This Carbon Based Life

By David Glenn Cox

NATO has no salesmen, no one is out going door to door. “Good morning, Madam, I’m working my way through college selling subscriptions, can I interest you in a new military alliance today? It’s really a wonderful opportunity and we have tanks and airplanes and bombs, computers, and uniforms and such. Just sign here, along with your personal check for $29.95, and you’re in. And as a special premium, if you sign up today, you’ll receive this lovely NATO cloth tote bag and coffee mug to show your friends.

The very reason that NATO has been so successful in meeting their enrollment quotas, is due to the long-held fear of these former Soviet Republics. That they would wake up one morning with the sound of Russian tanks in their town center, introducing the new mayor around to everyone. That’s it in a nutshell. Oh, that and the opportunity for a better life with higher standard of living in the European Union.

But the Warsaw Pact was more than a military alliance, it was also an economic alliance and Russia ran the show. What does Russia run today? All those captive markets for shoes and toilet paper, furniture and military hardware. With the fall of “You have too,” sales of Russian military hardware have dramatically collapsed outside of their own replacements, and this month isn’t looking very promising either.

The far, far left and Communists call it the “Imperialist NATO.” Advancing towards isolating Mother Russia, to bring about her downfall. Only, why would we want to do that? Look at which way the victims are running. They have no fear of waking up to NATO tanks, clanking through their streets. Or as Robert Kennedy once observed that democracy might be a flawed system of government, but we’ve never had to build a wall to keep people inside it.

Vladimir Putin has either lost his mind or feels so desperate, as to put Russia on the path towards the 17^th Century. That’s the wild card, his desperation. He dictates and demands what he wants. And what he wants are vassal states as a buffer, from the economic system of the west.  And so, he will dictate to these states what their policies will be. “You can’t join NATO,” I won’t allow it. When this was the actual purpose for the founding of NATO in the first place. Was the fear that someone would come along someday with lots of obsolete tanks and shitty airplanes and say, “I won’t allow it!”

Turn the chessboard and see Putin’s situation today. The whole world save for China and India, are piling on sanctions, as fast as they can think them up. Sales of Russian vodka are finished, Russia is being fully ostracized from the global community. Did Putin expect this reaction from the world? Of course, China could be counted on because they too, have territorial ambitions. Any attempt at Chinese Detente is like those cut outs you stick your head through at the beach and have your picture taken. They do what’s good for them, and only pretend to transparently give a fuck about anyone else. India is a case throwing other nations to the crocodiles, and hoping the crocodiles get full, before it’s her turn.

I have read that Putin is using oil and gas as a weapon, to blackmail Western Europe. But if a junkie buys heroin from a drug dealer, is that blackmail or is it addiction? Putin’s largest source of hard currency is from selling raw materials and importing finished goods = third world country.

 Did you happen to see the Russian cruise missile hit the apartment building on its way to the airport? It appeared the missile was on a downward trajectory at the time and missed the airport by several miles. That’ll help sales! “That’s right sir; you just point them that way and off they go! With twice the accuracy of your common household bottle rocket. Precision guided and guaranteed to hit something eventually sir or double your money back!

Since the dawn of the Cold War, the expected scenario has always been a huge Russian army of tanks pouring into Western Europe. Leaving only the A-10s to desperately pick off as many tanks as they could. Putin has showed us if nothing else, the efficiency of the Russian army. We not only have time send the A-10s, but we also have time to build a few new ones.

A British warship was accosted off the coast of Crimea in international waters, with warning shots fired and shadowed by a Russian destroyer. A US F-35 fighter jet was intercepted by two Russian fighters, in Polish air space. Juggling fire while wearing oven mitts.  The French seized a Russian ship in the English Channel. You better be sure of your geography, because if that ship was in or near international waters, that’s piracy on the high seas, and clear act of war.

Putin isn’t playing around; this is a once and for all, make it or don’t make it. He isn’t preparing for next time; this is next time! And the Ukrainians want Turkey to close the Black Sea to Russian ships, also a clear path towards expanding the war. And calls for a no-fly zone over the Ukraine. You might as well wake up the 82^nd airborne division and tell them to gas up their tanks. And don’t make any definite plans for later in the week. How long would Putin allow NATO to shoot down Russian aircraft?

I guess the point I’m trying to make, is that we must watch our own step as much as Putin’s. We must be strong, but not so strong that we blunder our way into WW-III with enthusiasm, trying to make a political point about diplomacy. Putin has thrown down this gauntlet arbitrarily. He chose this time and place. He decided when to void international laws and charters, putting him on a collision course with the rest of the world.  That’s the frustrating part, trying deal with someone with laws and sanctions, someone who has abandoned using them altogether.  Due to recent events in the United States, we  understand that predicament.

This isn’t Joe Biden’s fault, NATO’s  or even Donald Twump’s fault. This is Vladimir Putin’s fault. And those who would attack their own government in a time of world peril. Should hold their tongues lest they lose their heads. They are the fools the survivors will attempt paint pictures of on cave walls someday, beside to the mushroom cloud. In another vain attempt to warn the future. This isn’t a game in which you merely attempt to score points.

“Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.”
― Sun Tzu