WTF is ur deal Russia?

[MrAngryFace]

US/Canada has had to scramble fighters 8 times to monitor Russia's long-range bomber exercises that are pushing towards our airspace. I guess theyre doing this in europe too. Is this some kind of Russia Mid-Life crisis where they prove they 'still got it' or should I be playing World in Conflict to PREPARE?

[Madrun Badrun]

news link?

also midlife crisis, lawl.

[MrAngryFace]

saw it on the local news, cant find it on MSNBC yet.

[Madrun Badrun]

well Until you do I'm taking over this thread with this...

Nun catfight!


A convent in Italy is being shut down after a fight between its last three remaining nuns.

So badly did relations deteriorate between the sisters of Santa Clara in Bari that the Mother Superior ended up in hospital with scratches to her face.

Now the local archbishop has intervened and asked the Vatican for permission to close the convent.

Sister Liliana is on her own there now and says she has no intention of leaving her home of the past 44 years.

The Clarissa nuns are regarded as the most austere order of the Roman Catholic Church, devoted to a life of prayer, penance and quiet contemplation.

But at the Santa Clara convent in Bari, the vow of silence was shattered by an unholy row.

Sisters Annamaria and Gianbattista say they were driven to distraction by the nasty habits of their Mother Superior, Sister Liliana.

They became so angry that during the summer they turned on her, scratching her face and throwing her to the ground.

The two nuns have now moved into a nearby convent, leaving Sister Liliana barricaded inside.

Despite the efforts of the Archbishop Giovanni Battista Pichierri to reconcile the three sisters he has been forced to call on the Vatican for help.

He wrote to the Holy See telling them the sisters had "clearly lost their religious vocation" and with only one nun remaining has asked for permission to close the convent down.

But Sister Liliana is not going without a fight.

She has been at the nunnery for 44 years and she is not going to be pushed about now.

She has written to the Pope telling him she will only leave when God decides it is time to go.

And since she is devoted to her vow of silence it is not that easy to reason with her.

[Phoenix Dark]

I bet the old cold war dinosaurs are pissed we're in Iraq while Russia is gearing up lol.

BET ON BRITS

[MrAngryFace]

I still remember that MSN Money article where the guy is all 'lets have a cold war, we all want it! it'd be good for the economy!'

[Phoenix Dark]

I dunno...

Russia, China, Iran, North Korea

VS

USA, Brits,...and...Canada?

 

[MrAngryFace]

I just dont get wars lol

[Mupepe]

I still remember that MSN Money article where the guy is all 'lets have a cold war, we all want it! it'd be good for the economy!'

I think it would be good to show these fucking commies that we're not fucking pushovers and they need to be put in their place.

[MrAngryFace]

but they arent commies lol

[Mupepe]

but they arent commies lol

they're in disguise

[Synbios459]

I still remember that MSN Money article where the guy is all 'lets have a cold war, we all want it! it'd be good for the economy!'

I think it would be good to show these fucking commies that we're not fucking pushovers and they need to be put in their place.

AMERICA!!!! FUCK YEAH!!!! COMIN' TO SAVE THE MOTHER FUCKIN DAY YEAH!!!!

[Mandark]

US/Canada has had to scramble fighters 8 times to monitor Russia's long-range bomber exercises that are pushing towards our airspace. I guess theyre doing this in europe too. Is this some kind of Russia Mid-Life crisis where they prove they 'still got it' or should I be playing World in Conflict to PREPARE?

hahaha

That's the best description I've read.  Near as I can tell, Russia (both its public and foreign policy elite) are stuck in the old realpolitik mindset, where it's a zero-sum game, other large states are automatically rivals, and military power is the primary/only measure of influence.

Western Europe's figured out that it works out better for everyone to just get along and trade and be peaceful, but Russia's 1) clinging to its self-image as a superpower, and 2) very suspicious of the institutions set up for New Europe (which is understandable, because a bunch of them were created to oppose the USSR).

Maybe they'll eventually get sick of having their reporters killed and it'll eventually get saner.  Who knows.

[MrAngryFace]

I thought their economy was turning around. You'd think they'd learn from china and just econ the fuck out of everyone else.

[FlameOfCallandor]

Im pretty sure russia's economy still sucks.

[Mandark]

Russia's economy is growing at a pretty fast clip.

I get the sense that China's doing some of the same stuff as Russia, in terms of trying to make smaller neighbors into satellite states and arranging things so they can flex their muscle.  They probably don't do dumb/showy stuff like this because they're not as paranoid about India/Japan/whoever as Russia is about NATO.

I think a lot of international relations screwups come from dumb mistrust spirals where countries assume the worst of each other and act aggressively in the name of defense.

[MrAngryFace]

Im pretty sure russia's economy still sucks.

Just like your movies? LAWL

[MrAngryFace]

They probably don't do dumb/showy stuff like this because they're not as paranoid about India/Japan/whoever as Russia is about NATO.

What is the TRUE purpose of NATO anymore?

[Fragamemnon]

They probably don't do dumb/showy stuff like this because they're not as paranoid about India/Japan/whoever as Russia is about NATO.

What is the TRUE purpose of NATO anymore?

NATO is sort of in a weird spot-on one hand, the it is the primary collective military alliance of the EU until there is a unified EU-only common offense/peacekeeping structure in place (the EU has no need to actually defend itself from any foreign powers, any collective military action would be offensive in nature), and on the other hand, there is the US, which very much wants to continue to have NATO exist for the same reasons that it did in the Cold War-to help project US supremacy.

[Mandark]

Plus it's useful to be part of a club that others are trying to join.  As long as NATO membership is important/prestigious, it can be used as a carrot to get wannabe members to do things the current members want.

Bush 1 and Clinton wanted to make institutions like NATO and the UN the primary avenues of using US military force, to make it seem more legitimate and make other countries less likely to use force on their own.  Bush 2 thinks that ties America down to other counties' interests.

At this point, NATO is sort of an organization that creates its own reason for existing.

[Mr. Gundam]

US/Canada has had to scramble fighters 8 times to monitor Russia's long-range bomber exercises that are pushing towards our airspace. I guess theyre doing this in europe too. Is this some kind of Russia Mid-Life crisis where they prove they 'still got it' or should I be playing World in Conflict to PREPARE?

hahaha

This makes me think about that "future episode" of the Simpsons where Lisa is president. But, let's replace China with Russia.

Bart: What happened to you, Russia? You used to be cool.
Russian Ambassador: Hey, Russia still cool.

[drozmight]

The Russian people just need something to feel good about.

[Phoenix Dark]

Im pretty sure russia's economy still sucks.

Just like your movies? LAWL

[MrAngryFace]

Plus it's useful to be part of a club that others are trying to join.  As long as NATO membership is important/prestigious, it can be used as a carrot to get wannabe members to do things the current members want.

Bush 1 and Clinton wanted to make institutions like NATO and the UN the primary avenues of using US military force, to make it seem more legitimate and make other countries less likely to use force on their own.  Bush 2 thinks that ties America down to other counties' interests.

At this point, NATO is sort of an organization that creates its own reason for existing.

Im just surprised all of ths Russia stuff kinda came outta nowhere. I mean I know we've been clashing with them ever since the iraq business started, but those are all kinda small things in the grand scheme of things.

[Mandark]

It's not just Iraq.  The missile defense shield for western Europe, the Orange Revolution in Ukraine (which was supported by the US, and booted a pro-Russian leader), the Gazprom stuff with Germany, Uzbekistan, Iran, etc.

Which isn't nearly the same as what they're doing, from our perspective, but Russia probably thinks of the bomber exercises as part of the same game, and not that much of an escalation.

It's like they've got international relations Aspergers.

[MrAngryFace]

We arent that good at international relations either

Ill have to look into the Orange Revolution and the Gazprom 'stuff'. Didnt hear about that.

[Mupepe]

Russia is more paranoid than we are.

[Fresh Prince]

I dunno...

Russia, China, Iran, North Korea

VS

USA, Brits,...and...Canada?

 

China would probably wait on the sidelines and rob the dead bodies on the field. Also you forgot Japan.

[recursivelyenumerable]

I'm really hoping Mandark forgot to secure rights to the phrase "international relations Aspergers" before posting.

Russia is just angling for a starring role in the next stage of escalation, after we attack Iran and have to find a reason why that's not working out either.  I think it goes Iraq -> Iran/Syria -> Russia -> China -> Japan/Western Europe/Canada -> Golbez -> Zemus -> Zeromus.

[Lucretius]

Putin scares the crap out of me.  I swear if he grows a mustache we are fucked!

[Mandark]

Did Russia mildly poison Tommy Haas to win at tennis?

I think what's telling is that even if the nameless Russian quoted in the article was just blowing smoke out of his ass, it's become plausible for Russians to just assume "Yeah, my government probably poisoned that dude."

[MrAngryFace]

Haha. I guess the MI-5 has been bitching about the burden of counter-intelligence to fend off Russian and Chinese spies hurting their counter-terrorism efforts.

[tiesto]

Did Russia mildly poison Tommy Haas to win at tennis?

I think what's telling is that even if the nameless Russian quoted in the article was just blowing smoke out of his ass, it's become plausible for Russians to just assume "Yeah, my government probably poisoned that dude."

Hass, heh, I hated playing against that fucking bastard in Virtua Tennis

[T234]

I hated that swede more than the rest.

[Smooth Groove]

Blame it on Jason Bourne. 

[Robo]

         
   

[Mandark]

Now things are going crazy in Georgia, tool.

TBILISI, Georgia, Nov. 7 -- The pro-Western government of Georgia, a former Soviet republic, declared a state of emergency Wednesday night after police violently dispersed throngs of protesters and shut down private TV stations. The president accused opposition leaders of acting in concert with Russian intelligence agents.

The crackdown began Wednesday morning when police in black masks and riot gear used tear gas, batons, rubber bullets and water cannons against demonstrators who had occupied the street in front of the Parliament building. It was the first real violence since large anti-government demonstrations began six days ago.

Opposition figures denied President Mikheil Saakashvili's claims that they were acting for Russia, which has been trying to re-exert influence in countries that were part of the Soviet Union. The opposition has accused the president of using Soviet-style techniques to crush legitimate dissent.

The president is calling for early elections, which seems like a sign of good faith.

[Smooth Groove]

Crazy.  That sounds like something that came out of Splinter Cell.