Another Fucking Passenger Plane suffers an "accident"

[vadimivich]

Back when our country leveraged its instruments of power, we used to have the ability to economically isolate international actors who acted against our interests.

We have far more of that ability now than we had then, thanks to the globalization of the world economy and the centralization of banking in a few major western cities. We're able to put the squeeze on Russia far more now than we ever were on the Soviet Union in that manner.

Still - the reality is that trying to force a nation of 150 million people who are sitting on an incomprehensible pile of natural resources and occupy 1/8th of the world's land, all while possessing the 2nd largest arsenal of nuclear weapons in the world to do anything they don't feel like is really basically impossible.

In short, Russia is leveraging their instruments of power. And while they aren't quite as powerful as the US's, they are fucking enormous. Russia's oil and gas wealth alone makes them a big swinging dick at the table, but combined with a stockpile of ballistic missiles it pretty much makes them largely immune.

 

[TuffaloDeac10]

We have far more of that ability now than we had then, thanks to the globalization of the world economy and the centralization of banking in a few major western cities. We're able to put the squeeze on Russia far more now than we ever were on the Soviet Union in that manner.

Still - the reality is that trying to force a nation of 150 million people who are sitting on an incomprehensible pile of natural resources and occupy 1/8th of the world's land, all while possessing the 2nd largest arsenal of nuclear weapons in the world to do anything they don't feel like is really basically impossible.

In short, Russia is leveraging their instruments of power. And while they aren't quite as powerful as the US's, they are fucking enormous. Russia's oil and gas wealth alone makes them a big swinging dick at the table, but combined with a stockpile of ballistic missiles it pretty much makes them largely immune.

Vad, in your opinion, why is Russia such a Bad Guy?

 

[RJKarl]

It looks like Russia shot down two more Ukranian military jets.....Europe needs to put on their big boy pants.

I wonder if the Netherlands will deport Putin's daughter who lives there.

 

[94Deac]

I'm in a training seminar this week and of the five people in my group, one was born in Ukraine and another is Palestinian. It's been a fun week so far.

 

[jhmd2000]

I'm in a training seminar this week and of the five people in my group, one was born in Ukraine and another is Palestinian. It's been a fun week so far.

Any Algerians?

 

[ImTheCaptain]

Any Algerians?

any Brazilians?

 

[deacvision7]

I either didn't know or forgotten, but this isn't the first time a military outfit has shot down a passenger airplane: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655

Then the US and UK governments lied to try to cover up the incident and say that it was Iran's fault.

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/secr...merica-cover-up-a-plane-shooting-disaster-199