By Major Van Harl USAF Ret
This article was first published on AmmoLand News in March of 2014, fast forward to 2021 and once more it looks like the Russians are on the march.
Wisconsin –-(Ammoland.com)- The Russians are warming up their human content, sausage-making equipment once again. The below column was written in 2014 and sadly I believe it needs to be re-read.
Putin wants Ukraine back and he is massing his troops and military hardware on the Russian / Ukraine border. Back when the old Soviet Union fell apart and Ukraine got its independence from the Soviets, they owned a very large stockpile of nuclear weapons, including ballistic missiles.
The US and the UK convinced Ukraine to give up their Nukes to the Russians in exchange for an agreement that the US and the UK would come to the aid of Ukraine should it ever be attacked. Well, it would appear the US and UK sort of failed Ukraine when Russia moved in and took the Crimean away. As I recall O’bam sent blankets as a source of military supplies to help Ukraine try and stop the Russians. It did not work.
It is believed that the entire Russian military is being readied to go to war. This includes the calling up of all the reserve forces that Russia has. Not an inexpensive task if the entire mission is to “just” scare Ukraine. I would suggest Putin is not going to waste all his petrol dollars on a bluff.
If we have to shift US military assets to the European theater and weaken our position in the Pacific, do you really think China would pass up this golden opportunity to make a “play” in their backyard?
We in the US may find out a lot sooner than expected how our old military draft system will work when we start calling up our young women folk.
As a private citizen you need to think long and hard about how you will function if, during this potential conflict, the US power grid goes down in the middle of winter, as well as all of our online capabilities.
Ukrainian Swamp Sausage making in 2022 could be very ugly and very painful for a lot of unprepared people.
Have You Ever Seen Sausage Made?
First, you have to kill something, a cow, a pig, a lamb, or even a chicken. Then you have to butcher the carcass into smaller manageable chunks of meat. Next, you get out the meat grinder and push the chunks of meat through, to grind it into the consistency of a hamburger. Now you add the spices and other ingredients to flavor the meat to your liking. Once the meat is coated with your choice of flavoring you push that meat back through the grinder again.
This time the meat is injected into tubes (pig guts) and re-formed from a living animal to a shape and consistency you, the sausage maker, and consumer want.
Now think of the Ukraine as sausage. In the 1930s Stalinist Russia systematically starved the Ukrainian people. Those who attempted to escape a slow death would try to hide in the swamps of North West Ukraine. But when you are hungry you do not move very fast and Soviet troops would run the Ukrainian people down on the edge of the Pripyat Marshes.
Some were shot, but to save Mother Russia the cost of bullets many were beaten to death in the swampy waters of that marsh. Beating these emaciated people to a bloody pulp was sort of like the meat being prepared to make sausage. Those few who survived were then re-formed like good little sausage links in the image of their Soviet masters.
Thus was born Ukrainian Swamp Sausage, the living, and the dead kind. In August of 1941, the Germans invaded Ukraine. Many Ukrainians welcomed the Germans as liberators from the Soviets.
Unfortunately, the German SS under Heinrich Himmler had actually taken to heart the previous efforts of the Soviets. The Germans started to chase down the fleeing Ukrainians who, like their forefathers had done for many generations, ran to the Pripyat Marshes to try and escape and survive. German soldiers wanted to save their Fatherland the cost of bullets (how thoughtful) so they too would beat the Ukrainians to death in the swamps, a sort of German blood-sausage version of Ukrainian Swamp Sausage.
In most cases the Germans were not interested in re-forming the surviving Ukrainians into “new” sausage links. It was much easier to beat them to death and leave to bodies in the swamp.
The 22nd SS (Death-Head) Cavalry Regiment would drive the women and children into the swamp. When the water was not deep enough to drown them outright, more bloody beatings-more “swamp sausage”. You can find WWII film footage of German army artillery firing into the swamps and their air force dropping bombs onto the Pripyat swamp. Artillery and aerial bombs would be mechanized meat grinders for the sausage makers.
The systematic starvation of Ukraine by Stalin in 1932-33 was the cause of death for approximately four million Ukrainians. It was called the Holodomor, meaning man-made famine.
What you need to understand was the west quietly knew about the Holodomor but still allowed Soviet Russia to join the League of Nations, because it was all about trade. Stalin starved Ukraine so he could take the grain and sell it for hard currency. He then turned around and used the western money to buy western manufactured goods that he could not get made in glorious communist Russia because their quality of production was abysmal.
And yes, for the sake of money, the west, to include our then progressive president Roosevelt, looked the other way. The fact he had numerous communists within his inner circle [sound familiar] of advisers may have had some influence in this area.
Ukraine has suffered at the hands of the Russians and the Germans and it is going to happen again.
Putin will not give up Ukraine to the west. Also like the grain Stalin sold to the west for hard currency, Putin must sell his oil for today’s petrodollars, or in this case German petro Euros.
When Putin finally sends tanks into Ukraine and starts grinding up the locals into fresh new Ukrainian Swamp Sausage do you really think Western Europe is going to rise up and stop him in the name of humanity? Winter is still on in Europe and the easy living socialists do not want their central heating cut off, due to the lack of Russian oil and gas. What are a few less Ukrainians anyway, especially if it means the lights of Berlin and Paris stay on?
I am sure there is someone in Western Europe who owns a body-bag or casket business, which will prosper in this time of strife. Or I am sure some western company will be happy to sell a large shipment of bulldozers and backhoes to the Russians so they can dig the mass graves that will be needed.
In the US we really do not understand the strategic importance of Ukraine to the Russians but we will start to (maybe sort of) understand as the body count rises. Ukrainian Swamp Sausage production is sadly fixing to commence yet again.
Major Van Harl
USAF Ret
About Major Van Harl USAF Ret.:
Major Van E. Harl USAF Ret., a career Police Officer in the U.S. Air Force was born in Burlington, Iowa, USA, in 1955. He was the Deputy Chief of police at two Air Force Bases and the Commander of Law Enforcement Operations at another. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Infantry School. A retired Colorado Ranger and currently is an Auxiliary Police Officer with the Cudahy PD in Milwaukee County, WI. His efforts now are directed at church campus safely and security training. He believes “evil hates organization.” [email protected]
NOTHING good happens when communism takes over. This is not taught in schools but EVERY TIME communism has been tried it failed and the people were enslaved or worse. See the photo above. Did you notice they were all unarmed? Maybe their firearms were taken just prior to their murder but, more likely, they did not have them in the first place because they were disarmed by Stalin’s hordes years prior. Being armed gives you choices. Between communism, CRT, blm, antifa and other like minded evil people we are likely to see civil war here, in America, on our own… Read more »
Part 1 There are a lot of young people who are smart, well-educated, enjoy outdoor sports, and are extremely pro-2nd Amendment. They are also pro-capitalism and want to see a much smaller, better government with employees who do not abuse the rights of “civilians.” Many are in the top 20% of federal taxpayers. They have read the history of China, the Soviet Union, Germany, and paid attention to what happened in Venezuela. They know who actually makes totalitarianism possible. They despise communism and all other forms of totalitarianism (that includes other forms of militaristic police states). They have studied the… Read more »
I read all 4 of your reply’s and all are true enough. In America this can and does go back to and before the war for independence. In the last 6+ decades, since the time that Khrushchev gave his speech to the United Nations in which he explained in detail how he and communism would destroy the U.S. things have gone down hill at a faster rate. Even a not so detailed look into what was, has been and is being done to destroy America as a nation will reveal the truth of communism, another totalitarian failure, being taught and… Read more »
Thanks for the reply. The number of responses was due to two of them being put on hold. There is a large number of people in the U.S. who have ensured their children have learned about totalitarian regimes. They have ensured they read books about totalitarian regimes in the 20th century. They have had many conversations about Maduro as he came to power. As families, they have had many discussions about the lure of socialism (even when it’s not called socialism – like in the 30s through 60s in the United States). They object strongly to class warfare and recognize… Read more »
Part 2 Many have posted here before about young people being turned into communists by the education system. There are people of all ages who support rights protected by the Constitution and there are people of all ages who are totalitarians. Here is an extremely small sampling of totalitarians who were born a long time ago: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, January 30, 1882 (died April 12, 1945) Lyndon Baines Johnson, August 27, 1908 (died January 22, 1973) Charls Edward Walker, December 24, 1923 (died June 2, 2015) Dianne Emiel Feinstein, June 22, 1933 Nancy Patricia Pelosi, March 26, 1940 Anthony Stephen Fauci, December 24,… Read more »
Part 2 is on hold, but here are some people who were born and educated some time ago:
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, January 30, 1882 (died April 12, 1945)
Lyndon Baines Johnson, August 27, 1908 (died January 22, 1973)
Charls Edward Walker, December 24, 1923 (died June 2, 2015)
Dianne Emiel Feinstein, June 22, 1933
Nancy Patricia Pelosi, March 26, 1940
Anthony Stephen Fauci, December 24, 1940
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr, November 20, 1942
Sheila Jackson Lee, January 12, 1950
Charles Ellis Schumer, November 23, 1950
Well, Part 2 was put on hold and an excerpt from Part 2 was put on hold.
Maybe this will make it through: Charls Walker was born in 1923 and Fauci was born in 1940.
I would add another key element. Divide the people into ‘classes’. That can be economical or social. In our case it is instilling racial division for a start. But also keep chipping away at religious, political, and social differences.
After I posted this I saw seanoamericano’s comment below. Perfect example, in his case hatred for another religion.
Good article on the Ukraine. First the communists then the nazis, but the folks there fought the nazis like devils. Those folks have been subjected to terrible starvation and mass murder by both russia and germany.
Maj Va Harl:
I think you wrote the article about .45 weapons? You commented that you hadn’t seen a .45 rifle. HI POINT makes a .45 cal carbine that is a dandy, and made in Amerika. It also comes in 9mm and .40cal as I recall. Take a look if you are interested. http://www.hipoint.com
Well written sir.
Thank you.
The U.S. needs to send some rifles to the Ukraine people so they can fight back against the Ruskies.
Mere words from Obama and Kerry won’t cut it.
Rifles, tanks, missiles, human support, and lots of food. Take a page from Putin and give huge cash cow contracts to Dyncorp, Triple Canopy, Armor Group, et al.
Yep! Gotta keep that Military Industrial Complex fed, fat, and happy, so we can provoke Russia into a war, I guess.
Regarding Crimea- It has been Russian since Russia was founded. In the 50’s, Kruschev decided it should be part of Ukraine and signed a document making it so. If Biden decided to give part of Texas back to Mexico and signed a document to make it happen, what do you think would happen?
Ukraine is awash in uranium and rate earth metals. It provided most of the fuel for both Soviet reactors and nuclear weapons. I spent quite a bit of time there in the 90’s and they were always offering various REM’s up at great prices.
Worry? Who me? After all we have the spawn of “send ’em blankets” Obama, aka Afghan Joe, as our fearless leader.
I suspect the Ukrainians will lose Crimea, it’s been up in the air since the 1992 breakup of the Soviet Union and the Russians aren’t going to lose their naval facilities on the Black Sea. But if the Russians try to make any demands on the Ukraine’s east bank Dnieper territory the Ukrainians have assets available to them, their own military and the vulnerable Russian gas pipelines traversing their territory. Take them out in the western part of the country, more if necessary. Russian guarantees need functioning pipelines. The EU is caught between a rock and a hard place.
I am not going to say that Russia is a great place but realistically their largest naval base is on the Crimea peninsula. I can not see them giving up their access to the black sea. If Germany some day decided to throw a revolution and become communist I am sure we would have troops in there in a heart beat to protect our military bases.
Shades of Katyn Forrest.
Not our fight. The Ukrainians have found a unique place in world history by always siding against God’s Chosen People. Reap. Sow. This is not our fight. Ukraine is not worth one drop of American blood. I don’t care how many neocons stamp their feet. Not our fight.
I agree with you sir, it’s not our fight and we must be careful not to get drawn into it. At this point all the Ukrainians are asking for is equipment and I say give it to them. I’m sure the other Nato countries that assured them we would “Protect” them from Russia aren’t going to do anything. I would surprise me if France wasn’t already preparing to surrender.
Whether Ukrainian is worth American sacrifice is a good question. Meanwhile, Ukrainians elected a Jewish PM, Volodomir Zelinskiy. You should learn more history, before you paint the people with such a broad brush.
The Bolsheviks were almosty entirely jewish. Their cheka murdered 60 million Christians. Putin did away with the last ogliarchs. This coup is central bankers attempting to get back in. The enemy is these bankers.
Modern Russia is not our fathers’ Soviet Union. As our “leaders” have done so many times in the last hundred or so years with various countries, we seem hell-bent on provoking Russia into a major conflict.
While it has become cliche’, it is no less true the sarcastic meme that it should be obvious that Russia is the aggressor. If you doubt that, look at a map and see how Russia put its borders close to so many of our military bases.
The U.S. should sell (not give) the Ukraine the items they need.
Switzerland and Saudi Arabia can give money to the Ukraine to pay for it. Both those countries are wealthy and have done very little for “world peace.”
We need to stop being chumps – we can’t afford it and the people who pay the taxes (those 20% who earn the most) are tired of funding these adventures.
Retired general is on cable TV making the case for U.S. involvement.
Hard to justify a huge, expensive, inefficient, wasteful, top-heavy military if they don’t get involved in a conflict.
If there is no huge military, it’s hard to justify a lot of colonels and generals.
If you don’t make general, it’s hard to land one of those sweet board seats for a defense industry corporation or a consulting gig as payback for what you did while “wearing the uniform” to get them more business.