Comments on: Russia ‘Dying’ to Be What it Hates Most: A New America – Le Monde http://themoderatevoice.com/22126/russia-dying-to-be-what-it-hates-most-a-new-america-le-monde/ An Internet hub with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, indies, centrists, moderates, and right Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:28:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: DLS http://themoderatevoice.com/22126/russia-dying-to-be-what-it-hates-most-a-new-america-le-monde/comment-page-1/#comment-138814 DLS Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:34:00 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/science/energy/oil/22126/russia-dying-to-be-what-it-hates-most-a-new-america-le-monde/#comment-138814 Dueling Warships<br><br><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7585182.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7585182...</a><br><br><a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iUA357W77ndvCMh32VlQqdGj53mAD92QPF500">http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iUA357W77ndv...</a> Dueling Warships

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7585182…

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iUA357W77ndv…

]]> By: DLS http://themoderatevoice.com/22126/russia-dying-to-be-what-it-hates-most-a-new-america-le-monde/comment-page-1/#comment-138813 DLS Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:16:30 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/science/energy/oil/22126/russia-dying-to-be-what-it-hates-most-a-new-america-le-monde/#comment-138813 Russia wants control of oil and gas (will settle for sharing this from Iran in the case of the Caspian Sea, something nobody but the foolish in the West would accept without trying an alternative -- we're not trying to control anything here in the West, but just want to avoid total Russian or Russian-Iranian control), but it also wants military _and_ political as well as economic hegemony throughout its sphere of influence and it resents having fallen from superpower status and also iron domination of its sphere of influence (and beyond). Russia wants control of oil and gas (will settle for sharing this from Iran in the case of the Caspian Sea, something nobody but the foolish in the West would accept without trying an alternative — we're not trying to control anything here in the West, but just want to avoid total Russian or Russian-Iranian control), but it also wants military _and_ political as well as economic hegemony throughout its sphere of influence and it resents having fallen from superpower status and also iron domination of its sphere of influence (and beyond).

]]> By: GreenDreams http://themoderatevoice.com/22126/russia-dying-to-be-what-it-hates-most-a-new-america-le-monde/comment-page-1/#comment-138812 GreenDreams Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:16:28 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/science/energy/oil/22126/russia-dying-to-be-what-it-hates-most-a-new-america-le-monde/#comment-138812 Nonsense. As I pointed out on the last Russia post, this is about control of financially lucrative resources. The US doesn't care about Georgian sovereignty or democracy as much as controlling access to oil through Georgian pipelines. Russia wants the same thing. Currently, Russia supplies much of the oil to Europe. The pipeline through Georgia was designed SPECIFICALLY to provide a non-Russian route that would put more power in our hands than Russia's. Of course, Russia intends to do the opposite, to assure they control this resource and capture maximum profit for selling it to Europe. It is true that this is about "sphere of influence" but not in the military hegemony sense, but in the sense of influence over commerce. Nonsense. As I pointed out on the last Russia post, this is about control of financially lucrative resources. The US doesn't care about Georgian sovereignty or democracy as much as controlling access to oil through Georgian pipelines. Russia wants the same thing. Currently, Russia supplies much of the oil to Europe. The pipeline through Georgia was designed SPECIFICALLY to provide a non-Russian route that would put more power in our hands than Russia's. Of course, Russia intends to do the opposite, to assure they control this resource and capture maximum profit for selling it to Europe. It is true that this is about “sphere of influence” but not in the military hegemony sense, but in the sense of influence over commerce.

]]> By: PattonGuy http://themoderatevoice.com/22126/russia-dying-to-be-what-it-hates-most-a-new-america-le-monde/comment-page-1/#comment-138811 PattonGuy Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:07:18 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/science/energy/oil/22126/russia-dying-to-be-what-it-hates-most-a-new-america-le-monde/#comment-138811 God save me from all this "Russia wants to be a superpower" crud. Of course Russia wants to be a superpower. Who wouldn't? I'll bet you even Burundi wants to be a superpower. The question is, who has the means and the ability to be a superpower? If the definition of superpower is "economic and military powerhouse," Russia would not reach it. Russia's 2007 estimated GDP in terms of dollars was 2.076 trillion. The USA's GDP was $13.86 trillion. China's GDP was $7.043 trillion. Russia's military, meanwhile, has some troops that are up to snuff, true. Those were the ones who invaded Georgia. The rest, meanwhile, are conscripts who have more skill on paper than in reality. Russia doesn't have the same ability, hypothetically, to bring conventional destruction to the U.S. that the U.S. does. We have a far bigger navy, more and better airplanes, and better trained soldiers with tanks and such far superior to the Russians' equipage. Meanwhile, NATO is further east than ever before, and stronger than ever, in terms of numbers. GET IT INTO YOUR HEADS, PEOPLE! RUSSIA IS NOT A SUPERPOWER! God save me from all this “Russia wants to be a superpower” crud. Of course Russia wants to be a superpower. Who wouldn't? I'll bet you even Burundi wants to be a superpower. The question is, who has the means and the ability to be a superpower? If the definition of superpower is “economic and military powerhouse,” Russia would not reach it. Russia's 2007 estimated GDP in terms of dollars was 2.076 trillion. The USA's GDP was $13.86 trillion. China's GDP was $7.043 trillion. Russia's military, meanwhile, has some troops that are up to snuff, true. Those were the ones who invaded Georgia. The rest, meanwhile, are conscripts who have more skill on paper than in reality. Russia doesn't have the same ability, hypothetically, to bring conventional destruction to the U.S. that the U.S. does. We have a far bigger navy, more and better airplanes, and better trained soldiers with tanks and such far superior to the Russians' equipage. Meanwhile, NATO is further east than ever before, and stronger than ever, in terms of numbers. GET IT INTO YOUR HEADS, PEOPLE! RUSSIA IS NOT A SUPERPOWER!

]]> By: matignon33 http://themoderatevoice.com/22126/russia-dying-to-be-what-it-hates-most-a-new-america-le-monde/comment-page-1/#comment-138810 matignon33 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:55:04 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/science/energy/oil/22126/russia-dying-to-be-what-it-hates-most-a-new-america-le-monde/#comment-138810 Manchester2 a parfaitement raison... Comme on disait jadis à propos du père de Lyndon Johnson, il aurait pu se retirer avant qu'il ne soit trop tard. Tout comme les russes—et John McCain— négligent de faire aujourd'hui... Manchester2 a parfaitement raison… Comme on disait jadis à propos du père de Lyndon Johnson, il aurait pu se retirer avant qu'il ne soit trop tard. Tout comme les russes—et John McCain— négligent de faire aujourd'hui…

]]> By: Manchester2 http://themoderatevoice.com/22126/russia-dying-to-be-what-it-hates-most-a-new-america-le-monde/comment-page-1/#comment-138809 Manchester2 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:09:50 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/science/energy/oil/22126/russia-dying-to-be-what-it-hates-most-a-new-america-le-monde/#comment-138809 As a former French teacher, I see that your caption needs correction. The sign doesn't mean "they have withdrawn." Rather, the verb is a present tense reflexive, meaning "they are withdrawing." That's an important difference, considering Russia's ongoing claim to Secretary Rice that "we're withdrawing," but their failure so far to do so. As a former French teacher, I see that your caption needs correction. The sign doesn't mean “they have withdrawn.” Rather, the verb is a present tense reflexive, meaning “they are withdrawing.” That's an important difference, considering Russia's ongoing claim to Secretary Rice that “we're withdrawing,” but their failure so far to do so.

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