Chaitanya Jyothi Museum Opening, 2000
RAMANAM
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Countrymen,
ORBIS NON SUFFICIT
SOLUS DEUS SUFFICIT
Jeffrey A. Friedberg, wrote an essay. It is more rhetorical than I would make it, but I take his points because they are true:
“We do not want the
word to go out that we want to
exterminate the Negro population.”
Tulsi Gabbard on CNN, January 2017:
I commented here:
The unsung hero in this development: Vladimir Putin and Russia. They came to the aid of Assad when Brennan/ISIS/McCain/Obama/SecState/DOJ/Moslem Brotherhood and some defense contractors were fostering the Salafi Jihad in any and all of its forms inside Syria and elsewhere.
It was always my impression that Brennan/Obama droned Moslems they considered competitors to their own ambitions. Entirely personal, not business. Nothing they did was for The United States of America. Eight years of America turned upside down, culminating sixty eight years at least of battlespace preparation by academics for just that extreme perversity.
Tulsi is a very brave lady. I had not noticed before the acne scaring on her face. She has heart and courage, at least in this particular, and brains. On some other matters I cannot follow her. Her religion seeps through her being, auspiciously. This I know something about.
keeler commented:
I wouldn’t refer to Putin as a hero, but then again I wouldn’t refer to anyone (including the US) as a hero in this mess.
The Putin and Assad governments certainly deserve much more credit for eradicating ISIS then either gets, especially since they did much of the “dirty” work the Western governments pretend to be above, but they- like the Obama bunch- did so out of their own self interest.
Furthermore, as sundance has suggested here in the past, it is likely that Putin and Assad were comfortable with a persistent low level of ISIS activity/control within Syria and Iraq in order to advance their own agendas, and that President Trump ordered strikes on Syrian airbases and mercenaries to send a message: go after ISIS and stop focusing on Syrian rebel factions. Recall that Russian/Syrian progress increased significantly after these strikes.
But as I said, credit must be given where credit is due. Of the Eastern Front Churchill remarked that “It was the Red Army that tore the guts out of the Wehrmact.” His statement captured not only the substance, but the style, of the largest and most brutal war within World War II.
Much the same could be said of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria.
Sundance: The Geographic Caliphate Of ISIS Is Defeated — All Areas Within Syria And Iraq Liberated
czarowniczy commented:
I’d said that way back when the ISIS battle started to rip up Syria that the Russians would not let ISIS have Syria …. I also said that the Russians would not let Assad fall. Yes, the US and with some help (small ‘h’) from some NATO partners that had a personal Russia-related stake in ISIS falling, took the brunt of the fight but both Russia and Iran had a large hand in the fight too.
Note that the US stayed away from Russian areas on interest in Syria during the battle, letting Russia and Iran work those areas. The US’s help went a long way towards limiting Russian military buildups there, had Russia had to do all of the heavy lifting it would have had to put much more boots-on-ground and that would have caused an imbalance in the area. Russia’s buildup as it is has caused some technology transfer issues but it’s nowhere as bad as it would have been had Russia needed to set up full military operations there. I do believe that somewhere Russian, US, EU and Mideast dealers got together and made a deal to keep Russia’s important assets that impact Europe there secure. It also seems to guarantee to the Russians that at least for now we’ll protect their expanding infrastructure there.
David R. Graham replied to czarowniczy:
Yes. The Euphrates has been the line of deconfliction. Everybody with a brain saw this as a supreme opportunity to ally with Russia (and India) on more than deconflicting inside Syria. But the Trump admin, regrettably, has not reached that awareness and thereby exploited the opportunity so patently present, even now.
Kurds, bless their hearts, have moved into areas of Syria and Iraq that historically are not theirs. To include oil-bearing regions west of the Euphrates in Syria’s southeast. Several reasons for that.
But by doing that, Kurds, in all three of their sections (Western Syria/Turkey, Northern Syria/Turkey, Eastern Syria/Iraqi/Iran), have thrust themselves into the role of having to sit table with the big boys as a credible presence. Time will tell if they can pull that off, aka, be serious statesmen.
montanamel replied to David R. Graham
Sounds almost like the old Trucial States deal, eh?
David R. Graham replied to montanamel:
Perhaps. The similitude, while attractive both theoretically and strategically, seems to me strained. Its accuracy would be enhanced, at least theoretically, if USA had a grand national strategic goal in MENA. USA today does not need coaling stations and mil outposts in the Gulf as GB did then, two of several reason for the Trucial MOUs.
The question of USA grand national strategic goals and consequent strategic interests in the area and even MENA generally are not addressed by the so-called US foreign policy establishment in the light of contemporary circumstances, geographies, and nation-state abilities. Geography and protection of sovereignty, the most salient issues in re grand strategics are deliberately ignored.
So the best one can hope for in re USA-MENA right now, in view of the strategic-thought vacuum just mentioned, is tactical success, such as Sundance rightly celebrates, and that Kurds may rise to the opportunities for big-league statesmanship now before them, compliments of POTUS Trump, President Putin, President Macron, PM May, and their own tactical perspicacity.
czarowniczy replied to David R. Graham:
I wouldn’t start buying timeshares in Greater Syrian Kurdistan as Turkey is somewhat pissed that the Kurds have set up shop on Turkey’s border AND in areas Turkey considers to be parts of Syria Turkey wants back.
I think that the Turks, when they get their act together, will deal with the Kurds with Russian and Syrian approval and a US blind eye. We might do something like give those stern denunciations of Turkish anti-Kurd activities like the ones we’ve given in decades past as Turkey went Kurd hunting, may even offer to load a bunch up and bring them here but those gas lines and the other petro line and projects planned for Turkey and Syria will, I believe, win out. As far as a Kurd homeland in Syria … no whey. Sorry, that one just slipped out
David R. Graham replied to czarowniczy:
Your and my grandchildren may be purchasing properties in Iraq and Afghanistan. Maybe even Kurdistan. I do not know and would be a fool to predict. 🙂 They are beautiful countries.
This I think is important, however: economics is downstream from geography and the impulse to protect national sovereignty. Economics is even downstream from politics, thus the motivation for corporations to hire lobbyists at Congress and Executive Branch agencies. Culture is upstream from both economics and politics. AOC is making that point for us in the clearest possible terms right there in public: ideology first, then see what happens, and if you do not like it, that is your fault, not mine.
But geography is upstream from culture. So for example, IMO, Russia is moving to envelop Constantinople from the east (Nagorno-Karabakh), southeast (Tartus, Latakia), and southwest (Tobruk, Benghazi). She is holding Turkey, Iran, and China at bay, or at least trying to do that, to include with MOU-type alliances. Huge opportunities exist for USA-Russia strategic cooperation to quieten MENA generally for mutual benefit.
Related: L. Todd Wood: WWIII Anyone? The Crusades Are Returning To Caucasus As Violence Rages In Nagorno-Karabakh
At a post on Instapundit by Stephen Green I commented:
So far, Socialists/Globalists/RINOs in the USA have won the key foreign policy victory over POTUS Trump: they have kept Russia in the enemy column rather than abide POTUS’ impulses to treat of Russia as a friend and geo-strategic ally, as had been the case between USA and Russia pre-Soviet.
And Socialists/Globalists/RINOs have frustrated, so far, a rare geo-strategic opportunity to quieten MENA and check China by applying Three Brothers Doctrine.
Evangelical and moralistic biases obstruct statecraft and American character is shot through with both of off those weaknesses, regrettably. Still, the force of events will make that alliance — to include India — happen willy-nilly despite the insane self-aggrandizement of the so-called USA foreign policy establishment, which is bi-partisan, stupid, ignorant, cowardly, and selfish.
Related: France, always of a strategic mind if not always of a tactical one, is moving towards checking China while Germany is moving towards welcoming China. This splits the EU and opens more opportunity to cultivate USA sovereign freedom on strategic grounds.
A reader, hiding behind the handle bitterlyclinging, and I commented on a post at Power Line:
bitterlyclinging
The Washington Post. You’ll have to try hard to find a larger hive of Marxist scum and villainy.
David R. Graham to bitterlyclinging
Scum and villainy, yes, I see that. Marxist, no, I do not see that. I think this we see standing before us as a murderous abomination is orders of magnitude bigger and worse than mere Marxism. It is more akin to a ten-headed, ten-armed, death-dealing monster than a German-Anglo from Trier who lost his way at the University of Berlin, obliging him to lose it further at the University of Jena. The historical precursor of what we observe today is Ravana. That big a scary creature, no mere misanthropic Prussian existentialist. Instead of Marxism/Progressivism, perhaps denominate it we should as The Darkness . . . ? I do not know, perhaps there is a better term.
Sarva Roopa Dharam Shaantam,
Sarva Naama Dharam Shivam,
Satchitaanandam Adwaitam
Sathyam Shivam Sundaram
Peace is the vesture of all forms,
Auspiciousness is the basis of all names,
The non-dual form is Truth, Awareness, and Bliss,
And this is Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.
Βασιλεία του Θεού
Kingdom of God
Update 1: Tulsi Gabbard: Accept the Mueller report and do the nation’s business.
Update 2: China Seeks to Subvert Europe Through Divide and Conquer
Update 3: L. Todd Wood: Pretty Globalists (communists) All In A Row
Update 4: Roger L. Simon: Trump Was Not Just Spied Upon But Entrapped
Update 5: Gabbard Exposes Dems’ Devil May Care Attitude On Russiagate
Update 7: Tulsi Gabbard: Trump, ‘Al-Qaeda’s Big Brother,’ Turned U.S. into ‘Prostitute’ of the Saudis
Update 8: Tulsi is not a fool.
floridaobserver to David R. Graham
That’s what I thought until she met Assad and said he was not the enemy.
David R. Graham to floridaobserver
I expected that point to be raised. It should be. Here is my take on it, FWIW: Assad is no friend of the USA and has caused death to USA Soldiers. He is a louse. However, that was not Tulsi’s point in visiting him, as she has explained several times.
Her point was that USA — aka Obama/Brennan/McCain — were trying to oust Assad by benefiting AQ/ISIS with arms and training to do the deed.
They had no strategic reason beyond personal pique and ancient and commanding CIA crotchets devoid of allegiance to USA as a sovereign nation.
In fact, arming/training AQ/ISIS undercut their support for the blood-thirsty ayatollahs of Iran who feed Assad. It was, as with all things Obama, FUBAR. And they risked war with Russia who also supported Assad.
That was Tulsi’s point. She was no fool for making it. On some other matters, I deplore Tulsi’s postures, but I would never ascribe to her the sobriquet of fool. That is reserved for people who ignore their duties to self-correct and to ruminate carefully and honestly upon advice they are offered from whatever source.
AtlDDS to David R. Graham
At the end of the day she chose to be part of the Democrats — that is proven fool.
David R. Graham to AtlDDS
Point taken. However, in this matter of which she spoke and traveled — Obama, Brennan, McCain, or as she tactfully put it USA, supplying and training AQ/ISIS to take down Assad — she spoke the truth and rightfully condemned those personalities’ actions in that regard. Some other postures of hers I abominate. But when she is spot on, I feel credit is due her. She behaves foolishly in some regards, but she is no fool, meaning behaving foolishly plenarily.
Update 9: She marks civilization’s fundament: agriculture. We live from six inches of top soil. Period.
She does not know how to proceed from that fact, at least not yet, and she approaches the subject from the ideology of identity politics, but she sees the fundament and deserves credit for that, even if she wills to misuse it.
She is, after all, up from the plantain Puerto Rican. Hitler saw the need for German military restoration as fundament of antidote to Allied rapacity at Versailles. AOC sees local agricultural puissance as fundament of antidote to crony capitalist cash crop farming. Give the monsters credit for what they got/get right.
Give her time, she will only become more formidable in this and other regards.
As to what she and her cohort want really to institute, ponder the career of Ks. Jerzy Popiełuszko.
Update 10: Suleimani/Quds and Morsi did Benghazi attack on 11SEP12
Update 11: Tulsi’s Last Stand?
Update 12: When Turkey Destroyed Its Christians
Update 13: L. Todd Wood: WWIII Anyone? The Crusades Are Returning To Caucasus As Violence Rages In Nagorno-Karabakh
AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA
How delightful! I am happy for you that you enjoyed the play and that it was enjoyable.
Hooker’s translation of Cyrano affected my life almost as early as I can remember having it. The grandeur of spirit, the beauty of meekness, the power of love, the exaltation, the tragedy, the deep springs of life. In my mind’s eye I cast myself as the hero, which meant I saw myself as a tragic figure where the fair sex is concerned. And so I was.
Then one day, past thirty and depressed for failure, again, my thoughts ran to Cyrano, as often they did, and I mentioned to myself, Cyrano did not tell Roxanne but that does not mean you have to not tell her. Right then I resolved to tell her so.
I picked up the phone, called the lady I had really loved, but never told her so, and told her so. About a year later, after infrequent and desultory communication, on a freezing late December morning, she was outside the stoop of the back door of the shack I inhabited. I asked her what she was doing. She said she had come to live with me. I invited her in for breakfast and to warm up. She said she had been out there all night not wanting to disturb me.
That was 44 years ago and she is still here. I had decided to refuse the part of Cyrano, to be myself, and to do what I wanted to do. Everything got better after that. Still, I treasure the play as much as I do the music of Bach and taught it thoroughly to our homeschooled children.
I am so happy this wonderful play can be staged so compellingly even today. Most gratifying.