What we don't understand about Russia because we don't know their history is the satellite states or as I was taught buffer zone was Russia a thousand years ago.

And what about those who trace their roots there back to earlier than 862? How should they view this Scandinavia "invasion"?

Im pretty sure they would view that the same way the Natives viewed Europeans coming to North and Central and South America. Not very well.

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Old James

What we don't understand about Russia because we don't know their history is the satellite states or as I was taught buffer zone was Russia a thousand years ago.

And what about those who trace their roots there back to earlier than 862? How should they view this Scandinavia "invasion"?

Invasion:) If it were, it would have been more archaeological findings.

The Rurikid dynasty was founded in 862 by Rurik, a Varangian prince. Folk history tells of the Finnic and Slavic tribes in the area calling on "'the Varangians [i.e. Scandinavians], to the Rus' … The Chud, the Slovenes, the Krivichi and the Ves said "Our land is vast and abundant, but there is no order in it. Come and reign as princes and have authority over us!"' Three brothers came with 'their kin' and 'all the Rus' in response to this invitation. Rurik set up rule in Novgorod, giving more provincial towns to his brothers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rurik_dynasty
The Russian Primary Chronicle is a chronicle, according to tradition, was written by the monk Nestor at the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_Chronicle
Most of it is not historically proven and Ruriks history is largely a mystery.
Needless to say, Russia has other ideas.
https://translate.google.se/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fru.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2F%25D0%25A0%25D1%258E%25D1%2580%25D0%25B8%25D0%25BA&edit-text=

& all these history lessons are grounds for the current conflict?

& all these history lessons are grounds for the current conflict?

Not this one:)
But Russia are now claiming "historical justice" in a weird way where Russia are cherry picking from all sort of historical periods.
Both from the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union.

The Geopolitical Future of Russia is a geopolitical book by Alexander Dugin.
It's used as a textbook in the General Staff Academy of Russian military
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundations_of_Geopolitics
He call it Finlandization.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlandization

Putin Gives Egypt's Fattah al-Sisi 'Glorious' Kalashnikov AK-47
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/putin-gives-egypt-s-fattah-al-sisi-glorious-kalashnikov-ak-47/515685.html
"President Putin presented President Sisi with a glorious gift — a Kalashnikov. Undoubtedly very symbolic," Swedish former Prime Minister Carl Bildt wrote on his Twitter page, and included a photo of the exchange.

Finlandization has started!
Baltic countries may become Putin's next target.
https://translate.google.se/translate?sl=sv&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dn.se%2Fnyheter%2Fvarlden%2Fvarningen-baltiska-landerna-kan-bli-putins-nasta-mal%2F&edit-text=
The hybrid warfare has already started with the Russian propaganda running in the Baltics.
Russia are now in the second phase in the Baltics and the sixth phase in Ukraine.

The Latvian defense scientist Janis Berzins writes in a report last year the main points of the new type of warfare as formulated by the Russian defense theorists SG Chekinov and S.A. Bogdanov.
Here are the hybridwar different phases in shorthand.

• First phase. Non-military warfare where propaganda in the media is used together with diplomatic and economic measures to establish its own picture of the conflict.

• Second phase. Media and other channels are used for disinformation aimed at political and military decision-makers.

• Third phase. Bribery and pressure to get politicians and officers to resign and leave their services.

• Fourth phase. Propaganda aimed at increasing discontent among the population, combined with the Russian militia pops up.

• Fifth phase. Masked special operations forces (like the "little green men" in the Crimea) acts in close cooperation with the armed opposition.

• The sixth phase. The start of the military operation.

• The seventh phase. Warplanes and high precision weapons is deployed.

• Eighth phase. Special Forces is deployed against the remaining resistance.

EDIT
Egyptian military band massacres Russian national anthem during Putin's official state visit to Egypt.
And Putin does not look pleased :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hpc5FnN7vI&feature=youtu.be

The Bulgarians don't seem to be that friendly with the Russians these days...

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rOZZ
Music
Pictures

Russian nuclear missile forces start a massive exercise. Rostov deployment was also called exercise.
https://translate.google.se/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fria.ru%2Fdefense_safety%2F20150212%2F1047265880.html&edit-text=

Incorrect. Exercises are mostly training, practice makes perfect.

As expected from a civilian.

Тhe timing of the exercise seems ominous and why want Russia bring in the highest level of combat readiness.
They probably want NATO to stay out of the Russia's desire to expand their territory.
But why train more than 30 missile regiments?

Probably because they see NATO & Europe as it was 80 years ago, making it "possible" to reclaim the USSR & maybe some parts, if not all of Europe.

They see Europe & the US blustering, just as then. Scary thought isn't it.

Probably because they see NATO & Europe as it was 80 years ago, making it "possible" to reclaim the USSR & maybe some parts, if not all of Europe.

They see Europe & the US blustering, just as then. Scary thought isn't it.

Indeed.
Here is the list of Russias New Europe.

* Germany should be offered the de facto political dominance over most Protestant and Catholic states located within Central and Eastern Europe.

* Kaliningrad oblast could be given back to Germany. The book uses the term a "Moscow-Berlin axis".

* France should be encouraged to form a "Franco-German bloc" with Germany. Both countries have a "firm anti-Atlanticist tradition".

* United Kingdom should be cut off from Europe.

* Finland should be absorbed into Russia. Southern Finland will be combined with the Republic of Karelia and northern Finland will be "donated to Murmansk Oblast".

* Estonia should be given to Germany's sphere of influence.

* Latvia and Lithuania should be given a "special status" in the Eurasian-Russian sphere.

* Poland should be granted a "special status" in the Eurasian sphere.

* Romania, Macedonia, "Serbian Bosnia" and Greece – "orthodox collectivist East" – will unite with the "Moscow the Third Rome" and reject the "rational-individualistic West".

* Ukraine should be annexed by Russia because "Ukraine as an independent state with certain territorial ambitions represents an enormous danger for all of Eurasia and, without resolving the Ukrainian problem, it is in general senseless to speak about continental politics". Ukraine should not be allowed to remain independent, unless it is cordon sanitaire, which would be inadmissible.

Not much different then than what the Third Reich purposed.

* United Kingdom should be cut off from Europe.

Has he not looked at a map recently?

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Life on earth is the global equivalent of not storing things in the fridge.

Alexander Dugin have coined the expression "Moscow the Third Rome":)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Rome#Russian_claims
Moscow is placed on seven hills, as were Rome and Constantinople.
It's really too much:)

2014 was the centenary of the start of WWI
2018 will be the centenary of the end of WWI

As can be seen, not much is really been made of that.

2039 will be the centenary of the start of WWII
2045 will be the centenary of the end of WWII

The same will apply to those anniversaries...

...so will we see the start of WWIII in 2050?

Or sooner?

Ok folks you heard it here from Clyde. We are all doomed, no hope for anyone, no point bothering any more, lets all give up, we will all go to our graves being as miserable as he is about mankind's future.

Moral - Don't serve in the military, become a policeman, and a Uni lecturer, or it could happen to you.

Much better to become a civil servant so that if/when it does blow, you could dive into your protected bunker & sod the rest of the world :-)

Russia to Take Part in Venezuelan Military Exercises - Defense Minister
http://sputniknews.com/military/20150211/1018127498.html#ixzz3RXZnkCAm
After Venezuela, the Russian defense minister is set to visit Cuba and Nicaragua, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The current Russian pace of aggression is fueled by a time constraint, that being the next US Presidential Election. The uncertainty of American action to that aggression if a Conservative Administration comes to power makes it imperative(in Vladimir's mind anyway) to make as many gains as possible during the next two years.

Putin became aware of this opportunity to increase Russian influence shortly after the 2006 election in the US when Barrack Hussein Obama became 'leader of the free world' (not my terminology). This awareness was inspired by Obama's “Apology Tour”, where he espoused regret for the idea of American Exceptionalism, and all but groveled before the King of Saudi Arabia.

Putin felt that there would be little or no reaction from so weak an American Administration, an estimate that proved to be correct. The opportunity to test his theory came during the Arab Spring in Syria. By supporting Bashar Assad's war on his own people(including gas), he watched the American reaction carefully. The 'Red Line' was drawn by the President then ignored when it was violated.

That failure to act on his own words convinced Putin that he was dealing with a moral and physical coward, another accurate estimate. The weak, half-hearted 'sanctions' that were imposed after the Crimea invasion only emboldened Putin to further pushes into Ukraine.

As to 'American Exceptionalism' it is not a conceited concept or a derogatory statement to the rest of the World it is a statement of fact. 'American Exceptionalism' refers to the way the US has conquered it's own shortcomings (mostly) by being a melding of the many cultures who immigrated here during the first 175 years after it's founding. This integration of many into one (not always without struggle) gave the US the financial, industrial, medical, and yes military ability to come to the aid of the world when needed.

Unfortunately in the last 40 years a climate has existed here which encourages cultural separation under the label 'diversity'. The same has occurred in Europe, Britain and Scandinavia with the results now coming home in the form of Radical Islam. This has resulted in a path of de-homoginization in American culture. Adversarial conduct has replaced civilized debate and now the citizens have been divided again by a leader who continually pits one against the other for political gain.

Yeah, Putin has our number, for the next 23 months anyway.

Dg..(((

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"Sour Grapes make a bitter Whine." <(0)>