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On May 2, 2014, at 7:42 PM, Louis Proyect <l...@panix.com> wrote: > > On 5/2/14 7:27 PM, Michael Smith wrote: >> >> There was an earlier Crimean War, you know. > > The other thing to keep in mind is that Putin doesn't care about American > bases on his doorstep as long as they are used to keep the jihadists at bay. I doubt that that's so. Of course he hasn't called me lately -- I suppose he's been busy -- so I can't say for sure. The Bohm piece you linked overlooks the main point, which is that the US has failed in Afghanistan, and is pulling out. The US was no more successful in consolidating control over the Affers than the Sovs were a few years back. So the US keeps a few face-saving 'bases'. So what? It's a stalemate, preferably a quiet one. That's always been the best state of affairs in Afghanistan. It's a very different matter from affirmatively carving the Ukraine out into the Euro zone. No doubt my pal Volodya would prefer a relatively quiet Afghanistan -- an Afghanistan not effectively in current play in the Great Game. At this point, who wouldn't -- except maybe Delhi? But they're in no position to intervene directly, and both the Russkis and the Yanks have recently had their heads handed to them on a platter in that rugged country. Let's hope they've both learned their lesson. For our lifetime, anyway. Michael Smith m...@smithbowen.net A man should take care not to be made a proverb; and, therefore, should avoid having any one topick of which people can say, "We shall hear him upon it." --Dr J ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu Set your options at: http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
