[Arkinsaw]

I think Russia/USSR would end up cutting their nose off to spite their face, yes they can cut off energy to Europe but unless they find another buyer, they will return to a poor country with nukes One thing about Red China, they seemed to have achieved what Lenin hoped to do with the New Economic Program in the 1920's or what Gorbachev tried to do in the 1980's. How long they can keep it up, I don't know.

The Chinese are deep strategic thinkers. I am not so sure we can say the same for the Russians. Maybe deep tactical thinkers, but not really strategic.

Yes, they pulled off a surprise here. But their success in it threatens their overall position.

They may still come out okay if they are able to lull the West back to sleep. And they have a good chance of luring western Europe back to sleep....but not eastern Europe.

I have always thought that Russia's best strategic move would be to fully integrate with the West and become a leader of the West as a frontline state. They have a terrible demographic problem along with growing populations of unfriendlies to the south...plus resource hungry China. I am not sure they can defend that massive landmass with their future population for the long run. In 100 years they will be overrun by their growing southern neighbors. They only way to stop that would have been to integrate fully with the west.

They ally with the Muslims to the south against the West because they sense a loss of power from Soviet days. But they have made a short term deal with the devil that will ultimately kill them. Makes no real long-term sense.

[Sal]

Arkinsaw, GREAT posts at #21 and #31! IMO in this foolish invasion they have captured the equivalent of 5 pawns and a knight and lost their queen, a bishop and a castle.

[Nowhere Man]

I have always thought that Russia's best strategic move would be to fully integrate with the West and become a leader of the West as a frontline state. They have a terrible demographic problem along with growing populations of unfriendlies to the south...plus resource hungry China. I am not sure they can defend that massive landmass with their future population for the long run. In 100 years they will be overrun by their growing southern neighbors. They only way to stop that would have been to integrate fully with the west.

They ally with the Muslims to the south against the West because they sense a loss of power from Soviet days. But they have made a short term deal with the devil that will ultimately kill them. Makes no real long-term sense.

I know, let's say if they get into a war with Red China between now and the foreseeable future, as time goes by, they cannot put as many "boots on the ground." Airpower can help, but it comes down to the man (and woman, due to population pressures) with a rifle. Russia would lose in a conventional war with Red China, even during the Korean War, they said that if you had a machine gun that will never break and run out of ammo, you will die of old age and they will still be charging you. If Russia is faced with that, expect the great equalizer, nukes, to by used, Red China will nuke back and even if the West escapes direct attack, we might still have the Moslem threat, a depressed economy, a boatload of refugees and taking count how many times the fallout cloud passes around the world.

Historically, the Iranians called the USSR/Russia the "lesser Satan" so eventually, if they survive, they will wind up on Iran's and the Moslem world's crap list. Come to think of it, Nostadamous did say there will be a point the Russians/Soviets would ally with the Moslems for manpower but it would bite them in the butt eventually.