Jeffrey Sachs - Horrible Clash Between Russia And The USA
Cornelius Hamelberg
Harrow, Kenneth
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2023 2:12:09 AM
To: USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Jeffrey Sachs - Horrible Clash Between Russia And The USA
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Cornelius Hamelberg
“Bottom line in ukraine: both putin and zelensky should compromise on their goals, let some of ukrainiana territory go to russia, and end the war.” ( Kenneth Harrow)
So, why don’t they?
As in
“Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh Lord, why don't we?”
Shouldn’t we all be telling Mr. Biden that that would be a good way of saving lives ( pikuach nefesh) ?
The Military-Industrial Complex is making a lot of money on the Ukraine War
Long before the commencement of Russia’s military operation there was this conspiracy theory mabe, largely fueled and funded by cynicism - something that your President doesn’t want to hear about : His son Hunter Biden's special connections with Ukraine
There’s also this New York Times Story : What Joe Biden Actually Did in Ukraine
The maps speak for themselves…
It’s difficult to envisage the combined forces of Uncle Sam + NATO +EU +The Vatican wresting Crimea from Russia, Crimea the fait accompli being of such critical importance to Russia’s Black Sea fleet .
Secondly, and here they must be thinking of the status of the Swedish island Götland should Sweden join NATO - when we consider all the joint exercises, at this stage Sweden is all but in NATO already
Russia needs an outlet / access to the Baltic Sea. This means that if you’re talking about “compromise” that aspect of what for Russia is of paramount strategic importance has to be part of the Joe Biden & CO’s consideration
I had a 15 min discussion with three Russians this afternoon ( Jehovah’s witnesses), I met them outside the Grocery store
Bottom Line: The referred me to Daniel Chapter 11
Jehovah's Witnesses : Daniel Chapter 11
“ Jehovah‘s Witnesses identify Russia and its allies as the King of the North in the time of the end”
Please don’t tell Mr Biden this sort of thing because it will only cause him to start foaming at the mouth. Joe Biden and Peter Obi’s Holy Roman Catholic Church ( No wonder Adichie was cosying up to Dadda B )
BTW, I wonder what the Catholic Church says about Daniel 11 and “the End Times”
NB. The witness that I met said that the on-going conflict is just one of many that are going to be in the pipeline…
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Harrow, Kenneth
kenneth harrow
professor emeritus
dept of english
michigan state university
“Bottom line in ukraine: both putin and zelensky should compromise on their goals, let some of ukrainiana territory go to russia, and end the war.” ( Kenneth Harrow)
So, why don’t they?
As in
“Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh Lord, why don't we?”
Shouldn’t we all be telling Mr. Biden that would be a good way of saving lives ( pikuach nefesh) ?
Long before the commencement of Russia’s military operation there was this conspiracy theory making the rounds, maybe, largely fuelled and funded by cynicism - something that your President doesn’t want to hear about : His son Hunter Biden's special connections with Ukraine
There’s also this New York Times Story : What Joe Biden Actually Did in Ukraine...
It’s difficult to envisage the combined forces of Uncle Sam + NATO +EU +The Vatican wresting Crimea from Russia, Crimea the fait accompli being of such critical importance to Russia’s Black Sea fleet ( nuclear-tipped submarines etc)
Secondly, and here they must be thinking of the status of the Swedish island Götland should Sweden join NATO - and when we consider all the joint exercises so far, at this stage Sweden is all but in NATO already
Russia needs an outlet / access to the Baltic Sea.
This means that if you’re talking about “compromise” that aspect of what for Russia is of paramount strategic importance has to be part of the Joe Biden & CO’s consideration
I had a 15 min discussion with three Russians this afternoon ( Jehovah’s witnesses), I met them outside the Grocery store. I told them that I deeply sympathise with Russia, the WARSAW pact dissolved, NATO expanding to Russia's doorstep. Uncle Sam could not and up to this day would not tolerate Russian Missiles in Cuba but think it's OK to have American/ NATO Missiles everywhere...
Bottom Line: The referred me to Daniel Chapter 11
Jehovah's Witnesses : Daniel Chapter 11
“ Jehovah‘s Witnesses identify Russia and its allies as the King of the North in the time of the end”
Cornelius Hamelberg
The expected offensive is "D-Day" for Ukraine
Any day it can begin, the Ukrainian counter-offensive against the territories Russia has conquered.
No one knows where or when, only that the offensive will come.
For Kiev, this is a decisive crossroads in the war, comparable to D-Day in World War II. The attack may be the last chance for Ukraine to drive out the Russian occupiers.
When will it come, the Ukrainian spring offensive? The answer is on Sunday, April 30, according to the so-called Pentagon leak , the package of American intelligence information that became public just over a week ago.
Which means that it will probably start on another day.
But everyone agrees that it will be an offensive. Ukrainian government officials say so openly. But they don't say where or when.
However, several factors indicate that it will happen very soon.
The muddy season is coming to an end, making the terrain more accessible for the tanks used in an offensive.
In addition, large arms shipments have now arrived in Ukraine. These include German-made Leopard 2 tanks , British Challenger tanks, the Patriot air defense system and American mine clearance vehicles. Soon also the Swedish artillery system Archer, which is considered by many to be the best in the world.
In the autumn's successful counter-offensive in the north – when Ukraine retook 6,000 square kilometers in ten days – the element of surprise was an important factor. Russian troops fled headlong as the Ukrainians broke through the front.
This effect will be difficult to achieve during the expected spring offensive. "Everyone" knows it's coming.
But the Ukrainian military leadership does not show its cards. Much of the information circulating about the offensive may in fact be deliberate disinformation, with the aim of confusing the enemy.
This also applies to the two possible directions that most people believe the counterattack will take place along: south from Zaporizhzhya towards the shores of Lake Azov, and east towards the northern part of Donbass.
The offensive can come in one of these directions, or both. Or in some other place, for example straight towards Donetsk.
Here the spring offensive can take place
It is also likely that Ukrainian forces will launch attacks at several points along the front to deceive the Russians and force them to move their troop concentrations.
The goal is for the low-motivated Russians, just like last fall, to panic and abandon their positions.
But the Russian side is far more prepared now than it was last fall. Extensive defensive lines have been built, both in the south and in the east. They include tank ditches, minefields, trenches, bunkers and "dragon's teeth", reinforced concrete obstacles to stop tanks.
Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP
An attacking army is usually said to need three times as many soldiers as the defending one. It is unclear how many people Ukraine can deploy in the counterattack.
And despite the new tanks and other things that can be used, the Ukrainian fighting forces are possibly short of ammunition and anti-aircraft. At least if documents from the Pentagon leak are to be believed.
But even if we could count exactly how many soldiers and exactly what weapons each side has access to – which we cannot – the coming battle is also determined by hard-to-measure, human factors.
Such as the quality of military commanders, the motivation of soldiers and the ability to surprise the enemy.
Photo: Libkos/AP
Here, Ukraine has great advantages, judging by how the war has played out so far. The soldiers must be tired, and upwards of 100,000 have been killed or wounded since the start of the war. But they know they are fighting for the survival of their nation. And commanders in the field have repeatedly shown signs of creativity and flexibility.
Russia's advantage, on the other hand, lies in the size of its population, more than three times that of Ukraine, and the leadership's willingness to sacrifice its compatriots.
This leads to the Russian tactic of "human waves" that are deployed in attacks, one after the other until the enemy is tired. Just like earlier in history, when Stalin wore down Finland's resistance during the Winter War of 1939–40.
Some are now drawing another parallel between World War II and the expected Ukrainian offensive. It is compared to D-Day , the Normandy landings in June 1944.
Photo: Keystone Archives/TT
One of the reasons why that operation was successful was that the Allies tricked the Germans into thinking that the landing would take place in a different location. It provided a psychological advantage – exactly what Ukraine is now trying to achieve.
But there are also other parallels. One is that Ukraine, like the Allies in 1944, is betting everything on one card. It's a bit of now or never. And the first 24 hours of the offensive could be decisive.
If Ukraine does not manage to take back a substantial part of its territory, if the attack freezes into a war of attrition - then the long-term support from the West may begin to fail.
Photo: Anatolii Stepanov/AFP
In the United States, elections are looming in November 2024, with Republican candidates increasingly questioning the costs of the war . Even in Europe, many grumble that support for Ukraine is given unconditionally.
Voters and taxpayers in the West will sooner or later demand a return on their investment in Ukraine. And without the support, Ukraine is defenseless in the longer term.
What Kiev must do now is to show results – in the form of a successful counter-offensive.
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Cornelius Hamelberg
Re- “ that seems obvious” - that Zelensky “ wouldn't have the support of his people simply to call a halt to their military defense and yield territory.”
Reminds me of this clip from Tuesday's New York Times briefing:“ But he ( Joe Biden ) must also answer for rapid inflation and the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of war.”
Ukraine, of course, is not Afghanistan or Iraq, Vietnam, North Korea, Chechnya, Georgia, Belarus, Taiwan, Old Texas ( formerly a part of Mexico) or Biafra for that matter.
Wouldn’t a more pragmatic Zelensky have the support of his people ( those in and out of the country) in order to save lives, to negotiate for peace - as China’s President Xi Jinping has most probably been advising him, especially should the on-coming Ukrainian spring offensive that Ukraine & NATO Allies have been bragging about proves to be horribly ineffective, since in spite of all the new weapons being supplied to Ukraine, “large arms shipments have now arrived in Ukraine. These include German-made Leopard 2 tanks, British Challenger tanks, the Patriot air defense system and American mine clearance vehicles. Soon also the Swedish artillery system Archer, which is considered by many to be the best in the world'', everything could still go so horribly wrong and Ukraine could suffer further painful losses of manpower on the battlefield not to mention further bombardment and destruction of their critical infrastructure
If Joe Lauria’s “Leaks Spelling the End for Ukraine” is anything to go by then Ukraine’s victory on the battlefield is not simply just around the corner.
The alternative to peace negotiations could be heroic Ukraine fighting” to the last man” at which prospect - among those who are not hungry for that kind of martyrdom it should be logical that Ukraine’s military would overthrow Zelensky and sue for peace since a Masada type ending/ denouement is probably not on their minds at the moment or in the near future.
What is most worrying are these reports :
Zaporozhye official terms constant Ukrainian attacks on nuke plant premises as 'terrorism'
Harrow, Kenneth
Toyin Falola
Ken:
Global politics, for centuries, has been built around wars and violence to create pathways to exploitation and domination. Too many examples to remind us, including the death estimated at over 10 million of the native Indian population to resettle Europeans in the Americas.
We will always be attacked until the world itself is terminated by the forces that created the planets, as in when the life of the sun ends. You and I seek global peace, but it requires a global flow that will connect the majority of people who will de-emphasize identities forced upon them or which they voluntarily choose. If I see myself as a Muslim, I already have millions of enemies, from India to Australia, without having done anything. An Indian minister at the highest level of government once told me that “Muslims are not human beings!”
TF
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Harrow, Kenneth
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2023 7:34:26 AM
Toyin Falola
Ken:
I am worried about yet another issue: attacks on spirituality. I am not sure that I agree with the position that secularism can deal with many of the issues we face. How do we deal with void, consciousness, right and wrong, what I owe you and what you owe me as members of a world, defined as small or big.
Ukrainde disturbed me.
Sudan is now disturbing me.
What is in my spirit, my soul, my being that is disturbing me?
If I am not disturbed, what has converted me into a piece of rock?
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Harrow, Kenneth
kenneth harrow
professor emeritus
dept of english
michigan state university
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2023 12:07 PM
Cornelius Hamelberg
“There's nothing new under the sun”, said King Solomon, and indeed, variety is the spice of life.
Re - “An Indian minister at the highest level of government once told me that “Muslims are not human beings!”
Just one of the things that make you go Hmmmm
No doubt, the Indian minister in question, at the highest level of government, is or was probably a fundamentalist Hindu Nationalist of the BJP .
Before feeling confident enough to take Ojogbon Falola so unreservedly into his confidence with such an outrageous statement, to begin with, he must have ascertained to his own satisfaction that Ojogbon is/was not a Muslim and must have probably sensed that Ojogbon was likely to be emotionally close enough to his own Hindu Islamophobia, we are to suppose, especially if the meeting between the two gentlemen had taken place during or soon after the latest report of Boko Haram barbarity in Nigeria, their own special trademark contribution to giving the religion of peace, such a bad name.
We must also understand that, on and off, Hindus have also suffered badly at the hands of Islam. Muslims ruled major swathes of India for over 800 hundred years during which the slaughter of Hindu holy cows was deemed to be legally halal. There was the India - Pakistan partition, there was the controversy about the Babri Masjid, during which my irate Pakistani Bro told me that Hindus ``drink the cow’s urine as medicine!” To this day, India and Pakistan share the territory known as the Indian subcontinent but they are still not best friends
Some time ago, I ran into a party of people I distinctly heard speaking Urdu ( very pleasing to the ear as real lovers of Iqbal would readily attest, and likewise Tagore for soft-spoken Bengali - you can hear the lilt in the translation into English of Gitanjali and the rest of Tagore) so I heard the happy Urdu speakers and thought, no halal meat being sold here, maybe they are looking for some chapati, I thought that I was in good company and so I went over to speak to the one I thought was acting like the leader of the Jamaat, and politely asked him, “ Excuse me, Sir, are you a Muslim?” and to my surprise, he frowned at me and replied explosively, “ NO! I am a human being!” Maybe he had misjudged me because of the wild west jeans I was wearing. Yeah, man gave names to all the animals.
As you know, we all have our prejudices, whether it’s Israel and the Palestinians, India and Pakistan, Tonubu, Aitiku, or Peter Obi. Today, I told Chukwunonoso A , the Microsoft engineer who got unfettered access to my computer through a remote assist, I told him that I was baptised in Umuahia and he told me that yes, he was a Nigerian…
I’m still a little biased. My first boss in Sweden ( 1972) was an Indian, a former Captain in the Indian Army. His name was Avinash Talvar, a wonderful, perfect gentleman, disciplined, and nice.
A year later Prashant Lal was my Sanskrit teacher.
The fact is that we are all human beings
https://www.fasching.se/santrofi/
Su Nkwa by Santrofi