NATO’s outgoing CEO, er Secretary-General, Anders ‘Foggy’ Rasmussen, should really send caviar and roses to Vladimir Putin. NATO hasn’t done all that well on Foggy’s watch – the cock-up in Libya, the hapless adventure in Afghanistan everybody would rather forget, the absorption of new members from eastern Europe more eager
Continue readingTag: Cold War
The Disaffected Lib: When Confidence Fails
Few who lived through the Cold War with its constant threat of nuclear annihilation realize the role confidence played in preventing an outbreak of apocalyptic hostilities. Even at times when we thought the “other side” might be nearing the point of pre-emptive attack, we had a sufficient degree of confidence
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Russia must be stopped! And Peter Goldring’s just the man to do it! We’ll fight to the last Frenchman and German!
After we’ve won the war with Russia, a beachhead in the Caribbean! Edmonton MP Peter Goldring as illustrated by Press Progress. Below: Rob Ford, Louis Riel, Ann of Green Gables and last year’s military licence plate, which is presumably the same as this year’s military licence plate. Whenever you think
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: Harper’s Cold War Becomes Arctic Chill: Why Domestic Politicking Makes For Bad Foreign Relations
Outgoing Russian Ambassador Georgiy Mame, spoke before his departure, lamenting our government’s undiplomatic posturing with his country, including Stephen Harper’s suggestion that Putin was the next Hitler. He accused the Harper government of isolating itself from its allies over Ukraine and hinted broadly that the Conservatives are likely playing to
Continue readingLeDaro: Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine – A New Cold War?
Is there a new Cold War? The situation in Ukraine is escalating with Russian troops invading the Crimea, and with concerns about Russian soldiers potentially advancing further. There has been a dip in world markets in response to this news. The United States has halted trade and investment talks with
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Advice to Canadian politicians and media: Proceed with caution on your support for Ukraine’s rebels
Anti-Government Ukrainians prepare to fight police in Kiev. Below: Rioters throw gasoline bombs at police in Ukraine; Alberta Labour Minister Thomas Lukaszuk. (Wikimedia photos.) You can bet money that when trouble is brewing abroad things are always far more complicated than local enthusiasts for one side or the other make
Continue readingbastard.logic: The Atomic Road To Damascus (With a Detour Through Goldsboro)
Hey, remember when the US almost detonated an atomic bomb (260 times more powerful than either Fat Man or Little Boy) over North Carolina? Good times: The document, obtained by the investigative journalist Eric Schlosser under the Freedom of Information Act, gives the first conclusive evidence that the US was
Continue readingbastard.logic: The Atomic Road To Damascus (With a Detour Through Goldsboro)
Hey, remember when the US almost detonated an atomic bomb (260 times more powerful than either Fat Man or Little Boy) over North Carolina? Good times: The document, obtained by the investigative journalist Eric Schlosser under the Freedom of Information Act, gives the first conclusive evidence that the US was
Continue readingLeDaro: Relations between U.S and Russia are becoming tense
It looks like that the ‘cold war’ is slowly creeping back. Obama has snubbed Putin by cancelling his meeting with Putin in September. It looks that history does repeat itself. U.S. President Barack Obama said he was disappointed that Russia had granted temporary asylum to National Security Agency leaker Edward
Continue readingLeDaro: Russian Warships to visit Cuba
It looks that relations between Russia and U.S have taken a new turn. The American government is quite upset over Russia giving refuge to Edward Snowden. Now the renewal of close relations by the Russians with Cuba is another indication of cooling off relations with America. Déjà vu all over
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The China Dream
Prominent Chinese military officers are speaking of an east Asia from which the U.S. has been forced out. And they’re hoping to see that reality within 20-years. Senior Colonel Liu Mingfu, at the People’s Liberation Army’s National Defence University, told Fairfax Media this week that American strategic influence would be
Continue readingLeDaro: Americans considered blowing up the Moon during the cold war to scare the Russian
The idea was to use a nuke to blow up the moon to scare the Russians. What did they think, that it was a small rock? Crazy!!
Continue readingCanadian ProgressiveCanadian Progressive: The Nobel Peace Prize is slipping into irrelevance
by Brian Lee Crowley | Troy Media | Macdonald Laurier Institute My mother could have told you why giving the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union would produce such a predictable and deserved outpouring of derision. An aspiring writer, she took a creative writing course. One of the assignments
Continue readingLeft Over: Get Chicken Little on the Phone!!!!!
Did intelligence fears prompt Canada to cut Iran ties?By Brian Stewart, CBC News Shades of the 1950′s, McCarthyism and the Red Scare! One would think that we were in the middle of the so-called Cold War, and that the Commies were hiding under the beds, once again…. Really, Harpo?
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: The League of Peculiar Gentlemen: The Americans
Not to be outdone by their British compatriots, the North American members of the League of Peculiar Gentlemen were also able to strap strange things to their faces. Perhaps the most famous of the trio, is Larry “The Monocle” Zimmerman, … Continue reading →
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: The League of Peculiar Gentlemen: The Brits
Though not as well-known as other Leagues composed of remarkable individuals, the League of Peculiar Gentlemen (LOPG) is none-the-less, an astonishing story of sacrifice, heroism, and strapping things over your face. The first iteration of the LOPG featured six members … Continue reading →
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Why NATO?
China’s Next Cold Warriors? The North Atlantic Treaty Organization made a lot of sense when it was an alliance of North Atlantic nations to mutually defend the security of North Atlantic nations. Notice the emphasis on “North Atlantic“? With the demise of the Soviet Union, NATO’s raison d’etre, the alliance
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Ground Zero of the Cold War is right in Stephen Harper’s ’hood
Your blogger gets ready to go through the door at Ground Zero of the Cold War. Since Igor Gouzenko is no longer in residence, he thought he might look for law-abiding gun owners. (Joke.) Below: Igor Gouzenko and a couple of shots of the dingy building on Somerset Street. The
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