The Journalism We Deserve

~ Clarissa

We get exactly the kind of journalism we deserve.

Here’s the op-ed in question, and I want to remind everybody that Kasparov detests Trump. This is not a partisan thing.

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Published by Clarissa

12 thoughts on “The Journalism We Deserve”

  1. Kasparov is overthinking the issue.

    The bottom line is that the Biden administration (and the U.S. military) doesn’t want to risk pushing Putin into a corner where he believes, correctly or incorrectly, that his national survival depends on not suffering a humiliating military defeat with a proxy of the United States.

    Putin clearly believes that his government couldn’t survive a major defeat in Ukraine, which is why he’s started to hint at the unthinkable — that he might have to start using tactical nuclear weapons.

    (He won’t, of course. He’s not stupid enough to start an irreversible course to WWIII — but he is getting desperate.)

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    1. I think this is something that Putin says to scare off the West. However, everyone with half a brain knows that Russia is not fighting for its survival, Ukraine is. They could withdraw tomorrow and be ok.

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      1. On the level of reality, yes, absolutely. But perception beats reality every time. Russians feel that they are under an existential threat. Yes, it’s loony tunes but to them it’s true.

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        1. But isn’t it true this perception can be easily manipulated and changed? As in Putin created this “existential threat” but could just as easily walk it back.

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          1. “utin created this “existential threat””

            You (and Dreidel) are hampered by your western ways and the idea of the ‘rational actor’… a ‘rational actor’ wouldn’t have started the war and/or would have taken any number of earlier available off ramps.

            It’s not going to be settled by rational means, it’ll be settled by russia taking over Kyiv Odesa and all the way to Transnistria (the real goals… they don’t care about Donbas at all except as a means to an end) or russia being driven out of Ukraine by force.

            That’s it… Peter Zeihan (good in some ways though he also stresses rational ideas that are completely absent from the analyses of cultural insiders, pro or anti putain) said that russia historically will only sue for peace after losing about 500,000 soldiers. We’re just a little past half way…

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            1. It still won’t be settled if Ukraine disappeared completely or was conquered in its entirety. Russia will still be poor, miserable, unliked and weighted down by its terrible history.

              Somebody needs to start working on a new story for them. An explanation that won’t be intolerable. Germans after WWII could say, ok, big mistake, but that was the worst of us and it only lasted a few years. But what do you do when it was always bad? And keeps getting worse?

              Look at America, still tying itself into knots over slavery 150+ years after abolition. Russia had slavery too, and genocide after genocide since. What is the positive time in history that they can look to? The Kievan Rus, that wasn’t even theirs?

              I hate them but I kind of get why they are so upset.

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          2. Theoretically, yes, but somebody will need to explain to the Russian people why their history has been so bad and why their standard of living is so poor. I wish I knew what anybody could tell them to explain it. Putin told them it’s the fault of the US, and that’s comforting and convenient. What would be the alternative?

            They are going to continue to be angry and act out violently until somebody comes up with an explanation. This should have been done in 1991 but instead they had their humiliation rubbed in their faces and sent on their merry way. Today we see where that way led.

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      2. Not Russia’s survival, Putin’s survival. His strongman image requires him to win. Retreat would likely cost him his position and given Russia’s history likely his life.

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        1. Absolutely. Many people don’t understand this but this is exactly it. Putin can’t turn back because it’s a survival issue for him. He’s terrified of Gaddafi’s fate and will do anything to avoid it.

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  2. Biden is an old man, in more normal and rational years he would have retired long ago. His foreign policy is bland and lacks vigor, and it clearly shows when it comes to Ukraine. He’s clearly playing it safe, keeping Russia hopeful and looking for a negotiated peace. He is not terrible and has provided much needed assistance, but clearly a younger more decisive leader could have done a lot more.

    I hope the Europeans step up more, it is their continent after all.

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