"By one calculation, the US has spent 5.6% of its annual defence budget to destroy nearly half of Russia’s military capability."
Okay, it's from The Guardian. And they don't give their source. Still, to paraphrase an old commercial, "If you find a cheaper war -- buy it."
I remain convinced that sooner or later, the West is going to have to slap Mr. Putin down -- unless his own people do so first. European wars between nations have a habit of spreading, especially with a Big Man at the wheel -- Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm, Hitler. This isn't some festering internecine Balkan conflict, it's an old-time territorial war of the kind Julius Caesar would recognize. I don't think he'd be much impressed with the invading force, but he'd grasp the game and the goals. And the boil has yet to be lanced.
BUILDING A 1:1 BALUN
4 years ago
4 comments:
It seems that anyone who is, real or imagined, a threat in any way to Putin manages to fall out a window. sometimes taking their family with them. So, while someone inside Mother Russia deposing Putin would be a good thing, I'm not sure I see it happening. But maybe the cancer or good ol' medical malpractice will get him, God willing.
One hopes there are enough intelligent folks around Putin to prevent him from actually pressing "the button" in a final act of desperation. We need to tread very carefully around that madman.
Mike V: there's "some *one* inside Mother Russia deposing Putin" and then there's a majority -- or even a solid plurality -- of Russians deciding not to go along. (Or, I suppose, a coup pf the sort the U.S. nearly suffered; but those are messy and liable to fail.) A nation gone mulish is hard nut to crack and if any people on earth can successfully dig in their heels and bend the arc of history, it'd be Russians. But will they? They're even better at turning stubbonness to endurance, so... I dunno.
Anon: there comes a time when someone has to stop the lunatic with a machine gun. It's rarely pretty. This scales up -- and could be even uglier.
As long as Putin can appear to be strong, he's safe. Russians would rather have massive starvation over a leader who appears to be weak.
But, he's not getting any younger, and the stress isn't making him any healthier. The real fireworks are for when he inevitably kicks the bucket.
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