Reconquest of the Soviet Union

Okay, when I saw this map of the Soviet Union pre-1991 breakup, I got it!

Russia lost 14 Former Soviet Union (FSU) states after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

1. Armenia
2. Azerbaijan
3. Belarus
4. Estonia
5. Georgia
6. Kazakhstan
7. Kyrgystan
8. Latvia
9. Lithuania
10. Moldovia
11. Tajikistan
12. Turkenistan
13. Ukraine
14. Uzbekistan

Could you imagine the United States or the European Union losing something like that?

Think of California and Texas and more seceding and making their own independent states. 

What would that do to the power and capability of this country?

Hence, when Russia goes into FSUs like Georgia and Ukraine (in red)–does a land grab like with Crimea and Abkhazia and South Ossetia–and threatens others, in their Soviet minds, they are just reclaiming what is/was theres.

Now listen, I am not justifying their aggression and hostile actions, but I am realizing/recognizing how explosive a situation this may end up being–especially since Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (in blue) changed sides and are now part of NATO!

Russia–even without the 14 FSUs–is the largest country in the world by territory with over 17 million square miles–that is almost the size of the United States and Canada or and China combined!

Russia may not have the economy of the United States but they are a formidable foe that we least not forget also has the largest nuclear weapons stockpile in the world. 

Russia has a history of creating a large world dominating union and their military forays into the FSUs, support of hostile regimes like Syria and in Iran, sizable war games in Belarus, continuing to militarize the Arctic, interfering in our election, stealing our secrets via Kaspersky Lab software is likely just a shadow of what is yet to come. 

So if you think North Korea and Iran are problems…  😉

(Source Map: here with attribution to Map Collection)

Russia’s Iron Fist

Russia is enormously resurgent (as is China), and they are modernizing their military, while we are “busy” and distracted with ridiculous dysfunctional political infighting here in the U.S.

– Between Republicans and Democrats. 

– Between Trump and Hillary.

– Between running mouths and utter corruption.

– Between what our values are and aren’t.

– Between racism and cop killings.

– Between sequestrations, filibusters, and government shutdowns.

– Between fighting terrorism and not even being able to say it’s name and origin.

– Between support for NATO and our allies and abandoning them.

– Between invading Iraq and Afghanistan and then hasty and wasty retreats.

– Between capturing terrorists and locking them away in Gitmo and then throwing them back out on the streets to plot and attack again.

– Between calls for a strong military, policing the world, and keeping the peace and that being replaced by leadership from behind, disengagement, appeasement, and weakness.

– Between a healthy, vibrant economy and a shallow recession, failing Obamacare, slowing innovation, and ballooning national debt and welfare state.

In the meantime, the Russians, if no one has noticed is moving critically forward in the world. 

– Ukraine’s Crimea has been gone since 2014, separatists are fighting in the east, and tens of thousands of troops are massing on the border. 

– Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia was  occupied by Russia in the war in 2008

– Chechnya was taken by Russia in 1999 and Grozny, the capital, was completely leveled. 

– Bases around Damascus and in Iran have been built up and are in active use in the civil war in Syria going on today, and Aleppo, the largest city in Syria is becoming apocalyptic. 

– The Baltics are under threat by encroaching Russian forces. 

– U.S. military ships and planes and being regularly “buzzed” and Russia is flying mock nuclear bombing runs on the U.S.A. and Europe. 

– Russia is proposing a counter-alliance to NATO by them, China, India, and arch enemy, Iran. 

So while the U.S. spends more on military than the next 8 nations combined, with the U.S. at $610 billion to Russia’s much more modest $85 billion, nevertheless, we are falling over our own feet, while Russia is clearly on a determined march.

We can’t afford to play politics and suck our thumbs here at home, while Russia is determined and strategic in their moves geopolitically advancing their interests.

We are playing a losing hand and wasting valuable blood and treasure unless we get our democratic house in much needed order, focus, and resolve. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

The World’s Most Dangerous Game Of Chicken

Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journal does a nice job explaining in simple terms why Iran can’t be allowed to get the bomb–not now and not in 10-15 years. 

Iran is not playing by the same rules as the West!

And like when playing chicken, the one who is the chicken and tries to simply avoid confrontation through appeasement and concessions–they end up driving off the road and are the losers.

And one who is the hawk–willing to not only keep on pursuing their goals, but also to actually either use it or to stop it’s use by any and all means–chances to be the winner. 

However, the problem with nukes is that when someone is crazy enough to actually use them, then millions of decent, peaceful-loving people are the real losers. 

And like with Hitler (may his name be cursed) who made known in “Mein Kampf” his crazed ambitions for world domination and blatantly murdered millions…

Iran, the world’s leading state-sponsor of terrorism and human rights offender today, continues to boldly chant “Death to America” and threatens to “annihilate” the State of Israel, while pursuing nukes, ballistic missiles, and a Shiite Caliphate. 

This is perhaps the world’s most dangerous “game” of chicken, and the cost of being wrong, never higher. 

The Monster Under The Bed

For those familiar with Yiddish…

A shiksa is a non-Jewish girl and is sometimes used to refer to Jewish women that don’t follow the commandments. 

A shegetz is a similar term used for a male. 

Is it a bad word? 

Well, let’s just say it’s not a term of endearment. 🙂

I guess it’s funny that everyone has terms for those who are not just like them.

Of course we all don’t have to be and aren’t the same, cut from the same mold.

But we all have to have respect for each other and get along. 

I think the worst part of people being different is not even the overt jokes or off-handed remarks which can certainly be hurtful, but much more the backdoor insinuations and aggressive behaviors. 

Lately, to be frank, it seems that ethnic and religious war is brewing big time in the world–anyone else notice?

Not regional, focused on oil and resources, long held dictatorships, human rights, or even “the Palestinian issue.”

But rather what no one wants to talk about or confront, a battle of civilizations.

It is so scary, because this is there are big and powerful actors at play whether Russia or China playing for the world’s leadership role (one overtly and the other covertly), Iran and North Korea freely wielding nukes and threateningly strutting “their stuff,” and ISIS and Al Qaeda looking for the next budding caliphate and  imposition of Sharia law as far and as wide as they can take it.

East meets West, democracy vs. dictatorship, religion against religion, this thing is building up steam, pressure is rising, and the question is whether and how big this is about to blow.

Shhh, if we don’t say the words or we pretend to “make nice” and give out jobs, dole out handouts, and use our drones, oh so discretely, maybe no one will notice. 

Are we being phobic about communism, radical Islam, budding economic and military might, and other differences, or are we pointing out what we are all perceiving, but greatly fear to face. 

When I saw recently that some wonderful Muslim people were surrounding synagogues in Europe, not to attack it, but rather to encircle it to defend it, I was not only in complete awe, but also realized how many good and righteous people there are out there.

These people are actually doing something about the injustices and power grabs they are witnessing, and not trying to obfuscate or opiate the masses. 

It’s not just about being tolerant of others and stripping hatred from our hearts and lives, but about being truthful when others may choose not to be. 😉

(Source Photo: Facebook)