The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

[Bob Gray]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

There is nothing in this statement to disagree with. How frustrating!

Problem is, nobody can get elected being honest about the situation. Both sides are unrealistic about it in different ways.

[Kepler]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Problem is, nobody can get elected being honest about the situation. Both sides are unrealistic about it in different ways.

It's the Mondale lesson. If X is hard and you say "we have to X," the only way you can win is if your opponent doesn't say "no we don't." Your opponent has the same dilemma. The voters don't reward the guy honest enough to deliver the bad news -- in fact, they punish him and hard.

[Bob Gray]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

It's the Mondale lesson. If X is hard and you say "we have to X," the only way you can win is if your opponent doesn't say "no we don't." Your opponent has the same dilemma. The voters don't reward the guy honest enough to deliver the bad news -- in fact, they punish him and hard.

It wasn't that simple with Mondale, but there is a vein of truth in what you say. Hey, I voted for Mondale!

[Kepler]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

It wasn't that simple with Mondale, but there is a vein of truth in what you say. Hey, I voted for Mondale!

And I voted for Bergland.

We've each come a long way.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

It wasn't that simple with Mondale, but there is a vein of truth in what you say. Hey, I voted for Mondale!

So did my mom. In fact, as far as I know, and with two exceptions ('96 and '04), she has voted for a loser in every Presidential election. That includes a vote for John B. Anderson in '80, and a pointless write-in for Pat Buchanan in 2000. I can never quite figure out her ballot box thinking, but I tend to believe that she's kind of a Rockefeller Republican, sans the war hawking.

[Kepler]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Well folks, this could be bad.

According to various news reports, a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kaula Lumpur with 295 passengers has gone down in Ukraine near Ukraine's border with Russia. Malaysian Airlines is confirming that lost contact with the flight.

Reports from Ukraine's Interfax news agency say Ukrainian officials say plane was was shot down with a surface to air missile.

[St. Clown]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

If I ran an airline, I would do everything in my power to route my flights away from contested areas where at least one side is know to have SAM capabilities.

[5mn_Major]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Well folks, this could be bad.

These days, we're not far from knowing exactly what happened. Tough thing here is getting any investigators to the scene. If I were Ukraine, I'd be pushing to bring in the UN for a full investigation.

[Priceless]

Well folks, this could be bad.

My mother just asked me if this means we're going to war. When I was a kid I hid under the couch every time one of the Big Three (we only had three channels. Stop laughing) broke into programming because I was sure the Russians had launched. Any war with Russia may start with conventional weapons but it won't end that way.

[Kepler]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

These days, we're not far from knowing exactly what happened. Tough thing here is getting any investigators to the scene. If I were Ukraine, I'd be pushing to bring in the UN for a full investigation.

A BBC analyst was saying SAMs with the range to hit a plane six miles high leave signature traces and are relatively easy to ID.

[Bob Gray]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

It'll be interesting to see how and who investigates this one. Not a lot of neutral parties out there that both sides would trust. I already saw an article where the rebels claim it wasn't their doing, and I'm sure Kiev is saying the same. It would be great to nail down who did it for sure. Hopefully that will happen.

[Bob Gray]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

A BBC analyst was saying SAMs with the range to hit a plane six miles high leave signature traces and are relatively easy to ID.

That is encouraging.

[Kepler]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

That is encouraging.

More from BBC analysts: the Ukraine would know it was a commercial airliner from the transponder code, and in fact they say they did ID the airline from its squawk. The separatists only have SA-11 or SA-17 with battlefield radar, which can ID an object as aircraft but could not ID it as a commercial airliner.

This is purely circumstantial, but it suggests that the separatists are more likely.

According to BBC: 23 US citizens were on the flight.

[Bob Gray]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

There is a quote I saw from one of the separatist leaders telling people to stay out of their skies. Sounds like it would be real sophisticated equipment to hit a plane at 30,000 feet. One wonders if the trail will lead to the Russian military.

[Kepler]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

There is a quote I saw from one of the separatist leaders telling people to stay out of their skies. Sounds like it would be real sophisticated equipment to hit a plane at 30,000 feet. One wonders if the trail will lead to the Russian military.

Ukraine accuses Russia (not the separatists but Russia itself) of shooting down a Ukrainian fighter jet yesterday.