downsizing US military

[Serb]

Perhaps.

I've simply seen no evidence that Russian toughness exists. They are just a large country that has been historically difficult to invade due to terrain and weather.

The snow in Russia is tougher than the people.

Yeah, right! The God just gave us this largest country on Earth as a gift, 'cause he likes the beauty of our eyes. And it was so big from the beginning and nobody wants to take a part of it for themselves ever. So we don't have to defend it.
What a clown.
Russia is one of the most fighting nations in history of human kind. We always fight, 'cause we always under attack from one way or another.

[ColdWizard]

Perhaps.

I've simply seen no evidence that Russian toughness exists. They are just a large country that has been historically difficult to invade due to terrain and weather.

The snow in Russia is tougher than the people.

Father Winter has a loving embrace for the children of Russia and an icy deathgrip for all invaders!

[Sava]

Yeah, right! The God just gave us this largest country on Earth as a gift, 'cause he likes the beauty of our eyes. And it was so big from the beginning and nobody wants to take a part of it for themselves ever. So we don't have to defend it.
What a clown.
Russia is one of the most fighting nations in history of human kind. We always fight, 'cause we always under attack from one way or another.

Russia fights because the people are stupid and led by monsters... just like every other nation in the history of the world.

And geography explains the entirety of human history. There's nothing magical at work. There's no America or Russian or German or British or Roman exceptionalism. We're just people.

Russians are just as weak as everyone else.

I know this comes as a shock to you... because your entire worldview is based upon the notion of ethnic/racial superiority.

[Felch]

Perhaps.

I've simply seen no evidence that Russian toughness exists. They are just a large country that has been historically difficult to invade due to terrain and weather.

The snow in Russia is tougher than the people.

Russians always seem to ignore getting their asses handed to them. From the Crimean War to the Russo-Japanese War, to WWI, Russia was a punching bag. It was only when they got millions of tons of supplies from America in WWII that they were able to start putting up a real fight.

[Hauldren Collider]

Russia fights because the people are stupid and led by monsters... just like every other nation in the history of the world.

And geography explains the entirety of human history. There's nothing magical at work. There's no America or Russian or German or British or Roman exceptionalism. We're just people.

No. If this were the case, central Africa wouldn't be so ****ing terrible. The decisions we make shape human history. Countries live and die on the quality of their policies.

Why is Poland poorer than France? It isn't geography. It's because of communism.

[Sava]

Russians always seem to ignore getting their asses handed to them. From the Crimean War to the Russo-Japanese War, to WWI, Russia was a punching bag. It was only when they got millions of tons of supplies from America in WWII that they were able to start putting up a real fight.

Without American support, Russia has lost every war it has fought.

[regexcellent]

Serb, the Kwantung Army WAS relocated to the Home Islands which is WHY the Japanese lost Manchuria. They had no hope anymore of getting useful supplies from there and were planning on holding out to the bitter end until the nukes dropped, the nukes being cited as the reason for surrender by every Japanese leader. The delay was due to lack of consensus that remained even after Hirohito made his broadcast.

[Felch]

In a short war they can get away with having a weak economy. That makes them dangerous to their weaker neighbors. But in a long war they need outside support to keep fighting. That makes Russia harmless to strong nations.

What I'm saying is that Russia is a quintessential bully. Russia is like a dude who can't a chick without cash up front or roofies. **** Russia.

[Felch]

Why is Poland poorer than France? It isn't geography. It's because of communism.

Try again. FRANCE IS COMMUNISM!

[regexcellent]

Oh yeah and all of the POWs that the Russians "saved" were immediately shipped to Siberia where they were interrogated by the NKVD and subsequently shot.

[Sava]

No. If this were the case, central Africa wouldn't be so ****ing terrible. The decisions we make shape human history. Countries live and die on the quality of their policies.

False.

You are over-inflating the importance of nations and individuals. Imagine observing the Earth from space and not having any contact with humanity... including our media, history, and voices. We're just ants running around. There's no such thing as "America" or "Russia". It's just a bunch of drones being controlled by various forces... groupthink.

Individual choice plays little or no role in anything... if it even exists at all. All of human achievement is worthless.

I understand your perspective completely. Inherent human narcissism is responsible for falsely placing importance on names and dates.

The history of humanity is a flash in the pan. It doesn't matter if Germany invaded England and won WW2. It doesn't matter if Egypt was the dominant empire of the modern era. None of it matters.

Humanity is a wave of destruction and consumption that is rapidly leading to its own demise. We're probably already dead and just don't know it yet. And we're certainly not smart enough to figure out how to save ourselves. Millions of years from now, even our radio emissions will be scattered and lost to any possible observers out there.

The human experience is awesome, don't get me wrong. But it is absolutely miniscule. The arrangement of inanimate matter (geography) controls our entire existence.

[Felch]

It's why we need to build space ships and go beyond our solar system. We should be the all consuming alien horde. It's our destiny.

[Sava]

It's why we need to build space ships and go beyond our solar system.

That is probably never going to happen. The scale of an economy necessary for inter-stellar travel is astronomical (pun intended). We simply do not have the resources to contend with such an endeavor. We can't even agree on a cohesive internal set of principles and policies by which to organize ourselves.

And the most successful method of political organization (Russian nationalism aside) hails from a time when people thought bleeding cured disease (HINT: CAPITALISM).

[Sava]

Oh... and I didn't even mention that our primary means of energy production and transportation is hostile to our own biology... and has likely irreversibly affected conditions on our planet.

And we did this in about a century.

Humanity is stupid and will be lost and forgotten. We are an unsuccessful form of life.

[100% Wolf]

No. If this were the case, central Africa wouldn't be so ****ing terrible. The decisions we make shape human history. Countries live and die on the quality of their policies.

Why is Poland poorer than France? It isn't geography. It's because of communism.

Where do these policies come from? Aliens? God?