Another Issue Of My Talking head.

I do talk about NDIA report and how it factors into the current situation. 

In related news, I was of a better opinion of Anatol Lieven, but, evidently, the more I read what he writes recently, the more I understand why Ph.D in political "science" or even history is not a viable education today. Lieven writes a lot, as of lately, but he surely lacks understanding what modern Russia is. This is not to say that Russia is invulnerable, but Lieven is merely a manifestation of inevitable overstretch of political "sciences" in a face of an extremely complex, technologically and scientifically, world. Yes, they reached the limits of their always exaggerated "expertise" long time ago.

A war in Ukraine would be a catastrophe for the Ukrainian people, and it would also be extremely bad for Europe and the world economy, including the U.S. economy. To respond to Russian invasion by backing a guerrilla war in Ukraine would create a permanent armed conflict in Europe, unending suffering for ordinary Ukrainians and a real threat of Russian attacks on any NATO state that supported the guerrillas. Far better to use the threat of sanctions to prevent war happening in the first place, and not throw away this valuable weapon in advance.

He doesn't understand the nature of a guerilla war in Ukraine nor does he understand that "ordinary Ukrainians" got exactly what they wanted. How about he looks at the US in this case, which chose POTUSes for the last five election cycles. Economically, meanwhile, he also doesn't understand "sanctions", especially when applied to such country as Russia. But then again, Western "Russia Studies" field always had issues with scales and proportions. Let them believe in sanctions. 

Unlike Lieven, Colonel General Kartapolov is a properly educated man with an immense experience in life and practical geopolitics and warfare, but it is difficult to explain to Western political "scientist" what Russian Academy of General Staff is, but here is Kartapolov today (in Russian) explaining what is going on:

Lieven should seek council of people like that, not a bunch of boys from Valdai. I doubt, however, that he will get it even if he reads it.