732

Not sure how we can stop that. I still think the best way to deal with both China and Russia would have been to get Japan and Germany off the tit. There is no reason Germany with it’s number 3 in the world economy shouldn’t have and extremely capable military, same with Japan at number 4 economy.

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733

Yeah I’m in agreement with Trump and other NATO critics that EU and especially Germany should be sharing more of the burden of protecting Europe. And I know Japan has been slowly bolstering their military for a while now. I think we have been weary of both Germany and Japan becoming military stronger for obvious and outdated historical reasons.

734

It doesn’t matter what Germany and Japan do.

Each country is going to do what’s best for them.

Ukraine has joining EU in their constitution.

735

Japan has been cooking for a while now. They see China as a major threat.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/japans-military-worlds-strongest-build-81576818

736

“Their territories”?

So we are ceding countries to them now…whether those countries like it or not?

If you want to break up the world into spheres of influence, that’s a valid geopolitical strategy.

Just let us know how you think that works.

Can we have dealings with Vietnam or is that too close to China’s “territory”?

What is the ultimate fate of Taiwan? We let them and their computer chip industries fall under the sway of China because it’s “their territory”?

If this is the path we choose, we should have an outline of what it looks like.

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737

We didn’t want other countries becoming more powerful economically and militarily precisely because of what we are facing now…rivals that can stare us down.

Easier to have one or a few rivals as opposed to 5 or more.

I’m not averse to a new geopolitical strategy…in fact I’ve long said American Hegemony is both unsustainable and bad for our own interests.

But if we want burden shifting to other countries, we have to understand some of those “burdens” will “shift” to bad actors such as Russia and China…and how will we manage that?

And we can’t be too sure of who we think might be “good actors” either.

738

Saying five people crossed into your territory would be a pretty lame false flag.

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739

Would Ukraine attack Russia with 5 troops? Would Russia feel threatened by five people?

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740

Crossed your territory to do what?

Is that the only accusation?

741

Its part of a larger story they are telling. Russian speaking victims of Ukrainian oppression in the Donbas. Ukrainian soldiers crossing into Russian territory. “Belligerent” Ukrainians threatening Russia, bla bla bla. Starting wars like this is as old as time.

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742

No it wouldn’t.

Not in conjunction with supposed “attacks” on the separatist territories that they claimed are happening, following what is increasingly looking like a manufactured video calling for the evacuation of Russians from those territories ahead of supposed Ukrainian “aggression” (like now is the time Ukraine would try to take back this disputed region…under the threat of 190k Russians surrounding them on three sides).

In any event, it is possible Putin is now going to shift to the “off ramp” of just picking off Donestsk and Luhansk?

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743

Agreed- just screaming “Fortress America” is a really poor geopolitical strategy and looks like most conservatives haven’t really thought out what they want to see happen.

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744

Up till about 5 days ago that was what I was sure was going to happen. From recent reports it really does look like they want the whole enchilada. I would not be surprised by that now. I don’t see an off ramp at this point.

745

Well that depends on whether he wants the optics that go along with that.

Picking away the disputed territories still gets him sanctioned, but doesn’t necessarily create the body bag scenario…and still allows him to keep the pressure on a rump Ukraine.

I’m not going to say I 100% trust everything that is coming out of the mouths of our intelligence agencies as to Putin’s plans. I highly doubt they know as much as they are claiming they do…but pretending they do and spouting off worst case scenarios is good propaganda.

But I’m not going to try and predict anything. Not really.

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746

Yeah to me going for the whole of Ukraine seems geopolitically dumb for Putin. What- then he faces a nasty Ukrainian insurgency backed by Western powers for the next decade or two?

Much smarter to just take Eastern Ukraine and call it a day.

But I get the feeling that Putin has an almost messianic thing going on where Ukraine is his “destiny”.

747

Ukraine does have one nuclear weapon.

If they blow the sarcophagus around Chernobyl it would be one very bad day for Russia troops down wind.

Since we are playing fantasy war zone.

748

Oddly I trust Japan more then Germans…not sure why.

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749

How does all these war scenarios fit into the clean and green global initiative?

Will the western world pick up the mess?

750

You just be sure to be here to explain why it was all Biden’s fault, since of course we can count on you to be totally reliable and don’t have a political bone in your body…

751

Well we know EU weren’t best actors…Canada for that matter too.