Saturday, March 15, 2014

The Deadline Paradigm


The first time I heard a man singing about playing chicken with a train I was about halfway to Georgia, sitting in a truck stop diner. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, count yourself fortunate. It’s a silly tune, but one that sticks with you for some reason, and though I’d only heard it once I’d find myself humming I played chicken with a train for a few days afterwards.

What we are doing at this juncture isn’t so much playing chicken with a train as it is playing chicken with a charging bear. The best one can hope for under these circumstances is that the bear just barrels into us, knocks us to the side, and continues on its merry way, but chances are better than good that after knocking us over he’ll take his time in mauling us for good measure.

Of all the things we could have done to assuage the escalating crisis with Russia, setting a deadline was by far the most uninspired and unintelligent thing.

From what our esteemed politicians have said, Russia has until Monday to reverse course as pertains to the Crimea region, or face repercussions and consequences.

Setting a deadline, especially with one such as the current Russian leader is a horrible idea because there are only three possible outcomes to the scenario.

The first possible outcome, and unfortunately one that is highly unlikely, is that fearing any further verbal tongue lashings from our Secretary of State, the Russians will blink, tuck their tails between their legs, and recall the troops they’ve already dispatched to the region.

The second possible outcome is that Monday comes and goes, the Russians call our bluff, we do absolutely nothing, and our impotence is on full display for the whole world to see. The danger in this is that like any apt predator Mr. Putin can sense weakness, he has an innate ability to detect fear, and he seizes the aforementioned moments of weakness and fear to capitalize and exploit his rivals.

We’ve been caught off-guard, but rather than admit it to ourselves and think things through, we think bluster and empty threats will save the day.

What we must realize is that we are not threatening some banana republic, we are not threatening some island off some coast that’s no bigger than a hamburger patty, we are threatening a nation with almost twice the landmass of our own, with at least equal if not superior military forces, and enough of a nuclear arsenal to make the entire planet an uninhabitable sandbox a thousand times over.

No, they might not be as surgical when it comes to the more finite details of delivering warheads and such, but whether by a chainsaw or a scalpel, dead is still dead. Think blunt object if that helps. Their philosophy is not so much being able to get a rocket through a keyhole, but making sure that if said rocket lands anywhere on your continent it’ll do the job.

The third possible outcome, and one I dread even contemplating is that in trying to save face we do something truly stupid like declare war, and if this occurs, come Tuesday morning we will be waking up to a new world, more readily likened to the stuff of nightmares than anything heretofore known as reality.

With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Before God destroys an arrogant and reprobate empire he places blind fools in leadership and the cursed and doomed love it so. The kungs heart is in the hands of the Lord.Putin is just another King Nebuchadnezar on a divine mission. Marcel in Florida.

Anonymous said...


Obama operating from a position of…?

http://www.standeyo.com/NEWS/14_Pics_of_Day/14_Pics_of_Day_pics/140310.Putin.vs.Obama.comic.jpg

http://www.standeyo.com/NEWS/14_Pics_of_Day/140313.pic.of.day.b.html


John

Anonymous said...


Fire-sale of US Treasuries is a warning of acute stress across the world

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ambroseevans-pritchard/100026831/fire-sale-of-us-treasuries-is-a-warning-of-acute-stress-across-the-world/

John

Barbara said...

I think the world leaders are looking for a way to bankrupt the US economy and what better vehicle than a war with Russia? That won't be some silly little Mid-east skirmish, that will be major head to head action. I think Obama will just have to back down again like he did with Putin in Syria. You really can't take what Obama says seriously, he has gone back on nearly every promise he has made from the campaign trail to foreign affairs.

He is more of an actor than a leader. He says what sounds good in the moment and doesn't consider the consequences. There is more at stake here than saving face. Lives are in the balance if there is a war.

Anonymous said...


http://hotair.com/archives/2014/03/21/is-putin-making-moves-in-latin-america-too/

Is Putin making moves in Latin America too?
posted at 10:41 am on March 21, 2014 by Bruce McQuain

While everyone is focused on the Ukraine and eastern Europe, Vladimir Putin has also been projecting Russian power into our own backyard:

Away from the conflict in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin is quietly seeking a foothold in Latin America, military officials warn.

To the alarm of lawmakers and Pentagon officials, Putin has begun sending navy ships and long-range bombers to the region for the first time in years.

Russia’s defense minister says the country is planning bases in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, and just last week, Putin’s national security team met to discuss increasing military ties in the region.

“They’re on the march,” Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) said at a Senate hearing earlier this month. “They’re working the scenes where we can’t work. And they’re doing a pretty good job.”

Gen. James Kelly, commander of U.S. Southern Command said there has been a “noticeable uptick in Russian power projection and security force personnel” in Latin America.
“It has been over three decades since we last saw this type of high-profile Russian military presence,” Kelly said at the March 13 hearing.

Less obviously, but for a longer time, China too has been establishing a presense in the region:

“In Venezuela, a lot of the money that’s been able to prop up President Chavez and now Maduro has been Chinese money,” Kelly said.

But the push by Russia has implications which can’t be ignored, especially its attempt to establish bases in its old client states when it was the USSR.

Meanwhile, Latin America certainly hasn’t been much of a priority for the US:

According to Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), there are 10 countries in Latin America that currently have no U.S. ambassador because they either haven’t been nominated yet or confirmed, a sign that the region is seen as a low priority.

Another sign of an inept foreign policy. If we don’t move quickly to correct the situation, the outcome is pretty easy to predict:

“We will be losing the ability to influence developments in a region that is very important to us because of proximity,” Rabasa said.

Indeed. Likely these warning will be waved off as alarmism until it is too late. And it will then tally as another failure in a long line of foreign policy failures by this administration.

~McQhttp://hotair.com/archives/2014/03/21/is-putin-making-moves-in-latin-america-too/

Anonymous said...

Dear Michael,
Thank you for your comments. The bear is on the move, baring his teeth and showing his strength and fearlessness. Maybe this is a major reason why we've been feeling so uneasy in our spirit lately. But who is the real worldly power behind such a power? What's really going on behind the scenes? I take great interest in the fact that Jesuit Pope Francis has been invited to speak to the United States Congress in the near future, which is said to be unprecedented. What are the true plans of this man with the sweet smile, who in fact has a record of child trafficking in Argentina? (Find Kevin Annett on the internet for more information.) And why do we see so many world leaders visiting the Pope and showing deference?

I am remembering Dumitru's vision titled "The Beast Strikes", which describes the Pope as the Beast of Revelation 13:11. In the vision, the Pope is shown as having authority over powerful military forces and saying, "I have been given the power to rule the earth and to fight against the protestants, that I may overtake them." Let us be thankful that neither he nor the Russian bear (acting under his authority?) will be in power for very long. The high-ranking Jesuits are cunning, ruthless, and conceal incredible wealth and military might behind many fronts and facades, including the Federal Reserve. It's a fascinating study for whoever will take the time to investigate a little bit. I am so GRATEFUL that our Lord Jesus Christ is allowing His people to see through the political deceptions! The internet is a blessing for godly truth-seekers.
Love in Christ,
Melanie

Anonymous said...

P. S. from Melanie (to previous comment):
I learned that Putin did visit Pope Francis on 11/25/2013. There is a brief and interesting YouTube video of this event. Putin presented the Pope with the gift of a "Madonna" icon. Then Putin leaned down and reverently kissed this icon. The Pope immendiately did the same.

Anonymous said...

P.P.S. (by Melanie):
Dear Michael and blog readers, please disregard my previous reference to Kevin Annett. This man is not what he purports to be, which I have just found out to my chagrin. I should have learned more about him before my earlier post. Mea culpa!

Anonymous said...

I'm sure you already know this, Michael. There are those on the inside of the U.S. who are working with Russian forces to bring down the United States.

Russian and Chinese troops are already on U.S. soil awaiting activation. In fact, they are directly working with DHS and elements of our military. All of this has been intricately planned decades ago.