The Age of Zugzwang

Note: I apologize in advance for the potentially rambling nature of this piece, which is something of a stream of consciousness geostrategic meditation. It’s possible that this is too abstract to be interesting. If so, please berate me in the comments.

I am a great lover of chess. While no more than a middling player myself, I am endlessly entertained by the seemingly countless variations and strategic contrivances that the world’s great players can create from that same, familiar beginning. Despite being an old game (the rules that we know today emerged in 15th Century Europe), it has resisted the enormous amount of computing power thrown at it in recent years. Even with powerful modern chess engines, it remains an “unsolved” game, open to experimentation and further study and contemplation.

One chess adage, which I learned early at my childhood chess club, is that one of the biggest advantages in chess is to have the next move - a sort of cautionary lesson to avoid being overly cocky before your opponent has a chance to respond. A little down the road, however, you learn about a concept that inverts and perverts this aphorism: something which we call Zugzwang.

Very good piece, however, it was missing the option that was ignored when it came to Ukraine. That being for the US to intervene to the point of hammering out a peaceful solution that placated both sides, while simultaneously creating a broader strategic alliance with Russia.

People seem to incorrectly believe that the US still carried the deterrence strength of its military might. But that was weakened severely by our engagement in Vietnam.

Since then nations have come to the realization that all that needs to occur is to sway the American public into not wanting to engage in long protracted conflicts. So, the tactic learned was to keep the fight going at all costs.

This is why getting involved in Ukraine was totally unadvisable. It was a real mistake to get involved in Ukraine and to then turn around and allow the invasion of our nation.

Either utter stupidity, or a designed effort to destroy this nation. I think the latter was the true goal. Deliver this nation to the One World Government architects, before actually defeating the two major stumbling blocks Russia & China, because Donald John Trump had presented them with a very disruptive impediment to their One World Government designs.

But anyway, I truly enjoyed reading his gifted abilities to clearly disseminate his view. I agree with him for the most part, but not completely. Thanks for sharing. 🙂 👍

Zugzwang (kewl word), and Trashcanistan is a keeper also. 🤣

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