On 09/26/2016 08:59 PM, xorcist@sigaint.org wrote:
I staked out a stronger position than I actually hold, a hopefully forgivable mistake in response to Zenaan's black-and-white "Russia good, US evil" propagandizing. Thanks for the thoughtful response.
OK, I can understand that.
:)
Yes, there is a lot of ideological stuff like that here, it seems. I look at geopolitics from a merely strategic point of view, believing that the military planners and people in power tend to look at it in those terms rather than believing the bullshit that they tell the public. How could they? Many of them, no doubt, have contact with the media and have directed them what to say, in some way or another.
Right, to understand people, you need to see things as they might. But that doesn't mean that you agree with what they say and do. And it doesn't even mean that you are willing to take a position about them. Sometimes, there's just no point, because there's nothing useful about it. You just do what you're committed to, based on your own principles and values.
I would add, however, that from what I can tell, Putin is out-classing the West at nearly every turn. If there are any politicians in the U.S. that have a chance of out-thinking the man, I haven't heard of them.
I have no clue about that. He might just have good advisors. Or maybe he and US leaders all work for the same people, and are just playing their assigned roles. It's really very hard for outsiders to know.