(08-27-2023 03:28 PM)Attackcoog Wrote: Odd---once you eliminate the wheat from the chaff of these Putin propaganda arguments they dont have much but sound bite slogans. You dont think we have any interests there? Fine. The majority apparently can see what you cannot. We have article 5 responsibilities there with NATO and we dont want the Russians thinking taking the Balkans will be as easy as taking Crimea and the Donbas in 2014 (they just walked in that the Ukrainian military was incapable stopping them). There was really very little blow back from that 2014 invasion (another mistake by Obama). This time the Russians fooled around and found out. This is just a dose of what a Baltics invasion would look like---except the West has a massive highly competent air force to add to the battle mix.
The lesson has been administered. I dont think the Russians are all that excited about a Baltics invasion any longer. On the other hand, had we done nothing and just cowered in fear like we did in 2014----and allowed the Russians to take Ukraine in a few weeks---or even a few months---would Russia still think a quick jaunt into the Baltics seems like a bad idea? Probably not. Futhermore----the Chinese are watching. Had we done nothing and Russia enjoyed a quick and decisive victory---you think a Taiwanese invasion would be more or less likely? Any idea where most of the high end chips we use for many of our military's most complex toys come from?
There is one more reason we are aiding Ukraine.
Restricting ourselves to matters of just the western hemisphere is a viable future option for us. Im not totally opposed to that. But, make no mistake---the reason we are the worlds reserve currency is because the US military enforces the American Rules Based Order. The moment we arent doing that anymore, then someone else will fill that power vacuum----and that "someone" will likely become the provider of the world new reserve currency.
There is a lot of simple boiled down truth in what you say. I'm not sure however that the complexities would lend the same conclusions. In reality it all comes down to motives.
I'm curious to know who the real paper tigers are. Russia is like a wounded copperhead. It still has enough nuclear venom to kill you. Same with U.S. only we rattle. The real question is what kind of snake China is. They act like a hooded Cobra, but they do a lot of rattling too. They might be a puff adder, all bluster, or they might be a Taipan. We won't know until they face off in one of these regional conflicts and so far, they've been smart enough not to show what they have or don't have. But they sure as hell have been stealing our designs.
I don't like the Ukraine because it has Biden kickbacks written all over it! Nothing pisses me off more than a sucker punch and I feel like that is what has been done to the American people on this one.
I agree that Putin will rethink a great deal after this. But that as the Zen master says, "We'll see. Could be bad, could be good."
I know this: China is selling the chemicals necessary for fentanyl to those importing it into our country and killing our children. China has carcinogenic products coming into this country whether for baby supplies, foods, medicines, or just junk products. They steal our patents, our designs for weapons systems, and hack our financial institutions and constantly probe our infrastructure for weaknesses. These are all preliminary to a war. Have you considered that the Ukraine situation was exactly developed through Chinese subterfuge simply to evaluate our response so that they can better prepare for it should they make good their threat against Taiwan?
I'll worry about Putin and Nato a bit more when the Dragon starts acting like a trading partner and less like a military planning a first strike.
/
Appears that Ukrainian forces are making a breakthrough in the Zaporizhia oblast
![[Image: adam-sandler-happy-gilmore-i4k5emllmpngl1gt.gif]](https://gifdb.com/images/high/adam-sandler-happy-gilmore-i4k5emllmpngl1gt.gif)
