Is Putin trying to bait Ukraine into military action

[West of the Rockies]

Albrecht, you wrote:  "Do you recall that one of the first priority this guy Obama made for NASA upon becoming the President was to make NASA's number one priority "Muslim outreach"? Not science, not a space program, not space exploration, not technology but "Muslim outreach" was to be the first priority."

A quick internet search suggests that Limbaugh VASTLY overstated Obama's suggestion; it was certainly not the number one mission of NASA.

[PB the Deplorable]

Do you recall that one of the first priority this guy Obama made for NASA upon becoming the President was to make NASA's number one priority "Muslim outreach"? Not science, not a space program, not space exploration, not technology but "Muslim outreach" was to be the first priority.

It's important to research things like the zero gravity effects of sawing off the head of an infidel

[VtaGeezer]

Albrecht, you wrote:  "Do you recall that one of the first priority this guy Obama made for NASA upon becoming the President was to make NASA's number one priority "Muslim outreach"? Not science, not a space program, not space exploration, not technology but "Muslim outreach" was to be the first priority."

A quick internet search suggests that Limbaugh VASTLY overstated Obama's suggestion; it was certainly not the number one mission of NASA.

The responses here are great examples of what I'd call "the ideology of anecdote".  No one has yet answered my original question about Putin, but I got a whole string of Obamasms.

[b_dubb]

The responses here are great examples of what I'd call "the ideology of anecdote".  No one has yet answered my original question about Putin, but I got a whole string of Obamasms.

P*B seemed to veer off target immediately.  I guess he thinks any thread in Politics is an appropriate place to dump his "I Hate Obama" horse shit. 

[Juan]

I'll reply.  I immediately thought about my friends from Ukraine.  They are ethnic Russians and said their parents were moved there, IIRC by Stalin, who wanted to increase ethnic Russians into the empire territories.  The goal was to have enough Russians in Ukraine, etc., to be able to control those countries.  Putin seems to be following Stalin's plan, which was the same as his original wartime ally, Hitler. I wonder, though, if Putin is using Ukraine to distract the world from his advances in the Caribbean and South America.

[albrecht]

I'll reply.  I immediately thought about my friends from Ukraine.  They are ethnic Russians and said their parents were moved there, IIRC by Stalin, who wanted to increase ethnic Russians into the empire territories.  The goal was to have enough Russians in Ukraine, etc., to be able to control those countries.  Putin seems to be following Stalin's plan, which was the same as his original wartime ally, Hitler. I wonder, though, if Putin is using Ukraine to distract the world from his advances in the Caribbean and South America.

I think Germany should invade Kaliningrad to help out the ethnic or German speaking people there, if there are any left after all this time. Or maybe Poland or Lithuania should do so to protect their minorities there. NATO members and there is a large community of people of that ethnic group.  All of those countries have a more historical claim to that area and city than the Russians. That would really start things off!!

[SciFiAuthor]

I saw that. Unless they were running the analysis to determine optimum type of economy/civilization for some new colony on the moon or mars or something I was also wondering what the heck NASA is doing putting out papers on wealth redistribution and income inequality?? But, I guess, since we've cut so many programs and the Muslim outreach program isn't working that they have a lot of time on their hands to write programs on income inequality.

It wasn't, the ground rules of the study were to predict on a timeframe of 350 to 1000 years what income inequality would eventually do (gee, isn't that based in a timeless scientific concept rather than a currently fashionable political whim). Well, it's absurd. Income inequality in 1664 was astoundingly worse than it is now. In 1014 it was feudal. It fails entirely to account for the fact that human society is dynamic. One economic boom changes the outcome entirely. But you can't factor in plus scenarios, you can only factor in negatives. They assume that there will be no more economic boom periods. That in itself is insane. But they also ignore the high probability, for example, of the US government's own programs such is ITER that are highly likely to dramatically change the cost and production of energy in our society. It almost certainly will, especially in the 350 year term.

Put in other words, it's bunk. The NASA study has about the same reliability as George Noory's numbers lady. You cannot, under any circumstance predict the future 350 years out. To even try destroys the credibility of the premise. After all, do you really think someone in 1644 would have predicted the advent of the computer and the internet? How about internal combustion engines? The telephone? There was zero way science in 1644 could have done it. Hell, Nostradamus would have a better record of futurism than they would have. Well, this study is telling us that our technology won't develop anything new in the next 350-1000 years and that we'll be in the same boat as we are now despite new technology appearing it's ass off year after year. It's absurd and ridiculously arrogant.

It's not only arrogant but certain to be wrong. I have no doubt it's Holdren commanding that the public be assaulted with a concocted study to scare them so they'll use less resources and accept being poorer so we'll be greener. Same neomalthusian guy, along with his buddy Ehrlich, that bet that aluminum would be thousands of times more expensive now than it was in the 70's. They lost the bet.

They couldn't see far enough past their anti-humanist ideology to realize that humanity has destroyed only a few hundred atoms (through transmutation) of the tons upon tons of aluminum we've smelted since the metal was discovered. They failed to account for recycling. They believe that humans are a cancer upon the earth instead of the most amazing thing on it and it colors their views to the point that they fail to see the forest for the trees. It's very unfortunate for the human race that they set the scientific agenda now. The Obama presidency has been lost years for science.

[Evil Twin Of Zen]

It wasn't, the ground rules of the study were to predict on a timeframe of 350 to 1000 years what income inequality would eventually do (gee, isn't that based in a timeless scientific concept rather than a currently fashionable political whim). Well, it's absurd. Income inequality in 1664 was astoundingly worse than it is now. In 1014 it was feudal. It fails entirely to account for the fact that human society is dynamic. One economic boom changes the outcome entirely. But you can't factor in plus scenarios, you can only factor in negatives. They assume that there will be no more economic boom periods. That in itself is insane. But they also ignore the high probability, for example, of the US government's own programs such is ITER that are highly likely to dramatically change the cost and production of energy in our society. It almost certainly will, especially in the 350 year term.

Put in other words, it's bunk. The NASA study has about the same reliability as a George Noory's numbers lady. You cannot, under any circumstance predict the future 350 years out. To even try destroys the credibility of the premise. After all, do you really think someone in 1644 would have predicted the advent of the computer and the internet? How about internal combustion engines? The telephone? There was zero way science in 1644 could have done it. Hell, Nostradamus would have a better record of futurism than they would have. Well, this study is telling us that our technology won't develop anything new in the next 350-1000 years and that we'll be in the same boat as we are now despite new technology appearing it's ass off year after year. It's absurd and ridiculously arrogant.......

Hari Seldon wannabes (NASA)   

[wr250]

Put in other words, it's bunk. The NASA study has about the same reliability as George Noory's numbers lady.

well she has at least beat ed dames, albeit  not by much.

You cannot, under any circumstance predict the future 350 years out.

ed knows that all to well. he cant even predict 30 seconds into the future correctly.

[West of the Rockies]

Hari Seldon wannabes (NASA)   

Curse you, EvilTwin!  I was just about to note the Hari Seldon aspect myself!  Great minds....

[SciFiAuthor]

Hari Seldon wannabes (NASA)   

Pretty much though they have far more than the Mule to muck up the works. Human progress, change, thought, problem solving, technology . . .

[SciFiAuthor]

well she has at least beat ed dames, albeit  not by much.

ed knows that all to well. he cant even predict 30 seconds into the future correctly.

I wonder if he's left Kiev yet.

[b_dubb]

Putin's really just doing the bidding of Pizza Hut.  They want to expand into the Ukraine but Ukraine leaders there are just being a pain in the ass.