What we are witnessing in the Ukraine right now is the death of the US as a world power. Why you may look at the situation as a big political game and be correct this particular scenario has played out into a much larger slap in the face than many may realize.
For all intents and purposes the U.S. is beginning to realize it has absolutely no power or influence in regards to the actions of another powerful nation especially Russia or China. No matter how large our military, no matter how much we sympathize with a struggling people or support their goal the U.S. is now chained by it's debt and the other major players know it.
Our hands are tied.
Certainly any sanctions, embargoes, or interruptions in trade would hurt everyone involved but outside of the West no other nations are addicted to debt at such a level that they cannot function without it. The United States particularly is a nation held together through welfare debt alone and without it would more than likely explode into chaos and Balkanize into warring factions over night. As I have said time and time again China and Russia have seen this coming for decades and encouraged it. Now is the time they reap the rewards of their labor.
Debt is evil. Debt will turn our children into slaves and our "leaders" into beggars. A country with so much debt has no power just as a person with debt has no power with those who hold it.
We could sail the entire US fleet into the Med. stack every plane in European bases and mobilize troops to counter Russia's moves but in the end we would be destroying the United States as it stands right now. Even if our forces managed to win a huge victory it would simply be a hollow shell that would shatter in a few weeks at most with nothing to sustain it. America would simply collapse from within and chaos would reign as each group clawed at the others trying to get "theirs".
Such is how debt manifests itself eventually. Nothing is free on this earth it is all paid for one way or another. All any person, group or country can do is push the final bill back they can never eliminate it or stop the day of reckoning from coming.
Of course it doesn't help that we have such a weak, spineless, racist President either but that will only serve at this point to quicken the Balkanization. No leader no matter how smart or strong can turn this situation around now. The debt has tied our hands.
At this point what will happen is basically nothing. Russia will occupy the Crimea which is the only thing they want anyway. The Ukraine may be split up so the EU can foot the bill for the Western part for a while and Western politicians will talk big and say they stopped Russia from taking it all. Putin will talk more softly now and ease the worlds fears and everything will go back to normal. For a while. Until the next move is made and either China or Russia again pulls out the debt card and checkmate any move the U.S. makes.
Just another example of the long slow slide.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!
Couldn't agree more debt will be our downfall
ReplyDeleteSvRyV - It's isn't just the debt though it's what was done with it. If we were still a homogenous Nation with the same demographics as 1946 we could as a nation swallow this debt and regain our power. Sadly the social engineering and mass third world immigration has removed that ability from the table.
DeleteOr that's my theory anyway.
And, Russia test fired one of their ICBM's to put a period on the sentence.
ReplyDeleteStephen - Ya my guess is they want the US powers to think it through very carefully. Russia holds allt he cards but they still don't want to fight if they don't have to. With our crazy political leaders taking for granted they can see the problem is not always wise.
DeleteStephen, they certainly did.
DeleteThis sounds like some kind of goofy movie where a community organizer becomes president of the most powerful country on earth and talks his socialist brothers into a peaceful solution.
ReplyDeleteSf - Oh I doubt he really cares he is only there to keept he gravy train going for His people in my opinion. A lot of his base support the West Ukrainians so he has to make a show of it.
DeleteExcellent exposition, sir. Our "leaders" have marched the U.S. into a black hole, and won't even admit there's a problem.
ReplyDeleteRP - They can't ever admit it. To do so will be the end of them and they know that. Although a few of the more stupid ones just go on faith and couldn't figure it out even with the heads in a rack.
DeleteI think you described it in a nutshell. Of course, Russia won't give up it's seaport on the Black Sea nor it's gas pipeline to Europe, which is a huge cash producer for Russia.
ReplyDeleteK - I think Russia would stop the pipeline. They can handle the loss of funds much better than we can. No they are never going to give up their warm water ports but they have given us enough rope we cannot challenge them regardless.
DeleteWe are not only inept but powerless by our own stupidity. A story that should have never been written.
ReplyDeleteJMD - No it shouldn't have. Sadly it's been coming for decades.
DeleteI think you are right, sad as it seems. Looking for the silver lining in the dark cloud, this is lesson to us all - individuals and perhaps whatever government is left to pick up the pieces - about the dangers of debt. I especially like your comment that we are held together through welfare debt. That is a sad and frightening commentary.
ReplyDeleteTB - Welfare debt that includes millions of employees as well. The bloated government and it's pensions costs the US just as much each year as actual welfare. Twice as much if you add in education spending. Without debt and selling it to the likes of Russia and China none of that can be paid.
DeleteSad but true!
ReplyDeleteThe populace became inured to debt when the credit card appeared and adopted it as a way of life.
Average credit card debt: $15,270
Average mortgage debt: $149,925
or
$856.9 billion in credit card debt and
$7.93 trillion in mortgages
Is it any wonder the country itself is in debt? A billion is the new million. Easy money to spend when it's a way of life.
MV - Yes easy credit made too many of us immune or numb to the debt the politicians were racking up. Now it's the only thing keeping us together.
DeleteThe making nice isn't even on the horrizon, Putin isn't done ratcheting up the pressure yet. I think he fired an ICBM, making nuclear threat, specifically to invoke section 4 of the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances because it is the only part of the treaty requiring us to take specific action. The rest of the treaty only requires us to refrain from taking certan actions.
ReplyDeleteIf that is the case; either we seek a UN Security Council resolution aginst Russia, as specified in the treaty; or our security guarantees are shown to be worthless and we lose all international support. Only part of our foreign alliances is military; why exactly, do other countries hold our debt. Obama could be the next Gorbachev.
http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/49/765
Best,
Dan
Dan - I doubt Obummer and co. even care about security treaties to be honest. Hell I bet I know more about them than he does and I know pretty much nothing on the subject.
DeleteIn my opinion most countries bought our debt as they considered it safe but I will always say China at least bought it just so we would fall into the trap we have found ourselves in.
After Poland and Israel the US's guarantees are pretty much nothing anyway. Just another personal opinion but...
Dan - I also did a search and found mention of the fact that the missile fired was pre-planned and had been scheduled with full disclosure under the terms of the treaty. For what that's worth.
DeleteTime to learn to speak Russian?? It didn't take long for Putin to go from playing nice with others, to its my ball my rules. How's that "Change" going for all of those who voted for him not once, but twice??
ReplyDeleteThe Europeans aren't going to screw with Russia. They need the natural gas and oil too much. While I regret the troubles in the Ukraine, I can't see how it's our business. As you say, we are stone broke. Us telling the Russians what they can and can't do there makes no sense, any more than Putin telling Blowjama what we can do in Mexico would make sense.
ReplyDeletetotally on point!
ReplyDelete