Comments by "Joe Nichols" (@joenichols3901) on "The US (ultimately) pivots from Europe to the Indo-Pacific." video.

  1. I disagree here although this is an interesting perspective. There is no way that Washington would have gone to war with Russia in the early 2000s. The issue is that Russia has nuclear weapons - the same issue was there. I also have to say that removing Russia from the global economy, providing almost $100 billion in aid to Ukraine and a completed united Europe (outside of Belarus and Ukraine) in no way seems like a withdrawal. To me, a withdrawal would have been the US condemning the invasion but doing nothing about it. We almost have no other options except putting boots on the ground - and that risks nuclear war. I mean, I think a lot of this is hyperbolic. "Europe coasted underneath the shield of America" I mean, I guess? From 1995-2012 the number 2 and 3 biggest military spenders were UK and France. Did they spend less than the 3%? Yes. Instead of the West focusing on the fact for the first time in history that Europe is fully united in a complete defensive pact; we focus on the fact that they spent 1.5% of GDP rather than 3%. I cannot pretend as if NATO, if it decided, could not sweep through the entirety of Russia within 12 months. If people think the dictatorships of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea will somehow become a global powerhouse, working together and collaborating than that is a poor interpretation. China, Russia, Iran and North Korea make up under 18% of the global economy. The West absolutely dominates culture, technology, science and other high value add services/products. The world is moving toward a global democracy. The last dominoes will fall over the next 200-300 years. Russia went from Czars, the Soviet Union (a dystopian nightmare) to the Russian Federation (a democracy which has been kidnapped under Putin). Putin will eventually go and Russia will continue to struggle upwards till it gets things right. China will go through a similar process. This is the process almost all democracies have gone through; from France, to Germany and more. Somehow I do not think that NATO, Japan, Australia, Israel, India, all the African democracies, south american democracies and the other pacific island democracies will fall to the power of China (GDP per capita of Mexico), Russia, Iran and North Korea. What is the end game for these leaders? To hold onto power. What is the end game for the democracies? To have a world where every single person has the rights to vote, religion, speech, pursuit of happiness and to pursue the life they choose. These were the rights given to all people by our Gods; the disease of authoritarianism will be eradicated eventually; the trend is glaringly obvious.
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  2.  @uchennanwogu2142  they have nuclear weapons so the whole argument is pointless to begin with. And do you genuinely believe that Russia 15 years ago, far far weaker than it is today, would be able to take Germany, UK and France in an invasion of the Baltics? Sure, Russia would devastate the baltics with rockets no doubt but obviously those three countries could push Russia out of the region if properly motivated. The whole argument is based on pretending the US disappeared; if the US wasn't there then the whole world would be way different. The Soviets would still be in power and thus the Baltics under the USSR so the conversation gets way, way to confusing. A properly motivated Germany, UK and France could without a doubt push Russian forces out of the Baltics within 12-24 months. I mean, did they take Poland first? If not, cutting those supply lines would be super easy. Do Sweden and Finland join in ? Too many variables for a real debate on that scenario
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  3.  @jager6863  Yeah I think you make a great point. That corruption has been around in Russia for hundreds of years, if not thousands. Its going to take Russia 100-200 years to create a solid, stable democracy. This is essentially a "relapse"; Russians missed having the authoritarian b/c they forgot the negatives. Frankly it might take 2 or 3 more "Putins" for Russia to finally get it right, get the corruption out and prosper.
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