Two interesting articles

[ironphoenix]

Ganked from ancalagon_tb: A pretty good analysis of the geopolitical implications of the war in Georgia.

Ganked from siderea: A very good article about the psychology of learning and remembering things.

kali_kali, I'm looking at you here!

Comments

[itlandm.livejournal.com]

Thank you for bringing up the article about memory. While the life of Mr Wozniak does not seem enviable to me, I take a special interest in readin about people who try to surpass the limits of their humanity. And besides, the SuperMemo web site is a treasure trove of easy-to-read facts. It does not seem to be all advertising either, as it meshes well with my earlier notes on learning and memory.

[ironphoenix.livejournal.com]

I hadn't looked at the SuperMemo site itself; it is indeed interesting. I wonder if I could adapt it for remembering music and where to find it in my collection; this is a very useful skill when DJ'ing!

[kali-kali.livejournal.com]

Haven't had the time to read the second one yet, but regarding the first one:

The United States had assumed that the Russians would not risk the consequences of an invasion.

I don't think that's true. While the American government is oftentimes clueless when it comes to Middle Eastern matters, it is full of people who are very educated in the Cold War issues, and any modern issues stemming from that (in particular, Condoleezza Rice, who is about the only current US politician I have any respect for). They knew. They chose to ignore it, because they have too many other things on the go right now.

U.S. Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton had promised the Russians that NATO would not expand into the former Soviet Union empire.

Problem is, that wasn't their thing to promise. What many people - including the writer of this article - ignore is that many of the former Soviet republics, the Baltic countries in particular, want to be as far away from Russia as humanly possible. Joining NATO wasn't the US or whoever else wooing these countries to join NATO as a buffer against Russia, it was them asking, early and often, if they could join. They'd been partner countries to NATO pretty much since independence in 1991.

The Russians had tolerated all that, but the discussion of including Ukraine in NATO represented a fundamental threat to Russia’s national security. It would have rendered Russia indefensible and threatened to destabilize the Russian Federation itself.

This is proof here that Russia is still living in the Cold War, and viewing the West, and anyone affiliated with the West, as enemies. They're manufacturing a threat when frankly, the West has other things to worry about right now.

If Kosovo could be declared independent under Western sponsorship, then South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two breakaway regions of Georgia, could be declared independent under Russian sponsorship. Any objections from the United States and Europe would simply confirm their hypocrisy.

This is one point that I would agree with Russia on, except for one fundamental thing: South Ossetia and Abkhazia aren't looking for independence, they are looking to be, essentially, annexed by Russia. This makes all the difference. While I don't imagine that Georgia would be a fan of outright independence for South Ossetia or Abkhazia either, independence for them would be much more palatable for Georgians than it would be to have those territories handed over to the Russians.

But far more importantly, by doing this Putin revealed an open secret: While the United States is tied down in the Middle East, American guarantees have no value. This lesson is not for American consumption. It is something that, from the Russian point of view, the Ukrainians, the Balts and the Central Asians need to digest.

And this is the part that terrifies the hell out of me.

[ironphoenix.livejournal.com]

They chose to ignore it, because they have too many other things on the go right now.

Yes, and because it isn't part of their agenda, which is very short-sighted.

many of the former Soviet republics, the Baltic countries in particular, want to be as far away from Russia as humanly possible.

Agreed entirely, from everything I've read and also what I saw in Estonia in '96.

Russia is still living in the Cold War, and viewing the West, and anyone affiliated with the West, as enemies.

I think this is a Vlad Putin thing; Gorbachev and Yeltsin were non-Cold War guys, as best I can tell. He's not the first to use an external threat, manufactured or otherwise, to reinforce his internal power. The combination of that with imperialist-looking ambitions is worrisome, certainly.

South Ossetia and Abkhazia aren't looking for independence, they are looking to be, essentially, annexed by Russia.

I think the argument the Russians would make is that they have a "right of self-determination". I agree that there is a real difference in law and geopolitics, but that's how the spin doctors would/will likely play it.

And this is the part that terrifies the hell out of me.

Yeah. The bear is never hungrier than when it awakens from its hibernation... being close to it is a bad thing.

[ancalagon-tb.livejournal.com]

there has been some speculation of kicking out russia out of the G8...

[ironphoenix.livejournal.com]

Indeed, and not for the first time. It all hinges on what the purpose of the G8 really is.