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A Deeply Fractured US

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Was the comment not directed at NATO countries?

Ukraine isn't a NATO country, of course. Not now, and not back in 2014. Pity we didn't all have such an iron backbone back then. If Obama had helped Ukraine to slap down Russia then, where would matters lie now?
Doesn't matter. They're allies for Chrissake. I realize it was largely said for consumption by the choir, but I assume he gets the concept of recording devices and the Internet.

If Putin has designs on the Baltic, he just gave him not-so-tacit support.
 
Doesn't matter. They're allies for Chrissake. I realize it was largely said for consumption by the choir, but I assume he gets the concept of recording devices and the Internet.

If Putin has designs on the Baltic, he just gave him not-so-tacit support.

The Baltic countries are way ahead of most of us...

Bunkers to Fortify Baltic Borders​


With concerns over the security situation in the Baltics mounting, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia agreed in January to build a common Baltic defense line along their borders with Russia and Belarus.

The idea seems to exploit lessons from the highly effective defensive systems that have worked well in Ukraine.

According to the Lithuanian Minister of Defense, Arvydas Anušauskas, the defense line will include a complex set of measures designed to impede the movement of enemy forces invading the Baltics.

The plans include a network of around 600 fortified bunkers in Estonia alone, at a cost of some $64m, and 18 counter-mobility parks in Lithuania, where anti-personnel and anti-vehicle equipment like tank traps will be stored.

 
Doesn't matter. They're allies for Chrissake. I realize it was largely said for consumption by the choir, but I assume he gets the concept of recording devices and the Internet.

If Putin has designs on the Baltic, he just gave him not-so-tacit support.
You are all assuming he gives a shit. Like has been said, he's playing to his base. A base that is so large he hardly needs to listen to his naysayers. It really doesn't matter what he says, the WH will just spin it anyway. All publicity is good publicity.
 
The Baltic countries are way ahead of most of us...

Bunkers to Fortify Baltic Borders​


With concerns over the security situation in the Baltics mounting, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia agreed in January to build a common Baltic defense line along their borders with Russia and Belarus.

The idea seems to exploit lessons from the highly effective defensive systems that have worked well in Ukraine.

According to the Lithuanian Minister of Defense, Arvydas Anušauskas, the defense line will include a complex set of measures designed to impede the movement of enemy forces invading the Baltics.

The plans include a network of around 600 fortified bunkers in Estonia alone, at a cost of some $64m, and 18 counter-mobility parks in Lithuania, where anti-personnel and anti-vehicle equipment like tank traps will be stored.

The Maginot Line didn't work.
 
I said if IT bothers you not HIM. The past bugs you. I get it. If I were a trump supporter it would bug me too trying to reconcile with those hard to accept facts.
I haven't reconciled anything. I have no reason to.
 
You are all assuming he gives a shit. Like has been said, he's playing to his base. A base that is so large he hardly needs to listen to his naysayers. It really doesn't matter what he says, the WH will just spin it anyway. All publicity is good publicity.
His base is, high-end, 35% of the population if all GOP voters still vote GOP. He would need to convince Independents to vote for the GOP, which stuff like this isn’t going to help.

…and that’s assuming that none of the 35% were turned off by the antics of the past few years, and the ongoing court cases, or were planning on voting for Nikki Haley.

I put the Peter Zeihan panel link in a separate thread, but in it he sees the GOP formally fracturing if it doesn’t win this election. I’m not so sure I’d be that extreme, but I suppose it’s possible.
 
His base is, high-end, 35% of the population if all GOP voters still vote GOP. He would need to convince Independents to vote for the GOP, which stuff like this isn’t going to help.
... and the very thing that lost him the last election. Those that aren't tracking who walk into the booth and say, yeah, I'm not voting for him.
 
Doesn't matter. They're allies for Chrissake. I realize it was largely said for consumption by the choir, but I assume he gets the concept of recording devices and the Internet.

If Putin has designs on the Baltic, he just gave him not-so-tacit support.
He was directing his comments at his followers who, just like in the last election, were willing to entertain a more isolationist approach to the world and in respect to allied countries that weren't spending what they should.

I imagine Trump is a fairly reasonable guy to negotiate with when it comes to military affairs. And I'd hope that someone would explain to him that until NATO officially sponsors a consistent formula to measure how much GDP is being spent on defence - capabilities brought to the table will valued just as much as $$$ spent.

(For example, tiny country X only spends Y amount, but provides a deadly and self sufficient battlegroup to support American military operations...will get far more respect and flexibility than a bigger country spending more, but not bringing as much to the table...)

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I can almost guarantee Putin doesn't have any plans for the Baltics in terms of military conquest.

Conventionally speaking, he has his hands full in Ukrane regardless of how certain areas are doing compared to others. He doesn't have the conventional forces available to do anything outside of Ukraine for now and the immediate future.

Ukranian successes against Russia's black sea fleet have also changed the strategic dynamic for years to come, as ships don't get built & come online quickly. Especially in Russia.



With the NATO battlegroups being beefed up to brigades, plus the sheer number of fighter aircraft available to NATO compared to how many modern fighters the Russians can fly...the strategic dynamic is almost opposite that of the Cold War.

There are no Soviet hordes pushing through the Fulgan Gap because those hordes have already been killed or wounded fighting in Ukraine.

Putin knows this. He isn't stupid. He's probably one of the smartest world leaders currently in power.

He has no desire to expand Russia to include entire populations that don't want to be Russian...he'd be creating a hell for himself, and he's too smart for that.

(And if he does try a quick land grab somewhere, Poland seems perfectly fine with taking the gloves off & scrapping the Russians. As are Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. I think in Poland's case you'd actually have a hard time convincing them not to take some Russian lands & intend on holding them for good during their counter offensive...Poland is a fascinating country to watch these days)
 
He was directing his comments at his followers who, just like in the last election, were willing to entertain a more isolationist approach to the world and in respect to allied countries that weren't spending what they should.

I imagine Trump is a fairly reasonable guy to negotiate with when it comes to military affairs. And I'd hope that someone would explain to him that until NATO officially sponsors a consistent formula to measure how much GDP is being spent on defence - capabilities brought to the table will valued just as much as $$$ spent.

(For example, tiny country X only spends Y amount, but provides a deadly and self sufficient battlegroup to support American military operations...will get far more respect and flexibility than a bigger country spending more, but not bringing as much to the table...)
The guy is a fucking treasonous idiot period.


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I can almost guarantee Putin doesn't have any plans for the Baltics in terms of military conquest.
Telling us you don’t have a current TS or higher clearance without telling us you don’t have a current TS…



Conventionally speaking, he has his hands full in Ukrane regardless of how certain areas are doing compared to others. He doesn't have the conventional forces available to do anything outside of Ukraine for now and the immediate future.
Please don’t consider a job in International Affairs.
Ukranian successes against Russia's black sea fleet have also changed the strategic dynamic for years to come, as ships don't get built & come online quickly. Especially in Russia.



With the NATO battlegroups being beefed up to brigades, plus the sheer number of fighter aircraft available to NATO compared to how many modern fighters the Russians can fly...the strategic dynamic is almost opposite that of the Cold War.

There are no Soviet hordes pushing through the Fulgan Gap because those hordes have already been killed or wounded fighting in Ukraine.

Putin knows this. He isn't stupid. He's probably one of the smartest world leaders currently in power.

He has no desire to expand Russia to include entire populations that don't want to be Russian...he'd be creating a hell for himself, and he's too smart for that.
You don’t follow Putin much do you?


(And if he does try a quick land grab somewhere, Poland seems perfectly fine with taking the gloves off & scrapping the Russians. As are Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. I think in Poland's case you'd actually have a hard time convincing them not to take some Russian lands & intend on holding them for good during their counter offensive...Poland is a fascinating country to watch these days)
Russia isn’t the only country in the world with greater territorial ambitions…

Poland has no nukes, and without the US conventional and nuclear umbrella, Europe is pretty much toast until the French border…
 
His base is, high-end, 35% of the population if all GOP voters still vote GOP. He would need to convince Independents to vote for the GOP, which stuff like this isn’t going to help.

…and that’s assuming that none of the 35% were turned off by the antics of the past few years, and the ongoing court cases, or were planning on voting for Nikki Haley.

I put the Peter Zeihan panel link in a separate thread, but in it he sees the GOP formally fracturing if it doesn’t win this election. I’m not so sure I’d be that extreme, but I suppose it’s possible.
This is the thing that is a bit lost on some. Most polling show Biden and Trump at near parity percentage wise. I suspect this is why Nicky Haley is still staying on. She has a certain percentage of voters that will likely stay home when Trump becomes the candidate (I say when not if). I suspect that will tip the balance in Biden’s favour. This doesn’t count independants or GOP types that decide at the last minute.

Then it will depend who Trump picks as a VP as well.
 
The value of an alliance is its ability to deter aggression. As soon as allies, especially the most powerful one, starts to telegraph to potential aggressors that they won’t live up to their alliance commitments, the deterrent value of that alliance is done.

If there is a second Trump term, there will not be any grown-ups in the room patiently explaining to the President for three hours why NATO is important and why Putin’s and Xi’s threats to their allies is bad for the US.

IMHO, Biden is, to quote PJ O’Rourke and Hilary Clinton, “bad, but bad within normal parameters”. Trump has shown with past behaviour to colour outside those parameters and he has made clear that he will not be constrained by the few guardrails he had last time.
 
The Maginot Line didn't work.
Bullshit. It worked and did it's jiob despite being stripped of guns and personal. It was the French moblization and mobile army that failed. The French were warned about the weakness in the Ardennes. The French mobilzation was a complete mess, their General Staff for the most part were completely unprepared and their politicians failed to understand the political scene leading up to WWII.
 
There has been a lot of journalistic license taken with those statements by 45, but even when he is not in the chair his impact can be positive.

If his remarks nudge NATO to "do more", then that is a win in my mind. It is fun watching military minded people convulse over the notion the collective alliance should strengthen our militaries. I thought that would be a good thing, considering the current and emerging global threats.


Apparently the criticism is being taken seriously - meaning, they know they ought to be doing more - by some in Europe.
 
IMHO, Biden is, to quote PJ O’Rourke and Hilary Clinton, “bad, but bad within normal parameters”. Trump has shown with past behaviour to colour outside those parameters and he has made clear that he will not be constrained by the few guardrails he had last time.

Eligible voters will be forced to choose between a candidate who is very, very old and one who is three years younger, and facing 91 criminal felony charges, and this,

If Putin has designs on the Baltic, he just gave him not-so-tacit support.
 
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