Looks like a nice Caribbean retreat. Big satellite dish.
Posted on 07/16/2014 5:09:56 AM PDT by McGruff
Russians do not respect weakness.
As to the Europeans, they are indeed weak and they will soon be playing Russian music on their radio stations..
The US is the only global player that since Stalin was willing to step into the way of the Russian desire to dominate Western and subsequently Eastern Europe.
Without the US running interference and yes, risking a nuclear exchange in spite of the horror of it, Russia will certainly achieve it’s long-term goals. To them, we are the only thing in the way.
The global chessboard has been reset...again.
The “Bear” is stirring from hibernation and what we are seeing now is just the beginning.
You ignore these people at your peril, and what I see now is the same chain of events that led to WWII, but at that time the shoe was on the German’s foot.
The goals were the same, the popular notions and desires were the same. The psychology on both sides is the same. But unless people wakeup, (unlikely) the results are going to be a lot different. Putin is a lot smarter tactically than Stalin was..or Khrushchev. His toolbox has many more tools in it.
In my view the European public and the American public is of the same mentality they were when Hitler saw the weaknesses and tried to exploit them. They are weak, disconnected, and as a result are ignoring the patently obvious and will not act until they have to.
At that point, it will be too late.
In my view, it was too late when we did not act post WWII. Patton was absolutely right. But now we have fear of a nuclear exchange to guide us.
While the Russian’s share the concern, they do not fear it.
“Fear” being the operative word.
Next, Russia will send missiles to Cuba.
They don’t have to send missiles...
They will be on the ship or ships in port. That could also include a sub or two.
When one leaves, another will replace it, leaving them with what they need without send anything but command and control detachment to Cuba in the form of signals intelligence at the base.
It will become a port of call for them and a port for Naval rotation of their nuclear deterrent capability while we worry about armaments at the base....The armaments will be on the ship or ships in port.
It seems to be more of a situation where Obama was not worried about repercussions for interfering in Ukraine, and continuing to do so. Every move Obama takes in eastern Europe, Putin could logically make a move in central and south america.
My point is that the Russians are not an existential threat to us the way the Soviets were, so I am not interested in cold war games that will provoke them. Bringing NATO up to their front door is stupid and dangerous — and unnecessary. It is only natural that they respond in kind.
We have been screwing with the Ukraine for decades. It’s part of our strategic interests to do so. It’s not just the Ukraine. There is also other proxy interventions.
It was done now and then to attempt to prevent exactly what is occurring now, a Ukrainian/Russian puppet government. This has been going back and forth and most recently the US tried to protect it’s interests that became more important after the breakup of the USSR.
What Putin is doing now is winning that particular skirmish and rebuilding the USSR. We have lost the advantage there and at this point there is really nothing to do but send aid.
Critically linked to this move will be additional moves in other Baltic states and then there is Poland...
There were no real repercussions to what we were doing in the Ukraine. At least not to US..
The repercussions are more directed at the people of the Ukraine, Georgia, others..They are cannon fodder.
With this move being successful from the Russian perspective, and it will be, the others state actors will begin to fall in line, especially since the US response initially was weak and worthless. Europe’s response and NATO’s contribution was expected by some but never happened so Putin can run the table now..and he will. He has no real opposition nor is there any real danger of repercussions from us. The West has ceded the game now. It’s happened before.
To assure that the US does not get any grand ideas, Putin is upping his nuclear deterrent with what he has available while he builds more assets at the Baltic ports. This is why the reopening of the Cuba facility is being done now. It’s Command and control for the Atlantic and Gulf assets positioned off the US shores. He will build that deterrent much larger than it is today as time goes by.
The leadership of the US is so weak knee’d and ineffectual that he is exploiting it. Stalin tried this a long time ago, as did Khrushchev. At some point the US response came as a surprise to both of them and the exploits ended and the balance restored.
I do not see that happening now. I see utter failure for numerous self inflicted reasons.
The geopolitical game board is going to change radically in the coming years..unless we change it back. But I’m not feeling good or even mildly hopeful about that.
Game/Set/Match......Putin 2/ US 0
That would be a mistake.
so I am not interested in cold war games that will provoke them.
That sort of tactic is the way the game is played. To avoid direct warfare, you employ proxy fights using other countries, preferably in the enemies back yard.
The age of reason does not apply here.
Like Ukraine and Cuba?
Strategically, the Black Sea is a crappy place to base a fleet. There’s two chock points before the open water of the Med.
Err, that should read : choke points.
Looks like a nice Caribbean retreat. Big satellite dish.
Yes, the black sea ports have some disadvantages but they are defensible none the less. With complete control Of the Ukraine and the rest of the old satellite countries, security of the Ports will not be a issue when or if total security of the passages is needed. The ports are important because of the sheltered facilities and construction assets . The fleet will not be there en-masse...That sort of thing was proven strategically dangerous after Pearl Harbor. We don’t do that anymore either. So it’s not really a issue...IMO.
If you watched the Russian Olympic propaganda, you should have got some sort of sense or feel for what they are about. To them, the reasons that life has been so hard for the population is that they have been held back by the West.
The population generally has been cooked and smothered in anti-US propaganda for generations. They feel they were cheated out of their major prizes of WWII, namely Germany and Poland. They feel the setbacks they suffered were due not to the failure of Communism, but to corrupted leadership failures, that were corrupted by us and they now see a light at the end of the tunnel with Putin.
They are quite willing to live in poverty until the country regains it’s former status as a world power and then all will be back to normal.
Trouble is, they never had a normal. They have always lived under tyranny of one type or another as has most all of Eastern Europe. But their propaganda says that they did in fact have all the things they need and because of us, they lost it. So now they want it back.
In many ways it is similar to the Chinese propaganda that essentially says that foreign invaders took all their wealth but the people finally drove them out and now under the CCP, they are regaining their status.
Coincidently, the Russians and Chinese have been working together at arms length to harass and destabilize the West. Perhaps not so coincident. IMO
Looking at the EU, if the Russians and Chinese were to destabilize Germany, and I believe them quite capable of doing so, the EU would fall apart like a cheap suit. I think this is part of the agenda. But only after the rest of the old USSR has been reclaimed...They would benefit from the contiguous borders and Poland would also be on the shopping list.
Looking at the US, Putin and his agents here obviously see a continuing breakdown of the social structure, and massive debt combined with employment issue up the wazzoo...
Now they see uncontrolled illegal migration, some of which they very well may have created in Central America where they have a strong presence as do the Chinese. Obama greased the wheels, all they had to do was to push the cart to get it moving.
The US is becoming destabilized and Putin will certainly exploit this, as will the Chinese. Those actions are well underway from within and without.
I think it will take a frigging miracle to stop and reverse what is happening.. so I would not be too concerned about a Black Sea Port having choke points.. look not at the magician move the shell with the pea under it, but watch what he is doing with his other hand.
Putin recently spoke from his S. America tour tonight, at a press conference, about this... said he’s no intentions of opening a base in Cuba. Course that doesn’t mean he won’t. Putin rarely shows his hand rather misdirects quite a lot.
Staging base to send their garbage to CONUS
I guess I don’t remember the loss, but I remember the courage to stand up to the Russians. The president who was for America.
I want that kind of president.
....”Since they are not there yet and have much work to do, the positioning of naval assets close to our shores reduce the missile travel time and temporarily fill that need until they have enough assets to do it without the subterfuge they have been using of late..”......
Interesting......and how do you see Putin’s moves in South America. I’d be interested in your opinion.
Thank you.
“and how do you see Putin’s moves in South America.”
The Chinese are all over it as well. I think there are multiple reasons, most having to do with trade. But it sure does not hurt to have allies in the region and there is a tactical gain.
Any sizable trade deal keep us out. It’s a long game and destabilization of the US is a long term goal.
Thank you...
Have been observing Russia and China for several years now.....they’ve both been clearly on the move throughout the world, in trade and also snatching up nations resources. Not to mention increasing their military capability.
Putin especially likes his pipelines.....they hard-wire nations and are not easily overcome, as we’ve seen he can use these as leverage.
Thank you...
Have been observing Russia and China for several years now.....they’ve both been clearly on the move throughout the world, in trade and also snatching up nations resources. Not to mention increasing their military capability.
Putin especially likes his pipelines.....they hard-wire nations and are not easily overcome, as we’ve seen he can use these as leverage.
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