Quote:
Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
I had an interesting discussion with a relative who lives in a place where every other house is flag officer. She said, basically, that the universal feeling was "why the fuck didn't we do this in 2014", that this level of sanctions and unity back then would have stopped this now. The general feeling there is that if we don't push now, after Ukraine will come Moldova, the Baltics, Kazaksthan, etc., eventually back to Afghanistan and warm water ports in the Mediterranean and Indian oceans.
So it's only existential if you think it's a bad idea to recreate the Great Game of the 19th Century.
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I think the analogy is that 2014 was the Anschluss, and this is Czechoslovakia. Agree with the larger point. Putin doesn't need to invade Moldova or Kazakhstan to have them in his orbit. The Baltics are definitely threatened, and I would think Finland too, more than Sweden. See the Fiona Hill interview for an explanation.
But also, the problem is not that Russia is a strong state. That's China. The problem is that Russia is a weak state, with grievances and a desire to overcompensate and punch above its weight. A stronger USSR couldn't control Afghanistan, nor could. Where do the warm water ports come from?
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