Russia using inferior equipment.

[Gaius46]

China would not be fighting NATO. It would be invading Taiwan and any county coming to its defence. I guess that would be Japan and the USA.

Neither would defend Taiwan. It's still not even clear that the JSDF can legally come to the aide of an ally or that Taiwan is an ally of Japan.

 

[justoneman]

Neither would defend Taiwan. It's still not even clear that the JSDF can legally come to the aide of an ally or that Taiwan is an ally of Japan.

Clearly that is not true because China would already have taken Taiwan if it only stood alone.

 

[RaleBulgarian]

How about Russia and China and not Russia then China?

Conquering the world together?

No.

Again, mutually assured destruction.

China (Jingping) isn’t interested in ruling the world through war. Jinping wants to own the world through economic supremacy.

 

[Craig234]

My point is that Putin isn't an idiot. He has had YEARS to plan this invasion, ever since he invaded Crimea. Why would you think that he didn't work this out before he invaded? My guess is that as the rest of the world shuts him off, China is going to walk in and become Russia's largest trading partner. My guess is that China has enough economic power to help Russia overcome the rest of the world's economic sanctions.

As I've been posting, it's pretty clear China is using Putin - encouraging and supporting him quietly - as their proxy army, to 'test the waters', to stress the western unity, to try to weaken the west and pave the way for their own benefit, such as the invasion of Taiwan.

 

[Gaius46]

Clearly that is not true because China would already have taken Taiwan if it only stood alone.

Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution prohibits the Japanese from engaging in war fighting. They maintain a defensive force that has little offensive capability.

There has been talk since 2010-15 of helping to defend allies but many Japanese view that as flagrantly unconstitutional and again it’s not clear that Taiwan qualifies as an ally. And even so the SDF probably can’t do much to stop China.

As to the US - our formal policy is to not say one way or another. But we won’t go to war over Taiwan any more than we will with Russia over Ukraine.

 

[Craig234]

Clearly that is not true because China would already have taken Taiwan if it only stood alone.

China is spending many years building for the taking of Taiwan - just as they did with Hong Kong. And their plans are very clear, and they have the Chinese mainland whipped into a frenzy against both Taiwan and Hong Kong. A China-friendly candidate was leading in polls in Taiwan, until China stomped on Hong Kong, and then instead the elected a strong independence leader. China is planning.

 

[justoneman]

Conquering the world together?

No.

Again, mutually assured destruction.

China (Jingping) isn’t interested in ruling the world through war. Jinping wants to own the world through economic supremacy.

No not conquering the world together. Rather, taking territory that each sees as their eminent domain. Part and parcel with that is becoming independent of foreign banking.

 

[Bum]

All of the evidence points to an absolute faith in the invasion taking 2-3 days, thus the terrible supply line situation. Combine this with lack of vehicle maintenance and bad terrain and you’ve got yourself a disaster. As for “anticipating” the sanctions, there’s no reason to think this is true. By the way, the Russian stock exchange is down for the fourth day.

A tactician can win a battle, but a logistician will win a war.

 

[Gaius46]

A tactician can win a battle, but a logistician will win a war.

Schwarzkopf was effusive in his praise of the Gulf War logistics organization led by LTG Pagonis. The left hook would not have been possible without it.

 

[RaleBulgarian]

No not conquering the world together. Rather, taking territory that each sees as their eminent domain. Part and parcel with that is becoming independent of foreign banking.

In order to achieve that absurd dystopian scenario, China and Russia would still have to combine military forces to conquer all of the major democracies of the world.

Extremely unrealistic.

 

[justoneman]

In order to achieve that absurd dystopian scenario, China and Russia would still have to combine military forces to conquer all of the major democracies of the world.

Extremely unrealistic.

Why? Japan and Germany did not need to combine forces to divide the allies.

 

[RaleBulgarian]

Why? Japan and Germany did not need to combine forces to divide the allies.

And both lost. Bigly. Before MAD.

 

[RetiredUSN]

Something is very odd odd about Russia's attack of Ukraine. It is well acknowledged that much of the equipment is old. It is also noted that many of the troops are outlying region states, specifically Chechnya and Dagestan. Also noted is the lack of air support. Why is this?
I think Putin has planned it this way for a reason. The main force is held in reserve. I think Putin planned on all of the sanctions and the blocked banking.

I guess their equipment is freaking good enough to lay waste to the cities though..........................right?

 

[justoneman]

And both lost. Bigly. Before MAD.

Sure what is your point?

 

[justoneman]

I guess their equipment is freaking good enough to lay waste to the cities though..........................right?

Ohoh...here comes another "you love Putin". Yes good enough to take over Ukraine.

 

[RaleBulgarian]

Sure what is your point?

That what didn’t work for the Axis powers in WW2 sure as shit wouldn’t work today.

 

[justoneman]

That what didn’t work for the Axis powers in WW2 sure as shit wouldn’t work today.

Look Japan got very far threatening a take over of Australia and Germany took all of continental Europe and almost took Russia. But again I am not suggesting they might want to take over the world just parts they think is theirs. So it is not the same. It would be the same if Germany took the Sudettenland and stopped and Japan took Manturia and stopped.

 

[RetiredUSN]

Ohoh...here comes another "you love Putin". Yes good enough to take over Ukraine.

Pretty stupid comment.

The Ukraine is in carnage and you come up with this 5th grade nonsense?

 

[RaleBulgarian]

Look Japan got very far threatening a take over of Australia and Germany took all of continental Europe and almost took Russia. But again I am not suggesting they might want to take over the world just parts they think is theirs. So it is not the same. It would be the same if Germany took the Sudettenland and stopped and Japan took Manturia and stopped.

More ignorance.

Do yourself a favor by not posting anymore in this thread until you’ve done educated yourself.

 

[Deuce]

Why? Japan and Germany did not need to combine forces to divide the allies.

How'd that turn out for them?

 

[Deuce]

Look Japan got very far threatening a take over of Australia and Germany took all of continental Europe and almost took Russia. But again I am not suggesting they might want to take over the world just parts they think is theirs. So it is not the same. It would be the same if Germany took the Sudettenland and stopped and Japan took Manturia and stopped.

They never would have been able to hold against the allies in a protracted war, they didn't have the production base to do that and they never had the manpower to hold entire continents forever. The US alone had more double the production capacity of both Germany and Japan combined and it was effectively unassailable.

Germany, in the meantime, was suffering from air raids by the RAF and internal problems from various resistance forces.

Japan is an island nation heavily dependent on imported raw materials, and by 1945 the US Navy was larger than every navy in the world combined.

The colors on the war maps make people vastly overestimate the power of Nazi Germany. They were outnumbered and outmanned the entire time. The allies were woefully unprepared for the change in warfare after WW1 and taken by surprise with superior tactics and mobility, but that advantage only lasts so long.

 

[justoneman]

Pretty stupid comment.

The Ukraine is in carnage and you come up with this 5th grade nonsense?

what is this supposed to mean exactly?

I guess their equipment is freaking good enough to lay waste to the cities though..........................right?

 

[justoneman]

They never would have been able to hold against the allies in a protracted war, they didn't have the production base to do that and they never had the manpower to hold entire continents forever. The US alone had more double the production capacity of both Germany and Japan combined and it was effectively unassailable.

Germany, in the meantime, was suffering from air raids by the RAF and internal problems from various resistance forces.

Japan is an island nation heavily dependent on imported raw materials, and by 1945 the US Navy was larger than every navy in the world combined.

The colors on the war maps make people vastly overestimate the power of Nazi Germany. They were outnumbered and outmanned the entire time. The allies were woefully unprepared for the change in warfare after WW1 and taken by surprise with superior tactics and mobility, but that advantage only lasts so long.

You think America would have been involved with a war about Japan taking Manchuria and Germany taking the Sudeten Land? Really you think that? Because those things happened way before America was in a war. As we had done, we stayed out of it.

 

[jnug]

Well unfortunately the West left the Ukrainians with no equipment. Why there was a gap in time between the last signifiant deliveries of defensive military equipment and these occurring now is bewildering. I don't want to hear that we in the West were waiting to see if Ukraine could stand up enough of an effort to fight off Putin. That makes no sense. They are spending blood. We are just spending money.

While I think defending the Southern part of the country would have been difficult given where the major cities are, Ukraine would have been in better shape to defend everywhere in the country if there had not been such a gap in the time in the resupply effort. That appears to be a question that everybody is too embarrassed to ask in the Capitals of the western democracies.

 

[Jay59]

The facts to support your claim is for you to provide or your claim is unfounded and dismissed for lack of evidence. I'll give you the benefit of a minute's worth of research and provide you with evidence refuting your claim outright.

Russian Armored Vehicles Are a Mismatch for Ukraine's Army

Russia’s army includes about two-and-a-half times the number of armored vehicles as Ukraine’s, and Russian equipment is also more modern.

nationalinterest.org

Maybe you can come up with more valid evidence to support your "inferior" and "old" claims.

I can't imagine anyone disagreeing with your saying Russia has much greater forces in reserve, depending on your definition of "reserve".

It doesn't matter whether or not Putin anticipated, planned and prepared for "sanctions and the blocked banking" when he can't beat them back, anyway. The whole thing is not going over well with his oligarch partners and the Russian people. Did he plan for that, too? Putin's plan, that Trump called genius, is a failure.

This does not contradict the assertion that Russia is using older equipment. It's just much better than the equipment that Ukraine has.

All of the evidence points to an absolute faith in the invasion taking 2-3 days, thus the terrible supply line situation. Combine this with lack of vehicle maintenance and bad terrain and you’ve got yourself a disaster. As for “anticipating” the sanctions, there’s no reason to think this is true. By the way, the Russian stock exchange is down for the fourth day.

I would read it differently. While not exactly expendable, the troops committed are a probe, to determine the level of resistance both militarily by Ukraine and politically by the West.

I think Putin is keeping his best troops where he's at because he's afraid to get assassinated.

Suppose the supply line ruptures and the troops get stranded. Putin would have a justification to rescue them.

This is just my opinion, but this seems to be the opening moves of a longer game.