Monday March 10 2014
I have uged students to spend the mere $1 a wekk to subscribe to the WSJ. With the Ukraine situation heating up, there has never been a better time to enjoy the benefits of such a subscription.
On page A 15 today Gordon Crovitz comments on social media as a government watchdog. Decades ago Marshal McLuhan referred to the world as a Global Village. He meant that modern communication and satellites had shrunk the time it took to get information. Now social media means everything is happening in real time around the world.
Consider these photos of Russian Troops sans insignia up close and personal with Ukriane troops. Now, if you subscribed to the WSJ, log on and read
Dear Vladimir Congratulations You Read My Book This is a wonderfully done piece by Josef Joffe. He takes the mantle of Niccolo Machiavelli,k the author of The Prince, and writes a letter to Vlad. The Prince was the original book on how to occupy another country with minimum stress on yourself. He particularly compliments Vlad on the economy of violence. Which is to say, Vlad pulled the whole thing off without any violence, got the Crimean Leg to vote for him and now occupies the Ukraine. Sure Poland can fly F 16s around as another article above this one suggests but so what, what would they bomb?
Gary Kasparov wrote a fine article last week on how squeezing the Oligarchs who have investments all over the world in property would put the real hurt on Vlad, but reading this piece, I doubt the US has the courage for such action.
Saturday I asked the graudate class if anyone could stand and deliver a talk on the facts of the Ukraine situation and the strategy of each side. Only one hand went up.
Semper paratus.
Professor Elam 
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