Good lord. You may not want to read this, but you should. By Fergus Bordewich over at the WSJ: On April 12, 1864, the worst war crime ever perpetrated during the Civil War took place on a bluff above the … Continue reading →
Could Turkey’s president Erdoğan be ginning up a casus belli in Syria to distract from his domestic problems? Maybe. Here, from Friend of the Gormogons Claire Berlinski, are Ten Things You Need to Know About Turkey. Read them all, but … Continue reading →
U.S. lawmakers are increasingly concerned about Russian troop movements on the border with Ukraine and the prospect of an additional land grab, as both houses of Congress voted to slap sanctions on Russia and extend loan guarantees to Ukraine. Pentagon … Continue reading →
Russian forces storm Ukraine naval HQ in Crimea Russians taking down the Ukrainian flag SEVASTOPOL/SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (Reuters) – Russian troops and unarmed men stormed Ukraine’s naval headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Wednesday and raised the Russian flag … Continue reading →
Via Jim Geraghty, the Daily Mail reports Ukraine remains under the sword of Damocles. Ukraine warned last night that 80,000 Russian troops were massing on its borders and could invade – as world leaders told Vladimir Putin to back off. … Continue reading →
Island Dweller writes in, and the Czar will comment along. Dread and Awful Majesty: Your humble subject has mentioned in the past the possible consequences of incompetence in foreign policy. He has also mentioned how the US government at the … Continue reading →
The pageant of incompetence continues at the Obama White House. Remember when we said this? Let us see if we have this mapped out. The United States backed protesters in Egypt, demanded Ḥusnī Mubārak resign immediately, got chummy with the … Continue reading →
These came up while the Czar was washing blood off his hands in the men’s room. First up is JAB, who pops up from the Doublewide to tell an awesome story: Dear Mr. Mandarin and Your Czarness: Reading your “Literal … Continue reading →
In other good news, China is massing troops and having air and naval craft patrol their border with North Korea. One Chinese restaurant owner (one wonders what’s on the menu there) in a nearby border town expressed amazement over the … Continue reading →
The one one the left is a good doctor, the one on the right, a good businessman. Dr. J. was watching MASH last night. MASH was appointment television for Dr. J. and Papa J. who served in Berlin during the … Continue reading →
Amidst the continuing fallout from the natural consequences of President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton’s feckless, apologetic Middle East policy, we would do well to consider war. No, ‘Puter’s not calling on anyone to start yet another war. Rather, … Continue reading →
With all the excitement in the news—whatever story floats your particular navy—one little item seems to be overlooked by most American news stories and frankly, it ought to be way more covered than Miley Cyrus cutting her hair short. And … Continue reading →
If you drove by Castle Gormogon today, you didn’t see a Stars & Stripes flag hanging from the Volgi’s balcony. You saw a Gadsden flag (at right). In case you did (though the Volgi realizes it may have been difficult … Continue reading →
President Obama at his press conference today on taxes and the debt ceiling again has called for an increase in taxes for the “wealthy”. The example that he used to justify why those evil rich people need to pay more … Continue reading →
So it seems Sarah Palin had another moment of refudiation, when she used the malapropism squirmish to describe our actions in Libya. Or rather, Obama’s reluctance to call it a war. Some accounts have it sounding like a deliberate play … Continue reading →
Dear Czar, This is from Bloomberg News: President Barack Obama, speaking in Santiago, Chile, yesterday said the U.S. would hand off its leadership role “in a matter of days, not a matter of weeks.” “This command-and-control business is complicated, and … Continue reading →
The Russians may be aiding Iran in designing nuclear warheads. If true, look for an all-out Middle East war coming soon to a location near you. 'PuterAlways right, unless he isn’t, the infallible Ghettoputer F. X. Gormogons claims to be … Continue reading →
Boris Nemtsov, who is of course an opponent of V.V. Putin, claims: One of the biggest myths perpetrated by Vladimir Putin’s propaganda machine is that during his 10-year rule over Russia, the former president and current prime minister succeeded in … Continue reading →
So hypothesizes Anne Applebaum. Read the whole thing, but: Perhaps the North Koreans have stepped up their war rhetoric, and their war preparations, because China wants them to do so. China is the one country that actually has influence over … Continue reading →
‘Puter agrees with Volgi’s assessment of the Israeli/Palestinian situation. All out war with its stated objective being the crushing defeat of the Palestinians may be the least bad choice remaining to the Israelis, even taking into account the numerous civilian … Continue reading →
That is, win the war. Anyone who hopes for a durable and lasting peace has to hope that Israel decisively defeats Hamas, even at the price of an armored assault and re-occupation of the Gaza Strip, thereby demoralizing any other … Continue reading →
…Mark Helprin fires off another jeremiad on America’s neglect of her own defenses and her political class’s incompetence in prosecuting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Of course, meanwhile, Barney Frank’s calling for a 25% cut in the defense budget (but he supports the troops! They just have to fight with pointy sticks and rocks. To be fair.), and John Kerry wants a New New Deal. … Continue reading →
…on Iran’s asymmetric-naval-warfare doctrine for kicking us out of the Persian Gulf. Click through to the monograph for depth, but Kaplan’s piece is very good. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →SWJ has an excellent post today tying together the long WaPo piece on Russia and the car-bombing in South Ossetia. The Volgi has been thinking about the car-bombing for a while, and although he hopes it doesn’t come to such … Continue reading →
V.D. Hanson, eschewing the fustian that sometimes envelops his interesting ideas, here suggests that the collapse of the American financial system could presage some genuinely terrible events on the world stage. You’ll recognize his concern about America’s emboldened enemies from … Continue reading →
An excellent take down of peaceniks, isolationists and fellow travelers here at home and around the world by Ralph Peters in today’s New York Post. Score one for the “deal with the world as it is, not as we wish … Continue reading →
