But “octogenarian” is not a meaningful description of Russian tanks. In reality Russian tanks are both more effective and more sophisticated than any in the west. And this is true of essentially all weapons systems.
Russia has within itself all of the necessary resources and all of the technology to do whatever it wants. Does it want to occupy and control Europe? Hell no. But if Europe/US continue present course (hostility to Russia), Russia will do again what’s it’s done before: hand the collective west its ass.
Continue down this highway to hell and the beat down will come, as it did in 1721, 1812, and 1945.
At this point one can reasonably ask whether it’s better to just hurry up and get it over with. The sooner the better.
Sure, but that's the narrative - i.e. that the Russian Federation are throwing in the old WW2 arsenal because they've nothing else. I completely agree that there's no conceivable reason for Russia to expand militarily for the reasons you cite.
And as you say, I think there's a risk for that sort of confrontation indeed, with most of the advantage on the Russian side. But we just have to escalate and paint targets on our own asses.
Your point “ Of course, it could be just mismanagement and good old stupidity at work, but I think it’s prudent to assume that major institutions rarely act out of pure ignorance.” << More and more I come to believe it’s abject stupidity. Here’s a good argument for it: Justin Trudeau. Or any of the western political class. Is there a sensible thought in any of them? Watch and listen and over time it becomes impossible to imagine anymore that they have any idea what they’re talking about, or could think or plan their way out of a paper bag
As is obvious and out in the open, they’re all selected and groomed, from a young age. I think the problem now is that the groomers are psychotic, with delusions. The snake is rotted from the head. Those they’ve groomed are just too stupid to notice. Orlov has a farcical take on the rot: https://cluborlov.wordpress.com/2022/05/23/the-secret-american-plan-to-make-russia-great-again/
The Russians know that the military equipment being supplied to Ukraine by NATO is junk. The US in particular is getting cold feet; another defeat so quickly in the footsteps of Afghanistan withdrawl would look really bad. The world's one remaining superpower might not look so super or so powerful after all. After all, it still needs to keep its powder dry to confront China! LOL
But “octogenarian” is not a meaningful description of Russian tanks. In reality Russian tanks are both more effective and more sophisticated than any in the west. And this is true of essentially all weapons systems.
Russia has within itself all of the necessary resources and all of the technology to do whatever it wants. Does it want to occupy and control Europe? Hell no. But if Europe/US continue present course (hostility to Russia), Russia will do again what’s it’s done before: hand the collective west its ass.
Continue down this highway to hell and the beat down will come, as it did in 1721, 1812, and 1945.
At this point one can reasonably ask whether it’s better to just hurry up and get it over with. The sooner the better.
Sure, but that's the narrative - i.e. that the Russian Federation are throwing in the old WW2 arsenal because they've nothing else. I completely agree that there's no conceivable reason for Russia to expand militarily for the reasons you cite.
And as you say, I think there's a risk for that sort of confrontation indeed, with most of the advantage on the Russian side. But we just have to escalate and paint targets on our own asses.
Yep. We have to apparently.
Our “leadership” insist on it.
Your point “ Of course, it could be just mismanagement and good old stupidity at work, but I think it’s prudent to assume that major institutions rarely act out of pure ignorance.” << More and more I come to believe it’s abject stupidity. Here’s a good argument for it: Justin Trudeau. Or any of the western political class. Is there a sensible thought in any of them? Watch and listen and over time it becomes impossible to imagine anymore that they have any idea what they’re talking about, or could think or plan their way out of a paper bag
I mean. Yeah. Sure. But that's a horrific thought. That the car's on fire, and there's no driver at the wheel.
As is obvious and out in the open, they’re all selected and groomed, from a young age. I think the problem now is that the groomers are psychotic, with delusions. The snake is rotted from the head. Those they’ve groomed are just too stupid to notice. Orlov has a farcical take on the rot: https://cluborlov.wordpress.com/2022/05/23/the-secret-american-plan-to-make-russia-great-again/
The Russians know that the military equipment being supplied to Ukraine by NATO is junk. The US in particular is getting cold feet; another defeat so quickly in the footsteps of Afghanistan withdrawl would look really bad. The world's one remaining superpower might not look so super or so powerful after all. After all, it still needs to keep its powder dry to confront China! LOL