[–] Gerplunckamo [S] 3 points -2 points 1 point (+1|-3) ago
I'm cool with that. Putin's bluffing and the rest of the world knows it. The little guy's acting out, and he needs a spanking.
[–] TheRealAmalek 1 point -1 points 0 points (+0|-1) ago
Feel free to go to Russia and give Putin a spanking yourself!
[–] Somali 1 point 0 points 1 point (+1|-1) ago (edited ago)
Yeah, they know it so much they sit aside and let him do whatever the hell he wants and then bitch about how he's making them all look weak. At least Trump will be elected soon and let Putin have his sphere of influence so everyone will be forced to stop bitching.
The article is classic Vox though. It's like reading Ezra Klein call out a Judo master for not being Dolph Lundgren. His nuclear potential is irrelevant... even though vox darling Obama just pissed away a trillion dollars trying to counter it. Half of any military doctrine is defense and nukes play an active part in that. Then they shame him for having a small budget... as if projecting power the way he's been able to at the cost of an F-35 cockpit is somehow a bad thing.
You could at least have the decency to archive vox articles. Even Russian saboteurs wouldn't go so low as to give vox clicks.
[–] KarlWayne 1 point 1 point 2 points (+2|-1) ago
I love that our MSM media keeps promoting the narrative of Russia being weak. It's not like they were able to roll over Syria in less than a month. Let's not forget the whole Crimea/Ukraine situation, they looked pretty strong there too. Remind me again, who controls Crimea? How about Assad? We wanted him out of power so much we funded and supplied rebel groups to oust him. Russia steps in and suddenly Assad is a fucking rock. They spend so much effort spouting this crap you have to wonder whether they are starting to believe it. We would be extremely hard pressed to deal with Russia in a war. Their immensely lower costs are gonna be an amazing boon if we ever go to war with them. Can you imagine trading 100 SU-35's for 100 F-35's, they'd end up $50-60 billion ahead.
[–] Somali 1 point 0 points 1 point (+1|-1) ago (edited ago)
Given the way the F-35 has looked so far they wouldn't even need 100 SU-35's, just one of those jammers they used on Donald Cook.
The cost of US equipment has been one Russia's biggest aces in the proxy war. The main reason Ukraine wasn't armed with anti tank missiles was because they'd have cost 80k a pop to fire. And because they'd be instantly sold off on the black market downstream to the Middle East.
[–] dbag2070 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
But isn't that all part of defense, make every one think you are stronger than you are, at the moment no one is really willing to test Russias strength and that in its self is a win cause it buts time to take the 'work in progress' and finish it.
I'm not saying it is, I was responding specifically to what the article is saying. That's all. I don't know if it's a Bluff but if it is, it's a good one and they are playing it very well. And I'm just pointing that, that would be a good part of defense. Well when your enemy doesn't know what your strength is
[–] Gerplunckamo [S] 1 point -1 points 0 points (+0|-1) ago
Work in progress? Is that what you're calling it? Russia's economy hasn't been this bad since 08. They just had to cut their military budget last year. Its going to grow by .8% this year. Putin has the edge now, but he is burning through money and assets at a rate that just can't be sustainable.
[–] Gerplunckamo [S] 1 point 0 points 1 point (+1|-1) ago
[–] TheRealAmalek ago
If we go to war with Russia... and they start losing they could decide to end the game, then launch all the nukes. Russia can't win vs us, but they can sure as hell stop us from winning.
[–] forgetmyname 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
When you put it like that, the US could fight a war with russia just to boost its economy!
[–] Somali 2 points -2 points 0 points (+0|-2) ago
The radiation suit business would take off like never before!