West speeding towards point of no return with Russia: Opinion

[Morch]

Somehow I don't think The New York Times is fearing the journalistic competition from Thailand's The Nation. The vast majority of these Thai based commentaries on matters of international politics come off as if written by western junior high school students. No, I am not commenting on the content because I don't think the content is worthy of consideration ... the analysis is just that unsophisticated and shallow.

Most of the relevant columns you refer to are written by the same guy, Thanong Khanthong. A couple of others when issues touch on Thai-USA or Thai-EU. For the most part, it's like reading alternate reality fiction, while knowing there will be many entertaining posts following the OP. Sometimes these topics could even be read backwards, without much being lost.

[Barin]

Nobody produced any proof in the form of satellite images, videos, nothing!

Only American propaganda, blah blah blah...

You know this lack of anything I have also often wondered about.

Not just in this skirmish but in any skirmish since the end of Vietnam.

When I was a kid going to the movies during intermission that is all you would see...

Bombing runs in VN...soldiers fighting etc.

Yet today & with as you say sophisticated imagery available we never see anything what so ever.

I fail to believe it is all security based withholding any images.

Today from space they can read the date on a dime laying on a beach. Look at what even Google gives the general public

with google earth for free & with even higher resolutions available for a cost. Imagine what the governments can see....

And yet never so much as a short clip of the actual important fighting. Or troop movements they claim.

Kind of weird & does make me wonder at times why.

Yes, absolutely, we do agree with you!

[Jingthing]

Somehow I don't think The New York Times is fearing the journalistic competition from Thailand's The Nation. The vast majority of these Thai based commentaries on matters of international politics come off as if written by western junior high school students. No, I am not commenting on the content because I don't think the content is worthy of consideration ... the analysis is just that unsophisticated and shallow.

Most of the relevant columns you refer to are written by the same guy, Thanong Khanthong. A couple of others when issues touch on Thai-USA or Thai-EU. For the most part, it's like reading alternate reality fiction, while knowing there will be many entertaining posts following the OP. Sometimes these topics could even be read backwards, without much being lost.

A Pulitzer Prize he won't be getting!

[theslime]

If Russia pulled it's troops out of Ukraine, this whole mess would go away. Pretty simple actually.

There are no Russian troops in the Ukraine.

How do you know that?

Because Putin said so! Oh wait...he's said that before and it was a lie...and even admitted it was a lie!

If he,s lying do you think he,s using the same Spin Doctors, who said the militia blew up the Malaysian flight with a Missile, when the wreckage clearly shows 30mm straffing holes, the same spinners who said Assad used chemical weapons to justify war against Syria. Maybe its the ones who said hussain had WMD,s. Got me <deleted>.

[2fishin2]

"We're upholding the principle that bigger nations can't bully the small".

I have lost count of how many countries the USA invaded in my lifetime.

The US has invaded no countries. The US has defended itself several times from invasion.

Edited January 24, 2015 by Scott

[Choctastic]

Today from space they can read the date on a dime laying on a beach. Look at what even Google gives the general public

with google earth for free & with even higher resolutions available for a cost. Imagine what the governments can see....

Grainy video, so you can't see the join.

[wileycoyote]

An election year in the USA.

Regardless of the result ,whichever party wins will continue an "isolationist" stance.

However ,this means that that there still has to be a "Modus Vivendi" ,a way of working together with other world powers for the economic and political advantages of isolationism to work.

I would not be too disheartened yet

[Jingthing]

An election year in the USA.

Regardless of the result ,whichever party wins will continue an "isolationist" stance.

However ,this means that that there still has to be a "Modus Vivendi" ,a way of working together with other world powers for the economic and political advantages of isolationism to work.

I would not be too disheartened yet

No this is not an election year in the U.S.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[mania]

"We're upholding the principle that bigger nations can't bully the small".

I have lost count of how many countries the USA invaded in my lifetime.

The US has invaded no countries. The US has defended itself several times from invasion.

How can one be invaded by groups that have no ships,planes,subs etc?

Or was that sarcasm?

I would have to say the last time invasion was on their minds is when Japan Bombed Pearl Harbor

& even then they had the better sense than trying to come ashore knowing behind every blade of grass was a gun

[car720]

Russian you bully, how dare you stand against our Ukraine Coup, Can you also give up your Gigantic naval presence in Crimea., anyone who thinks this may happen in the future are Dreaming. I suppose the western masses will be impressed by our shirting fronting of Russia and vote to Nuke ,em.

Cannot exactly understand the broken English but this guy makes some valid, if only by indication, points.

Firstly, the Crimean naval situation represents a prime plum for certain people.

Secondly, the Tony Abbott punchline is good.

[car720]

"We're upholding the principle that bigger nations can't bully the small".

I have lost count of how many countries the USA invaded in my lifetime.

The US has invaded no countries. The US has defended itself several times from invasion.

Iraq? Vietnam?

[StasD]

Russian troops is or is not at Ukraine

only a note:

Russian FSS sent the info of possible terrorist Сarnayevs 2 (TWO!!!) times to FBR. they did not belive

Ukranians Nazis post to FB about Russian troops without any real evidence.

Thousands Ukaranian men escape from Ukraine to Russia because do not want to be soldiers

so why we must believe to Nazis???

[zydeco]

Somehow I don't think The New York Times is fearing the journalistic competition from Thailand's The Nation. The vast majority of these Thai based commentaries on matters of international politics come off as if written by western junior high school students. No, I am not commenting on the content because I don't think the content is worthy of consideration ... the analysis is just that unsophisticated and shallow.

It's from the same screwball who regularly writes about the end of America and the triumph of Russia and China. I think somebody must have denied him a US tourist visa at some point.

[2fishin2]

An election year in the USA.

Regardless of the result ,whichever party wins will continue an "isolationist" stance.

However ,this means that that there still has to be a "Modus Vivendi" ,a way of working together with other world powers for the economic and political advantages of isolationism to work.

I would not be too disheartened yet

Ha yeah isolationist the US is....hahah some of you people

[Jingthing]

Russian troops is or is not at Ukraine

only a note:

Russian FSS sent the info of possible terrorist Сarnayevs 2 (TWO!!!) times to FBR. they did not belive

Ukranians Nazis post to FB about Russian troops without any real evidence.

Thousands Ukaranian men escape from Ukraine to Russia because do not want to be soldiers

so why we must believe to Nazis???

That's a loaded question.

Most of us don't get all our "news" from Putin controlled propaganda organs.

[h90]

This has been a major worry of mine for a long time now and I can see the EU and US are itching for a war with Russia so they can get their world domination.

China and Russia and probably the BRICS nations along with most of the middle east will be a formidable coalition.

I can see Europe being wiped out by the Russians, and the US will likely back down.

I want the UK out of the EU.... we have fought enough of "other peoples battles". Time to look after ourselves.

The US will NOT win a world war........ They are deluded.

They try to wear down Russia. Not a full scale war. While it is obvious that non of the American leader has a clue about history at least some in Europe should known on how many times it was tried to defeat Russia and how many times it worked.

Napoleon and Hitler were way smarter than the all the western players now and the lost.

[h90]

Russian troops is or is not at Ukraine

only a note:

Russian FSS sent the info of possible terrorist Сarnayevs 2 (TWO!!!) times to FBR. they did not belive

Ukranians Nazis post to FB about Russian troops without any real evidence.

Thousands Ukaranian men escape from Ukraine to Russia because do not want to be soldiers

so why we must believe to Nazis???

That's a loaded question.

Most of us don't get all our "news" from Putin controlled propaganda organs.

In this war everyone lies. Well I guess that is true for all wars. (just recall when Ukraine claimed Russia used Nuclear Weapons).

Fact is that there are very scary things from the Ukraine, about wiping them all out, calling them all Terrorists, ban of Russian language. Calling Hitler a liberator.

If Putin wouldn't have done something there might would have been a coup in Russia.

[Lukecan]

EU is acting like USA's attack dog. They're gonna end up worse than Russia, the only 2 countries that will benefit from this is China, and the USA, and maybe TUrkey to a certain extent. EU is dependant on Russia for natural gas, and oil, and yet they are not acting in their self interest but safeguarding USA'S interest. EU supported an illegal coup in Ukraine, it wasnt a democratic takeover, and it doesnt stand to benefit if Ukraine is integrated with the EU, EU is busy feeding Greece,Italy,Spain etc and the last thing it needs is another country thats not self sufficient.

By the way, its good to read some books on history, Ottoman Empire, Hitler, Napoleon all fought wars with Russia, ended in a disaster every single time

Edited January 23, 2015 by Lukecan

[Briggsy]

A much more credible "point of no return" will be if the Russians foment civil war in Latvia or Estonia, NATO members.

[Barin]

If he,s lying do you think he,s using the same Spin Doctors, who said the militia blew up the Malaysian flight with a Missile, when the wreckage clearly shows 30mm straffing holes, the same spinners who said Assad used chemical weapons to justify war against Syria. Maybe its the ones who said hussain had WMD,s. Got me <deleted>.

More details on strafing HERE

[ABCer]

Malaysian passenger jet was shot down by Ukraine. Full stop.

Why it took so long to let the investigation team to the wreckage?

Why there is no report published so far?

Because the NATO and USA with their allies do not want the truth to come out.

Anybody on this site thinking that Russia is done in militarily - is wrong.

Any nut in Pentagon or in NATO HQ thinking that they can walk over Russians - are lunatics.

And I am not even mentioning their nukes.

Economical warfare has been successful against USSR and later Russia.

Planning of stealing Russian assets - call it 'Perestroika' or 'Privatisation' was done by USA.

Return to 'Great Empire' which Putin is accused of - is Lunacy. Scary tales for kids.

Russia does not want Ukraine. Neither does EU. Nobody wants Ukraine!

The only value Ukraine has for the West is as a thorn in Russian behind. No more, no less.

Nevertheless, Russia is not a 'good' place to live in. Not for these poor sods - Russians.

Russia today is a runaway mafia controlled autocracy. No Law. No order. No democracy. No morals.

Stay away from it and it may collapse by itself. Start a war and you will lose.

Look at the history - Russia has suffered many collapses but never was defeated militarily.

[Publicus]

This has been a major worry of mine for a long time now and I can see the EU and US are itching for a war with Russia so they can get their world domination.

China and Russia and probably the BRICS nations along with most of the middle east will be a formidable coalition.

I can see Europe being wiped out by the Russians, and the US will likely back down.

I want the UK out of the EU.... we have fought enough of "other peoples battles". Time to look after ourselves.

The US will NOT win a world war........ They are deluded.

They try to wear down Russia. Not a full scale war. While it is obvious that non of the American leader has a clue about history at least some in Europe should known on how many times it was tried to defeat Russia and how many times it worked.

Napoleon and Hitler were way smarter than the all the western players now and the lost.

Addressing two posts, the Chinese absolutely positively for certain will not get involved in a war involving the United States, or in any kind of war at all, anywhere, any time, any place for any reason. Putin knows this so it doesn't matter who here in their own fantasyland does not know it. The world is not looking for war although we do know from history to be especially cautious and reserved in sensitive international complexities.

The US is not looking for a war nor is anyone else. The OP is full of shit. So are the people who have a board in front of 'em with lines on it with China, Russia, Brics (which are already the R and the c of it), on one side and Europe and the US on the other side. That's 100% crap. The world has no such alignments especially when the Brics themselves don't know what they're all about or if they are about anything at all. A Goldman Sacks guy invented the Brics to sell shit hole investments nobody was buying and which are now being dumped wholesale anyway.

Russians are durable but invincible they are not. The same climate that racks the Russians for 9 months of every year also socked Hitler and decimated Napoleon....there's a big red flag lesson there as Bill Clinton liked to say while he was prez.

Russia not only lost the Crimea War (1854-56), its huge army was run out of Sevastopol and the Crimea by the much smaller armies of Britain and France while the technologically inferior Russian navy made itself scarce. This is the long term source of Russian sensitivity over the Crimea. For present purposes, the Crimea and its waters are extremely rich in oil and natural gas reserves.

Russian conventional military forces are far inferior to the Nato military. The talk about European countries not funding their respective military forces is true, because they don't need to fund them any more than they have been doing. Nato is a couple of dozen rich countries with well trained and equipped forces in a large single number that are made all the more superior by being augmented by those of the US and all are under the command, communications, control of the US military which won a continental war over there.

It was immediately after the mid-19th century Crimea debacle that Russia's foreign minister, Prince Alexander Gorchakov showed up in Paris to ever so famously say, "Russia is not sulking. She is composing herself." Boris Yeltsin evoked the prince, so does the present FM Sergi Lavrov who's known to carry different slips of paper on different days to pull 'em out for yet another precious Russian quote from its history.

The beat goes on.

Edited January 23, 2015 by Publicus

[ozyjon]

If Russia pulled it's troops out of Ukraine, this whole mess would go away. Pretty simple actually.

There are no Russian troops in the Ukraine.

----- because ----

They all want to buy a condo and move to Pattaya

Da ? Niet ?

Mai kao jai

[NeverSure]

"We're upholding the principle that bigger nations can't bully the small".

I have lost count of how many countries the USA invaded in my lifetime.

The US has invaded no countries. The US has defended itself several times from invasion.

How can one be invaded by groups that have no ships,planes,subs etc?

Or was that sarcasm?

I would have to say the last time invasion was on their minds is when Japan Bombed Pearl Harbor

& even then they had the better sense than trying to come ashore knowing behind every blade of grass was a gun

How much do you know about the US? Hawaii was not part of the US. I don't know if the people had guns. The US had military installations there which was a strategy to defend westward.

Hawaii didn't become part of the US until August of 1959 by obtaining statehood. It became the latest and the 50th state of the US. Alaska was #49, obtaining statehood a few months earlier in January of 1959.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor they weren't attacking the US. They were attacking US military installations on foreign soil.

Edited January 23, 2015 by NeverSure

[NeverSure]

Addressing two posts, the Chinese absolutely positively for certain will not get involved in a war involving the United States, or in any kind of war at all, anywhere, any time, any place for any reason. Putin knows this so it doesn't matter who here in their own fantasyland does not know it. The world is not looking for war although we do know from history to be especially cautious and reserved in sensitive international complexities.

The US is not looking for a war nor is anyone else. The OP is full of shit. So are the people who have a board in front of 'em with lines on it with China, Russia, Brics (which are already the R and the c of it), on one side and Europe and the US on the other side. That's 100% crap. The world has no such alignments especially when the Brics themselves don't know what they're all about or if they are about anything at all. A Goldman Sacks guy invented the Brics to sell shit hole investments nobody was buying and which are now being dumped wholesale anyway.

Russians are durable but invincible they are not. The same climate that racks the Russians for 9 months of every year also socked Hitler and decimated Napoleon....there's a big red flag lesson there as Bill Clinton liked to say while he was prez.

Russia not only lost the Crimea War (1854-56), its huge army was run out of Sevastopol and the Crimea by the much smaller armies of Britain and France while the technologically inferior Russian navy made itself scarce. This is the long term source of Russian sensitivity over the Crimea. For present purposes, the Crimea and its waters are extremely rich in oil and natural gas reserves.

Russian conventional military forces are far inferior to the Nato military. The talk about European countries not funding their respective military forces is true, because they don't need to fund them any more than they have been doing. Nato is a couple of dozen rich countries with well trained and equipped forces in a large single number that are made all the more superior by being augmented by those of the US and all are under the command, communications, control of the US military which won a continental war over there.

It was immediately after the mid-19th century Crimea debacle that Russia's foreign minister, Prince Alexander Gorchakov showed up in Paris to ever so famously say, "Russia is not sulking. She is composing herself." Boris Yeltsin evoked the prince, so does the present FM Sergi Lavrov who's known to carry different slips of paper on different days to pull 'em out for yet another precious Russian quote from its history.

The beat goes on.

Right ON.

May I add that the US is the single largest buyer of Chinese exports with the entire EU a close second. If China pulled the trigger it would devastate itself economically. It can't shoot at its two biggest customers.

[F430murci]

Nobody produced any proof in the form of satellite images, videos, nothing!

Only American propaganda, blah blah blah...

Lol, satellite images? Do real Russian soldiers have "I am a real Russian" written in red on the tops of their helmets capable of being read by satellite . . . Why do you expect CIA to share top secret satellite images with you? I am not sure they really care what people like you believe. Even if they showed satellite images, you would still say it proves nothing. Too funny.

I have many Ukrainanian friends whose families back home are all saying "We fukkked, Russians are here."

Certain Tanks, GRAD multiple rocket systems, BUK and SMERCH systems, radio electronic intelligence systems are not sold at local Donetsk street markets. Only the Russian army and Defense Ministry have them

Russia recently moved two battalions of regular troops across the border, with three more battalions of motorized infantry and an artillery division on the way.

[F430murci]

Addressing two posts, the Chinese absolutely positively for certain will not get involved in a war involving the United States, or in any kind of war at all, anywhere, any time, any place for any reason. Putin knows this so it doesn't matter who here in their own fantasyland does not know it. The world is not looking for war although we do know from history to be especially cautious and reserved in sensitive international complexities.

The US is not looking for a war nor is anyone else. The OP is full of shit. So are the people who have a board in front of 'em with lines on it with China, Russia, Brics (which are already the R and the c of it), on one side and Europe and the US on the other side. That's 100% crap. The world has no such alignments especially when the Brics themselves don't know what they're all about or if they are about anything at all. A Goldman Sacks guy invented the Brics to sell shit hole investments nobody was buying and which are now being dumped wholesale anyway.

Russians are durable but invincible they are not. The same climate that racks the Russians for 9 months of every year also socked Hitler and decimated Napoleon....there's a big red flag lesson there as Bill Clinton liked to say while he was prez.

Russia not only lost the Crimea War (1854-56), its huge army was run out of Sevastopol and the Crimea by the much smaller armies of Britain and France while the technologically inferior Russian navy made itself scarce. This is the long term source of Russian sensitivity over the Crimea. For present purposes, the Crimea and its waters are extremely rich in oil and natural gas reserves.

Russian conventional military forces are far inferior to the Nato military. The talk about European countries not funding their respective military forces is true, because they don't need to fund them any more than they have been doing. Nato is a couple of dozen rich countries with well trained and equipped forces in a large single number that are made all the more superior by being augmented by those of the US and all are under the command, communications, control of the US military which won a continental war over there.

It was immediately after the mid-19th century Crimea debacle that Russia's foreign minister, Prince Alexander Gorchakov showed up in Paris to ever so famously say, "Russia is not sulking. She is composing herself." Boris Yeltsin evoked the prince, so does the present FM Sergi Lavrov who's known to carry different slips of paper on different days to pull 'em out for yet another precious Russian quote from its history.

The beat goes on.

Right ON.

May I add that the US is the single largest buyer of Chinese exports with the entire EU a close second. If China pulled the trigger it would devastate itself economically. It can't shoot at its two biggest customers.

Lol, like it takes a rocket scientist to figure that out. Cracks me up when some try and say China is going to shun US. Amazes me how they apparently cannot they not think that one through and there are other reasons than just loss of exports.

[Paulc01]

This has been a major worry of mine for a long time now and I can see the EU and US are itching for a war with Russia so they can get their world domination.

China and Russia and probably the BRICS nations along with most of the middle east will be a formidable coalition.

I can see Europe being wiped out by the Russians, and the US will likely back down.

I want the UK out of the EU.... we have fought enough of "other peoples battles". Time to look after ourselves.

The US will NOT win a world war........ They are deluded.

They try to wear down Russia. Not a full scale war. While it is obvious that non of the American leader has a clue about history at least some in Europe should known on how many times it was tried to defeat Russia and how many times it worked.

Napoleon and Hitler were way smarter than the all the western players now and the lost.

It looks like somebody else is forgetting even more recent history. The US and Western Europe have already proved their resolution and ability to outlast Russia in a military and economic faceoff. They went more than 40 years after World War II grinding down the Russians until the USSR collapsed. It won't take 40 years this time. Maybe 40 months.

[2fishin2]

"We're upholding the principle that bigger nations can't bully the small".

I have lost count of how many countries the USA invaded in my lifetime.

The US has invaded no countries. The US has defended itself several times from invasion.

How can one be invaded by groups that have no ships,planes,subs etc?
Or was that sarcasm?

I would have to say the last time invasion was on their minds is when Japan Bombed Pearl Harbor
& even then they had the better sense than trying to come ashore knowing behind every blade of grass was a gun

How much do you know about the US? Hawaii was not part of the US. I don't know if the people had guns. The US had military installations there which was a strategy to defend westward.

Hawaii didn't become part of the US until August of 1959 by obtaining statehood. It became the latest and the 50th state of the US. Alaska was #49, obtaining statehood a few months earlier in January of 1959.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor they weren't attacking the US. They were attacking US military installations on foreign soil.

Here read this. You need a history lesson big guy

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Hawaii

[Barin]

Nobody produced any proof in the form of satellite images, videos, nothing!

Only American propaganda, blah blah blah...

.........

Russia recently moved two battalions of regular troops across the border, with three more battalions of motorized infantry and an artillery division on the way.

Oh, really? It must be a very hot news I missed somehow...

Was it reported on the news?