In a world capable of total annihilation multiple times, we are going back into living on the edge. Maybe not regular people, although they have their own reasons to be on the edge: cost of living, health issues, freedoms becoming an illusion, exacerbated fears because of media unless you decide to decouple yourself from most of what's going on outside of your area of comfort.
I haven't followed global events much lately. Yesterday, I heard someone mention Israel attacked a target in Doha, the capital of Qatar. At the time, I remember my first reaction was that this isn't good, but haven't looked into it. In the meantime I have looked into it. PM Netanyahu says on X they were aiming at "top terrorist chieftains of Hamas" there. The other side says they were negotiators, discussing the ceasefire proposal put forth by the US... Oh well, that sounds kind like a well-crafted cover story to me, but still... has Israel gone too far? Are they turning into the Goliath of the Middle East, from David?
However, Netanyahu felt the need to not involve any allies in this and take full responsibility:
Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.
I imagine he took some concerned phone calls for this action.
Early in the morning the next day (if I got the timetable correct from the news coverage), Russia, in its now regular missile/drone attacks on Ukraine, decided to fly almost two dozens of them into Poland's territory. At least that's the NATO scenario. Russia denies it, and says it's an Ukrainian diversion to make them look bad.
If Russia has done it, and they may have very well done it, strange timing coincidence, wouldn't you think, a few hours after Israel bombed Doha?
This is a much juicier option for a speculation than the alternative where Ukrainians are trying to solidify support for their cause by using a false flag tactics, something the Russians are specialized in as well.
So, let's explore the alternative where Russia launched those provocations.
Why... and why now? Well, for many reasons of course, of which we will talk. Why now? Because they had the opportunity where unofficially, probably they wouldn't get condemned for doing it.
So... let's speculate on the why now part. Qatar has been a hot potato for a good while—including among some big Arab countries in the Middle East—being accused of harboring and supporting terrorism. In recent years, it has mended some of those relationships. For example, with the UAE, a neighboring Gulf nation. The United Arab Emirates is also a member of BRICS, an organization with whom Qatar has bilateral relations (apparently, many Arab countries are eager to join that club). China, the strongest BRICS country, took a strong position against the attack on Doha. Isn't it conceivable that Russia found a great timing to test NATO responses by sending a few drones deep into its territory, as a public military counteraction of what Israel did, even if Israel is not in NATO (but perceived as having a symbiotic relationship with the US, the top NATO force)? Qatar is not in BRICS either. So, a sort of testing new boundaries, in both cases, I'm thinking.
What would Russia be interested in, besides flexing their muscles after Doha's targeted bombing. Many things:
- check reaction times of NATO
- check if allies react (and which ones), or only the country that has a potential issue
- check the NATO procedures in this situation: what goes up, when, and from where
- check if NATO would fire on drones
- check how long it takes for the drones to be taken down
- attempt to better spy on certain facilities, if they get close enough
- see reaction post-attack (political statements, military changes, etc.)
If that wasn't enough, Charlie Kirk (I didn't know who he was, but looks like he was a big MAGA supporter with a great influence on the youth) was shot and killed yesterday in the Utah university campus, while having an open-air "Proof Me Wrong" QA session with students. Likely shot from some distance from inside or on top of a building, by someone with skills and an exit plan (shooter still hasn't been caught).
Obviously, America's attention turned entirely on this subject. To some degree, the world's too. No more Russia drones or Israel attack in the news, after that.
As it happens, it is 9/11 today, the day after... Strange coincidences, I would say. But maybe that's all they are. But I sometimes think they are all just geopolitical mind games, and everything else is considered collateral damage.
Another coincidence... At the beginning of the month, at Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Xi Jinping spoke again against hegemony in the world. Sure, the lingering and sometimes upfront accusation is that they want to replace one hegemony with another. Isn't it what has always happened in history? Why would this time be any different?