World War III

We have been on the verge of WWIII a dozen times since WWII. When it does erupt, it will be completely different than anything we have seen in the past. No need for bombs when you can knock out the infrastructure of an entire country with a computer,

There is no need for a civil war in the US. Just let those fucking Red States secede like they want to. Good riddance.

The US is not taking military action if/when Russia invades Ukraine.

Sautéed mushroom cloud.

There is no possibility of civil war in the US. The Red States don't have the infrastructure to last five minutes, and unlike the Blue States, they have no chance of other countries coming to their aid on request. The only chance of any actual war is if Trump were re-elected and somehow got the military on his side: but that wouldn't be war, it'd just be a military dictatorship.

I've got no idea what Putin is doing. Who sends their army out in the middle of a Russian winter with no provocation?

[quote] Who sends their army out in the middle of a Russian winter with no provocation?

Hi.

[quote] Who sends their army out in the middle of a Russian winter with no provocation?

Bonjour.

I am buying canned goods and plenty of toilet paper

If Russia invades Ukraine, I fear that China will take the opportunity while the US is preoccupied to invade Taiwan, North Korea will invade South Korea, Iran will attack either Israel or Saudi Arabia and who knows what other countries might decide that would be a good time to be up to no good maybe Pakistan try to take over Kashmir.

I'm not very comfortable - that is for sure

* geopolitical

Ya got me, R6 and R7.

My point is, the Russians know how well those endeavours went (and neither of them went great for Russia either, although it eventually won). So why didn't Putin just wait till spring to start massing his troops?

(BTW, Hitler did have provocation, or at least a motive. He was running out of fuel for his tanks and planes. He needed the Caucasus oil and it wouldn't wait till summer.)

US may send troops to Europe to support NATO troops

Meanwhile, in Taiwan...

When AICOA passes, watch California secede.

Russia and China making their moves simultaneously is no coincidence. Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong-un have already formed their own alliance. Guaranteed.

On the optimistic side - if there is third WW, we all know how to continue business as usual online. Our kids can go to school, we can work, the economies will boom. The rich will get even richer. Soldiers will die. Working class folks will have to go out to work in working class jobs so their will be losses. But the Powers that be don't give a shit about soldiers and the proletariat.

THERE will be

Right wing nut job news warning but Conspiracy theorists are salivating at this…

[Quote] If Russia invades Ukraine, I fear that China will take the opportunity while the US is preoccupied to invade Taiwan, North Korea will invade South Korea, Iran will attack either Israel or Saudi Arabia and who knows what other countries might decide that would be a good time to be up to no good maybe Pakistan try to take over Kashmir.

Right. This type of thing happens in coordination or it doesn't happen at all. If you start seeing movements in these other arenas all at the same time, then it's war. Just don't expect things to kick off until after the Beijing Olympics. These moves by Russia follow the games. In 2008, they invaded Georgia during the previous Beijing Olympics. 2014 saw the invasion of Crimea following the Sochi Olympics. That's a good marker to watch out for. Also see whether Assad in Syria makes a move for their norther border with Turkey which is still contested in the civil war.

Russia is engaging in "war games" off the coast of Ireland. The Irish are freaking out.

Irish fisherman are planning to face down the Russians

I could totally see Russia and China in cahoots on their moves, and who knows who else. They'll look at the West and Europe saying "what, what you gonna do.". And the answer is not a whole lot... Oh sanctions, we're scared. Them two nations aligned together with the size of their military probably unbeatable. Who's gonna be the figure that steps forward to put a stop to potential Armageddon? Then watch that person. The world is in a very precarious and dangerous place right now. Believe it if you want or don't, the choice is yours.

Invading a border country because you are insecure about your borders or your hold on power seems counter productive. Why don't Vlad and Russia make a good offer to Ukraine? A reward for a commitment to stay unaligned and friendly.

Losing Taiwan seems more of a catastrophe. And yet the world have been very spineless about that. Never recognizing it. Or worse, rescinding recognition.

[quote] Bonjour

No, napoleon certainly did not send his armies out into the middle of a Russian winter with no provocation. Neither prong applied to his decision.

Russia is weak militarily. It is a far cry from the height of its Cold War days.

Putin remembers this. It’s his primarily obsession — Russia being feared and respected again. It’s why he does most of what he does (when he’s not stealing money from the population).

For instance, a few years ago he sent Russia’s only aircraft carrier on a jape to Syria, but the badly designed and manufactured bucket of bolts made a bad display of it.

Why did he do it? Because America flexes its muscles internationally by sending one or more carrier strike forces into the troubled region. Putin wanted to look like America.

That German naval commander was completely right about Putin acting this way in order to earn respect. Am I guaranteeing there won’t be some clusterfuck of a campaign in Ukraine? No. But it’s less likely to be an actual invasion and more likely to be posturing.

By the way, love the Trump trolls criticizing Biden’s response, when former guy all but sucked putin’s dick on national television. Irony truly is dead.