can tell.

nice addition, thank you.

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SnappleBC's picture

Yeah... satire. I'm glad I checked that before I really got a full head of steam up on my response Smile

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A lot of wanderers in the U.S. political desert recognize that all the duopoly has to offer is a choice of mirages. Come, let us trudge towards empty expanse of sand #1, littered with the bleached bones of Deaniacs and Hope and Changers.
-- lotlizard

wendy davis's picture

@SnappleBC

responding to, snappleBC. if to me, yeah, i should have/could have tagged it 'satire', although 'psyops' came sorta close.

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WoodsDweller's picture

to rank a military threat by that country's GDP, but I'm a simple man.

According to Wikipedia:

Russia GDP (nominal) 2018 estimate $1.576 trillion
Spain GDP (nominal) 2018 estimate $1.506 trillion
New York GDP (nominal) 2017 $1.547 trillion

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"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone

wendy davis's picture

@WoodsDweller

so New York (i assume) state is about the same military threat. now another interesting gauge might be percentage of GDP spent on military budgets.

could NY wage war on canada, then, and win?

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WoodsDweller's picture

@wendy davis I'm left to think about how New Jersey would feel if New York had nuclear weapons, or vice versa.

New Jersey: population 9 million, area 8700 sq miles, GDP 2016 $575 billion
Israel: population 8.9 million, area 8000 - 8500 sq miles (must be disputed areas), GDP $334 billion

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"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone

dervish's picture

@wendy davis to invade Canada as Russia is to invade Poland. I can't imagine the Canadians though, to be so stupid as to sink 100s of billions of dollars into marginal weapon systems in order to counter the theoretical threat.

So much of this is like sinking all your money into insurance against meteors, UFOs and unicorns.

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

wendy davis's picture

@dervish @dervish

but then canada is a nation member, so... but wasn't that the satirical premise of 'wag the dog'? too beat to have looked it up, so i might have the wrong film.

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@WoodsDweller @WoodsDweller
Russia doesn't have a bloated gouging "Defense" industry and Russian soldiers, sailors, and airmen are paid much less than their USA counterparts. No one in the world squanders like Uncle Sam.

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

Pluto's Republic's picture

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____________________

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