Re: <nettime> Stealing the spotlight

[Tomasz Rola via nettime-l <nettime-l@lists.nettime.org>]

On Wed, Mar 05, 2025 at 08:44:18AM +0100, Felix Stalder via nettime-l wrote:
> On 3/4/25 20:52, Brian Holmes wrote:
> 
(...)
> In a recent interview he argued (in a Chinese publication!)
> 
> > GT: Could you share your predictions for the future of China-US
> > relations?
> > 
> > Mearsheimer: We already have an intense security competition. It has
> > been somewhat dampened by the fact that the US is pinned down in Ukraine
> > and pinned down in the Middle East. If the US was not pinned down in
> > Ukraine and in the Middle East, the security competition in East Asia
> > would be more intense.
> 
> https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202410/1322018.shtml

And there, I read:

  Mearsheimer: I'm concerned about three big issues. One is I'm
  concerned about the China-US relationship. I have long argued that
  relationship would   be intensely competitive. I'm concerned that
  competition might turn into   a war, and I don't want that to
  happen. 

  I'm also deeply concerned about the war in Ukraine and the
  possibility of escalation where the US, and NATO more generally,
  come into the conflict. Conflict between Russia on one side and
  Ukraine and the West on the other side will go on for decades… The
  US has done a terrible job handling the situation in Ukraine. The US
  is principally responsible for causing the war in Ukraine.

No, just no. The whole concept of "throwing Ukraine under Russian bus"
and "US/EU/somebody-else-but-not-peaceful-Russia causing the war" is
wrong, in my opinion. How about, perhaps, Ukrainians did not want to
be part of Russia? How about, perhaps, that it is not equally good
choice to some people, whether they be "in" or "out" of Russia?  And
BTW, who is driving the "Russian bus"? Does he have any control of it?
If he drives over someone, is he the one responsible for this or not?

Ukrainians made their choices. They were "in" Russia for some time and
they opted out. They were deluded, maybe, about the level of support
they can expect from democratic West, or motivation of the West for
giving such support. But they were and are successful on their own -
with the help, of course, but also by their own initiative and
sacrifice.

I think they are much better fit mentally to face the future, as
compared to "the West". Even with the inevitable corruption and errors
made by them, the sum total is bigger than zero. So I would not be so
quick to treat them as gullible children, who were pushed into war
throu manipulation by greedy West (while, BTW, some circles in the
West are indeed greedy and manipulative).

Now, about this Russian superpower. You guys must be f-ng kidding me?
It is three years into the war and what did they conquer from a weaker
opponent?

-- 
Regards,
Tomasz Rola

--
** A C programmer asked whether computer had Buddha's nature.      **
** As the answer, master did "rm -rif" on the programmer's home    **
** directory. And then the C programmer became enlightened...      **
**                                                                 **
** Tomasz Rola          mailto:tomasz_rola@bigfoot.com             **
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