Russia! Russia!! Russia!!!

Please don't underestimate Mr Putin. He is very season'd, and does not like to make mistakes. He also knows where he stands with China He is a man of few words, watch his eyes when he speaks, he is no fool. He is in the drivers seat on this one, and With the Duffus that is in office here, we will all be the loser's when this mess is over. Eddy

I'm worried about this conflict (IE: Russia/Ukraine) mostly regarding the United States involvement under her current administration. I'll just leave it at that.. (Our forum is not the place to discuss International-Politics of this nature)

Maybe he wants the farmland. Lots of irrigation and double crop capable land.

Ukraine

56.1% of Ukraine’s 233,062 square miles is arable. Ukraine is the 46th largest country globally and the second largest in Europe with a landscape of fertile plains and plateaus crossed by various rivers. There are three broad zones characterized by different soil categories which include; the zone of Chestnut and salinized soils, the zone of sandy podzolized soils, and the central belt which has very fertile black soil (chornozem). Ukraine is one of the most fertile countries thanks to the chornozem which are full of humus ranging from one foot to five feet thick. Though the chornozem is the most fertile, the other soils are also fertile and arable thus explaining the country’s crop diversity.

You know your dirt Jason , maybe he wants it to grow weed

I don't underestimate Putin, he has Europe in checkmate. Don't think he will invade Ukraine either, just make our deep state and leader look like fools.

Putin's stated goal is to reunite the old Soviet Union including the Baltic states. Ukraine is just the first step. I would not be surprised if he invades and gobbles up the Eastern chunk. Look at Crimea when the world just stood by and watched.

This China/Russia thing has me perplexed. It's a world economy, nations depend upon one another. They destroy us, we destroy them. What's the gain? The United States has rescued the world from despots before, Hitler, Togo, Sadam, Noreiga, the various Kim's, and a whole lot of little puppets. But today the nuclear option is the great equalizer.

I'm worried, but in the end, I think that cooler heads will prevail.

rsv1cox wrote:  But today the nuclear option is the great equalizer.  

I'm worried, but in the end, I think that cooler heads will prevail.

Maybe.

rsv1cox wrote: The United States has rescued the world from despots before, Hitler, Togo, Sadam, Noreiga, the various Kim's, and a whole lot of little puppets.  But today the nuclear option is the great equalizer.  

I'm worried, but in the end, I think that cooler heads will prevail.

The big question now is, would we still have the same level of young individuals eager to enlist in the armed forces like we had during WWII? It's not uncommon to hear stories of underage kids lying about their age or altering birth certificates just so they could enlist. I'm not in the military and no longer have anyone close to me who is, but from how it sounds, morale among our service members is at the lowest it's been in years. Especially after what we saw in Afghanistan.

Jason_WI wrote:Maybe he wants the farmland. Lots of irrigation and double crop capable land.

He could trade natural gas for all the crops he’d want, without war.

My opinion is that he’s a greedy, evil old f****r who has filled all the key positions with his so called friends, puppets or ”useful idiots”. Well, that is not just an opinion, that’s a known fact. Because all that greed and incompetence, the country that is world’s richest in natural resources is going down the toilet. I hate to see that kind of wasted potential! The people of Russia is not happy, but expressing that unhappiness will cause an assisted fall out of a 20th floor window, or maybe something strange in your tea. Or maybe you just get mugged and killed in a place where the security cameras are ”temporarily out of order”. All this has happened several times, everyone knows who’s behind it, it’s so transparent and predictable that it makes me mad

Now this greedy old f****r has realized his own mortality, and that the people of Russia are slipping from under his thumb, so he picks the oldest trick in the book. War, or even the threat of war usually unites the people. Now that most countries in EU just want to live, prosper and generally mind their own business, he needs to provoke the conflict himself. So he invades Ukraine ”for the sake of security”, takes Crimea and so on.

Bob listed a bunch of despots and puppets that the USA has ”taken care of”. It would have been great if you had also taken care of the worst of them all, the one that had more people killed than all the listed little s**ts combined, Stalin that is. I think Churchill had the idea, but by the end of WWII everyone was so exhausted that they just couldn’t. And after they came up with the nuke also in Soviet Union, it was too late.

Kinda sucks to have 830 miles of border common with Russia The Russian people as individuals are mostly good, except the crooks and mob, but generally they are friendly and good workers. It’s just their dictator and his trolls and puppets that I dislike.

The big question now is, would we still have the same level of young individuals eager to enlist in the armed forces like we had during WWII?

I think we do Jacob.  Look what happened after nine eleven.  Lines were out the Recruiters door.  

But morale?  Hit rock bottom during the Vietnam war.  I know, was in at the time.  

As for Putin.  Anyone thought Madman..............?    Who else would risk a world war and nuclear war by invading a sovereign country without reason?  Ukraine isn't going to bother or threaten anybody, and our history is putting out fires not starting them.  As I mentioned, the little ego manic just wants to resurrect the Soviet Union.  

And yes, Patton had it right, let's just join up with the Germans and march towards Moscow.  (Think a democratic rather than a communist Russia/China).  It would be a much better world if that had happened.  Stalin, I have studied him well.  I have no good words.  Gorbachev, the only thinking leader that the Soviet Union/Russia has ever had.  Think Glasnost and Reagan.

It would be a good time to review President Kennedy's speech to the nation during the Cuban Missile crisis, especially the third article.  The present occupier of the White House is no JFK.  

https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/kencuba.htm

As a veteran of the cold war I want to express a few thoughts from my point of view but seriously want readers to NOT take my words as pro Putin.

It is painful to watch and hear Americans with little to no education on American foreign policy from 1600s to present, Even more disturbing is our willingness to elect presidents who also have NO CLUE IMO. This included from both parties.

I lived through the Kennedy years in a military family so had commentary from my father to shape my young mind. Immediately living in three foreign countries during heightened FEAR of COMMUNISIUM and Nuclear WAR: Iran, Taiwan, Chile...way too young in Iran for 14 months but Taiwan and Chile/El Salvador I was odl enough to have a early sense of what was happening despite only AFN / Stars and Strips news ( and a few hours each week listening via Short Wave to Radio Free (insert region here) a USA psuedo Propaganda program that still exists today)

While the US was absolutely NOT willing to have Russian Ballistic Missiles (presumed Nuclear) within 50 miles of US boarders we also were extremely active in ensuring Central and South America did not gain Russian influence. Chile, El Salvador, Panama, all had favorable US relations, but the leaders were being corrupted by communism and the US aggressively influenced Coups to emplace Leader we Liked.

I believe Putin's KGB background has His SOVIET UNION world view fairly well identical to the USA world view. I.E. Nuclear weapons on or near a border represents and UNACCEPTABLE THREAT.

Strategically Crimea and the Ukraine are necessary for Russia to better project Navel power for RUSSIA. Hummm what of USA projecting Navel power globally. We did not ask nicely for our various ports around the globe. Most were won in WAR. Ah you say...BUT WE DIDN'T START those wars....well you would be naïve or under educated in the causes of Stalin, Hitler, Japan's Emperor and I bet very few knew how much or why we supported China when they were invaded by Japan.

I suggest the every first episode of the HBO documentary War In The Pacific. Does a good job of WHY Japan attacked the USA

So why now is Putin acting in his countries best interest? Easy, right now he can probably get 90% of his desires with minimum cost because the EU, NATO, and the Current US foreign policy is deficient in thinking, and Leadership.

And a little NON reported fact is.... The mass exodus of Muslims impacts Russia a lot more than the US. Some European countries, with totally open borders, are just starting to realize the problems and working hard to move this mass of folks along....there are MILLIONS and they promote terrorism in each country just as they do in America.

One last thought. I think Putin will and should invade soon. The WORLD knows Biden Harris are one term wonders. The WORLD knows the LARGE swing back to a strong Conservative and WAR prone Power Projecting USA in a short 2 years away.

Before that happens I believe China with Take Taiwan because Biden is weak and not willing to place 2 fleets from Japan to the Philippians. Our response to China/Hong Kong was feeble at best and instructive to other countries thinking they need to expand.

Some times it is strategic some times it is resources and most of the time it is both.

For a better idea I humble suggest a few hours each week watching SKY News and Aljazeera International news...and a brief catch up on Australian international current events....

UN thoughts

Under Trump our ambassadors to the UN

Nikki Haley, John Bolton( interim as National Security advisor) and Kelly Craft, with a LOT of weekly news

I defy any one to name our current UN ambassador without google

I watch too much news from too many sources...UN news of Russia/China...pretty much crickets this last year

fredvon4 wrote:UN thoughts

Under Trump our ambassadors to the UN

Nikki Haley, John Bolton( interim as National Security advisor)  and Kelly Craft, with a LOT of weekly news

I defy any one to name our current UN ambassador without google

I watch too much news from too many sources...UN news of Russia/China...pretty much crickets this last year

All I know Fred is that she's Black.  I have seen her just two times on the news, seems competent enough.  But this administration's policy of appointing people of a particular race rather than those most qualified has me concerned.  This coming from a person that would have voted for Obama had he been able to run for a third term.  

President Nixons grandson offers that the only thing that Putin understands and respects is strength.  Nixon despite all his flaws, knew politics and the Chinese and Soviets probably better than any president before or since.

I would suggest that the world just beat its swords into plowshares and trade.

roddie wrote:I'm worried about this conflict (IE: Russia/Ukraine) mostly regarding the United States involvement under her current administration. I'll just leave it at that.. (Our forum is not the place to discuss International-Politics of this nature)

Thank you Roddie! You speak with true wisdom.

modelbuilder49 wrote:

roddie wrote:I'm worried about this conflict (IE: Russia/Ukraine) mostly regarding the United States involvement under her current administration. I'll just leave it at that.. (Our forum is not the place to discuss International-Politics of this nature)

Thank you Roddie!  You speak with true wisdom.  

X2

Greenie for mb49.