The Mess

[TheReal_ND]

I don't even understand what's going on in here. Did you insult me Commie Cat Face?

[SuburbanFarmer]

I don't even understand what's going on in here. Did you insult me Commie Cat Face?

No, buddy. You're a fine, standing member of the alt-right. You should probably run for a leadership role.

[TheReal_ND]

We don't have leaders. Harder to decapitate.

[ssu]

There's one thing important issue in the present Post-Soviet-Cold-War era that makes things so different from Cold War. The different emphasis on the nuclear deterrence between the US and Russia.

Russia has allways put an emphasis on it's nuclear forces, yet it feels that the US hasn't. After Cold War ended, seems like the US just forgot about it, moved to other issues, like fighting insurgents with fertilizer bombs in the middle of nowhere.

Russia has allways given top priority to it's nuclear forces. The Russians have modernized their equipment at the pace their limited budgets have given them. Even Russia's snap-excersizes that does now frequently is about fighting a war with US: in order to survive, the troops and the formations have to move quickly out of the garrisons and get the equipment out of the storages. Russia is playing the game as if it was the Cold War.

What the impact is for the US deterrence I don't know. I'm not sure just how "neglected" the nuclear deterrence is, but it hasn't been top priority, that's for sure:

This modernization could have begun in the George W. Bush administration, but did not, and the Obama administration further delayed it during its first term, based on the mistaken view that nuclear weapons are irrelevant after the Cold War. The administration has since begun the program, but current plans will not place a new U.S. bomber, strategic submarine, cruise missile or ICBM in the field until the mid-to-late 2020s.

ICBM on the road:

[SuburbanFarmer]

You won't catch me wishing for more nuclear weapon systems on high alert in the world.

[Xenophon]

You won't catch me wishing for more nuclear weapon systems on high alert in the world.

The Russians have no such scruples.

[SuburbanFarmer]

You won't catch me wishing for more nuclear weapon systems on high alert in the world.

The Russians have no such scruples.

Doesn't really matter. We've been in a mexican standoff for 50 years. Getting a bigger gun doesn't change the situation. No matter who shoots first, everybody dies - regardless of Smitty's speculation on 'survivable second strike' etc. In the short term, the rest of the world will hate you forever. In the long term, billions starve/freeze/die of cancer. What a victory.

If we had any sense at all, we'd disable the nukes tomorrow. Watch how long the Russians are allowed to gloat over having the only big gun. They hold the entire world hostage? That's not going to work, and ends very, very badly for them.

[Xenophon]

You won't catch me wishing for more nuclear weapon systems on high alert in the world.

The Russians have no such scruples.

Doesn't really matter. We've been in a mexican standoff for 50 years. Getting a bigger gun doesn't change the situation. No matter who shoots first, everybody dies - regardless of Smitty's speculation on 'survivable second strike' etc. In the short term, the rest of the world will hate you forever. In the long term, billions starve/freeze/die of cancer. What a victory.

If we had any sense at all, we'd disable the nukes tomorrow. Watch how long the Russians are allowed to gloat over having the only big gun. They hold the entire world hostage? That's not going to work, and ends very, very badly for them.

That's nonsense. Has disarming ever done anything but allow those with arms to dictate the terms? You're fantasizing.

[SuburbanFarmer]

The Russians have no such scruples.

Doesn't really matter. We've been in a mexican standoff for 50 years. Getting a bigger gun doesn't change the situation. No matter who shoots first, everybody dies - regardless of Smitty's speculation on 'survivable second strike' etc. In the short term, the rest of the world will hate you forever. In the long term, billions starve/freeze/die of cancer. What a victory.

If we had any sense at all, we'd disable the nukes tomorrow. Watch how long the Russians are allowed to gloat over having the only big gun. They hold the entire world hostage? That's not going to work, and ends very, very badly for them.

That's nonsense. Has disarming ever done anything but allow those with arms to dictate the terms? You're fantasizing.

I didn't say to cancel the military. Just the nukes. They're useless and threaten the entire globe for literally zero gain.

[Montegriffo]

Come on Grumps, you must understand the concept of MAD. It's no good one side disarming, that is going to make a conflict between super powers much more likely. If we could unilaterally disarm in secret it might work but that's never going to happen. That's the kind of talk that ensured old labour in the 80's never got a sniff of power.