http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/07/07/not-so-great/ n. the principle of good order<br /><br /> "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:39:05 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.3 hourly 1 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/07/07/not-so-great/comment-page-1/#comment-13096 Eunomia » Do These People Even Know What Soviet Means? Sun, 10 Aug 2008 03:07:25 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/07/07/not-so-great/#comment-13096 [...] Yes, just as Iran is poised to revive the Achaemenid Empire!  It’s not just that I find the charges of Russian imperialism a bit tired coming from people who have insisted for years that invading other countries, toppling their governments and setting up puppet states is not imperialism, but I find them very boring.  I mean, how unimaginative can one be to say, “They’re bringing back the Soviet Union!”?  That’s the sort of thing an eccentric Bond villain would try to do.  There are no more workers’ councils, and there is no more USSR.  In every sense of the word, the Soviets are gone and their empire is dust.  No one–not Putin, not Medvedev, not anyone–is bringing it back as it once existed.  Now if Kimball had said that Moscow is trying to reassemble parts of the pre-revolutionary Russian Empire, at least in terms of its territorial dimensions, I would still say that he is grossly exaggerating what’s going on, but at least he wouldn’t be embarrassing himself by saying completely nonsensical things.  [...] [...] Yes, just as Iran is poised to revive the Achaemenid Empire!  It’s not just that I find the charges of Russian imperialism a bit tired coming from people who have insisted for years that invading other countries, toppling their governments and setting up puppet states is not imperialism, but I find them very boring.  I mean, how unimaginative can one be to say, “They’re bringing back the Soviet Union!”?  That’s the sort of thing an eccentric Bond villain would try to do.  There are no more workers’ councils, and there is no more USSR.  In every sense of the word, the Soviets are gone and their empire is dust.  No one–not Putin, not Medvedev, not anyone–is bringing it back as it once existed.  Now if Kimball had said that Moscow is trying to reassemble parts of the pre-revolutionary Russian Empire, at least in terms of its territorial dimensions, I would still say that he is grossly exaggerating what’s going on, but at least he wouldn’t be embarrassing himself by saying completely nonsensical things.  [...]

]]> http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/07/07/not-so-great/comment-page-1/#comment-12083 KXB Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:45:39 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/07/07/not-so-great/#comment-12083 Given the poor performance of Israel's military and intelligence services against Hezbollah in 2006, it sometimes appears to me that Israel is barking louder than it can bite. No one knows what is going on inside Iran or where all of its nuclear facilities are, so an Israeli airstrike would be a series of shots in the dark. Second, it's still a long distance between Israel and Iran - would Israeli jets have enough fuel to fly there, launch an attack, evade anti-aircraft missiles, and get back to Israel? Third, suppose Iran does not retaliate at Israel, but at its vulnerable American sponsor? I see no reason why the U.S. should risk the lives of thousands of Americans in Iraq and the Persian Gulf to preserve Israel's nuclear monopoly. Given the poor performance of Israel’s military and intelligence services against Hezbollah in 2006, it sometimes appears to me that Israel is barking louder than it can bite. No one knows what is going on inside Iran or where all of its nuclear facilities are, so an Israeli airstrike would be a series of shots in the dark. Second, it’s still a long distance between Israel and Iran – would Israeli jets have enough fuel to fly there, launch an attack, evade anti-aircraft missiles, and get back to Israel? Third, suppose Iran does not retaliate at Israel, but at its vulnerable American sponsor? I see no reason why the U.S. should risk the lives of thousands of Americans in Iraq and the Persian Gulf to preserve Israel’s nuclear monopoly.

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