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Europe under extreme duress

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
Meanwhile in the Pacific….. Any thoughts?


Among recent developments, work has accelerated this year on more than 100 suspected missile silos in China’s remote western region that could be used to house nuclear-tipped missiles capable of reaching the U.S.
I’m not surprised, China has to stay in the game. I think China is in a bit of shock that the world didn’t simply fall over and let them walk away as “the boss” because of their economic strength. The rest of the world, however, has come to the realization that China has some very substantial internal issues that indicate it is more of a Potemkin Village than lasting, stable market. Add to that India’s rise as the next regional-to-world power with market chops (a money spending population) that can rival China and the entire situation looks very different for China and the U.S.
 

Hozer

Jobu needs a refill!
None
Contributor
@Griz, if the flow of heavy equipment right at the outset would've been perceived as too escalatory, it seems now using the political leverage of genocide/indiscriminate/deliberate targeting of civilians could justify that escalating level of support.

The visits by the UK PM and Austrian Chancellor seemed to telegraph that move.
 

Mirage

Well-Known Member
pilot
Interesting that some NATO nations are crossing the “Rubicon” of supplying Ukraine with hard equipment vice munitions - something that was supposed to trigger WWIII just a few weeks back.

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/britain-sending-mastiff-armoured-vehicles-to-ukraine/
The way it might start WWIII is if Russia foolishly attacks equipment in Poland before it gets to Ukraine. The chances of that happening aren't high I hope, since Russia would have to be pretty bold and stupid to do that, but the verdict is still out on that.
 

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
@Griz, if the flow of heavy equipment right at the outset would've been perceived as too escalatory, it seems now using the political leverage of genocide/indiscriminate/deliberate targeting of civilians could justify that escalating level of support.

The visits by the UK PM and Austrian Chancellor seemed to telegraph that move.
Excellent point.
 

taxi1

Well-Known Member
pilot
Meanwhile in the Pacific….. Any thoughts?

It looks to me like China (and every other country) is learning the lesson that with nukes, you can invade neighboring countries without fear of direct confrontation.
The way it might start WWIII is if Russia foolishly attacks equipment in Poland before it gets to Ukraine. The chances of that happening aren't high I hope, since Russia would have to be pretty bold and stupid to do that, but the verdict is still out on that.
I've been waiting to see what happens when some long range weapon to goes astray and lands outside Ukrainian borders. Surprised it hasn't happened yet.
 

Random8145

Registered User
@Griz, if the flow of heavy equipment right at the outset would've been perceived as too escalatory, it seems now using the political leverage of genocide/indiscriminate/deliberate targeting of civilians could justify that escalating level of support.

The visits by the UK PM and Austrian Chancellor seemed to telegraph that move.
I don't get this concept of "too escalatory" regarding such weaponry. That just sounds like weakness to me. "Escalation" is one of the primary ways you get the enemy to stop. I could see not sending heavy weapons at the start of the invasion due to the belief that they could fall into the hands of the Russians, but not doing so based on the idea that it is too escalatory just seems silly to me. "Too escalatory" would be saying we'll send in the U.S. military to start shooting down Russian aircraft or even directly attack forces inside of Russia pre-emptively before they can cross the border into Ukraine. But otherwise, IMO, the enemy needs to think about not being too escalatory with the United States and NATO overall, not the other way around. Once you start worrying about being "too escalatory with them," you've got a losing mindset.
 

MIDNJAC

is clara ship
pilot
But otherwise, IMO, the enemy needs to think about not being too escalatory with the United States and NATO overall, not the other way around. Once you start worrying about being "too escalatory with them," you've got a losing mindset.

Wholeheartedly agree with the first statement. Unfortunately, I think we are currently doing the second one.
 
Honestly, I don't think this will escalate. I think Russia will end up withdrawing from Ukraine after the sanctions start to affect them badly or if they do win they'll only be awarded paltry concessions in a peace treaty. Not that we shouldn't be taking every plausible measure to defend Ukraine and Eastern Europe, but this definitely isn't a NATO-Russia conflict imo.
 

Max the Mad Russian

Hands off Ukraine! Feet too
but this definitely isn't a NATO-Russia conflict imo.
Indeed. This is USA-Russia conflict. Neither economical nor political but cultural one, the most dangerous of all. Science says that parts of the conflict have to be defined by ultimate possible measures that would be potentially used in the conflict. This time such measures are full-scale nuke strikes. Thus the two parts are obvious.


Russia may play with democracy and even stick with it officially but it is utterly hostile to it from within, always have been and always will be. It may endure the democracy as such but not when democracy borders with Russian soil. That is why the next targets are Poland and Baltics, possibly Finland, as this already have been in history. The ancient, Biblical fear to be free is the core of Russian ethos. This is not simply the rat in the corner, this is the rat in the corner of its own prison cell, a living image inside of almost every Russian. Not too bad generally but a disaster when this man is in military. Whatever he does he essentially saves this rat inside demanding the freedom inside the cell, that same cell, that same ration, that same regime, that same set of rules, since the overriding, paralizing fear is the fear that he will be stripped of his cell.
 
Indeed. This is USA-Russia conflict. Neither economical nor political but cultural one, the most dangerous of all. Science says that parts of the conflict have to be defined by ultimate possible measures that would be potentially used in the conflict. This time such measures are full-scale nuke strikes. Thus the two parts are obvious.


Russia may play with democracy and even stick with it officially but it is utterly hostile to it from within, always have been and always will be. It may endure the democracy as such but not when democracy borders with Russian soil. That is why the next targets are Poland and Baltics, possibly Finland, as this already have been in history. The ancient, Biblical fear to be free is the core of Russian ethos. This is not simply the rat in the corner, this is the rat in the corner of its own prison cell, a living image inside of almost every Russian. Not too bad generally but a disaster when this man is in military. Whatever he does he essentially saves this rat inside demanding the freedom inside the cell, that same cell, that same ration, that same regime, that same set of rules, since the overriding, paralizing fear is the fear that he will be stripped of his cell.

I wouldn't ever think there's any remote chance of nuclear warfare coming out of this. This war is going to be purely economic, unless Putin is actually, genuinely insane. Poland, the Baltics, and Finland are all completely safe, and if there was to be a war it wouldn't constitute a total war.
 
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