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russian spy ships

Discussion in 'Tilted Philosophy, Politics, and Economics' started by ralphie250, Mar 18, 2017.

  1. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect Donor

    Location:
    At work..
    Whats the deal with the USA and Russian spy ships? why do they keep popping up off the coast of America?
     
  2. redravin

    redravin Cynical Optimist Donor

    Location:
    North
    This shit has been going on for years.
    In the words of Naveed Jamali, a former intelligence operative who worked undercover for the FBI against Russian intelligence,
    They dock in Havana and then run right along the edge of international boundaries.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  3. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    The US also does the same thing all over the world. It's business as usual IMO.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  4. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect Donor

    Location:
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  5. ASU2003

    ASU2003 Very Tilted

    Location:
    Where ever I roam
  6. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect Donor

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    At work..
    why cant Russia let the cold war go? didn't it last 20 years or so?
     
  7. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    The same reason the US doesn't let it go. The same reason the idea of "Russians did......." equates to the boogeyman being just ready to grab you.

    A couple generations of people grew up in it, including most of those in power in politics and the military now. Many of the same conditions/differences between the two countries/cultures remain, or being regressed back to. Russia is even now rolling back many of the religious and social freedoms that were granted in the last 20-30 years. There is the potential for proxy wars (Ukraine, for example). Plus politicians love to have an enemy that we can all pretend to unite against, so we are distracted from our own disagreements. ;)
     
    • Like Like x 4
  8. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect Donor

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    guess I never thought of it that way
     
  9. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    I think the folks in the spook business, on all sides, need to feel useful.

    Perhaps we really do need to keep an eye on each other, & I don't mean just the US & Russia. I don't have an issue with the US keeping an apparently not so secret eye on the Russians.

    I saw a movie or TV show that made me laugh. An American diplomat in Russia called his wife, and started the conversation with, "Hi, dear. Hi, Boris."
     
  10. ASU2003

    ASU2003 Very Tilted

    Location:
    Where ever I roam
    The question is, how many "jobs" would be lost if the military and black budget was cut? Would those people be able to find jobs in other industries? Should kids be pushed to go into other careers? What would happen to the upper middle class communities where this money goes to if the budget gets cut 70% to better match other nations?

    Maybe it keeps other countries from having more influence in international disagreements. But, I have a feeling it is a handout to the law abiding screened citizens, and I was one of them.
     
  11. Charlatan

    Charlatan sous les pavés, la plage

    Location:
    Temasek
    @ralphie250 Here is a good article that sums up what @ASU2003 is talking about:


    View: http://www.npr.org/2011/01/17/132942244/ikes-warning-of-military-expansion-50-years-later


     
    • Like Like x 4
  12. ASU2003

    ASU2003 Very Tilted

    Location:
    Where ever I roam
    I just wonder what will happen when the money runs out? Either other countries won't buy our debt, the bonds and FICA taxes aren't enough to loan against, and the estate taxes and corporate taxes aren't enough to meet the budget demands. I'm not sure when this will happen, but Trump's budget guy said we would be running deficits for the foreseeable future, even though a balanced budget was promised during the campaign. Would it happen at $30 trillion in debt? $40 trillion? There is only $200 trillion or so in currency in the world I heard.

    How much of the government would shut down if there is no money? How quick would it be, and could the job industry absorb all of those federal workers? Would it look like the Great Depression over again?
     
    • Like Like x 1
  13. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    Well, it submarined the USSR the first time...they overspent and that nation broke up.
    Now Russia which was the main component, embraced capitalism and became the primary provider of oil for Europe (thinking it was "safe" now) bringing a large influx of money.
    Ye olde cold war spook (ex-KGB) Putin gained control...and longed for the old days of the USSR...so he used the new money and power to provoke a new "cold war" push.

    Now it's a new race to see who overspends...
    And Putin's got a lockhold on Russia (they love to be under tyrannies, don't they??)
    And the US is now playing into his hands...especially under of a "strong" America (and the Congress which loves the pork from the military-industrial complex)
    The US has gotten into another middle-east trap which is spending MORE money. (I'm not going to debate the ethics of drones, but at least they cost less money)
    Putin is likely trying to instigate the same mess which messed up the USSR.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  14. ASU2003

    ASU2003 Very Tilted

    Location:
    Where ever I roam
    What I want to know is, how much in debt was the USSR? Or was it an issue of food production? Or a manufacturing issue with the price controls such that nobody could make money? Or was it a problem securing international loans? I don't know much about why it happened and what they did in the early 90's.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  15. genuinemommy

    genuinemommy Moderator Staff Member

    This is my favorite thread in Politics.

    Thank you, Ralphie, for starting a really great conversation.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  16. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX

    This ^ sounds much like how Raygun embraced the Cold War with an attitude of 'Spend whatever it costs, even if it means going deeply into debt [not that Raygun would ever publicly admit that], and let the next generation of politicians figure out how to pay for it.'

    And why not, from Raygun's perspective? Politicians have a long history of passing along problems to those who replace them. And of course we the mere commoners get to pay for all of it.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  17. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect Donor

    Location:
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    so I can assume that the big news networks want us to know its happening? meaning lets say for instance if it was brazil would it be a bug deal?
     
    • Like Like x 2
  18. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    Sadly, at this point all the big news networks want is to sell ad revenue. So they will report whatever will get you to watch, read, click, or listen.

    Tell me what gets your attention first between these options:

    1) Everyone is spying on everyone else like that have been since WWII, except the tech is getting better.

    2) OMG, Trump is President and now there is a Russian spy ship parked on our coast!

    They decided to use the headline that would sell them the most ad space.

    My $.02.
     
    • Like Like x 5
  19. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect Donor

    Location:
    At work..
    well worth more than $.02
     
  20. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    With the advancements in weapons technology, and what countries are obtaining those weapons, yes, a Brazilian spy ship could be a cause for concern.

    "So the Russians are still watching us? So what? We're watching them."

    "Brazil? We know that for certain? We need to find out what the hell are they're up to!"

    --- Double Post Merged, Mar 23, 2017, Original Post Date: Mar 23, 2017 ---
    Sad, but true.