A Puzzle.

 A very good song for Friday)) No, this is not 1973. 

Scott Elaborates On The Matter ...

 ... as a military professional.

Karaganov is NOT military professional, he is a demagogue who failed to insert himself into any position in the Russian Foreign Ministry and was always in the business of self-promotion and self-proclamation of being "adviser" to whoever was a flavor of the decade. He is not and never was any "adviser" to President Putin and he has no a faintest idea about issues related to Russia's Military Doctrine and the use of nuclear weapons (Foundation of State Policy on Nuclear Containment). In general, he is an incompetent hack who simply uses his position of being born and tied to privileged Soviet families and that's the extent of his "skills". In fact, his statements are the statements of a media attention-seeking whore. He is fake. 

Now, per strikes--all indicators are that Russia will strike Europe. Russia doesn't need to use nukes because she has more than enough conventional means for both destruction of a critical industrial infrastructure involved in support of 404 and, if it comes down to it, decapitating governments of hostile countries. The conditions for the use of nuclear weapons are not met yet. But they are already within the legal vicinity for the possible use. Here they are:

19. The conditions determining the possibility of the Russian Federation using nuclear weapons are:

a) receipt of credible information regarding the launch of ballistic missiles attacking the territory of the Russian Federation and/or its allies;

b) the use by an adversary of nuclear weapons or other types of weapons of mass destruction against the territory of the Russian Federation and/or its allies, or against military formations and/or facilities of the Russian Federation located outside its territory;

c) an adversary’s impact on critical state or military facilities of the Russian Federation, the disablement of which would lead to the disruption of the retaliatory actions of its nuclear forces;

d) aggression against the Russian Federation and/or the Republic of Belarus—as participants in the Union State—involving the use of conventional weapons, which poses a critical threat to their sovereignty and/or territorial integrity;

e) receipt of credible information regarding the mass launch (takeoff) of aerospace attack assets (strategic and tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, hypersonic and other aircraft) and their crossing of the state border of the Russian Federation.

Other considerations come into play here, but pp. d is "getting there". Karaganov doesn't understand operational let alone technological implications of all that--he simply has no tool kit or background to pass judgement on the matter. But that brings us back to the starting point--Russia has enough conventional means to strike at any facility in Europe and the US IS NOT coming for a simple reason--it has no resources. Demilitarizing NATO was one of the key strategic aims of SMO (once it became clear that the US sabotaged Istanbul talks) and Iran has demonstrated it fully. Who will be hit first? Yeah, I am inclined to see Germany "getting the message"--it is long overdue. 

Since The Issue Came Up ...

 ... here is CENTCOM's Commander Admiral Brad Cooper.  

I am not going to elaborate on CENTCOM's stunning "victory" in Iran, but here is Cooper's bio. 

Admiral Brad Cooper is the proud son of a career Army Officer. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and earned a master’s degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University. He studied international relations at Harvard and Tufts Universities. Cooper is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. A career Navy Surface Warfare Officer, he has deployed on ships to every combatant command theater of operation and served a tour on the ground in Afghanistan. His command tours include service in Bahrain as commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, FIFTH Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces; commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic; commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7 in Okinawa, Japan; and, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea in Busan, South Korea. His ship commands include USS Russell (DDG 59) and USS Gettysburg (CG 64). Ashore, he most recently served as Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command. Other leadership tours include service as the Navy Chief of Legislative Affairs and Director, Surface Warfare Officer assignments (Pers-41). He has also served in a variety of executive and military assistant roles in the White House, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Pacific Fleet headquarters.

OK, that's fine, that's honorable and respectable but here is the Eisenhower's conundrum.  

Ike, actually, did win a huge campaign, he also planned it together with George Marshall, a no small feat against however depleted and weakened Wehrmacht. But what are those awards Admiral Cooper wears? Judging by the massive display of awards he is the equal of Chester Nimitz at least and makes Ike look like an amateur, despite the fact that Ike was bestowed upon in full sincere admiration and respect the awards which Admiral Cooper can only dream about, Ike's name is even enshrined on the Kremlin Wall. One is left wondering what kind of display this is. I will omit commenting on the content of this Admiral's presentation, suffice it to say--it is preposterous. 

About Ben Wallace And ...

 ... "inexpensive hypersonic missiles")) Xi and Trump. 

Judge For Yourself.

This is what the US has become. 

It is ungovernable. 

Nima and Me.

Live in 35 minutes. 

Garland and Me.

 In an hour ten minutes.