Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Positions

Since I have a hard time discussing Venezuelan stuff, I might as well take the opportunity to discuss current world issues so I can get into way more trouble than I am already in.


Gaza

Although quite aware of Israeli abuses, in particular the intractable "colon" policy of unjustified expansion, on this one I am squarely on Israel side.

If Israel has done heavy bombing it really had little choice. Hamas has not hesitated to spend and undue amount of foreign aid to build a network of tunnels and purchasing weapons for a war it cannot win, instead of using that help to improve the lot of Gaza denizens. That the people of Gaza voted for Hamas a few years ago is no excuse, just as the people of Venezuela voting for Chavez is no excuse for the disaster falling today over Venezuela. People vote on gut reaction and then they do not want to pay the consequences.

I am also observing that this current war has unleashed a wave of antisemitism from the left. That is right, in today's world the most antisemitic folks seem to come from the radical left than from the radical right. There is no clearer evidence than to look for the track record of those defending Hamas today: where are the massive anti Assad protests? Where is the massive anti ISIS protests? Is it OK for Arab to do Arab but not OK when non Arab is involved ? You may change "Arab" for "Muslim" or equivalent as you please, the point remains the same.

I am sorry if I offend anyone with the next sentence. From this corner, the clash of civilizations comes from the Muslim world and I am waiting for the moderate, educated, civilized ones to take a stand. I know they exist, I know they are many, but I am not holding my breath.

As for my Jewish friends I apologize sincerely for the antisemitism that is flourishing in chavista ranks these days. Please, be assured that they are still a minority in Venezuela and I am sure a minority inside chavismo. This is not a native phenomenon, this has been imported by Chavez for strategic Cuban reasons. More crimes to be put on the Castro murderers when the day of reckoning comes.

ISIS and Iraq

It is a sin to even have to discuss the horror that we are seeing in Northern Iraq, an horror that I feel would have happened with or without the Iraq war. An horror that was created from Syria when the cowardly West had no problem letting Assad massacre its people because he had no oil and they surely did not want to confront Putin over Syria. I lay squarely the current massacre of Christians and other religious minorities in Northern Iraq at Putin's feet. He should have known better instead of being worried at getting his second grade weaponry paid in full.

Ukraine

And talking of Putin leads us to Ukraine, of course. My position there is less clear cut. In Ukraine there are ethnic from one or the other side speaking native the language of one or the other side, languages that are not that different to begin with. Plus a failed revolution we all rooted for. Political mistakes, like the ones we did in Venezuela, are always paid at some point.

This being said, I was not sanguine at Crimea going to Russia, though anyone should be sanguine at the way it was done. There are enough historical reasons to have forced Ukraine to accept a referendum on Crimea, but there are not enough historical reasons to accept Putin taking over Crimea because he just said so.

Then again the West did not want to boycott Sotchi over Putin anti gay laws on top of his censorship, repression and what not. We got what we deserved.

The only true strategic need for Putin is access to the Black Sea, this come from Peter the Great of which Putin is a mere under par imitator. But the need exists.

Many mistakes were made such a rushing a presidential election without giving the time to the East to organize itself after the lost of their man in Kiev. Putin was not going to miss that.

But everything considered, Putin is a dictator and he must be stopped before he takes us to a new Munich version. That Putin's friends are among the most unsavory rulers of the world does not stop apologists that should know better. Putin, like Chavez did, thrives on transgression and will never stop doing so.



7 comments:

  1. Charly10:53 PM

    As for Gaza, I am 100% with you. Several PSUV big wigs from Jaua to JVR are "horrified" at the holocaust taking place. About 2,000 Gaza residents have been killed so far and I think I am generous. This puts the life of one resident of Gaza equivalent to the life of 3,000 Jews.

    Also a 100% on the button on ISIS and Iraq. It especially hurt me as I worked there and left Kurds and Assyrian friends. The treatment of the Yazidis, the Mandians and other fringes sects not to speak of the Assyrians is so barbarous.

    On Ukraine, this is an unfolding story and Putin, despite his arrogance will never be another Alexander. Russia is depopulating at an accelerating rate. Where will he or his heir find all those young men to put under arms. Already on the Siberian border, there are 10 Han Chinese for each Russian. Does not look good.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous11:47 PM

    Peter the Great was a great European. He knew how to choose his allies, and how to build a successful country. Putin is an idiot who thinks that the Chinese and Muslim neighbours will reward him for pissing off the Western countries. Russia's economy is the size of Italy's (no offence intended), does he really think he runs a superpower?

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  3. I stumbled upon this book
    http://www.dissentmagazine.org/wp-content/files_mf/1390331210d5Hoare.pdf
    you can download it from Kindle and return it if you don't like it but I highly recommend it. All of a sudden, Russia, Germany, Dostoyevsky, Orthodox Christianity, even Islam...made sense.
    Especially the central Europe stuff...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous5:51 AM

    LOL. Russia's economy is the size of Italy. Italy is a very advanced society. Giant Russia? Not so much. But it is a dangerous bear. Putin is the wrong leader for the wrong time. Hopefully he doesn't destroy the world through his macho incompetence.

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's no surprise that the discredited left is anti Israel. But so is Mario Vargas Llosa on this one. And I agree with him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, but if I remember well what I read on Vargas Llosa opinion he also warned against cheap antisemitism and goes to great length to separate Israel from Jewishness, Not with much success I am afraid. Care to give me the link to prove me wrong?

      Delete
  6. Boludo Tejano11:24 PM

    [antisemitism] This is not a native phenomenon, this has been imported by Chavez for strategic Cuban reasons. More crimes to be put on the Castro murderers when the day of reckoning comes.

    Ironically, I have read that Castro is a converso surname.

    ReplyDelete

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