Nuclear war off the board

As I wrote last time, Vladimir Putin is not playing chess with the Americans – but Wei Chi, what the Japanese call Go.

The Americans make one move at a time, trying to take Russian pieces off the board, as in chess or maybe checkers.

In Wei Chi, stones are not taken off the board – they must be “captured” by being surrounded so they cannot move. That takes a lot of strategic thinking. You win when your opponent can no longer move —since you have deprived him of options by occupying the squares around him. The goal is to render him powerless.

Recently, NATO, specifically the Brits. enabled Ukraine's incursion into Kursk.

To carry out this attack, the Ukrainians had to deplete their forces in Donetsk. As a result now the key logistics hubs of Provosk, Chasov Yar, and Ugledar are surrounded.

When they fall, the UAF will find it difficult to supply its forces, much less move or maneuver in occupied Donetsk, Kharkov, and Kherson— just as a Wei Chi player finds himself with limited or no freedom or movement when his opponent has him hemmed in on at least three sides. Look again at the photo above.

The West predictably responded by attacking what they thought were key pieces on the Russian “board” – threatening to supply Ukraine with weapons, operators and targeting, for long range strikes into Russia.

On the Wei Chi board, however, there are no “key pieces” — mno pawns or rooks or bishops or queens or whatever .

it's all about strategy. And position.

Putin made clear that an attack on Russia would be an Act of War, with the West becoming a co-belligerent. Russia would therefore be free to strike back, as it saw fit— under international law. Article 5 of the NATO agreement be invoked but…..

In practice, it is possible for the U.S. and other Western countries to stay out of a conflict that involves a NATO country without having to break their alliance commitments. The NATO treaty’s language contains loopholes that let member countries remain out of other members’ wars in certain situations

Western politicians are venal opportunists. They are not going to put themselves in danger. That's why you have stupid proxies like the Ukrainians!

The US backed down against British opposition--and perhaps even against Jake Sullivan-- and other neocons— who who still believe in American power when in fact it is the Russians and Chinese who have the world's most powerful militaries. America is still a tiger, but it’s teeth are rotting.

Once again, the Americans had found themselves boxed in--not completely —but partially. So they said “We are not going to supply Ukraine with long-range weapons for strikes into Russia— not for the time being anyway— because we want to avoid nuclear war!”

This resulted in the Mainstream Media talking endlessly, yahdeyahdeyahde about nuclear war— and how we just avoided one— for the time being! Us, peace-loving Americans.

The Alt Media took up the refrain to the song.

A good example is Scott Ritter's recent interview with George Galloway in which they both go on at length about the World War III being a near miss -- raising the specter of Russia using its superior hypersonic delivery systems to gentrify London , for example.

Ritter talks as if he actually knows what the Kremlin said to the CIA and Pentagon by "back channels" -- that the Russian threatened to use the Avangard system, which can deliver (Ritter says) a conventional strike, equivalent to a tactical nuke. The warhead is about 2000 kg. Kinetic energy adds the equivalent of 21 tons of TNT to that.

Ritter is just speculating. Back channel discussion between governments is back channel for a reason—and I don't think they invited Ritter to listen in. The White House has unfriended him.

Nobody knows what the Kremlin said to the White House.

Of course Ritter is also the WMD guy!

But his speculations tend to reflect the American military mindset – direct attack on your opponents pieces.

I doubt somehow the Russians were waving the big, nasty, nail studded club of nuclear war. It would be redundant insofar as they have said on numerous occasions their official doctrine is to use small yield tactical nukes in battlefield situations, where necessary.

It certainly isn't necessary in this case.

If the Russians wanted to, they could wipe out forward NATO bases, mostly in Eastern Europe. involved in strikes on Russia without using nukes using hypersonic Zircon, or Kinzhal missiles, at the same time taking out satellite systems and AWACS aircraft. The S500 AD system allows this capability,but only low orbit satellites, so this year, the Russians launched what Pentagon calls “space weapons”. Why contaminate potential real estate with radiation when you don’t have to?

More likely, however, as I have mentioned elsewhere, however, the Russians would just supply Iran, the Houthis, the Axis Of Resistance, and Hezbollah with advanced weapons and the assistance of Russian operators and targeting systems— putting the American fleet and bases at risk.

In an election year like this and the likelihood of a ME war, this would be devastating.

At least. For the Democrats. It's their war.

Trump could point at Harris and say, "See I told you so".

As it is, the Donald, is the only one talking about peace with Russia .

Not that he has any acceptable solutions.

Best thing for him is to get elected and for Ukraine to capitulate to the Russians and for him to wring his hands and say,”It's all Joe's fault”. Then go for a round of golf.

So the present White House wasn't afraid of nuclear war-- but rather public backlash from a humiliating defeat in a conventional war.

Nuclear war is is not going to happen — for the simple reason that America's political class-- and that "invisible bureaucracy" behind it that I talked about in the previous article are in business for their own advancement. You might have a bunker but what can you in a radioactive wasteland?

These people don't care about ideology for the country or honor or patriotic duty or service or anything noble like that-- just personal advancement and buying a new vacation home and getting another cushy job .

There is no American Bushido. Sadly, you won't see Tony or Jake cutting open their bellies anytime soon.

So once again Putin boxed in the Americans. Simply by not playing their game.

The fact is that the Russians don't need to use nuclear weapons to win. They have already won.

And harakiri? (seppuku) Make it a requirement for public servants when they fuck up and other people die.

Special Article. Part 3

The Crisis of American Democracy?

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