Here is the way things used to look.
Posted on 10/05/2025 4:48:11 AM PDT by MtnClimber
Among the arguments of those who seem to be pushing for expanded war with the Russian Federation, one of the strangest is that Russia is a weak, third-world country and a “paper tiger.” Those who make this argument point to the protracted three-year conflict in Ukraine and scoff at the Russians’ inability to subjugate a much weaker adversary. These same voices usually ignore America’s ten-year war in Iraq and twenty-year war in Afghanistan, even though both wars cost Americans much and accomplished far fewer strategic objectives than Americans were promised.
Russia has chosen to execute a war of attrition that wears down Ukrainians’ will to fight. At the same time, it has refrained from unleashing destruction on the scale of Dresden or Hiroshima that might trigger a wider U.S.-NATO response. Three and a half years into the war, the Ukrainian people are desperate for the conflict to end. So far, the war has been primarily limited to the territories of Russia and Ukraine. From Russia’s point of view, Putin is threading the needle.
What is particularly discordant about calling Russia a “paper tiger” is that so many of the people who make this assertion simultaneously warn that Russia is preparing to conquer all of Europe. In one breath, Senator Lindsey Graham, special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg, or former secretary of State Hillary Clinton describes Russia as a backward country whose nuclear capabilities pose little threat to the United States. In the next breath, these same voices argue that Russia intends to reconstruct the Soviet Union and envassal the nations of Europe. Online commenters mock the Russian bear as having no real teeth but then insist that France and Germany will soon see Russian tanks in the streets.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
All things geopolitical derived from oil. This has been true for about 100 years and it’s not going to change.
Us oil production will begin to decline next year. This is an all-important reality.
About 1/2 of Russia’s oil output travels along the Volga River. There was never any possible way that NATO could be allowed within 100 miles of that, which is the distance to the eastern border of Donbas.
Russia is going to win, in an overall global long-term perspective. Their oil will run out last. There is no substitute for oil and there’s not going to be a substitute for oil. Theirs will run out last and we will beg for it.
So China is a threat that we should prepare for military action against, but Russia who is actually invading other counties, threatening the west with nuclear war is not and is actually a friend?
Got it 😎
Well said
Would add now importing food, weapons, and now gasoline
General winter may have switched sides
“These same voices usually ignore America’s ten-year war in Iraq and twenty-year war in Afghanistan,”
This is a very interesting and factual comment, in particular the Afghan war with its disastrous pullout.
The last absolute victory in a major war was with Japan in WWII using nukes. I suspect the same applies to modern times. Anyone engaging Russia in an all out war will have to face the fact that nukes will fly. Sane people respect such deterrents.
Confused, Russia and the west were freely trading prior to pitins war, Russia was thriving on that trade and as my points showed, Europe and NATO were in no position, nor showed any desire to change that relationship.
The insinuation is that the west was planning on attacking Russia and taking those resources, I see no evidence of that.
On contrary, Russia shoild be very afraid of their “friend “ China who is a lot closer to Russia’s Siberian petro life line than Moscow
We are already decimating Russia’s economy. Why would we need to go to actual war with Russia and risk them psychopathic Putin deciding to use his nukes?
Exactly, but that is what many here claim is going to happen.
Alternative reality, pitin doesn’t invade Ukraine, Ukraine joins EU, what exactly is the down side to Russia?
Russian economy is fine, western investment continues, energy sector is fine, weapons exports fine, military still appears strong
IMO, the paranoid thought process is that once Ukraine is part of EU, and then gasp NATO, then the plan would be for NATO to invade Russia or at least that is what pitin wanted everyone to accept as FACT
What was the upside to a militarily degraded, dependent on Russian energy for an EU/NATO invasion of Russia? There is none
As this war is proving, 100 miles means nothing.
“ Us oil production will begin to decline next year. This is an all-important reality”
Perhaps, but I have been hearing about peak oil for 50 years.
“””””Anyone engaging Russia in an all out war will have to face the fact that nukes will fly. “””””
If that is true, then Russia rules the world and cannot be stopped.
Not necessarily.
If resisting Russia means a country receives nuclear attack, then that means the end of that country, including America.
“The United States has more DEPLOYED nuclear weapons than Russia.”
By may a dozen or so
Right, just as Russia and the United States has just about the same number of nuclear warheads, but year after year we see posts implying that Russia has some vastly greater number of nuclear warheads so we better not oppose their territorial impulses.
https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MCRFPUS1&f=M
Examine the numbers for the world up to 2009.
Shale was not discovered in 2010. It was always known about.
The Fed reduced interest rates to 0 and sub zero. It was THAT which made fracking possible. Not sudden discovery of oil. (and redefintion of oil, btw, to be oil rather than condensate for thinner viscosities).
Geology will win over the Fed, as it always will. That curve is going to return to 2009.
Scarcity. A world of scarcity looks different than today.
The US ALWAYS had more warheads than Russia.
Up to 12,000 at peak.
I don’t think Russia ever got above 8K or so.
But theirs were bigger. Much bigger.
russia is invading ukraine, the country NATO was supposed to leave as a buffer but instead loaded it up with weapons and biolabs / bioweapons.
brilliant
i’d expect russia to attack... and it’s exactly what the warhawks wanted.
russia is not the enemy. china is. wake up.
Today they are both at about 5400 warheads, with Russia having about 170 more than my side.
For example, Russia at 5449 and America at 5277.
The rest of NATO adds about 515 to my side’s total.
Here is the way things used to look.
“”””russia is not the enemy. china is. wake up.”””””
Russia and North Korea’s war in Europe has increased NATO readiness incredibly, and that helps us in the military balance against China.
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