Over in the What does Putin Want thread, Nan shared this insight from Putin apologist Glenn Diesen:
Political realism is commonly and mistakenly portrayed as immoral because the principal focus is on the inescapable security competition and it thus rejects idealist efforts to transcend power politics. Because states cannot break with security competition, morality for the realist entails acting in accordance with the balance of power logic as the foundation for stability and peace. Idealist efforts to break with power politics can then be defined as immoral by undermining the management of security competition as the foundation of peace. As Raymond Aron expressed in 1966: “The idealist, believing he has broken with power politics exaggerates its crimes”.[1]
[1] Aron, R., 1966. Peace and War: A Theory of International Relations. Doubleday, Garden City, p.584.
I'll cop to being what is being labeled an "idealist" here, in that I disagree with the so-called "realists" who argue that might makes right. But we're in a bold new era here as of Jan 20, 2025. Where previously fans of imperial conquest had to content themselves with Russian revanchism in eastern Europe, or Chinese designs on Taiwan, now our own country may be getting back into the game of old-fashioned colonial land grabs.
So let's make a safe space for these fans of retro-imperialism to celebrate. What right does Greenland have to self-determination? Why should Panama control the Panama Canal? Where does Mexico get off expecting the United States won't bomb its territory?
These are small countries, with no rights the Right's man is bound to respect. As the late, great Hannibal didn't quite say, vini vidi vici, which is Latin for "If I see something I want, I gobble it up."
I'll cop to being what is being labeled an "idealist" here, in that I disagree with the so-called "realists" who argue that might makes right. But we're in a bold new era here as of Jan 20, 2025. Where previously fans of imperial conquest had to content themselves with Russian revanchism in eastern Europe, or Chinese designs on Taiwan, now our own country may be getting back into the game of old-fashioned colonial land grabs.
So let's make a safe space for these fans of retro-imperialism to celebrate. What right does Greenland have to self-determination? Why should Panama control the Panama Canal? Where does Mexico get off expecting the United States won't bomb its territory?
These are small countries, with no rights the Right's man is bound to respect. As the late, great Hannibal didn't quite say, vini vidi vici, which is Latin for "If I see something I want, I gobble it up."
I would think if you live in a country that would make for construction of fantastic beautiful golf resorts, it's time to be concerned.
Ml1, PVW, I keep saying T just has to remember all our fabulous golfers, golf resorts, and your military bases here - plus Parkes and Pimpama (-ish) space bases, our strong trading with China and our scrumptious lamb, and we’re your next State. Remember, too, our proximity and research bases in Antarctica.
Ml1, PVW, I keep saying T just has to remember all our fabulous golfers, golf resorts, and your military bases here - plus Parkes and Pimpama (-ish) space bases, our strong trading with China and our scrumptious lamb, and we’re your next State. Remember, too, our proximity and research bases in Antarctica.
Yes, the Greenland and Pannama land grabs are peculiar, but at least they are out in the open. In fact, Trump may have stopped our enormous covert regime change operations that have been ongoing for decades. So, at the moment, under Trump, imperialism is not doing so great.
Did a Trump executive order just cripple the global US regime change network?
With federal funding paused to USAID, pro-Western media outlets from Ukraine to Nicaragua are panhandling for donations, and a multi-billion dollar regime change apparatus is in panic mode.
While the Trump administration’s purge sent shockwaves through Washington’s international development corps and the Beltway Bandits which feed at its trough, the sudden severing of USAID money has sparked panic overseas. From Latin America to Eastern Europe, the US has pumped billions into NGO’s and media outlets to fuel color revolutions and assorted regime change operations, all in the name of “democracy promotion.”
Now, as the global apparatus of soft American power trumpeted by President George H.W. Bush as “a thousand points of light” goes dark, supposedly independent media outfits from Ukraine to Nicaragua are fretting about their future and panhandling for donations on their websites.
US-backed media and opposition face extinction in Ukraine
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US has pumped billions into Ukraine to create and propel a fervently anti-Russian opposition. As former State Department Assistant Secretary for Eastern European Affairs Victoria Nuland remarked to an oil industry-sponsored meeting in Kiev in 2009, “we’ve invested $5 billion to assist Ukraine” to “build democratic skills and institutions” allowing it to “achieve European independence.”
The US flooded Ukrainian civil society with grants on the eve of the 2014 Maidan coup, birthing a network of pro-Western media outlets almost overnight. Among them was Hromadske, a liberal broadcasting entity which pushed for the overthrow of President Victor Yanukovych and rallied for the subsequent war with pro-Russian separatists in the country’s east – including through the glorification of Nazis who fought the Soviet Red Army during World War II.
With Trump’s executive order cutting off USAID programs, Hromadske has suddenly been severed from its financial tube. So too have the top Ukrainian media outlets which emerged in the wake of the Maidan coup, including Ukrinform, Internews, and a signatory of the Poynter-run International Fact Checking Network called VoxUkraine. The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications and the Service of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, both created to propagandize for war against Russia, are also among USAID funding recipients now starving for cash.Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky took to Twitter/X to whine that “critically important programs” wholly dependent on “US support” were now “suspended” as a result of Trump’s executive order. He promised that “certain key initiatives” would “be financed through our internal resources,” while begging for donations from Kiev’s “European partners” to be “intensified.”Given Ukraine’s near-total economic destruction since its proxy war against Russia erupted in February 2022, and complete reliance on USAID to pay the salaries of state employees, it is uncertain how the country’s “internal resources” can possibly be used to even vaguely offset its sudden deficit. Already, major Ukrainian media outlets are pleading for financial support from their readers just to keep their lights on. According to Kiev’s foreign-funded Institute of Mass Information, around 90% of the country’s media is “dependent on American grants.”
Yes, the Greenland and Pannama land grabs are peculiar, but at least they are out in the open. In fact, Trump may have stopped our enormous covert regime change operations that have been ongoing for decades.
There we go -- I knew you'd get into the spirit of this thread. Imperialism out in the open is the best kind. Manifest Destiny, amirite?
In the Russia threads, Nan and Paul often explained how Russia was as justified in invading Ukraine as the US would be in invading Mexico over a hypothetical Chinese alliance. Looks like their hypothetical is coming to life, only they got the country wrong. I guess we'll have to start a thread soon "What does Trump want, and whatabout it" where they can post videos from the Duran explaining why the US was provoked and had no choice.
PANAMA CITY — Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panama’s president Sunday that the status quo at the Panama Canal is “unacceptable” and, absent “immediate changes,” would require the United States to take unspecified measures.
Rubio’s confrontational language, detailed in a State Department summary of the meeting, did not specify whether the United States would consider military action, but said the presence of two Hong Kong-based companies and other Chinese firms around the canal “is a threat.
In the Russia threads, Nan and Paul often explained how Russia was as justified in invading Ukraine as the US would be in invading Mexico over a hypothetical Chinese alliance. Looks like their hypothetical is coming to life, only they got the country wrong. I guess we'll have to start a thread soon "What does Trump want, and whatabout it" where they can post videos from the Duran explaining why the US was provoked and had no choice.
PANAMA CITY — Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panama’s president Sunday that the status quo at the Panama Canal is “unacceptable” and, absent “immediate changes,” would require the United States to take unspecified measures.
Rubio’s confrontational language, detailed in a State Department summary of the meeting, did not specify whether the United States would consider military action, but said the presence of two Hong Kong-based companies and other Chinese firms around the canal “is a threat.
I have not read up on this but your comparison seems to be apples to oranges. Russia was OK with Ukraine joining the EU which might have brought European companies to Ukraine. Russia objects to NATO, a military alliance being in Ukraine because it is a security threat to Russia. They were worried about NATO being in the black Sea and setting up shop in Crimea. They were worried about the huge military buildup on their border.
This push of Trump's to acquire Canada, Greenland, Panama, etc. seems to be what you all accuse Putin of doing -- an unprovoked land grab.
In the Russia threads, Nan and Paul often explained how Russia was as justified in invading Ukraine as the US would be in invading Mexico over a hypothetical Chinese alliance. Looks like their hypothetical is coming to life, only they got the country wrong. I guess we'll have to start a thread soon "What does Trump want, and whatabout it" where they can post videos from the Duran explaining why the US was provoked and had no choice.
PANAMA CITY — Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panama’s president Sunday that the status quo at the Panama Canal is “unacceptable” and, absent “immediate changes,” would require the United States to take unspecified measures.
Rubio’s confrontational language, detailed in a State Department summary of the meeting, did not specify whether the United States would consider military action, but said the presence of two Hong Kong-based companies and other Chinese firms around the canal “is a threat.
I have not read up on this but your comparison seems to be apples to oranges. Russia was OK with Ukraine joining the EU which might have brought European companies to Ukraine. Russia objects to NATO, a military alliance being in Ukraine because it is a security threat to Russia. They were worried about NATO being in the black Sea and setting up shop in Crimea. They were worried about the huge military buildup on their border.
This push of Trump's to acquire Canada, Greenland, Panama, etc. seems to be what you all accuse Putin of doing -- an unprovoked land grab.
Come on, Nan -- this is a safe space for you to cheer on imperialism. Where's all your "realism" and "spheres of influence" talk gone to?
I have not read up on this but your comparison seems to be apples to oranges. Russia was OK with Ukraine joining the EU which might have brought European companies to Ukraine. Russia objects to NATO, a military alliance being in Ukraine because it is a security threat to Russia. They were worried about NATO being in the black Sea and setting up shop in Crimea. They were worried about the huge military buildup on their border.
This push of Trump's to acquire Canada, Greenland, Panama, etc. seems to be what you all accuse Putin of doing -- an unprovoked land grab.
just like how you believed Putin wasn’t going to invade Ukraine. You’re a damn lunatic
Come on, Nan -- this is a safe space for you to cheer on imperialism. Where's all your "realism" and "spheres of influence" talk gone to?
Nowhere. Perhaps you did not understand what is meant by spheres of influence. It has to do with the security state, not trade. Countries do sometimes try to boss each other and have trade wars, but that is something different than what we were talking about.
Over in the What does Putin Want thread, Nan shared this insight from Putin apologist Glenn Diesen:
I'll cop to being what is being labeled an "idealist" here, in that I disagree with the so-called "realists" who argue that might makes right. But we're in a bold new era here as of Jan 20, 2025. Where previously fans of imperial conquest had to content themselves with Russian revanchism in eastern Europe, or Chinese designs on Taiwan, now our own country may be getting back into the game of old-fashioned colonial land grabs.
So let's make a safe space for these fans of retro-imperialism to celebrate. What right does Greenland have to self-determination? Why should Panama control the Panama Canal? Where does Mexico get off expecting the United States won't bomb its territory?
These are small countries, with no rights the Right's man is bound to respect. As the late, great Hannibal didn't quite say, vini vidi vici, which is Latin for "If I see something I want, I gobble it up."