A
cool post at Hot Air for strategy geeks, illustrating the re-emergence of regional, Nation-state strategizing because of the withdrawal of American influence and power in the world. The author touches on many places around the world where groups of countries are manuevering with and against each other in local groups, rather than the great geopolitical groups that have dominated the world since WWII:
- They touch on the situation in Central/Eastern Europe and the Visegrad group, which I discussed a while ago
- The games being played between Russia, Iran, and Turkey, and Turkey's apparent attempt to resurrect the prestige of the Ottoman Empire in the Eastern Mediterranean
- Israel's response by teaming up with Greece and Cyprus
- India & Japan's attempts to contain China in the Far East
- etc.
Super cool stuff. The tone of the article is a little sad that American can't dominate everywhere like we used to, but it doesn't seem as depressing to me: make these sponges deal with things themselves. It'll make them all better countries, and save us money and blood. We still need to be able to punish our enemies when we need to though and help our friends...that'll have to wait until Obama's gone of course.
Anyway, read the article; fascinating, if somewhat speculative.
It is sad and interesting.
ReplyDeleteHave you any opinion or thought on the Palestinians bidding for statehood? The Middle East is such a mess. I wonder why we are giving billions of dollars in aid to Palestine anyway. They wouldn't exist were it not for us.
I hope this comment reaches the site. I'm getting sick of having to post as anonymous and waiting for my comments to appear.Sometimes they dont appear at all.
-ToeJamm
It is sad because there is no other free nation to pick up the mantle of freedom. I think America will be around for a long time to come, but it won't be the force for good in the world to the extent that it has been. The fact is that America is in decline culturally and economically. The whole world is in basically poor economic shape. And this will end in some major global economic/political disturbance that could end up not being good.
ReplyDeleteThe world order is always shifting so none of this is really anything new. Expect for the speed at which it is happening.
I think what is happening in the Middle East will not end up being good for the West or America. Israel is loosing at lot of its important allies: Egypt and Turkey. "
Israel and Turkey relationship has been damaged. "To make matters worse, Turkey earlier this month moved to expel Israel's ambassador and downgrade diplomatic ties, escalating a long-simmering dispute over Israel's raid last year on a Gaza-bound Turkish ship."
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/12/us-scrambles-to-ease-tension-as-israel-s-ties-with-allies-erode/#ixzz1YH06FsQe
"Kamer Kasim of the Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization said: "The Israeli-Egyptian relations are undergoing change. Israel cannot afford tensions with both Turkey and Egypt. It will have to review its security policies in the Middle East.""
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/09/12/turkey-says-israels-flotilla-raid-was-cause-for-war/#ixzz1YH0HSVz8
What is bad for Israel is bad for America. In the world of Iran America is the big Satan and Israel the little Satan.
China is aggresively exerting itself. http://hotair.com/archives/2011/07/19/meanwhile-in-the-south-china-sea-forget-the-us/
Another good article.
I don't really have any coherent thoughts on the subject.
Thats an interesting article on China exerting itself.
ReplyDeletePolitics are so sketchy. At times I want to take a dump on the UN and all its international laws, but then I get pissed when China violates UN maritime law. In the end, we can't let China bully all those nations around. I guess its just a poker game.
-ToeJamm
The UN won't do jack. If anyone will do something, it'll be those countries reacting to China: India, Japan, Vietnam, The Philipines, maybe the US. Inda and Japan working together, would certainly have the ability themselves to stand up to China.
ReplyDeleteBud-D
Japan? What could Japan ever do? They might have money, but I'm not sure their military is up to standards.
ReplyDelete-ToeJamm
I think Japan has one of the larger and certainly one of the most modern militaries in the world. And they would be highly motivated vs China. Yeah, I think Inda and Japan together could take China.
ReplyDelete