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We Should Bomb Stuff
Eschaton — ... As Yglesias says, the conservative pundit response to anything around the world is to offer up an argument which strongly suggests that anything other than bombing stuff is deeply unserious, or some such rot, but yet they usually stop short of actually advocating that we go bomb some stuff. ...

Neocons Call For U.S. To Launch War With Russia
Think Progress — ... Matthew Yglesias asks of Kagan’s World War II analogy: “If we launch a war with Russia — which would seem to be the point of busting out the analogy — then how are we going to find the time to launch wars with Iran and China?” ...

Neocons still love that Cold War mentality
Political Animal — ... the classic defect of ideologues. It is, as we have seen the last eight years, a dangerous way to behave internationally. And it has severely damaged our moral authority in the world… I mean, after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, after Abu Ghraib, after our blithe rubbishing of the Geneva Accords, why should anyone listen to us when we criticize the Russians for their aggression in the Caucasus? Good point. Matt Yglesias, from his new stomping ground, added: [O]f course Vladimir Putin really is a bad actor. And it should be said ...

Georgia and the Right
Political Animal — GEORGIA AND THE RIGHT.... Matt Yglesias, blogging from his ultra-leftist new digs at the Center for American Progress, takes a shot at sensible moderate Bill Kristol over his column about the war in Georgia: If Kristol really thinks we should go to war with Russia, he's being crazy and irresponsible. If he doesn't think that, then he has no business busting out these Munich analogies. Nowhere in his column does he propose a single concrete step with any meaningful chance of altering the situation it's all dedicated to mocking doves, but utterly lacking in viable alternatives. ...

McCain Seizes On Russia-Georgia Conflict During Obama's Vacation
The Huffington Post | Full News Feed — ... nuanced, position of standing by Georgia and "pointing a big finger at Russia," Clemons said. "It plays to the sense that McCain is decisive and can give people a lesson in this part of the world that's obscure for many Americans." By contrast, Clemons said Obama's weekend statement was "tepid, McCain lite," adding that he has an opportunity to rebut some of the neocon arguments being made on Georgia's behalf by the likes of Bill Kristol (for more on this, see Matthew Yglesias). "It's not just who rolled their tanks in first," Clemons says of the ...

Georgia: Quick Thoughts
Obsidian Wings — ... by hilzoy A few more random quick thoughts: (1) As various people have pointed out, it is always and everywhere Munich in 1983, if you happen to be a neoconservative. It's the foreign policy equivalent of Groundhog Day. (2) To those people who are suggesting that it's time to go to war for plucky Georgia: leaving aside the fact that getting into a shooting war with Russia over South Ossetia would be insane, with what troops are we supposed to do this? One reason not to go to war in ...

Simple Answer to an Idiot's Question:
Shadow of the Hegemon — ... . Robert Kagan is prattling on about how this is clearly just like 1938, proving once again that if you took away WWII analogies from a neocon, the poor man would be absolutely lost. Yglesias makes the valid point that making these comparisons is irresponsible if you aren't planning to declare war, and declaring war in this case is impossible. ...

It's Munich!
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan — ... "blunt condemnation of the Russians". Washington Times: "maximum pressure." Bob Kagan: nada, so far as I can tell in his WaPo piece. Kristol: ...

A War for Every Continent
Lawyers, Guns and Money — Yglesias: Meanwhile, if we launch a war with Russia — which would seem to be the point of busting out the analogy — then how are we going to find the time to launch wars with Iran and China? And what about Syria?Not to mention our depressing tardiness in conquering Burma and Zimbabwe. Also, Hugo Chavez still lives. And surely, Australia and Antarctica have done something requiring a stern display of American moral clarity. If nothing else, the elephant seals hate America and everything we stand for; in the name of decency and national honor, we ...

McCain on the Georgian/Russian Conflict
Crooks and Liars —

Fresh Thread
The Hollywood Liberal — ... And dirty fucking hippies who think otherwise are stupid. As Yglesias says , the conservative pundit response to anything around the world is to offer up an argument which strongly suggests that anything other than bombing stuff is deeply unserious, or some such rot, but yet they usually stop short of actually advocating that we go bomb some stuff. Non-bombing stuff options: silly. Bombing stuff: Probably the right idea, but I’m not going to actually say so. ...

The Cravery of Being Out of Range
Unqualified Offerings — ... the Russian perspective, to reduce as much of Georgia’s logistical capacity within reach of Ossetia as possible. Meanwhile, around the edges of the regular armies are the paramilitaries and looters doing their usual horrible work. All wars, whatever else they are, are calamities, and concomitant with crime. Still, in this country, we have a contingent of pundits and politicians who feel that any war without American participation is lacking that special extra measure of wondrousness. Yglesias has been all over those people during my typical work-heavy, blog-light first half ...