Yes it is, they had a video running around of it taking out a boat and a drone, and it actually works. I'd like to see how it can perform against another ship.

I know I'm late, but your laser comment made my day, that thing was awesome!

:)

Unfriendly climate there has multiple meanings.

Plus the unfriendly climate for production.

(unfriendly climate is my understatement for the day)

yes indeed.

Remember when everyone was afraid that Reagan was a doddering old fool and might push the button... oh... the wall came down after that... I miss those days.

I cannot disagree with anything you stated. There really are so many possibilities.

And the costs of securing and repairing the pipeline. It has been raided and sabotaged many times.

China has the largest standing army in the world. That's a fact. It's not the best man-for-man army (that's a tie between the US and Israel) or the best equipped army (US hands down), but the Zergling rush (pardons to Starcraft fans) worked pretty well in North Korea.

But it isn't China's military might that concerns me. The US would still wipe the walls with them in a head-to-head fight. What worries me is the WILL to fight at all. We don't have a CinC who is anything more than a thug and bully - he doesn't have the fortitude or backbone to engage in a war based on principle, which is why he continually equivocates when dealing with Islamic aggression and hides behind drone strikes. That's what cowards do, and this president is a coward.

The other thing that concerns me is that unlike during WW II when the US' manufacturing might reigned supreme, most of our manufacturing is gone. We don't have the industry (especially in steel) to engage in a long-term, world war. And we're already so far in debt, that the economics of a war are similarly problematic.

If I was either Russia or China, I wouldn't directly engage the US either. I'd simply wait a few more years until we collapse under our own weight. When our nation is in shambles due to economic collapse, THAT will be the time to expand.

I agree that this doesn't bode well, but maybe not for the reasons that everyone else in this thread thinks. Russia is flexing its muscles in response to US aggression in the region.

I'm not sure that we may not be underestimating this. I don't think it likely that either Russia or China would attack us but I bet there was people like me in 1940 thinking there was no way anyone would attack us then and yet it happened. But I have heard that China has been building their military machine at an incredible rate. I also understand that China could put together an army of 200 million in short order. We have become so weakened and spread out in the last 6 years that we would be lucky to put together 2 million. China is buying up many raw materials from us including scrap metal very similar to what Japan was doing in the 30's. Russia is testing us and Europe more and more. I have heard that Russia and China are working together to stop the US dollar from being the world currency standard.

IMHO there are just too many pieces of this puzzle coming together to ignore it. And possibly China & Russia are working together.

That makes sense. Thanks.

It is possible they want the commie in our country to weaken it. Make it easier to take over if they choose that path.

A big part of the cost of their oil is in the VERY long pipeline from where the oil is to where it is sold.

I will accept that as collateral fallout. But I would also like to put Putin back in his place - and re-liberate Crimea.

Jan

Bickering among countries isn't the problem here. Russian aggression is. And we did commit to protect Ukraine from it. If we're not going to honor that bargain, we should give Ukraine back its nukes. Maybe it can use them for good.

We don't control the price of oil. Let Putin fight Arabia. They can blow each other away in droves all day long as far as I'm concerned.

Waving his dick around isn't going to make Putin popular, even at home. But if we're lucky it may decide our 2016 election.

The price of oil is hurting the Russian Govt check book. Their refineries are no where state of technology that the US companies have. Then throw in the corruption of the Russian Govt that's why their price per barrel is very high. They would be able to sustain their military forces for very long. The Ruble is floundering right now. If the price per barrel of oil falls any further the Russian economy could implode. China is a buyer of oil but the more money they spend on oil for their reserves the less cash they will have for their military. They would have to rob Hong Kong Banks to maintain any equilibrium. So, if Hong Kong go bankrupt China would have to sell it's real-estate in the US and would be able to prop up the US Govt any more. So, you could probably guess what happens next. That why there are rumors all over the internet for the Pres to write up another Exec Order to impose the UN Mandate on firearms. That will worsen a recovering economy. A number of other gun owners I now will not comply with that edic.

And not being a looter ...

I think there has been a good effort to overcome all the bickering amongst a lot of countries. France is not handing over the Mistral, and the EU has sanctions, and I think that pisses Vlad off more, he isn't able to impose his Imperial Russian will on others, and that freaks him out. I have seen various stories where we allie with one or the other against the remainder that was a favorite Tom Clancy scenario. But I really think China is very very sneaky and is playing the game for all they can. Vlad is just a blustering big mouth lout, but they do have enough nukes to make life miserable for all. Wait until I ran gets some and starts telling everyone in range to love the Koran or burn. That will be exciting. And we will continue to dither, or at worse, send a drone in. I did like the results of the Navy's laser tests, that thing is one system that actually works as advertised.

Indeed, and the Republicans are trying to change that to make it even easier and to raise the limits from a mere 30K per person to up to 777K. Imagine what that can buy you..maybe an appointment to be ambassador to BoraBora or something. Not that I would mind being the ambassador there...pretty nice. Just don't have the coin to buy it...

Really? How much does it cost to run a campaign? How do you think they pay for that dog and pony distraction? Bribes. Massive bribes. They just call them contributions to make it legal. <grin>