The US has a massive economy, almost 10x that of Russia and they are leveraging that against Russia.
They do, but if everyone in the US was benefiting then perhaps Trump would never have been elected. All the number tricks they use to hide the real facts can work on you or I, but someone who lives there might not believe that when they work three jobs that that counts as three people with three full time jobs...
Have you noticed GarryB the number of Russians who are getting US citizenship? That number has spiked in the last 10 years. The US is giving citizenship to almost every Russian who applies for a US citizenship.
Everyone wants the best for their kids and to live a nice comfortable live... the number spiking is no surprise when you admit the US is giving away citizenship.
Ask Maria Butina about her stay there... was it everything she thought it would be?
Sure others will arrive to a nice place and get a good job and think it is wonderful, but there will be just as many who have a terrible time and just don't fit in and want to leave.
I know a few Americans here in NZ who came here when Bush was in charge because they didn't like the way things were headed, and they are still here too.
Migration is normal and not really a good indicator of anything.
These "newly acquired" Russians are then used by the US to spread social discord across Russia.
Well such things could be described as the US pushing Russia to do better for its people. Russia needs to decide what it wants as a country and work towards that and ignore pressure from the west regarding what they should do or the way they should think.
Just the other day I was watching Russia today rip in to the Pope for some release about gay people and transgender people... which was ironic because they said they didn't believe in more than two genders, but that all people should be respected, and the journalist doing the story turned it into homophobia and hatred and all this crap.
Even here in New Zealand with that Aussie footballer releasing a list of people who will go to hell... it included gay people but also included liars and thieves and athiests, but the media and all the public attention is about it being homophobic.
The transgender and pervert brigade are now as powerful as the Jews... no criticism or denial allowed...
Within Russia the US, UK, EU are spending millions of $$ to buy influence. Some important individuals within the Kremlin are now in the payroll of the West.
Well income for Russian officials should be monitored and tracked and regulated and any attempts to manipulate should be dealt with harshly... ie an EU country tries to influence Russian elections or judicial process and that EU country will find any agreements and contracts and economic ties becomes at risk.
This is one MASSIVE issue that Russia faces. The West/US can easily outspend Russia in this Cold War 2.0
So you aren't going to win by outspending. Track the money and seize it as an illegal bribe... create a resource using those funds for something that benefits all Russians... make examples of those caught... public humiliation and then ban them from any public office positions ever in Russia.
Make it clear from the outset and have an amnesty so those that have transgressed in the past can start afresh, but come down hard on those caught and seize a penalty from their own personal wealth to compensate those they have wronged and look at any changes they have helped make and decide whether their decisions need to be reversed.
I mean no to GMO has paid dividends with food exports earning money now... at the time it would have been easy to give in and say yes because you don't export much food anyway so it wont matter... but it does.
I don't know how Putin/Russia will address this issue, but I've always felt that Russia needs to grow the size of its economy to at least half the size of the US economy.
Yeah, I would not be focussed too much on the size of the economy... I get the feeling that more than 70% of the US economy is smoke and mirrors and makes nothing and does nothing but earn money for a few people who already have too much.
Auslander
Yeah, killing people is like killing rabbits... it is easy to kill them in large numbers over and over but it only take a few to survive and when you stop dealing with the problem the numbers come back again.
Even if all the people in cities are not killed they are in serious trouble because a city is not a natural habitat for anything... it would be like a forest full of lions they would have to turn on each other or starve... and the reality would be a bit of both and it would be brutal.
Out in the rural areas things wont be hugely better because the transport infrastructure will be gone as will be the global market... survivors from urban areas will likely migrate to the rural areas and likely fight for food... but the rural people they kill to take farmland from are the people who grow the food... it wont be pretty.
I did see one conversion kit for an SKS for 30 rounds but it was just an extended 30 round fixed hinged system that you filled with stripper clips.
The stripper clips on my old SKS didn't go into the gun, you positioned in on the clip guide on the front of the bolt carrier and with your thumb slid the ten round into the internal mag and then I lifted out the clip and pulled back on the cocking handle to load the first round.
It was a Chinese copy of an SKS though with the spike bayonet...
Problem is they are playing with a man and a country that can obliterate them in minutes.
We are lucky that man is smart enough to know that if it comes to that we all lose so it is really only an option for them if they see no other more positive choice... right now the west isn't giving them any, but every few years they change the people in charge. Of course the big problem there is that it seems to be the people in the background running the show and they seem dead set on this course no matter who is holding the wheel.
The war that started in 1914 has not ended yet. Vicious and active hostilities were from 1914-1923 and 1937-1954 and since then have calmed down a little in regards to the global shooting war 'ceased' but fighting and the 'cold war' never stopped. Even today, the cold war is still on and the anger and frustration of 'the west' is growing exponentially. On the other hand, we know that the real hands on the buttons know very well that to attack Russia and/or China would be the end, otherwise they would have done it twenty years ago. They didn't so at least someone has some sense.
The sad thing is that it is clear from this history it is possible to change sides... even for countries that have committed the most horrendous crimes like Germany and Japan.
Kissenger had the brilliant idea of befriending the Chinese and using them against the Soviets because the Soviets were seen as the biggest threat.
It is so sad that he didn't realise that if he could snuggle up to communist China to achieve his goals against the communist Soviet Union, then WTF didn't he just snuggle up to the communist Soviet Union AND communist China and there would be no fucking problem.
But politicians need problems... something to rally everyone against on both sides of the political spectrum.
The talk with my father was of interest. I left home at the age of 18 years and one second, after all, I knew far more of The World than that potbellied old man who raised me and kept me fed. I was gone for over twenty years before I contacted my mother when I was back in the States and told her I was still alive. She contacted him and told him just that, I was alive. As we talked I understood he was as much a 'hero' as anyone and had the scars to prove it, but like 99.999% of soldiers, he did what he had to do, survived despite the massive casualties his division took on D Day and Bastogne and fought to the very end. He lost the sight of one eye the last week of the war. I have his Silver Star, Purple Heart, Bronze Star, two European campaign medals and his jump wings plus one photo of him in early '44 whilst in England. My brother contacted me months after he died to tell me and asked if I wanted his medals. If not, he said he would toss them in the trash.
I would like to apologise sincerely regarding any comments I might have made belittling the efforts of the men and women in western europe, I can only say it was in response to those who did the same to Soviet efforts in the same conflict, which is wrong, but I said it to annoy people who had nothing to do with the events claiming moral superiority simply because other people did what had to be done on their behalf.
I would also say that while I have disrespected these people, the people I responded to disrespected them more, but the winners are generally the governments who do everything they can to get volunteers for wars and rush to any war going, but turn a blind eye to the damaged souls created by the bloody mince machine that is war.
The U.S by all indications is already in a State of decline, recent news from the FED about lowering interest rates indicates that financial turmoil is coming.
Nothing more dangerous than a cornered wounded animal.
Overall, from what i can see, the key to Russia and China's victory would be to maintain internal/social stability and continue to develop their own financial/Banking systems (SWIFT alternatives), while simply waiting for the West to collapse within themselves.
Not just that... they need to establish and grow ties with countries outside the west... they might be poor weak countries but solid and positive trade ties can lead them to grow and develop into stronger countries... something the west was afraid of and tried to stop and stymie. Lots of Asian powerhouses today were created accidentaly by the west who wanted cheap labour to make their consumer stuff, but that country has been sensible and used the investment and production to boost education and living standards and have grown despite western efforts... when the wages rise they move on to the next poor country. Some countries flourish and others grow to a point and then stagnate it depends on the leadership... Malaysia and Singapore are good examples.
Granted, situations like that of Iran and Syria would mean that some expeditionary forces will need to be used.
Although, India's maneuvers (if true) are gonna make things tricky.
I don't think India will comply with what America is demanding... they are still buying S-400 and are still imposing return sanctions on the US...
Has nothing to do about bullying, the straight has too much traffic going in and out daily for any training exercises to be held.
They are not doing it for fun.
They could probably close an area that forces shipping closer to their land based forces... then expand the exercise area.
If the US attacks Iran they will close off the waterway anyway... without the need to claim it is an exercise.
Any delays to this traffic will case millions of dollars a day, you think China is going to stand for Iran costing them money?
Burning oil tankers create bigger costs.
What is China going to do?
China will respond, the EU will not stand for it.
Who cares about the EU? They had a chance to keep the deal and they had no spine...
You cannot just block a major traffic lane for any excuse.
I am not suggesting they will block it for fun or because it is Wednesday.
You should be smart enough to realize a UAV. Isn't a ship with lives on it, I shouldn't have to explain the difference to you Garry with this. I REALLY SHOULDN'T.
An Aircraft carrier is a tool of war that uses force to ensure they get their way... as a tool of war it is expendable and losses should be expected.
The US wants to invade the country and topple the government and put a puppet regime in its place that will conform to US wants and needs instead of Iranian wants and needs... they want the same in Syria and Venezuela and North Korea right now... they have actually done such a thing in the past in Iran.
Sinking a US carrier is the least the Iranians can do to say no.
Not sure what communism has to do with this.
Sorry, I am a product of the cold war... communism was the excuse for every violence from the west... now it should be terrorism I think...
This is standard Trump talk make big threats and just that threats.
We aren't going to drop Nukes on Iran unless they do something really bad to make us.
I am against the release of any Nuclear weapons.
Yeah, the problem with threats is that they escalate things... yell at someone that you are going to kill them if they don't do what you tell them... don't complain if they pull a gun and shoot you dead... or sink one of your ships...