Geopolitician

Non-moralistic BS analysis of world power trends and strategic balances.

Timeline of the Runup to an Illegal War

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , was written by for on August 27, 2013 .1 Comment

Repost of Alexander Mercouris’ comments at Mark Chapman’s blog and The Russia Debate forum. The original compilation is posted at Mercouris’ blog. PS. Originally, this space hosted just one of Mercouris’ comments. Now that he has taken the trouble to gather up his output, the least I could do is update it and try to ensure […]

Translation: Assad Starts Winning in Syria

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , was written by for on July 31, 2013 .No Comments

As the Syrian Arab Army advances and discontent builds with jihadists, some anti-regime fighters begin thinking of taking advantage of an amnesty and going over to the other side, writes Alexander Romanov. Assad started to win not only on the battlefield, but in the battle for the minds Hundreds of Syrian rebels lay down their […]

Eurasian Integration Is A Liberal Project Opposed By Neocon Bolsheviks

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , , was written by for , on July 10, 2013 .8 Comments

My latest for VoR/US-Russia Experts panel. Hope you like the title. 🙂 The political fragmentation of the Soviet Union was one of the major contributing factors to the “hyper-depression” that afflicted not only Russia but all the other constituent republics in the 1990’s. The Soviet economy had been an integrated whole; an aircraft might have its engines […]

No Use Crying Over Leaked Milk – Let Alone Threatening Sanctions Over It

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , , , was written by for , on July 1, 2013 .11 Comments

My latest for Experts Panel/Voice of Russia: The Panel states, “On future occasions, Russia might well require Washington to cooperate in similar circumstances; and if such is the case, its handling of the Snowden affair could prove decisive as to how Washington chooses to respond.” Well, let’s imagine this scenario. One fine day, an FSB […]

Mark Adomanis: Do As US Officials Say, Or Else!…

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , , , , was written by for on June 25, 2013 .31 Comments

Mark Adomanis thinks Russia should extradite – or at least expel – Edward Snowden because… get this, it’s current stance (i.e. leaving him in at Sheremetyevo Airport, an international territory) constitutes “trolling” of the US. This is, to be quite frank, a rather strange argument. Would the US extradite a Russian Snowden? To even ask the […]

Russia Needs To Develop Its “Hard” Soft Power

This , about Geopolitics, tagged , , was written by for , on May 28, 2013 .6 Comments

My latest for VoR/US-Russia Experts panel: I think we have to make a distinction here between “soft” soft power and “hard” soft power. The US’ “soft” soft power is, of course, overwhelming. By “soft” soft power, I mean its accumulated cultural capital: The popularity of the English language, Hollywood, the Ivy League, Apple and American […]

Translation: Why was Ryan Fogle such a Dunce?

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , was written by for on May 19, 2013 .No Comments

Russian blogger Anton Nossik speculates on why Ryan Fogle’s attempts to recruit Russian intelligence officers seemed to be so amateurish. Why was the American Spy such a Dunce? In Soviet times, there was the following anecdote: An American spends 15 years at spying school getting ready to infiltrate the deep Soviet rear. He studies the […]

Translation: One Day in the Life of the Syrian Opposition

This about Geopolitics, tagged , was written by for on May 15, 2013 .No Comments

Komsomolskaya Pravda’s Alexander Kots writes about the mounting savagery of the Syrian civil war, citing the now infamous video of the Free Syrian Army fighter eating the heart of a government soldier as a case in point. Weekdays of the Syrian Opposition: Cut out the Heart, and Eat It More and more videos from combat zones […]

Translation: Patriarch Kirill in China

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , was written by for on May 15, 2013 .No Comments

As the Russian Patriarch embarks on a five-day visit to China, Kommersant’s Pavel Korobov takes a look at the history, current reality, and future prospects of Orthodoxy in China. The ROC Acquires Chinese Literacy Patriarch Kirill arrived in China on a five-day official visit. The leadership of the PRC has already called the First Hierarch’s visit […]

The Juche Response To British Lawlessness

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , , was written by for , on March 20, 2013 .No Comments

My latest for VoR’s Experts Panel. (Incidentally, good to see that site getting revamped, and entering the Web 2.0 era). London has a reputation as a “safe sanctuary” for shady people of means from the ex-USSR and other less-developed places, and I think it’s loath to lose it – as it would by extraditing the […]

What Happens If The US/Israel Attack Iran?

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , was written by for on February 26, 2013 .6 Comments

It might happen this June or later, reports RT citing Israeli media. Obama and Netanyahu are at least discussing the prospect. In previous years I was sure that it would happen eventually, probably before year end 2012. That is because that was the most convenient window between the fielding of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (early 2012) and […]

A Chess Game To The Death

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , was written by for , on January 29, 2013 .4 Comments

I am back to writing for the US-Russia.org Expert Discussion Panel, which since my hiatus has found an additional home at Voice of Russia. The latest topic was on whether Russia, China, and the West could find a common approach to the challenges of the Arab Spring. My response is pessimistic, as in my view Western […]