Tales of Canadian Healthcare and Potential Russia/US War in Syria

Hope you will be feeling better soon. Wish I were a neighbor so I could bring snacks or run errands for you.

Good to hear from you and hope those issues stay minor. It is one of the great crimes perpetrated by our powers that be that here in the US, healthcare is not considered a right.

@ Robotpliers

I am from the same province as Ian, I believe. I have had cataract surgery on both eyes over the last few years. Total cost to me, probably 30 dollars for eye-drops for both eyes for post-operative care.

Our health care system definitely could be better. For instance it does not cover dental care but compared to what I hear of the horrors below the border it is pretty good.

I have feeling that our system reduces overall health care expenditures and costs to the economy since you can see a doctor before the health problem becomes drastic. That reminds me, I must check when my doctor’s clinic is having its (free to me) flu shot clinic.

Better outcomes and reasonable costs should be prime objectives of US health care, but they’re not. In fact, just the opposite often seems to be the case.

Ian is lucky to live in a country that — at least for now — has and maintains a sane universal health
care system. Let’s hope his condition improves.

As for war with Russia over Syria, who knows? I’ve always felt it was more likely Trump and His Generals would precipitate such a thing than Hillary would, but at this point it’s anybody’s guess. The likeliest precipitator in my view is Israel. Alternatively, Saudi Arabia.

The question we can’t answer is what Russia would do. Recall that some hundreds of Russian troops/auxiliaries/mercenaries were apparently slaughtered by American forces in Syria this year alone, and as far as we know, Russia took no retaliatory action.

If there were other engagements in Syria — say with Israel or Saudi –would there be Russian retaliation? Maybe. Maybe not.

Even at the height of the hysteria over “Hillary will start WWIII!!!!!!!” the fact was that no matter what she would do in Syria (or rather order done), there would be no “WWIII” without Russia’s participation, and so far, it looks like the Kremlin does not want to play this game. At all.

They have other geese to cook, eh?

Sorry to hear Ian;

On the subject, I have a $283,864.52 sitting on my desk for 10 days in the hospital.

I checked myself out against Dr.’s wishes so he refused to write a script for follow-up antibiotics, nor would he allow any other physician to write a script for me, thus necessitating going to another Dr immediately after leaving the hospital.

Treatment consisted of IV antibiotics, no outpatient treatment was possible according to my Dr., meaning, that except for the first two days where I needed IV’s for fluid loss, I was in the hospital solely for 3 injections a day.

I have ACA compliant insurance purchased through my 2nd tier contract employer. I say again, the insurance is ACA compliant…for all those fools out there that bought into Obama’s bullshit. There are so many holes in the coverage that the hospital considers it non-coverage.

If you ave a gold plated policy from employer, or fall below the poverty line and can get medicaid [which is much better than any independent policy I have ever had] you don’t know jack about America’s medical system.

I hope your health problems go away.

Knowing that our political system is sinking deeper into corruption, I still can’t figure out why the U.S. has such a sadistic medical industry. If Clinton had produced a decent bill in the early 90s, it might or might not have been passed, but the publicity surrounding it would have started us towards something better. And a majority of the public would have supported it. Instead, the whole exercise turned into a propaganda exercise of “We have the best health care system in the world. Anything we do will make it worse.” It’s beyond me why enough people keep believing that to make it safe for politicians to serve the medical profiteers.

Checking the “Ian Welsh–Image Results” link . . . I see that the image of Mustapha Kemal is still right there in the second row . . . right next to the image of Donald Trump. What does it all mean?
( Recep Tayyip Erdogan would be a more appropriate image to pair with Donald Trump but whatever).

One hopes the Globalonial NeoLiberals don’t try to destroy the Canadian Healthcare System to prevent it from being a standing reproach to and visibly better model than the US Healthcare System.
Because even though Obamacare was meant to poison the well against even thinking about Health Care System Design for the next several decades, Health Care may yet break out of its cage and crawl back onto the table in the next few years.

About Trump and his Generals, I think the drift of America’s Syria policy back into the Clintonite pro-Jihad toilet is about “his Generals” and ” his John Bolton” capturing and redirecting ” their Trump” on this matter. It is the “Iran” which helps to do it. Trump rejects the Iran Agreement because he hates Obama for racial reasons and because Obama mocked Trump at a White House Correspondents Dinner. Since “Iran” is one of Obama’s few genuine accomplishments, Trump wants to erase it because he hates seeing Obama get any credit for achieving something good. And “his Generals” have cherished a deep hatred for Iran for these many decades, and want to get revenge
for The Embassy, the Khobar Towers, the shaped charge explosives used against US soldiers in Iraq, and etc. It goes deeper than just ” Israel” and “Saudi Arabia”.

I first read the “racial animus” theory in a comment on Naked Capitalism. I will claim, hopefully with some basis, to have long thought that “Trump’s Generals” were long motivated by dreams of vengeance against Iran and would use their positions to seek it.

Colonel Lang at Sic Semper Tyrannis offers his theory as to Trump’s pre-occupation with Iran and the Iran Deal and why it will poison Trump’s whole attitude to Syria . . . such that Trump will now support the Global Axis of Jihad ( GAJ) against the Coalition Of Lawful Authority ( COLA), even though every thinking person with any more sense than God gave an ashtray knows that things go better with COLA.

Fellow commenter Tom predicts that Russia/Assad/etc. will in the end not invade Idlib to totally take it. Colonel Pat Lang predicts that the COLA ( Coalition Of Lawful Authority) WILL in the end invade Idlib to totally take it. One of those predictions will be right, and one of them will be wrong. Here is the link to Colonel Lang’s prediction.
http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2018/09/fukus-turkey-are-now-al-qaidas-allies-editorial.html

By the way, I always knew that fellow commenter Che Pasa considered Trump more worser than he considered Clinton. He provides the proof of that in his comment upthread. I will quote the relevant words here . . . “As for war with Russia over Syria, who knows? I’ve always felt it was more likely Trump and His Generals would precipitate such a thing than Hillary would, but at this point it’s anybody’s guess. The likeliest precipitator in my view is Israel. Alternatively, Saudi Arabia.”

I also always knew that fellow commenter Che Pasa was pro-Clinton, perhaps an outright Clintonite. He provides the proof of that in his comment upthread. I will quote the relevant words here . . .” Even at the height of the hysteria over “Hillary will start WWIII!!!!!!!” . . . ” I remember quite a few analysts over at Sic Semper Tyrannis, including Colonel Lang himself, presenting analysis to that effect regarding Hillary, and I don’t remember any tone of hysteria over at SST. Che Pasa’s strained accusation of hysteria on the part of Hillary-sceptics is actually his own projection of his own hysteria over the “Coronationus Interruptus” of his beloved Queen Hillary.

Much as I often disagree with Tom, this time I agree in general with his assessment. Assad wants to secure complete control of the highway between Damascus and Aleppo which passes through Idlib province. But as Tom notes, Syrian ground forces are a pretty punk affair. I see this as more of an exercise to put pressure on Turkey, but minus a deal between Turkey and Russia, I don’t see much changing.

Anyone know if Sterling Newberry is still blogging? I went to his old site, but it was taken down. Ah, yes, all the old Agonistas, where are they now?

With regards to the Wagner Attack on an SDF position you are all referring to.

That was a PMC outside of the Russian Military. It was a disposable unit composed of ethnic minorities who would otherwise be fighting the Russian Military as insurgents. Putin cares shit about their fate, their entire attack was to see if America would defend the SDF and they did, so Putin cancelled follow up operations.

As for Idlib, fighting is looking less and less likely as Turkey now has a full Armored Corps in that Pocket with more assets coming, and the Rebels are now well supplied with TOWs, MANPADs, and ammunition. In addition all the bridges and main roads into the pocket have been destroyed and massive trench works built.

Putin doesn’t have the means to match that buildup due to sheer logistics.

https://www.dailysabah.com/mideast/2018/09/14/the-forgotten-war-of-the-21st-century-yemenis-living-off-leaves-to-fight-famine

Yemen is dying, this is on top of the same situation playing out in Gaza which is now totally cut off from aid by Trump.

And of course Bolton says the US will protect Israel from the ICC which the PLO has asked to intervene after signing the Rome Statute.

Bolton should be at the top of the list on the ICC’s Afghanistan Investigation for Prosecution of the torture programs Bolton helped set up.

I cite what has actually happened and as usual S Brennan rails against reality because it refuses to conform to his expectations.

Tom Harris, actually as I have pointed out numerous times Putin is big on self-determination when it involves Russians living outside Russia (Crimea, Georgia) but not at all when it comes to groups like the Chechens inside Russia.

someofparts PERMALINK
September 15, 2018
War of any sort seems like playing on terms the U.S. would prefer. A large war against any foreign power would invigorate the economy and unify the citizenry. Better to quietly keep building your economies, developing your technologies and expanding your alliances. When the U.S. finally goes broke and breaks up into civil war, Eurasia will have too much wealth and technical superiority to be threatened.

This is the keystone comment of this entire thread.
Kudos on getting it right.

VietnamVet
September 16, 2018

Bravo. Well and susinctly stated.
The only adults I see in the room are Putin and Lavrov; Hugh is a Russophobe; eat your heart out Hugh. You’re as wrong as two left shoes…
Ideaology blinds pragmatism; a sure road to destruction…

If we are less than human, why did you fight? You should become a bankster.

Hard to believe the amount of praise around here for Putin, a brutal dictator who has murdered thousands, both his own citizens and those of other countries, in his quest to achieve and maintain power.

Really makes one wonder at the reasons behind it.

NR

Vladimir Putin is as much a part of neo-liberal economic order as Barrack Obama or David Cameron but he is a competent Russian version. As long as global oligarchs continue to exploit the little people with endless wars, austerity and user fees, the rising tide of inequality will give birth to more irrational totalitarian nationalists. Remember the 1930s. This includes Russia. The coup attempt by the globalists to remove the nationalist President in DC adds to the turmoil. If you want a real nightmare, think of Mike Pence listening to God when dealing with the Russian version of Donald Trump.

@S Brennan

Don’t be so sure about Medicaid being better than an independent policy. While it may be so for some, I’ve had to fight constantly just to get care. I’ve been going on two years attempting to find an endocrinologist that will accept medicaid, my pruvatized medicaid insurance provider changes the formulary on a whim such that it’s a complete surprise when I find out I can’t fill a prescription that was already refilled due to pharmacy errors or the pharmacy just tells me to bugger off when I point out they received the electronic prescription when they say they didn’t.

Ian’s experience is way different, but our own isn’t that much different in this sadistic system.

Sorry, an error led to the double post.

As to the Caitlin Johnstone article, if the U.S. had not fought in WWII the Russians would have defeated the Germans. That’s what our ignoble leaders went to war to prevent. It’s the same reason they nuked those two cities after the Japanese had already surrendered. For our owners, no weapon is too horrible and no slaughter too massive to stop socialism or any prospect of justice for the victims of capitalism.

It always seems that when Ian has a post on foreign policy the thread turns into an illustration of why progressives have no credibility on the subject. It is just as reality-disconnected and filled with ad hominems as anything to be found on the wingnut right. A good way to begin to understand the world is to realize that it is filled with black hats. Just because one black hat opposes another black hat does not turn either of their hats white. Just because Russian policy in Syria has been relatively effective does not mean it hasn’t been brutal, sloppy, and filled with mistakes. Nor does it turn Putin into a wise man or a grand strategist. He’s just a dictator and opportunist. And that opportunism has real long term costs which reduce or eliminate any short term gains. Syria is a destroyed country thanks largely to indiscriminate Russian and Syrian government bombing. And it is going to stay a destroyed country because neither of Assad’s chief allies, the Russians and the Iranians, have the money or the interest to rebuild it. Do I think that any of this will have any impact on those on either the right or the left who have already written their largely fact free scripts on any of this? Of course not. It is something to think about though that almost nobody on the entire political spectrum knows or seriously gives a shit about the rest of the world (if you did you would put aside your preconceptions and try to understand it). It’s just so much easier to stuff it into whatever prejudices you have and then feel your flimflam is superior to everyone else’s, or if pressed, fall back on some nihilistic argument that all views contained prejudices, therefore all views are at least equal in their defects, even if such an argument entails that we can never know anything about anything. Good luck with that.

Just because one black hat opposes another black hat does not turn either of their hats white.

We have too few folks around who can simply call a spade a spade, and too many who need to project whatever they hope will work for them onto the rest of the world.

I theorize that most everybody senses that their own personal control over their own lives has been continuously lessening (regardless of how “personally responsible” they are), and that most PTB who could change that feeling lies to them then does nothing to change it. Then, as the human need for cognitive closure kicks in they increasingly grasp at the straws of irrational theories or authoritarian assholes to help alleviate said angst.

I’m hoping that careful use of the KISS Principle may help. But then, I’m still learning this stuff myself, too.

Good luck with your health, Ian.

Maybe those snowflake Stalinists broke the German war machine in a mass mob stampede to Berlin after hearing the safe space was there? Where’s Alex Jones to tell us what’s what? I’m out of his brainpower supplement pills.

A single front on one’s own soil is usually worse than any three fronts far overseas. I’d think FDR’s card carrying commies were being pretty good strategists by letting 95% of the casualties happen over there instead of here.

“The Soviets broke the German army. Anyone who says otherwise is engaging in some serious revisionism.” Ian Welsh

Uh no. If we go by absolute numbers of dead, perhaps, but the Soviets were bled white in the process.

Quantitatively, the Western Allies broke the German Army.

The Luftwaffe was utterly annihilated by the US Air Force which inflicted 7-to-1 kills in aerial combat and allowed them to directly attack the German Infrastructure which drew off hundreds of thousands of Germans to defense of the Reich in the Flak Forces. These forces contained nearly a million men in them and tens of thousands of flak guns that could have been used to devastating effect on the Ost Front along with 2,000 fighters and bombers.

The Afrika Korp used 10 times the trucks a normal corps in Russia did and had the equivalent of an entire Ost Front Army Group worth of logistics vehicles and transport aircraft. This would have been decisive in 42, allowing 6th Army to rapidly close on Stalingrad before the Soviets could retreat into it. This is before we factor in all the merchant ships sunk carrying Afrika Korps supplies.

The Allied Invasion of French North Africa caused half the Luftwaffe’s transport fleet to divert to landing large amounts of troops to Tunisia just before Stalingrad was encircled. Had they not been diverted, 6th Army could have been supplied by air and last long enough to break out in the Spring.

The Allied Invasion of Sicily caused Hitler to divert five panzer divisions to Italy at a crucial point in 43 when they could have been used to devastating impact in Russia.

As the Western Allied Powers gained momentum, Hitler stripped out more panzers, more trucks, more aircraft, and more replacements off the Ost Front, immobilizing large amounts of his Ost Front Armies while the Soviets bulking up on Lend Lease and with a single Front were able to focus on each German Army Group at a time.

When Normandy was hit in 44, this sucked enough Panzers and Trucks from the Ost Front that Operation Bagration was able to bag Army Group Center which was denuded of all Mobile Units that could have allowed it to beat off encirclement.

It is instructive to us, that for Operation Bagration, the German AGC had 486,493 soldiers roughly 400,000 hiwis, 118 Panzers, 377 Assault Guns, 2,589 artillery pieces, and 602 aircraft. They faced a Soviet Army with roughly 2,500,000 men with 2,715 tanks, 1,355 assault guns, 24,363 artillery pieces, and 5,327 aircraft.

The Battle lasted a month, the Soviets lost all their Tanks, almost 3,000 artillery pieces, over 800 aircraft, over 700,000 dead or wounded, while the Germans lost roughly 400,000 men, mostly hiwis, with the bulk being captured.

Compare with France where US Armored Units were inflicting lopsided 7-to-1 kills on German Panzers in combat, ensuring the Wehrmacht could not amass its Panzers on the East ever again.

WW2 was a Tank War, at least in Europe, and it was the Western Allies ability to match and exceed the Germans in Armored Warfare that ultimately doomed the German War Machine and enabled the Soviets to clobber mostly German Infantry Divisions with their Tank Armies which still suffered appalling losses.