The clash of civilizations | The new global axis of power?

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Heracleum Persicum
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Re: Ruble Rubble or Dollar Doldrums or Both........

Post by Heracleum Persicum »

monster_gardener wrote:
Wondering what the result would be if President Prince Vlad the Imprisoner of Russia, Crimea etc. Putin decides to go off the US Dollar for petroleum as a counter sanction.....
From Russia With Love : The 10 Richest Russian Heiresses

Colonel, referring to your expert opinion, do they qualify for our "beautiful woman" thread .. not sure ? ? .. hopefully they compensate the look in bed :lol:
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by Mr. Perfect »

It's amazing how few of you have seen this coming.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a6c2e8f6-ab99 ... ab7de.html
Vladimir Putin’s goals reach far beyond the Crimean peninsula.

In the countries of the former USSR Moscow is determined to define the rules, writes Andrey Zubov

Crimea is now occupied by Russia – in violation of all norms of international law and treaties signed by Moscow itself. Russia is rapidly emerging as a rogue state from which even its traditional allies are turning away.

Why did Vladimir Putin take these actions, which are incredible from the point of view of modern political practice? What do the Russian president and his colleagues actually need? Is it really Crimea? Hardly.

Of course, Crimea is a tasty slice of historic Russia – a region with the best resorts, beautiful scenery and strategically important military bases. Whoever controls Crimea controls the Black Sea.

But Russians have always been unimpeded in Ukrainian Crimea. As for the Russian navy base, it never reached its staffing limits. The Moscow establishment was not concerned about controlling the Black Sea; it was preoccupied with stuffing its own pockets at the expense of the people.

The invasion of Crimea cannot be explained with concern for the Russian-speaking people of Crimea either. Russia’s rulers do not even care about their own people, robbing them cynically. Why would they suddenly care about their kinsmen in Crimea? And nobody has oppressed the Russians in Crimea. They are first-class citizens, and the official language in Crimea is Russian. Yes, there are poor Russians in Crimea. But all over Ukraine, the majority of the people live in extreme poverty.

I think Mr Putin’s goals are far beyond the Crimean peninsula. First, Moscow’s rulers are terrified that Ukraine’s Maidan protest movement could replicate itself in Russia. The fate of Viktor Yanukovich, the ousted Ukrainian president, frightens them. They are also frightened by the tough anti-communist spirit of the Maidan. The revolution is taking place amid collapsing monuments to Soviet leaders: Lenin, Kirov, Dzerzhinsky. But in neighbouring Russia, 25 years after the ban of the Communist party, Grandpa Lenin is still resting in his mausoleum on Red Square, his monuments still stand. In Russia, we have a metamorphosis of the Communist order; in Ukraine, a decisive parting from it.

This scares the KGB officers in charge of Russia today. It is also one of the reasons why the Russian media has branded the Maidan participants “fascists”. It is a logic familiar to many older Russians: if you oppose the Soviet Union, you are a fascist. Such was the custom in the Stalinist era; it has been now reborn. And by demonising the Ukrainian protesters, converting them into enemies of everything sacred to Russo-Soviet man, public opinion will surely turn against the Maidan.

Second, Mr Putin is well aware of the Brezhnev doctrine – the principle of limited sovereignty of the involuntary allies of what was then the Soviet Union. The USSR kept its satellites on a leash, the length of which could adjusted according to taste. Now Mr Putin would like to put Ukraine on such a leash, allowing Kiev the freedom to do some things but not others. The decisive factor would be Moscow.

Of course, the big interests of Russia’s rulers in Ukraine, their personal economic interests, weigh heavily. But even more important is the belief that, in the countries of the former Soviet Union, it is Moscow that must define the rules of the game. Ukraine, like Poland in 1981, Czechoslovakia in 1968 and Hungary in 1956, rose up against this principle of limited sovereignty. And the Russians want to bring Ukraine to heel, just as they did with its western neighbours.

Finally, in the context of growing economic crisis in Russia and a long-term loss of popularity, Mr Putin has resorted to a method that is normally a moral taboo but very potent: the unleashing of national chauvinism. In a country that has recently faced degradation and disintegration, a call for reunification with an oppressed people cut off from the motherland by political foul play has the power to mobilise many.

History teaches us that such a move very quickly robs the people of freedom, and leads to deep poverty, spiritual devastation and political disaster. But for politicians, now is often more important than tomorrow. After all, tomorrow for them may never come.

So the occupation of Crimea is only a means for the current political regime in Russia – a means towards goals that are extremely dangerous for Europe, for Ukraine and for the Russian people itself.
When you want to know about Russians and most other foreign policy issues, always ask a Republican. Have yu noticed there are no Democrats to be found theses days.
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Romney Did...... Saw Russia from the Debates ;-)

Post by monster_gardener »

Mr. Perfect wrote:It's amazing how few of you have seen this coming.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a6c2e8f6-ab99 ... ab7de.html
Vladimir Putin’s goals reach far beyond the Crimean peninsula.

In the countries of the former USSR Moscow is determined to define the rules, writes Andrey Zubov

Crimea is now occupied by Russia – in violation of all norms of international law and treaties signed by Moscow itself. Russia is rapidly emerging as a rogue state from which even its traditional allies are turning away.

Why did Vladimir Putin take these actions, which are incredible from the point of view of modern political practice? What do the Russian president and his colleagues actually need? Is it really Crimea? Hardly.

Of course, Crimea is a tasty slice of historic Russia – a region with the best resorts, beautiful scenery and strategically important military bases. Whoever controls Crimea controls the Black Sea.

But Russians have always been unimpeded in Ukrainian Crimea. As for the Russian navy base, it never reached its staffing limits. The Moscow establishment was not concerned about controlling the Black Sea; it was preoccupied with stuffing its own pockets at the expense of the people.

The invasion of Crimea cannot be explained with concern for the Russian-speaking people of Crimea either. Russia’s rulers do not even care about their own people, robbing them cynically. Why would they suddenly care about their kinsmen in Crimea? And nobody has oppressed the Russians in Crimea. They are first-class citizens, and the official language in Crimea is Russian. Yes, there are poor Russians in Crimea. But all over Ukraine, the majority of the people live in extreme poverty.

I think Mr Putin’s goals are far beyond the Crimean peninsula. First, Moscow’s rulers are terrified that Ukraine’s Maidan protest movement could replicate itself in Russia. The fate of Viktor Yanukovich, the ousted Ukrainian president, frightens them. They are also frightened by the tough anti-communist spirit of the Maidan. The revolution is taking place amid collapsing monuments to Soviet leaders: Lenin, Kirov, Dzerzhinsky. But in neighbouring Russia, 25 years after the ban of the Communist party, Grandpa Lenin is still resting in his mausoleum on Red Square, his monuments still stand. In Russia, we have a metamorphosis of the Communist order; in Ukraine, a decisive parting from it.

This scares the KGB officers in charge of Russia today. It is also one of the reasons why the Russian media has branded the Maidan participants “fascists”. It is a logic familiar to many older Russians: if you oppose the Soviet Union, you are a fascist. Such was the custom in the Stalinist era; it has been now reborn. And by demonising the Ukrainian protesters, converting them into enemies of everything sacred to Russo-Soviet man, public opinion will surely turn against the Maidan.

Second, Mr Putin is well aware of the Brezhnev doctrine – the principle of limited sovereignty of the involuntary allies of what was then the Soviet Union. The USSR kept its satellites on a leash, the length of which could adjusted according to taste. Now Mr Putin would like to put Ukraine on such a leash, allowing Kiev the freedom to do some things but not others. The decisive factor would be Moscow.

Of course, the big interests of Russia’s rulers in Ukraine, their personal economic interests, weigh heavily. But even more important is the belief that, in the countries of the former Soviet Union, it is Moscow that must define the rules of the game. Ukraine, like Poland in 1981, Czechoslovakia in 1968 and Hungary in 1956, rose up against this principle of limited sovereignty. And the Russians want to bring Ukraine to heel, just as they did with its western neighbours.

Finally, in the context of growing economic crisis in Russia and a long-term loss of popularity, Mr Putin has resorted to a method that is normally a moral taboo but very potent: the unleashing of national chauvinism. In a country that has recently faced degradation and disintegration, a call for reunification with an oppressed people cut off from the motherland by political foul play has the power to mobilise many.

History teaches us that such a move very quickly robs the people of freedom, and leads to deep poverty, spiritual devastation and political disaster. But for politicians, now is often more important than tomorrow. After all, tomorrow for them may never come.

So the occupation of Crimea is only a means for the current political regime in Russia – a means towards goals that are extremely dangerous for Europe, for Ukraine and for the Russian people itself.
When you want to know about Russians and most other foreign policy issues, always ask a Republican. Have yu noticed there are no Democrats to be found theses days.
Thank You VERY Much for your post, Mr. Perfect.
It's amazing how few of you have seen this coming.
Romney did........

Saw Russia from the Debates ;-)

Unlike the Arrogant, Incompetent, Lazy, LYING, Willfully Stupid Son of a Bitch Eater obama......

mzoQBcVLOCk
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by Mr. Perfect »

We obviously picked the wrong President. I imagine you regret your actions last election.
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Retake Without Donuts........

Post by monster_gardener »

Mr. Perfect wrote:We obviously picked the wrong President. I imagine you regret your actions last election.
Thank You VERY Much for your post, Mr. Perfect.
We obviously picked the wrong President.
Quite Right.

Except to be fair You did not pick the wrong President.....

I imagine you regret your actions last election.
Yes.....

To a degree.

More my inactions........

Really it didn't matter where I voted......

State still went for Romney by a great margin.....

If I had to do it over, I think that I should have contributed to Romney....

Maybe called to encourage him.....

Even if I voted for Johnson as a protest.....

But on consideration, Vote for Romney.....

If I could do it again....

Even so I wonder if it would have mattered........

IMHO Romey choked or took a dive in the last debate.......

With the Main Scheme Media Moderators helping Arrogant, Incompetent, Lazy, LYING obama

Maybe he just got tired.... :roll:

And decided to play it safe......


But this is one reason I say NO Christie Kreme Donuts ;) for Republicans.......

With BridgeGate in the background, I don't trust Christie not to take a dive..

Though if push comes to shove........

I don't want someone who thinks "What Difference Does it Make" when she/he ;) gets a call at 3AM........
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Heracleum Persicum
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by Heracleum Persicum »

.

IMHO, argument could be made, if McCain or Romney would have been elected president, America probably would right now be in worst position than is right now

America became weak after Vietnam war, Khomeini took advantage of that and result was further weakening of America, Reagan & Bush tried to strengthen America, USSR fall gave America a unique opportunity to show "world leadership" but America misunderstood that unique opportunity, W.Bush/Chaney attacking Iraq & Afghanistan leading to fiasco broke the back of American camel

2009 American "elite" realized damage done and decided somebody needed to clean up the mess (created by Bush/Chaney)

If, 2009, instead of Obama, McCain, or later Romney, would have been elected, America might have entered another "quick sand", fiasco, either military action against Iran or be involved in Syria and that would have been the end of American world leadership

During all this time, when you were having fun in Abu Gharib, Putin was bringing mother Russia back from ruin

Right now, Russia, China, Iran, India and and much stronger than when Berlin wall fell and America had a unique position
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by Mr. Perfect »

Heracleum Persicum wrote:.

IMHO, argument could be made, if McCain or Romney would have been elected president, America probably would right now be in worst position than is right now
Absolutely Not. Would have no obamacare, half as much debt, much better economy and and and.
America became weak after Vietnam war, Khomeini took advantage of that and result was further weakening of America, Reagan & Bush tried to strengthen America,
And they succeeded. Sole superpower status. People don't give that to you as a Christmas present.
USSR fall gave America a unique opportunity to show "world leadership" but America misunderstood that unique opportunity, W.Bush/Chaney attacking Iraq & Afghanistan leading to fiasco broke the back of American camel
Not really. Iraq much less casualty than Vietnam, or North Korea. Historically insignificant war.
2009 American "elite" realized damage done and decided somebody needed to clean up the mess (created by Bush/Chaney)

If, 2009, instead of Obama, McCain, or later Romney, would have been elected, America might have entered another "quick sand", fiasco, either military action against Iran or be involved in Syria and that would have been the end of American world leadership/.
No, obama did not wind down anything Bush did, he continued without interruption. And it was obama who wanted into Syria after botching LIbya. obama neocon on steroids.

During all this time, when you were having fun in Abu Gharib, Putin was bringing mother Russia back from ruin
Right now, Russia, China, Iran, India and and much stronger than when Berlin wall fell and America had a unique position
Yes. obama has demonstrated no one respects his "red lines" or promises, along with Kerry. Two weakesy foreign policy agents in our history.
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by noddy »

red lines or blurred lines and lots of twerking.
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by Mr. Perfect »

Ymix says nothing to see here. If there is no press conference with stated intentions then there is nothing to worry about.

http://news.yahoo.com/china-conduct-nav ... 8AUU7QtDMD
China said on Wednesday it would conduct joint naval drills with Russia in the East China Sea off Shanghai in late May, in what it called a bid to deepen military cooperation.
Related Stories

China-Russia to hold East China Sea naval drills Associated Press
U.S.-Japan statement: Treaty covers Senkakus, will work on trade Reuters
Asia seeks Obama's assurance in territorial spats Associated Press
Japan expands army footprint for first time in 40 years, risks angering China Reuters
Obama says U.S.-Japan treaty covers disputed isles, but no new 'red line' Reuters

China's defense ministry did not give an exact location in the East China Sea, where Beijing is locked in an increasingly bitter dispute with Japan over the ownership of a group of uninhabited islets.

"These drills are regular exercises held by China and Russia's navies, and the purpose is to deepen practical cooperation between the two militaries, to raise the ability to jointly deal with maritime security threats," the ministry said on its website.

It provided no other details.

China alarmed Japan, South Korea and the United States last year when it announced an air defense identification zone for the East China Sea, covering the islands.

The Beijing government, which is swiftly ramping up military spending, has regularly dispatched patrols to the East China Sea since it established the defense zone.

China was angered last week after U.S. President Barack Obama assured ally Japan that Washington was committed to its defense, including the disputed isles.

Earlier this month, Tokyo announced it would break ground on a new radar base in the area, on a tropical Japanese island close to Taiwan.
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by Demon of Undoing »

If Romney had won, we'd likely be in a shooting war with Russia and all of the Armageddon talk would be that much closer. The dick-waving has been bad enough with President Punchy and SecState Babbleboy. They may yet double down on bad strategy ( pushing NATO to the Russian border) and get us all killed, but at least at heart, they are kinda chickenshit enough to be predisposed against doing anything difficult.

Unlike Romney or McCain. They have a proven track record of not giving a damn about the strategic realities and being willing to fight to the last guy-that-isn't-them. This is one time where I have to shake my head that the nation is faring better under an incompetent dolt than an incompetent EVIL dolt.

And yes, Virginia, it is evil to start wars of aggression where you have no business being.
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obama too is EVIL.......

Post by monster_gardener »

Demon of Undoing wrote:If Romney had won, we'd likely be in a shooting war with Russia and all of the Armageddon talk would be that much closer. The dick-waving has been bad enough with President Punchy and SecState Babbleboy. They may yet double down on bad strategy ( pushing NATO to the Russian border) and get us all killed, but at least at heart, they are kinda chickenshit enough to be predisposed against doing anything difficult.

Unlike Romney or McCain. They have a proven track record of not giving a damn about the strategic realities and being willing to fight to the last guy-that-isn't-them. This is one time where I have to shake my head that the nation is faring better under an incompetent dolt than an incompetent EVIL dolt.

And yes, Virginia, it is evil to start wars of aggression where you have no business being.
Thank You Very Much for your post, Bezerk Saveant/Demon of Undoing.
If Romney had won, we'd likely be in a shooting war with Russia and all of the Armageddon talk would be that much closer.
Possibly..........

Also possible that The Talented Mr. Putin, President Prince Vlad the Imprisoner, might not have tried anything with Romney as President since IMVHO Romney would not have done a World Apology Tour, Pulled missiles out of Eastern Europe for free, Run his mouth about Red Lines that he was not going to back up in Syria, and ESPECIALLY not LIED so much about obamaCare, Benghazi, the IRS scandal etc., that why should anyone trust much that comes out of obama's Red Lined ;) LYING mouth........
but at least at heart, they are kinda chickenshit enough to be predisposed against doing anything difficult.
Possibly true but they created that Frankenstein call obamaCare... That took work....

Wait! Maybe you are right!.........

Maybe Harry Reid did some work on obamaCare but that 2 legged bitch Nancy Pelosi didn't even read the thing :roll:

Probably obama mostly just LIED about it between golf games....

And I think LYING may be quite easy for obama :twisted: :roll:

Unlike Romney or McCain. They have a proven track record of not giving a damn about the strategic realities and being willing to fight to the last guy-that-isn't-them.
I strongly disagree with McCain's stance on the Ukraine....

Most likely it is too late for the Ukraine after obama's LIES, incompetence and Betrayal.....

But IMVHO McCain is not a fight to the last guy that isn't him.....

McCain has been willing to fight at great personal cost to himself....

Willing to be the last guy to leave the Prisoner of War camp.......
McCain requested a combat assignment,[24] and was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal flying A-4 Skyhawks.[25] His combat duty began when he was 30 years old, in mid-1967, when Forrestal was assigned to a bombing campaign, Operation Rolling Thunder, during the Vietnam War.[20][26] Stationed in the Gulf of Tonkin, McCain and his fellow pilots became frustrated by micromanagement from Washington, and he would later write that "In all candor, we thought our civilian commanders were complete idiots who didn't have the least notion of what it took to win the war."[26][27]

On July 29, 1967, McCain, by then a lieutenant commander, was near the epicenter of the USS Forrestal fire. He escaped from his burning jet and was trying to help another pilot escape when a bomb exploded;[28] McCain was struck in the legs and chest by fragments.[29] The ensuing fire killed 134 sailors and took 24 hours to control.[30][31] With the Forrestal out of commission, McCain volunteered for assignment with the USS Oriskany, another aircraft carrier employed in Operation Rolling Thunder.[32] Once there, he would be awarded the Navy Commendation Medal and the Bronze Star for missions flown over North Vietnam.[33]
Prisoner of war

John McCain's capture and subsequent imprisonment began on October 26, 1967. He was flying his 23rd bombing mission over North Vietnam when his A-4E Skyhawk was shot down by a missile over Hanoi.[34][35] McCain fractured both arms and a leg ejecting from the aircraft,[36] and nearly drowned when he parachuted into Trúc Bạch Lake.[34] Some North Vietnamese pulled him ashore, then others crushed his shoulder with a rifle butt and bayoneted him.[34] McCain was then transported to Hanoi's main Hỏa Lò Prison, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton".[35]

Although McCain was badly wounded, his captors refused to treat his injuries, beating and interrogating him to get information; he was given medical care only when the North Vietnamese discovered that his father was a top admiral.[37] His status as a prisoner of war (POW) made the front pages of major newspapers.[38][39]

McCain spent six weeks in the hospital while receiving marginal care.[34] By then having lost 50 pounds (23 kg), in a chest cast, and with his hair turned white,[34] McCain was sent to a different camp on the outskirts of Hanoi[40] in December 1967, into a cell with two other Americans who did not expect him to live a week.[41] In March 1968, McCain was put into solitary confinement, where he would remain for two years.[42]

In mid-1968, John S. McCain, Jr. was named commander of all U.S. forces in the Vietnam theater, and the North Vietnamese offered McCain early release[44] because they wanted to appear merciful for propaganda purposes,[45] and also to show other POWs that elite prisoners were willing to be treated preferentially.[44] McCain turned down the offer; he would only accept repatriation if every man taken in before him was released as well. Such early release was prohibited by the POW's interpretation of the military Code of Conduct: To prevent the enemy from using prisoners for propaganda, officers were to agree to be released in the order in which they were captured.[34]

In August 1968, a program of severe torture began on McCain.[46] He was subjected to rope bindings and repeated beatings every two hours, at the same time as he was suffering from dysentery.[34][46] Further injuries led to the beginning of a suicide attempt, stopped by guards.[34] Eventually, McCain made an anti-American propaganda "confession".[34] He has always felt that his statement was dishonorable, but as he later wrote, "I had learned what we all learned over there: Every man has his breaking point. I had reached mine."[47][48] Many American POWs were tortured and maltreated in order to extract "confessions" and propaganda statements;[49] virtually all of them eventually yielded something to their captors.[50] McCain subsequently received two to three beatings weekly because of his continued refusal to sign additional statements.[51]

McCain refused to meet with various anti-war groups seeking peace in Hanoi, wanting to give neither them nor the North Vietnamese a propaganda victory.[52] From late 1969 onward, treatment of McCain and many of the other POWs became more tolerable,[53] while McCain continued actively to resist the camp authorities.[54] McCain and other prisoners cheered the U.S. "Christmas Bombing" campaign of December 1972, viewing it as a forceful measure to push North Vietnam to terms.[48][55]

Altogether, McCain was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for five and a half years. He was released on March 14, 1973.[56] His wartime injuries left him permanently incapable of raising his arms above his head.[57]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCai ... ner_of_war
the nation is faring better under an incompetent dolt than an incompetent EVIL dolt.
Doubt that Romney or even maverick McCain would have been as incompetent as obama..... :roll:

But the biggest problem is that obama too is EVIL :idea:
Last edited by monster_gardener on Sat May 10, 2014 1:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by Mr. Perfect »

Demon of Undoing wrote:If Romney had won, we'd likely be in a shooting war with Russia and all of the Armageddon talk would be that much closer. The dick-waving has been bad enough with President Punchy and SecState Babbleboy. They may yet double down on bad strategy ( pushing NATO to the Russian border) and get us all killed, but at least at heart, they are kinda chickenshit enough to be predisposed against doing anything difficult.
Which people notice, adapt to, and use against us. Tale old as time.
obama has a proven track record of not giving a damn about the strategic realities and being willing to fight to the last guy-that-isn't-them, like the extended war in Iraq, Libya, AFG.
Fixed. Not sure why such a gross error got posted though.
And yes, Virginia, it is evil to start wars of aggression where you have no business being.
So 1939. I mean like really, 1939. Like I think we can find almost verbatim words from Neville Chamberlain. Then later that year...

Beam me up Scotty.
This is one time where I have to shake my head that the nation is faring better under an incompetent dolt than an incompetent EVIL dolt.
You must like the world is a battlefield guy who feels he is good at drone killing.

Not detecting the evil in that one, that was always your gross error. He is the most, by far. An error with grave consequence.
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by Mr. Perfect »

ymix says nothing to see here. No press conference, so no way to discern intent one way or the other.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-russian-planes ... wAWzvQtDMD
The commander of U.S. air forces in the Pacific is reporting a significant increase in activities by Russian planes and ships in the region.

Gen. Herbert Carlisle linked that to the situation in the Ukraine. He said Russia was demonstrating its capabilities and gathering intelligence on U.S. military exercises.

Carlisle said there had been long-range Russian air patrols to the coast of California and a circumnavigation of the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam. He said a U.S. F-15 fighter jet intercepted a Russian strategic bomber that had flown to Guam.

He also reported a sharp increase in Russian air patrols around Japanese islands and Korea.

Carlisle said there was a lot more Russian ship activity too.

He was speaking Monday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.
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Re: The new global axis of power

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Demon of Undoing wrote:If Romney had won, we'd likely be in a shooting war with Russia and all of the Armageddon talk would be that much closer. The dick-waving has been bad enough with President Punchy and SecState Babbleboy. They may yet double down on bad strategy ( pushing NATO to the Russian border) and get us all killed, but at least at heart, they are kinda chickenshit enough to be predisposed against doing anything difficult.
So was Neville Chamberlain
Unlike Romney or McCain. They have a proven track record of not giving a damn about the strategic realities and being willing to fight to the last guy-that-isn't-them. This is one time where I have to shake my head that the nation is faring better under an incompetent dolt than an incompetent EVIL dolt.

And yes, Virginia, it is evil to start wars of aggression where you have no business being.
And who exactly has started a war?
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by Heracleum Persicum »

ralfy wrote:The U.S. was already falling apart from the early '70s onward. The reason why most didn't notice is because credit was made readily available, which in turn fostered an economy dominated by consumer spending and increasing power from Wall Street.

seconded

US started falling apart starting with Johnson/Vietnam .. Nixon decoupling Gold/Dollar meant other nations should pay for American (hollow) prosperity (printing money without backing) .. the crooks on WS got the message and fleeced America dry to the bone

.
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by Mr. Perfect »

ralfy wrote:The U.S. was already falling apart from the early '70s onward. The reason why most didn't notice is because credit was made readily available,
When Reagan allowed interest rates to be raised to 20% by the fed, how does that equal "readily available credit"? What are your thoughts.
which in turn fostered an economy dominated by consumer spending and increasing power from Wall Street.
What economy in the world is not "dominated by consumer spending"? Who exactly is wall street and what powers increased, specifically.
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If someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.

Post by Heracleum Persicum »

.

If someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.


A Russian “Asia pivot”

A highly anticipated visit of Russian President Putin to China later in May will provide further impetus to solid and comprehensive bilateral ties, and strengthen cooperation and show a Russian “Asia pivot”.

Geopolitics is changing fast, and the Ukrainian crisis has pushed Russia closer to its eastern neighbors. With the West continuing to impose sanctions against Russia, Moscow’s shift to its BRICS partners, in particular China, seems quite logical. As for China, it is unhappy with the US cherished policy called “Asia pivot” aimed at counterbalancing Beijing and limiting its influence in the Asia-Pacific region. Therefore, in terms of changing the world balance countries are trying to find the strongest partners to ally with, and Russia is one of the most desirable partners that China can have.

US-Russia relations have transformed from sour to toxic, but EU-Russia relations are not that bad, even though EU sanctions and demonization of Russia do indeed harm both economies. Contracts are frozen, bilateral cooperation is suspended, and European countries are desperately searching for gas supplies, anxious to decrease their dependency on Russia, leaving Russia with some “spare” resources to trade.
Russian energy to power Chinese factory

The Sino-Russian relationship has significantly evolved during recent years. For example, the Chinese leader has made Russia the priority of Beijing’s foreign policy, and paid three state visits to Moscow since taking the reins of the Communist Party. His Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, said in March that relations between Russia and China “are characterized by a high degree of mutual trust, respect for each other's interests, and support in vital issues”. “They are a true partnership and are genuinely comprehensive,” he added.

Russia’s trade turnover with China is $88.8 billion per year and it is expected to be boosted to $100 billion by 2015. China promised to invest about $20 billion into domestic projects in Russia, mainly focusing on infrastructure. In turn Moscow decided to renew sales of Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets. In the next 25 years Russia will export more than 700 million tons of oil to China as part of the $270 billion deal between Rosneft, Russia’s state-owned oil company, and China’s National Petroleum Company. Russia's top natural gas producer Gazprom plans to start supplying China with 38 billion cubic meters of gas per year by 2018, which is around a quarter of Russia's exports to Europe. Also Moscow and Beijing are thinking of abandoning the dollar as the payment currency in regional deals.

As President Putin’s visit to China looms, there has been a hive of activity with official visits to both countries. In April the Russian Deputy Premier Arkady Dvorkovich went to China on an official two-day visit in order to discuss energy cooperation and prepare for the gas deal between Russia's Gazprom and China's CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corporation).

China National Offshore Oil Corporation's (CNOOC) oil rig in China's Bohai Sea (AFP Photo / China Daily)

China National Offshore Oil Corporation's (CNOOC) oil rig in China's Bohai Sea (AFP Photo / China Daily)

For more than ten years Russia and China have been trying to reach an agreement on Russian supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China, with both arguing over the price. Now Moscow and Beijing are as close to signing the contract as they have never been, and it’s highly possible the deal would be struck during President Putin's China visit later this month. In the wake of the Ukrainian crisis both Moscow and Beijing should have become more flexible as Russia needs a buyer while China needs relatively cheap natural resources to accelerate its GDP growth.

On April 9 Arkady Dvorkovich said Russia and China plan to boost cooperation in oil and oil products, as well as in coal and power supply. For instance, Russia's top oil company Rosneft aims to triple oil supplies to China from more than 300,000 barrels per day last year. Dvorkovich also said China is also interested in alternative energy projects on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which re-joined Russia in March after a referendum.

“Chinese colleagues who are involved in alternative energy projects, are looking with interest at participating in similar projects in the Crimean republic,” Dvorkovich said.

At the end of the last year Ukrainian President Yanukovich during his visit to China signed a memorandum on building a deep water port in Crimea, which also proposed the development of a special economic zone and reconstruction of Sevastopol port. Chinese companies planned to invest in the development and modernization of irrigation systems, including drip irrigation, introduce modern agricultural technology into Crimea, and develop agricultural storage and logistics hubs. The project also involved constructing a grain terminal at a Crimean port, the construction of an airport, a shipyard, and a terminal for LNG trans-shipment. Whereas Crimea is a part of Russia now, it would be easier for China to discuss the possibilities to develop a raw-material, logistic and maybe even put a naval base there.

One more potential area of cooperation between the two great powers, is helping Russia to create its own payment system, or Russia joining the Chinese Union Pay system. This idea has become particularly acute after the US decided to use Visa and MasterCard payment systems as weapons against Russia. At the moment Russia is working to create its own National Payment System, based on the Chinese and Japanese models.
Beyond energy deals

For sure trade in gas and oil have been the biggest component in Sino-Russian relations in recent years, however, there are many more areas of cooperation. The Russia-China Business Council was created in 2004 and it involves more than 150 of the biggest companies from Russia and China. Nowadays it supports 27 trade and investment projects in 19 regions of the two countries with a total cost of $8.9 billion.

Besides numerous infrastructure projects, China is also seeking to develop cooperation with Russia in the Volga region in the south of Russia, and provinces in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

To promote agricultural cooperation Russian Prime Minister Medvedev ordered Parliament on May 6 to create a special agricultural committee as part of the Russia-China agreement.

Sino-Russian relations are on a high right now. Russia and China have similar or identical positions on the majority of global issues, and are set to continue the close coordination of their foreign political efforts. The West is seen as acting very unwisely, trying to “punish” and isolate Russia, and that in turn is only strengthening the alliance between Moscow and Beijing.

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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by Mr. Perfect »

Ymix's new master lectures Europe. Even goes full Godwin. Europe capitulates.

http://en.ria.ru/russia/20140508/189672 ... gy-in.html
Militant nationalism, which has led to the appearance of Nazi ideology, is raising its head in Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

“Here and there militant nationalism is again raising its head, the same kind that brought on the appearance of Nazi ideology,” Putin said during a meeting with the leaders of Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus.
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Mr. Perfect
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by Mr. Perfect »

ralfy wrote: Note the charts in this article:

http://blogs.reuters.com/rolfe-winkler/ ... s-of-debt/

Debt started rising significantly and savings rate started dropping during the 1980s.
Ah yes, the charts. Very familiar with those charts. But they don't answer the following.

Why would debt increase following record high interest rates? Let me know if you have any thoughts.
"Wall Street" was defined in another thread, together with the "powers" involved.
I didn't see you define those things anywhere yet.
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by Mr. Perfect »

Ymix says nothing to see here.

http://www.businessinsider.com/dempsey- ... nce-2014-5
Pentagon Press Conference Turns Into Heated Debate Between Top Generals From US And China

A top Chinese general Thursday strongly defended Beijing's territorial claims over disputed islands in the South and East China Seas and charged that the U.S. rebalance of forces to the Pacific was encouraging unrest in the region.

Gen. Fang Fenghui, chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army, said "the rebalancing strategy of the U.S. has stirred up some of the problems which make the South China Sea and the East China Sea not so calm as before."

Fang warned that China would respond to any attempts by Vietnam, Japan or other neighbors to assert their own claims over the disputed islands and reefs.

"We do not create trouble but we are not afraid of trouble," Fang said at a Pentagon news conference after meetings with Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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Heracleum Persicum
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by Heracleum Persicum »

Mr. Perfect wrote:Ymix says nothing to see here.

http://www.businessinsider.com/dempsey- ... nce-2014-5
Pentagon Press Conference Turns Into Heated Debate Between Top Generals From US And China

A top Chinese general Thursday strongly defended Beijing's territorial claims over disputed islands in the South and East China Seas and charged that the U.S. rebalance of forces to the Pacific was encouraging unrest in the region.

Gen. Fang Fenghui, chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army, said "the rebalancing strategy of the U.S. has stirred up some of the problems which make the South China Sea and the East China Sea not so calm as before."

Fang warned that China would respond to any attempts by Vietnam, Japan or other neighbors to assert their own claims over the disputed islands and reefs.

"We do not create trouble but we are not afraid of trouble," Fang said at a Pentagon news conference after meetings with Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Don't want to get into detail , but, U.S. rebalance of forces to the Pacific was encouraging unrest in the region .. agitating Vietnam Japan and others, relying on America, to not chose neighborly negotiation but antagonism with china .. in that sense
Gen. Fang Fenghui, chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army is right

.
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Where Are Godzilla & Mothra When You Need Them...

Post by monster_gardener »

Heracleum Persicum wrote:
Mr. Perfect wrote:Ymix says nothing to see here.

http://www.businessinsider.com/dempsey- ... nce-2014-5
Pentagon Press Conference Turns Into Heated Debate Between Top Generals From US And China

A top Chinese general Thursday strongly defended Beijing's territorial claims over disputed islands in the South and East China Seas and charged that the U.S. rebalance of forces to the Pacific was encouraging unrest in the region.

Gen. Fang Fenghui, chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army, said "the rebalancing strategy of the U.S. has stirred up some of the problems which make the South China Sea and the East China Sea not so calm as before."

Fang warned that China would respond to any attempts by Vietnam, Japan or other neighbors to assert their own claims over the disputed islands and reefs.

"We do not create trouble but we are not afraid of trouble," Fang said at a Pentagon news conference after meetings with Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Don't want to get into detail , but, U.S. rebalance of forces to the Pacific was encouraging unrest in the region .. agitating Vietnam Japan and others, relying on America, to not chose neighborly negotiation but antagonism with china .. in that sense
Gen. Fang Fenghui, chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army is right

.
Thank You Very Much for your post, Azari.
the disputed islands and reefs.
What a shame it is that Godzilla & Mothra don't live on those uninhabited islands and reefs* to make sure Depraved Sinful Chaos Monkey Humans don't get into a nuke war over them... :roll:

Image

Image


*Does not apply to the Ryukyu Islands such as inhabited Okinawa which the Chinese also claim.... :roll:

http://www.haohaoreport.com/l/46238
http://www.haohaoreport.com/l/46238
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by noddy »

https://www.news.com.au/technology/inno ... 1a88dff4e0
The US is suddenly no longer the world’s only military superpower. And, in some areas, China may even be ahead. “And oh, by the way, it’s just going to get harder as we get further into the future,” he warned an international affairs forum last month.

It’s already starting to do just that.

China’s new found confidence was demonstrated on Monday when its defence minister, Wei Fenghe, asserted that the assimilation of Taiwan was Beijing’s “greatest national interest” — and that no foreign force could prevent this “reunification”.
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by Miss_Faucie_Fishtits »

Well, let's put this really rich spengler interview here:

https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/10/artic ... -spengler/

Read the sweet smelling lavender-storm in the disqus comments. It's hilarious.....;).........
She irons her jeans, she's evil.........
noddy
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Re: The new global axis of power

Post by noddy »

Miss_Faucie_Fishtits wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 5:59 pm Well, let's put this really rich spengler interview here:

https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/10/artic ... -spengler/

Read the sweet smelling lavender-storm in the disqus comments. It's hilarious.....;).........
wow, layers of turdlets all composting away.

Spenglers rants on China are a tad orientalist nonsense, in his usual provocative manner of mixing some ideas with crass stereotypes.

the rants in the comment section they triggered, are gold.

Still, I think his primary idea wasnt that provocative, the Chinese want the same setup the Americans currently have, collecting rent from the rest of the world for providing the market system.

debatable how much the rest of the world trusts them for such a thing, then again, its not like America is maintaining particularly high fiscal standards anymore either.

On the flipside, its not like they can do worse than the west did in Africa, South America particularly, tho betting the future on those guys getting their lavender together, seems at this stage, a brave move.
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