Russian warship makes rare San Francisco appearance

Tuesday, June 22, 2010- SFGate Reports: Russian Missile Cruiser Varyag, a sleek gray vessel that is the flagship of Russia's Pacific fleet (is docked) off the coast of San Francisco.

The Russian military is known to be mindful of its history-

The ship's visit commemorates a nearly forgotten bit of Russian-American history. Czar Alexander II sent a fleet to San Francisco and New York in 1863 during the American Civil War to show support for the union... It was a difficult time for the United States - the British were considering recognizing the Confederacy, the French were about to send an army to Mexico, and the Confederate Navy had ideas about the Pacific.

Yesterday's difficulties tend to parallel today's challenges-
The British and French are recognizing (and some would say being overrun by) Islamism, Mexico is spiraling out of control, and China has ideas about the Pacific.

It is the German philosopher Karl Marx (the grandfather of Russian communism), who said: "Hegel remarks somewhere that history tends to repeat itself. He forgot to add: the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce."

Of no disappointment to Marx, we are reminded of Little Red Riding Hood as Russian Rear Adm. Vladimir Kastonov admires our "very beautiful coast and beautiful city" from the bow of his powerful warship, "including menacing missile tubes that house 16 cruise missiles able to hit enemy warships (or civilian targets) more than 3,400 miles away". Isn't it interesting that the United States is roughly 3,400 miles coast to coast at it's widest point? As the story goes-

Little Red Riding Hood was enjoying the warm summer day so much, that she didn't notice a dark shadow approaching out of the forest behind her... "But Vladimir! What big teeth you have,"

Sources: Russian warship makes rare S.F. appearance, A Russian Silicon Valley? Maybe, Little Red Riding Hood Story, TFP - The Final Phase Forum