Ukraine Crisis - New Cold War 2

Telegraph: Reports " Ukraine 'readies for combat' as Russian troops enter the country

Fears of a full-blown conflict return as Nato confirms Moscow has poured columns of troops and military hardware across the border "

Lets Get Real:

This is typical of Russia, while US tries to push back IS in Syria and Iraq the Russians get close to Iran by doing nuclear deals, and push  more Russian arms in to East Ukraine to support Russian rebels.    It can be argued that Putin sees Obama as weak with his table full of international problems, the Middle East, Ebola in Africa, at home losing the US voter as shown by the election disaster of Mid Terms.  President " KGB" Putin wants to take over East Ukraine, either make it a satellite of Russia or take the area back in to Russia.   The West has to be firm, it has to support the Kiev Government, this blog has argued that the West should place troops in West Ukraine, as a sign that Russia should go no further, the Poles do not want Russia on their border and the Baltic States are already worried about Russian plans.    This is the TIME to be firm with the Russia Bear, time to slap its nose and close its mouth. 

Conservative LEAD Labour - General Election Watch

The UK General Election is in a few months, so expect more polls on the standing of the political parties.

Guardian: Reports " Conservatives have three-point lead over Labour in new poll...Conservatives on 32%, Labour on 29%, the Liberal Democrats on 9% and Ukip on 14%. "

Lets Get Real:

This could be a out there poll, as nearly all the POLLS have Labour ahead by a few points, ALL Labour has to do is get 35% of the vote and they will have a majority over the other Parties combined.  Of course you say, well Labour has to get 35%, and you would have a point, there leader Ed Miliband has never gotten around the fact that he stabbed his own brother in the back for the Labour Leadership, in the view of most voters it can be argued that he has not played the Game.  Lets recall the UK gave the World cricket, its not if you win or lose, but how you played, by stealing the throne from his brother David, Ed gets a big NO from the UK voter. But lets see, IF Labour gets around 35% it can be taken as granted that if they offer a deal to the Liberal Democrats they will take it, you can never trust the LibDems, they would sell you their granny for PR or in support of the EU.    It will not be fair, the Coalition Government has gotten the Country moving, unemployment has fallen, growth is back after the financial crisis of 2008.   It has been a good Government on the whole, and it will be replaced by Ed Balls as Chancellor and Ed Miliband as PM, God help US, they will be a disaster. 

The links between President Johnson and President Reagan - Reagan Years

The New York Times: Reviews Landslide by Jonathan Darman, the article notes the following, " What makes Mr. Darman’s book so compelling is his focus on the roughly 1,000 days between Kennedy’s assassination and the midterm elections in 1966, which not only encapsulated the rise and fall of Johnson but also the emergence of Reagan as a national political figure "

Lets Get Real:

Two Presidents, one great the other seen as a failure, if you had asked  about them in the early 1960s the reverse argument would have been made, Reagan's film career was coming to a close, while Johnson become President on the death of President Kennedy.     The Johnson record on the domestic front is impressive, the Great Society and his various civil rights reforms.   Then we come to his FALL, that was the Vietnam War and the failure of of the US to win, it can be argued that Vietnam bought down  Johnson and Nixon, the voters do not like losers, Nixon was not helped by Watergate.    Thus in most polls Johnson shares the same low numbers as Nixon.    Then we come to election of Reagan in 1966 and backlash against the liberal reform in various sectors of civic society.   Reagan was a dark horse candidate for President in 1968,  but he lost to Nixon, then he challenged President Ford, and lost by only a few votes.   Then Reagan was saved by the disaster that was the Carter Presidency, which gave us the revolution in Iran and Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.   The 1st Reagan term, saw tax cuts and the increase in defence spending and Reagan calling the USSR an EVIL EMPIRE.     The Reagan found a Soviet Leader he could work with, they almost came close to the removal of ALL nuclear weapons, thus we see the end of the Cold War.   Reagan or Kennedy as still seen as the great US Presidents by the public.   Will have a read of the Darman book when it comes to the UK. 

IS Update - Iraq - War on Terror 2

BBC News: Reports " The US has deployed 50 troops to an air base in Iraq's troubled Anbar province to help in the fight against Islamic State (IS). "

Lets Get Real:

ONE hopes these troops are ready to fight, this move in to Anbar will be red flat to IS, they will want to change the PR that they are leaderless either because their leader is dead or hurt after a US Air Strike.    This gradual path is like connecting the dots, sooner or later, US troops will be fighting in Iraq, the Oval can not afford to lose Iraq even if it wanted too, the idea of IS holding that much oil and selling it on the black market to fund its Middle East operations gives one nightmares.    Lets face it they have the money to go nuclear by buying on the arms black market, thus IS has to be taken down, the Oval allowed IS to become the threat it is, if the US had kept forces in Iraq after 2011 the story could have been so different.    Mistakes have results, and the problem is they are still playing out in Iraq. 

IS Update - War on Terror 2

Telegraph: Reports " British drones carry out first first strikes against Isil in Iraq..Ministry of Defence says RAF Reaper drone fires missile at Isil forces laying homemade bombs north of Baghdad "

Lets Get Real:

With the lead of IS either hurt or dead this is the time for the RAF to start heavy strikes on IS in Iraq, while the leadership is confused the Western Allies have to force them back, either by using Iraqi or Kurdish troops, if that is not possible then US and UK Special Forces have to be used, land has to be taken and held.   The RAF drone fleet should be on 24/7 standby, targets have to be spotted and then HIT HARD.  Good start for the RAF in Iraq. 

The Other Reagan Tapes - Reagan Years

Guardian: Reports " The recordings include Reagan trying to convince an intractable Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin.....the president discussing the release of western hostages in the Middle East with Pakistani president Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, and a talk with Syrian president Hafez al-Assad, "

Lets Get Real:

It seems President Reagan was not afraid to tape his calls, one would have thought after Watergate that no tape recording advice was allowed in to the White House, thank goodness Reagan did not talks about Iran - Contra on these tapes.   The Gipper was to clever to get caught out like that, it will be interesting to hear these talks, as they show a President dealing with various Crisis in the Middle East at the moment.   One wonders what Reagan would have made of President Obama, one can assume that Reagan would have been impressed with his PR skills, on the other hand he would have seen Obama as another LBJ, spending money like its going out of fashion and extending the role of Government in to the health of Americans.   One wonders who would have won  a Presidential election if it was Reagan and Obama at their  high points, interesting. 

Reagan's apology to Thatcher over Grenada - Reagan/Thatcher Years

BBC News: Reports " A recorded conversation between an apologetic Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher over the invasion of Grenada has been published for the first time. "

Lets Get Real:

The actual talks is itself not secret, it has been documented before, this is the first time that a actual recording has come out.    One can understand why Lady Thatcher was not happy, Grenada was in the Commonwealth.  The Queen is head of the Commonwealth, but on the other hand the Oval Office was worried that Grenada would become another Cuba, one Castro was bad enough, the US public supported the action, the Democratic Nominee for President Walter Mondale could not make up his mind about the action.   This Grenada military action put the USSR on notice that the US was back after the Vietnam War.