Molly McKew: There is no way back. [Part 1]

[Nevilledog]

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Tweet text:

Mike Madrid
@madrid_mike
This is the most powerful essay on Russia/Ukraine and the west I’ve read. This articulates why I think the Cold Warriors have it wrong. This is why you must follow @MollyMcKew - Read this…please.

greatpower.us
There is no way back. [Part 1]
If we want the war to stay in Ukraine, we have to win it in Ukraine.
5:10 PM · Mar 6, 2022

Day 11

If we want the war with Putin to end, we must see why the Ukrainians have defied all expectations — as a government, as an army, as a nation, as a people — and learn to think as they do. We must learn to see not only the risk, but the opportunities that are born from taking those risks that would otherwise not have existed.

We see now the Russian war machine is hollow, and that their war planning is founded on delusion. Again, this creates more opportunity. They are second guessing themselves in the face of Ukrainian resolve. But we talk as if the war is essentially over.

Since the first boom, Ukrainian strategic decision-making was actually about looking for victory — which technically is what strategy is for; strategy is a theory of success in war — and about creating opportunity for something other than just dying quietly in the mud and the rubble. This has given them an incalculable advantage over Russia. And honestly, over us.

We haven’t caught up yet. We desperately need to.

* * * * *

This week — as Putin’s war in Ukraine moved toward a third week; as Russian forces in Ukraine switched to pummeling civilian areas with air strikes and heavy artillery because Putin has never paid a price for violating the rules of war; as Putin’s strategy of trying to force Ukraine to submit via organized terror advanced; as Putin reminded us that his intention is to erase Ukraine entirely — there was still this pretty typical wrong-thinking discussion of what must be done by the West. About how we must “give Putin a win” so he will relent, about how Putin “the trapped rat” must be left with “some way out.”

*snip*

[markie]

1. excellent read

Link to tweet

[Nevilledog]

2. She's really good.

[Hekate]

3. KnR

[femmedem]

4. Powerful thoughts, powerfully written. K&R. n/t

[Cha]

5. Rt TY!

💙💛

[brer cat]

6. Excellent!

K&R

[Blasphemer]

7. Powerful and spot on... nt

[ibegurpard]

8. An argument for direct American intervention

Must also include the context of the American invasion of Iraq and the recent end of two useless decades in Afghanistan. Besides the real fear of nuclear weapons being used we have a public gun-shy about intervention because of those two debacles.

[peggysue2]

9. Wow!

Incredible read--blunt and thought provoking. On the opportunity aspect, I'm reminded of the Russian POW, that amazing interview during which the man apologized profusely but also spoke to the opportunity of profound, wide reaching change for Ukraine and Russia.

I'm thinking we need to get our listening ears on and really listen. And as this essay suggests: Imagine an alternative to the world we think we know, the one that lulls us into old thinking patterns and actions (or the lack thereof).

Ukraine is setting the pace and example for the world. Hopefully, we'll heed the call in time.

The essay gave me chills (the good kind).

[niyad]

10. KNR and bookmarking. For later.

[Solly Mack]

11. K&R

[Hortensis]

12. Molly McKew: Professional influence narrative "architect." She should be good.

Molly McKew is a writer and an expert on information warfare and currently serves as the narrative architect at New Media Frontier, a social media intelligence company. She served as adviser to Mikheil Saakashvili, the former president of Georgia, from 2009 to 2013. McKew is also CEO of Fianna Strategies, a consulting firm that advises governments, political parties, and NGOs on foreign policy and strategic communication. Her articles and analyses have been published in Politico and The Washington Post, among others, and she is a frequent commentator on TV and radio.

Many things can be true at once, and usually are. She can be as good as Mike Madrid says, and the very admiring tone of his recommendation can bear a strong resemblance to other recommendations by other people of other work. She may be just that good, but know your influencers.

This is a 2018 article claiming that when she was having articles published identifying herself as an Information Warfare Expert she was concurrently working as a lobbyist for Eurasian nations with interests in fanning hostility toward Putin.

https://medium.com/@DustinGiebel/molly-mckew-information-warfare-expert-96ce6829df1b

Not such a problem where she's right... Searching her name at Politico turns up a whole page of articles from 2015-18 calling out Putin and Russia's war on the U.S. that I wish more people had read before this, though I'm not knowledgeable enough to mine them for anything that might not be right.

https://www.politico.eu/author/molly-k-mckew/

[Nevilledog]

14. I've followed her for awhile....well worth it.

[smirkymonkey]

13. K&R