Generational Dynamics Forum - New Site

Tactical nukes aren't exactly what most people have in mind when you talk about going nuclear. The damage would be much more limited that what was seen in 1945 and most of the destruction would have been limited to military targets.

Nice article. It is interesting that Russia was going to go nuclear. Puts a dent in the nukes will never ever be used argument.

Fulda Gap.


https://medium.com/war-is-boring/the-lo ... 3229e2ea52

Thanks guys!

Thanks, Okie, that's a great story. And thanks for your service.

Don't be so sure that the worst of Russia's civil wars aren't yet to
come. Ukraine, Georgia, and the entire North Caucasus could explode
versus Russia at any time.

....Barefoot Shiraz uber alles. Everybody has a story... and they sure are interesting - loved the account.

Used to go to the VA hospital on Vets day... the stories were spell binding... WW-II, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War... just ordinary old guys relating how and what they did while they were young, each man believing that they did nothing special... It was so unusual, when thanked, and queried about what they did, to a man each said something to the effect: "... I didn't do anything special, all I did was my job."

To you who served: thank you all; for without strong men like you, those willing to pick up a rifle, and look evil in the eye, and tell evil: "... not while I live...."; without you none of us are free. If there is one thing that John brings to these pages daily it's a firm understanding of just how evil and barbaric the monsters of the world are.

You and you alone held them at bey. To you flawed, and imperfect men; to you who, when called in your time, rose and barred evil's way; to you who served where it was hot; who served where it was cold; who went wherever you were asked; to you who served grudgingly, but served, may God bless you all; for it is you who are the custodians of goodness, it is you who have given the enduring gift of freedom. Again, it is with the greatest reverence I pray: may God bless you all. Permit me to thank you; it's a thanks given by me but from each of your fellow citizens, especially those who might also be, like me, NoOneImportant.

Wow, I just proof-read that. That is some bad spelling. Too much Barefoot Shiraz I guess...

Just because this period is our generational crisis era doesn't mean that it's Russia's generational crisis era. In fact, Russia is likely entering an awakening era. Witness the antics of Pussy Riot.

Studying Russian history it seems to me that Russia's crisis periods have a critical element of civil war. They tend to be primarily internal struggles with lesser important elements of international struggle. The fall of the Soviet Union & WWI/Bolshevik Revolutions seem to follow that pattern.

I agree that the powers that seem to be aligning in our crisis period parallel our last crisis period during WWII. The Soviet Union, India & Iran were our allies then. Iran then as now represents the Shiite Muslim world. India & Russia have been allies for a century at least. No doubt when push comes to shove our interests will align closely with those of Russia & India, and the Persians.

What's less obvious to me is the situation in Europe.

Great article. It hits home for me. I was a US Army Tanker in West Germany in the latter half of the 1980s. I was in Schweinfurt, W. Germany on November 9, 1989. In the late 80s I spent a great deal of time with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (2nd ACR). It's primary mission was to guard about 1/3 of the American sector of the W. German/E. German border and all of the W. German/Czechoslovakian borders. I spent all but 3 or 4 days of July 1989 on the Czech border. In August 1989 Hungary opened its border with Austria and people from the East began to flow into the West. First at a trickle, then en mass. Bu November there were broken down POS Communist-made automobiles littering W. German autobahns. I met two old men who were in there 70s or 80s at a rest stop on a German autobahn who had driven across the old Warsaw Pact from Finland. That was the first time they had been able to make that road trip since they were young men in the 1930s.

It was obvious by July 1989 that the Cold War was just a game that no one was playing very seriously. Warsaw Pact forces were still present, still patrolling, still building tank trails right up to the border and stopping. But attitudes & atmosphere was rapidly changing. It was a party. We and the Communist border troops spied on each other and documented every thing to do with each other. It was our jobs. But they became downright playful. At one point we were watching them watch us and a truck load of them came driving out to the border dressed in their long-johns and waving their rifles, yelling & gesturing. It was a party atmosphere that would have had Khrushchev spinning in his grave had he known.

I submit to you that Gorbachev couldn't have found any troops willing to shoot everyone in Berlin on site had he wanted to.

As with all your writings, analysis, and advice John, I find them to be a real help for me in the "understanding of it all" realm.

As for this article, I really enjoyed reading the "history" of it all and how it all got this way. I guess at almost 62 years old I should know this "historical" shit ...but I guess it's never too late to learn. I mean, I know the "bits and pieces" part of history...just not the and-that's-the-rest-of-the-story-folks parts. I have you to thank for that.

Ironically, one of my sons is in the Air Force and is stationed at Ramstein AFB in Germany. He, along with my wonderful daughter-in-law and beautiful granddaughter (sorry, being the "Grandpa Ice" as I am, I'm biased as to their wonderfulness and beauty) recently visited Berlin and the now killing-fields-defunct "Wall." John, I'm sure you know this already, but I didn't, but the pictures they took of the wall and the park-like-setting it's in looks surrealistic. Colorful Graffiti (but done very tastefully) covers portions of the wall where they were at, and the grass where people were just lying around like in a park was just as green as could be. Families walking around with babies in their strollers. One would never know the horror of it all if one never knew the history of it all.

Thanks for the historical perspective (then and now) of it all John. My warmest regards to you and yours. - Iceman

So, after WW 3, will the West be enemies with Russia again?

And, I'm glad you easily recognized Gorbachev's hypocrisy when discussing world events. Russians are not the good guys. Americans might not be perfect, but America is definitely better than the Russians.