Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category
Posted on March 15, 2009 - by Venik
Russian Military Reform
Putin and his cabinet have embarked on the most dangerous journey of their political careers: the 2009-2012 military reform. And by “dangerous” I don’t mean just unpopular but life-threatening. The decision to cut nearly 200,000 senior officers, special forces, and intelligence operatives will have serious consequences for Russia’s internal stability. Essentially, over a relatively short [...]
Posted on February 20, 2009 - by Venik
Obama’s Idol
When in the course of human events, a legend becomes greater than the man, prick of the hollow needle of history helps let out stale air of misconceptions. The Great Emancipator might not have thought Negroes were actual men, but Honest Abe indeed was honest and consistent in his believes and statements to that end. [...]
Posted on February 18, 2009 - by Venik
Space lawyers
The recent collision between an in-service US-made Iridium 33 communications satellite launched by Russia in 1997 and a defunct Russian Strela-2M-class Kosmos-2251 communications satellite launched in 1993 created a stir among the small but hungry community of space lawyers in the US. There are about 8,000 man-made objects orbiting Earth. These include about 560 operational [...]
Posted on February 17, 2009 - by Venik
When subs collide
As we now know, a British and a French nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed submarines collided in the Atlantic earlier this month. Amazingly, the first newspaper to report the incident and to prompt the official admission of the accident was The Sun tabloid. The Royal Navy said that the subs “came into contact at very low speeds”, calling [...]
Posted on February 16, 2009 - by Venik
Tornado in Georgia
For the first time in recorded history a tornado touched down in Georgia’s western coastal region of Megrelia. There were no casualties, but some 120 homes and electric power lines were heavily damaged. Due to its proximity to the Black Sea, Megrelia is known for occasional heavy winds in the winter months. However, this was [...]
Posted on February 9, 2009 - by Venik
Russia Stepping on Obama’s Afghan Plans
For nearly eight years Manas International Airport in Kyrgyzstan has been a key element in the US tactics and strategy in Afghanistan. The airport supported a high volume of flights by USAF aircraft, primarily by heavy-lift transports and aerial tankers but also by F/A-18, F-15E, and A-10 ground attack aircraft, as well as by other [...]
Posted on January 31, 2009 - by Venik
Blago’s Predicament
Just finished watching Larry’s interview with Blagoyevich. What can I say… Before his arrest in early December I never heard of Blago. Well, maybe I did come across his name a few times while reading the news, but the name just didn’t stick. I had no idea who the governor of Illinois is, or if [...]
Posted on January 29, 2009 - by Venik
Russia to reopen airbase in Abkhazia
According to reports in the Russian media, the Bomborski airbase in Abkhazia is soon to be reopened for use by the Russian Air Force. The plan calls for two squadrons of Su-27 fighter-bombers and Su-25 ground attack aircraft, plus some additional An-26 or An-72 transports to be permanently based in Abkhazia. The Bomborski airbase is [...]
Posted on January 29, 2009 - by Venik
Politics of Fear?
Lou Dobbs – a noted Republican xenophobe and CNN’s resident Mexico-basher – is accusing Obama of engaging in “politics of fear” by trying to push the economic stimulus package through Congress. Lou says that Bush used this sort of scare tactics and now Obama is following suit. Unfurling the 650-page legislation proposal into the camera [...]
Posted on January 28, 2009 - by Venik
Why Bailout Will Not Work, Again
Back in September I wrote a short piece on Bush’s bailout plan – Why Bailout Will Not Work. The bottom line of my rant was: the US economy is so massive and the US national debt is so high that the federal government is just too poor to fix the problem by simply throwing cash [...]
Posted on January 8, 2009 - by Venik
Paying Ukraine’s Gas Bill
Bloomberg reports that Ukraine’s president is using the gas war with Russia as a way to endear himself to the West and to improve EU’s disposition toward his country. What dark twisted alleys of logic led Bloomberg analysts to this extraordinary conclusion we will probably never know. Luckily. “Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko may be calculating [...]
Posted on January 3, 2009 - by Venik
Gaza Rocketeers
Just as I was starting to get bored, another squabble broke out between Israel and Hamas. Apparently, the mighty Hamas army has been firing rockets in the general direction of Negev wastelands surrounding Gaza, causing alarming damage to local wildlife. Or so Mark Regev, the Israeli government spokesman, tells us. Ms. Amanpour of CNN has [...]
Posted on December 27, 2008 - by Venik
Uncomplicated Perspective
Long time, no posts. I resolved to not use a computer during my vacation. Quitting smoking was easier. Anyway, I just ran across an amusing editorial in NY Times about what Obama should do vis-à-vis Vladimir Putin. I am not sure if the author was trying to be entertaining, being coyly naive, or if he [...]
Posted on November 22, 2008 - by Venik
Gas Wars: Episode V
Russia’s natural gas monopoly Gazprom says Ukraine has a $2.4 billion past-due balance. Ukraine acknowledges the debt, but say the amount is $1.3 billion. The $1-billion difference in the two positions is due to Ukraine only counting what it owes for September-October period, while Gazprom also counts November plus various past-due fees and fines. Medvedev [...]