Ever since Putin started massing troops along Ukraine’s eastern border, I’ve been wondering exactly what Russia’s objectives really were. Put aside the propaganda from Russia about Ukraine posing some kind of threat, and one is left wondering exactly what Putin’s goals are in invading Ukraine. Russia’s claim is that Ukraine
Continue readingTag: Cold War
Writings of J. Todd Ring: Cold War 2.0 Continues….. Boo!
“RT is funded in whole or in part by the Russian government.” – Wikipedia Well thanks for letting us know, Wikicrapia. Since you are utterly unreliable, your word is of course gold. Is RT reliable? Compared to what? Compared to the Western corporate and state media, it does a pretty
Continue readingWill the "Red Menace" Work in the 21st Century?
During the Cold War, conservative politicians could always be relied on to trot out the “red menace,” accusing opponents of being soft on communism. It was usually good for a few votes—in the U.S. for many votes. It was, of course, just a version of one of the oldest and
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Fear of Soviet bombers a concern during the Trans Mountain Pipeline debate of 1952
The current debate around the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline centres around political posturing, provincial jurisdiction, investment priorities, climate change, coastal protection and consent by First Nations communities, but when the pipeline was originally being built in 1952, civil defence and the threat of war with the Soviet Union was
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Well, With the Week He’s Had Who Wouldn’t Want to Let Off a Little Steam?
The United States has launched missile strikes against government targets in Syria. This time Britain and France tossed in a few missiles of their own, brothers in arms sort of thing, I suppose. Trump announced the strikes in an address to the nation Friday evening. “The purpose of our action
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: A Blast From the Past. Remember the "Peace Dividend"?
The world but especially the Western alliance breathed a huge sigh of relief at the collapse of the former Soviet Union in late 1991. Over the following years, nation after nation dialed back their military preparedness, declaring what was then called a peace dividend. Defence budgets fell from about 4%
Continue readingAlberta Politics: From the Twitter account of the former Deputy Leader of Free Alberta: Angela Merkel’s the leader of the free world
PHOTOS: The leader of the free world, listening to Neil Young on sound cancelling headphones. Click here for the soundtrack to this post. The confused looking elderly man with a comb-over to her left is thinking: “Who is that person?” Probably not in those exact words, though. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons.)
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Cold War Latin America, The ‘Gulag’ of the United States – John W. Dower
The crimes humans commit against each other have numerous justifications and rationalizations, to most of us in North America, we hear more about the atrocities of our enemies, that we do of the ones we commit in our name. John Dower examines the Cold War period in history and concludes
Continue readingScripturient: The strange life of Bobby Fischer
Forty five years ago this month, a momentous event took place in Iceland that shook the world. After 21 games spread over almost two months, the eccentric American chess master, Bobby Fischer, ended 24 years of Soviet dominance in chess after beating Soviet grandmaster, Boris Spassky. It shook the world
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Deep irony in the deep state: Some thoughts about those post-Christmas American ‘spy’ expulsions
PHOTOS: A couple of Russian “intelligence operatives” pensively contemplate the news they’re about to be kicked out of the United States for acting like journalists. Actual GRU deep cover agents may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Russian President Vladimir Putin disguised as well-known journalist Clark Kent; U.S. President-elect Donald
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: “Cold War deja vu” as President Barack Obama expels 35 Russian diplomats
Two weeks after promising to respond “at a time and place of our choosing” to Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Barack Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats. The Russian embassy in London smells “Cold War deja vu”. The post “Cold War deja vu” as President Barack Obama
Continue readingAlberta Politics: A timely reminder on this historic day: The hammer of D-Day crushed Hitler on the anvil of Russia
PHOTOS: Canadians soldiers storm ashore at Juno Beach on June 6, 1944, 72 years ago today. Below: The late University of Victoria Professor Reginald H. Roy, author of 1944: The Canadians in Normandy. It’s now been two years since I wrote this piece o…
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Victory Day in Moscow: some thoughts about the wisdom of messing with Russia
PHOTOS: A scene for last year’s May 9 Victory Day Parade in Moscow. The red banner visible in the centre is one of the Soviet victory flags hoisted over the Reichstag in Berlin in May 1945. Below: My military history professor, Reginald H. Roy and Br…
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Vlad Putin – NATO’s Essential Enemy
Vlad Putin has given NATO – well, nothing less than a reason to exist a little longer. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO was a headless chicken, running around aimlessly, still on its feet but just. The North Atlantic alliance pretty much took whatever gig it could get.
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Keeping Score in Cold War II
When it comes to Cold War II, we’re limited to snippets of information; an incident here and there, accusations and counter-accusations. It’s hard to get a meaningful picture of what’s going on. Enter the European Leadership Network, a think tank made up of former senior political and diplomatic types. They’ve
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Gorbachev Warns of New Cold War and Lays the Blame At Washington’s Feet
Former Soviet premier, Michael Gorbachev, has had the past quarter century to live with the legacy of betrayal. Now he’s returned to Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate to warn that we’re on the verge of a new Cold War, one of the West’s making. “Instead of building new mechanisms and institutions of
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: If It’s Cold War You Want, It’s Cold War You’ll Get
Wasn’t one enough? Really? For almost a half century we, the West, and the Russians/Soviets poured mountains of money down the drain preparing for a war none of us would have survived had it come to that. Underground missile batteries, fleets of nuclear missile submarines, strategic (nuclear) bombers, nuclear-capable strike
Continue readingPaul S. Graham: Video: The war in Eastern Ukraine and the New Cold War
In April 2014, the government that had come into power two months earlier in Ukraine launched what it termed an “anti-terrorist operation” against the people of Eastern Ukraine. The easterners were opposed to the government’s plans for economic association with Western Europe and were demanding a greater voice in central
Continue readingdrive-by planet: NATO summit targets Russia: nuclear threat increases with risk of war
Protest in Newport, Wales, against NATO aggression Government leaders of NATO countries meet in Wales this week to make plans for the escalation of military preparedness, with Russia squarely in the cross hairs. This includes the likely endorsement of a rapid response force made up of as many as 4,000
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