US SuperPower No More

I don't see how this is bad for the U.S. Russian and Chinese soldiers can die in a fruitless war instead of Americans. Why is that an embarassment to the U.S.?

Syria is a quagmire.

 

What is China's interest here? They are very much hand-off and do not favor intervening. They also do not like other external parties intervening (especially to overthrow current government), but even so, would be strange that they would spend military resources just for Syria.

Maybe ISIS is a bigger threat to them at home than commonly known. If so and they are targeting ISIS, then great.

Or, this is just incorrect reporting and China isn't getting involve. This is more likely given China's history.

 

Yes, Russian airstrikes against ISIS are going brilliantly.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/10/russian-airstrikes-help-isis-gain-ground-in-aleppo


Isis seizes ground from Aleppo rebels under cover of Russian airstrikes

“Russian planes are striking the Free Syrian Army and laying the groundwork for Daesh [Isis] control of strategic areas in Aleppo,” said a source from Tajammu al-Izzah, a moderate opposition group backed by western and Gulf states which has been hit by Russian airstrikes. “The truth is that Russia is backing Isis.”

 

political opinion article*

*not intended to be a factual statement

IBD? really?

 

Yeah, the source of this "article" is always suspect. Might as well just post somebody's random blog rant and call it thread worthy. If China's moving major floating metal around, no serious international news service is reporting it.

 

Question. In regards to past empires/hegemonies/superpowers etc. Did they lose their standing from a lack of stretching their influence or from over stretching their influence?

I don't see how allowing other nations to spend money on costly wars while we don't is a negative for us?

 

I am not an Obama homer by any means, however I dont see an issue here. Its good we are leaving someone else to take care of the issue.

That said, Russia is not going after ISIS. Russia only has Assads interest at heart, which is going after the rebels. As long as ISIS continues to fight the rebels, Russia will leave them alone for now.

 

Lol. So in this author's mind, sending troops to fight and die in Syria would help to prevent a world war? Totally ridiculous. If we don't want war, the solution is simple: don't send men to fight and die.

 

Devils advocate here. That line of thinking was arguably why Nazi Germany believed they had the upper hand in invading their neighbors without much repercussion.

 

The Bekaa Valley has always had historical significance as a flashpoint for war. Religious nutters are all over this one.

I guess the point to pay attention if/when the US loses the region is when Europe does something on their own. Regional powers there are a bit hazy atm.

 

I seriously don't get the "lower my taxes but fight more wars" crowd.

 

Agreed. I'll take long term sustainability over Obama needing to show he has a bigger pecker than Putin.

 

I think you're ignoring the let's keep poor people and minorities illiterate while they die of measles subtext. Which is actually less irrational than lower taxes equals higher revenue.

 

This is by far the most likely. No credible news source have reported that China is sending in troops to join Russia's little adventure in Syria. The previous reports from similarly dubious news sources that China is sending several warships to Syria also proved to be false.
A Chinese navy flotilla is currently in the Mediterranean Sea for some port calls (after visiting several other countries already) after finishing up their 1/2 year anti-piracy rotation in Somalia. Some "sources" are spinning this as sign that China is planning to join the the fight in Syria
The odds of China actively intervening in Syria is so small its practically 0.

 

I have more than a casual interest in this stuff (it must be a "growing up in the '50's" thing - beats me) and I have heard nothing about it. Syria is a disaster. The Chinese would be nuts to get involved. I have an opinion about President Obama's actions there, or lack of action - doing nothing when that "red line" in Syria was crossed coincided with Mr. Putin suddenly deciding that he's the reincarnation of Leonid Brezhnev. Go figure. Putting that aside, however, the thread title is absurd, and I don't trust the source.

Lousy thread, OP, in my humble opinion.

 

Had some more time to look into Syria as I like peering into events months after the first spurious "scoop", gotcha, and knee jerk analysis.

I usually take zerohedge articles with a grain of salt, but it's fitting with the topic. The links he cites are fairly mainstream and warrant reading (wsj op/Ed has typical gloom and doom for dem president...)
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-...ow-cia-handed-over-syria-putin-silver-platter

Also checked on his claim about the dubious YouTube video. while didn't refute, gave an odd smell along with a terrible case of Deja vu.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/syria-...-gas-the-mistaken-guns-of-last-august/5365584

Red line makes more sense now...but everything else is one sustained orgy of cluster****s.

 

People have been saying this ever since the us became a super power.

 

China and Russia have some bad history. China needs a lot of natural resources and Russia is geographically large country full of natural resources. I wouldn't be too worried about a lasting alliance with them as Russia has a sizable military force pointed at the eastern border.

 

It also is really good wine country.