The Return of the Soviet Union?

[Jahled]

We can thank Reagan for more or less bankrupting the Soviet system and making wiser heads in Russia realize it couldn't compete with free market economies, despite it's rather huge military spending. It's GDP couldn't cope.

I think China learned that lesson; that'll be the next tough nut to crack

 

I think something that is somewhat overlooked is the fact that both Taiwan and South Korea have huge military standing arsenal's. Combined with the United States' mobile battle groups, I don't see how China could possibly overcome a combined military stance against them. There are also the 'wild cards' such as India, Thailand, and the sleeping military regional giant, Japan. For China to take any aggressive military action in Asia, it would instantly compromise it's borders. India already has fought the Chinese to a stand still during one war, is now armed with nuclear missiles, and has very major issues with the Chinese concerning their dam-projects, which as well as sinking it's neighbour Bangladesh and causing an immigration problem, is causing an environmental problem within India itself. China has spent decades sponsoring various lunatic Maoist groups within India itself, remember, so even if it is not now, there is still little love loss for the trouble these pockets of hate have been causing trouble. Nepal is still a mess because of Chinese engineered Maoist insurgency in the past, still haunting it today. A combined effort against China by these bordering nations would be to much for China to overcome, and simply wreck the economic progress it has made since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Why would it risk all that, and such regional instability? At the very least all such a confrontation would do is cause the Chinese people themselves to overthrow the communist system.

 

Curiously, consider the six nations that possess aircraft carriers in our world: the United States (off the scale with about thirteen super carriers), France with one, the UK with two, (and one more moth balled), and two semi-super carriers being built, Brazil with one, Thailand with one, and India with one. The latter two speak volumes about the region. When the Queen Elizabeth and the Prince of Wales come into service that will be two carriers needing new homes. The Chinese, off the top of my head, bought some Russian relic, for 'research purposes,' or something similar, but are as yet completely reliant on air power from their own airfields, which whilst the largest air force in the world, is going to be overcome by superior aircraft arranged against it, en masse. It's Navy leaves a lot to be desired as well. Hence, I genuinely don't have an immediate concern for China acting on it's frequent bellicose reterict concerning the will of the Taiwanese people in officially declaring an independent republic, after all these years. China has learnt from watching Communism crumble elsewhere, and seems these days like a simply much more authoritarian version of democratic Russia, it still being a one-party fascist state.

 

As for the American missiles in Eastern Europe, I think SOCL took care of that.

 

Otherwise, I say pull 'em and let Europe fend for themselves. The EU is a big boy now and quite capable of taking care of itself (if that's what they really want).

I think half the problem here is Russia has so many new borders with volatile states and regions these days. The vast majority of Russia borders Asia, not Europe, with dictators who are clearly mad enough to rename months of the year after their mothers, ban beards etc, with the ever present threat of Islamic muppets bubbling under all. I think Russia is obviously nervous. There is no way on earth it can genuinely feel threatened by the rest of Europe about to invade it, despite virtually an entire century of Europe being screwed over by it's expansionism. All two world wars did was devastate Europe, in the midst of which create the horror of Hitler, and the slaughter of millions. Given the prosperity of Europe, and that being felt now in Russia, it is doing little more than 'acting the big guy,' from dead memories of a pointless cold war stance of old.

 

Let us ignore Russia concerning the missile shield. Nothing is going to become of it. It is empty rhetoric. I welcome the continued American military presence in Europe for the time being. It won us the cold war, and me having to either live in a post apocalyptic waste land or addressing everyone as comrade.

[Jahled]

Perhaps oil and gas?

 

Given Russia has far more reserves in either to be getting on with, why go to war and subsequently be destroyed securing more invading Alaska?

[Defender_16]

Russia is far more interested in secuing the Arctic Ocean than with anything to do with Alaska.

 

*Drops another titanium encased flag into the ocean*

[DarthTex]

As for the American missiles in Eastern Europe, I think SOCL took care of that. Otherwise, I say pull 'em and let Europe fend for themselves. The EU is a big boy now and quite capable of taking care of itself (if that's what they really want).

Than finally pull all your troops out of any european country, especially of germany. We don´t need them anymore here after the cold war is over. Thanks for the help. But those garrisons are much too important for any US-Governments.

I would agree with you on that Eagle, but unfortunately the PTB (powers that be; the European governments) don't. The local economies would take severe hits should the inflow of American dollars ($) cease. The hundreds of millions of dollars that get spent on housing, gas, food, transportation, and the dozens of service industries by American military personnel and their families would bring economical turmoil to the region.

 

I'd rather have that money spent either here in the US or redirected to other domestic projects. But, I'm willing to accept it because it makes other countries leaders (Khadify in Libya for example) think twice if they know American military forces are stationed nearby. It's a huge responsibility that the US is willing to take to make the world a better place to live for everyone.

[Jahled]

Edit:

As for the American missiles in Eastern Europe, I think SOCL took care of that. Otherwise, I say pull 'em and let Europe fend for themselves. The EU is a big boy now and quite capable of taking care of itself (if that's what they really want).

Than finally pull all your troops out of any European country, especially of Germany. We don´t need them anymore here after the cold war is over. Thanks for the help. But those garrisons are much too important for any US-Governments.

 

I would actually disagree with this statement, Eagle dude. Whilst the threat of immanent Soviet invasion may have receded, I welcome the presence of the United States military on my soil at least, as do a number of our Eastern European neighbours, be it for other reasons with their memories of Communism.

 

During the nineties Serbian nationalism got seriously out of hand with the breakup of Yugoslavia, with thousands of innocent people being murdered. When the international community decided upon affirmative action to try and hault the extermination of Bosnian Muslims by the Serbs, the United States yet again took the lead. No oil in Bosnia remember. The existence of US military bases in Europe without question made the logistics of the campaign to end the atrocities in Bosnia much easier.

[Eagle]

I agree with you both, Jahled and Tex.

[Darth_Rob]

Ive been having trouble posting the last two days.

 

To make it short, I was just kidding about a cold war. I would not want to see the U.S. get involved in any military competition with Russia. I was just stating how the Space Race in the 50s and 60s resulted in such great accomplishments.

[SOCL]

Who exactly do you mean? Hitler?

No. When I said "someone sneezes the wrong way in Berlin", I was referring to the Berlin Wall during the Cold War--nothing direct. Funny because I knew the moment I posted that it would be misunderstood. Had the barrier between the "West" and the "Eastern bloc" been in Paris, I would have said Paris, or Odesa, I would have said Odesa. I was just using Berlin as an example where tensions could explode into war during the Cold War, and even though a Second Cold War would very likely not have its barrier in Berlin, I just used that as example, especially since saying "somone sneezes the wrong way on the border" wouldn't have been as interesting or as prose-nice.

[Eagle]

No problem mate.