Posted on 08/09/2008 7:30:19 PM PDT by Ultra Sonic 007
Now, I'm sure almost everyone here has heard of Tom Clancy. I'm sure a number of you also know of various books and video games that carry his name, but are not necessarily completely created by him (story-wise).
I will say that he seems to have an uncanny knack for seeing the future.
Case in point: the plot summary of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, a video game published for the PC in 2001.
Here's the plot summary for Ghost Recon.
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Ghost Recon
Ghost Recon begins in August 2008, with civil unrest in Russia. Ultra-nationalists have seized power in Moscow, with plans to rebuild the Iron Curtain. Their first step is clandestine support of rebel factions in Georgia and the Baltic States. This storyline foreshadows the 2008 South Ossetia War. This is where the Ghosts come in: to silence the rebellion. Armed with some of the most advanced weaponry in the world, the soldiers of the Ghost Recon force are covertly inserted into Eastern Europe and given specific missions to curtail the rebel actions and overthrow their benefactors.
The game's storyline stems from political turmoil that came to light a few years earlier, in which the Ultra-nationalist regime came to power and placed its leader, Dmitri Arbatov, as Russia's president. By 2007, the threat posed by the Arbatov Administration became clear. Russia forms an alliance called the Russian Democratic Union (RDU), which is made up of the previously conquered countries of Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. Together, they launch a campaign to revive the long-dissolved Soviet Union by taking back all of the former Soviet republics.
During the first few missions of the game, the Ghosts battle South Ossetian rebel forces from the north of Georgia, who are harassing the legitimate government and its allies. The Ghosts fight in the forests, on farms, and in villages while assisting their NATO allies in fighting the enemy. Unfortunately, the Russian government complains to the United Nations that the Americans have interfered in their affairs, and eventually they send in their army to aid the South Ossetian rebels. The U.S. cannot hope to stop the Russian Army from invading Georgia, so the Ghosts slow down the invading forces so that their allies can evacuate. Eventually, the Ghosts are all that's left of the U.S. forces in Georgia, and they evacuate by SH-60 Seahawk helicopter on the rooftop of the American Embassy in T'bilisi, just barely avoiding the Russian forces. The Georgian government flees to Geneva and sets up a government-in-exile. Sadly, with the fall of T'bilisi, Georgia surrenders and is forcefully incorporated into the RDU.
After Georgia falls, the Caucasus region is vulnerable to further attacks. The Georgian government, Great Britain, Germany, and the U.S. all protest the Russian invasion, but Moscow ignores this. Russia then focuses on invading the Baltic States on Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. In response to this, the Ghosts are sent behind enemy lines to find intelligence on the enemy attack. Unfortunately, the Russians launch their attack early and overrun the Baltic States within days. The Ghosts then are sent back in to slow the invasion down so NATO reinforcements can arrive from Germany. After cutting off the Russian reinforcements, the Ghosts fight alongside American forces to push the Russian Army out of the Baltics. Victories are won within the next months in Utena and Rezekne, and finally, NATO reaches Vilnius, Lithuania. The city was almost leveled after the invasion, but it is eventually liberated with some help from the Ghosts, forcing the Russian Army to abandon the invasion.
The loss of the Baltic states takes its toll on Russia. President Arbatov is blamed for the disaster and placed under house arrest, starting rumors about a coup de'tat. The Ghosts then run into Russia to free American and Russian POWs opposed to the government. Some time later, President Arbatov is executed. This sparks a rebellion all across Russia that borderlines on civil war. The Ultra-nationalists quickly lose the support of the people, and many members of the RDU are also liberated or quit the alliance. The Ghosts are then sent on a campaign to disable the combat capabilities of several Ultra-nationalist military bases, such as the naval base at Murmansk and the airbase at Arkhangel'sk. They destroy several subs and prototype aircraft, making Russian Forces combat ineffective in Naval and Air warfare. While the Ghosts are striking bases, the Ultra-nationalists engage in battle with American troops and Russian forces that are now opposed to the government north of Moscow. Unfortunately, the Ultra-nationalist forces detonated a nuclear bomb during the battle. This act of terror causes the Ultra-nationalist regime to lose all legitimacy in the international community, prompting an immediate invasion of Moscow.
After the Ghosts succeed in weakening the Russian fighting force, NATO forces launched an assault on Moscow, with the Ghosts spearheading the assault. By this time, the Ultra-nationalists have lost control of most of their territories, and the RDU was effectively dissolves. The remaining Ultra-nationalist forces holed up their tanks, snipers, Spetsnaz, helicopters, and artillery in the wooded areas surrounding Moscow as a last line of defense. However, the Ghosts break through the lines and clear a path for NATO forces. On November 10, NATO forces finally reach Moscow and are joined by friendly Russians. The city was partially deserted, as many Russians fled prior to the attack. The Ghosts were sent in to finish the job once and for all. After assisting NATO forces, the Ghosts attack Red Square. The Ghosts then proceed to wipe out the Russian defenders guarding the walls of the Kremlin. Without any remaining defenses, the Ultra-nationalists, led by Prime Minister Karpin, finally surrendered and both the Americans and the newly-liberated Russians celebrated their victory in Red Square. However, the world would feel the effects of the war for years to come.
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Bolded parts for emphasis.
We haven't quite gone through the whole plot yet, but it'll be interesting to see where the story deviates.
Nothing earth-shattering, so to speak. Just wondering how accurate it'll end up being.
So...how 'bout that Tom Clancy?
That doesn’t do much towards supporting Clancy’s prescience, as China is conditioning it’s citizens to view India and Japan as enemies.
That said, this game’s plot sure does match what many have seen growing in Europe since Putin took control.
Oh, I don’t claim I was first to predict this. I just think there is a good chance it will happen, only with the USA joining China and Japan vs. opposed to them...
I’m not defending him...but gee, do you think he might have changed his mind about that sometime in the intervening 18 years?
I believe you’re correct. They have the manpower, particularly a lot of extra young men.
Georgia should blow up the Roki Tunnel and cut off the Russians in Georgia. Starve them out.
China and Japan have been enemies forever and a day. That won’t stop them from working together if it benefits them.
Not as long as Russia has nukes.
So does China.
As for newer novels and sex, the man has not written a fiction novel since “The Teeth of the Tiger” and that was in 2003. It contained very little interaction between a guy and a girl. You may be thinking of the collaborative writers which basically use the Tom Clancy name to sell a book but he has nothing to do with writing them.
So true. Clancy needs a strong editor. His early books were quite good because he kept the stories moving along, and the Jack Ryan character was a likable, dignified guy. His later books are bloated with superfluous subplots and information. He started going downhill with The Sum of All Fears. That was the first one of his books in which he turned Ryan into a mouthpiece for his politics, and added a bunch of extra material designed to show what a great guy he (Clancy/Ryan) is. I've found that the Ryan character gets more preachy and unlikeable with each successive book.
Nothing has changed since Leon Uris wrote it several decades ago.
I highly recommend it.
That brings to mind the Salang Tunnel Disaster during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salang_tunnel_fire
Did you read the Dragon and the Bear?
Good connection. Maybe a small “traffic jam” can be arranged.
Nothing has changed since Leon Uris wrote it several decades ago.
I agree. I read it twice which is very rare
It a novel and you can learn more in this case than from non fiction
Leon Uris did not get along with the Orthodox Jews
Sex scenes? Are you talking about his Net Force and other small book series? I’m waiting for the next novel. Was supposed to be out in May ‘06, but I read somewhere he decided to re-write it. I heard it was to be released late summer, but not a hint of it anywhere.
Russia has more though. I don’t see how any country invades another nuclear power nation.
The was a scene in the Bear and Dragon when a Chinese woman gets undressed and there is an unusual description of her privates. I thought this was odd for TC.
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