Re: Putin warning...
 

I think ordinary Russians don't care about the slide in the rouble, as long as they have bread, vodka and heat in winter. Putin's propaganda machine has kept him in power for so many years, he thinks he's invincible.

And that makes him very dangerous.

Re: Putin warning...
 

Another worrying thing for the future is the Chinese and Americans having a possible conflict in the South China seas.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...-installations.

http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013.../phil-j29.html

May be old news!

Re: Putin warning...
 

China won't bully the big boys though. Look at the Paracel Island conflict in the 70's: Were the Americans not otherwise bogged down and pre-occupied fighting the VC I very much doubt that little episode would have happened.

Re: Putin warning...
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30366947

Tough talking. Putin's response would be interesting if it weren't bound to be more of the same denial and rhetoric...

Re: Putin warning...
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30490082

Reminds me of the sort of rates we were paying on our first mortgage.

Anyway, no doubt Putin will be making it quite clear to his people that this has nothing to do with his actions and is solely the result of an unwarranted attack by the west on the proud people of Russia...

Re: Putin warning...
 

His rhetoric will only go so far..

Re: Putin warning...
 

Then the cold war will start again. Nato better wake up and smell the coffee before its to late. To many libs demanding cut backs in the armed forces have made us weak and unable to defend ourselves if the needed.

Re: Putin warning...
 

Yes and its Putin's perception of the west's capabilities and intentions which matters because that's what will determine his actions. He's a very dangerous individual and who knows to what extent his ego will rule his head.

Re: Putin warning...
 

I don't think anyone wants a full-on conflict between Russia and NATO. There is absolutely no way it would stay conventional.

Putin will push as hard as he can without crossing the red lines of the NATO treaties.

Re: Putin warning...
 

A sobering fact often not mentioned is that over 20m soviets died in WW2. Over twenty million. US and UK combined losses were under 1m. It is not only Russia's President that binds the Russian people.

Re: Putin warning...
 

I don't think it's Russia we need to worry about if a war did break out, It's all the other crazy leaders out there that would take advantage of this by either joining putin or starting their own wars knowing resources would be going to battling Russia.

Re: Putin warning...
 

Give all benefit scroungers a gun and we'll be ok.

just hope they don't shoot the workers though.

Re: Putin warning...
 

Twenty million deaths. So about the expected immediate result of 2/3rds of the firepower a single Vanguard class submarine carries in peace time, this including effects of decoys and any anti-missile system the Russians have.

Hang that idea in front of anyone you'd hope things calm down before they get too extreme.

Putin is somewhat mad but not completely nuts. He knows that either side going too far results in a no-win for everyone.

Which is a comforting thought.

Re: Putin warning...
 

And m.a.d. is what has kept us all alive thus far...

Perhaps one day Russia will become a member of NATO.

Imagine all the people, living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer.

Re: Putin warning...
 

Wars don't have to be planned, they just require the right conditions and right now there's enough strife around the globe to set one off. Look back to WWI to see how things can escalate. Yes we now have nukes but it only requires one side or other to 'believe' they're under immediate threat to set off a chain reaction which is hard to stop. Unlikely it may be, but anyone who thinks we're too clever to blow ourselves up is overestimating our collective intelligence I feel.