By: Patrick J. Buchanan 3/14/2014 09:24 AM In the last stanza of The Battle of Blenheim, Robert Southey writes: But what good came of it at last? Quoth little Peterkin. Why, that I cannot tell, said he; But twas a famous victory. What did it really matter? The poet was asking of the triumph of the Duke of Marlborough Who this great fight did win. What brings back this poem about the transience of glory and folly of war during this weeks struggle over whose flag will fly over Crimea is a wall chart that just arrived from the UN. World Population 2012″ projects the population growth, or decline, of every country and continent, between now and 2050. Most deeply involved in Crimeas crisis are Russia and Ukraine. Yet, looking at the UN numbers, there seems an element of absurdity in this confrontation that could lead to a shooting war. Between 2012 and 2050, Ukraine, war or no war, will lose one-fourth of its population. Eleven to twelve million Ukrainians will vanish from the earth, a figure far higher than the highest estimate of the death toll of the horrific Holodomor of 1932-33. Russia will lose 22 million people, with her population falling below 121 million. Every month between now and 2050, close to 50,000 Russians will disappear. Some demographers believe the UN numbers to be optimistic. Indeed, this writer has seen projections far more dire. Those who warn that Vladimir Putin is trying to reconstitute the Soviet Union might explain how this is going to be done as Russia loses 22 million people, while the former Soviet republics of Central Asia Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan together add 22 million people. How often in history do nations with shrinking populations invade and annex those with surging populations? More Buchanan I believe Old Pat slices and dices this one quite well. What say you?
