Spooks, Mercs or Merchants over Iceland?

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , , , was written by for on September 5, 2010 .7 Comments

This is a reprint of a post from Arctic Progress. Back when Iceland tipped over into financial collapse during 2008 and the UK seized Icelandic banks’ assets using anti-terrorist laws as fig cover, Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar stated that Russia could make use of the Keflavik air base in return for a $5bn loan to the insolvent […]

Revolution in Naval Warfare

This about Futurism, tagged , , , was written by for on May 9, 2010 .17 Comments

A few days ago, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates fired a warning shot across the bow of the US Navy, questioning its “need” to maintain 11 carrier strike groups. He justified this on the basis of 1) “the massive over-match the U.S. already enjoys”, 2) “the growing anti-ship capabilities of adversaries”, and 3) the huge costs […]

How a Second Korean War will be Fought

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , , was written by for on March 28, 2010 .45 Comments

The recent sinking of a South Korean (ROK) corvette, with the probable deaths of several dozen sailors, brings to focus the fraught situation on the Korean peninsula. Now the cause of this incident – North Korean (DPRK) torpedo or tragic accident – is not yet clear. Moreover, the two sides have a long history of border clashes […]

On Future War

This about Futurism, tagged , , , was written by for on February 18, 2010 .18 Comments

This post is about the future of military technology and war strategy in a world of informatization, resource scarcity, and renewed ideological turbulence. Be forewarned: while some of what I write here corresponds to the conventional wisdom, some is well off the beaten tracks, and some will sound like it’s straight out of a sci-fi […]

Thinking about Nuclear War

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , , , was written by for on November 5, 2009 .No Comments

I have always been fascinated by nuclear war. Mountain bunkers, missile gaps, MAD, – what is there not to like? So this post will be devoted to the doomsday weapons which continue tantalizing us with visions of post-nuclear nirvana. Because yes, despite the post-Cold War reduction in the Russian and US arsenals (consisting mostly of warheads […]

The US Strategic Dilemma and Persian Deadlock

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , was written by for on October 4, 2009 .9 Comments

This is the second article of a three-part series about the Iranian Question – that is, the question of how the world is going to deal with the Islamic regime’s pursuit of a nuclear bomb, which is likely to be one of the defining processes of global geopolitics in the next five years. The first […]

Book Review: Steven Rosefielde – The Prodigal Superpower

This about Economy, tagged , , was written by for on July 6, 2009 .11 Comments

Rosefielde, Steven – Russia in the 21st Century: The Prodigal Superpower (2004) Category: political economy, Russia, transition, military; Rating: 4/5 Summary: Google books; Introduction This is a book about Russia’s past, and its alleged return to the future. Rosefielde outlines his theory that the Soviet Union was a “prodigal superpower”, exchanging Spartan living standards for […]

Victory Day Special: The Poisonous Myths of the Eastern Front

This about History, tagged , , , , , , , , was written by for on May 9, 2009 .52 Comments

За нас за вас и за десант и за спецназ! The Red Army was the single greatest contributor to the defeat of Nazi Germany sixty-four years ago, a truly evil empire based on slavery and oppression, and responsible for the genocide of millions of Slav civilians, Jews, Soviet POW’s and Roma by gas, bullets and […]

Book Review: George Friedman – The Next 100 Years

This about Futurism, tagged , , , was written by for , on February 23, 2009 .7 Comments

The Next 100 Years by George Friedman, published in 2010. Rating: 3/5 George Friedman at Stratfor is one of my favorite analysts on world geopolitics. This is because he tries to look at the world as it is, without the pointless moralizing, neoliberal ideologizing and end-of-history triumphalism that clouds too much American geopolitical thinking. Hence whenever I come […]

Hubris in the Heartland

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , , was written by for on February 17, 2009 .No Comments

The Western MSM (mainstream media) was abuzz the last few weeks about how Obama’s apparent extension of a hand to Russia did not make them willing to unclench their fist, citing the closure of the Manas airbase in Kyrgyzstan. This was linked to Russia’s announcement of 150mn $ in aid and 2bn $ of credit […]

Russia to Bail Out Iceland?

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , , was written by for on October 7, 2008 .No Comments

Will Russia acquire Keflavik without the need for an amphibious invasion, as in the Clancy-verse? Potentially, they could neutralize the SOSUS (a long unrealized Soviet ambition) and reinforce their position in the Arctic-Atlantic region for just 5bn $. This is compared to the 700bn $+ the US has spent in Iraq to little discernible effect. […]

Military Lessons of the Ossetian War

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , , was written by for on August 15, 2008 .No Comments

War is the ultimate crucible where ideas, theories, etc, prove their worth based on outcomes. Russia’s brilliant performance in Georgia, documented by uncompromisable UPI military analyst Martin Seiff, demolished the grounds for the pessimism espoused by the likes of Pavel Felgenhauer or Aleksandr Golts regarding Russia’s real military strength. The mini-war between Russia and the […]