tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1142902974920945928.post3523574246272512640..comments2023-06-30T07:29:20.232-07:00Comments on Life in the Universe: Obama outplayed: France moves inWillie Mc Loudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05593686244359522234noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1142902974920945928.post-50778393326867147432015-11-30T02:03:32.142-08:002015-11-30T02:03:32.142-08:00Dagse Johannes. Ek stem absoluut saam. Putin is in...Dagse Johannes. Ek stem absoluut saam. Putin is in 'n baie sterk posisie - hy is 'n slim en geslepe speler en hy het die Weste - veral vir Obama - heeltemal onkant gevang. Die Weste sal wel hergroepeer - maar dit gaan nie maklik wees om Putin weer in die spreekwoordelike boks terug te kry nie. Willie Mc Loudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05593686244359522234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1142902974920945928.post-1792471279451107442015-11-28T07:05:01.106-08:002015-11-28T07:05:01.106-08:00Die huidige internasionale magspel is inderdaad ko...Die huidige internasionale magspel is inderdaad kompleks. Alliansies word saamgestel nie volgens een stel reëls en belange nie. En Putin buit dit die beste uit. NAVO is sterk gekant teen Russiese inmenging in Ukraine, maar hy het sy kaarte so mooi gespeel dat NAVO hom nou nodig het in Sirië in die stryd teen ISIS. Turkye is wel 'n NAVO lid, maar sy hele kultuur en belange lê op 'n ander vlak - vir hulle is die Koerdiese vraagstuk van nommer 1 belang. Hulle is baie bang vir die Koerde, terwyl hulle NAVO bondgenote juis sterk steun op die deelname van Koerdiese magte op die grond. Die afskiet van 'n Russiese vliegtuig het natuurlik hierdie botsende belange en verwikkeldheid duidelik blootgelê. Die opmars van radikale Islam is beslis een van die faktore in die geopolitieke magspel. In hierdie konteks het Putin dit reggekry om homself in die rol van verdediger van die Christendom te projekteer, terwyl hy terselftertyd nasionale ambisies nastreef in Oos Europa. Ek dink dus dat Putin "voorloop op punte" in die huidige internasionale boksgeveg... wie die uitklophoue teen wie gaan plant sal die tyd moet leer...Johannes de Koninghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11864623542782281544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1142902974920945928.post-14431633730122060842015-11-23T07:02:05.020-08:002015-11-23T07:02:05.020-08:00Evert, thanks for the detailed response. As you kn... Evert, thanks for the detailed response. As you know, there are various narratives as to how we should understand world events. It seems to me that you are primarily speaking from the perspective found on RT. I am trying to give a perspective that is neither Russian nor US. It is merely an analysis which do not buy into all sorts of conspiracy theories. I agree that it should rather read attack "in Paris". I also agree the area that IS controls is in Iraq and Syria - the ref. to Iran should obviously be to Syria. Regarding Obama's doctrine, which is a major point of discussion in the essay, there can be no doubt that he made a serious effort to disengage from both Afghanistan and Iraq. This is definitely the most important aspect of the Obama doctrine, except obviously his focus on diplomacy.Willie Mc Loudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05593686244359522234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1142902974920945928.post-72418316091653605462015-11-23T06:10:31.855-08:002015-11-23T06:10:31.855-08:00Thank you for an excellent essay and very interest...Thank you for an excellent essay and very interesting perspective. Please allow me, however, to differ with you on the following aspects: 1. You make several references to a so-called attack on Paris. It may only be semantics but for me that is too strong an assumption as the incident rather consisted of attacks in Paris than an attack, as if by a country, on Paris. Unless you consider IS as such. 2. Secondly you go out from the premise that IS was in fact responsible for these attacks. As far as I am concerned, and the whole episode smacked of a false flag operation, it could just as well have been the CIA, Mossad or even the French themselves. You yourself mentioned that the French are much more subtle and what could have given them a better excuse to actively (and legally I might add) get involved in Syria on the one hand and in the process exerting her influence in the Middle-East over that of the US, on the other. 3. You do not reconcile Obama's so-called passivity with the fact that the US was involved, directly or indirectly in wars in not less than seven countries during Obama's tenure in the White House. 4. You create the perception that Russia annexed the Crimea by force. May I remind you that more than 90% of the Crimean population voted for re-incorporation into the Russian Federation, restoring the status quo as it was before Nikita Kruschchev had it incorporated into the Ukraine when he was the leader of the Soviet Union. Not only the Donbass region with its majority Russian population, but the whole of the Ukraine naturally and historically falls within Russia's sphere of influence and it only stands to reason that any self-respecting country such as Russia, trying to regain it's international prestige, would protect it's people and it's interests and stand up to inappropriate American interference in that country since the Orange Revolution and in inter alia yet another transparent endeavor to isolate Russia. To mention the Ukraine in the same breath as the Middle-East, to negate the role the US played and still plays in the Ukraine and to create the perception that Russia is in fact at fault in this unsavory episode, is with all due respect unfair and not entirely correct. 5. You make mention of "... a geographical area that IS controls in Iraq and Iran...". I am under correction but as far as I know, IS controls not a single inch of Iranian territory. 6. You make several references to so-called "space" that is created by US foreign policy, creating the impression that physical space is relevant here. It may be semantics and please forgive me but I am of the opinion that "vacuum" would be a more appropriate and correct applicable term. 7. Lastly you conspicuously omit to make any mention of the pivotal and deeply destabilizing role Israel plays in the Middle-East.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05504896310529255423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1142902974920945928.post-20726670110036162332015-11-23T05:59:31.950-08:002015-11-23T05:59:31.950-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05504896310529255423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1142902974920945928.post-87399043080541343072015-11-23T05:54:34.829-08:002015-11-23T05:54:34.829-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05504896310529255423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1142902974920945928.post-49489184799724149362015-11-23T01:56:08.523-08:002015-11-23T01:56:08.523-08:00No one wants to repeat the same behavior,the next ...No one wants to repeat the same behavior,the next door neighbors should take thir turn,our country an monies hv been waisted an U.S.A has ride hoods an infastructre is deteriorated,schools caving in colleges failing police discrimination, unsafe foods,failed health insurance, trains an airports old,we need to build our country, this is our president is focus on,we h v the largest prison rate,we need to make law where ex prisoners should be Abel to fight in the wars,make a branch for ex felling so that we can combat the dirty guys an given a chance to pay our dudes am become prominent. <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14462356487839062254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1142902974920945928.post-17247081879827781382015-11-23T01:45:38.505-08:002015-11-23T01:45:38.505-08:00The author completely ignores the part that the We...The author completely ignores the part that the Western powers played in overthrowing the government of Ukraine.<br /><br />Also, the author also comments that the Obama administration focuses on negotiations. However, he failed to mention that the Obama administration doesn't know how to negotiate, either domenstically, or abroad.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01150678860896955545noreply@blogger.com