Another Round.

Evidently Lindsey Graham and his cronies from the Senate have a very vague understanding of the meaning of "crushing" when introducing yet another set of sanction against Russia, whom they also want to define as Sponsor of Terrorism.

A bipartisan group of senators is introducing legislation to impose "crushing" new financial penalties on Russia. The bill would slap new sanctions on Moscow, require two-thirds Senate approval if President Trump wanted to withdraw from NATO and force the State Department to determine if Russia is a state sponsor of terrorism. GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) said current U.S. sanctions against Russia haven't stopped Moscow from trying to meddle in the November midterm elections, despite Congress passing new legislation last year.

I am sure Russians will be "pleased" to be identified as sponsors of terrorism by the same ol', same ol' cabal of "legislators" we all got used to so much in the last 10 years. It is worth, however, repeating who they are:

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) added that the bill is "the next step in tightening the screws on the Kremlin."Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) are also supporting the legislation. It comes as lawmakers are growingly increasingly concerned that Russia will try to interfere in the 2018 elections, where control of Congress hangs in the balance.

I can only express amusement to these, and other, senators' complete inability to learn. It is expected from US Congress to be oblivious on most matters concerning Russia, once the "quality" of US diplomatic corps and intelligence machine, not to speak of quality of legislators themselves, is considered, but continuing doing the same and expecting different outcomes? Isn't it what Albert Einstein defined as insanity? But then again, common sense and competent people are a rare commodity in both houses. 

My personal attitude to all this circus is to merely quote a very famous movie director and truly cultured and knowledgeable man, Karen Shakhnazarov, who recently (a week or so ago) praised economic sanction on Russia, which, as he insisted "if not for sanctions we (Russia) we wouldn't be doing what we are doing now. Sanctions are good for us". I completely share Shakhnazarov's point of view. I also am getting tired from, promoted mostly by humanities and finances "educated" so called analysts from all kinds of liberal rags both in Russia and the West, the concept of some Russia's "dependency" on Western "technology". It is to be expected from people who never worked a real industrial job in their life and do not understand what real technology or manufacturing is. Reality, of course, is quite different: the main issue of Russia in terms of Western "technology" is not anymore technology per se—that technology is being developed and introduced in Russia as I type this. The issue is bulk.

It is not easy to immediately remove, as an example, Siemens' or GE's MRI machines when Russia only recently, about 3-4 years ago developed own MRI machines and is getting them into production. Just as a passing fact, Russia has own world-class X-Ray manufacturing. The other example, of course, is (or rather was) the issue of power plants for Russian naval ships—a major pain in the butt with mostly Ukrainian manufacturers, together with German MTU, who, for obvious reasons, blocked or sabotaged for three years introduction of new Russian naval ships into services since were main manufacturers of both gas turbines and diesel engines for Russian Navy for years. Well, this is not the case anymore. Russia is doing it herself. But, of course, it takes time to get off the needle of imported technology and ramp up production. But no, rephrasing Mark Twain, the rumors of Russia's dependence of Western technology were grossly exaggerated. So, sure, let the US introduce new sanctions and see what happens and how they will "crush" Russia. Good luck with that.

Russia being branded a sponsor of terrorism is, of course, a completely different matter. It shows:

1. An utter desperation of the Washington's globalist establishment, which is ready to go to any length to destroy Trump's presidency and with it destroy at least some faint chance for the US to get its own house in order. 

2. Russophobia which is entering a terminal stage and criminalizes not only any relations with Russia but, eventually, will criminalize the state of being Russian as such. Any ethnic Russian in the US automatically becomes a suspect in the whole spectrum of "subversive activity", since we all know today that Russians are "genetically driven" to do a mischief. I still hear crickets on the part of the "free" American media who think it is OK to view Russians as genetic danger to American democracy. Where did I hear this before? Hm. Something is on the tip of my tongue.   

3. It shows steadily diminishing number of adults in Washington D.C. with it being dominated by personalities who are ready for their very personal benefits, be that political careers, payoffs and bribes of all kinds and, simply, egos larger than cathedrals—a first sign of mediocrity—discard any pretense of so called "service" to the American people, by means of getting these very same American people, whom these legislative scumbags allegedly "serve", into the situation in which an overwhelming majority of Americans, should these American people were properly informed, would hate to be in the first place.  

Russia, who suffered from terrorism on the order of magnitude more than the United States, even the tragedy of 9/11 considered, will "gladly", I am sure, receive such a distinction. I'd say to Lindsey Graham and Menendez—go for it. Awareness of being in a glass house is not their strong point.

In the meantime. It is 10^th Anniversary of Russian-Georgian War, known in Russia as 080808. In five days Georgian Army, trained and partially equipped by NATO and Israeli instructors was utterly demolished by allegedly backward Russian 58^th Army and sent the message which Washington still cannot comprehend to this day. And by comprehension I mean internalization and application of the message to practical activity. When even Condoleezza Rice had to admit that it was Saakashvili and his nation whipped into the nationalistic frenzy who started the war, it is the time to really reassess (yeah, yeah, any minute now) a geopolitical reality. Just to demonstrate a complete imbecility and incompetence of most American "observers" of that war, here is the "pearl" of military "wisdom" from Strategic Studies Institute. Get this for fun:

“Indeed, at the tactical level, in direct fire engagements between Russian and Georgian units of relatively equal size, Georgian forces seem to have inflicted more damage than they suffered. In part, this was due to superior Georgian equipment—many Georgian tanks and infantry fighting vehicles were equipped with reactive armor, night vision equipment, advanced radios, and superior fire control systems installed under contract by an Israeli defense firm, while most Russian vehicles lacked these improvements. Georgian forces also benefited from training administered by U.S. and other Western countries designed to prepare them for their deployments to Kosovo and Iraq. While generally focused on stability operations or counterinsurgency, this training taught skills relevant to conventional engagements at the tactical level as well—skills such as reacting to contact and using firepower to support maneuver against the enemy. "

How Georgian Army, utterly demolished by forward units of the 58^th Army, with most of those 58^th Army tanks being re-deployed from exercises with much of their ammo still being practical (that is blank—for training purposes), "benefited" is difficult to comprehend. I have a dirty joke about that but I will abstain. Already then Russian Army was in the transformation process and for all its ills and mistakes in that campaign, the outcome was never in doubt (well, except for many Western "analysts"). As General Khrulev said himself yesterday—the difference between then (2008) and today (2018) would be that today Russian Army would demolish Georgian Armed Forces not in 5 but in 2 days (in Russian). I guess this is the main reason which drives Washington's establishment insane and we can observe that in real time.