Syria is not worth a war with Russia

[IsaacNewton]

Odd that Putin thinks war with America is worth it in Syria.

Get ready Putin, the missiles are coming some time in the next month or so. So you better be ready, I'm not telling you WHEN they're coming but rest assured they'll be arriving in a fortnight or more. 'Many moons' as the injuns used to say way back in the 50s movies. But it's a secret!

 

[Tehon]

Odd that Putin thinks war with America is worth it in Syria.

Get ready Putin, the missiles are coming some time in the next month or so. So you better be ready, I'm not telling you WHEN they're coming but rest assured they'll be arriving in a fortnight or more. 'Many moons' as the injuns used to say way back in the 50s movies. But it's a secret!

Yeah, Putin should just stand aside and watch as the US reigns fire down on another sovereign country to cheers of US interventionist cheerleaders.

You are a danger to humanity.

 

[IsaacNewton]

Odd that Putin thinks war with America is worth it in Syria.

Get ready Putin, the missiles are coming some time in the next month or so. So you better be ready, I'm not telling you WHEN they're coming but rest assured they'll be arriving in a fortnight or more. 'Many moons' as the injuns used to say way back in the 50s movies. But it's a secret!

Yeah, Putin should just stand aside and watch as the US reigns fire down on another sovereign country to cheers of US interventionist cheerleaders.

You are a danger to humanity.

 

[Tehon]

Odd that Putin thinks war with America is worth it in Syria.

Get ready Putin, the missiles are coming some time in the next month or so. So you better be ready, I'm not telling you WHEN they're coming but rest assured they'll be arriving in a fortnight or more. 'Many moons' as the injuns used to say way back in the 50s movies. But it's a secret!

Yeah, Putin should just stand aside and watch as the US reigns fire down on another sovereign country to cheers of US interventionist cheerleaders.

You are a danger to humanity.

 

[SeaGal]

Russia will be weaker in the future, and it is by no means certain they will be our enemy in the future. They do not need to be, we have no conflict of interests, as we did with the Nazis or the Soviets.

Since this thread is dealing in 'what if's' - I question the theory that involving ourselves further in Syria will start a war with Russia at this time.

Putin is a Soviet, and exhibits many of the characteristics of a 'Hitler' in the making. His actions in Georgia and the annexation of Crimea - both just happening to have strategically positioned seaports, for two examples. If he can keep the criminal element satisfied, and the people unified in fear of the boogie man (the West, for example three), as their lives improve, his strength and influence will continue to grow.

The US and Russia are competitors, in oil. Putin controls a significant portion of Europe's energy, a role we are threatening to fill. His involvement in Syria, and alignment with Iran are simply chess moves - he is not in a position, nor willing at this time, to jeopardize what is proving to be a very profitable game. He enjoys butter on his bread.

Russia and the US are not friends, but we do not need to be enemies either. Putin stepped in and offered to rid Assad of chemical weapons, an offer the previous administration accepted with a big sigh of face-saving faux relief...knowing that would not happen. So the people of Syria pay the price...and we have to ask ourselves - did we give the rebels false hope.

I believe it is a mistake to underestimate the future strength and intentions of Putin's Russia - right now I think he's 'winging it, testing the boundaries. I respect his ability to maneuver on the world stage.

All that to say, though a military confrontation with Russia in Syria would not be a good thing, I would take them out of the equation...and the only answer I would demand from the advocates of unilateral action in Syria..."TO WHAT END?"

 

[Correll]

Russia will be weaker in the future, and it is by no means certain they will be our enemy in the future. They do not need to be, we have no conflict of interests, as we did with the Nazis or the Soviets.

Since this thread is dealing in 'what if's' - I question the theory that involving ourselves further in Syria will start a war with Russia at this time.

Putin is a Soviet, and exhibits many of the characteristics of a 'Hitler' in the making. His actions in Georgia and the annexation of Crimea - both just happening to have strategically positioned seaports, for two examples. If he can keep the criminal element satisfied, and the people unified in fear of the boogie man (the West, for example three), as their lives improve, his strength and influence will continue to grow.

The US and Russia are competitors, in oil. Putin controls a significant portion of Europe's energy, a role we are threatening to fill. His involvement in Syria, and alignment with Iran are simply chess moves - he is not in a position, nor willing at this time, to jeopardize what is proving to be a very profitable game. He enjoys butter on his bread.

Russia and the US are not friends, but we do not need to be enemies either. Putin stepped in and offered to rid Assad of chemical weapons, an offer the previous administration accepted with a big sigh of face-saving faux relief...knowing that would not happen. So the people of Syria pay the price...and we have to ask ourselves - did we give the rebels false hope.

I believe it is a mistake to underestimate the future strength and intentions of Putin's Russia - right now I think he's 'winging it, testing the boundaries. I respect his ability to maneuver on the world stage.

All that to say, though a military confrontation with Russia in Syria would not be a good thing, I would take them out of the equation...and the only answer I would demand from the advocates of unilateral action in Syria..."TO WHAT END?"

Putin is no Hitler. Those seaports are in the Black Sea. Who is he going to threaten? Moldavia?

 

[Tehon]

Putin is a Soviet, and exhibits many of the characteristics of a 'Hitler' in the making. His actions in Georgia and the annexation of Crimea - both just happening to have strategically positioned seaports, for two examples. If he can keep the criminal element satisfied, and the people unified in fear of the boogie man (the West, for example three), as their lives improve, his strength and influence will continue to grow.

What a ridiculous assessment.

You swallow the Western misinformation whole like a good imperialist puppet.

 

[there4eyeM]

They say that war is more like poker than like chess. We don't see when the bet is with assurance or mere bluff. There is always the possibility of miscalculation and error on all sides, however. Even well played cards may not be the best cards.
In the meantime, Syrians suffer in all the efforts by all the powers. America being the cause of more advances us not at all. Dragging our allies into a short term game now only makes unified action later, at a time when something crucial might be obtained, more difficult. Choose battles carefully and make certain to win definitively. Piecemeal makes no strategic sense.

 

[SeaGal]

Putin is no Hitler. Those seaports are in the Black Sea. Who is he going to threaten? Moldavia?

I speculated about several things in my post but not one of them was that the seaports were for 'threatening'. They're each a single move on a chessboard - not an end game.

My point, apparently poorly made - in the context of this thread - action in Syria (imho) won't start a war with Russia, but still needs to stand on its own merits, and I don't see any.

 

[SeaGal]

Putin is a Soviet, and exhibits many of the characteristics of a 'Hitler' in the making. His actions in Georgia and the annexation of Crimea - both just happening to have strategically positioned seaports, for two examples. If he can keep the criminal element satisfied, and the people unified in fear of the boogie man (the West, for example three), as their lives improve, his strength and influence will continue to grow.

What a ridiculous assessment.

You swallow the Western misinformation whole like a good imperialist puppet.

So dispute it, or offer your own, if you can. Oh, and one more thing...Putin also played Obama for a fool.

 

[there4eyeM]

So few American Presidents have been up to the job of diplomacy and strategic thinking.

 

[SeaGal]

So few American Presidents have been up to the job of diplomacy and strategic thinking.

Good point. It takes a certain amount of ruthlessness and freedom from public accountability to think/act strategically. We expect different behavior from our presidents, who are basically constrained to reacting after the fact with approval, which is why I found Obama's whispered message to Putin via Medvedev so chilling.

 

[BS Filter]

And Putin is thinking the same thing......Syria is not worth a war with the USA. Obama wouldn't have the guts to retaliate. Obama is an appeasing bureaucrat. Trump is strong man.

 

[Tehon]

Putin is a Soviet, and exhibits many of the characteristics of a 'Hitler' in the making. His actions in Georgia and the annexation of Crimea - both just happening to have strategically positioned seaports, for two examples. If he can keep the criminal element satisfied, and the people unified in fear of the boogie man (the West, for example three), as their lives improve, his strength and influence will continue to grow.

What a ridiculous assessment.

You swallow the Western misinformation whole like a good imperialist puppet.

So dispute it, or offer your own, if you can. Oh, and one more thing...Putin also played Obama for a fool.

How did Putin play Obama for a fool?

Every move Putin made was a reaction to Western provocations. Nothing he did was aggressive.

Even in Syria, Russia is on the defensive.

In some ways Putin was able to make the most of a bad situation but overall Russia would be better off if it wasn't constantly defending itself from Western imperialism.

 

[Tehon]

And Putin is thinking the same thing......Syria is not worth a war with the USA. Obama wouldn't have the guts to retaliate. Obama is an appeasing bureaucrat. Trump is strong man.

There has to be a line in the sand. I believe Putin is serious about holding it come what may.

 

[BS Filter]

And Putin is thinking the same thing......Syria is not worth a war with the USA. Obama wouldn't have the guts to retaliate. Obama is an appeasing bureaucrat. Trump is strong man.

There has to be a line in the sand. I believe Putin is serious about holding it come what may.

We'll see.

 

[dannyboys]

no war in the Old World is worth it.


we should declare our neutrality and let them slaughter each other. It's their greatest tradition.

It`s hard to justify our military budget if we`re not blowing up a country now and then.

we should invade canaduh

most of us know which way to go

I don't know about that.
One third of college students polled said if President Trump is impeached then Hillary Clinton would become President.

 

[there4eyeM]

Everyone has more to lose than to gain, which makes the whole situation difficult to understand and more dangerous at the same time. There must be something a little less obvious to the situation. Some smart people think it has to do with pipelines and such. That could well be. This folly of dependence on old energy forms restricts our freedom of choice. Vested interests have us over a 'barrel'.

 

[BS Filter]

no war in the Old World is worth it.


we should declare our neutrality and let them slaughter each other. It's their greatest tradition.

It`s hard to justify our military budget if we`re not blowing up a country now and then.

we should invade canaduh

most of us know which way to go

I don't know about that.
One third of college students polled said if President Trump is impeached then Hillary Clinton would become President.

And they vote, that's the scary part. Amazing ignorance these days. We can thank the demonrats for the ignorance in our "education system".

 

[there4eyeM]

It could be said too much is spent on 'defense' and not enough on what's worth defending. How Syria relates to the defense of America is not clear.