Geopolitical Journey translation and personal opinion

I raised two strategic alternatives with

Romanian officials and the media. One was
the Intermarium an alliance, perhaps in
NATO, perhaps not of Poland, Slovakia,
Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.
(To readers who asked why I did not go to
Bulgaria on this trip, it was simply a matter
of time. I will go there as soon as I can.)
Very interestingly, one official pointed out
substantial levels of cooperation on military
planning between Hungary and Romania and
discussions between Romania and Poland.
How serious this is and whether it will go
beyond the NATO context is unclear to me.
Perhaps I can get a better sense in Warsaw.

But military planning is one thing; the

wherewithal to execute military plans is quite
another
The Romanians are now caught in a crisis
over buying fighter planes.
There are three choices: the Swedish Gripen,
the Eurofighter and used American F-16s.
The problem is that the Romanians dont
have the money for any of these aircraft, nor
does it seem to me that these are the
defense measures they really need.
The Americans can provide air cover in a
number of ways, and while 24 F-16s would
have value, they would not solve Romanias
most pressing military problem.
From where I sit, creating an effective mobile
force to secure their eastern frontier is what
is needed.
The alternative Ive heard was buying naval
vessels to block a very real Russian naval
buildup in the Black Sea. But if Romania has
trouble buying 24 fighters, naval vessels are
out of the question.

The Romanians are approaching defense

planning from a NATO perspective one
used for planning, not implementation, and
one that always leads to sophisticated
systems while leaving the basics uncovered.

Am ridicat dou alternative strategice cu

oficialii romni i mass-media. Una a fost
Intermarium - o alian, poate n NATO,
poate nu - intre Polonia, Slovacia,
Ungaria, Romnia i Bulgaria.
(Pentru cititorii care au ntrebat de ce nu
am mers in Bulgaria n aceast cltorie,
a fost pur i simplu o chestiune de timp.
Voi merge acolo ct mai curnd ..)
Foarte interesant, un oficial a subliniat
nivelul substanial de cooperare privind
planificarea militar ntre Ungaria i
Romnia i discuii ntre Romnia i
Polonia
Ct de grav este aceast i dac
aceasta va merge dincolo de contextul
NATO este neclar pentru mine. Poate
imivoi face o idee mai bun in Varovia.
Dar planificare militar este un lucru,
mijloacele necesare pentru a executa
planurile militare este altul.
Romnii sunt acum prini ntr-o criz de
cumparare de avioane de lupt.
Exist trei opiuni: Gripen suedez,
Eurofighter si F-16 folosite .Problema
este c romnii nu au bani pentru oricare
dintre aceste avioane, nici nu mi se pare
c acestea sunt msurile de aprare de
care ntr-adevr nevoie.
Americanii pot oferi acoperire aeriana
ntr-un numr de moduri, i n timp ce 24
de avioane F-16 ar avea o valoare, nu ar
rezolva Romniei problema militara
presanta.
Dupa mine, crend o for mobile
efectiva pentru a asigura frontiera de est
a lor este ceea ce este necesar.
Din ce am auzit alternative a fost
cumpararea de nave pentru a bloca o
reala acumulare de nave rusesti la Marea
Neagra. Dara daca Romania are problem
in a cumpara 24 de avioane, navale
militare ies din discutie.
Romnii abordeaza planificarea aprrii
dintr-o perspectiv NATO - una utilizat
pentru planificare, nu, punerea n
aplicare, i una care conduce
ntotdeauna la sisteme sofisticate,

Geopolitical Journey translation and personal opinion

This may seem like an unnecessary level of

detail for this essay, but the Romanians are
deep in this discussion, and questions like
this are the critical details of strategies
growing out of geopolitics.

lsnd elementele de baz neacoperite.

Asta poate parea un nivel fara inutil
pentru discutie, dar romanii sunt bagati
adanc in aceste discutii, si intrebari ca
acestea constituie detalii esentiale a
strategiilor inafara geopoliticului

It is the difference between planning papers

drawn up by think tanks and the ability to
defend a nation.

Este o diferena intre documentele de

planificare elaborate de grupuri de
reflecie i de capacitatea de a apra o
naiune.

The Black Sea is a critical part of Romanias

reality, and the rise of Turkey makes the
system of relationships interesting.

Marea Neagr este o parte critic a

realitii din Romnia, i inflorirea Turciei
face ca sistemul de relatii sa fie
interesant.
Turcia este cea de-a patra mare tinta de
export a Romaniei, i unul dintre
parteneri comerciali importani care
importa din Romania mai mult decat
exporta.
Am atras atenia romnilor c acesta
este marele noroc al Turciei, c nu a fost
admis n Uniunea European.
Economia Turciei a crescut cu o rat
anual de 12 la sut n primul trimestru
al anului 2010 si a fost in crestere de ani
de zile.
Turcia devine un motor economic
regional i, spre deosebire de Germania,
Frana i Italia, ofer compatibiliti i
sinergii pentru Romnia.n plus, Turcia
este o for militar serioas i, n timp
ce nu doreste o confruntare cu Rusia, ea
nu este aservit ei.
Turcia a adoptat o strategie de"360 de
grade" de angajament cu toate rile. Si
din moment ce Turcia este membr
NATO, cum sunt Ungaria, Slovacia i
Polonia, nu exist nici o incompatibilitate
cu o dubl strategie de Intermarium i
Marea Neagr. Pentru moment, se
potrivesc.
Iar ironia Romniei de a ajunge
ajunge la otomani priveste doar atat si
nimic mai mult. Aceasta sunt vecinatatile
Romaniei Acestea sunt opiunile pe care
le are.

Turkey is Romanias fourth-largest export

target, and one of the few major trading
partners that imports more from Romania
than it exports.
I pointed out to Romanians that it is the
great good fortune of Turkey that it was not
admitted to the European Union.
Turkeys economy grew by an annualized
rate of 12 percent in the first quarter of 2010
and has been surging for years.
Turkey is becoming a regional economic
engine and, unlike Germany, France and
Italy, it offers compatibilities and synergies
for Romania. In addition, Turkey is a serious
military force and, while not seeking
confrontation with Russia, it is not
subservient to it.
Turkey has adopted a 360 degree strategy
of engagement with all countries. And since
Turkey is a NATO member, as are Hungary,
Slovakia and Poland, there is no
incompatibility with a dual strategy of the
Intermarium and the Black Sea.
For now, they fit.
And the irony of Romania reaching out to the
heir to the Ottomans is simply that and no
more. This is the neighborhood that Romania
inhabits. These are the options it has.

What doesnt fit for Romania is the NATO/EU

Ceea ce nu se potrivete pentru Romnia

Geopolitical Journey translation and personal opinion

system alone. Perhaps this is part of a
rational mix, but it cannot be all of it

For Romania, the problem is to move beyond

the psychological comfort of Europe to a
strategic and economic understanding that
accepts that the post-Cold War world is over.
More important, it would be a move toward
accepting that Romania is free, responsible
for its future and capable of managing it.
It is this last step that is the hardest for
Romania and many of the former Soviet
satellites which were also bound up with
World War I and Hitlers disaster to come
to terms with.
There is a connection between buying more
expensive German cars than you can afford,
and more of them than you need, and the
novels of Herta Muller.
The appointment can be permanently
canceled, but the fear of the interrogation is
always with you. In this region, the fear of
the past dominates and oppresses while the
confident, American-style military planning
and economic restructuring I suggested is
alien and frightening.
The Romanians emerged from a world of
horror, some of it of their own making.

este sistemul NATO / UE n monoterapie.

Poate c aceasta este parte dintr-un
amestec raional, dar nu pot fi toate de
el.
Pentru Romnia, problema este de a se
muta dincolo de confortul psihologic al
Europei la o nelegere strategic i
economica, care accept c lumea postRzboi Rece sa terminat.
Mai important, aceasta ar fi o micare
spre a accepta faptul c Romnia este
libera, responsabil a pentru viitorul ei i
capabilea s se gestioneze.
Acest ultimo pas este cel mai greu
pentru Romania i muli dintre fotii
satelii sovietici -, care au fost, de
asemenea, legati de primul rzboi
mondial i a dezastrelor lui Hitler pentru ajunge la un consens.
Exist o legtur ntre a cumpra mai
multe masini germane scumpe scumpe
dect iti poti permite, i mai multe dect
ai nevoie, i romanele lui Herta Muller.
Sedinta poate fi anulata definitiv, dar
frica de interogare este ntotdeauna cu
tine.In aceast regiune, teama de trecut
domin si apas in timp ce, tipul
American de strategie militara si de
restructurare economic ape care l-am
sugerat este deprate si infricosator.
Romnii au aprut dintr-o lume de
groaz, o parte din ea si-au cladit-o
singuri.

Ei se tem de ei, probabil, mai mult dect

se tem de alii.
Pentru ei, a deveni european este att o
form de terapie i ceva care va
restrnge demonii dinauntru si dinafara.
When you live with bad memories, you live Cnd traiesti cu amintiri neplacute,
with the shadows of reality.
trieti cu umbrele realitatii.
For the Romanians, illusory solutions to Pentru romni, soluiile iluzorii de a vana
haunting memories make a great deal of amintiri capata un adevarat sens.
They fear themselves perhaps more than
they fear others..
For them, becoming European is both a form
of therapy and something that will restrain
the demons within and without

sense.

Geopolitical Journey translation and personal opinion

Reading the article by G. Friedman I would like to have solid

arguments that somehow contradicts his statemants against
Romania at all, of its historical position over time, especially
targeting the world War II and the Cold War, and towards
Romania's geopolitical value in comparison with Germany, France,
Russia, USA etc.. What I think is the position ,,modellino that
Romania has taken at the time of confrontations between,, titans
of the world, is no stranger to that today. I could say with regret
that Mr. Friedman claims share its solutions but found them too
abstract and without contours, I could say that, that's :we all
know'' or at least most of us, did not need someone coming from
another corner the world to repeat it. Perhaps it is the nature of
the Romanian people, after too much practice time as a soldier
would never be able to reach general, to obey anyone who can
assure your existence and carry on the gene, poorly communist''
and resigned his fate, satisfied with a ration of bread and milk.
Referring to U.E. I could hardly say that I found more positive
than negative consequences. Its clear! ...we havent much to say
about it either. But the danger which always led us to this position
,, negligible material, comes from a sense of resignation, of
sufficiency, of humility and lack of patriotism.
II Gender War - Feminism hypothesis
True feminism seeks not to make women the equals of men within
an exploitative system, but to liberate both sexes from

Geopolitical Journey translation and personal opinion

oppression. Women should be paid equally for working the same

hours and doing the same work as men.
All job applications should be considered on the grounds of
aptitude and merit first, gender and ethnicity second.
Men should accept that if women are to be equal to them in the
workplace, they need to step up their game outside it and knuckle
down with keeping the house and raising the children.

III Future Tense - utility cases

GOING TO
The structure BE GOING TO is normally used to indicate the future
but with some type of connection to the present. We use it in the
following situations:
1. When we have already decided or we intend to do something in
the future:
They're going to retire to the beach - in fact they have already
bought a little beach house.
2. When there are definite signs that something is going to
happen:
I think it is going to rain - I just felt a drop.
3. When something is about to happen:
Get back! The bomb is going to explode.
WILL

Geopolitical Journey translation and personal opinion

In other cases, where there is no implicit or explicit connection to

the present, use WILL:
1. For things that we decide to do now.
I'll buy one for you too.
I think I'll try one of those. (I just decided this right now)
2. When we think or believe something about the future.
My team will not win the league this season.
I think it will rain later so take an umbrella with you.
3. To make an offer, a promise or a threat.
I'll give you a discount if you buy it right now.
I promise I will behave next time.