4 Star General Laura Richards of Southern Command said US has asked Cuba Nicaragua Venezuela and 6 other SAmerican countries to send their Russian made weaponry to Ukraine. US will replace with US made weaponry.
Stat, I agree, but for different reasons. The Gulf has an enormous oil deposit, which only Global Marine can get out.
I keep hearing that once everything is frozen there will be great offensives. Both sides claim that. This is the point of getting tanks to both sides. I would think it was plenty cold now but still no word that anything has started. Start date will probably be similar to the start date of the war last year. If only peace negotiations would have been allowed there would be less suffering in the world and no chance of nuclear war. But the world will suffer more suffering and maybe still nuclear war.
Ten years ago, I would have said, "of course we're less corrupt than Mexico." Now I'm more like, "are we less corrupt than Mexico? Yeah, maybe a little."
Yeah, I think it depends on the level of corruption. For piddly stuff, Mexico has us beat. For example, if you're trying to bribe or blow your way out of a traffic ticket, Mexico is where you want to be. That's far less likely to work in the United States. However, if you're a global enemy and you're trying to get someone inside the government to sell out his country for you (like by selling you missile technology, etc.), you'll get a lot further in the United States.
Or do a Chinese spy or stuff documents down your pants with zero repercussions or etc, etc. oh I know lie to Congress about whatever. Or just buy and sell some stock just for the hell of it. Oh wait - come up with a plan to sell Billions of a vaccine (that’s not a vaccine). Nobody does it better, right Carly.
US regime careening towards another 2 theater war like in WW2. The evil party and the stupid party have different enemies they want to fight.
The Philippines are one of those countries that we, as a Nation, have a special relationship with. Subic Bay* was an American Naval colony. Part of the deal was lots of Filipino nationals were allowed to enlist in the US Navy. They did lots of different jobs/rates, both low tech and high tech. And it was a nice intangible bonus when you had some Filipino cooks in your galley. You wanted the duty cook to be a Filipino. Their culinary skills are legendary. It's good to see us "getting back together" with our old pals in that part of the pond. *But don't ask any of those old Pacific Fleet sailors about "Sh!t River"; actually, don't ask any of those old Pacific Fleet sailors about anything that happened in the Philippines...
It's great that the US is using the poor Filipinos to ratchet up tension with China. Very wise leadership trying to project military power across the Pacific. The other side of the Pacific is definitely key to US interests.
China is trying to be the neighborhood bully. China was trying to bully the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, India, S. Korea, Indonesia, pretty much everyone over there. They won't mess with Japan, probably due to historical fears of what happens when they tangle with Japan. That, and we've got Japan's back as much as we've got any nation in the world's back (Japan is maybe tied with Israel at the top of our good friends list). Also, Japan's relatively smallish Navy (no longer called the IJN, but a "Self Defense Force" ) would wipe the table with China's incompetent fleet. It's not going to work for China. Those other countries really hate them. Then there's India who REALLY HATES China. Then there's us, enforcing the freedom of the seas and helping most who ask for our help. Cultivating alliances with our old friends the Filipinos makes great sense. Cultivating semi-alliances with our old enemies Vietnam makes good sense. After all, Japan was an old enemy before they became our best friend. Now, they all hate China over there, and most look to us to have their back, or at least help them out, if push comes to shove. They'd rather be our little brother than China's colony. And for good reason. The CCP Sucks!!!
Is that worth spilling American blood over? Is it worth stealing Americans savings over? The countries around China don't like them. Good. The CCP is evil. But that doesn't mean jumping into WW3 is America's God given destiny.
Guess they won't be relying on the UK... Due to Spending Cuts, UK Military Would Run Out of Ammo In 1 Day of Fighting Russia, Top General Warns | Not the Bee
Most European countries are woefully unprepared for war if it ever comes. They cut back massively after the Cold War (understandably to a point - so did we), picked up a little after 9/11 but largely scaled back down. They've come up some since the Crimea annexation and are on the rise, but it's been very slow going. They spend so much on social programs of various kinds that it's hard for them to find room for big increases in defense. Their budgets are structurally ordered not to spend on defense.
Of course, we had an enormous military presence in the Philippines going back to the Roosevelt (Teddy) Administration. In the early '90s they tried to hustle us for more money. We told them to eff-off, and they evicted us. I think they expected us to pony up, and we didn't.
Imagine a year from now when Russia announces another offensive: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/a...eptical_of_ukraine_aid_poll_shows_148867.html
mchammer, especially when NATO officials are starting to admit the truth. NATO Chief Admits: "War Didn't Start In February Last Year, The War Started In 2014" | ZeroHedge
Right about when the Cold War ended... They (Philippines) really need us now. And we could use their help too with re-opening Subic Bay and other bases. And with military recruitment way down, we could use more Filipino nationals in the Navy and other branches of our armed services (if you think they're not any good, I submit you don't know what you are talking about).
