Comments by "King Ace" (@kingace6186) on "CaspianReport" channel.

  1. "Before the war, policymakers were calling for the Finlandization of Ukraine. Now, they are calling for the Ukrainization of Finland." That is one for the textbooks.
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  2. "When someone in the area sneezes, Turkey catches a cold". Beautifully articulated.
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  3. Everyone knows about the scale of NATO & Article 5. But, it is crazy to visualize how extensive the United States' network of alliances really is.
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  4. I like how CaspianReport is now reporting on the geopolitical significance of revolutionary scientific innovation. I hope we can expect to see more STEM on this channel.
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  5. For its time, this philosophy was cutting edge and the perfect thing to modernize -- and dare I say, revolutionized -- the Turkish identity.
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  6. LMFAO That is exactly it. It felt like Shivran was just reading one of their scripts.
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  7. I am so glad you decided to cover this topic. Thank you for being stellar as always.
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  8. I am always interested in learning more about the Island of Taiwan's pre-20th-century history. It is evocative and interesting.
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  9. TSMC had brilliant scientists and managers that steered the company toward the right investments. And now, they are Taiwan's greatest strategic deterrence.
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  10.  @junyuanma4243  LMFAO who pissed in your cup? Allies were what made the backbone of the Korean War. S Korea would of been history if it wasn't for the allyship of the US. And the same can be said about N Korea and China. Or how about the huge coalition forces that aided the US in successful defeating Saddam when he annexed Kuwait. In case you forgot, Desert Storm was one of the US's greatest victory post-'45. Speaking of WW2, what about the allied invasion of Normandy, aka the largest invasion operation EVER. Then there is the undeniable role of India & Australia for the anti-fascist war effort.
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  11. This alliance of four might be vulnerable from the Pacific (by navy & airforce). But on land -- Russia, Iran Pakistan, and China span all across the Axian Continent. That's like the old USSR's wet dream and the US's paranoid nightmare.
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  12.  @wilhelmbittrich88  Desperate cry for attention, much?
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  13. 1) Russia's strategy didn't align was the on the ground reality of invading Ukraine. unlike the US, Russia is inexperienced & ill-suit for hand-brake restraint assault. And, instead of thinking with a cool head, the Kremlin reacted with desperation for results. 2) The Russian Invasion of Ukraine can be accurately described as a logistical nightmare. Troops of trucks and soldiers entered Ukraine only to run out of supplies/resources and abandon crucial equipment. Farmers are claiming tanks left behind by ill-prepared soldiers. 3) Didn't foresee the obvious, fierce resistance for freedom. Russian forces expected cheers and got a protest and a determined military. Despite being surrounded, Ukraine fought. And the underestimated Zelenskyy showed solidarity w/ the people from the streets of Kyiv. 4) The actions against Ukraine by the former superpower have led to significant damages to macro geopolitics. The former Communist Block, Iron Curtain, ex-USSR states are feeling anxious. Non-Nato states rethink stances. NATO is healing their unity.
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  14. Yeah. I liked the transparency.
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  15. He ignored a lot of the other surrounding issues and factors for the sake of his analysis...
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  16. IKR. A loss of more than 50%. You would think that the Ayatollah would be willing to sign a new nuclear peace deal with an economy in that much pain.
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  17. They are the greatest insurance policy and the greatest internal threat, at the same time.
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  18. The amazing scale of the United States national and citizen networks is really something that is unparalleled (even by the Commonwealth). A true demonstration of the American Empire's legacy.
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  19. You are drunk. Finland is a member state. And Sweden is only months away.
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  20. Your point about Russia's Northern Coast is important. If Moscow invests well, it will soon come to dominate the Northeast Trade Route.
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  21. For Real. The 2020s are crazy. Any one's guess where we go from here.
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  22. I don't think Shirvan stated the Amazon Rainforest as a biome affected by the megaproject.
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  23. True. Not to even mention Japan's titanic defense budget increase.
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  24. I have been wondering this very question since, this time last year, the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban took over the power vacuum. I am glad that it is the "CaspianReport" channel that is pressing this question.
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  25. It's almost like the Revolutionary Guard was designed to operate like that on purpose. A sort of insurance policy to keep the Islamic Republic in the vision of Khomeini -- ultimately, a responsibility placed on the IRG's commander. But the fact that no one can rain it in can also act as the thing that is holding the Republic back from implementing peaceful, meaningful growth.
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  26.  @michaelf7093  I will say that the US government is pretty interested in further funding NASA and projecting hard power w/the Space Force. And it's not just America, the West & JAXA are also doing their part w/ projects like Artemis and James Webb. Although, I do agree that, in the 21st century, the US's aspirations for space travel will be focused on deep space & not just on Earth's Orbit. Also, I do think there is a conscious understanding shared by all space programs that a constantly inhabited space station is key to any future aspirations. Yet, other than China's all-in investment, not enough nations are willing to invest in a Space Station as much as they invest in satellites.
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  27. This is anti-ROC rhetoric if I have ever seen one.
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  28. This whole video was like hearing the IDF use national security and geography to justify their war crimes.
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  29. This reminds me of Kraut's video on Geographical Determinism being a chicken or egg debate. Have you seen it or are you a fan?
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  30.  @Luiko0406  It funny how a comedian makes, not only a better president, but a better patriot than a spy. President Zelenskyy stood strong for the rights of his people and the territorial integrity of his democratic country. Compare that to a war criminal like Putin.
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  31. You make a great point that China obviously notices its disadvantage when compared to the United States, so an armed conflict in this decade is very unlikely. However, where your point waivers is expecting that China can keep making progress until 2050. After all, it should be common knowledge by now that Chinese hard power protection is set to peak in 2025 to 2027, and then decrease after that. Therefore, 2030 will give America an even greater advantage, since the US's pivot to Asia is sincere and Japan is remilitarizing like never before. (With the major caveat being the logistics of the US's military-industrial complex is strained due to the War in Ukraine.) Other crucial points that weren't addressed are the effects of Biden's successes in the Chip War, the fact that China's defense budget got over-inflated while US's defense budget wasn't recalculated accordingly, and most importantly the fact that China has to contend with NATO, the QUAD, ALMOST EVERY SOUTH EAST ASIAN NATION + the severely underestimated Taiwanese Military.
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  32. I wasn't going to say anything but since you pointed it out: ACTUALLY!!! 1) Shirvan just misspoke. 2) Although the Qing did (de-jure-ly) cede the Island of Taiwan to the Japanese Empire with the 17 April 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki, the de-facto truth is much more nuanced. Due to the power-vacuum created after the Qing left, the short-lived Republic of Formosa was born and existed for just 5 months from 23 May to 21 October 1895. This short Republic came to an end when the Japanese conquered the island and took over the Republican Capital of Taipei. And the Japanese spent the next years, if not decades, fighting Taiwanese resistance in the mountainous interior of the island. So YES. The Japanese Empire DID conquer Taiwan.
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  33. Except for the fact that China's power projection is set to wane in 2030.
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  34. -- A.J.P. Taylor.
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  35. I'm sorry but this is neither accurate nor objective.
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  36. I can't help but notice the ironic, tragic comedy of the Taliban trying its turn on the concept of 'Afghan nation building' while fighting Jihadi extremism.
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  37.  @krishnkant9477  Did you read the whole thing, or not? 1. Gay rights isn't a liberal pov; it's a human right. 2. The person said they are politically independent and are just Indian first. So you're wrong either way.
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  38.  @Rockstarmade224  Exactly (and by Russia, at least before the war). France wants to be so cool and powerful but has spent the last decades looking like a middle child.
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  39. This entire video has been arguing on behalf of Israel's actions by stating its geography. Shivran gave no context to the atrocities he was defending and wasn't historically accurate. That is incredibly one-sided.
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  40. US N Pacific Command like: This guy knows too much.
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  41. Pretty ironic how Russia's desperate actions to protect its security are the same variables that are threatening to enlarge NATO's expansion.
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  42. Yo that's like one of those movies where an army goes in with an objective and comes back out with just one wounded soldier left (a singular messager).
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  43. A history lesson: In February 2022, Russian forces invaded Ukraine on three fronts because of the Eurasian Steppe's vulnerability. If Russia was a capable military and apt in logistics, Ukraine might have lost the war. The lesson: Geography will ALWAYS matter. We, Americans, learned that in Vietnam and Afghanistan.
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  44.  @puskamuha9000  Can't hang with the big brain talk. Dueces. (And what the hell did you think "call" meant?)
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  45. 😂😂😂
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  46. LOL Remember when France got mad at the US because they were trying to sell old, diesel-powered submarines to Australia and the US stepped in with newer, nuclear-powered submarines.
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  47. Human rights > Realpolitik
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  48. Especially when a geography's environment is altered by human-caused climate change.
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  49. The offensive he is talking about is a potential Summer Offensive. In any case, what Shivran can't be disputed on is the fact that Putin is prioritizing attritional attacks to not only hurt the Ukrainian but also the US's support.
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  50.  @M4x1m1l14nn  Okay, pal.
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  51. Nice report as always Caspian Report. Where do you get your informative and detailed maps? They are never outdated. Especially this one.
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  52. And France is not helped. For a country that is trying to shake off its colonial past, it sure isn't trying very hard. That is making those countries vulnerable to Russian influence.
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  53.  @MuantanamoMobile  Stop that BS cus Vietnam is America's most strategic ally on the inside of the first-island chain. In fact, this alliance could have been formed stronger and earlier if the fake "domino theory" didn't lead to the Vietnam War. In either case, what the Vietnamese despise the most is violations of their sovereignty, and right now China is doing that in spades. Instead, the US is offering them security benefits without overstepping so it is no wonder Vietnam and the US are allies (at least in the 21st century).
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  54.  @Korbi1710  Spatiopolitics? Orbitalpolitics? Spacepolitics? Cosmicpolitics? Astropolitics? IDK.
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  55. Yet, Germany would rather burn gas, despite an energy crisis.
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  56. Nobody signed the Brenton Wood Agreement at gunpoint.
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  57.  @puskamuha9000  Using the definition I gave... If Finland joins NATO, it would be essentially "Ukrainized". Finland would do this because it finds Russia's actions to be more and more aggressive. So to protect themselves, they are seeking to be the collective help from Article 5 (in case Russia gets any ideas). And this isn't just half-assed guesses because nordic policymakers have been saying as much in their parliament and press conferences.
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  58. Don't forget the genocide he waged against Tigrayans.
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  59. India's real budget is $76.6B. But Shivran still inflated the numbers for Chinese defense spending without factoring in the same logic for everyone else's defense spending.
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  60. What happened in Togo too.
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  61.  @harrisonshone7769  True. But that did come with serious damage that France is responsible for.
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  62. What this comment section is ignoring is that there are many reasons countries start a war. This video should some of them. 1. Geography is a double-edged sword that every military analyst must understand. Hardliners in MoD would never risk losing any more buffer space. 2. The NATO encirclement narrative is an objective military weakness, but more importantly, it makes it easy to sell a war to the Russian people. Wars are battles for hearts and minds, too. 3. After Maidan, the annexation of Crimea, and the election of Zelenskyy, everybody knew that Ukraine had become pro-EU and much more interested in NATO.
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  63. Exactly. I am disappointed that I know little of the inner geopolitics of Afghanistan after the US pulled out. It is as if world media only cares about the country/region when it is being occupied. [ In fact, the only time in 2022 when the new cycle was all about Afghanistan again was when the CIA assassinated Ayman Al-Zawahiri with a MF RAZOR BAY-BLADE inspired Hellfire R9X missile.]
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  64.  @spacecraftcarrier4135  To be fair, out of the 4 you mentioned, only one is in a state of conflict.
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  65. It's like having a mansion but being robbed because you have no alarm system. Or, having millions in crypto but not having a VPN to protect your passwords.
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  66. Either way, it's failing.
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  67. Thank you for another concise and informative Caspian Report. I also especially enjoy the Ukrainian residents' inputs in the comment section.
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  68.  @bnfcj8987  Both the Japanese and Chinese refer to the archipelago that Okinawa is on as the Ryukyu Islands. Japan just sees it as less like a geographic location and more like a sovereign part of Japan itself.
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  69.  @ShuCarolina  Yeah. I guess we both have areas where we could improve our democracies.
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  70.  @a.oshankar8741  First of all, it's 10-15% of CONVENTIONAL forces. This leaves out nuclear capabilities, irregular warfare, and cyber attacks. And second of all, as you said, only a small percent of the Russian Armed Force is available for Putin's war. The rest are stationed in prior defense commitments (like the Baltics) and ongoing foreign "special military operations".
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  71. This video is a banger!
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  72.  @paritoshdaurwal9484  So, India, China, & Japan + other richer Asian nations that want don't want to miss out. Although contrary to popular belief, I feel like Japan's JAXA has the lead. JAXA is regularly in cooperation w/ NASA -- along w/ its allies like CSA & ESA. JAXA has even been helpful in projects like James Webb Space Telescope.
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  73.  @Khaled91  What does Qazwin mean? Or is it just named after Qazvin, the city.
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  74.  @MB2.0  Ben's quote and Shivran's quote are completely different down to the meaning. Only the sentence structure was similar. L.
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  75. With the British Empire forced to fight all 3 Axis powers alone, PM Churchill gave the most consistently true and accurate assessment of the American mindset.
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  76. LMFAOO He said Erdonomical
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  77. Love from California.
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  78.  @globalhumanism  This is honestly why I am so supportive of the government in Taipei.
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  79. That's not factual. Netanyahu, who has been dominant in Israeli politics since the 90s, has always been an enemy of the 2 state solution even at the cost of peace. He was public about his policy regarding Hamas; let them continue to exist so that no country would support Palestine as its own nation. You also left out the thorough colonization of the West Bank affecting the quality of life and fertility of Palestinians living there. And, the fertility rate of Gaza is much higher than Israel because it is a small, dense population zone trapped by Israeli walls.
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  80. This is how Moscow has historically made alliances. Through force. Look at the USSR & Warsaw Pact.
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  81. In my opinion: Israeli lobby groups aren't acting illegally, unreasonably or immorally. Yet, the self-apologetic nature of the groups indicates a willingness to turn a blind eye to the IDF war crimes and the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Such behavior inspired belligerent and purposefully unconditional support in the US thus hampering the union's democracy allowing IDF and Israeli politicians to act without impunity at the expense of Palestine. Thus, US and Israel's current relations are problematic for the possibility of sustainable Palestinian-Israeli peace.
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  82. “Those who do not move, do not notice their chains.” -- Rosa Luxemburg. This quote is unbelievably powerful.
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  83. Russia (and maybe Canada too) benefit more from climate change in the long term than any other country.
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  84. I feel like the final years/days of the Soviet Union are their biggest fear.
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  85. True. There are a view small islands scattered across the Taiwan Straits that are administered by Taipei. In fact, in any invasion scenario by the PLA, these islands are likely to be the first ones targeted.
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  86.  @Noble713  And now he is the Commander of the Air Mobility Command. One of the most important divisions in the United States Air Force.
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  87. Plus Biden already slapped the semiconductor sanctions which has ravaged China's economy and military readiness.
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  88. Just another geopolitical contradiction that is inherent to the 2020s.
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  89. Anyone else find it crazy that Russia owns the biggest leader of the EU because of climate change & energy needs?
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  90. I agree. I especially liked that he prioritized the parts of Taiwanese History that almost never get mentioned.
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  91. Nah. This is like saying Germany could reach the Urals before the allies could even mobilize a response.
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  92.  @OnkelGetreide91  Exactly. It's like some people haven't read any cold war history. (France too because they were the first foreign power to get kicked out of Vietnam.)
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  93. I agree with your last point.
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  94.  @Doochos  The Republic of Formosa had a really cool flag. I wished they reincorporated it when the KMT retreated to the island.
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  95. Well, like the video states, Putin and stronger regional governors/mayors can handle a little mutiny & civil unrest. But the leadership of other low-population or low-income regions would most likely not hold up under such pressure. At that point, unless the central government in Moscow is able to constantly project power everywhere, regional dominance would become the number polarizing effect throughout the country. Some powerful members of the Siloviki might even use this as an opportunity to expand their territorial influences -- Idek how that could impact the "core". At any point, some serious changes will need to be implemented across all levels of policy in order to absorb as much damage as possible, without Russia's knees buckling.
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  96. Not really
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  97. And now... Turkey, satisfied w/ concessions, has agreed to not veto Finland's & Sweden's application. It is actually happening now.
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  98.  @Yoshi14832  The Colonizer's mindset: "While it could backfire, it's easier to exploit and reap the benefits when the people you colonize are divided and fighting with each other." (This is how Russia thinks, too.)
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  99. How similar would the collapse of Bosnia & Herzegovina in the 2020s be to the collapse of Yugoslavia in '92?
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  100. crazy world crazy region crazy geopolitics
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  101. LMFAOOOOOOO Yeah, I think that's a safe bet. (IK this is a joke but it serves as a useful metaphor.)
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  102. Hey, Shivran... How did you go from talking about how the PLA would struggle to take Taiwan, even with everything it has... to China somehow taking over multiple islands in the SCS & ECS without neither the US nor its many powerful allies being able to stop them???
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  103.  @WalrusWinking  Yes with the damning of the Indus and Ganges. And between Turkey and Iraq with the damming of the Tigris and Euphrates. The future doesn't look too good for many of the most legendary river civilizations in the world.
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  104. Woah. That bad, huh? Sorry, Queen Anne. Also, I love how fast this video came out -- just 4 days after the last one.
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  105. Unlikely as it may be. Ukraine. Will. Recover. ALL. Of. Its. Territory. Ukraine has never been more enthusiastic about NATO accession. And at this point, Ukraine deserves NATO membership.
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  106. I hope you mean the Afghan people and not the Taliban Government.
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  107. In 2021, the AU members were bystanders, neglecters, & even enablers of the #TigrayGenocide.
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  108.  @campfireeverything  It's funny how Australia got those subs because France was really about to give them old, diesel-powered subs and act like that was a win-win. For the sake of the QUAD, I am glad America stepped in with their own nuclear-powered submarines.
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  109. Russia: Instructions unclear. Ended up getting sanctioned more than anyone else in history.
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  110. Actually, a growing majority of Russians have already turned against Putin's war. But since Russia isn't a democracy, Putin can launch first-strike ballistics with only potential opposition from the absolute top of the military (which he can control).
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  111. That last part you said. "--a direct vote in [the] presidential election." As an American, that has to put up with the electoral college and whose vote is basically symbolic, I am extremely jealous.
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  112. "Wealth is great, but it has no value without the means to secure it. When faced with a choice between guns and money, it is better to arm oneself. Because those who pick wealth over security will soon be left with neither." -- Shirvan; Caspian Report, 2022.
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  113. "Normalized" the budget spending? TF does that mean?
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  114.  @Korbi1710  Spatiopolitics, it is!
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  115. "Because at heart nations are made of stories, not atoms."
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  116.  @joshhardy5646  But it's the only one we're not pursuing. (What type of bs fallacy did you try there.)
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  117. Since the real power of the US Armed Forces stems from its logistical hyperpower-dom, all the decaying & neglected infrastructure is a real threat to the efficiency of American hard power.
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  118.  @FreePalestine07462  Actually, since the United States rose to superpower-dom, the world has known the longest period of relative peace in all of human history. AKA, Pax-Americana or era of "American Peace". So nice try, cupcake.
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  119.  @Red-90  Yeah, China was catching up in second place. But the Chinese Yuan is stagnating and is still very isolated in global trade (USD is still Top Dollar). On top of that, since the US's economy has weathered multiple financial crises, it has a resilient and flexible economy (some might say too flexible). Meanwhile, China is experiencing many hardships in mitigating and driving through economical upheaval -- ie: China's current debt crisis.
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  120.  @Red-90  You are repeating the talking point that is 1 or 2 years old. Since the War in Ukraini began, the Chinese economy has slowly been getting worse and worse. And unlike the US, China can't borrow its way out of a debt crisis.
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  121.  @FranciscoJG  I see.
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  122.  @xsu-is7vq  The CCP's credibility and legitimacy to stay in power depend on reunification. Or at least the CCP not giving up on the rhetoric of reunification.
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  123. 1:20 "Allied" is a very misleading word. It's more of an understanding than any type of an agreement. America is still very much committed to fighting ISIS at all fronts. Although, it is true that the US still controls the skies above Afghanistan which is why it's able to fight ISIS-K (and how the CIA killed Al-Zawahiri of Al-Qaeda using a R9X Hellfire missile a full year after the American withdrawal).
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  124. After all, like in the 1920s, Ukraine's fail-safe is a consolidated, guerilla, resistance movement centered on the nation's western, interior heartland.
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  125. All thanks to the US diplomatic efforts and support. We brokered almost all of Israel's normalization agreements. And no it was not doing great. Domestically, it was the state was/is in political turmoil and tension was at a fever pitch. Abroad, Israel was also experiencing more proxy pressure from Iran and more condemnation from the UN & NGOs.
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  126. Neo-colonialism at its stealthiest. Spain & Italy have similar efforts, but neither is as successful as the French. In fact, France's imperialism in Africa is actually proving more effective than the US's turning efforts towards the continent. Although,... when it comes to neo-colonialization, China is the Kingpin.
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  127. this, like climate change, is a worldwide issue, you damn straw hat.
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  128. He left out the Nakba and Intifadas, too.
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  129.  @ernstwiltmann3918  ..... elaborate, pls?
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  130.  @cliveengel5744  So are you saying that Putin's lies are justified because US lied about WMDs being in Iraq? Comparing Ukraine to Iraq or Serbia is short-sighted. Slava Ukraini! And may the Russian people take back control of their own country from the clutches of Putin.
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  131.  @cliveengel5744  I have come to the conclusion that it is too detrimental to argue w/ someone that can't formulate proper persuasions. Your thesis/claim is weak and paper-thin, and you support it with barely relevant facts -- half of which were embellished. And now you add this contradictory comment which is even more irrelevant and damaging to your claim. I suppose you can keep arguing but I have already won this debate. Goodbye.
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  132. Half of all Palestinians in Palestine live in the Gaza Strip alone.
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  133. When it comes to national security analyses, it's about mitigating any potential weaknesses, regardless of how unlikely. Especially if said threat is fatal to the state. Nukes can go a long way but no one sane would use them. So, being skilled in conventional and unconventional armed warfare makes a nation secure. Russia is lacking in the latter aspect which is why it is behaving paranoid.
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  134. Ah, yes, the forever war.
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  135. "Death To The Dictators" -- From the women of Iran and their allies. #Masah_Amini #Jina_Amini #Nika_Shahkarami
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  136. I know right. Shirvan has taught so many pronunciations in this video and even correct pronunciation that I thought was correct.
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  137. Cool opinion. But they definitely won't do that. It would be like abandoning the bedrock of their foreign policy and how they view themselves. Not to mention that would provoke a military response from Beijing.
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  138.  @dominicjohnson307  Despite the size discrepancy, I agree. Taiwan has the advantage due to sheer geography and the innovative geopolitics + technology of the Taiwanese people.
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  139.  @dominicjohnson307  Don't get me wrong; I agree with you. But I think you could benefit from some nuance.
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  140. Very true. In fact, since the carbon industry has Big Oil, the green industry needs Big Uranium.
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  141. I learn my pronunciation of distant places from Shivran; his progression translates into my progression.
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  142. So long as the fleet can protect themselves, there is nothing more of a show of force than a fleet of Supercarriers (ditto if it's Hypercarriers).
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  143.  @TheBlobik  There is no greater show of hard power in our times than sending a well-protected fleet of Supercarriers. Second place is "DEFCON 2".
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  144. Actually, 4 Star General Michael Minihan is the commander of the USAF's Air Mobility Command. The reason his voice is important is because the US Military's greatest strength is its war logistics. (You should do some light research before you talk.) But while he is a very credible voice, I still throw a lot of salt on his advice because I don't think he was being as objective as he should have been.
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  145.  @alexy6093  Especially American Wars.
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  146.  @unlisted9494  I trust the General's vague words over your shoddy prediction.
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  147.  @caesarsalad1170 Just because you have a bigger number does not mean you coordinate your logistics the best. The Nazi's odious apparatus was soo effective because of its logistical might. And when the allies cut off Nazi logistical control over the supply of oil, the war quickly started to turn in favor of the Allies. One to two years later: the D-Day landings. (Which in itself was a huge logistical mission in itself.)
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  148. interesting
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  149. CANZUK huh? Good luck.
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  150. Hence, the Chip Wars.
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  151. Wow. So in the effort to reduce unrenewable resources, we ended up needing to use them more. Who said a solution to climate change would be easy?
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  152. Yes. And the First Island Chain doctrine's importance to USN Pacific strategy. And the new and strong democracy on the island nation. And countering a "superpower". Plus more. But, yes, it is mainly about semiconductors.
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  153. China would have started WW3 without even making it past Vietnam.
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  154.  @aholegames4207  Modern Red China is NOT Imperial Japan. Plus Japan had to commit horrible atrocities to conquer and maintain control. China pretends like they are righteous ones in all of this, while Imperial Japan basically said: "might make right".
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  155.  @rizkyadiyanto7922  Or more likely, he is overinflated Chinese hard power.
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  156.  @starwarsgames5467  While Shivran didn't say that. Either way, he isn't being objective which is a far cry from his regular videoes.
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  157. Sure. But don't undervalue the American Empire -- from Puerto Rico to Guam. A lot more ethical than the modern French Empire, but America committed multiple atrocities and fought many wars to get these lands and keep them.
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  158. Same old story. Engulfing Europe with Russification. But, uniquely, by historical standards, these coerced referendums are the weakest reach the Kremlin has managed to project. Truly gone, are the days when Moscow could control half of a continent (+plus half the well); especially gone are the days when Tsar Alexander punched all the way through until Paris. And, in the hopes of resurrecting the Spirit of Helsinki, may these annexations, too, fail.
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  159. Yeah. Modern fiction chooses to highlight a ballistic elimination of (a) US battleship(s) or fighter(s) being the start of a US-Sino War. But the truth is targeting a sophisticated needle in an oceanic haystack is nothing short of a clusterfuck of hail marys. Ships & aircraft on fixed installations would have a greater probability of receiving more damage than those that are out and about.
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  160. How is mailing drones to ETH| Fascist PM Abiy, which is used by the ENDF to ethnically cleanse civilians (on holidays) in the Tigray Regional State, a part of Turkey's defense interests?
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  161.  @martinfiedler4317  He fought the Ming on several bloody occasions, too.
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  162. Straight propaganda and misinformation. 1. The Arab Nations might have had ulterior motives but they were the only allies that Palestinians could count on. A stark reality that the Jewish & British colonials forced upon them. 2. Israel provoked the 1948 war by committing the Nakba/the Palestinian Holocaust. Palestinians were betrayed and ethnically cleansed by Jewish neighbors. Arabs only invaded to stop the Nakba and saw Israel as more European colonization. 3. Egypt didn't take Gaza back because it wanted Gaza to belong to Palestine. Egypt was in no shape to annex new lands. 4. Jordan lost the West Bank before the war. The Jordanian-PLO war is always used by Israel to defame Palestinians everywhere. But they never mention that the Palestinians fled to Jordan and were radicalized *because of the colonization of Israel*. If you can someone's family and steal their home and make them homeless, of course, you would expect that person to be radicalized.
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  163. And the descriptive visuals are amazing and add to the explanation.
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  164. A distracted people are an easier people to control.
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  165. I think any time the Six-Day War of 1967 gets brought up, Eli Cohen must also be talked about. He's the real hero of the war. If it wasn't for the treasure trove of intelligence he had acquired as a Mossad spy, Israel would not have been as successful. And, Cohen was executed in Syria 2 years before the war even began.
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  166. Once again, props to Shirvan and the entire @CaspianReport community.
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  167. With the failed armed rebellion and Prigozhin's exile to Belarus, perhaps this means that all of Wagner's criminal network will soon be in the direct hands of Putin, himself. On one side, the domestic civil war is really hurting his grip on power. Yet, on the other, now that Prigozhin is dealt with, if Wagner can actually be folded in, Putin might have won something from this mess, after all.
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  168. I am glad you made this video when you did. Taiwan's importance keeps skyrocketing on the global stage. President Biden is leading the US into a Semiconductor "War" (which US is winning) that is ultimately crippling Beijing's technological rise and stopping the PROC from truly being a superpower. Meanwhile, Xi Jingpin has been consolidating more and more power leading up to the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party and his third term, as he has doubled down on reunification. Even Japan, Australia, and India (the other 3 members of the QUAD) have been trying to quickly get their affairs in order and prioritizing their efforts to counter Chinese power moves. It is fair to say that things are heating up in the Pacific "Theatre".
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  169.  @loks117  I wonder why people keep saying the term "copium". It must be MAGA's new catchphrase. SMH.🙄
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  170. Even if some EU members of NATO see that they have too much to lose, there is still Canada & the UK (two of the most powerful militaries in NATO).
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  171. I feel that😭
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  172. Especially if they manage to climb the ranks and gain substantial influence in the Russian Army. But that's a problem that will materialize over years.
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  173. For real! It really amps up the dread.
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  174. Especially when those ordinary people are mainly young schoolgirls who have the least amount of political power.
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  175. How did nobody notice that China was casually anting up the ballistics arms race while the West & Russia were disarming!? (6:20) I mean the scale in Beijing's reach gradually spread across the Pacific throughout the past 3 decades -- all of which, were undetected. Of course, the PLA Navy would still need to prove its transition from brown-water to blue-water navy status. Otherwise, while wiping out most of US Pacific Fleet, the elimination of targets that far from the mainland would be meaningless unless Beijing can capitalize on it. Because if it doesn't, the CCP will face a grieving, vengeful America that's reeling from the Navy's single greatest loss of life in a day -- and don't even get me started on Taiwan, S Korea, Japan, & Guam.
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  176. Correct. There is a difference between the impossible and the implausible.
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  177. Similar to the Mujahadeen in '89.
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  178.  @chillxxx241  Oh trust me. TSMC got capital. And strategically speaking, it might be more important for Taiwan than Samsung is for S Korea.
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  179. "I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the shield that guards the realms of men."
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  180. An Idea for future Pentagon: Navy 'SEALS' should mean "by SEa, Air, Land, & Space". (SeALs -> SeALS) PS: I have no how a maritime force is supposed to project power in space, but I'm sure the DoD will figure that out.
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  181. Doing nothing should not be done by the West due to the disastrous effects of appeasement. However, a no-fly zone, although necessary, imposed by NATO would likely trigger an even larger-scale war with nukes. Russia forced Ukraine & the West in between solid rock and a very hard place. Either, appease and be successfully bullied by a declining Russia. Or do something effective and risk locking radioactive horns with a desperate Russia.
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  182. I keep thinking to myself: What if Putin sought a diplomatic resolution without giving the West unreasonably ultimatums. What if, the NATO's unity was strong and didn't need a European war to come together. What if, Moscow actually invaded in a more orderly manner that doesn't lead to war crimes and civilian deaths. What if, Putin just backed down when he realized the "Special Military Operation" was doomed. What if. What if. What if.
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  183.  @Morphosisone  They didn't say that. They simply observed that the current geopolitical calculus of Eastern Europe is radically different compared to before Russia's Invasion.
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  184.  @tanura5830  The entire world knows that this isn't about Zelensky wanting to keep power or NATO provoking Russia. The truth is: 1) President Zelenskyy was voted in by the Ukrainian people and he can get voted out because Ukraine is a democracy. Lets not forget to mention he only just got elected in 2019 -- vs Putin who has held power for more than 20 years. 2)NATO was fragmented and disorganized before 2022, and it was hard to get a unanimous motion for any joint initiatives (much less for sanctions). It only united stronger than before because of the threat of Russian belligerence. 3) Even if it came to war, so many people ESPECIALLY civilians should not have died. The UN Charter's and international conventions' Rules of War are very clear. Yet because the Russian War Machine's conventional capabilities are ineffective, Putin instead chose to take it out on Ukrainian civilians. In history class, if you heard of such a war, your opinion would obviously be less biased.
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  185.  @freezedeve3119  ... It wasn't rocket science. If Europe kept buying Russian gas. Russia can control western economies and politics. It is simply about being able to make your own foreign policy without being held hostage because of fuel. Plus most European nations are nations that have signed the Paris Climate Change Accords.
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  186.  @freezedeve3119  Nice try... 1) US doesn't have the means or enough intent to export its surplus resources to Europe. And if they did, they would already above the necessary logistic over to Europe. 2) Unlike Russia, US exports liquified natural gas. 95% of European NATO members nations that are addicted to natural gas do not have the needed infrastructure to store and transform the liquid stage. 3) Russia is still in control of the supply of Europe energy resources. When Russia invaded Ukraine, it was Europeans that were getting hurt by sanctioning their #1 seller. Even Germany, who depends on Russia for 35% of all their energy. But they did it anyway. Not because of the US but because they wanted to stand up to Russia's belligerent actions. (Kinda noble and honorable in a way...)
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  187.  @padredemishijos12  I have no idea what you are trying to say, but either way I am going to assume that it is bs. KK.
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  188.  @larrysherk  LOL in a conversation between Russia and the West, you wanna blame NATO for corruption? Have you seen the Kremlin? Or Lukashenko's regime for the matter?
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  189. The poem about The Red Summer fits all too well.
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  190. Russian Military Doctrine 101
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  191. Actually, that is false, the "Soviets" chose neither security nor wealth. Communistic rule was forced onto them when Lenin gave up on democratic socialism and Stalin chose violence + oppression.
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  192.  @crrtpf  ? In what world? The Soviet states & republics needed security from Moscow, itself. Just as the ex-soviet states of Eastern Europe need security now.
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  193.  @crrtpf  It's relevant because I think it didn't. The Kremlin prioritized both wealth (stolen from small businessmen/farmers -- see Holodomor) and security (buffer areas that connect with natural barriers).
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  194. I think that, for the sake of stability and security, nations and/or leaders must be held accountable for their actions. BUT, I also KNOW that a collapse of the Russian Federation would be the 21st Century's worst possible chaos factor that can be unleashed upon the world. For centuries -- or more importantly, decades -- a powerful Russian state has always served as an underlying pin on geopolitics in Eastern Europe, especially in the Great European Plains. When the Russian Empire was falling, the new USSR and newly independent states transformed the calculus of Europe -- setting the board for the Eastern Theatre during WW2. Thankfully, when the USSR collapsed, NATO was able to, diplomatically & democratically, fill in the power vacuum so as not to create a new foe -- all be it, Ukrainian-Russo War being a ramification. If Russia fell in the 21st century, NATO would not be enough... Russia would be carved into by an international pack of hyenas and a domestic pack of wolves. And this isn't just a European issue. Russia is a giant behemoth that stretches +9,000 KM from Europe to the northern edges of the Pacific. This means any collapse would have colossal ramifications throughout the "world island". Regions that would be directly affected, include: The Baltics, the Arctic, the Black Sea, the Caucasus, Western Axia, Central Asia, Northeast Asia, & the Pacific + beyond. In short, the world would crumble and the fabric of global trade and geopolitics would become tattered -- and that's w/o bring nukes to the equation.
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  195. Yup. If anything, it would go up in response. An naval arms race would ensue, and the US would have the advantage.
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  196.  @nicodangond5822  as an American I'm glad that alliance is only a fantasy
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  197. Your suggestion would lead to World War 3 or at least conflict in the Pacific. Also China is NOT really a superpower. And the US is a hop, a skip, & a jump away from becoming a hyperpower.
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  198. LMFAOOO Lose Lose
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  199.  @divinewind6313  True. The Congo is also a major hotspot for Wagner.
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  200. He claims that all of its neighbors want to destroy Israel (which hasn't been true for 50 years) but never brought up the Nakba.
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  201. Politicians need to think as Chinese car manufactures -- plan 100 yrs in advance like chess-- instead of American car manufactures -- think 5 yrs ahead like checkers.
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  202. With Saudi Arabia's slow and painful fall from hegemony, the middle east became under the domain of Iran and Israel. While Saudi fights to maintain control of its peninsula, Iran's military is able to control the "Jugular of the World" and projects might by sharing its military arsenal or funding/aiding terrorist + secular groups. On the other side of the region is Israel which holds unparallel political sway globally and the country's cutting edge tech allows it to dominate conventional warfare with force and innovation. But as the bi-polarized region establishes its two main players --- Turkey projects its power through out the whole Near East & beyond with might, politics, and weapons deals.
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  203. Tukery is projecting power as if a gunshot that is "heard around (the world)" the center of Asia, Africa, & Europe.
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  204. "GDP contracted by 1/3, riots erupted, and Buenos Aires switched presidents FOUR TIMES in THREE WEEKS". That is insane!!
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  205. I was actually wanting an updated war-game between China and the US, so I was initially very welcoming of this video. Until I realized it lacked objectivity, which is very strange for a Caspian Report.
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  206. LMFAO calling France the world's central superpower (like the modern US) is hilarious. When was this? Napoleon's era, when he couldn't even make it across the English Channel? French colonization era, when France lived under Pax-Britannica. Even in Charlomange's era, the actual peak of France's military power, the Franks were still not superior to the Byzantine Empire. France wasn't even the most powerful state in Europe until briefly due to Napoleon's military mind.
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  207. Yeah. I'd rather listen to European and Asian news media talk about American Politics. They're often more accurate than our local news.
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  208. "And while the Russians gather their numbers and assemble their tanks & missiles, they're about to find out why America has no universal healthcare." LMFAOOOO This might be my favorite line from Shivran.
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  209. Because voters are dumb/misinformed and politicians want to get reelected.
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  210. And be thought wars over oil were bad
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  211.  Troll King  SMH I know but it should. Because it will in a decade or two.
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  212. Ah. Masterwork. Stakeholder capitalism at its finest.
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  213. What do call the Industrial Revolution? Or the development of advanced semiconductors? These were undoubtedly game-changers that changed everything. The same applies to potential room-temperature superconductors.
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  214. LMFAO
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  215. You're reading too much into it. That was never the subtext of this video.
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  216. Do you not know how sponsorships work? Regardless of a subscription service or stocks, it's a sales pitch to help the creator and the company.
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  217. Maybe your tiny mind forgot the water of the river Nile also falls on Sudan and Egypt. Bigot.
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  218. "As a result, governments in the Middle East are detached from the societies they represent." This sentence perfectly incapacitates the reality of Middle Eastern geopolitics.
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  219. I really don't like how Shivran made it sound like the PLA could make the Taiwanese Armed Forces roll over with relative ease.
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  220. This is exactly the nonsensical bs Russia used to justify its war in and subsequent invasion of Ukraine. The only difference is China has learned this excuse doesn't hold any water (I hope Xi doesn't prove me wrong). The truth is Beijing's and Moscow's tensions with the "West" are due to the fact that they want to expand their power and spheres of influence and Washington won't allow them.
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  221.  @ARW.7  Well, okay. But your semantics are very misleading.
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  222.  @doujinflip  China is NOT a better economic partner than the US. Smaller, poorer nations chose to work with China over the US because China has fewer regulations and rules for trade than American investments. But the real big-brain option is to work with both like Brazil.
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  223.  @doujinflip  And btw everything you said about the US towards the end is exactly what China does in the South China Sea. So kinda hypocritical.
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  224. In fact, in the few videos Caspian has made, the news given has always been honest, factual, & historically driven.
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  225.  @MrDanisve  FUNDING REBELS?? Which liberation fronts are you talking about exactly?
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  226.  @ethiomt8804  The fascist forces of Abiy have only recently turned the tide. But you know what they say about war, the tide can change with a ripple. If Abiy wants to drag this war out, fine. But as long as more innocent civilians are dying, the fight for survival and freedom won't end until Abiy & Isayas are sent to the ICC.
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  227.  @ethiomt8804  Also TPLF is the governing body of Tigray made up of politicians. The defense force is called TDF and its military commanders are active and alive. And even if one of them dies, the cause never dies.
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  228.  @chrisviaegnatia4347  SIKE. This was on the side of impartiality and cold hard facts.
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  229.  @chrisviaegnatia4347  Ooooo. Nice burn. I need ointment. You sound like a child in primary school.
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  230. So true.
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  231. Subarashi
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  232. Putin might be desperate enough to escalate further by deploying low-yield tactical nukes to end the Ukrainian War quickly and messily. Then he would set his sights up north. Obviously, the reality would be much more different and volatile, but frantic strong often abandon foresight.
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  233.  @usmcmma  True that the US is spread too thin in order to protect NATO. But: 1) powerful, historical NATO members have failed to meet budget requirements. Why should strategic nations that want to join be singled out? Especially since Sweden & Finland are closer to 2% defense spending than most of NATO. 2) Pax Americana is very much more vulnerable without the support and existence of NATO. Even if the US has to keep lifting their wait, it is all worth it.
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  234. Funny enough fission nuclear energy is one of the safest and environmentally conscious, non-renewable sources of energy. But people fear it more than coal and gasoline.
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  235. If anything Bakhmut is the smallest battle so far. Y'all keep overstating the significance of the small town that has been reduced to rubble. The Fall of Mariupol was a thousand times more devasting for Ukraini. Also, most important, RUSSIAN VICTORY???? B*TCH, WHERE? If you count this as a Wagner victory, then Russia is in bigger trouble than I thought.
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  236. Hey, Shivran... Alexei Navalny wants to have a few words with you. LMAO. But in all seriousness, yes, unfortunately, this is a fact that I had to come to terms with myself. The only thing that I want to add is: Russia becoming a democracy is NOT impossible, it's just, as the current structure stands, it is not plausible.
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  237. Northwestern Africa has and still is diplomatically volatile.
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  238. Oh yeah, the new Space Race is maney. China & India look like they're aiming to dominate low Earth Orbit. NASA, JAXA, ESA & private corporations look like they're aiming to dominate Trans-Lunar Injections and Lunar exploration. ....Meanwhile, RosComos is grinding to a halt.
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  239.  @hughmungus2760  You are sorely mistaken. OVERSIMPLIFICATION: Deep Space (Moon & beyond) is where the West is focused on. China focuses on autonomous satellite support/sabotage and their space station. And everyone else is playing catch up by launching satellites. Meanwhile, Russia is... causing the deterioration of the ISS by failing to keep up logistical support.
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  240.  @PARABOLA1966  I think that was like the first space station. The daddy of the ISS & the granddaddy of the CISS.
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  241. Consensus has already been lost due to the inaction of Berlin and the lack of solidarity from Paris. These are crucial weaknesses that Russia will no doubt exploit.
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  242. True.
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  243. LOL yes
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  244. I agree
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  245. Jumping out of a plane to lead by example but forgot to prepare a parachute.
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  246. I notice this channel has several videos on Syria. Yet, it would be great if you uploaded a 'Geopolitics of Syria' video.
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  247. Voting at gunpoint; weaponized elections; democratic farce; voter hostage crisis; I could go on... :)
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  248. France is the only remaining European Empire. "Russia's wet dream" if you would.
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  249. Well, that was a more stylized intro than what Caspian Report usually dabbles with, and I am here for it.
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  250. I wish you could have made a video on the Tigray Genocide when it was happening, too. Well, it's still not tooq late to make one...
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  251. I like Macron and France for that matter. However, I t take two big issues to most French presidents' plans for hegemony. First, and most important, Russia can never be trusted NOT to play great-power, autocratic politics that bulldoze the ideals of the Free World -- "Russian backwardness" or "Eurasianism" is the antithesis of liberal democracies. Second, and what I care about the most about, French hegemony is always centered around France being the top dog of any world order it is a part of -- even if they already hold a powerful role in "Pax-Americana". The reason this bothers me so much is that this is inherently similar to the 'strong-man always right' of Eurasianism AND many French seem too quick to forget that WW2 was won by countries across the world -- not just parts of Europe.
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  252. i'm in love with this comment's energy
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  253.  @CaspianReport  Politicians and citizens fear it more than COVID-19.
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  254.  @junyuanma4243  Might I remind you that USSR was in bed with the Nazis. They let all of Eastern Europe fall. The Red Army only did anything when Hitler betray Stallin. All you are proving to the world is that you don't know a damn thing. Not one single damn thing. You make every casualty of war role in their grave because of your stupidity. If you wanna fight a war by yourself, good riddance! But keep your isolationist propaganda to yourself. Try visiting a grave and give your thanks instead of your complaints.
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  255.  @richardpluim4426  Undeniable.
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  256.  @stuffenjoyer2223  very funny? try again.
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  257.  @苏勋宗-j2c  ? If you're going to hate, at least be comprehendible and not random.
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  258. Russia has no vulnerabilities🤣 What fing planet are you on? The Russian AF are struggling in Ukraine, barely defended Belgorod from insurrectionists, and couldn't even protect the heartland from Prigozhin's rebellion. With the Baltics, Finland & Sweden in NATO, and Ukraine remaining strong, this is the weakest Russia has ever been in decades.
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  259. It is sad how people still deny climate change as the effects of it ravage property and kill lives. It is even sadder that, amidst this human misery, most nations still refuse to address their emissions and/or refuse to admit climate refugees who are already suffering the immediate consequences. Wealthy nations blame their history, whilst developing nations blame their circumstance. Yet, these are argument mother nature does not care to hear.
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  260. Ben was always a wise guy. No wonder he is on the 100-dollar bill. (Wait, I accidentally contradicted our point. Oops, my bad.)
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  261.  @michaelashley2855  It was a great quote. Chill and let it marinate with us CaspianReport fans.
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  262.  @shotguner4258  Haters gon hate.
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  263. The very first day of the war would lead to the largest single-day loss of life for both Navies (Dwarving even Normandy). After that, nukes would most definitely be on the table.
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  264. Honestly, I appreciate the transparency with the video and the sponsor.
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  265. This was a great video. Thank you Shirvan. And excellent prose as always.
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  266. LMFAO. -- General Sheperd, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (I still remember playing this game on the Xbox 360. It was my first and favorite COD. And it's still F Makarov!)
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  267. I wanna say one thing: despite the 'Domino Theory' being debunked, the domino effect was/is/will continue to be very much real.
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  268.  @jak00bspyr72  The chicken and the egg.
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  269. King Leopold's "Free" Congo still remains to be the sickest chapter of history. (Btw, a conservative estimate: +10million died at the hands of Leopold.)
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  270.  @tobia5267  Facts.
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  271. Unnaturally, people living in Ethiopia that aren't brainwashed by nationalism wish that Egypt or Sudan would hurry up and just blow up the whole dam. The whole country of Ethiopia is collapsing into ethnic marginalization and polarization, with the national army weakened to the point where it can only fight in one front at a time -- aka: rip pickings for foreign intervention. Moreover, ever since the 2018 government takeover, the people who were originally turning the dam into fruition are now opposing the dam, the govt, and the ethics of the failing nation.
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  272. Backdoor union? IDK how to feel about that. I'll admit, it would be great for Kosovo, especially because the Albanians don't threaten their existence. Also, independence would lead to isolation but integrating into Albania would give Kosovo access to an already internationally recognized platform. On other hand, my fear is that this deal would not be a sweet one, but one of reluctance. Living under one oppressive central government would make any minority uneasy and untrusting of many central/federal governments. Lastly, it will be interesting to observe the international community's reaction to this unusual solution.
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  273. Empress Cixi was either bold and courageous or naive and fool-hearted.
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  274. Can we call her war the 9 Nation War against Qing?
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  275. Facts
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  276. Strategic policy-making.
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  277. Woah. Due to human activity, it is possible to see maritime borders from space! (6:48)
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  278. Yeah. This video conveniently leaves out a lot of points.
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  279.  @fabianmok2206  The Chinese have the same demographic and debt problems as Japan. And it's sad that you didn't mention the real military heavyweight of Asia, Taiwan. Neither did you mention the naval power of the Philipines, nor the insurgency mastery of the Vietnamese.
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  280.  @widodoakrom3938  Easily the US. Or the US would also squeeze their imports dry.
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  281.  @文雯-o6o  Go ahead and do that. Your ignorant ass will find even more dead Chinese soldiers that the Japanese won't apologize for. So STFU because I don't want to see ANY dead soldiers over your delusion rhetoric.
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  282.  @nunyabiznes33  Your imagination is stuck in the 19th century.
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  283. Yes. They agreed to this relationship to strengthen their neutrality leverage.
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  284. I do believe that Washington needs to reinstate the Monroe Doctrine, but it most likely would happen next decade. After all, in the 2020s, the near-hyperpower has contended with war in Europe, a sincere pivot to Asia, and peacemaking in Africa (specifically, stabilizing the Horn of Africa). But, nevertheless, in the 2030s, Washington must abandon its neglectful behavior and reprioritize Latin America in an ethical manner (this is unheard of, I know). Staying with ethics, the reason China's power projection should be handled is because of Beijing also follows the exploitative theme that has haunted the Americas. Swapping one form of "colonization" for another is redundantly costly, despite the massive economic benefits seen with partnering with PROC. Therefore, the United States needs to make a return to the continent with a brand new playbook of "empowerment > exploitation".
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  285. If this allegedly CIA war game is credible, Russia designed a brilliant, crippling path to a political and militaristic victory. At Ukraine's current place, I do not see any feasible or definitive way out other than avoiding war altogether. For the International Community -especially in European Union or NATO - will it be an appeasement policy, more sanctions, or a military response/intervention?
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  286. You never know. Ethiopia is generally unstable enough for tides to turn unpredictably and quickly.
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  287. Facts. And Amen.
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  288. That is so true. Plus the CCP is even less willing to upset the masses by mobilizing than even the Kremlin.
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  289.  @chilipepper9938  Yes. And this is dynamic is even worse in China, which is also way worse because it has to be factored in to account the over 1 billion citizens.
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  290.  @powasjington4262  Doubley true. US Armed Forces' enlistment rates are waning signifcatly.
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  291.  @panzerofthelake506  True. Now if only "socially-conservative" Americans treated immigrants like human beings.
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  292. Unfortunately, YouTube did NOT notify me of this video.
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  293. That would cause the PLA to immediately invade Taiwan and hurl rockets at US military bases in the Far East. This comment, if fulfilled, would cause millions of dead soldiers and civillians. There is a reason Strategic Ambiguity is essential to US foreign policy.
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  294.  @FumetsuGolf  Dude.... So, the Taiwanese people be damned!? Chill. Your stance is more hawkish than the Washington geopolitics hawk. We're trying to prevent a world war by playing the long game, not trying to stoke it.
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  295.  @FumetsuGolf  The Taiwanese value the current status quo more than the PROC or the USA. So unless you're Taiwanese, chill.
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  296.  @FumetsuGolf  LOL Which polls? Where? Taiwanese polls asked the people of the ROC, conducted by the state and independent sources, directly contradict this statement.
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  297. I wonder how the Reserve Bank of India's current "Vostro accounts" strategy to undermine the SWIFT Banking system and the US Dollar affects India's crucial place in President Biden's Indo-Pacific trade block. Is it a monkey wrench thrown into the plans or is it more of a bump/pot hole in the road?
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  298.  @sooknandannishan  Actually, no. While Pres. Biden's trading block is flexible, India is basically threatening the power of the dollar by making its own system for unsavory partners. This plan was announced 2 months after Biden's Indo-Pacific plan, so it seems like a counter. While India still values its economic relationship with the US, this strategy of their pushes it to the very edge of how flexible the block can be. This is troublesome because it is supposed to be one of the rocks of Biden's pivot to Asia. Also, it needlessly strains Indo-American relations.
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  299. People in the comments are talking like the US's aid to Kyiv is worth more than all other nations combined (GDP % aside). If Washington loses interest, then there would be no superpower putting consistent pressure on NATO members nor will most member states bother helping Ukraine by themselves. This doesn't just go for NATO, but for the EU, close allies, & private companies, too.
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  300. Caspian Report is a dose of hard truth about geopolitics. And for some reason, I respect that.
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  301. I agree. One can always count on Shirvan and the team at CaspianReport for stellar analyses. . . Wait a second. Ground News, is that you!!??
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  302. That act of filling is what is going to cause the war. No matter. The damn will fall into Gumuz Liberation Front's hand post-naked emperors fall. Let's see if Egypt gets desperate enough for war before then. Don't forget Sudan too -- the country Eth| is already in an active border war with.
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  303. For this war to reach an end, Finnfinnee (Addis Abeba) has to fall and Abiy needs to be ousted. But I fear taking & maintaining Addis will lead to a bloodbath of mass proportions. Depending on how bad it gets, US's African Command's East African control, stationed in Djibouti, would have to deploy in order to deescalate or at least evacuate.
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  304. As Russians have a watch. The Ukrainians have time.
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  305. A positive feedback loop that may lead to a Russia triggering WW3
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  306. Plus, Australia and India. Also, Taiwan has BEEN ready for war with China.
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  307. ikr Shivran is a poet
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  308. Tigray has beaten the drums of revolution and/or insurgence a vast amount of times throughout the centuries, ever since Axum fell. From Negus Yohannes and Ras Alula Aba Nega to T.P.L.F. under Meles and, now, T.D.F. under Debretsion.
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  309. Honestly, it doesn't matter if it is still a Special Military Operation anymore, so anything goes as long as it's not called a war. Or at least that is what the Kremlin's rhetoric is implying. A classic bid for brinksmanship and with their nuclear umbrella trying to be "extended through annexation", it is baiting an escalation on its own terms.
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  310. After 80 years, Berlin is properly remilitarizing. It's funny how, this time around, it was Russia that brought a great war to Europe.
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  311. Stalin did everything wrong.
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  312. Actually, all capable armies do. It's basic logistical arithmetics.
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  313. So China can't abandon communism and be prosperous because it needs to be and remain stable in the long term first. And china's solution for stability is communism.
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  314.  @barrylane4164  I doubt that you even understood the quote
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  315.  @puskamuha9000  "Call" here is used to represent a geopolitical mindset. No one is actually calling for "Ukrainization" but for Finland to change it political mindset because post invasion of Ukraine changes the calculus of Eastern Europe's relationship with Moscow.
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  316.  @YorkerEli  Well. Bear in mind, Russia actually has a long history of subjugating Finland. After WW2, Russia only didn't invade Finland because of Finland being forced to sign a mandatory neutrality treaty. And in exchange Moscow would respect its neighbor's sovereignty. For 70 years, this worked. But now an unprovoked Putin invaded and violated the sovereignty of a bordering, democratic nation under false pretense. Of course, Finland would see Russia's belligerence as a threat to its national security and seek increased protection.
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  317.  @THEROOT1111  smh very worrying
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  318. ​ @Luiko0406  This is what happens when former spy takes control/plunders of the economy and turns the Federation of Russia into a dictatorship w/ a massive exodus problem.
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  319.  @TMM-N  Straight from the mouth of the Kremlin.
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  320.  @syeducchash2301  Ukrainization = a country defending their people, rights, and land as opposed to just rolling over for a power hungry war criminal like Putin.
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  321.  @puskamuha9000  "Ukrainization" is the political equivalent of slang. It means for a nation that used to be in the Soviet sphere of influence (ie: Finland) to become more democratic and/or westernized. It can mean seeking closer ties to EU / NATO in Ukraine's case or applying to join NATO in Finland's case.
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  322.  @rdelrosso2001  lol it's a real brain teaser
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  323.  @ernstwiltmann3918  Sigh 1) Putin lied to his people and launched a full-scale war in Ukraine (a brother nation) while claiming it to be a "Special Military Operations". 2) Putin claimed his goal is to denazify Ukraine, even though radical, far-right elements have mainly been dealt w/ after the annexation of Crimea. Plus, Pres. Zelenskyy is a Jewish family that directly suffered from the Holocaust. 3) When Putin realizes that this war will bog down the Russian War Machine, he decides to purposefully target Ukrainian civilians (close brothers of the Russian people) with indiscriminate artillery -- especially in Mauripol and the east. Now please explain to me, how any of this was Ukraine's fault? There is no way Russia is "justified" in this war.
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  324.  @cliveengel5744  Sure. Blame the country that is helping Ukraine's resistance for freedom and not the country that invaded Ukraine. The country that is butchering Ukrainian civilians and starving the world w/ a military blockade on trade. Stop supporting fascists. Support Freedom. Slava Ukraini.
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  325.  @goira  ? I have no idea what you are talking about.
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  326. LMFAO "Now, it seems, he will have to dig two graves."
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  327. The Poseidon is a nasty piece of nuclear warfare.
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  328. The first evolution into Space Warfare will start with Low-Earth Oribit. But what about Deep Space? I know the Space Force under the Trump Administration were aiming to "put boots on the moon" or something(classical American ambiguity). But what are their objectives under Biden Administration when it comes to Deep Space aspirations? It seems that those sort of endevours are being held up by the budding commercial space industry and the established agencies (ie: NASA, ESA, CSA, JAXA,...) But imagine this (w/ a dash of hope)... it is later along the line of the 21st Century's Space Race; a POTUS has won w/ promises of "securing" the moon (orsomething); cold war vibes lead public to be invested; NASA is well funded; Congress seem to be surprisingly consistent... What would The Unites States' Armed Forces' objective be when it comes to the topic of Deep Space -- particularly, the moon (potentially with a "Guardian's" boots put on it).
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  329. This would have been a great video if not for how much Shivran is excusing Israeli occupation as necessary. Firstly, the State of Israel has so many enemies because of how it treats Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians (so it's). Secondly, Israel didn't and still isn't colonizing Palestine for national security, but because of ethno-religious nationalism. Thirdly, Zionists believe that the lands of Ancient Israel belong only to Jewish people and Israeli citizens; and Zionism and the Balfour Declaration were what started this 100-year conflict in the first place. Thanks for the excuses, Shivran.
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  330. Thanks for the information
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  331. You forgot about South Korea, Guam, Taiwan itself, the Philipines and mainland Japan itself.
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  332. He didn't save it is better to be feared than loved. He said "conventional wisdom" states as much. And most countries are married to conventional wisdom, exposing themselves to a lack of finesse.
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  333.  @abadyr_  That's why terror is so dangerously contagious. Yet, love is slow stacked base that leads to a solid foundation.
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  334.  @TheRealHungryHobo  Exactly. If Turkey doesn't turn on the genuine diplomacy faucet, it will be just digging its own grave. Forgive the mixed metaphor.
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  335.  @IHATEMOCHA  Who has ever benefited from the endorsement of isolationism and anti-internationalism?
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  336.  @IHATEMOCHA  The USSR was riddled with economic stagnation, oppression & corruption -- from Stalin to Brezhnev. That is not the best example to follow. Also, Turkey, too, is experiencing stagnation, rampant inflation, & corruption -- let's not even get into minority oppression.
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  337.  @IHATEMOCHA  Love how you brought about the Kurdish ethnicity. It may or may not affect you directly, but discrimination and oppression affect tens of millions of Kurdish ppl across the middle east. Ankara is invading Syria to weaken ethnic Kurds and is waging a brutal war of attrition against major domestic Kurdish groups. And, you know what? Yes the US has a long and brutal history of racism and oppression. BUT at least America recognizes it and attempts to address it decade after decade -- unlike modern Turkey or Turk-ruled Ottoman Empire.
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  338.  @IHATEMOCHA  It's hilariously tragic that you think 1) that borders in the Middle East are definite and dividing; 2) that your ethnic people outside your borders are less than you are; 3) that you're again including all Kurds outside Turkey as "rebels". This mentality of yours is akin to black people who believe in the ideas of "black-on-black crimes" or that "racism is history". The writing on the wall that you fail to read is the fact that the Kurdish people, in general, are oppressed regardless of lines on a map(which were drawn by Europeans btw).
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  339.  @IHATEMOCHA  Also, one people's problems aren't just their problems alone. You would do well to digest that, especially in this international, globalized world we live in.
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  340.  @IHATEMOCHA  So I hit you with facts, empathy, and rational persuasion. And you react by claiming Turkey's historical NATO allies are threats, implying "other" Kurds are irrelevant, & slandering 'most' Black Americans. Also, something you may not know is that Turkey, since Ataturk, has been a secular nation w/ separation of "church" & state -- that is, until Erdogan. And, the US has always been Turkey's most strategic ally during the Cold War & American Islamophobia doesn't rly target Turkic Muslims, so you sound like a hypocrite.
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  341. Damn, Mexico didn't have to flex that hard.
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