The Old – New

Cold War?

Russia's Military Is Leaner, But Meaner

That's a simplistic answer from a politician starting an election campaign (of sorts: Putin is headed for re-election in March without giving anyone else a chance). The more pointed question that should be asked is this: How, with a relatively small and decreasing military budget -- 2.77 trillion rubles ($42.3 billion) for 2018, down from some 3.05 trillion rubles this year -- is Russia is still a formidable military rival to the U.S., with its enormous and increasing budget of almost $692.1 billion in 2018, up from $583 billion this year?

DYI:

Let’s get straight to the point Russia militarily nor economically is not a threat to the U.S.  The Russians have always been the master’s of playing a weak hand – they are bluffing virtuosos as their economy is only a fraction the size of the U.S - $4 trillion U.S. dollars – as compared to the U.S. at $19 trillion.  This economic size differential is the driving force for military procurement staggering both in width – lack of conventional military for political power projection and depth – lack of leading edge military weapons development.  In a head to head naval contest between England and Russia – England would win hands down.  If they can’t win against England Russia would not have a chance with the U.S.  Plus Russia suffers from lack of man power with a population of 146 million versus the U.S. with 323 million.  Bottom line Russia has staggering problems just maintaining her borders power projection is accomplished by the art of the bluff. 

The equalizing value of the two countries' well-balanced nuclear deterrents is enough of a reason to avoid direct confrontation.

DYI:

If Russia didn’t have a tactical and strategic nuclear defense shield the U.S. and her allies would have “cut up” the motherland into multiple new countries.  That by the way has the goal of U.S. State Department since the end of WWII.  First to dissolve the Soviet Union then with the loss of the Caucasus’s, the Lapland’s in the north and the grand prize all land east of the Ural Mountains cutting Russia to a fraction of her size.  Of course these new countries would be nothing more than puppets for the Alliance – U.S., U.K., NATO and the EU along with their representative global natural resource corporations.   

But leaving that aside, Putin may well understand the nature of modern military challenges better than U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. legislators -- and Russia's authoritarian system may be more efficient when it comes to military allocations. Note that Russia is now almost an equal to the U.S. as a power broker in the Middle East, where the Russian military has just helped Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad effectively win a civil war -- in which the U.S. was helping the other side. At the same time, Russian defense spending numbers are deceptive. The country is far more militarized than its defense spending suggests. That level of security spending is only sustainable at the expense of Russia's future. 

 DYI:

What power projection Russia is capable of is always close to home.  Syria is far closer to Russia thus much shorter supply lines as compared to the U.S. that needs to sea and air lift supplies – a distinct and clear-cut geographical advantage.  Russia will spend a small amount of money with an excellent possibility of positive results that so far has played to their advantage.

All of this talk of Russia, Russia, Russia, is just that – ALL TALK.  Russia is a country in decline lacking a vibrant economy and a small population base despite her vast land mass.  It is the U.S. Military Industrial Complex desires a new cold war to feather weapons development and deployment profits.

DYI