Can anyone say something reassuring about the situation with Russia and the next five years?

The Pentagon brass has openly admitted that Russia could defeat NATO within a matter of hours, and we are in each others face like never before. It's not good when consulates get closed and dignitaries expelled.

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Xuan12 · 31-35, M

Where did they say that? I'm not sure I'd believe that. Sure, Russia could defeat [i]some[/i] NATO members within hours, but all of them? Nope. The US is in NATO too after all. To win a conventional war against the US, Russia would have to run up against a vastly bigger Navy and Air Force than they themselves have. Their supply lines for their multitude of ground weapons would be nightmarishly long, and pounded by air and Naval bombardment at all hours. The cost of maintaining any meaningful occupation in Europe or on any other continent would be extraordinary, especially for them, their national GDP is about half the size of California's alone. No, I don't believe Russia could defeat the entirety of NATO.

puck61

@Xuan12 It varies 3 years ago it was "within days" then it was "30 to 60 hours" and now it's "a matter of hours". Once an enemy is neutralized, they are defeated. You can' t even find a refutation on google on the matter. You can find a refutation on anything on google!

Xuan12 · 31-35, M

@puck61 Well Russian land weapons (the bulk of their forces) probably couldn't even reach the US heartland in hours. I think whoever is saying this is just fear mongering.

puck61

@Xuan12 Everyone is saying it and no one is refuting it. That's what bothers me. Again, though, once a military power is relieved of it's capability of victory, it is defeated. It doesn't matter how long it would take tanks to reach the heart land or how many battleships are still floating or how many M4's and bullet stoppers are still marching around.

Xuan12 · 31-35, M

@puck61 And why would the US forces be so easily incapacitated? I mean, even supposing that Spetznas parachuted in straight to the White House, command and control could still operate out of numerous bases around the country, or even in different parts of the world. The vast US resources have no particular reason not to fight, even if the President and Capitol are taken. Production and supply are dispersed all across the nation and the world. US operational groups are capable of indepent action if communication with command is lost. I just don't see how it could happen so easily. I don't even see it as being likely to happen at all. The US has twice the population, 15 times as much money, and a vastly larger air Force and navy. Russia has a lot of ground weapons, sure, but they would have to get them here first. And besides, neither of these nation's is likely to truly destroy the other's sovereignty with conventional arms. Both have nuclear weapons after all. If a direct threat to national sovereignty were posed, the threatened nation has little reason not to use its nuclear capability as premium deterrent. To threaten annihilation essentially. Sure it would be a terribly destructive nuclear war, but when one nation was facing destruction anyway, what reason is left to hold back? The aggressor may relent, or if they do not, they risk destroying themselves as well. But as mentioned, I don't even see it coming to that. Conventional war between Russia and the US would just be too coslty for either side's taste, let alone a conventional war between Russia and NATO. Proxy wars at most.

puck61

@Xuan12 Thank you. I think those truths and the fact that the US brass might very well be soliciting for a military build up., (Overkill anyone?) are things I can consider to keep my ulcers from flaring up today. ☺

Xuan12 · 31-35, M

@puck61 I worked military logistics for a while in coordination with intelligence (we shared an office oddly enough, intel didn't like that very much). I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but without going into specifics, it really seems like a longshot to me. Besides, you know how many heavily armed, angry, rednecks we have out here? XD

puck61

@Xuan12 Yeah! When I think of NATO vs OPFOR , I simple see defeat as the initial emasculation of one or the other. I realize that battles can continue for eons. Besides, Yellowstone is going to blow next week and we will all have other fish to fry.