Quote:
Originally Posted by Catfish
@ Skybird the reason why we do not act as the IS Hizbollah or Russia is exactly the reason why we are "the west". This may be perceived as weakness, but it is indeed what makes us stronger, and is the real difference. You cannot act as the tiger all the time without becoming it.
While i also think those were some expensive if meaningless fireworks, and those three nations attacking syrian ground with missiles are not really having a plan that exceeds this attack, it also showed that the west is able to act, and if it was able to attack only chemical weapon plants and research centers for those weapons, good.
This comment "awaiting the russian response" is exactly what is wrong here. Like with Churchill bombing german cities, and then waiting for retaliation to turn it around for propaganda, and have a reason to then go to civilian area bombing. He played Hitler like a piano. Yes, Poland and Rotterdam, i know.
So what will the russian reaction be? They are stronger than ever after Trump's PR stunt, and perceived as unmoving stalwart allies. They do not need to do anything.
What i still think is that Russia will retaliate, by sinking one or two of the attacking platforms. Because that is what they said, and they always do what they say if only for saving face, the west just prefers not to listen properly. Then we will see what really happens next.
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Thats too philantropic for me and too far apart from the realty I live in since 50 years. Weakness is not superiority. Striking power decides conflicts, not self-claimed cicilization "supeiuroirty". Rome was brought down by people that were civilizationally inferior to it once it had corrupted the cultural integrity of its military capabilities.
You have lost Syria to Iran and Russia already. But you claim the West is the stronger player in Syria?
The Russians played Syria tough from beginning on, and by this increased their degrees of freedom. We have allowed to be braked out by our concerns and indifference and worries to not become too dirty when doing the dirty stuff. And we have constantly redcued our degrees of freedom.
That is not strength. That is lying to oneself. Reminds me bit of the battle of Azincourt. Different context and focus, but still, a comparable problem. French self-perception of noblesse and honour (knight heavy cavallry) against British use of "ignoble" weapons (longbows), ordinary peasants almost wiping out a full generation of the elite of the French aristocracy. The French might have been the more noble, and their honour codex might have been superior and civilizationally more valuable, or so they thought. Still they got defeated. By ordinary peasants. And they bled terribly. Because the enemy used an ignoble weapon.
If you want to be the
living civilizationally superior being, you need determination
and practical strength. Just the claim alone does nothing for you.