Notes on Malaysian Flight Crash

I do not watch news - ever.  However, at designated times during the week, I may quickly browse the goings-on in the world.  Winners focus upon things they can control - and ignore everything else.  However, we all need a little entertainment now and then, so, here goes.

In any dispute, in trying to find out the truth, onlookers must first ask the classic question, "Qui Bono?"  Who benefits?

Apparent facts:

• A Boeing 777 crashed in Eastern Ukraine.
• The place of the crash is a war zone.
• The territory of the crash is in the hands of Ukrainian rebels.
• The flight plan of the plane was over war territory.
• The 777 was a passenger jet carrying just under 300 people.

All other facts as far as I can tell are disputed.

Qui Bono

Let us examine the question of Qui Bono.  If the plane was indeed "shot down" who benefits?

Russia?  No.  Russia has no reason to blast a civilian plane out of the sky.

Ukrainian rebels?  No.  They have no military or non-military reason to shoot a plane out of the sky either.

Ukraine?  Well, from a cynical perspective, if they can blame it on their adversaries, there can be an argument for this.  But, this would take a lot of resources to pull off, and a lot of people would have to be in on the job.  I do not think they are dumb enough or capable of pulling something like this off.

United States?  The CIA is known for doing stupid things throughout its history, but this sounds really far-fetched that they could have planned such an operation.

Responsibility

Assuming it was a Buk Missile System, they are indeed capable of shooting up to 15.5 miles high.  So, someone with a Buk could have shot the plane out of the sky.

The most likely scenario is that some dumb-ass pulled the trigger before identifying the aircraft.  Americans have shot down American helicopters with fighter jets in military accidents where there was a mis-identification. 

It is extremely stupid to claim that Russians wanted to shoot down a civilian plane.  Putin is one of the smartest guys in the world, so, that holds absolutely no water.  I think it is somewhat far-fetched to claim that even the rebels in that territory would try something so dumb.

I would venture to speculate that if some dumb-ass pulled the trigger, the Russians have probably shot the idiot in the head by now for being so stupid.  I would even venture that if the rebels found out who did this, they would shoot the guy in the head also.

Malaysian Airlines may be responsible in this case, or perhaps European flight controllers.  How stupid is it to fly a 777 jet over a war zone full of passengers?  Think about that for one moment. 

Strange Political Posturing

From NPR:

At the Pentagon, Kirby told reporters that he didn't have any specific information that the SA-11 system, known as a "Buk," had "transited" the Russian border, "but we are not ruling anything in or out.

"We don't directly know who's responsible for firing that missile," he said. However, if the separatists are involved, it "would be strange credulity to say they could do this without some level of Russian assistance," he said.

Seriously?  It would be very strange indeed if they had Russian assistance in shooting down a 777!  Why is the even Pentagon suggesting this?  Information warfare?

NPR again:

"Privately, U.S. officials say they suspect separatist rebels were behind the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17," Dina reports. "U.S. officials say they are still analyzing the audio. They are also using algorithms and mathematics to pinpoint where the missile was fired from."

No crap, Sherlock!  A disorganized, perhaps incompetent militia pulled the trigger on something they thought was military.  It turned out it was not.  But, then again, that is common sense, and we all know common sense is not very common.

Now, Reuters:

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry laid out what he called overwhelming evidence of Russian complicity in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 as international horror deepened over the fate of the victims' remains.

Russian complicity in shooting down a 777?  I say bullshit.  

Reuters again:

Kerry demanded that Moscow take responsibility for actions of pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine whom Washington suspects of downing the jet with a missile, and expressed disgust at their "grotesque" mishandling of the bodies.

Let's see.  Some rebels shot a 777 out of the sky.  It was on Ukrainian rebel territory.  A Malaysian flight flew over a war zone.  So, logic dictates that it was the Russians!  America has some really smart people at the helm!

More bullshit from Reuters:


In Washington, Kerry criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and threatened "additional steps" against Moscow.

"Drunken separatists have been piling bodies into trucks and removing them from the site," he said on NBC television on Sunday. "What's happening is really grotesque and it is contrary to everything President Putin and Russia said they would do."


So, if we need cooperation from the Russians, we are going to just say they killed 300 civilians, you know, just out of fun.  That will make friends really fast, you know.  Like I said, America has some really smart people at the helm!

Finally from Reuters again:


European Union ministers should be ready to announce a fresh round of sanctions at a meeting of the EU's Foreign Affairs Council this week, said a statement from British Prime Minister David Cameron's office, issued after telephone calls with French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 

"They ... agreed that the EU must reconsider its approach to Russia and that foreign ministers should be ready to impose further sanctions on Russia when they meet on Tuesday," it said.

The leaders also agreed to press Putin to ensure investigators had free access to the crash site.

So, Western leaders are threatening sanctions against Russia because of something that happened in some other country.  This sounds really smart.

There was once a country called Iraq, where the United States supplied them tons of weapons in the Iran-Iraq war.  How many Americans did the Iraqis kill during Iraq War One and Two (1991, 2003)?  Thousands!  Much more than 300, dude.

///

America is a declining power.  We will need all the friends we can get in the next 20 years.  Do not be surprised if China places military equipment in places like Panama, Nicaragua, Cuba, or even Mexico in the next few years.  Russia may be happy to help them if we piss them off too much.

Our leaders need to think carefully about what they are doing.  Sometimes it is best not to run our mouths, as we Americans are prone to do.  More often than not, we are looking weak and foolish with the rapid decline in leadership experience and capability.

This is scary.

Freddy

Notes on Russia 04: Spartan Russia

I made three business trips to Russia for a total of approximately six weeks.  These notes are reflections on some of the events I experienced.

I was looking for a word or phrase to describe what I sensed in Russia while traveling there on a few trips.  This eluded me for some time.  “Backward” is too harsh of a term; it seems that many Russians are desperately attempting to upgrade their country’s infrastructure and manufacturing base.  “Third World” is another term that does not quite fit, since Russia has many occidental influences, the middle class seems to be getting larger, and the educated generations from the ages of about 35 and lower tend to have a respectable command of English, apparently for ease of international business dealings and travel. 

The proper word to describe what I was thinking is “Spartan.”  Another related word of similar sense is “sparse.”  I see a lack of convenience everywhere.  Things are done if they are necessary, yes, but some things are not done, even when it would make things much more efficient.  For example, one will notice the driveways of some businesses covered with ice four inches thick for several months; a little bit of salt – calcium chloride – would make walking and driving less hazardous and more efficient.  One may attend business meetings with people in buildings with extremely tight quarters with people almost falling on top of each other; one would think that a properly sized building would allow for better work performed, and proper meeting rooms (white boards, conference phones, larger tables for spreading out plans, etc) would allow a better exchange of information and better communications. 

On the contrary, perhaps we in the Occident have it too easy.  Russia is definitely not in an era of decadence, as we are in the Occident.  The Occident is falling apart economically, socially, and spiritually, while it appears that Russia is coming together after more than a century of very bad luck.  Perhaps this characteristic of Russia will be a large contributor to its future stability as the Occident collapses over the next 50 years.  We in the occident will have no choice in the coming decades to become more Spartan in any case.  The Russians with more experience in a Spartan lifestyle will perhaps be instructive to us by demonstrating to us a few ways to hold the pieces of our civilization together as we descend into the abyss of post-decadence.

Notes on Russia 03: Observations about Russian Women

I made two business trips to Russia for a total of approximately three weeks. These notes are reflections on some of the events I experienced.

The women in Russia appear different. They act differently. I traveled in the southern regions of Russia, so keep in mind that perhaps these observations are local and may not hold true throughout the rest of the country – with the exception of the last event. We will learn toward the end of this article how to properly drink with Russian women. Read on. (Don’t stop until the last story.)

General Description of the Homes in the Area

The region appeared to be associated with what one would call the Third World. I am told that this region is not representative of all of Russia. The homes I saw as we traveled down the roads appeared to be disorganized, somewhat patched-up with whatever materials the people had at hand for repairs, and the color style suggested that the owners did not pay much mind to which color in particular the paint was, just as long as it was paint. This is my impression. I would not say that the people were living in poverty; poverty implies dysfunctionalism and wickedness. I sensed neither dysfunction nor wickedness. I would say that it appeared that they were just generally poor. The state of these homes reminds me of some places in rural America where one may find rednecks living in homes of various states of disrepair, but the people being generally content with their lives. I got the same sense in this region of Russia, but with one large difference – the ladies.

How the Women are Different

The women are different; very different. The women in this region were, with few exceptions, well dressed. In the United States, we would call this level of dress perhaps business dressed or at least business casual; the style would also suggest “classy,” since the clothing colors were usually dark or earth tones. In the United States, if I saw a woman departing the home of a redneck, I would expect her to be dressed badly, perhaps obese, with a bad haircut, and walking with a sloppy, unsure gait. However, these Russian women were slim, often pretty, youthful, well dressed, and they walked with a confident stride. Perhaps I should have taken some pictures, but that may have been considered bad manners just taking random pictures of pretty Russian women from some crazy American guy walking the streets. Maybe I should have just asked permission…but then again, my Russian is not that good yet. I did not want to be more of an ass than I am already.

The women I encountered in Russia were typically charming. It is the type of charm one may find in the Southern States (the old Confederacy) of the United States where women are expected to be delightful, feminine, and charming. (I also encountered this style among the women in the United Kingdom when I visited there – again, charming, feminine and delightful.) It is as if they are comfortable in their own skin as a woman.

How Good Russian Girls are supposed to Drink (I swear, this is a true story)

Well, one charming colleague of mine – a good Russian girl – explained to me how a nice Russian girl is supposed to drink strong drinks. This actually surprised me, so I will attempt to recall the conversation in detail. This Russian custom is sure to be very amusing to any American reading this.

We had gone to a restaurant in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains for dinner with a group of five people. We ordered an appetizer, a pork entree, and a few types of wine. Perhaps we ordered other things, but I cannot recall anything else. I was sitting right next to this female colleague of mine – she sat to my right. The waitress brought out the wine glasses and the wine bottles. My female colleague gave me a request. The conversation went something like the following:

She: “Could you please pour my wine?”

Me: “Yes, why?”

She: “You have to pour my wine.”

This struck me as somewhat strange that I had to pour the wine for her, so I continued.

Me: “Why do I have to pour your wine?”

She: “Because if I pour the wine, then I would be an alcoholic.”

Well, I thought she was just joking with me at this point, so I figured I would do some joking of my own too.

Me: “Really? Well, what if I pour your wine, fill the glass to the top, then you drink it all, and I pour you another, and then another, would you still be considered an alcoholic?”

She: “No, because then it would be your fault.”

At this point the conversation was becoming hilarious to me. I had never heard anything quite like this in my life.

Me: “My fault? Really? What the Hell?” (черт возьми, мадам?)

I was probably laughing hard at this point. So, I poured her wine and she continued.

She: “A man has to pour the wine for the girls, or the girls are seen as alcoholics over here in Russia.”

So, there you have it, ladies. Do not pour your own wine or other strong drinks yourself or I can call you an alcoholic (And, you know I will). Just let me do the honors, and you can blame it on me. (You know, this sounds rather convenient!)

That is not all, my dear readers. My colleague also informs me that if a group of girls or women are at a table enjoying strong drinks and there is no man sitting at the table to pour the drinks, the girls have to call a male waiter to pour the drinks.

If I may use an apt quote from the Wizard of Oz, “Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.”

(Many thanks to my aforementioned colleague for reviewing this before publishing.)

Notes on Russia 02: Russian Language: My Impressions

I made two business trips to Russia for a total of approximately three weeks.  These notes are reflections on some of the events I experienced.

Note that I am no expert on the Russian language, and perhaps much of what I write here may not be precise.  I am just writing impressions from my own mind.

I had worked with a team of Russian customers for over a year before I made the trip to Russia.  I heard the language spoken, and skimmed through enough translated documents to the point where I could often make out the context of the document, although I had no specific knowledge of the script.  Still, I had no working clue as to the structure of the language for a long time, and I still do not.  I know French pretty well, and I can understand a lot of Spanish.  Even when I do not understand any particular French or Spanish word, I can usually use context and the Latin base structure of the language and words therein to usually get a solid grasp of what a particular text says, and often, what a speaker is saying.  However, this process does not work for Russian.  English has a Germanic base structure with borrowings mostly from French.  French has a Latin word structure with a Germanic base of subject-verb-object.  So, learning French for an English speaker is straightforward since context, base structure, and many words can be guessed at with a good chance of understanding, although many people will agree that French is not an easy language to learn, in any case.  Learning French simply means getting the verbs straight, the pronunciation right, and the addition of many vocabulary words, which often have English approximations.

Russian has no base structure or common words with English or French – except for a small list of common words that I have noticed on occasion.  It is a Slavic language written in Cyrillic letters.  So, the English or French speaker must learn a new alphabet, in addition to a new list of vocabulary.  Furthermore, Russian is not a language with grammar in the subject-verb-object format; it is a language based on the declension of words, which makes its structure similar in idea to ancient Greek and Latin.  The six Russian declensions are as follows: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative, Instrumental, and Prepositional.  (Those who may have studied some Latin may notice a pattern here.)  I am told that in Russian, one can place words in just about any position in a sentence (with some exceptions) since the declension of the word identifies its function, and not its position within the sentence.  (I must mention here that I have noticed borrowed words specifically from French and English while in Russia; however, the level of borrowing does not even approach a fraction of the level of borrowed words between French and English.)

I purchased a laminated card with basic Russian words and phrases from Barnes and Noble a few months back.  It allowed me to “get by” in the airports and in some restaurant situations.  Some of my Russian colleagues were amused at this card and called it my “Menu Russian.”  It came in handy at one point when I was instructing a service engineer in how to assemble a piece of equipment.  The particular guy was from the Czech Republic, and spoke no English.  However, he knew a little Russian, but many claimed that even his Russian was not that good.  Anyway, with this “Menu Russian,” many hand signals, and with his small list of English words, we were able to communicate more or less functionally, although when complex subjects came up involving time differentials and safety precautions, we had to call the translator.

To add to the complexity of learning Russian, in addition to the different base structure and letters, some Russian words require the blending of several consonants together, which is extremely difficult for an English speaker, and perhaps even more difficult for someone accustomed to the French style of pronunciation, since in French one must generally get the vowels correct for proper understanding, whereas in English, one must generally get the consonants correct for proper understanding.  However, in English, even though hitting the consonants are important, we do not have to blend long strings of consonants together, as is required with Russian. 

I had heard one Russian word in particular– or a set of similar words – for over a year, and on my second trip, I think I gained enough experience to pronounce the word perhaps not correctly, but at least understandable.  The two words are for “on” and “off” as in turning a computer on or off.  The word for “off” is as follows: выключен (pronounced “vyklyuchen” according to Google Translate, which is pretty close).  The word for “on” is as follows: включен.  The latter is supposedly pronounced “vyklyuchen” according to Google Translate, which is not correct.  My Russian colleagues claim that it is pronounced “vkl-ee-oo-chay-n.”  The trick I learned is that the first three consonants are jammed together hard, “vkl,” followed quickly by the blended sound “ee-oo” (or “yee-oo” said quickly).  This is not easy for an English speaker!  The difference between on and off is extremely important – especially on engineering projects – so, I did not want to use these two words until I got at least a functionally correct pronunciation.  Look at the differences in pronunciation:

·         v-uh-kl- ee-oo-chay-n                  (выключен)        (English for “off”)

·         vkl-ee-oo-chay-n                          (включен)          (English for “on”)

If you are not paying close attention, this can be a major screw-up!  Notice the jamming together of the three consonants for “on” versus only two for the word “off” in bold.

In getting around Russia, there are a few words that will get you very far with a few hand gestures:

·         Пожалуйста           (Pronounced “pah-zh-ahl-st-ah”)           (English “Please” or “You’re Welcome”or“ I would like…”)

·         Это                         (Pronounced “eh-tah”)                           (English “this” or “that”)

·         Спасибо                (Pronounced “spah-see-bah”)                 (English “Thank you”)

So, if you are in a Russian store or airport and you want to purchase something, you point to something you want and say, “Пожалуйста Это.”  When the transaction is done, you say “Спасибо,” and the reply is usually “Пожалуйста.” Just that can get you very far.

Two other words to know that can help during the inevitable times of misunderstanding:

·         Извините            (Pronounced “eez-vehn-eet-yeh”)          (English “Excuse me”)

·         Простите            (Pronounced “prohs-teet-yeh”)               (English “I am sorry”)

In listening to the language for a while, and while hearing certain recorded messages repeatedly over the Moscow airport sound system, I think there is a certain Slavic beauty to the language in its consonant blending and vowel blending.  It takes some time to catch on to the beauty of the sounds of the Russian language, but I am slowly hearing it the more I listen.

Notes on Russia 01: Police Bribes

I made two business trips to Russia for a total of approximately three weeks.  These notes are reflections on some of the events I experienced.

We were in a car on the way to work.  We were joking around as usual as good company team members should.  As we approached an intersection, a policeman with a baton quickly signaled the driver to pull aside to the left – he signaled this with his baton.  The driver pulls over.  He opens the door and gets out of the car.

(In Russia, you get out of the car and approach the police, in contrast to within the United States, where one must remain in the vehicle and wait for the policeman to approach the vehicle.)

We noticed that it was taking a long time to figure out what was going on.  One colleague of mine mentioned that something must be very wrong because the driver appeared to be arguing with the policeman.  More time passed, and eventually, the driver got out of the police car quickly, came into our car and told us he had to pay the policeman 10, 000 rubles (~ $320) for a bribe to get out of being accused of a Russian DUI.  He mentioned that the original request for a bribe was 30, 000 rubles (~ $960), but he bargained down the price of the bribe.  He either had to pay a bribe or get his driver license revoked for two or three years.  There is no fine for a DUI, we were told.  He ran to get the money from a nearby ATM.  The ATM was not working, but we found another way to help him out, it turned out.

We are told that in Russia, everyone knows that when the policeman stop a driver and accuses him of a DUI, the sum of the bribe amount is generally known.  However, in the above case, the original bribe was high (30, 000 rubles) because we figure that the policeman may have assumed that since the vehicle we were riding in looked in much better shape than the typical vehicle on the road in that area, we had more money.  The usual bribe for a DUI is around 10,000 rubles, we are told.

Supposedly, this type of behavior is common in Russia.  It happens all over the country.  Many young people in Russia appear to despair at the state of things with regard to the government, such as this type of behavior.