Where Did Putin Go Wrong?

[Smitty-48]

It's really not that complex, the Soviet Union was inevitably subjugated by its own security state, but the nonsensical socialist economy was a snake eating its own tail, the only way they could prop the Potemkin Village up, was to trade oil for US dollars.

When the oil price bottomed out, they went bankrupt, and for a brief interval the security state was knocked back on its heels, so it played possum.

Once the oil price recovered, the security state staged a de facto coup de tat and came back with a vengeance, now all Russia is, is that security state, without the socialist economy, in the place of socialism, a racketeering kleptocracy.

The former prisoners of the World Socialist Revolution turn to NATO to resist the re-imposition of an Iron Curtain? Quelle surprise.

Mr. Ivan's not happy about it? Too bad so sad.

[Speaker to Animals]

The bigger problem for them is their demographic, moral, and social implosion. They have to turn the degeneracy around or they don't have much time left as a major power. They are pretty far ahead of us in this.

[Smitty-48]

They don't have much time left as a major power, because they have an economy the size of Spain's, which cannot replace the Soviet war machine which is rusting out, so unless they are going to go out with a bang, they'll simply fade back into the pack by default.

[Smitty-48]

That being said, it's not going to be NATO who eats their lunch, far more likely it's going to be China.

The principle fault line for World War Three is not in Europe, it's Russia-China-India-Pakistan.

Thus, if they are going down swinging, much more likely it's going to be in the face of Beijing not Washington, and so Washington will be a passenger of fate.

[kybkh]

Just kills me watching these pre-1960 videos. WTFH?

[Smitty-48]

The weakness of the Russians is that their defense industrial base is moribund, it's outdated, it's inefficient, it's dysfunctional, so they are not capable of going head to head with other major powers in a symmetrical war, all they really have in the quiver, is the remnants of the late Cold War Soviet war machine, and nuclear blackmail. Which does make them dangerous, but not in a conventional war scenario.

They got nuclear submarines, and they got hydrogen bombs coming out of their ears, if push comes to shove, that's the only card they have to play.