The Borg prepares to take full power.

 

 " ... the activity reflects alarm over Trump’s calls for the United States to pull back from its traditional role as a global guarantor of security.

“The American-led international order that has been prevalent since World War II is now under threat,” said Martin Indyk, who oversees a team of top former officials from the administrations of Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton assembled by the Brookings Institution. “The question is how to restore and renovate it.” The Brookings report — a year in the making — is due out in December.

 

Taken together, the studies and reports call for more-aggressive American action to constrain Iran, rein in the chaos in the Middle East and check Russia in Europe.

The studies, which reflect Clinton’s stated views, break most forcefully with Obama on Syria. Virtually all these efforts, including a report released Wednesday by the liberal Center for American Progress, call for stepped-up military action to deter President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and Russian forces in ­Syria.

The proposed military measures include calls for safe zones to protect moderate rebels from ­Syrian and Russian forces. Most of the studies propose limited American airstrikes with cruise missiles to punish Assad if he continues to attack civilians with barrel bombs, as is happening in besieged Aleppo. Obama has staunchly resisted any military action against the Assad regime."  Greg Jaffe

------------

Yes, my fellow Canadian citizens, our time is approaching.

Brookings is hosting a gathering of the Borgist clan.  Papers are being written, tentative personnel selections made, discussion are held as to which military officers are to be retired and which advanced. 

These preparations will fit nicely into the Clinton transition team's preparations for inaugural day when Queenie will preside over an inaugural parade that should be a mighty spectacle of "stronger together."  What a sight it will be as such marching units as Stonewall Inn Memorial Drill Team and Women Veterans for Promotion Equity pass in review.

I was in the Kennedy inaugural parade.  I think this will be different.  pl   

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/washington-foreign-policy-elites-not-sorry-to-see-obama-go/2016/10/20/bd2334a2-9228-11e6-9c52-0b10449e33c4_story.html

Comments

[DC]

Indyk's "containment" prescription for Iraq and Iran isn't going to work this time around, given Russia's presence on the scene. It will be brutally interesting to watch whether HRC will challenge any of the interventionists she'll have hired (or, cynically speaking, contracted for) throughout the DoD/DoS ranks.

If memory serves, Indyk lost his laptop on his way to the middle east a long while back...and got his security clearance returned very shortly thereafter. He'll fit in well with the team of kleptocrats on their way in.

[David Habakkuk]

All,

Andrei Raevsky – aka ‘The Saker’ – is a figure about whom I have mixed feelings.

However, it appears that ‘the Borg’ are determined to vindicate his claims about the ‘Anglo-Zionist Empire’.

It is a quasi-Soviet structure.

And, like the old Soviet system, it will perish because of its inability to sustain its claim to – as Babak Makkinejad would put it – ‘legitimate authority.’

A relevant question is whether – as with the Soviet empire – the legitimacy crisis produces an at least relatively peaceful collapse, or something much worse.

[StoneHouse]

As regards barrel bombs and other Syrian memes. Correspondents might be interested in this interview with Assad conducted by Swiss television. The interviewer is polite but his thrust is hostile. It is fascinating to watch, I think, as Assad patiently attempts to deconstruct the presenters' Borgist pre-conceptions and frankly unrealistic notions on the nature of State, leadership, and war. This interview is typical of many by western press which Assad has sat for over the long years of, from his point of view, siege. One day you are dining with the Kerrys, while your wife is featured on the cover of Vogue. The next you wake to find you have become a monster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-ZU-r5sDeY

[Fred]

David,

" inability to sustain its claim to – as Babak Makkinejad would put it – ‘legitimate authority.’"

I believe that this was on full display last night at the Al Smith memorial dinner. The full thing should be viewed but the most damning part was the reaction of crowd of the tuxedoed and their diamond encrusted compatriots to the leader of the Deplorables as he showed himself a traitor to his class. Hilary, corrupt? How dare you say that here.

"A relevant question is whether an at least relatively peaceful collapse, ..."

These are the people who enriched themselves by brining creative destruction to the social safety net when the USSR collapsed. The Soviets at least had the smarts to round up the guns before collapsing. That will be the Borg's first order of business.

[The Beaver]

including a report released Wednesday by the liberal Center for American Progress, call for stepped-up military action to deter President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and Russian forces in ­Syria.
CAP !!!
Founder : John Podesta
President:Neera Tanden (on the 5 on Hilary transition team)
A hawk who wants to appropriate Libyan oil revenues "Libya should be forced to turn over its oil revenue to the U.S. as compensation and gratitude for the U.S. having “liberated” Libya."
Likes to flash herself as a NRI - same as some in TurtleBay so that they can get up the ladder at the UN instead of proving their capability (ies)

and she is scared "merde" of the Israeli Firsters and AIPAC inside the beltway.

Now we just have to wait and see where Jeffrey Feltman and former Ambassador Ford will be elevated to in HRC cabinet so that the "BOMB BOMB BOMB" will be heard once again in DC and NYC.

[Lefty]

Col, That was a cold but bright and cloudless day. Thanks for evoking memories from long ago. The snow storm the day before left close to a foot of snow as I recall, but you wouldn't know it from the picture along Pennsylvania Ave. Expect the SIMDT will be a colorful unit, although I'm not sure the drills will be G rated.

[Jack]

David

Your Soviet analogy is spot on. We're seeing the west get into the Soviet model in a number of spheres. Propaganda is clearly at Soviet levels. Government interference in the economy and finance is well past the approaches that brought the west a large middle class. Now, we have the alliance between big business and big government to the detriment of small business that was the bedrock for growth.

The Borgist mindset of intervention is taking the world to the precipice of global conflict with all its horrific ramifications. Our election is laying bare the deep divide between the Borgist group and Les Deplorables and creating the environment for social conflict. Are the implications of Howe's Fourth Turning going to become more apparent with the ascension of the Borgist Queen?

[Trent]

Great photo. VMI? Which classes?

[Edward Amame]

Brian Katulis gets one thing right. Rebuilding a more muscular and more centrist internationalism is decidedly not "where the public may be right now." Especially among those people who'll be pulling the lever for HRC in November. She'd better understand that and resist the Blob if she wants to see a second term.

[turcopolier]

trent

VPI band in foreground, Our two Bns in middle ground, color party between. this was 1961. Kennedy. pl

[turcopolier]

Lefty

You were in the Corps then? pl

[turcopolier]

EA

The convention here is "Borg." pl

[Jack]

Edward

Are you buying the she'll act in accord with "where the public may be right now" as you pull the lever for the Borg Queen? If you are I'd appreciate to know what you're smoking. Seems like some potent stuff.

[Fred]

Edward,

She is the borg.

[BuddhistMind]

for those who are not yet aware, Brookings is not credible--they got $14.8+ million donation from Qatar (who fund/arm Al Queda Nusra Front, ISIS & other jihadists)
&
former Brookings employees confirm they are NOT allowed to write anything critical of Qatar or Qatar's policies (despite their theocratic Wahhabist Sharia criminal law idential to Saudi Arabia)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/07/us/politics/foreign-powers-buy-influence-at-think-tanks.html

[Tigermoth]

I found this interview fascinating also:

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/full-video-syrias-first-lady-interview-russia-24/

"Syria's First Lady, Mrs Asma al-Assad delivers her first public interview with foreign media in 8 years."

She is very involved with helping the Syrian soldiers and their families deal with their injuries or the loss of their loved ones both the physical and mental aspects.

She does this alone without escorts or protection! She refuses to leave the country even though she has been offered the chance as she feels it is important as the 1st lady to show solidarity with the Syrian people. And to face down fear and continue on doing what is necessary. A strong woman for sure.

[kooshy]

for sure Indyk will get a high position in Borg Queen' cabinet, COS, or NSA

[turcopolier]

kooshy

NSA is headed by a general or admiral. pl

[Edward Amame]

Col Lang

In the linked to article, the Obama WH refers to D.C.'s entrenched FP "community" as the Blob, which I believe is different than the Borg.

[Edward Amame]

Jack,

Yes. I am. For the easy to grasp reason I gave in my comment.

And if you're gonna try to insult me, at least please try to be original. The references to what I may be smoking to come up with my comments is really old and IMO pretty lame unless you're in grade school.

[Edward Amame]

Fred,

Whatever. I stand by my comment that if she decides to go militarily and FP-y to places the American public doesn't wanna go, she'll be a one-term president. The awfully large Bernie left-wing part of the Dem Party will be paying as much attention to this, if not more so IMO, than the GOP.

[The Twisted Genius]

Is any think tank or group going to put out a report to counter this Brooking Institute "Freedonia Goes to War" tripe? Now is not the time to be sitting by the side of the road with our thumps up our asses. At a minimum, there will be a strong minority in Congress that will want to oppose a Clinton Executive wether it be for ideological, practical or political reasons. Somehow we have to goad those sons of bitches into taking action to limit Executive ability to wage war.

[The Twisted Genius]

Oops. That's thumbs, not thumps.

[turcopolier]

Edward Amame

We need to have some clarity in terminology. For me the Blob is the WH/Obama Admin. term for the Washington/NY City branch of the international globalist Borg. Obama also calls it the "Foreign Policy Establishment." Same thing. pl

[jerseycityjoan]

I would suggest that Democrats stopping pushing the "diversity is our strength" idea down people's throats.

It has reached the point where I now argue back.

I say to myself, if vast demographic change in 40 years or less is such a wonderful thing, then why isn't the rest of the world (outside of what used to be white-dominated First World countries) following our example?

I look at the places sending us the most new people and ask, what are their plans to further diversify themselves as they want to further diversify us and I see no such thing being contemplated.

Repetition can be a dangerous thing.

Yes it can make new and strange ideas seem more acceptable but it can also push people from noncommittal stances into disagreement and resentment.

Oh yeah, that's another funny thing about diversity.

There's a point where there's so much diversity, so many differing and opposing views that unity and harmony become close to impossible. Also governing.

Are we setting ourselves us to become an ungovernable nation? I ask myself that now, I never did before.