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[American Thinker] The war machine is up and screaming. Zelenskyy is having a hissy fit for not continuing to be the absolute center of attention as Trump proceeds, diplomatically, to pursue perfectly legitimate routes to, firstly, engage the "aggressor" (Russia) in talks for peace.
For the first time since the current Ukraine/Russia war began—exactly 3 years less 4 days ago—the leadership of America is speaking for the people, those being killed, and all those paying for it.
Zelenskyy is furious that America, whose taxpayers have financed "his" war, did not yet include him in the first diplomatic efforts with Russia. But this is not all about Zelenskyy, fortunately. It most absolutely stands to reason that the peace talks, from the perspective of any historically successful diplomacy, must begin with the most powerful participant: Russia. This is Diplomacy 101.
Held in Riyadh, the diplomatic initiative initiated by Trump’s administration, was more than timely and correct in every important respect. That correctness is what the Western world fails, in its current chaos, to grasp. The MSM would prefer to trash Trump than to highlight the progress made.
From the reignition of the Ukraine war, the Biden administration and the U.S. Congress (in the main) has presented as routinely hostile to and dismissive of any diplomatic engagement to stop this bloody, terrible conflict. Ditto and more so, Zelenskyy himself. Biden stoked the war by allowing unregulated, unreported, and unchallenged billions in cash and munitions to flow to Mr. Zelenskyy, who repeatedly engaged in blatant grifting while circumventing a change in leadership. While Ukraine is at war elections are suspended and Zelenskyy can, "constitutionally," stay put.
Was no one in U.S. Bidenland remotely interested in why the Biden administration neglected (a) any war costs accountability and (b) any diplomatic initiatives for peace...for three years? Did no one tire of Zelenskyy’s obvious pandering and self-promotion in America, as the cash kept going from us to him? Did anyone notice that, despite the political theatrics from Britain, the EU, the UN, Germany, and France, it was and is the U.S., not Europe, primarily carrying the cash can for this war on another continent?
Why did no one in the moribund Biden media think to ask about the historic domestic corruption shared between political actors in the U.S. and Ukraine, corruption largely related to the Biden family and, quite possibly, many other American officials and legislators?
#1
"Did anyone notice that, despite the political theatrics from Britain, the EU, the UN, Germany, and France, it was and is the U.S., not Europe, primarily carrying the cash can for this war on another continent?"
That's not true. Europe has given more money to Ukraine than the U.S. And what the author calls "Diplomacy 101" is Munich 2.0.
Whatever you may think on Zelensky: He stood form 3 years ago when Russia wanted to kill him. And to call him a dictator is ridiculous. Was Churchill?
And why is "dictator" Zelensky good enough to sign over 50% of Ukraine's wealth (without any security guarantees given) but not good enough to participate in "peace talks"? You put aggressor (Russia) in scare quotes? Seriously?
It's not Zelensky's war, it's Russia's war.
Trump's posting about Zelensky on Truth Social was parrotting all of Russia's talking points. Shamefully so.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
02/21/2025 8:14 Comments ||
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#2
EC
Don’t insult anyone or post a meme about germanys $18.1B contribution to the war.
#3
I don't get the mining and rare earth piece.
We missed the money away on a senseless Russo war. We are owed nothing for a poor investment in shi* disturbing. Why leave a trip wire to someday stumble over.
#5
According to the German Foreign Office, the German government has provided around 43.62 billion euros (as of December 31, 2024) for bilateral support for Ukraine since the beginning of the war.
That's just Germany alone, not Europe.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
02/21/2025 9:22 Comments ||
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#6
Just spitballin' here, but might the 43.62 have been better spent on defense?
Si vis pacem, para bellum?
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/21/2025 9:48 Comments ||
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#7
As this is battlefield Ukraine and not NATO, under current conditions, the EU can continue to bank roll Elenskyyy while the US finds a separate peace?
#9
You can argue all you want but this war started because Putin felt threatened by NATO encroachment into Russia's sphere of influence, places where the people speak Russian and do not feel the need for Western European chocolate, places where NATO has no business. Russians have always relied on buffer zones between themselves and Western European war mongers. Putin was never a threat to Western Europe until NATO started pushing into the buffer zone.
I don't care how much money Germany or anyone else has contributed to keep this bloody, stupid war going. Biden squandered way too much American money on it and the only result is the death of countless Ukrainians and Russians and the loss of Ukraine's eastern oblasts. If you want to keep pushing, you're on your own.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/21/2025 11:28 Comments ||
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#10
So, we are dismissing Putin's push and desire to recreate the USSR? I think not.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/21/2025 11:34 Comments ||
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#11
If Germans want to keep killing Russians I am fine with it. I don't want the US funding a EU problem. For the record, according to Statista, Germany contributed $18.1B, the US $119.2B, the EU $52.1B, UK $15.4, Japan $11B, others lagging. As usual EC exaggerates everything German.
Here is the link: https://www.statista.com/chart/28489/ukrainian-military-humanitarian-and-financial-aid-donors/
Posted by: European Conservative ||
02/21/2025 12:20 Comments ||
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#16
And no German wants to kill Russians. As Sanna Marin, the former Finnish prime minister said so well: The end of the conflict is Russia leaving Ukraine.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
02/21/2025 12:21 Comments ||
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#17
#1 "Did anyone notice that, despite the political theatrics from Britain, the EU, the UN, Germany, and France, it was and is the U.S., not Europe, primarily carrying the cash can for this war on another continent?"
Posted by: European Conservative 2025-02-21 08:14
I've seen data showing the EU combined has contributed more to the war than the US. Don't care what they contribute, I just want the US out of the war effort. Ukraine will never win this war, they never could. As time passes it just gets worse for their people.
#18
I remember the crowing by our side that it didn’t matter whether Ukraine won or lost, because the war was weakening Russia, destroying the manpower and material they need to wage war.
President Putin definitely wants to reconstitute the Soviet Russian empire, but is the country physically capable of it?
#19
^ Not likely as the 2 week Special Debacle Military Operation has shown. However, I see too many gliding right over his underlying motivation. He's no innocent, just as Ukrainian Corruptocrats and thieves are not.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/21/2025 13:14 Comments ||
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#20
With Europe's migrant problem, why bother.
As far as reconstituting the Eastern Block, with the EU mandating migrant settlement and overturning election results, one has to wonder how far a sales pitch, "Russian Trade Federation - like the EU, but not as intrusive and no migrants" would go.
#21
@tw
"...is the country physically capable of it?
Probably no, but Germany wasn't either back then. Didn't stop Hitler from trying.
And Putin is actually able to blow up the world if things go wrong.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
02/21/2025 14:51 Comments ||
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#22
VP Vance comments on the reality now, not the reality wished for///
"For three years, President Trump and I have made two simple arguments: first, the war wouldn't have started if President Trump was in office; second, that neither Europe, nor the Biden administration, nor the Ukrainians had any pathway to victory. This was true three years ago, it was true two years ago, it was true last year, and it is true today.
And for three years, the concerns of people who were obviously right were ignored. What is Niall's actual plan for Ukraine? Another aid package? Is he aware of the reality on the ground, of the numerical advantage of the Russians, of the depleted stock of the Europeans or their even more depleted industrial base?
Instead, he quotes from a book about George HW Bush from a different historical period and a different conflict. That's another currency of these people: reliance on irrelevant history.
President Trump is dealing with reality, which means dealing with facts.
And here are some facts:
Number one, while our Western European allies' security has benefitted greatly from the generosity of the United States, they pursue domestic policies (on migration and censorship) that offend the sensibilities of most Americans and defense policies that assume continued over-reliance.
Number two, Russians have a massive numerical advantage in manpower and weapons in Ukraine, and that advantage will persist regardless of further Western aid packages. Again, the aid is *currently* flowing.
Number three, the United States retains substantial leverage over both parties to the conflict.
Number four, ending the conflict requires talking to the people involved in starting it and maintaining it.
Number five, the conflict has placed--and continues to place--stress on tools of American statecraft, from military stockpiles to sanctions (and so much else). We believe the continued conflict is bad for Russia, bad for Ukraine, and bad for Europe. But most importantly, it is bad for the United States.
Given the above facts, we must pursue peace, and we must pursue it now. President Trump ran on this, he won on this, and he is right about this. It is lazy, ahistorical nonsense to attack as "appeasement" every acknowledgment that America's interest must account for the realities of the conflict.
That interest--not moralisms or historical illiteracy--will guide President Trump's policy in the weeks to come.
#24
The end of the conflict is Russia leaving Ukraine.
Yes, but where does Ukraine begin and where does it end? Those borders have been in dispute for thousands of years. They might need to be re-negotiated, especially since the 1991 borders were drawn by Khrushchev in 1954 when it didn't matter since it was all part of the Soviet Union anyway. I think it is particularly unrealistic for Zelensky to insist on the return of Crimea. Ain't gonna happen. You might add Luhansk and Donetsk to that in light of the fact that Russia occupies them and Zelensky doesn't seem to have the wherewithal to get them back. I'd hate to see Americans, Britains, French and Germans dying for them. The Russian will to fight and the Russian ability to fight for historically Russian territory has a long and tragic history of being underestimated. Joe Biden being the most recent example.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/21/2025 15:44 Comments ||
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#25
Ukraine's borders are those internationally recognized, including by Russia in the 1990s.
Just as Germany's borders are today, regardless of what territories Germany once had.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
02/21/2025 15:50 Comments ||
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#26
Ukraine's borders are those internationally recognized, including by Russia in the 1990s.
Just as Germany's borders are today, regardless of what territories Germany once had.
#29
We have an article on that cued up for tomorrow, Walking Unvaxxed, but it’s annoyingly sparse on details. Hopefully yours can add to the little revealed. Thank you.
#31
^One where the World Economic Forum is crying like (Senator) Chuck Schumer.
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/21/2025 16:26 Comments ||
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#32
^One where EUROPE funds Europe's defense, rather than gamely trying to add up money pulled from couch cushions and then asserting "Hey, we've put in the same amount as the United States." The United States shouldn't be funding EUROPE's defense.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Denis Davydov
[REGNUM] Researcher of Podolsk cuisine, Vinnytsia resident Elena Pavlova offers tourists to try Trypillian borscht. She says that it is important to experience the taste of beef broth with quinoa and nettle, because Ukrainians are spiritual descendants of Trypillians, and the recipe for the dish was determined during research work. How can that be? Quinoa is from the Andes in South America.
There is no point in laughing and trying to prove anything here. After all, since the mid-2000s, when the topic of the Trypillian archaeological culture became mega-popular in Ukraine thanks to the collecting hobbies and "messianism" of President Viktor Yushchenko, painted pots made of orange clay and female figurines have moved from the plane of interesting antiquities to the "center of the most ancient agricultural civilization on the planet."
Patriotic Ukrainians are quite serious in arguing that they are two thousand years older than the civilization of Ancient Egypt, and the direct connection between the Trypillians and the current inhabitants of the village is confirmed by the traditional agricultural way of life. As it began in the Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age, so it continues to this day.
During this time, the Trypillian Culture Reserve was created in the village of Legedzino in the Cherkasy region, two-story "hut copies" were built there, and many stories and publications about "highly developed cities" were created. A direct line was drawn from the Dnieper villages to the island of Crete, since it is now accepted that the most ancient civilization of Greece, the Cretan-Mycenaean culture, originated in Ukraine.
In addition to borscht, an excited tourist can try “Trypillian bread” in a themed restaurant near Kyiv, buy an embroidered shirt with “ancient Trypillian motifs” and jewelry that “conveys the spirit of our ancestors.” Countless master classes on pot painting are held, including in places where Ukrainians currently live abroad.
In the Kiev region, the winery "Trypillian Nuvo" has opened (albeit with Italian grape varieties), because the "independent wine expert" Anna-Evgeniya Yanchenko passionately proves in her books and lectures that Ukrainian wine culture comes from the Trypillians and Scythians.
Right now, the National Museum of the History of Ukraine is hosting an exhibition called “The Unfading Flower of Trypillia,” dedicated to the 175th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding researcher of archaeological monuments, museologist, and artist Vikentiy Khvoyka.
Born on February 20, 1850 in Bohemia and living in Kyiv, the Czech businessman, who holds the honor of discovering the right flank of the generally Romanian-Moldavian Cucuteni culture, did not even suspect what consequences his keen interest in antiquities and excavations would have, during which ceramics were found, which a hundred years later drove the Ukrainians crazy.
THE LOVER OF POTTERY
The young Austrian citizen Czech was brought to Kiev by personal affairs. His mother wanted him to marry profitably and become rich, but he had plans for the youngest daughter of the Kiev burghers Aleksandrovsky, for whom he worked as a teacher. But in the end he remained a bachelor and was engaged in growing Czech hops, which were bought by the "Kiev Brewery Society", founded in Podol by the Kiev merchant Nikolai Khryakov to make beer using European technologies.
It was on the site in the village of Petrushki in the Kiev province, where Khvoyka's agrolaboratory was located, that he made his first archaeological find - glass bracelets from the time of Kievan Rus. He successfully sold the "Khabar" to the industrialist and major collector Bohdan Khanenko (his collection formed the basis of the art museum that currently exists in Kiev), who became the main sponsor of further excavations.
For the Khanenko-Tereshchenko family, the Czech was engaged in the selection of more sugary varieties of beet, but the pursuit of antiquity became his passion. In the 90s of the 19th century, the quickly rich provincial capital was shaken by construction fever. Sugar nouveau riche invested in construction, apartment buildings grew here and there, and treasures were constantly found in foundation pits and in clays from which they took material for white-yellow Kyiv bricks.
For example, the honored cavalry general Alexander Baggovut, a participant in the Caucasian and Crimean wars, who lived after retirement in an estate in Kiev's Lukyanovka, was so obsessed with this topic that his fellows dug up literally everything around.
The same Khvoyka in his report on his findings “The Stone Age of the Middle Dnieper Region” for the 11th Archaeological Congress constantly mentions how he came across the barbaric Baggovutov excavations. And there he also tells how the Ukrainians treated the artifacts of “their ancient history” found on Kirillovskaya Mountain – a site of primitive people of the late Paleolithic was discovered there, later named after the place – Kirillovskaya.
“The excavation site, in view of the enormity of the bones and the depth at which they were found, took on some kind of fantastic character in the eyes of the local residents, and the rumor that spread about the dug up mammoth, stone knives, arrows, etc. interested the crowd so much that on the next holiday, a multitude of idle people gathered at the excavation site, wanting to see the unearthed wonders,” a Czech businessman describes his meeting with the natives.
Since the viewing was not limited to just contemplating the objects, but they began to pick them up and pass them from hand to hand without any ceremony, despite the guard's objections, the latter decided to throw out the uninvited visitors and lock the gates. Then "the irritated crowd burst into the estate, destroying everything that came to hand along the way."
For some reason, ordinary Kiev residents decided that the excavations and collection of the bones found had some medical reasons, so they should take the healing things for themselves. There is even a separate description of an old woman who collected mammoth bones in a bundle and assured everyone that she knew well how to treat patients with them, since she herself does this.
Not far away, on the territory of the estate of the outstanding artist Sergei Svetoslavsky on Kirillovskaya Street, the first roughly ornamented objects made of baked clay and pottery kilns (at first mistaken for dugouts) were discovered, which gave the amateur archaeologist a valuable idea: he should look in other similar places along the Dnieper.
THE DISCOVERY OF THE CENTURY
During archaeological work near the villages of Stayki, Khalepye, Veremye, Zhukovka and Tripolye in 1897, finds came in a stream. Dugouts, sites with structures made of baked clay, and a large number of painted clay dishes, figurines, and even burials were found.
Often, archaeological work was carried out on the territory of someone's estates; for example, on the plot of a certain Yakov Klyon, a site of a former settlement measuring 10x13 meters was discovered, and the finds were at a depth of 20–30 centimeters.
That is, Ukrainian villagers walked on ancient history for generations without noticing it at all. And when city barons with workers arrived, all that interested the locals was money for their trouble.
“For example, in the village of Veremye, where I discovered sites for the first time, I had to, in addition to a lot of work, also make very significant material expenses for remuneration in money from all the owners without exception, in whose estates I carried out not always successful searches,” complained Vikenty Vyacheslavovich on the first pages of the book “Excavations in the Region of the Trypillian Culture,” published in 1901 by order of the Imperial Russian Archaeological Society.
In his report, agronomist Khvoyka summarizes the characteristic features that are understandable to his agricultural heart: a clearly sedentary people who grew grain crops, lived in semi-dugouts, molded pots, and had “various types of porridge, salamat, and, finally, bread, which have almost invariably survived to the present day in their primitive form among both cultured and uncultured humanity.”
In the final part of the report, the former beetroot hop grower, who suddenly became a scientist, authoritatively discusses the Aryan people, who moved over a huge area and spread various kinds of cultural achievements. Making an unsubstantiated conclusion that the "Trypillian culture" (this name was first introduced into scientific circulation at the 11th Archaeological Congress in Kyiv) is Proto-Slavic.
"I can only repeat the opinion I have already expressed earlier, that the people who left them were a peaceful, sedentary agricultural tribe of undoubtedly Aryan origin, in which one can see only our ancestors, the Proto-Slavs, who preceded and survived in our area all the hitherto known movements and invasions of other foreign tribes, and whose descendants retained in their possession the land of their ancestors to the present time" - this quote subsequently formed the basis of quite serious convictions that the Ukrainians trace their ancestry from the Trypillians, thus being Aryans.
Even more or less serious scientists who study the topic professionally, although they try to meet the demands of socio-political hysteria, still admit: this Mediterranean people has disappeared to who knows where.
All Trypillian settlements were burned down, what happened to them there - no one knows and will never know. And their journey to the banks of the Dnieper from the center of culture, located between the Carpathians and the Dniester, took a thousand years - in the modern sense, Trypillians are more "Romanians" than "Ukrainians".
Well, Khvoyka was not the discoverer - ironically, he was preceded by representatives of his former homeland. The first monuments of this type were found in Galician Podolia by Lviv regional historian Anton Schneider in 1845.
About 20 years before the Kiev discoveries, a systematic survey of the newly discovered gypsum cave Verteba in the south of Ternopil region was carried out by the Pole Adam Kirkor, a representative of the Vilnius Archaeological Commission. And in 1890, members of the Anthropological Commission of the Krakow Academy Gottfried Ossowski and Leon Sapieha made the first finds there, including a burial with cult dishes - later they were sent to the museums of Krakow and Vienna.
Later, a real archaeological paradise was discovered in the cave, which was a cult structure, excavations were conducted simultaneously with Khvoykina's activities and Verteba was called "Pompeii of Naddnistrianshchyna". Now there is an underground museum of the "Trypillian culture" there.
The fact that something original had been discovered became clear at the site of the first settlement discovery near the Romanian village of Cucuteni in 1876 by the same amateur as Khvoika — folklorist and musician Theodore Burada — who found interesting figurines. However, years passed before the moment when the commonality of all these finds was understood, different types of settlements were identified and the older center of the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture was localized — the lack of communication between researchers from different countries had an effect.
However, modern Ukrainian society prefers not to notice inconvenient facts, but to cling to the fantasies of an agronomist who became the founder and first chief curator of the museum of the Kyiv Society of Antiquities and Arts. Because it is more pleasant to consider oneself an Aryan than to honestly admit that the Ukrainian ethnic group was formed in the 17th-18th centuries and lives on legendary ruins just like the Arabs in Egypt, who have no relation to the ancient Egyptians.
Although Vikenty Vyacheslavovich himself is hardly to blame for this.
[PJMedia] FBI director nominee Kash Patel has often joked that on day one in office he would shut down FBI Headquarters and reopen it the next day as a Museum of the Deep State. Rueful joke aside, he may not know how close to the truth he really is. The FBI has a sneaky little secret that has probably escaped the attention of its most ardent fans at DOJ. It's even possible that the cloistered and suited gangsters on the 7th Floor don't even know how easy it could be to topple the entire enterprise.
The FBI has been in the middle of countless scandals, illegal behavior, lying on warrants, spying on people when they have no basis, making up charges, setting perjury traps, bungling Ruby Ridge and Waco with deadly results, and investigating people like President Trump.
We've come a long way from this gauzy memory of the FBI, America.
The law enforcement agency turned Stasi sends entire SWAT teams to targets' homes at 5 in the morning, even after those same subjects offer to turn themselves in in a business suit accompanied by an attorney. They've been ordered to use "shock and awe" methods for trespassing at the Capitol. And those are just some of the dangerous shenanigans the nation's foremost law enforcement agency has pulled.
If so inclined, however, the Trump Administration could shut the FBI down more easily than Steven D'Antuono set up a sucker who lives in a vacuum store to "kidnap" a governor. In other words, really, really easy—on paper, anyway.
J. Michael Waller notes in his excellent book "Big Intel: How the CIA and FBI Went from Cold War Heroes to Deep State Villains" that the FBI was created from one memo by the attorney general in 1908.
One memo. And it wasn't even signed by the president. It was signed by the attorney general in 1908.
The memo reads:
All matters relating to investigations under the Department [of Justice], except those that be made by bank examiners, and in connection with the naturalization service, will be referred to the Chief Examiner for a memorandum as to whether any member of the force of special agents under his direction is available for the work to be performed. To authorization for expenditure for special examinations shall be made by any officer of the Department, without first ascertaining whether one of the regular force is available for the service desired, and, in case the service cannot be performed by the regular force of special agents of the Department, the matter will be specially called to the attention of the Attorney General or Acting Attorney General, together with a statement from the Chief Examiner as to the reasons why a regular employee cannot be assigned to the work, before authorization shall be made for the expenditure of any money for this purpose.
Charles J. Bonaparte
Attorney General
Waller believes the FBI could be dispatched with the stroke of a pen by issuing a similar memo signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Waller, who's with the Center for Security Policy, has gamed-out how the FBI's functions could be absorbed into other parts of the massive law enforcement apparatus in the U.S. We discussed it in a recent "The Adult in the Room" podcast and in our prior discussion.
He suggests that the FBI be transformed from a domestic intelligence unit into one that looks into foreign espionage threats on our soil. Nobody's saying it would be easy, but then again, nothing the Trump Administration has undertaken in his this second term has been easy.
It's a delicious thing to consider that it could be much easier than anyone ever thought.
Born by the memo, live by the memo, die by the memo.
#1
The USA needs a clearly defined FBI enforcement arm.
It is clear, it MUST have strict operating rules and punishments for violating them.
It can NEVER BE USED like the Democrats have shown a history of doing.
NO Political agenda enforcement use, and it must obey the Bill Of Rights & Civil Rights.
It must respect local law enforcement issues and stick to NATIONAL issues. Unless local or State LE is violating Federal law... eg NYC DA's and Illegals.
#2
Keep the US Marshalls Service - they should be the primary US law enforcement agency period. Audit, purge and preserve the crime lab. Fire every FBI agent with the rider that none can work in law enforcement, the court or prison system for 5 years after termination. That'd be "a good start."
Ms Burk’s thesis — as always, thought-provoking and well written. Go to the link to read the rest.
[TheBlaze] Iran, China, and Russia work together to weaken the US from within and abroad. Trump’s strategy targets key regions to turn the tide before it’s too late.
“Amateurs study tactics; professionals study logistics.” But winning wars requires both to support a larger, coherent strategy. President Trump’s push to extend U.S. control to Greenland and Gaza follows a calculated method, not madness.
To win a war, the first step is understanding the enemy and his strategic objectives. The post-World War II order and the Cold War rivalry with the Soviet Union no longer pose the primary threat to U.S. interests. Today, China wages covert information and economic warfare while openly preparing for military action to seize Taiwan and dominate key shipping lanes in the South Pacific.
With Greenland, we gain strategic positioning and critical resources. With Gaza, we gain security leverage and economic opportunity.
Russia and Iran support China’s ambitions but play a secondary role. Tactics include sabotage, terrorism, Houthi-led attacks on shipping, and grinding attrition in Ukraine. Meanwhile, far-left movements work to undermine the U.S. from within, often using federal funding to do so. Decades of massive deficit spending have further weakened the U.S. dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency.
That is the threat. How can the U.S. effectively respond after years of economic decline, military stagnation, and the erosion of its workforce’s education?
Trump’s DOGE initiative and other efforts aim to rebuild America’s military and workforce by cutting wasteful spending and reforming domestic programs. But those steps alone do not address shifting global power dynamics or the role of rapidly advancing technology in shaping future conflicts.
That’s where Greenland and Gaza come in.
Urgent, evolving threats
For decades, most NATO countries have ignored their commitments to shared defense. Instead, they built welfare states while cozying up to Russia and China, sidelining Israel, and attempting to control U.S. and global policies through institutions like the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, and the European Union.
These nations felt secure in their defiance because the U.S. deep state, well entrenched within the bureaucracy, believed it could manipulate global geopolitics through unaccountable dark money. Often, this shadowy influence conflicted with the policies of elected leaders.
Those days are over — just in time.
A new and more urgent threat has emerged: China’s dominance in emerging technology and its implications for national security and defense. For decades, China has fast-tracked its most promising students into advanced science and technology programs. This strategy has fueled major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and quantum computing, each posing serious risks to U.S. military capabilities, infrastructure, and cybersecurity.
China’s AI capabilities, applied to vast amounts of American personal and government data that it has stolen, provide key insights into U.S. vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, quantum computing threatens to break the encryption methods that currently protect critical systems and sensitive information.
The US must secure new strategic territory and key material sources while rapidly advancing technological capabilities at home.
Posted by: Vortigern Speaking for Boskone4685 ||
02/21/2025 09:56 ||
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Published on Wednesday, the day before Hamas handed over a casket that contained the body of some random Gazan instead of the promised body of Shiri Bibas, when it was learnt that her two little sons were brutally murdered only a month after Hamas civilians kidnapped all three during the 10/7 invasion.
[IsraelTimes] I await orders, clarity, and the new, broad, evolving strategy that will follow the 'intermission' that is this ceasefire - for Israel must define its real endgame, and soon.
The ceasefire in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... has brought a temporary halt to combat operations, but for those of us in the field, uncertainty lingers. As a combat engineer in the IDF and an immigrant to Israel, I find myself reflecting on the evolving nature of this conflict. I don’t just see this conflict from a geopolitical standpoint; I live it. The dust from the battlefield hasn’t even settled, and yet, I find myself reflecting. We’ve fought, we’ve sacrificed, but what have we actually achieved? If Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... remains operational despite the first round, what are the strategic lessons to be learned, and how do we recalibrate to achieve lasting security?
Historically, ceasefires in the Middle East rarely mean the end of conflict. From the Geneva conferences regarding Syria, the Iraq war peace proposals, the Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... i crisis talks to the Lebanese reconciliation efforts, ceasefires aren’t endpoints, they are moments of reorganization. As from an Israeli perspective, Hamas, after 15 months of war has emerged battered by endless battles but not broken. Their strategy is clear: absorb the initial blow, regroup, and leverage international pressure to remain intact. This cycle raises a critical question—how does Israel ensure that any future operation leads to a more stable security reality?
The roots of Hamas’s resilience go beyond battlefield tactics; they lie in a deep ideological foundation shaped by the Moslem Brüderbund, founded by Hassan al-Banna in Egypt in 1928. al-Banna’s vision was not just a political movement but a total Islamic revival, blending religion and social services. This quiet Jihad would eventually garner support from its benefactors and turn Egypt and its surrounding countries into a Sharia-led state. After al-Banna’s liquidation, his successor, Sayyed ...Arabic term meaning your/his lordship. Groveling in His Exalted Presence is encouraged... Qutb, radicalized this vision, arguing that all non-Islamic societies—including secular Arab regimes—were illegitimate and must be tossed. Slow and quiet Jihad by education and social services wasn’t enough; force must be used to speed up the process. Hamas, which originally started as the Gazook branch of the Moslem Brüderbund, carries these ideological pillars into its doctrine, seeing itself as the vanguard of an Islamic state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean.
This historical lens explains why Hamas is not easily dismantled through military means alone. While their leadership operates like a government, their identity is rooted in an ideological struggle that views any ceasefire as a temporary pause in a larger conflict. Past references by the Paleostinian leadership to the al-Hudaybiya truce and the 1967 Khartoum Resolution only affirm the point. The ceasefire, no matter how long it lasts, is just a crossroad of this everlasting conflict. As the counterpart of this long-awaited armistice, the question for Israel is how to balance military operations with broader strategic measures to weaken Hamas’ hold on Gaza in the long term.
THE BROADER REGIONAL PICTURE
The war in Gaza cannot be viewed in isolation. It exists within the dynamic geopolitical landscape that is the Middle East, where new alliances and old rivalries are reshaping the region. The Abraham Accords, brokered under the previous Trump administration, opened doors for Israeli cooperation with the UAE and Bahrain, but the true prize was always Saudi Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start... . It is no secret that quiet intelligence and security cooperation between Israel and the Saudis has been going on for years, and a formal normalization agreement—potentially brokered by the US—was on the horizon. Then came October 7th, and everything changed.
Hamas’s unprecedented murderous attack had a hidden strategic message to the Arab world. The group, backed by Iran, sought to derail any grinding of the peace processor between Israel and its Sunni neighbors. And to some extent, they succeeded—Saudi normalization talks were put on hold. However,
the difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits... this does not mean the process is dead. If anything, it highlights the growing sectarian divide: the Iranian-led axis (Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... s) versus the Sunni bloc, which—despite public rhetoric—sees Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... as the greater long-term threat.
THE SYRIAN AND NORTHERN FRONTS
While the world’s attention remains on Gaza, Israel needs to keep their eyes open on all their borders. Recent Israeli military success in the swift defeat of Hezbollah has altered regional dynamics. Hezbollah, once Iran’s most formidable pawn in their army of proxies, suffered a significant blow in the latest confrontation, weakening Tehran’s influence in Leb ...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration.... . This victory not only enhances Israeli deterrence but also reshapes the strategic equation, demonstrating that Iranian-backed militias are not invincible. But Hezbollah’s return to Lebanese government under the newly formed Salam coalition needs to keep Israeli eyes peeled. The ceasefire agreement is over, Israel wants to stay in certain Lebanese positions, how much American support is there, can we trust the "real" Lebanese army, and what are Hezbollah’s plans? Questions that need to be answered quickly.
At the same time, Syria is no longer what it was. The recent collapse of the Assad regime has left a power vacuum, Ottoman Turkish-backed rebel leader al-Julani has taken charge of the war-torn country, trying to convince the West he is the man for the job. Israel now faces a new Syrian regime, one that is fragile and uncertain, with a double question. Who is al-Julani, is he the Ahmad al Sharaa he claims to be, or is he just a bandit in a suit? On the other hand, what does this shift of power mean about Iranian influence in Syria? Is it still an extension of the Iranian border across the Golan Heights? Is it still an umbilical cord for Hezbollah and its warehouses of ammunition? These are more not-yet-answered questions that add more complexity to the mix.
Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, a little lightbulb figuratively appeared over Bossy's head... Iranian proxies in Iraq and Yemen have escalated their actions. The Houthis, emboldened by Iranian support, have targeted Red Sea shipping routes, disrupting global trade. As Israel focuses on Hamas, the so-called seven-front-war still breathes down our neck with new questions. Is Israel prepared for this next stage, one that may even involve Iran directly?
THE HOSTAGES AND PUBLIC TRUST
Beyond the battlefield, there is also the human cost of this war—the hostages still held in Gaza. The joy of seeing released captives reunited with their families is tempered by the knowledge that many still remain in captivity. Their fate weighs heavily on Israeli society, reinforcing the urgency of a decisive strategy.
Public confidence is another critical issue. The Israeli people expect a security policy that delivers long-term deterrence. The sickening weekly parade of hostages before their release, with other efforts been made by Hamas showcasing their power, are just acts of propaganda. I have walked the streets of Gaza, there is nothing these monsters can be proud of. But still the few of them that have crept out of their tunnels or UN humanitarian zones have soured the aftertaste of this round of fighting among the Israeli public. That being said, the IDF’s role is not just to fight but to reassure the public that security measures are effective and sustainable. Any future engagement must be based on clear objectives and a well-defined post-conflict strategy. Otherwise, there is a risk of repeated operations without a decisive outcome.
THE "GAZA RIVIERA" AND THE NEED FOR A BROADER STRATEGY
Recently, the Trump administration proposed a new vision for Gaza’s future—the so-called "Gaza Riviera"—a plan to transform the strip into a thriving economic hub, potentially involving the relocation of Gazooks to other areas. While this concept presents an ambitious end goal, it remains unclear how it could be implemented in the current reality. The mere discussion of such a vision highlights the need for a clearly defined, broad strategic framework. Without first dismantling Hamas’ control, ensuring long-term security, and securing international cooperation, such plans remain theoretical. Before we talk about grand solutions, we must first address the fundamental challenges on the ground.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
As I sit in this ceasefire-induced limbo, I, like many soldiers, am left waiting. Waiting for orders. Waiting for clarity. Waiting to understand the broader strategy. The waiting itself is its own kind of battle, one fought in the mind rather than in the field. Yet, it is in this space that reflection happens—where questions about strategy, history, and geopolitics come to the forefront. The fact that I even have time to write this post suggests that Israel is at a moment of recalibration, not hesitation.
The ceasefire is not the end; it is an intermission. Whether we return to combat or not, Israel’s strategy must evolve. Tactical victories will not be enough—we need a broader vision that addresses the political and military realities shaping this conflict. The Middle East does not reward indecision. If Israel is to ensure lasting security and regain public trust, it must define the real endgame in Gaza with both military clarity and long-term strategic depth.
Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, a little lightbulb figuratively appeared over Bossy's head... beyond Gaza, the broader Middle Eastern chessboard continues to shift. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Hezbollah, and even Syria are all watching Israel’s next move. The decisions made in the coming weeks will not only determine the fate of Hamas but will shape the region for years to come.
As a soldier, I am ready to do my part. But as events unfold, one question remains: will Israel’s next steps lay the foundation for lasting security, or will we find ourselves trapped in another cycle of uncertainty?
Frozen in photographs, they look out — smiling and innocent. Curious about the future. Hours and days, weeks and years they will never see.
The boys will never get married. Get kissed by lovers. Hold jobs.
Celebrate Bar Mitzvah. Read and write with authority. Ride bikes.
Climb trees. Get old.
I can’t look at the adorable faces of Kfir and Ariel Bibas without crying.
These tiny, ginger-haired children were snatched from the world on Oct. 7, 2023, by terrorists furious that the boys were Jewish. They were seized along with their mother Shiri Bibas.
Ariel was just 4 years old and Kfir was a mere 9 months when they were murdered by Hamas.
Israel vows revenge against Hamas for parading bodies of hostages: ’We will settle the score’
Their bodies were paraded by Hamas on Thursday in a disgusting display of bloodlust and lies.
It was a day of mourning in Israel for the returned innocents.
But in New York City this week, after the release of the tots’ dead bodies and two others’ was announced, a gang of terrorist-supporting Jew-haters protested through Borough Park, Brooklyn, a neighborhood with a predominantly Jewish population.
"Zionists go to hell," they sang.
Have they no shame? Have they no soul?
Hamas showed the world exactly who they are. They are monsters who kill children and use their coffins as props.
The have committed unspeakable crimes and must be hunted down, by any means necessary. Our patience is gone.
If it takes sending the people of Gaza elsewhere, to live in the countries that supported these terrorists, so be it.
There can be no more little children slaughtered to the sound of cheers.
Never again.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/21/2025 00:00 ||
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#1
Absolutely correct.
Destroy Gaza sooner rather than later. These aren't "kids"--they are young demons who will only grow older and stronger and more determined to kill.
God may have mercy on them, but Israel owes them none.
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