Vice did a really good piece last night on Russia vs NATO tensions and how this is turning into the Cold War all over again. The Russians feel that we (NATO) are inching closer to their borders and destroying their economy with sanctions, and dropping oil prices. The United Stated claims Putin is lying to his people and is flexing his muscle by invading Ukraine, and other NATO countries that used to be part of the USSR are beefing up their military for defense in case Russia invades. If Putin were to invade a NATO country the U.S. would be obligated to attack Russia per NATO guidelines. Meanwhile while we are being distracted by taking confederate flags down, racism, obamacare and marriage equality, the we really are in another Cold War with a nuclear country that really doesn't give a fuck. we are basically cornering a wounded animal here.
To label it a war you would need two sides putting up a fight, but ever since Hillary\Obama hit the reset button the current administration has been happy to do nothing more than bend over a let Putin break it off in their ass. He knows President no balls isn't going to do anything no matter how many red lines he crosses.
I'm more concerned with China. "Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation suspect China was behind the hack of Office of Personnel Management databases discovered in April, and that those hackers accessed not only personnel files but security-clearance forms, current and former U.S. officials said. Such forms contain information that foreign intelligence agencies could use to target espionage operations. Chinese officials have said they weren’t involved. The administration on June 4 disclosed the breach of personnel files—but not the security-clearance theft. That theft was disclosed a week later, even though investigators knew about it much earlier, people familiar with the situation said..... Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation suspect China was behind the hack of Office of Personnel Management databases discovered in April, and that those hackers accessed not only personnel files but security-clearance forms, current and former U.S. officials said. Such forms contain information that foreign intelligence agencies could use to target espionage operations. Chinese officials have said they weren’t involved. The administration on June 4 disclosed the breach of personnel files—but not the security-clearance theft. That theft was disclosed a week later, even though investigators knew about it much earlier, people familiar with the situation said...... Before the OPM formally announced June 4 that it had been hacked, officials at the agency denied to The Wall Street Journal that security-clearance forms were taken, as people familiar with the attack had described. A day after the public announcement, an OPM spokesman said there was “no evidence to suggest that information other than what is normally found in a personnel file has been exposed.’’ By that time, the FBI already knew—and told OPM—that security-clearance forms had been tapped, officials said." This was a blip on the national news but it should continue to be front and center, not rainbow city.
Back in the 80's, I/we sat on the Fulda gap, flexing our muscles while the Russians sat on the other side of an imaginary line...doing the same. It was a hardship assignment. 365 days without a day off with nothing to enjoy but a 3 beer limit in a beer tent. It made us meaner and so we flexed harder. We imagined they were doing the same. There was nothing to it, just flexing. Did the same a few years later in Berlin. Did these maneuvers in a place called dough boy city. Sat on a tripple link fence with comrad on the other side. Flexing, always flexing. Powers always flexing, matching moves, trying so hard to have a bigger dick. Same as it ever was with what seemed to never have a purpose. The 2 sides wrote the book on touch, but don't break. Could this be the same thing all over again? Flexing?? Got a certificate thanking me for my service during the cold war. Should I send it back?
I believe the ISIS (Islam) threat is much greater than that of Russia. One would think that ISIS would be a unifying faction, but "leaders" in both countries try as hard as they can to find ways to piss in each others cereal. The move to put the Eastern European countries in NATO (as in Atlantic) was a dumbazz provocation to the Russians. It should have been a EURO deal. I salute the flag, and for those of you keeping count, the American Flag, as much and as often as the next guy, but we are hardly on high ground here.
