Russia is a nation with a very big ego and huge taste for power. In the minds of Russian leaders the cold war never ended, and ever since they've been struggling to remain relevant in world politics. Russia has consistently made indirect threats to the United States and tried to form a sort of friendship with our strategic enemies. Most recently in a speech indirectly directed at the U.S, a Russian General said "to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Russia and its allies, military forces will be used, including preventively, including with the use of nuclear weapons,".
Whether Russia likes it or not, it can't stand the military force of the United States. Since the end of the cold war, the U.S airforce has developed Jets that are many times as powerful; both manned and unmanned. Desert storm gave a taste of how advanced the US military has come; when Saddam was trusting in the land mines and jet fighters that had been sold to him by Russia. The United States moved over those mines with mine tracking and disarming technology. It was like a dream. But even since that war, the United States has developed in leaps and bounds. Russia is still in denial and i hope it just keeps talking the talk and never walks the walk.
Considering the fact that Russia is nearing a presidential election and candidates usually like to show the locals that they're the toughest on international policies. It is not surprising that loose words like these are being spoken by administration officials. I believe that Russian administration insiders understand that while attacking the US might mean the end of Russia as we know it today, threatening the U.S may be the best way for their toothless dog to bark and gnarl.
I hope Russia doesn't do something stupid, it would be unfortunate to have a great nation like that bombed back to the stone age!!
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If you think Russia is a toothless barking dog then go ask anyone with foreign diplomatic experience how important Russia is. We do not want another war with them, period.
Hey, here's an idea, become allies, real allies that like each other and do stuff together. Like trade, negotiate and maybe, if the time comes, go to war TOGETHER.
"They lie about marijuana. Tell you pot-smoking makes you unmotivated. Lie! When you're high, you can do everything you normally do, just as well. You just realize that it's not worth the fucking effort. There is a difference." Bill Hicks
The only things they have at this point that makes them "special" are the nuclear weapons. Which makes them just as much, if not less, of a threat as Pakistan.
They have thosands of nucelar weapons, many, many more than the US. And also the thing that has always made them a threat...population. In every major war the reason Russia is a problem is b/c of the number of people they have in their country. If we ever launched an offensive againist Russia it would take millions to occupy that country, millions we don't have. Not to mention their country spans 13 time zones and is feezing cold year round.
So either them or China againist the US is the worst imaginable war ever.
"They lie about marijuana. Tell you pot-smoking makes you unmotivated. Lie! When you're high, you can do everything you normally do, just as well. You just realize that it's not worth the fucking effort. There is a difference." Bill Hicks
Thus why diplomacy is always better than war.
Exactly. Wow someone else who would like to move past the "my dick is bigger than your dick" foreign policy.
"They lie about marijuana. Tell you pot-smoking makes you unmotivated. Lie! When you're high, you can do everything you normally do, just as well. You just realize that it's not worth the fucking effort. There is a difference." Bill Hicks
Wars are almost always ecconomic.
There is no reason for the US and Russia to fight at this point. There was nothing except ideological (much less important than money) and world domination at stake in the cold war, which is the primary reason (along with M.A.D. nuclear strategy) that it remained cold.
Russia and China do have a potential reason for conflict: Siberia.
It is a little egotistical to assume Russian saber rattling is directed toward the US unless they specifically name us. China has an ecconomy that is growing at 10% or more per year, about 8 to 10 times the population Russia has, and a hunger for raw materials that are just across their northern border.
That is the conflict to be concerned with. The US would most likely have to side with Russia if it errupted, but it would be a disaster for the entire world.
How many nuclear weapons does a nation need before you cosider it to be Toothy?