Comments on: The ghost in the machine 2 http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/ Just another Pajamasmedia.com weblog Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:02:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: cjm http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6531 cjm Sat, 16 Aug 2008 06:09:40 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6531 putin single handedly has: 1. financed the alternative energy boom here 2. created political pressure to drill here, now 3. ensured an obam loss/mccain win 4. probably cost the dems a majority in the house 5. drove all of europe into our arms (pun here) 6. provided justification for nailing iran 7. deprived the russian state/military of 10's of billions of dollars 8. damaged severely the russian oil industry the key concept is "acceleration"; we are moving away from everyone else at an ever faster pace. putin single handedly has:

1. financed the alternative energy boom here
2. created political pressure to drill here, now
3. ensured an obam loss/mccain win
4. probably cost the dems a majority in the house
5. drove all of europe into our arms (pun here)
6. provided justification for nailing iran
7. deprived the russian state/military of 10′s of billions of dollars
8. damaged severely the russian oil industry

the key concept is “acceleration”; we are moving away from everyone else at an ever faster pace.

]]> By: buddy larsen http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6530 buddy larsen Sat, 16 Aug 2008 06:09:24 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6530 i think mark_b was just getting nauseous over the down-beat. Ella wanted to register tjhe word ''propaganda'' --as what we're reading. kinda funny, 'cause i've been reading the stuff THEY're putting out. ok, Ella, i agree, i've been reading too much propaganda. i think mark_b was just getting nauseous over the down-beat. Ella wanted to register tjhe word ”propaganda” –as what we’re reading. kinda funny, ’cause i’ve been reading the stuff THEY’re putting out. ok, Ella, i agree, i’ve been reading too much propaganda.

]]> By: bobal http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6529 bobal Sat, 16 Aug 2008 06:08:01 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6529 Other than bomb Iran. Other than bomb Iran.

]]> By: bobal http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6527 bobal Sat, 16 Aug 2008 06:06:54 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6527 I think we ought to get Ukraine in NATO. Best thing I can think of to do. I think we ought to get Ukraine in NATO. Best thing I can think of to do.

]]> By: Konyok http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6526 Konyok Sat, 16 Aug 2008 06:01:08 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6526 Back to the original topic of this thread ... Did you notice how quickly Ella scooted? Definitely non-English speaker, probably Russian. Just might have been a real live intelligence operative. Did you also notice how eagerly mark_b sucked up? Kind of a parable for our times, I reckon. Back to the original topic of this thread …

Did you notice how quickly Ella scooted?

Definitely non-English speaker, probably Russian. Just might have been a real live intelligence operative.

Did you also notice how eagerly mark_b sucked up?

Kind of a parable for our times, I reckon.

]]> By: buddy larsen http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6524 buddy larsen Sat, 16 Aug 2008 05:55:59 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6524 @JewishOdysseus 7:45 --LOL --you're right --but that's the right spelling for the former head of the joint chiefs of staff --anyway nobody should have a name that hard to spell - :-) @JewishOdysseus 7:45 –LOL –you’re right –but that’s the right spelling for the former head of the joint chiefs of staff –anyway nobody should have a name that hard to spell -
:-)

]]> By: Konyok http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6523 Konyok Sat, 16 Aug 2008 05:52:24 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6523 The maddening thing about Russian politics is that people like Kasparov, who make so much sense to us, are marginal. All of the opposition parties together only made 5% in the last Duma elections. But, the slivoviki don't have a party! I guess that the Communist Party has left a really bad taste in Russia's mouth, but this cult of personality is so much worse. (Don't forget, the Polish Communist Party reformed itself into a Social Democratic party in the European mold and even held the presidency from 1995 - 2005: Kwasniewski. The Russian Communist Party has become truly fascist.) Putin's Russia isn't totalitarian, it doesn't have an idea beyond paranoia and delusions of grandeur. It is authoritarian in a cheesy Latin American way. Putin has more in common with Juan Peron than Stalin. If he had a son old enough, we never would have heard of this Medvedev fellow. When Putin dies or is overthrown, it's going to be ugly. There are no institutions that aren't puppets for the dictatorship. With the current adventure even the army cedes any national authority, analogous with Turkey's military, that it might have had. The maddening thing about Russian politics is that people like Kasparov, who make so much sense to us, are marginal. All of the opposition parties together only made 5% in the last Duma elections.
But, the slivoviki don’t have a party!
I guess that the Communist Party has left a really bad taste in Russia’s mouth, but this cult of personality is so much worse.
(Don’t forget, the Polish Communist Party reformed itself into a Social Democratic party in the European mold and even held the presidency from 1995 – 2005: Kwasniewski. The Russian Communist Party has become truly fascist.)
Putin’s Russia isn’t totalitarian, it doesn’t have an idea beyond paranoia and delusions of grandeur. It is authoritarian in a cheesy Latin American way. Putin has more in common with Juan Peron than Stalin. If he had a son old enough, we never would have heard of this Medvedev fellow.
When Putin dies or is overthrown, it’s going to be ugly. There are no institutions that aren’t puppets for the dictatorship. With the current adventure even the army cedes any national authority, analogous with Turkey’s military, that it might have had.

]]> By: buddy larsen http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6521 buddy larsen Sat, 16 Aug 2008 05:43:33 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6521 cjm, i guess it's just raw bitterness at the whole thing --so easily preventable, so obviously telegraphed in time to head it off. makes me feel stupid, as a westerner. but you're right --we have assets galore --mainly us, and the USA as the exemplar of the best yet end state of political systems. but, it feels like we have a long grind in front of us, and the missed chance to kill the latest little hitler in the crib has just got me blabbing too much. thanks for the heads up on that -- cjm, i guess it’s just raw bitterness at the whole thing –so easily preventable, so obviously telegraphed in time to head it off. makes me feel stupid, as a westerner. but you’re right –we have assets galore –mainly us, and the USA as the exemplar of the best yet end state of political systems. but, it feels like we have a long grind in front of us, and the missed chance to kill the latest little hitler in the crib has just got me blabbing too much. thanks for the heads up on that –

]]> By: cjm http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6518 cjm Sat, 16 Aug 2008 05:34:39 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6518 welcome to new olympus. welcome to new olympus.

]]> By: RAH http://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6517 RAH Sat, 16 Aug 2008 05:32:45 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/14/the-ghost-in-the-machine-2/#comment-6517 I am amazed that the world watches us so carefully. They follow our elections more than their own and possibly more than most Americans do. But in this flare up between Georgia and Russia and the risk of possible war between Russia and the US, I can understand their obsession with our country. I am amazed that the world watches us so carefully. They follow our elections more than their own and possibly more than most Americans do.

But in this flare up between Georgia and Russia and the risk of possible war between Russia and the US, I can understand their obsession with our country.

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