The U.S. is "in decline" because of this proxy war just as much as the U.S. was in decline because of its proxy war with somebody or other in Afghanistan in the 1980's. I remember all of the soup lines across the U.S. in the 1990's as our economy collapsed, and the Soviets lorded their triumph over us in the early 1990's as their economy soared and they invented the internet. Yep, a proxy war is the worst thing that you could possibly do, and it generally works out great for the other country. There is little risk of the U.S. getting dragged into a hot war with Russia, unless Russia does something to us to require a military response. We don't want to spend the money or go through the hardships of a hot war for a country that is not in NATO. Russia has lost this war already, in the sense that it will take a really long time to recover from it EVEN IF THEY WIN. Tell your comrade Russian shill military historian that he is not that bright. At least your other comrade Russian shill military historians came up with a Civil War story or two.
Essentially true. I suppose the only hair to split is how we characterize the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.
What's amusing to me about this guy's narrative is that the US has done exactly zero other than provide some training and sent some equipment. So far the draw down is about 20 billion. Which is unprecedented, yes, but let me remind you that in 2021 the US spent over 750 billion on defense. So the US sacrificed about 3% of what they spend in a single year to help Ukraine, and meanwhile Russia has had over 100,000 casualties and lost upwards of 8,000 pieces of equipment. But somehow the US is the one in danger... our whole system is gonna collapse because we spent some money! oh nooes!!!! Global dominance is somehow gonna end because one of our primary geopolitical rivals blew up their own army fighting over some rubble in eastern europe...
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If we spend 100 billion, that’s 3 percent or so of one annual budget to neuter one of our two greatest geopolitical foes without losing a single American in the process, setting the tone for other conntiee who would think about similar actions (China) and strengthen our bonds with western Europe? That would be one of the greatest foreign policy bargains in US history.
I’m sure you read the article, Clem. And the reasons the US will not enter the war *officially* is because: (A) it knows it would get waxed and (B) Americans would have no stomach (good for Americans) for getting waxed. You can conceal proxy war defeats (and the US does) but you can’t spin a hot war defeat.
Ukraine update: Russia's invasion is a mix of new technologies, old tactics, and high body count Update on the war. WW1 style trenches going up all over the various fronts from Kherson to Svatove for both Russia and Ukraine. These are actually somewhat effective in a war where neither side can safely control the skies. Meanwhile, Russia bombing the shit out of Kherson - what was supposedly Russia forever lol. But sure they're just demilitarizing Ukraine.
I mean, chest thumping aside about being waxed... I don't see what the US would gain by sacrificing even a single soldier on the ground in Ukraine. I still think taking control of the skies would be great, but why risk escalation at this point when your rival is destroying themselves?
Precisely, why risk a single life *officially* (Americans are almost certainly dying in Ukraine) in a war you know you can’t win, when you can fight Russia to the last dead Ukrainian ?
I still maintain that the US and their allies would certainly tip the scales in Ukraine. I mean the two sides have fought effectively to a stalemate, you don't think 100,000 western troops with a few thousand tanks and armored vehicles and a couple hundered MLRS, not to mention overwhelming air power would tip the scales?
40+ nations are pouring weapons into Ukraine and it’s being crushed twice over by a small percentage of Russian forces. The US just doesn’t have the ability to contest Russia in its backyard. On the high seas ? Sure. But Russia has no need of facing the US in a scenario that might be advantageous to the US.
The problem is then the war would no longer be confined to Ukraine. It would open fronts literally all over the globe.
Ukraine is one thing, even if armed by 40+ countries. But I don’t think Americans appreciate the titanic task the US would face fighting Russia in its backyard. As memory serves, it took over four months and 300,000 conscripts before it invaded a much weaker Iraq in 2003.
Surprising how this has developed into 20th century/WW2 warfare with trenches and tanks. Maybe Russia can go with ww1 style helmets to protect against airbursts while they are in trenches. “the pace and the scale of Russian construction over the last couple of months is unmatched. All of the structures in the image above appeared within six days. Among the defenses are miles-long rows of concrete pyramids known as dragon’s teethand deep ditches called tank traps. Both are designed to slow Ukrainian vehicles and force them into preset positions where Russian forces can target them. Russia is also building miles of trenches,and pillboxes — small structures for their troops to shoot from.” Defenses Carved Into the Earth
US spends more on military than the next ten nations combined. But real wars are won on the ground. And the US, for all its fancy technology, doesn’t have the goods to fight a peer opponent on the ground.
That is what pootie pie is counting on, that the fear of it escalating into an all out nuclear war will keep us from getting into this fight directly. He has to know damn well that US and NATO forces would make short work of his "mighty" army in Ukraine. As stated, even if it did not go nuclear, they would do their damndest to hit US assets, including the homeland.
LOL the bravado. How would the US and NATO make short work of Russia in its backyard ? Flesh it out for me.
Hilarious. And what would Russia's answer be for the F-35 and F-22? Their aircraft are barely able to keep up with Ukraine's aircraft. Shooting anti-aircraft bullets and tracers blindly into the night sky? And that is just one technology platform that the U.S. is decades ahead of the Russians. I'm sure there are many more. The Kremlin would be turned into rubble on the first night. As the sun was coming up the next morning, flyers would come flittering down from the sky across Moscow, translated into Russian, saying "Any questions?" TV cameras would capture Russians staring slack-jawed at the flyer, and then looking wide-eyed into the camera shaking their head "no", completely incapable of speech. Yes, it would be that bad. We're talking 1991 Iraq War devastation bad. The only question would be could the U.S. neutralize all nuclear weapons before Russia could consider using them, because that would be their only way to strike fear into Americans. The Russian army strikes no fear into anyone anymore, and it's getting weaker every day. The only waxing Putin would be doing to Americans would be waxing our cars on a prison release program after he is arrested for war crimes. He could be like Biff in "Back to the Future". "You missed a spot, Vlad! Shape up!"
