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President Putin Losing Patience : Raising Russian Military Spending ...
We saw a very sobering sort of story in this morning's Guardian. We're sure it's something special enough to be shared - as soon as possible - especially among our American amigos, states-side.
Here's the header.
Big rise in Russian military spending raises fears of new challenge to west·We don't know about such news causing 'concerns' but what we definitely do know is this; it certainly shouldn't come as a surprise.
Moscow anxious over US missile defence plans·
Hawkish minister outlines $189bn hardware revamp
Luke Harding in Moscow and Ian Traynor in Brussels
Friday February 9, 2007 -- The Guardian
Concerns were growing yesterday over a new bout of east-west confrontation, after Russia unveiled a big increase in military spending in the wake of the American decision to site parts of its controversial missile defence system in eastern Europe.
We've both been expecting something like this for some considerable time now. Haven't you?
Put yourself in President Putin's place for a minute -- if you were he (or his defence minister, Sergie Ivanov), wouldn't you too, by now, be just about as bloody well browned by the BushBlairCo, crazy carryings on?
We know we would.
Here's more from the same story.
Russia's hawkish defence minister, Sergei Ivanov, revealed an ambitious plan for a new generation of intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear submarines and possibly a fleet of aircraft carriers.
Moscow also intended to revamp its early warning radar system.
This major overhaul of Russia's military infrastructure would cost $189bn (£97bn) over eight years, he said, adding that he wanted to exceed the Soviet army in "combat readiness".
And here's some more.
Yesterday analysts said Moscow was worried the defence shield in eastern Europe could turn into a Trojan horse.
"This is irritating for Russia," said Yevgeny Miasnikov, a senior research scientist at Moscow's Centre for Arms Control.
"When the Soviet Union collapsed a vacuum was created in the countries of the former Warsaw bloc. The US has tentatively moved into the vacuum and is creating infrastructure that might threaten Russia.
The Bush administration's system is not justified.
Read the rest of this revealing, Russia related report right here.
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posted by Richard at Friday, February 09, 2007
16 Comments:
It's truly painful to see, how the Russian government planning to spend that awesome amount of money on advanced strategical weapons and their air defence, instead on badly needed social spending and poverty reductions for its long suffering population.
But my question is, why would they be better, than the American government, who after the end of cold war has accelerated its military spending, dashing all hopes for a 'Peace dividend'? Indeed it is in such high level, that it is clearly unsustainable financially.
On the surface of things, Russia's response is reasonable, it addresses issues, which the American technological development raises. I'm sure many in the Russian military are concerned about the American stealth technology, thus the need for new radars and the large effort of research needed to improve them, to defeat those systems. The same goes for missile defence. Russia feels it needs to put them on improved platforms, or do other things, to make their detection more difficult and so forth. Meanwhile, millions live their life in grinding poverty both in Russia and the US. Its obvious that the political leadership is not this much incompetent, because the trend is overarching the tenure of one administration.
No, in America definitely, but probably in Russia also, the leadership serve the interest of a nefarious and rapacious elite, to the great injury to everyone else.
Russia has realised [like a lot of us have] that the 'balance of power' worked. It's sad thing to have to say but it has to be restored. Thanks mainly to America.
Meanwhile, China's already shown it can now knock satellites down when it wants.
Though the whole world's know for years that the US Missile Defence System is joke - since it doesn't even work.
To think that Russia and China would sit quietly by and watch America try to steal all Iran's oil for itself as it has in Iraq, beyond belief. They've both got far, far to much to loose by letting the US pull the same stunt there.
We know Russia and China and Iran have a mutual defense pact. Of course it is centered on the oil. The consumers of essential commodities need reliable suppliers and vice versa. the suppliers need the reliable customers.
China also has some potent economic weapons it could employ against the U.S.
I've come to the conclusion that the American regime has a death wish -- **destroy America itself**. It's certainly happening financially and they've shown no concern for losses of lives, our own and the lives of others.
Somehow the elite expect to escape with their fortunes, survive global warming somehow, and emerge somehow to a world with a greatly reduced population which the planet might still be able to sustain.
They seem so damn eager to get a major war on -- inviting it in a thousand ways -- that's the only logic I can come to.
they're gonna be the death of us all
And try to think of all the other things going on in the rest of the world about which neither we nor the US government knows nothing ... YET.
Every country is telling BushCo what it wants to hear, but what every country is actually doing is another story.
Dirty commies. Bring em on.
Rosemary, I very much agree with you on that, and you added an important point which was not discussed.
The American leadership, and the powers behind it, are not behaving the way a national leadership would behave, preserving the Peace and riches of their land, but more like in an insane self-distractive way. As I mentioned, I dont believe such a degree of incompetence, but exactly that these circles thinking on the Global level, somewhere where they may escape, when their policies finally bear their bitter fruits.
Let's not circle around this, but say it out loud: They behave like a particularly vicious internal enemy, basically traitors to their own (nominal) country, who are bend on destroying it. Their acts haven't started recently, it is going on for quite a while, but it has intensified in an alarming rate.
"I would say that if China did not engage in a military buildup after watching the United States go bomb and missile crazy during the past 20 years that it would be derelict in its duty"
Anonymous is right about the balance of power - it DID work. The lesson the none-American world has forgotten is how we all paid such a terrible price for allowing germany to just go on building and building it's armed military strength.
Although it was at great cost eventually the alliance of so many counrties united in it's determination to defeat it (together) and then break it up worked in the end.
The US power-mad-men would do well to remember that -- unless of course the posters who say the loonies don't care what happens to the mass of their countrymen & women are right. That they have 'other' plans for themselves when thing finally go BOOM in a big way.
There is still time for reasonable Americans to put this current bunch of war criminals behind bars (where they so rightly belong), but not much time.
Update:
Putin attacks 'very dangerous' US
Mr Putin said the US overstepped its borders in every way
Russian President Vladimir Putin has attacked the United States for what he said was its "almost uncontained" use of force around the world.
America's "very dangerous" approach to global relations was fuelling a nuclear arms race, he told a security summit.
Correspondents say the strident speech may signal a more assertive Russia.
More here.
I see rabid anti Americanism is alive and well here.
I suggest you all cook your own fish.
This certainly is a deadly chess game with the attacking and defending pieces being moved into position.
The armada off the Eastern Med coast is threatening Syria. The object being to cower them into not coming to the aid of Hizbullah when they are attacked again.
The armadas off off the coasts of Iran are there to intimidate Iran into not coming to the aid of Syria when it is attacked (which it will be whether or not it resonds to Israel's attack on Lebanon).
The Missiles in Bulgaria, Romania, Poland and Czech Republic are there to intimidate Russia into not responding to the attack on Syria (Russia has missiles in Syria) and the attack on Iran when, not if, it comes.
Russia will be attacked sooner or later anyway under this plan.
The missiles in Eastern Europe are simply superfluous for attacking Iran. They are there to cut down Russia's response time to an attack.
The Naval armadas are there for the same reason. They are very close to their targets offering them little to no response time. You do this only if you intend to attack first without warning. It is too dangerous to position your warpieces that close otherwise.
If Iran is the Queen piece in this chess game then Russia is the King - game over. China is then like a ship without an engine - drifting and helpless without oil or at least enough oil. At least, that's my bet on what the neo-cons are thinking.
The US has put StratCom in charge now taking over from CentCom. This means the focus is now global not merely the Middle East. This is very significant.
This rapid escalating war being planned is only posible if you intend to use nuclear weapons and massive amounts of them. It HAS to be a knockout punch.
Here's an article from Asia Times which gives important background to the struggle for power going on which very much includes Russia.
Link here.
I think the situation (from my distant armchair) is dire. It could all be a bluff ot get Russia to put pressure on Iran to drop it's nuvlear ambitions (be they peaceful or not) but I don't think so. It doesn't make any sense.
A first strike knockout punch does make sense of all that's happening given the nature of the belligerents, the Neo-cons both American and Israeli.
Griffon, It seems to me that the only problem with this theory is that Israel, itself, would be wiped off the map. At least it would certainly become uninhabitable.
And the entire earth (at least the Northern Hemosphere) would descend into a very long nuclear winter.
Rosemary,
what you say makes sense. But war has never made sense to sensible people.
See Chris Floyd's Empire Burlesque
War with Iran seems to be inevitable but Israel will not go to war with Iran when Syria and Hizbullah are fully armed and sitting on their borders. They may not use nukes against Syria but will have to against Iran and Russia. Again, it will need to be very sudden and massive for Israel to hope to survive. This is not my opinion what will be the outcome just what these loonies THINK will be the outcome.
It goes without saying that they are demented and deluded. A by-product of this mental condition is the inability to recognise or deal with unwanted consequenses. They think they can create reality just like you create a TV story where you get to decide which consequences you will have in and which ones you will leave out.
You mention the Northern Hemisphere. Remember who has ranches in Paraguay (Southern Hemisphere) atop the worlds largest aquifier (Which will be shielded from any possible fall out).
Thanks for spreading
Laith's moving account. I truly hope it spreads far and wide and has a profound effect.
He has a follow-up here-
And apologies to Laith for my unfortunate typo.
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