https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T_-SWTLtbU
A fun little VDO from last summer. If this is true, and I believe most of it is, it would seem China to be a more rational actor. Pick your masters, I guess.
The comments of the VDO read like the comment section of an FP article critical of Beijing. I guess the Kremlin has its own “五毛党.”
https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2018/01/economist-mag-is-wrong-russia-us-war-risks-are-dropping.html
But are they dropping fast enough?
U.S. defense budget 2018: $700 billion, Russia: $43 billion, Taiwan: $10 billion.
The commies have been coming since 1950 so maybe this year is the year.
Twice, within 20 years, the planets two powerhouses had their armies sent home with their tails betwixt their legs, by fighters using hand-me-down weaponry and wearing pajamas and plastic shoes.
All that public money being spent on all the “ooh and ahh” shiny killing machines means nothing but extra digits on defense contractors’ bottom lines.
Why is Taiwan mentioned in the bullet points about Russia?
To be fair, Russia took back Crimea from Ukraine. Can thank to Soviets for that, and other border messes, i.e. Armenia.
Russia, China, and NK seem to be playing a game with the West in general, and the US in particular of “Let’s see with how much we can get away with.” Or, “how far can we push this until there is a reaction?”
Putin is the West’s fault. Abandoning the Eastern European and former Soviet states after the fall of the Wall and SU was a monumental failure that is coming around and biting the West in their collective asses.
It’s amusing seeing butthurt Clinton II supporters resurrecting the Red Menace of all things to try to explain how the perfect candidate could possibly have lost to an orange-haired imbecile:
The first non sequitur of the day!
How does any of that play into the FP discussion here?
Kind of a broad generalization there. I usually get into trouble by the mod for doing that.
Besides, you do not have to be a “butthurt Clinton supporter” to be anti-45, et al.
How does “the top 10 reasons we should be SCARED of RUSSIA!” equate to "THE RED MENACE??
Heh, heh, heh . . .
The defender has the home court advantage.
Napoleon discovered that the hard way.
The only real law is what you can get away with.
Taiwan mentions are likely a server-side bot keyed on your IP address.
I think that would depend more on how big the court is. I do not think the Russian army was too concerned with any advantage Georgia had. Or Ukraine.
It would be interesting to call Moscow and Beijing’s bluffs and install THAAD systems in Eastern Europe, the Baltics, and Taiwan. Otherwise, it is just a return to Cold War Detente policies. A stepped up game of “I’m not touching you!” and proxy wars.
A war with Russia would be therapeutic. Possibly the only thing which will help Clintonistas get over the trauma of blowing a sure thing.
Oh, but haven’t you heard? There is no other option! If you don’t support Hillary, the feminists death sqauds will round you up and do unspeakable things to you! And they’ll start by passing anti-prostitution laws! [end sarcasm]
Sounds…kinky.
Could not agree more. You folks moved factories to China, feed up small red dragon for decades and now i hope you are ready to take a lot of fire from red big dragon. Are you?
How west abonded east europe, russia and particually ukraine is pathetic.
And what is going on with independent Kosovo, an american product. Put it politely i see not much development down there.
Russia military can be 20x smaller by budget but seems you can not ignore em in syria. Neither you can ignore Turks and their little trump. Such a wondeful alliance indeed
After the Soviet Union collapsed, a lot of people got the idea that the Cold War was over. Some out-of-touch types still think that.
Cold War II has been brewing for some time now. I think it’s already started. But China has made the first moves.
You mean the SCS islands?
Good thing the U.S. and Russia are on the same side this time. Wait…
Well at least we’ve still got Turkey as an ally.