Recommended Reading
Look, neither Russia nor Putin merit any special favors from the USG, but there’s large factions of Beltway political activists on the Hill who are on retainer for the government of Georgia (including the Podesta Group of Democratic Party bigwig John Podesta) or from their domestic opposition, as registered foreign agents, who would like to poison relations with Moscow as much as possible in the interest of their clients with little regard to American interests.
It is only slightly less shady than the long list of boomer generation DC VIPs lining up, hat in hand, to take money from the MeK.
That’s it.
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L. C. Rees:
July 29th, 2012 at 7:03 am
Congress can play Nixon’s role:
[We] call it the Madman Theory, Bob. [We] want the [Russians] to believe [we’ve] reached the point where I might do anything to [INSERT POLICY OBJECTIVE HERE]. We’ll just slip the word to them that, “for God’s sake, you know [Congress] is obsessed about [some dead Russian]. We can’t restrain [them] when [they’re] angry—and [they have their hands] on the nuclear [option]” and [Vladimir Putin] himself will be in [Washington] in two days begging for [INSERT POLICY OBJECTIVE HERE].”
Nixon’s ploy failed since it was common knowledge that, though he was evil, he had discernable rationality. Congress, on the other hand, has never demonstrated discernable rationality so its madness is completely plausible.
Executive branch organs just need to operationalize the Mad Congress Theory and bring the world to its [INSERT POLICY OBJECTIVE HERE].
historyguy99:
July 29th, 2012 at 5:53 pm
I am honored to appear among the other’s on this weeks “Recommended Reading” post. As one who has studied Soviet/US strategic issues you would appreciate this quote as best describing the “Big Stick” qualities of the Iowa Class Battleships.
“You Americans do not realize what formidable warships you have in these four battleships. We have concluded after careful analysis that these magnificent vessels are in fact the most to be feared in your entire naval arsenal. When engaged in combat we could throw everything we have at those ships and all our firepower would just bounce off or be of little effect. Then we are exhausted, we will detect you coming over the horizon and then you will sink us.”
— Soviet Fleet Admiral Sergei I. Gorshkov, stated after watching Iowa in a NATO exercise, 1985
zen:
July 29th, 2012 at 9:45 pm
LC – it would be nice if the origin was smarts rather than venality
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Professor Tomas – Superb quote! I wish we could rehab one into active service. 16 inch guns focus the mind
J. Scott Shipman:
July 31st, 2012 at 3:34 am
Zen/Professor Tomas, Those guns are needed. In an age of missiles there is still a place for guns of this caliber. Wish we’d modernize the propulsion plants and put them to sea. To hell with LCS when you have a platform with so much potential.