Events Are Developing ...

 ... "exactly" as Donnie "planned", right? Ayatollah Sistani (another Senior Ayatollah) issued Jihad Fetwa against Israel and the US. It is a second one--you need three fetwas from senior ayatollahs for Jihad to start. The third one is from ... yep, is expected from the son of murdered Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been elected a spiritual leader of Iran. I wonder what will he say? Nah, I don't. 

France Being... France.

 Leo Tolstoy said it best. 

A Frenchman is self-assured because he regards himself personally, both in mind and body, as irresistibly attractive to men and women. An Englishman is self-assured, as being a citizen of the best-organized state in the world, and therefore as an Englishman always knows what he should do and knows that all he does as an Englishman is undoubtedly correct. An Italian is self-assured because he is excitable and easily forgets himself and other people. A Russian is self-assured just because he knows nothing and does not want to know anything, since he does not believe that anything can be known.

I still don't understand why France's political and pseudo-intellectual elites think and are assured in their thinking that they are "irresistibly attractive" to Russia but they, evidently, are self-assured. Why, because they think that Russia owes them something. Hm, really?

МОСКВА, 31 окт - РИА Новости. В посольстве Франции в России глубоко обеспокоены угрозами в адрес республики, сообщили об этом российским властям, призывая их выступить с официальным осуждением, заявила дипмиссия.  

Translation: Moscow, 31 October, Ria. France's embassy in Russia is deeply concerned with the threats against the republic as they informed Russian authorities and called on them to officially condemn those. 

There was a group of Russian Muslims, I don't know 30-40 men, which held a protest at French embassy in Moscow regarding this whole business with Mohamed's caricatures and decapitation of the teacher, Moscow police observed them for a short time and then dispersed them. Big fvcking deal. What is happening inside France is France's internal affair and let France deal with her own problems. I may remind French diplomats St. Petersburg's terrorist act of April, 2017. Let's see, as Kathy Hopkins describes it, France, it is about you:

Only Trump called to offer support. And only Tel Aviv lit up the City Hall with the colours of the Russian flag. Thank God for the decency of these two leaders — for both of whom the threat posed by Islamic extremism is so stark.

Only after public outcry did Paris do something (turned lights off, I recall) with Eiffel Tower. By then it didn't matter. As Hopkins points out and overwhelming majority of Russian know it:

After Westminster we 'stood united', we 'were not cowed' and we would 'carry on'. Our leaders (such as they are) spoke of the bravery of the victims, the swift response of the emergency services; we heard from the families of the victims, who held no grudge against the attacker. The Eiffel Tower was plunged into darkness. Merkel said she stood with Britain. The hashtag #prayforLondon and #WeStandUnited trended around the globe. This is our terror-response template, to which we are encouraged to conform when we need to self-soothe. But, it is now clear, it is not universal. It is not extended to all. It is not extended to Putin's Russia.

France supported throughout the years all kinds of jihadists all over the world from Syria to Russia. In fact, as I state non-stop, France gave shelter to Chechen terrorists whose hands were covered in blood of Russia's servicemen and civilians, from pregnant women to children. France continues to play a decisive role in destabilizing Syria, French native population is being diluted by non-stop stream of people who are incompatible with the values of France and the process is long time out of control. France supported Chechen separatism, so it is really simple--what goes around, comes around. I can only remind French diplomats what their Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov stated couple of weeks ago:

Those people in the West who are responsible for foreign policy and do not understand the necessity of mutually respectable conversation--well, we must simply stop for a while communicate with them. Especially since Ursula von der Leyen states that geopolitical partnership with current Russia's leadership is impossible. If this is the way they want it, so be it.   

I don't understand what's so complicated with all that? Russia owes nothing to anyone. Want to deal with Russia and have Russia's support--be nice and take a number. I do feel for average French people but it is what it is--they voted for those who are in power, so it is a moot point. Plus, French on average do not consider Russians a European people and, finally, Russians arrived to the same conclusion. Considering who French "elites" largely are and where they came from, I don't think there is any future for Russian-French relations in any serious sense. Economics, you know, some trade, sure. Other than that, they want Russians? How about cleaning Paris from dirt, crime, rats and maybe using some air freshener for it not to stink with urine. That could be a good start, including dropping a pretense and self-assurance in own attractiveness and looking at the reality of Western Europe in general, and French motherland in particular. 

One comment under the Russian song Those Were the Days reads:

Europe needs Russia! Russia come back!

I don't think so. Too little, too late--Russia's plans are Eurasian in essence and scale, Europe in general, and France in particular, can remain in their belief in own attractiveness. I liked this meme:

Transliterated phrase means: we don't give a fuck. They better learn to live with this reality in Europe.  

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi. Some News.

I mean this, current, mundi, whatever comes after it is another matter. But here are some news of import.

Russia and Iran will transfer payments using an alternative system to the internationally recognized SWIFT money transfer network, the governor of the Iranian central bank, Abdolnaser Hemmati, announced. Instead of SWIFT, a system that facilitates cross-border payments between 11,000 financial institutions in more than 200 countries worldwide, the two countries will use their own domestically developed financial messaging systems – Iran’s SEPAM and Russia’s SPFS.“Using this system for trade and business exchanges between EAEU [Eurasian Economic Union] member states can help develop and expand trade exchanges between the member states as well,” Abdolnaser Hemmati said, as cited by Mehr News Agency on Tuesday. Tehran is set to officially join the Russia-led free-trade zone, the EAEU, next month. The document on Iran’s participation was ratified in June by the nation’s parliament (Majlis) and President Hassan Rouhani has already ordered that the free trade zone agreement be implemented.

And this development was unexpected exactly to who? Of course this is just another step in actualization of Eurasian economic space. And then, of course, this:

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his government would work to strengthen military cooperation with Turkey and that talks to develop new weapons with Ankara were already underway.    

Go figure what that means--possibly SU-35 components among many other things. Samuel Huntington is spinning in his grave now. Especially when one gets such news as this:

Taliban representatives have held discussions with Russian officials in Moscow, just days after US President Donald Trump declared months-long peace talks between Washington and the group "dead". Taliban's Qatar-based spokesman Suhail Shaheen confirmed the meeting in the Russian capital on Friday, saying the group's delegation held consultations with Zamir Kabulov, Russia's special envoy for Afghanistan. At the meeting, Russia stressed the necessity of the resumption of talks between the US and the Taliban, while the group's delegation reiterated their readiness to renewing dialogue with Washington, an unidentified Russian foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency.

Mind you, Russia DIDN'T want to be an arbiter in this whole mess stretching from Afghanistan to ME. Not at all. Recall this, read attentively:

A “successful end” to the operation in Afghanistan will not come simply with the death of Osama bin Laden. The minimum that we require from NATO is consolidating a stable political regime in the country and preventing Talibanization of the entire region. That is the Russian position. We are ready to help NATO implement its U.N. Security Council mandate in Afghanistan. We are utterly dissatisfied with the mood of capitulation at NATO headquarters, be it under the cover of “humanistic pacifism” or pragmatism.

This was 9 years ago. What did Obama Administration do? They unleashed Cold War 2.0 with Russia, who did all she could, short of direct massive military intervention, to help the United States to settle Afghanistan. All in vain. And here we are in 2019 with the whole Eurasian subcontinent aflame and with the US losing its actual and perceived control over the situation with mind-boggling acceleration. Right now, this very minute, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and others hold massive maneuvers Center-2019. The legend of this exercises is clearly influenced by the situation in Afghanistan and by the possibility of Russia and her allies doing what she, then as USSR, was prevented from doing.

This troubles Russia far less than the consequences for the region itself. The Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989 was not a shameful escape accompanied by the hooting of the mujahadeen. The Soviet Army entered the country, accomplished its tasks — unlike the Americans in Vietnam — and returned to its motherland. In fact, we were the first to defend Western civilization against the attacks of Muslim fanatics. No one thanked us. On the contrary, everyone was impeding our actions: The United States, NATO, Iran, Pakistan, even China. After the withdrawal of the Soviet Army, the Najibullah government that we left behind in Kabul remained in power for another three years.

What a historic irony in Russia being thrust back into this position and not by own volition--it is the region itself which called on Russia to interfere. Even Saudi Prince called Kremlin today to discuss this whole "attack" business (in Russian). Russia is not going to invade Afghanistan, but the big game of containing jihad threat is on. I guess this explains why Russia simply cannot exist as a neutral, self-absorbed, power (that would be so great)--she will always be forced to be in the shape of military-economic superpower precisely for the reasons of others not doing their due diligence when unleashing forces they can not tame or control. No matter what she does, she will end up being asked to do one thing or another. That's destiny and nothing could be done about it. And thus passes the glory of the world we live (or, rather lived) in. Pax Americana is over.

A Very Sensitive Issue.

These are Russian comment which gained most upvotes to a video of the American Green Berets dying in Niger in October 2017. 

не сдались, молодцы, достойно отстреливались. терпения и выносливости Родным,а погибшим-земля пухом. а гневные отзывы-не обращайте внимания,тряпки диванные только пишут и обиженные твари.

Translation: did not give up fellows, valiantly fought back. Patience and endurance to their Relatives, and to the deceased-the earth in down (Russian for--RIP on birds down)). As for angry responses-do not pay attention, only arm-chair door mats and offended low-lifes write them.  

Another one: 

Жаль,по человечески ! Хоть и Амеры но все же солдаты ! 

Translation: so humanly sorry. Although Americans but soldiers. 

Now this from ABC this Wednesday:

Four Army special operations soldiers killed in action during an ambush in Niger last October were part of a largely inexperienced and lightly-armed team outmatched by ISIS fighters who exploited bad decisions by U.S. commanders, families of the fallen soldiers and other sources briefed on the military investigation told ABC News.“They were left on their own and it was The Alamo. They were abandoned,” the parent of one of the American commandos who died told ABC News. “The sad thing is, they didn’t realize they’d been left behind, and by the time the other guys attempted to get to them, it was probably too late, and they’d been killed.”

The reason this whole story came to my attention was this article in TAC yesterday about surviving US Afghan War veteran. And the word which dominated this piece was "futility". But here is a conundrum, and a moral one for me personally--I supported the US war in Afghanistan even before 9-11, after--that was a no-brainer, but 17 years later what do we have? Apart from idiotic meme of "war on terror" (how one "fights" terror is beyond me) the whole idea that one can and must fight Jihad was completely discredited by US actions in Iraq, Libya and Syria--places where Arab leaders (all right, for politically correct--dictators) were natural allies in this fight, not to mention another "dictator"--a Russian one. All that was squandered for neocon criminal agenda of fighting wars in the ME for the benefit of Israel and Saudi Arabia, while neglecting the fight which must have been waged. In Syria today US almost openly supports Al Qaeda and ISIS outlets. I am not talking about despicable lap-dogs of UK and France. 

But the issue, of course, is much larger than merely operational or tactical--a failure for which four real American heroes paid with their lives. The issue is cultural and social. There are many ways of dealing with them--not just some COIN "strategies" or ideological-political mantras repeated by US policy-makers most of whom never served a day in the uniform but most of whom bear responsibility for the US uselessly squandering all huge pool of the good will, say, Russians had towards the United States in the immediate wake of the 9-11 tragedy. Even here, the United States wanted to stay exceptional and refused to recognize that, no matter how dramatic despicable acts on 9-11 were, Russia by that time was fighting Islamic Jihad international in Northern Caucasus for 7 years, with some 30 000 Russian civilians simply gone as a result of genocide in Chechnya and a string of terrorist acts all over Russia, including taking the whole maternity ward hostage in the town of Budyonnovsk. US media cheered for Chechen "freedom-fighters" and condemned Russian authorities. 

Yet, very few Americans know that Russia made a gift to the United States after 9-11, a monument:

Russians know that the real fight is not futile, it just has to be fought differently--not the way United States did it for the last 17 years. For that, the United States must change dramatically, but will it? I don't know, but it is needed to make sure that the lives of  Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright, 29, Staff Sgt. Bryan Black, 35, an Army support enabler, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson, 39 and Sgt. La David Johnson, 25 were not lost in vain. The fight is not futile when it has clear goals and real intent. This is my off the caff thought for Friday.

An Interesting Encounter

I had a very interesting encounter today with fairly famous Razib Khan who blogs on UNZ Review. The guy is from Bangladesh, I recon, and is in some Ph.D. program on genomics or genetics, or whatever he studies. He writes mostly on some biodiversity topics plus fancies himself to be a history buff of sorts. I have no interest in all this genetics mambo-jumbo but today was attracted by one of his post re: Islam. This is how the exchange went on this thread:

Islam: Born to a Christian, Adopted by a Persian 

R.K.: i think islam is probably the last chance in the oikumene.

SX12: What does this statement even mean? I tried to process it, failed.

R.K. the last chance to create a new civilization. it seems like once the # is “filled up” it’s hard to move into the space. it’s like cultural oligopolies.

SX12: Depending on what the meaning of “new civilization” is, granted that Islam is a civilization as of now, I see no possibility of anything particularly new in a positive sense emerging based on Islam.

R.K. i don’t care what you think about that (speaking as an anti-muslim myself).

I replied, I sometimes write some posts in Word and this one got saved, as it appeared, thankfully:

That is just fine with me. You, however, are no scholar of Islam and before writing anything on the topic, consider the fact that some people (like me, for example) have a very long history of dealing with Islam, including being born in the “oikumene”. I would suggest you get acquainted with Al-Ghazali and Umdat Al Salik and then look around at Islam’s “achievements” in the last half-millennium. But then again, people of Mahatir’s statue are, most likely, not on you list of worthy sources. And then comes this “small” thingy called military-political issues of Islam, of which, I can guarantee you 100% you have no clue about and, probably, never heard of Quranic Concept Of Warfare by Malik. That is why your statement about “new civilization” is, frankly, preposterous. But I doubt you are qualified to make serious geopolitical and military assessments of Islam without which ANY talk on ANY civilization is useless. Now contemplate if you want to approve this post.

That is what followed: 

R.Z. if someone (like the commenter above) tells me i should familiarize myself with al-ghazali to get educated, i’m going to ban them (like i did for the reader above).

My post, obviously, was erased, which, in the end, didn't prevent this genetics Ph.D. candidate to refer to it later--they, evidently, don't teach elementary ethics in genomics Ph.D. program. Why do I write about this incident with Razib Khan is very simple. The science of "history" (it is in quotation marks on purpose) requires many frameworks within which phenomenon could be judged. The history of Islam, however, requires today only one framework--the list of achievements, or rather lack thereof, in the last several hundred years to understand how did it arrive to state of being almost a complete wasteland economically, culturally, philosophically and academically. Only Sub-Saharan Africa beats Umma in backwardness and decay. Obviously Clausewitz' dictum on the judgement of the event by outcome applies fully here. Khan makes a very interesting and rather bordering on arrogance statement that "But to understand history I generally don’t put too much stock in the hand of God"(c). Well, considering my many years of schooling in Marxism, and me being an atheist (not a militant type--I do love and celebrate Christmas) I do. Go figure. From his verbose writing I do take away that he doesn't put too much stock in religion (faith) as a serious historic factor but this is precisely the factor which played a defining role in Islam's spread and led to its eventual decay, which we all observe today. After all al fikr kufr is as much an operational concept as it is ideological and religious one. I do not want to go in particulars of West's obvious culpability in the tragedies in Iraq, Libya and  Syria, among many other places, just yet, but I found Razib Khan's (who is, if I am not mistaken is very fresh from his teenage years) method of discussion rather peculiar.  

Obviously, Khan was called out on his statement on "new civilization" and later, in yet another, erased by him, my post, was asked to share his Islam "insights" on the account of Robert Reilly's seminal works The Closing Of Muslim Mind or on some issues pertaining the so called "doctrinal development" of Islamic warfare which will be absolutely critical in whatever "new" civilization Khan envisions. Obviously, for Ph.D. in genetics some operational, doctrinal or industrial problems facing this "new civilization" are a bit beyond the grasp and they don't teach Theory Of Operations or Net Centric Warfare, let alone LEAN production methods, which are the function of civilization, in his genomics classes but, despite all that, I would love to hear his elaborations on the account of "new civilization", which in the case of Islam is simply impossible since Islam did encounter what could only be described as civilizational dead end and the only way out of it is either to reform (and not in Wahhabi sense and that is effectively stopping being Islam) or see the world immersed in a true Clash Of Civilizations. So far, there are very few, if any, signs of Islam, especially Sunni Islam, reforming.  

So, for a relatively famous blogger, who, evidently lost or, most likely, never had any serious tactical, operational, military-academic, geopolitical and, of course, first hand Islam experience (and I am not talking about some neighborhood mosque in some town USA), writing such a statement about subject he learned from some purely scholastic exercises in futility against unfolding reality is a bit too much. But...despite this, including lying about me calling him stupid, I did call him coward, though, for him desperately avoiding substantive discussion:   

R.K. don’t respond to him, he keeps ranting about how stupid i am. which is fine, as i think he’s kind of a dumbass, but i am not going to harass him on his blog about it.

I would love to hear Mr. Razib Khan's thoughts on this "new civilization". I also hope he will not go off as he did with Al-Ghazali and will acquaint himself with true scholarly works such as this, among very many, before coming here: 

           

 or this:

                         

or , well.....

I doubt he will appear here (I am sure--the excuses will be numerous) but it was worth a try..........It also is a worthy topic to discuss against the background of both US and West European adventurism in the Middle East, as well as discuss the dynamics of Jihad which started well  before the time of SMART weapons and space flight. Meanwhile, if this will teach Razib Khan not to write on the issues he has no clue about and stick to his Biodiversity, Genomics or whatever field he can have more or less competent opinion in, then it is all for the better.