Monday, August 17, 2009

Something Interesting Regarding Civil War II Here and Elsewhere

I found the following while reading 'Civil War Two' by Thomas W. Chittum, page 110:

http://www.timebomb2000.com/misc/CWII.pdf


When will Civil War II actually erupt? There is no scientific formula or mathematical equation that will give us the date. Instead, we must turn our attention to the demographic forces propelling us toward Civil War II, our ongoing transformation from a stable monoethnic nation into an unstable multiethnic empire. Not all history can be explained by this single engine of demographic transformation. Other factors can and do decide the boundaries and fates of empires and nations. However, the concept of nationality has been the dominate historical factor, at least since the industrial revolution. The more monoethnic a nation is, the less chance a secondary tribe will break off and form a new nation, or unite with their co-ethnics in an adjacent nation.
The more monoethnic a nation is, the less likely a neighboring country will try to carve off a slice inhabited by its coethnics as Nazi Germany seized the Sudentenland of Czechoslovakia. The more monoethnic a nation is, the more likely its citizens will unite and fight foreign invaders, thus again increasing the chances of territorial integrity.

It is certainly a book dealing with civil unrest in the USA, but I think there is something to be said for what Chittum wrote in regards to a larger geopolitical theater. While we may have a multi-ethnic society here that is becoming increasingly balkanized, it certainly is the case of Georgia and the breakaway South Ossetia region. In the case of that chunk of Georgia being broken away, it is because the New Soviet flooded the region with Russian-ethnic citizens, thus creating a 'crisis' whereupon Russia claimed a responsibility to help them. Others have written of this strategy, and I claim no special insight on this point.

What I intend to point out is that such infiltration and prying away of territory is not exclusive to Georgia at this point in time, nor is it a new idea by those who practice it. We are experiencing such a bit of history in the United States, and it makes me wonder if our own balkanization is by design.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

More Rumblings On the Path to War?

This is something to watch, both as a story in and of itself, but as possibly part of a trend. Will there be more ministers forced from office riding inside a body bag? It seems, too, that Ingushetia is in a period of increasing instability - will the Russians ride to rescue, as they claim they are with South Osettia?

Russian ruling minister shot dead in Ingushetia

http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=45885

A minister was shot dead inside his ministerial office in Russia's southern region of Ingushetia, officials said.

Wednesday, 12 August 2009 11:04
World Bulletin / News Desk


A minister was shot dead inside his ministerial office in Russia's southern region of Ingushetia on Wednesday, officials said.

The construction minister, Ruslan Amerkhanov, "was shot dead by an unidentified gunman this morning" in his office, a spokesman for the local prosecutor's office said.

[Whatta name! "Ruslan Amerkhanov"? Sounds like "Russian American". No way - could that be an intentional thing? -Ed]

Russian news agencies said Amerkhanov was shot dead at point-blank range when a group of armed men burst into his office in Ingushetia's capital of Magas.

Ingush President Yunus-Bek Yevkurov is recovering after being seriously wounded in a suicide bomb attack on his motorcade on June 22...

Lest We Forget... Big Badda Boom II



The Japanese will to fight still unbroken (though shaken) by the firstorms of Hiroshima, Truman ordered the next atomic attack. On August 9th of 1945, Nagasaki was struck by Fat Man, a 21 KT weapon. On September 2nd, the Japanese formally surrendered - they had had enough.

Of course, as will all warfare technologocal innovation, a race had begun in earnest...

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Big Badda Boom


On August 6, 1945, the primary technological symbol of the Cold War was first used in anger. Today is the 64th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.


Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Georgia Update - Russia Points a Finger at the USA (Again)

A snip from another article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090804/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_georgia_2

"...Meanwhile, a senior Russian diplomat voiced concern about what he said were U.S. plans to provide military assistance to Georgia.

"Washington is playing the key role in rearming the Georgian military machine," Grigory Karasin, a deputy foreign minister, said in comments carried Tuesday by the Interfax agency.

"It would be in the interests of Georgian democracy ... to refuse to arm this country at all."

The U.S. is discussing a Georgian request for $16 million in military aid this year, with most of the money intended for training and technical assistance..."

Georgia Rumbles

I find it interesting that the EU monitors on site can't (or won't) confirm this, and Russia still claims it. What concerns me is that they may be working to a timetable that they consider inviolate, and will press ahead despite denials from other sources. Considering that I think that Russia's taking Georgia will be in conjuntion with actions in Iran and/or North Korea, it concerns me.

Russia says troops on alert in South Ossetia

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE57337B20090804?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

Tue Aug 4, 2009 2:23pm BST

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A year after fighting a war with Georgia, Russia strengthened the combat readiness of its troops in rebel region South Ossetia on Tuesday and warned the United States against arming Georgia.

"Provocations from the Georgian side ahead of the anniversary of the August events last year are not stopping," Andrei Nesterenko, a spokesman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, said in a statement, referring to last August's five-day war.

"In connection with this, we have stepped up the combat readiness of Russian troops and border guards."

South Ossetia accused Georgian forces of firing mortars at the rebel territory last week, underscoring simmering tension in the region which analysts say could boil over into a new war.

Tbilisi denied the charge and monitors from the European Union said they have seen "no evidence" to confirm any shelling...

Sunday, August 2, 2009

I'm Always Glad to Know There's Other Nutters Like Me

There is a very nice timeline in the post linked below from Timebomb2000. The link in that thread has more information, but I like the formatting and summation of the timeline better at TB2K. This should be of great interest to anyone who runs with the idea of a Soviet that never really died.

1991 Russia remains one country capable of destroying U.S. in less than 30 minutes

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=339579

1991 - Russia will remain the one country capable of destroying the U.S. in less than 30 minutes: Colin Powell warned, “Whatever the future state may look like, the land of the czars and commissars, after all is said and done, will still possess by far the strongest military force on the Eurasian land mass. The Soviet Union, now and in the future, will remain the one country capable of destroying the United States in less than 30 minutes.” (American Legion magazine, October 1991, p. 21)