Poland's aid to Ukraine if Russia invades - part 25

I would definitely feel the same. Little to gain, a whole lot to lose.

Yet History is a sterner mistress than Karma, and she has seldom shown favor to Poland. So, upset? Yes, I would be. Surprised? Not really.


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Source: thediplomat.com/2022/06/from-china-with-love-xis-birthday-call-to-putin/

Xi loves Putin. He is everything he wants to be.

The example of Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Ziamin, and Hu Jintao is not attractive to Xi. He wants to be a leader in the mold of Mao. He will not surrender his mandate, and he will occupy all positions of power regardless of established party precedent.

He wants to be a God Emperor like Putin.

God Emperor, eh? Well, it's good to have ambition... maybe he will even transform himself into a huge sandworm and live forever.

Why is it invariably the greatest psychopaths that run empires? Or maybe it's the power than makes them psychopaths?

Most bloodly leader in the entire 20th century who engineered the worst famine in human history?


putin's a small fry... he's not even close to Stalin levels of mass murder (which is why he'll soon be forgotten once he does croak).

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely".

Lord Acton said this in the 19th century.

I think, there are tiers to life:

1) The bottom

2) The middle

3) The top

4) Centimillionaires - for the purposes of the rest, a class of people that has broken free from material concerns

5) Billionaires - enjoying the privilege and status of heads of state, but small heads of state - think Kyrgyzstan or Slovakia. Big security details, private aircraft, self sufficient compounds, and numerous staff. For all intent and purposes - unreachable for the average mortal.

6) Heads of large and important states - all the amenities of a billionaire, plus practically god-like powers of life and death over practically any individual inhabiting this planet of ours. The ability to shift industrial policy, and the lives of hundreds of millions, with a stroke of a pen. The chance to write history, on a daily basis.

I think this sixth rung of power is impossibly intoxicating, and nobody can resist it. If anybody parts with it, only grudgingly, and out of necessity.

Dear Poland:

Please, doubt. America is often stupid, but no suicidal.

Now, we are broke, so go see the French and Italians for any assurances you may want. They are very brave and very ready.

A US imposed no fly zone over Ukraine would pretty much end Russia.

Ehrm... what did you say??

A US imposed no fly zone, allowed Serbia to continue fighting for nearly a year - and that conflict still necessitated a political settlement at the end.

A US and NATO imposed no fly zone over Libya, failed to prevent any of the outcomes it was assembled against. Currently, Libya is divided between two halves - one ISIS controlled, and one Russia/Emirati controlled.

Never, in the history of the world, has a no fly zone succeeded in enforcing anything or producing facts on the ground. The only thing that matters - is infantry.

America enjoyed 20+ years of air superiority in Afghanistan - this did not prevent the collapse of the government they had been propping up for twenty years, in the space of two weeks.

Neither did America's dominance over the skies of Iraq, prevent the disasters that unfolded in Fallujah and Mosul.

Neither will America's current posturing off the cost of Venezuela, if it ever turns into an air campaign, force the collapse of Maduro's government.

Air power is nothing, without the ability to follow up on the ground, where you can secure and cement your gains.

... Especially when anti air missiles is not in abundance, and few ~$2500 Gerbera dummies can waste few scarce $1M+ Patriot missiles.