Charlie Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 The situation with Russia is looking very worrying at the moment with relations at a very low level. The latest revelation in the crisis is that the Russians have threatened to supply the Iranian's with a high-spec missile defence system which if implemented would be able to track 100 targets at once and fire at planes up to 75 miles away. It would effectively rule out Israeli air raids and seriously complicate any US aerial bombardment. Link to relevant article So what do you guys think? Are we about to enter a new Cold War, or has it started already? What do you think of the whole situation regarding Russia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navarre Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 Russia, is, in my opinion, an admirable country. Following the collapse of Communism, and subsequantly half the USSR, Russia has made a fantastic recovery. But rocky relations are not the way to go. Russia is not a power to be reckoned with, and is the most powerful nation in the world, bar the US. However, another Cold War, or at least one on the scale of the previous would-be-conflict, is extremely unlikely. I doubt Russia would want to be overwhelmed by NATO and the EU, and we strengthen their economy too much for Russia to ever seriously consider wanting another Cold War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D_prOdigy Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 I think media coverage does slightly balloon the worry of frosty foreign relations. Let's say hypothetically Russia does supply Iran; it would still take something incredibly serious to actually ecalate anything. It'd take so much more effort for western powers to take action than it would for them to just sit back. Look at Georgia: it was clear that the US weren't prepeared to lift a finger to either aid Georgia or punish Russia. I don't think we're entering something akin to the Cold War; because we realise that these days, "unnecessary" wars are so expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 I think what we're seeing is autocratic states not afraid to flex their muscles and not feeling like they need to legitimise their actions to the international community or according to ideology. It's realpolitik. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 i thought this topic is about; "The Kremlin moved swiftly to tighten its grip on Georgia’s breakaway regions yesterday as South Ossetia announced that it would soon become part of Russia, which will open military bases in the province under an agreement to be signed on Tuesday. Tarzan Kokoity, the province’s Deputy Speaker of parliament, announced that South Ossetia would be absorbed into Russia soon so that its people could live in “one united Russian state” with their ethnic kin in North Ossetia. The US confirmed that the flagship of its Sixth Fleet, the USS Mount Whitney, would deliver aid to Georgia next week. Two other warships are moored off Georgia’s Black Sea port of Batumi, and Russia has ordered its fleet to take “precautionary measures”." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fex Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 (edited) I need to move the a nice quiet island somewhere like the maldives. Where I can live in peace. And not worry about all this, unless to stray nuke comes my way ________ Kitchen Measures Edited April 28, 2011 by fex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coolness Bears Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 I thought we had been bombed this morning! As a plane flew over my house I heard a loud bang which I'm sure shook the house and then what I thought was breaking glass! Turned out that a plane had flown over my house just as the thunder had clapped and the breaking glass I heard was the rain against the window. :p I don't think we will enter another Cold War just yet but I'm no good at politics. I'm more worried about the cats, They are up to something.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The fish Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 The present EU-Russian situation regarding energy is too mutually beneficial to be thrown out the window on what is a relative whim. A lot depends on the elections in Yanksville. If the Republicans get in again, then McCain will do the good, honourable American thing, and try and force Europe to become entirely American friendly. Obama, on the other hand, will probably try and put the US into a Europe-esque middle ground. If McCain gets it, and puts his foot in it, Russia will probably feel it can retake little bits of it's old ground at a time, as it did with Georgia. If this road is taken, by money is on areas of Finland Russia feels it is owed since the Continuation War, the Crimea (and other areas of the Ukraine), and the Baltic States. It can, by basing it's experiance of Georgia, get away with it, as it can pull the "there are Russians there, we're protecting them", and this time they're ethnically Russian too, not just owners of passports given to them by the Kremlin. Doing so, how ever, will be a direct invasion of EU soil, which may just get the union to finally get up and act as one. If this action is (given the situation) military, then I would not want to be in central Europe or the Baltic/Scandinavia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninty 182 Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 I studied the Cold War during GCSE. It's nothing to worry about. Nothing happened (bar a short stint in Vietnam) But yeah, war is never good, but the way I look at it is that there's nothing I can do to influence events and so I'm not going to worry about it. Things will just run their course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Posted August 31, 2008 Author Share Posted August 31, 2008 I studied the Cold War during GCSE. It's nothing to worry about. Nothing happened (bar a short stint in Vietnam) I would go back and study your notes again if I were you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DomJcg Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 Cold war nothing to worry about?!? The world nearly ended in 1962 because of it, millions died, and wars were fought. If thats not bad i don't know what is... See, Russia's got the uk by the balls, as our main source of oil/gas they have alot of saying power, today they threatened to cut us off. But in terms of power, Russia are weak compared to the USSR of the 70's, they are far from capable of holding a war for long, so they can't push things too far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCK Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 Meh, nukes aren't really at stake here. Russia's just powerful enough to not submit to US or China's will, and Iran has a right to have these defense systems. Israel really isn't a military power (or aggressor) you can ignore there. None of them are stupid enough to attack one another, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninty 182 Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Cold war nothing to worry about?!? The world nearly ended in 1962 because of it, millions died, and wars were fought. If thats not bad i don't know what is... 1962 - the cuban missile crisis. I swear that was nothing. Russia sent some boats out to cuba, saw there were Americans there and turned back. But I'll admit that I didn't know millions died (I presume you mean directly related to the war as opposed to old age due to the 45 or so year length of the 'war') Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mundi Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Try conflicts started because of the cold war, nations pretty much left fucked up in the name of stopping a political movement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyellowbloke Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Nah this isn't another Cold War in the old style, but similar. What we have is a old fashioned clash of ideologies, this time the weapon is not nukes but fuel. Basically Russia want to go out to prove that far from being a sidelined former political player it is still very much a superpower. They're fighting back against the post-cold war notion that the USA is the single dominent force that the world must look to for direction. The invasion of Georgia was Russia testing the waters to see how the rest of the world would react and to say "Oi, look we're still here and still powerful". Also Russia are pretty unhappy about America sticking missile bases in former Soviet states and frankly who can blame them, I couldn't see America being happy if Russia stuck missile bases in Canada. So Russia are just flexing there muscles to the rest of the world and there isn't a whole lot we can do about it they have the ace up their sleeve of the oil and gas of Europe. It wont turn into military conflict though as Russia doesn't want to be exiled be Europe completely, I'm sure the Russian billionaires wouldn't be too happy with that situation. On the plus side though this might persuade European governments to step up energy plans to become self sufficient and get us off oil and gas, which can only be a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan_Dare Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 1962 - the cuban missile crisis. I swear that was nothing. Russia sent some boats out to cuba, saw there were Americans there and turned back. But I'll admit that I didn't know millions died (I presume you mean directly related to the war as opposed to old age due to the 45 or so year length of the 'war') Far from being 'nothing'- fingers were poised over The Button. Without a shadow of a doubt, civilisation was nearly swept clean off the planet! I read somewhere that the only reason they backed down was because Kennedy deliberately ignored a wire from Moscow saying 'we won't back down' and called off the American alert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Posted September 1, 2008 Author Share Posted September 1, 2008 1962 - the cuban missile crisis. I swear that was nothing. Russia sent some boats out to cuba, saw there were Americans there and turned back. Go for a chat with your old history teacher if you truely believe that. It was a MASSIVE crisis which could have potentially started a nuclear war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blender Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 the world needs an enemy just as much as the world needs batman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninty 182 Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Go for a chat with your old history teacher if you truely believe that. It was a MASSIVE crisis which could have potentially started a nuclear war. oh, alright, my bad. It wasn't my best subject Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shino Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Bring it on! Russian needs to be divided in smaller countries. Russia, is, in my opinion, an admirable country. Following the collapse of Communism, and subsequantly half the USSR, Russia has made a fantastic recovery. A country that big with that many resources and high level education, and still isn't relevant. Yeah, admirable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navarre Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Bring it on! Russian needs to be divided in smaller countries. A country that big with that many resources and high level education, and still isn't relevant. Yeah, admirable. Russia does not need to be divided into smaller parts. I'm all for uniting people, and irregardless of size,the Russian population is only 150 million people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McPhee Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Bring it on! Russian needs to be divided in smaller countries. A country that big with that many resources and high level education, and still isn't relevant. Yeah, admirable. You're Portugeese and trying to insist the Russia is irrelevant? That either takes balls or blind stupidity... Russia still have a very powerful military despite what some might try and make out. They have a lot of old weapons stock piled, a HUGE army available when needed and are 3rd in the world for military investment (after the US and China). Money also goes a lot further in Russia and China, if we were talking about military value then they aren't all that far behind the US and are both WAY ahead of ANY European country. A combined EU force is worth taking note of, but seperated we are small fry (hence why our gouvernments are trying to push us together). Then there's also the "small" matter of nukes. It is estimated that Russia have significantly more than anyone else, along with the surface areas to store them far apart, making it impossible to remove them. A nation with a military that is the second strongest in the world (China's is still growing) and controls most of Europe's fuel supplys is irrelevant? Get over yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shino Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Ha, what the fuck has my nationality to do with anything? My country isn't having illusions of greatness or trying to rebuilt a lost empire with the same butt hurt attitude as Nazi Germany, like Russia . Should I counter you argument by saying that the UK is so isolationist that it actually thinks it stands a chance alone in today's world? As for your military talk, it is nothing with out economic power, which is what I pointed out in the other post, that despite Russia's potential they're stuck in this idea of being a superpower, when several other countries are surpassing it for the same goal without being an objective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McPhee Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Ha, what the fuck has my nationality to do with anything? My country isn't having illusions of greatness or trying to rebuilt a lost empire with the same butt hurt attitude as Nazi Germany, like Russia . Should I counter you argument by saying that the UK is so isolationist that it actually thinks it stands a chance alone in today's world? As for your military talk, it is nothing with out economic power, which is what I pointed out in the other post, that despite Russia's potential they're stuck in this idea of being a superpower, when several other countries are surpassing it for the same goal without being an objective. The Russian economy is stronger than you think, their GDP (PPP) for 2007 ranks them 6th in the world. That is by no means a weak economy, and it's one that is growing quite quickly (faster than most European economies, thats for sure). Russia don't have 'illusions' of greatness, the illusion only exists in the minds of those who wish that Russia would just go away. They are still one of the most powerful nations on the planet, and sadly on the 8th August 2008 Georgia decided to wake them up. This conflict won't end well. Russia now want the whole thing resolved and are using their full weight to make sure things are done in their favour. The west are fighting against them every step of the way, and tbh i don't understand why? Georgia are completely inept at dealing with South Ossetia and Akbhazia so someone needs to call an end to the whole thing. If Georgia can't keep those two regions under their control peacefully then how and why are they still part of Georgia? Is it their fate to be slaughtered by the Georgian military every 5 years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninty 182 Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 You're Portugeese and trying to insist the Russia is irrelevant? That either takes balls or blind stupidity... what, incase Russia's reading through these forums? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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