I am ashamed that I receive US propaganda as blatant as this crap. Tooze embellishes all the lies being served up by the Western media while, in fact, the Ukrainian right wing government is being defeated on the field and its own commanders have disputed the efficacy of the weapons that excite this useless academic.
A "right wing" government led by a Jew fighting against an invader whose leader likes to get consulted by people with literal SS tattoos very visibly displayed on their neck and who finances almost every actual Nazi organisation in Europe. Talking about propaganda ...
I can't share your optimism. I began my adult political awareness with the Gulf of Tonkin, Pentagon Papers, secret bombing of Cambodia, onto Iran Contra, Niger plutonium, Iraq's complicity in 9/11, humanity crises first in Kosovo then in Benghazi. Those are just the lying, deceitful high points.
Well, we will see. I'm pretty sure though that it won't happen. Special forces doing some clandestine operations: likely. Military advisors teaching them in the field how to best use the equipment they got: also likely.
Actual troops on the ground: I don't think so. And I think that's the right decision btw.
However: I wouldn't oppose it if NATO was to protect civilian shipping when taking cargo in Odessa in an attempt to alleviate the food crisis which is unfolding right now in some African countries and the middle east.
During Talvisota (the 1939 Winter War between Russia and Finland) a similar motif appeared. The standard anti-tank tool was a Finnish invention from the normal items that lay about. Rags, gas, bottle: the Molotov Cocktail. Their gift it was for the nominal Soviet regional manager of Finland.
This tool, though an iconic people's tool, as it were, required the individual to get extremely personal with the tank - close up to the air intake of the massive soviet engines. It was an errand for the brave and desperate.
The historical development of antitank sapping operations is one of Davids and Goliaths, Speed Cruisers and AT-ATs, but much as these heroic images stir the imagination, they don't win wars on their own. We fixate on them for their narrative legibility, as you rightly imply.
I have read Tooze's books and most of his commentaries. He is not a jingoistic minion of imperialism. The critics below expect ideological and political obeisance in even the most sharply focused discussions. Their point of view has a long and tragic history that serves as the best rejoinder that can be made to them.
I was prompted by the greater number of likes for the critical comments on Tooze's post compared to the positive ones. Moreover, my experiences with social media suggest that--slogans from both left and right get more likes than thoughtful ones.
The number of likes for critical comments may reflect the general feelings of the readership on the post, even if the critical comments themselves do not contain any substance.
Perhaps many readers dislike the post but are unable to articulate their reasons for disliking the post.
Normal versus evil, whilst Yemen and other USA-led, or USA-involved, atrocities, leading to more innocent deaths than the Russian invasion, are ongoing? Adam Tooze, you definitely make the actions of US imperialism sound sexy and valiant, and you are more than earning your pay (I bet it all arises from your 'objective' free-will, which, being a true believer, has nothing to do with your pro-Western imperialism material interests). It is the type of historical mythmaking that will surely lead us to WWIII.
There is no chivalry in war. Hence Butcha, and all the other atrocities committed by Russia and Russian troops since the collapse of the USSR.
Whether we will prefer the future drone wars China is going to wage in the name of whatever ideology to the previous atrocities committed in the name of freedom by the US remains to be seen. Considering what they've been doing to their own people in these recent years I highly doubt it.
But I also know about it because a colleague at work told me about it more than a week before the Russians withdrew. He has relatives in the area who told him about some of those atrocities over the phone as first hand witnesses.
You are of course free to believe the Russian bullshit spin on this ...
It is not some secret that tanks in modern warfare are no match for weapons on a shoulder. It hardly warrants a discussion. But more so, it's the scheming of nations that spin a conflict as coming to the aid of a people that didn't prepare for war. So as usual, the costs are upon the backs of the workers. And the responsibility is to shoulder more burden
I don't know what sources you have for this successful defence, but the ones I'm reading give a convincing account of Ukraine getting slowly and steadily crushed, with the javelins a proven relic. Perhaps equilibrium will be achieved with adequate artillery, if it gets to the frontlines.
The other side's goal is to make sure, that the particular bit of equipment works at most once*; the personal communication equipment is jammed or interfered with by forced channel shuffling*, the man firing/just carrying another important bit of equipment is singled out from the crowd of dispersed combatants by a network of diverse, possibly autonomous UAV-s, the network capable of both visual and radio-frequency surveillance.
Above all that there are powerful game theory based algorithms predicting further moves of all the combatants individually, in groups, tactical and operational units, as well as moves of the big charts in the enemy' staff room... Moves of your pen, sir, are not excluded from this higher level game, and it transpires, I am afraid.
The fight is for who can print money and how much. Is this a worthy goal?
Finally, the underlying, unspoken thesis is, that "Until you killed an elk, you are not a man" and I won't develop it further, or, rather, I will bring it to an abrupt conclusion:
Is the civilisation, which in the hour of peril for humanity has only this to offer worth survival?
Satire, yes? 🙏🏼
Fascinating, enlightening, and instructive. Thank you.
I am ashamed that I receive US propaganda as blatant as this crap. Tooze embellishes all the lies being served up by the Western media while, in fact, the Ukrainian right wing government is being defeated on the field and its own commanders have disputed the efficacy of the weapons that excite this useless academic.
A "right wing" government led by a Jew fighting against an invader whose leader likes to get consulted by people with literal SS tattoos very visibly displayed on their neck and who finances almost every actual Nazi organisation in Europe. Talking about propaganda ...
The US needs to use ALL its efforts to end the fighting.
I'm pretty sure that the US will stick by its promise not to send any NATO troops.
I can't share your optimism. I began my adult political awareness with the Gulf of Tonkin, Pentagon Papers, secret bombing of Cambodia, onto Iran Contra, Niger plutonium, Iraq's complicity in 9/11, humanity crises first in Kosovo then in Benghazi. Those are just the lying, deceitful high points.
Well, we will see. I'm pretty sure though that it won't happen. Special forces doing some clandestine operations: likely. Military advisors teaching them in the field how to best use the equipment they got: also likely.
Actual troops on the ground: I don't think so. And I think that's the right decision btw.
However: I wouldn't oppose it if NATO was to protect civilian shipping when taking cargo in Odessa in an attempt to alleviate the food crisis which is unfolding right now in some African countries and the middle east.
During Talvisota (the 1939 Winter War between Russia and Finland) a similar motif appeared. The standard anti-tank tool was a Finnish invention from the normal items that lay about. Rags, gas, bottle: the Molotov Cocktail. Their gift it was for the nominal Soviet regional manager of Finland.
This tool, though an iconic people's tool, as it were, required the individual to get extremely personal with the tank - close up to the air intake of the massive soviet engines. It was an errand for the brave and desperate.
The historical development of antitank sapping operations is one of Davids and Goliaths, Speed Cruisers and AT-ATs, but much as these heroic images stir the imagination, they don't win wars on their own. We fixate on them for their narrative legibility, as you rightly imply.
I have read Tooze's books and most of his commentaries. He is not a jingoistic minion of imperialism. The critics below expect ideological and political obeisance in even the most sharply focused discussions. Their point of view has a long and tragic history that serves as the best rejoinder that can be made to them.
I would guess that the number of likes that a post gets has a 3 sigma negative correlation to its substance.
Are you disappointed that your post didn’t get many likes?
I was prompted by the greater number of likes for the critical comments on Tooze's post compared to the positive ones. Moreover, my experiences with social media suggest that--slogans from both left and right get more likes than thoughtful ones.
The number of likes for critical comments may reflect the general feelings of the readership on the post, even if the critical comments themselves do not contain any substance.
Perhaps many readers dislike the post but are unable to articulate their reasons for disliking the post.
Yes, and Substack is a different world compared to twitter and facebook, which is what my comment is based on. Nolo contendere.
Normal versus evil, whilst Yemen and other USA-led, or USA-involved, atrocities, leading to more innocent deaths than the Russian invasion, are ongoing? Adam Tooze, you definitely make the actions of US imperialism sound sexy and valiant, and you are more than earning your pay (I bet it all arises from your 'objective' free-will, which, being a true believer, has nothing to do with your pro-Western imperialism material interests). It is the type of historical mythmaking that will surely lead us to WWIII.
Ukraine and NATO are losing this war, disastrously. Amazing that anyone should think otherwise.
If this retired Lieutenant Commander of the U.S. Navy can see this, why can't others?
"American technology allows to fire on the enemy from a distance"
...mmm makes me think of B52s safely unloading on Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam more bombs than the whole of WW2. All hail the Yankee ingenuity.
There is no chivalry in war. Hence Butcha, and all the other atrocities committed by Russia and Russian troops since the collapse of the USSR.
Whether we will prefer the future drone wars China is going to wage in the name of whatever ideology to the previous atrocities committed in the name of freedom by the US remains to be seen. Considering what they've been doing to their own people in these recent years I highly doubt it.
Bucha was committed by Russia?
Yes, and there is conclusive evidence for this.
But I also know about it because a colleague at work told me about it more than a week before the Russians withdrew. He has relatives in the area who told him about some of those atrocities over the phone as first hand witnesses.
You are of course free to believe the Russian bullshit spin on this ...
John Wayne cuts them off at the pass? I didn’t think you were into mythology Adam. Disappointingly shallow.
It is not some secret that tanks in modern warfare are no match for weapons on a shoulder. It hardly warrants a discussion. But more so, it's the scheming of nations that spin a conflict as coming to the aid of a people that didn't prepare for war. So as usual, the costs are upon the backs of the workers. And the responsibility is to shoulder more burden
Enlightening. Indeed, the average among us seeks gadgets as a means of self sufficiency, hadn't realized the cultural dimension of this.
I don't know what sources you have for this successful defence, but the ones I'm reading give a convincing account of Ukraine getting slowly and steadily crushed, with the javelins a proven relic. Perhaps equilibrium will be achieved with adequate artillery, if it gets to the frontlines.
The other side's goal is to make sure, that the particular bit of equipment works at most once*; the personal communication equipment is jammed or interfered with by forced channel shuffling*, the man firing/just carrying another important bit of equipment is singled out from the crowd of dispersed combatants by a network of diverse, possibly autonomous UAV-s, the network capable of both visual and radio-frequency surveillance.
Above all that there are powerful game theory based algorithms predicting further moves of all the combatants individually, in groups, tactical and operational units, as well as moves of the big charts in the enemy' staff room... Moves of your pen, sir, are not excluded from this higher level game, and it transpires, I am afraid.
The fight is for who can print money and how much. Is this a worthy goal?
Finally, the underlying, unspoken thesis is, that "Until you killed an elk, you are not a man" and I won't develop it further, or, rather, I will bring it to an abrupt conclusion:
Is the civilisation, which in the hour of peril for humanity has only this to offer worth survival?
So the iPhone is just a logical conclusion of the right to bear arms.
The ideology of gizmos? 🤣
I've no idea what he's talking about, but am sure it must be brilliant.