Pozner talk at Yale, the usual suspects must watch.

[untermensche]

Trusting and hopeful is different from naive.

They believed US rhetoric about the purpose of NATO.

It's purpose is to keep a US military presence in Europe.

But it took the breakup of the Soviet Union to fully understand it was empty rhetoric.

So they can't be faulted.

 

[Koyaanisqatsi]

...

 

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Not sure why my post was edited, but the point stands, which was that Pozner's main argument in regard to Putin's "existential threat" of the Ukraine in regard to a fear of NATO encroachment as it related to Russian borders would only increase after annexing the Ukraine, as can clearly be seen from this screenshot I took from the video. He'd be facing four NATO member-states bordering Russian territory instead of just the Ukraine:



Plus, as previously noted (but, again, mod removed), Estonia and Latvia (also NATO member-states, since 2004 no less) already directly border Russia, so any "existential threat" that Pozner tries to put in Putin's mouth in regard to the Ukraine has been a condition via Estonia and Latvia for almost fifteen years now.

 

[barbos]

The usual suspect is failing military strategy 101. Not to mention using ridiculous logic like "Well, since we robbed you once, you should not mind us robbing you ten times more"

 

[Koyaanisqatsi]

The usual suspect is failing military strategy 101.

I'm assuming I'm the "usual suspect." How am I failing military strategy by pointing out Putin would face four NATO member states on his border (plus two more which are already on his border) by invading and annexing the Ukraine?

Not to mention using ridiculous logic like "Well, since we robbed you once, you should not mind us robbing you ten times more"

What the fuck are you babbling about?

 

[Harry Bosch]

Yeah, if only russians knew that at the time, they could have organized a lifelong and well paid lecture tour for Wolfowitz from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. Instead he is giving his boring lectures at Lockheed Martin.

It was too late for that.

Well, there is a russian saying for that - "An attempt is not a torture as Comrade Stalin used to say".
But the point is, Russians were utterly naive in their trust of the US/West.

How so? Nato didn't take over any Russian land. Nato poses no threat to Russia. The real issue here is that Putin wants to bully eastern European countries into Russian-favorable trade treaties. He doesn't want Eastern Europeans seeking the best deal for them.

 

[barbos]

Well, there is a russian saying for that - "An attempt is not a torture as Comrade Stalin used to say".
But the point is, Russians were utterly naive in their trust of the US/West.

How so? Nato didn't take over any Russian land. Nato poses no threat to Russia. The real issue here is that Putin wants to bully eastern European countries into Russian-favorable trade treaties. He doesn't want Eastern Europeans seeking the best deal for them.

So you have not watched the lecture, OK.

 

[laughing dog]

Well, there is a russian saying for that - "An attempt is not a torture as Comrade Stalin used to say".
But the point is, Russians were utterly naive in their trust of the US/West.

How so? Nato didn't take over any Russian land. Nato poses no threat to Russia. The real issue here is that Putin wants to bully eastern European countries into Russian-favorable trade treaties. He doesn't want Eastern Europeans seeking the best deal for them.

So you have not watched the lecture, OK.

If Pozner says NATO did take over Russian land or that NATO poses a real threat to Russia, then Pozner is a fucktard.

The fact that barbos cannot or will not boil down Pozner's points (at least as a teaser to induce people to watch the video) is truly indicative. The fact that someone claims Pozner has a unique viewpoint is meaningless because batshit crazy can be an unique viewpoint.