War in Ukraine

Sounds like Estonia needs to install some tamper-resistant buoys that explode if someone tries to relocate them. It doesn't take much to sink a Russian ship. Maybe a couple of M-80's would do it.

 

Of more concern is Putin's desire to acquire Gotland Island.

Putin has 'both eyes' on a strategic island belonging to new NATO member Sweden, army commander says

 

Map shows accidents at NATO states' industrial hubs amid sabotage woes

 

Agree that would be of more concern. Though, you have to admire the dark humor of Putin’s covetous desires on others’ territory. He is losing (or at least not winning, which for him is the same thing) a war against a country a fraction of Russia’s size and which is taking place primarily in the land domain, where Russia is at the greatest military advantage. Yet he has the hubris to consider taking on NATO over a relatively worthless piece of territory that would require the greatest efforts in the air and sea domains, where Russia is at the greatest disadvantage. I remember when, though I never liked the guy, I thought he one of the more intelligent national leaders out there.

 

Remember when people were guffawing at Russian cope cages ? Well, here’s an Abrams with a cope cage. Honestly, I didn’t know there were any Abrams left …

 

I heard that NATO was considering building a very large airbase there.

 

I had not heard that, but a “big airbase” on an island can be problematic logistically, especially that close to a contested area. You really want an airbase that is either connected by road and rail network, such as Ramstein, or far enough back that you can safely resupply it by sea, such as Keflavik, Iceland.

 

Yeah, and I am not sure it is necessary given much of Sweden's airbases are probably already concentrated in the SE of Sweden. Militarily though, a very important piece or real estate.

 

Here's another feller I suppose ought to be entirely discredited for dring to talk about the yuan instead of the Renmibi:



Note: Apparent dumbass (per your metric) Steve Frobes.....agrees with YOU! Quite the cunumbra, I'd think, seen as you pegged cred vis a vis this topic, on that OH SO IMPORTANT distinction between the Yuan and the RMB!!! --he doesn't think China poses a real threat along those lines.

Alas, as I don't think he's a dumbss just because he (as I) discuss China's currency in terms of the yuan--and he also agrees with me, as he concludes his video above:

"The best way to counter China...is for Washington to get its economic act together."

I suppose your referring to cred of the country backing fiat currency.

The point is that the dollar is THE world reserve currency due to our historical backing of it, which is evidence of our ability and willingness to support it.

We're already paying >1 Trillion dollars /year just to service our national debt. Tha's more than we spend on our military. IOW, it is already our single largest budget item.

At our current suicidal trajectory, willingness to support our fiat currency, will out of necessity, give way to our inabililty to continue to support it....and the dominos will tumble from there.

Leaving the worlds #2 economy as a viable option, especially as it actively recurits other sizable economies (the othe BRI(c)S, inter alia).

Yes, we agree on that point (bolded)--from the outside--but that assumes we're actualy calling the shots independant of Beijing. Judging from our perpetually suicidal actions, Ima say our whores in DC have dun bin bought h n paid for. In yaun. Or renmibi--if you must.

 

That was solid. Disturbingly so.

Thanks for posting.

 

Fair enough. And I'll conclude my end with simply saying we control our own fate--but we are on a suicidal trajectory, and we seem bafflingly determined to stay on it (which I believe is largely China's prompting).

 

I have a better idea. Simply close all of our foreign bases. Bring all of our boys and girls home. Disgorge them into the private sector. Watch them become the New Boomers.

What about defense ? Why, it’s already more than sufficient. It’s comprised of two benign neighbors and two vast oceans. And it further relies on the marked lack of evidence for the Russians the Chinese and the Iranians running roughshod across the globe as we have …

 

Look, if you want to minimize the importance of not understanding the difference between Yuan and RMB while trying to lecture us about the dangers of China to our holding the reserve currency, then fine. It was a minor point.

No, that was not my point at all. High school economics students understand why the U.S. holds the reserve currency, and anyone with the slightest historical knowledge of Bretton Woods understands the how. The question I posed to you is nested in why China, at least under the CCP, cannot impose the RMB on the world (short of winning World War 3) and have the Party maintain its monopoly on power. The answer is in the Monetary Trilemma as I suggested.


If the U.S. collapses the value of the dollar through its own dumbass fault, then the EU will likely be the big winner, not China.

 

He had an opportunity to preserve his country. He will forever be known as the man who destroyed his country …

 

When you’re losing (and I mean the collective West) all you have is lies …

 

Interesting. As much as we would like to see this war come to an end, the devil is in the details. Is Ukraine willing to cede territory for peace? What says Russia won't just come at Ukraine again and gobble up more territory? Does a post war Ukraine become a NATO member? What will Russia ask for in terms of security guarantees?