Not the country to mess with....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25600626/



Again, I ask, why is this necessary?

 

Why dont you venture a guess what Russia is REALLY concerned about.

 

Re: RE: Not the country to mess with....

No it'd be much more interesting to hear your take.

 

Okay, I'll play your game.

Russia knows full well they arent going to be attacked by anyone. Just as North Korea knows the US isnt going to invade their own little septic tank of a country. Just as Iran REALLY knows that the US has no interest in attacking them as long as they would keep their fingers out of other nations' business and go along with a modicum of self restraint and deal with grievances through the UN.

It's about saving face.. since those proposed radar sites are in the former Soviet sphere of influence, it grates on them to have the US seeming to tweak their nose.

How else do you explain the ludicrous statement by Russia that this weeks Iran missile tests 'prove' those radar sites arent necessary... presumably because the missiles tested dont have the range that would make them necessary.

As if...
1. Russia isnt interested in selling them the technology to increase that range
-and-
2. Once Iran got the range extended you could just set up radar warning sites on a moments notice.

no.. it's not REALLY in Russia's interests to allow either SDI or missile warning to be established as workable. And our domestic fellow travelers agree.

Foolish as I am, I once thought that the whole thing was silly. The best thing to do would be to just GIVE Russia the SDI technology... then there could be a drastic drawdown of ICBM through intermediate range missiles.

 

Re: RE: Not the country to mess with....

... my guess is a joint-issue ...
Primarily, Russia doesn't want a member of NATO (something to which Georgia aspires) on their doorstep. If a country is involved in a military conflict NATO will not accept them until said conflict is resolved. Russia is killing two birds with one military stone. By invading the northern, pro-Russia portion of Georgia they embattle Georgia in a military conflict, thusly denying them advancement in their NATO aspirations, and potentially gain back a former part of the USSR, which they're still very bitter about losing (the issue of re-usurping former USSR countries being the latter part of the joint-issue).

In a nutshell ... Russia invades Georgia, stops them from becoming part of NATO and, if they get a bonus, reacquire a former portion of the Soviet Union. Chechnya tactics anyone?

That's my take anyway ... what do we win for venturing a guess? :banana:

 

You win a "Welcome to Reality World" badge!

Unlike Don... whose denial, against all reports, that the Aegis 3 actually works can only bring us to wonder why that is.

Let's put it this way... there are very few events in current geo-politics that aren't in some way connected.
Recently I posited that the US should have got out or changed the relationship in NATO once the USSR gave up. {Don agrees but probably for different reasons}

Since WWII, the US gave Europe a 'defend you' teat to suck on. It created dependencies that harmed international relationships more than you would expect. This is showing up, right now, in Afghanistan where NATO troops are displaying the results.

A. They dont want to be there.

B They dont want to fight if they have to be there.

ALl because they've developed that certain dependency. When what should have been made clear is that Europe was on its own to deal with other European nations.

Meanwhile, the Russians had just been weaned off their own set of teats. And the average Ivan doesnt like the results. HE REALLY liked the idea of getting his livelihood guaranteed as long as he kept his nose clean and his mouth shut.
Not ot mention there's really low morale in Russia's armed forces, not made better by the US succeeding in places where Russia ostensibly failed.
Weapons systems aint everything BUT there's too many instances of Russia's failing ... even against their own defenses. Witness Georgia shot down at least FOUR russian planes.

I'm not downplaying the Georgian fantasy of being able to tweak Russia's nose. It was foolish.
But to act like Russia is able to just roll over anyone who annoys them is ridiculous. As is the idea that we are EVER going to invade the motrherland. Or that a 'shooting war' with the russians would escalate into something far more serious.
They couldnt even subdue Chechnya by military means, fucrineoutloud. They had to use their own terror/black ops.

No.... Russia's playing for pride and everyone's quaking in their boots. Even the idiot PAt {It's all the Joos and NeoCons fault} Buchanan who makes SOME of these same points but REALLY ought to read about the little things that show Russia's hole cards are bluffs.
What Russia REALLY fears is that their client states will get wise that they're wasting their money on buying the top Russian armaments. THAT'S why they dont like the SDI sites. That's what rubs them about the surge... never mind the Iraqi soldiers want ALL AMERICAN equipment.

Not becuase it's necessarily more suitable for Iraq, the Russian stuff in many cases is cheaper, more durable and easier to use, but because they consider the US Military to be the tops in the world. And the IRaqi soldier, Sunni or Shia, wants to be just like 'Joe'. Not the LEAST reason being that the Sergeants in the IA, unlike Russian and Saddams tin army, will play key leadership roles.

Boy I bet that smarts on Red Square.

Any hammer to hold over Europe to stop the chances of their military and weopons being shown up will be displayed. But the ONLY way to motivate the Russian Army into causing us serious damage would be for us to 'invade sovereign Russian territory'.

Aint gonna happen. And ...unlike the insane guy in Iran... they arent going to use nukes to go for broke.