cz515 wrote:Let's talk about recent history. A few years ago the two countries (same two who are screaming the loudest now) called out a country has WMD, invaded it, killed thousands of people, destroying billions of dollars of infrastructure, looting billions more. A few years later no WMD found, no apologies, no repatriation paid, blah blah blah.
Funny it was just about when America was just about to go through a big down turn.
Fast forward a few years, it's after crona, America has run out of money so we start hearing them best drums, first was China then Russia. My first and only question here is just think who benefits in a war situating?
Anyway the price of oil is up, gas is up. Europe is trying to ban gas imports from Russia. And who benefits American oil companies, American shale gas wells, and Middle Eastern countries where the major shareholders are Smetana lacks and the same people
Saddam shifted some of his WMD into Syria and miscalculated by doing so thinking that would stop the invasion. However some was left in Iraq. I have worked with colleagues that secured some of it and the reason why it was kept down low is that the open revealing of it would have embarrassed some of our allies. In the end the whole story will come out but by then no one will care.
Looking back it was a strategic error to invade Iraq while still in A-Stan and I think for the American people it changed a lot of attitudes and understanding that we can't police or solve every problem in the world.
With this Ukraine thing, I see both sides. I've watched Putin speeches at things like the Valdai Club and he recognizes the woke, 897 different genders, climate change hysteria, huge debts, illegal immigration thing is leading the west into the same suicide the Roman Empire committed. I also understand from research that you have two divides in Ukraine, one side sees it's future being a part of Europe and another side that sees it's future connected to Russia. Putin has openly said he wants to reunite all the Russian people under one roof or at least have them in his sphere of influence.
To me if the vast majority of people in the Donbass and Luhansk don't want to be a part of Ukraine, I don't see it's worth fighting over as an outside party.
In regards to oil and gas prices, Russia benefits as well. In fact a lot of other commodities like nickel and copper are going crazy as well. Potentially looking at a lot of metrics I think we might be in for a 2008 like crash again.
Could WW3 happen? Certainly possible and I think much of it is due to the majority of the leaders in the west being feckless, weak toads. Some of these other leaders are going to seek to make some gains and it could result in a miscalculation that turns gruesome.