EDIT: Nvm..
gonna sit this one out..

You guys stay put in Afghanstan and Iraq
and in the meantime Russia will pick up. :rotfl:

DO NOT QUIT THOSE AREAS

Iraq is winding down significantly. Afghanistan is no major problem for us currently at all. But rest assured Bruno, if it came down to it, and global war with Russia was imminent.......Iraq, Afghanistan and any other minor action would be put directly on the back burner. I believe we would completely pull our troops out of whatever region to destroy Russian military units wherever we would need to engage them. Russia would be the priority....Afghanistan would be a forgotten/deserted theatre of action. Don't ever think twice on this one. Our military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan would not inhibit our ability to reorder, and redeploy to the bigger threat. In the meantime, we won't pull our troops from those regions. Where they're at currently actually puts them pretty close to the Russian border if needed.

China has been dead silent. What are you talking about??? This shows you don't know what's going on. Right now, I'm not sure about what China's views are in regards to this situation. I think that when China thinks about it...and they will, Russia's actions presents a negative precedent for China and her provinces. China has all these little provinces under it's control, and wishes to bring Taiwan completely in the fold. A few of these provinces have other ideas and wouldn't mind more autonomy, or even independance. Russia's ideal in breaking up Georgian provinces is not the example China wants for itself. In reality Sky....China's so called support of Russia here is a figment of your imagination. China cares about China...not Russia. I haven't seen anything that shows China's support for Russia in any way, shape, or form. And after thinking about it a little, I think the above reason is why.

And Russia can press for support from any other Central Asian country they wish. Doesn't mean they will get it. We can play that game to.

Here we go:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...nt_9723473.htm

Doesn't sound like China supports Russia at all. Bingo. China knows this could lead to states doing the same thing to provinces China claims as it's own. Territories or claimed provinces such as Xinjiang, Taiwan, Tibet, etc... China knows Russia's actions set a dangerous precedent for China.

SD,

your attempted distortions slowly but surely kill nerves again. Please save me from your enlightened insights. You have made such ridiculous statements already that for me you have disqualified yourself as a disucssion partner here. what you offer is nothing but claims in ignorration of realities, and the same self-glorifying propaganda I remember you for from years ago. Please, simply leave me alone.

That's fine Skybird, but can you clarify where the China thing came from (sources)?

I'm not sure how anybody can infer that China supports Russia based upon that report. China has not shown any support for Russia from any sources I've seen...even though it was alluded by another poster. And regardless, it's blatantly obvious why China won't really support Russia from a geostrategic standpoint. Using this article as a guide to their initial views, it's kind of apparent they won't. They can't afford to. It goes against every principle enshrined in Chinese reunification stances for more than 5 decades. What statement in there gives you any indication that China's ready and willing to take Russia's side here. In case you were unaware, China is big on "their own" territorial integrity. I'm not saying they would support any enlargement of NATO. But it's obvious that supporting Russia here may be a dangerous precedent to Chinese "unity". I don't believe they'll make noise either way. This was just a simple state to state meeting with the usual pleasantries. Ultimately though, Russia will not be able to rely on China for anything.

Just wanted to post a link to a Facebook group in case you're a mamber there:

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.ph...1810378&ref=nf

It's not an anti-Russia group, but a group against Russia's policy and behaviour.

I joined, because I feel Russia is acting aggresively to an unacceptable extent.
Their claims about Kosova/Kosovo as precedence doesn't give them the right to steal territory like this in our modern times. Just wait when Abkhazia and South-Ossetia are independant, as if they ever will be recognized by the world in general, they will then ask to be annexed by Russia. It makes me think of the Sudeten Germans in Czechoslovakia in 1938. It's not much different.
Also, I must admit that I disagreed strongly with Western Powers, when they decided to recognize the independance of Kosova. Not only because I feared what it would lead to, but also because a migration across borders during many years shouldn't give the newcomers the right to break the country up. An extended autonomy should do just fine, both in the case of Kosovo and in the case of Georgian break-away provinces.
In any case, an independance should always be achieved peacefully by diplomatic negotiations at best, and not by military violence and threats.

"Investors are pulling out of Russia in record numbers following the Russian invasion of Georgia this month, the Financial Times reports Friday. Citing Russian Central Bank data released Thursday, the FT says foreign currency reserves fell $16.8 billion in the week beginning Aug. 8, one of the largest pullouts since the Russian ruble collapse of 1998. Gennady Melikyan, the Central Bank's deputy chairman, acknowledged it is the "political situation" that has triggered the mass capital flight."

How anyone can argue that Russia will benefit in anyway with its present stance is mind boggling. It lost the Cold War because its economy could simply not sustain the arms race - and that was as a union. Now Russia believes, as a single state on its own, it can go down that path and succeed is simply self deception.

Nowhere in the article you posted does it talk of any support for Russia's stance. It was just a state visit with all the usual pleasantries. Nothing major. With China you need to read between the lines. I think that Chinese government official pretty much summed up the apprehension China feels about this situation. Mr. Hu will not give Medvedev any false pretenses either.

Ask Skybird, he believes Russians and Arabs will own us and we will do everything they demand.

Too little, too late. And in this case absolutely not good enough. You will only further the inevitable demise of the UN with these false equivications. How did Russia follow our lead in any way? If they did, they would have wasted their time like we did for months, and eventually get a worthless UN agreement in hand. Nope. They went "Unilateral". And your words here ring hollow.

This is only the beginning. Russian stocks are falling as well due to uncertainties in a Russian jittery/nervous market. If push comes to shove, we can maneuver to make Russia a real bad investment choice in terms of increased instability. I wouldn't be surprised if we disallow the Russians to invest in Western firms in the near future as well.

You know, I used the "should" word :lol:
Now that I think about it, I can't really remember any historical incident, when a region or territory became independant without any sort of violence included.

Try and compare independance conflicts with divorces between married couples. The problem is quite simple human differences not comprehending the opponent.