The Final Countdown

Like many people I have been reading, listening, and even watching the news (BBC via internet) much more often since the obviously mad, as in ‘insane’, Rootin’ Tootin’ Putin

https://curioase.ro/2022/03/03/milionar-rus-recompensa-pentru-gasirea-lui-vladimir-putin-viu-sau-mort/

started World War Three. For those of you who wish to argue the point about this being the beginning of WWIII please consider the following exchange between the Politico senior editor Maura Reynolds

https://www.politico.com/staff/maura-reynolds

and Fiona Hill,

Fiona Hill testifying in an impeachment hearing of Donald Trump. | Alex Brandon/AP Photo

“…one of America’s most clear-eyed Russia experts, someone who has studied Putin for decades, worked in both Republican and Democratic administrations and has a reputation for truth-telling, earned when she testified during impeachment hearings for her former boss, President Donald Trump.”

Reynolds: The more we talk, the more we’re using World War II analogies. There are people who are saying we’re on the brink of a World War III.

Hill: We’re already in it. We have been for some time. We keep thinking of World War I, World War II as these huge great big set pieces, but World War II was a consequence of World War I. And we had an interwar period between them. And in a way, we had that again after the Cold War. Many of the things that we’re talking about here have their roots in the carving up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Russian Empire at the end of World War I. At the end of World War II, we had another reconfiguration and some of the issues that we have been dealing with recently go back to that immediate post-war period. We’ve had war in Syria, which is in part the consequence of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, same with Iraq and Kuwait.

All of the conflicts that we’re seeing have roots in those earlier conflicts. We are already in a hot war over Ukraine, which started in 2014. People shouldn’t delude themselves into thinking that we’re just on the brink of something. We’ve been well and truly in it for quite a long period of time.

But this is also a full-spectrum information war, and what happens in a Russian “all-of-society” war, you soften up the enemy. You get the Tucker Carlsons and Donald Trumps doing your job for you.

https://oneclickwatch.org/how-tucker-carlson-went-from-a-cia-reject-to-the-most-watched-person-on-cable-news-accused-of-peddling-prejudice-to-millions.html

The fact that Putin managed to persuade Trump that Ukraine belongs to Russia, and that Trump would be willing to give up Ukraine without any kind of fight, that’s a major success for Putin’s information war. I mean he has got swathes of the Republican Party — and not just them, some on the left, as well as on the right — masses of the U.S. public saying, “Good on you, Vladimir Putin,” or blaming NATO, or blaming the U.S. for this outcome. This is exactly what a Russian information war and psychological operation is geared towards. He’s been carefully seeding this terrain as well. We’ve been at war, for a very long time. I’ve been saying this for years.

Reynolds: So just as the world didn’t see Hitler coming, we failed to see Putin coming?

Hill: We shouldn’t have. He’s been around for 22 years now, and he has been coming to this point since 2008. I don’t think that he initially set off to do all of this, by the way, but the attitudes towards Ukraine and the feelings that all Ukraine belongs to Russia, the feelings of loss, they’ve all been there and building up.

What Russia is doing is asserting that “might makes right.” Of course, yes, we’ve also made terrible mistakes. But no one ever has the right to completely destroy another country — Putin’s opened up a door in Europe that we thought we’d closed after World War II.
(https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/02/28/world-war-iii-already-there-00012340)

Peter Thiel Rips Google A New One

Former Chess player, and multi-billionaire Peter Thiel

has written an editorial in which he has shined a light upon the largest roach in the world, Google. The company has gotten out of bed with the United States and into bed with Communist China. Google is the quintessential American company; anything for a buck. How many companies took money from Putin and the Russians to subvert the will of We The People in order for Donald J. Trump, or as I think of him, Trumpster, the greatest con man of all time, to become POTUS? As Gordon Gekko said in the movie Wall Street:

Mr. Thiel writes:

“A.I.’s military power is the simple reason that the recent behavior of America’s leading software company, Google — starting an A.I. lab in China while ending an A.I. contract with the Pentagon — is shocking. As President Barack Obama’s defense secretary Ash Carter pointed out last month, “If you’re working in China, you don’t know whether you’re working on a project for the military or not.”
No intensive investigation is required to confirm this. All one need do is glance at the Communist Party of China’s own constitution: Xi Jinping added the principle of “civil-military fusion,” which mandates that all research done in China be shared with the People’s Liberation Army, in 2017.”

“That same year, Google decided to open an A.I. lab in Beijing. According to Fei-Fei Li, the executive who opened it, the lab is “focused on basic A.I. research” because Google is “an A.I.-first company” in a world where “A.I. and its benefits have no borders.” All this is part of a “huge transformation” in “humanity” itself. Back in the United States, a rebellion among rank and file employees led Google last June to announce the abandonment of its “Project Maven” A.I. contract with the Pentagon. Perhaps the most charitable word for these twin decisions would be to call them naïve.”

“How can Google use the rhetoric of “borderless” benefits to justify working with the country whose “Great Firewall” has imposed a border on the internet itself? This way of thinking works only inside Google’s cosseted Northern California campus, quite distinct from the world outside. The Silicon Valley attitude sometimes called “cosmopolitanism” is probably better understood as an extreme strain of parochialism, that of fortunate enclaves isolated from the problems of other places — and incurious about them.”

“A little curiosity about China would have gone a long way, since the Communist Party is not shy about declaring its commitment to domination in general and exploitation of technology in particular. Of course, any American who pays attention and questions the Communist line is accused by the party of having a “Cold War mentality” — but this very accusation relies on forgetfulness and incuriosity among its intended audience.”

The West has badly underestimated China

China has been quietly building up its military and it’s now in command of an astounding force. The West has been completely blindsided.

Jamie Seidel
News Corp Australia Network June 6, 20191:16pm

https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/the-west-has-badly-underestimated-china/news-story/9b040e11d4dde00eb001a434422e949d

Having No Fun

My last post was written in the early stage of what has turned out to be a viral sinus infection. This is known to me because it is not the first time I have been afflicted by this particularly nasty virus. As luck would have it, a book ordered from England, “JFK: An American Coup D’etat: The Truth Behind the Kennedy Assassination,” by Colonel John Hughes-Wilson, arrived, and being left unable to do much other than read has allowed me to focus on the book by the Colonel, “…one of Britain’s leading military historians,” according to the book jacket. There is no mention of why one of Britain’s leading military historians decided to write about an American tragedy. It could be he chose to write this book for the same reason I read it, which is that the JFK assassination is, as Sir Winston Churchill said about Russia in a radio broadcast in October 1939, “…a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.”
For the sake of historical accuracy I provide the full quote, which has become one of, if not the, most famous things ever said by Sir Winston, and the man was verbose. “I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest.” The quote is as accurate today as it was then. These days Russia considers Great Britain “just a small island no one pays any attention to,” or so said Russian President Don Vladimir Putin. (See, “In an astonishing attack, Vladimir Putin mocked the UK’s size and influence…” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2412831/Just-small-island-pays-attention-Russias-astonishing-attack-Britain.html)
When contacted beyond the grave Ronald Raygun had this to say about Pootin, “There you go passing gas again, Vladimir.”

As I sat in my weakened state reading about how and why Robert Kennedy had Norma Jean Mortensen, aka Marilyn Monroe, killed, the following appeared, “Something’s Got to Give, her aptly named final film for Twentieth Century Fox, was the last straw. She had been ill on the first day of shooting. The hard-nosed lawyers who owned Fox sent their own studio doctor, who reported that she had a viral sinus infection that might take weeks to cure.”

“Oh No, Mr. Bill! I do not want to feel like this for WEEKS!” I thought. Then the thought struck me that maybe a visit to the doctor was in order. Fortunately, practicality got the better of me because doctor’s are No Fun whatsoever. Sounds like a campaign slogan, does it not? I will take my chances with letting my own immune system battle the infection because these days the cure can be worse than the disease.

By now you are probably wondering what this has to do with chess. I do not intend on this being a book review, even if it is filled with salacious tidbits, such as the fact that the famous dancer Juliet Prowse shaved her mons veneris. As Johnny Carson used to say, “I did not KNOW that.” Now days they all shave their mons veneris…When it was announced that Juliet Prowse was next up on a variety show it was also, “OK children, it’s time for bed.”

What I would like to write about is this paragraph written by the Colonel:

“For American big business too, the Cold War arms race was an important source of profit and thus a major preoccupation. Preparing for Armageddon might be frightening, but the fear of the ‘Red Threat’ provided a lucrative-and guaranteed- source of steady sales and huge profits for US Corporations and their shareholders.”

As we “prepare for Armageddon,” I will use this as a segue to my next post because I must now take a nap.

The Game is Poker, not Chess

Clyde Lewis hosts the “Ground Zero” radio program. Clyde usually writes an accompanying article, which he posts on his website (http://www.groundzeromedia.org/). Clyde’s December 8, 2014 article is, “A MISSILE CALLED CHRIST.” The topic is, as Clyde writes, “The latest resolution by the US Congress calls for renewed political, and military support for Fascist and Neo-Nazi-sympathizing regime in Kiev, Ukraine, which will include:

US aid for Kiev regime to keep using its military against ethnic Russians in east Ukraine.
US funding for more weapons and military support in the Ukraine.
More US funding for foreign language, pro-US, and anti-Russian propaganda throughout Eastern Europe and in countries bordering Russia.

In all but name, this US resolution is preliminary declaration of war, moving Washington right up to the final step, which is a formal declaration of war. Based on its recent record of engaging in foreign conflicts, it is unlikely a final declaration will come, as the US has already set numerous precedents already by waging Wiemar-style undeclared wars, or by simply bypassing its domestic checks-and-balances by waging any war through NATO.

The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved a document which strongly condemns Moscow’s actions against its neighbors, calling them a policy of aggression.

Passed with 411-10 votes, the resolution slams Russia’s “continuing political, economic, and military aggression” against Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova and the “continuing violation of their sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.”

The resolution calls for Russia to stop supporting local militias in eastern Ukraine and for the cancellation of Crimea’s decision to join Russia. In addition, it calls on Moscow to withdraw its troops which the US claims are in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.

The House calls on President Barack Obama to provide Ukraine with defense equipment and training.

This secret war against Russia has slowly grown into a major problem that will face America in the future and may contribute to instabilities that have already been used as a smokescreen here in the homeland.”

If you are wondering what this has to do with chess…is chess not a war game? When it comes to war much has been written alluding to chess, such as the most famous statement of the cold war, given by Jeane Kirkpatrick in a speech given during the 1988 Barrick Lecture Series at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas “Russia is playing chess, while we are playing Monopoly. The only question is whether they will checkmate us before we bankrupt them.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeane_Kirkpatrick#Political_views)
Could it be that the Great Game continues? Consider this from, “Putin in Ukraine: The game is poker, not chess,” by Jim Picht, Communities Digital News:

WASHINGTON, March 4, 2014 —”Russia’s President Putin has been called “delusional” and a “chess master,” accused of playing recklessly or brilliantly in Ukraine. House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Rogers, R-Mich., told “Fox News Sunday” that “Putin is playing chess, and I think we’re playing marbles.”
The truth is that he’s neither delusional, brilliant, nor a great leader. He does, however, know which game he’s playing: The game is poker, not chess.” (http://www.commdiginews.com/politics-2/putin-in-ukraine-the-game-is-poker-not-chess-11536/#m9401FFEJbfBKS74.99)

Later Clyde writes, “Obama seems to be doing what both Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt did during war time. Wilson was frustrated that Congress wouldn’t grant him unbridled power over natural resources, so he too invoked the powers given him under an executive order to assume absolute and unilateral authority much like what President Obama is doing now.

Barack Obama has been briefed and convinced that continued war or in his words “The Right War” will bring to the United States a better and more sound economy. He already has indicated through actions (similar to those of FDR against the Japanese) that he is more than capable of pushing a potential enemy into attacking us. Obama has taken the draconian measures of economic sanctions against Russia and has funneled money to neo-con traitors to make deals with neo-Nazis in order to destabilize the areas that Putin is stepping in to protect

You do not have to be a war planner to understand this game of chess. History has given us an example of FDR’s moves before the attacks on Pearl Harbor.” (http://www.groundzeromedia.org/a-missile-called-christ/)

Actually, the most famous chess quote of the cold war, and arguably the most famous of all-time, comes from President John F. Kennedy, who “…may have played chess. He received a very nice chess set as a birthday gift in 1962 from a very close friend. In a Cold War statement, referring to the USSR, he said, “We play poker, they play chess.” (http://www.chess.com/article/view/us-presidents-and-chess)