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[–] Gerplunckamo [S] 1 point 0 points (+1|-1) ago 

After all, on most objective grounds, Russia is hardly a great power. It has nuclear weapons, but ultimately these are of little practical value. Continued rearmament depends on money, and Russia’s economy is dependent on oil that is now selling for bargain-basement prices. Russia’s economy is the 13th largest in the world, just between Australia and Spain, about half the size of France’s, about a fourteenth of the USA’s. Even before the value of the ruble collapsed, Russian military spending was around one-seventh of America’s.

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[–] 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.

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[–] forgetmyname 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

When you put it like that, the US could fight a war with russia just to boost its economy!

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[–] Somali 2 points -2 points (+0|-2) ago 

The radiation suit business would take off like never before!

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[–] Somali 1 point 1 point (+2|-1) ago  (edited ago)

Well thank god vox cleared that up. For a moment there I thought Putin was doing whatever he wanted in Syria and Ukraine was being held together by a peace accord he sketched on a napkin a year ago.

On to war with Russia then!

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[–] Gerplunckamo [S] 3 points -2 points (+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.

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[–] KarlWayne 1 point -1 points (+0|-1) ago 

Putin doesn't bluff. You'd think we'd have awoken to that fact by now. If there's one thing that I truly admire in Putin it's how strongly he sticks to his guns. If anyone thinks Putin is bluffing they're delusional.

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[–] TheRealAmalek 1 point -1 points (+0|-1) ago 

Feel free to go to Russia and give Putin a spanking yourself!

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[–] Somali 1 point 0 points (+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.

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[–] KarlWayne 1 point 1 point (+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.

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[–] Somali 1 point 0 points (+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.

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[–] dbag2070 0 points 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.

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[–] KarlWayne 1 point -1 points (+0|-1) ago 

How is it a bluff? They still have a huge fleet of subs, a new generation fighter, an army of tanks, a well armed standing army, and a powerful ally in China. When did they suddenly become weak? I must have missed the disarmament.

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[–] dbag2070 ago 

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

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[–] Gerplunckamo [S] 1 point -1 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.

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[–] dbag2070 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago  (edited ago)

No thats what the article called it. Please read the article.

but it’s still very much a work in progress.