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Is anybody else wondering why we're seeing more coverage about politicians chattering or journalists ducking from skirmishes than, you know, military movements, logistics and strategy? Our hosts sure do, and that's why they're eager to hear from Eli Lake, Bloomberg's foreign policy columnist. Eli gives his take on the Russian pipe dream, Europe's need for a wakeup call, and how Biden can get serious about his promise to stand up to Putin (hint: some crow eating would be in order).
On the bright side, our hosts notice that we've been relieved of CoViD talk for the past few days; on that note, John Kerry tries to keep our eye on the greatest anti-climate(ick!) consequence of the whole ordeal. And Rob still wants you to join, so you hang out with him and the gang for our members-only events coming down the line!
Music from the week's podcast: Back in the U.S.S.R. by The Beatles
James Lileks
Peter Robinson
Rob Long
Eli Lake
Discussion (20)
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“The only people who ever used encirclement as an actual strategy are the Russians.” — Rob Long.
It is so great to learn new things about history.
So it was the Russians who encircled the Red Army at Kiev in 1941.
It was the Russians who encircled the Belgian, British, and part of the French army after the breakthrough at Sedan, in 1940. Led by that outstanding Russian tank general, Heinz Guderian, right?
It was the Russians who encircled the French at Metz in 1870. During the Franco-Prussian War, or maybe it’s now the Franco-Russian War I guess.
It was the Russians who devised the Anaconda Plan to strangle the Confederacy. Devised by the great Russian general, Winfield Scott.
Not to mention the granddaddy of all encirclement— the Russians at Cannae, under the brilliant Russian general Hannibal, encircling the hapless Roman legions.
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I think it’s more like 1935, not 1939. There, a lesser power attacked a weaker country (Italy and Ethiopia). The world community was aghast, but did not do anything substantive. A greater power (China) will see this and be emboldened to follow its own expansionist wants.
I think it’s too soon for maps about force movements. Maybe the Russian high command knows where their forces are. Maybe we have very good intelligence about where the Russian and Ukrainian forces are. But none of that is public knowledge. I love maps of battles and campaigns. I likely have more historical war atlases than most libraries. I want to see what’s happening, but it’s going to be a while.
I do think that how long a country is occupied by communism has a big effect over what happens after liberation. Communism destroys the old national culture, and if the occupation lasts long enough, people who knew the old times will have died off. For a seemingly trivial example, I’m told by friends with first hand knowledge that Russians have terrible table manners. Good manners was a bourgeois trait and has now been lost to the nation.
Environmentalists are big proponents of global warming. With a few exceptions, environmentalists are big antagonists of nuclear power. This is contradictory. This is one reason why I’m skeptical of global warming.
Rob Long says Ricochet has been proactive in preventing big tech from shutting down Ricochet. Too bad we’ve not had Rob Long in charge of energy and foreign policy so that we would have been proactive in preventing Russian aggression.
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I could listen to Eli Lake talk about anything. I don't get why he isn't on Fox News more.
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I think that 1935 is a pretty good analogy, but that you may be drawing the wrong conclusion.
Britain had no important interest in Ethiopia. They imposed ineffectual sanctions, which alienated Italy and drove it into an alliance with Germany. That made WWII more likely, and worse when it came.
In the same way, I worry that our opposition to Russia will drive them closer to China. We’ve already seen the start of this, I think.
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Had to pop in (not finished with podcast yet so maybe it gets corrected) and mention that - counter what was said - Russia was not let back into the G8. In fact Russia remains out and the organization remains the G7.
Yes it was true that 45 thought admitting Russia back into the group was something to be considered. Yet what is often unmentioned when this is brought brought up is that 45 also wanted to see S. Korea, Australia, and India also brought into the group - often saying that the group was outdated and should include more of the larger economies of the modern day.
Note who is missing - China - and for good reason. It always has been (and is often times now just believed that everyone thinks this; they didn't - hence the Olympics being in China this year. Decided in 2015 back when China was not recognized for the thugs they are. Almost makes you think that 45 was onto something...) 45's contention that the "enemy" is China. One could say that inviting all those nations in to work together in economic cooperation would be better than say - oh I don't know - making up false allegations of 45's love of the tyrant Russia for years only to then have them driven into the arms of China, N. Korea, and Iran.
Oh wait. That's what has happened. Heckuva job Brownie.
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