Comments on: Sublime News #2

By: AK

AK — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:50:31 +0000

In that case there will be a clash with Russia, but since both Turkey and Russia are both (re)-rising powers I view that as pretty much inevitable. The Russian and Ottoman Empires were in an almost uninterrupted struggle with each other.

By: Randy McDonald

Randy McDonald — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:04:21 +0000

The idea of Turkey developing an interest in Abkhazian independence is provocative, although for the time being the certainty of the continued existence of a strongly pro-Turkish Georgia and the relative improbability of normalized Turkish-Armenian relations seem to outweigh the possibility of the emergence of Turkish recognition of an independent Abkhazia that might be open to Turkish as well as Russian influence.

If, however, the descendants of Caucasian refugees in Turkey end up forming a powerful self-actualized lobby, there could well be spinoffs beyond Abkhazia. What would happen if Turkey developed more of an interest in the North Caucasus (and no, I’m not talking about irredentism)?

By: napoleonkaramazov

napoleonkaramazov — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:23:19 +0000

Just to mention, Karl Naylor’s blog is still there, not the Eastern Europe watch, but the Krakow heritage blog, which he must have renamed. http://krakowconservationwatch.blogspot.com/

By: Ronald Marks

Ronald Marks — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:55:02 +0000

This is my first visit to the site. I am in admiration of the tone and substance of the effort. It is easy to be impressed by viewpoints one agrees with, but this site is erudite while unaffected, and represents a significant contribution to public debate.

By: Gregor

Gregor — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:26:00 +0000

@Anatoly
I don’t disagree about your analysis of the short term political impacts. Even when Britain was spoiling for a confrontation over Litvinenko, the most they could do was expel a few diplomats.

However, if it turns out to have been Mossad, then I think it was a gross miscalculation on their part. Firstly, as you say, assassination probably doesn’t even work very well. It seems every other week we hear that no. 2/3/4/ in Al Quaeda/ Taliban has been killed/captured/wounded.

Secondly, it would be based on the impression that Brits are the least patriotic people on the planet. Our flag is generally the reserve of nutters, we’ve been pursuing a ridiculous ‘war on terror’ that can’t possibly be to our interest and our papers are full of reports on what an abysmal country we live in, so that might seem an easy guess.

However, I do think that there is a British patriotism that is understated, and I think the Brits are losing patience with the ‘War on Terror’ and the trans-Atlantic alliance. The meltdown of the Brit print media is I think a sign of this as is (in a far more complex way) David Cameron’s opinion poll meltdown*.

I think that this really could nudge public opinion that extra yard away from the neo-conservative/ neo-liberal policies of our government.

Incidentally, you describe Karl Naylor as having Russophile tendencies. I’m not certain that is actually the case (though maybe it is) but I think it is more that his blog demonstrates the anger that Brits feel at neo-liberal imperialism carried out in their name.

*Yes, I know, new labour led the War on Terror, but they were supported by the Tories. If New Labour wins the next election or there is a hung parliament I think we’ll see the end of the FPTP system that led to the WOT.

By: napoleonkaramazov

napoleonkaramazov — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 04:42:24 +0000

Oh god I can’t stand Nigel Farage. He is a disgrace to the any rational British person, yet sums up what many people here actually believe. Anti EU discourse here is so unintellectual.

8. What has happened to Karl Naylor.He had two blogs, first his eastern European watch. He took that down in January. The second was about protecting Krakow’s architecture from developers. That one was up until a week or so ago.

Other than that, everything is interesting to read