Thinky Linky: the UnRealists
We don’t subscribe to the Journal anymore but Mrs. See-Dub misses the weekend edition, so I picked one up for her. Instead of movie reviews and wine columns, this week’s has a must-read piece by Robert Kagan about geopolitics.
Please don’t be put off by that. If it sounds like I’m telling you to eat your vegetables, these veggies at least come between smokin’ slabs of red meat:
Where are the realists? When Russian tanks rolled into Georgia, it ought to have been their moment. Here was Vladimir Putin, a cold-eyed realist if ever there was one, taking advantage of a favorable opportunity to shift the European balance of power in his favor — a 21st century Frederick the Great or Bismarck, launching a small but decisive war on a weaker neighbor while a surprised and dumbfounded world looked on helplessly. …
Today’s “realists,” who we’re told are locked in some titanic struggle with “neoconservatives” on issues ranging from Iraq, Iran and the Middle East to China and North Korea, would be almost unrecognizable to their forebears. Rather than talk about power, they talk about the United Nations, world opinion and international law. They propose vast new international conferences, a la Woodrow Wilson, to solve intractable, decades-old problems. They argue that the United States should negotiate with adversaries not because America is strong but because it is weak. Power is no answer to the vast majority of the challenges we face, they insist, and, indeed, is counterproductive because it undermines the possibility of international consensus.
Seriously. International Relations 101 right there. Print that out and send it to your niece or nephew who’s a college freshman–if their school’s any good, the International Relations professor will at least mention Kennan and Realism (though probably just to denigrate it.) Here’s some good counterprogramming.
These “realists”–who are “fighting for John McCain’s soul“– include perennial See-Dub irritant Richard Armitage.
Be sure to look at the graphic comparing the sizes of our army, Russia’s, and China’s, as well as the dollar amount each spends on defense. Why do these countries do this, when the United Nations exists to keep world peace?
I’ll probably update this piece this evening if there’s any interest, but now I’m off for a hike with the family. Enjoy the holiday!
___________________
{Post by See-Dubya. Own time, own computer, own opinions.}
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Trackbacks
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Big Government
» BREAKING: San Diego ACORN Document Dump Scandal
Big Government
» Why Isn’t Anyone Really Investigating ACORN?Big Government
» ACORN Scandal, Part 2: The Evidentiary PhaseMudville Gazette
» War costs money (2)Green Room
» Going Un-Framed?Mudville Gazette
» Surrender, he whisperedPundit & Pundette
» The rebirth of Rom Houben
These “realists” are going to be the undoing of our country.
“We don’t care how you do it in (insert country here)!” should be the response to these people.
I don’t understand the premise of this post. enjoy your outing perhaps can clarify upon your return.
I believe Professor Biden is now teaching that class, going by this from Haaretz.com:
Biden quoted as saying that Israel will have to reconcile itself to a nuclear Iran
“Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden was quoted Monday as telling senior Israeli officials behind closed doors that the Jewish state will have to reconcile itself to a nuclear Iran.
In the unsourced report, Army Radio also quoted Biden as saying that he opposed “opening a additional military and diplomatic front.”
Here’s another paragraph that might describe the point better:
This is one of the liberal talking points. They see the United States as the only “bad” country in the world.
Purp,
These are def fast news cycle days.
That said one musn’t ignore the trees while being blinded by the forrest.
2 things to me anyway were huge of late:
1. saddleback and all that provided
2. Palin
the rest seems red herringish…
enjoy your non muslim holiday
,,B
Tenn,
thankyou for that clarification. Am still not sure of the premise or why CW posted it at this time. it seemed obscure to me, being a simple hayseed,Bible thumping gun owning
PA woman
making note to buy a lunch bucket
and oh yes I hate illegals not because they break the law!!
whew it is getting hard to live in PA these days have so many dem-graphics to live up to and also buy into myth Bidet is a native son.
In the movie “Bronx Tale” the neighborhood Mafia “Don” tells the young kid. “I don’t care whether they love or respect me, I want them to FEAR me.”
Same with Nations
bansharia
While Saddleback & Palin are important factors in today’s issues, The Russian invasion of Georgia is too reminiscent of Hitler taking the Sudetenland, or USSR invading Hungary or Czechoslovakia, or even Saddam invading Kuwait.
This cannot be ignored by the West. No more Neville Chamberlains, please.
Our realists understand that with our armed forces tied down in Iraq, there is little we can do about Georgia but jawbone.
?
This is of importance to The West, all of us, especially with progressivism/collectivism/socialism/communism raising its warty head again trying to subjugate the planet.
Oh, sure never mind the 5 navy ships sent to help out….
TROLL.
ajmontana —
Bingo!
@lgm #9
speak not as what you (apparently) are not.
Those of us in the trade would point out:
.logistics into/outof RepGeorgia would only support one Brigade of land forces in an intervention until multiple corridors of supply could be opened.
.we happen to have one such Brigade available and fit, were it to be ordered to deploy there.
.the major issue isn’t land forces anyway. Naval assets are in motion, and Air combat assets are available in large numbers if tasked to deploy, and are of the type needed.
.the only item that would be a stretch would be Air Mobility assets, which would have to be retasked.
Hope that cleared up the available choices for you.
Is that not the point of the International Relations plan of the Dems? As you have said, ‘Jawbone’.
I prefer the true realist version – there will always be war…..history tells me it is so – and history tells me talking / appeasing will do nothing to stop it.
Hey GraniteMan, ain’t it the truth.
Kinda like raising children. If they don’t have some fear of punishment, you aren’t doing your job.
Good point.
K2,
lgm’s as dumb as rocks, it’s only ok if B.O.z.o.’s doing the talking.
My philosophy is ’speak softly but carry a big stick’.
I was fortunate to watch a little projection of our airpower yesterday as one of our three F-15 squadrons departed for their Air Expeditionary Forces deployment. They flew right over the top of our little military town as a farewell salute to the community and families they leave behind led by two KC-10A tankers with their chicks in tow forming up on both wings as they headed into the rising sun. Made me wish I was still medically qualified for flight duty. Sorry to drift off into dreamland, but as we always said back in the day, “you can always take the man of the airplane, but you can’t take the airplane out of the man.”
I assure all of you we have the capability with the two remaining squadron’s at this Wing to reach out and touch anyone in the world should it become necessary. Having been a mission planner for some real world operations all it would take is one of these squadron’s with one of the new F-22 squadron’s and proper tanker support to destroy all of the air, ground, and naval forces the Russians have used to overrun Georgia. Our forces may be stressed and tired, but they know what they are fighting for and they know they are winning and want to see this current war to a successful end so we don’t have to go back and fight it all over again in a couple of years. There is also a very large pool of trained manpower available to our armed forces of retired and recently separated military personnel that either have a 4 or 10 year inactive reserve commitment. I still have 2 years of eligibility left on mine and can still fit into my uniforms if I need to. So lgm don’t think for a minute we can’t respond to any geopolitical situation that arises provided our leadership has the will to enforce any US policy by projecting military power.
The Obama campaign announced just moments ago that one of the first moves taken when the “One” occupies the White House will be to address the world in order to inform us that his new foreign policy regarding rogue states or, rogue actions, taken by mis-understood nations, will be to “hug ‘em and kiss ‘em and squeeze ‘em and love ‘em”. After a practice radio address this morning, an open mike caught the “One” saying something about, “Ok George, George is my friend…”.
Have no fear, Baaaaarrrrraaaacccccckkkkkk, Super Chicken is here!
I have a young friend who flies a Raptor. He would say to old pilots. “eat your heart out”. We don’t want Obama to be in control of that much power,
I hope he appreciates how lucky he is to be flying the Air Force’s new toy. He must be a pretty good stick to make the cut to the Raptor program. I hope he gets to enjoy it for a few years before they expect him to start taking on staff jobs pulling him out of the cockpit. I’ve heard one F-22 has handed several F-15s their butts in recent dog fights. As I always tell the pilots here beware the flight surgeon he can take away all your fun.
Bommer
One F-22 = six F15s
He doesn’t see tomorrow. Just like ever other young pilot.
Truely spoken by those who are out of the loop and were probably never in it anyway.
Perhaps all should brush up on Sun Tzu’s “The Art Of War”.
Nice. Now where are those F-14’s when you need them?
And let’s not be too hard on lgm – some of the new posters are making him look like a genius.
I’m interested! Thank you for the link to Kagan’s article, See-Dubya, and please update when you get back. Every day I discover how little I know…
I do know this much. I am terrified of an Obama presidency. The more I learn the more frightened I become. I guess that’s why all my Dem friends keep their heads in the sand. They don’t want to know. They’ve drunk the kool-aid and await their salvation.
Insightful article by Robert Kagan, see-dubya. Thanks for the thinky-linky. Competing Hypotheses.com cited a link to the same article. It’s good to know there are some people who keep up with what’s happening in the world outside the U.S. In my opinion, the Russian invasion of Georgia and, by extension, the role our country will play in the affair, are the biggest stories out there.
“The “new realists” are not only unrealistic; they’re also just plain stupid. God save us from these simple-minded men!
I feel a combination of disgust and amusement whenever I read a lefty claim they are part of the “reality-based community.”
They really have no understanding of reality. Until it mugs, rapes, maims, or imprisons them.
Then they switch over and join the real reality-based community.