sycasey said:
I admit, even I didn't think the Putin appeasers would be proven wrong THIS quickly.
Me either!
I'll take my lumps & eat some well-deserved crow; I didn't think that Putin would be stupid enough to go on his rant about restoring the old USSR. In proving his NeoCon critics correct, he's crossed a dangerous line.
It remains to be seen if he'll attack a NATO Member country. I doubt that he will, as that would invite a direct U.S. military response. Personally, I don't think he's likely to take that step.
If he does, then this might be the first phase of
The Great Realignment. Then
China will soon be annexing Taiwan, and U.S. defense pacts with many nations will be put to the test. China would be Putin's partner in a massive realignment of the world economy, with the U.S. defaulting on its Treasuries held by China, the end of the USD as the world's reserve currency, and the collapse of the U.S. import-based economy.
All existing relationships between U.S. corporations and China will need to be reconsidered, since the U.S. is almost completely dependent on China and its neighbors for manufactured goods. The U.S. economy remains extremely vulnerable, and China is holding all the cards. The political alignment of Japan, S. Korea, Philippines, and all of Southeast Asia are at stake. Current U.S. satellites will be faced with a choice of alignment with the U.S. military empire, or China's Belt & Roads.
Even with all the Covid-related supply disruptions, U.S. corporations have done little to invest in U.S. domestic manufacturing. That will be disastrous for the U.S. --
IF this keeps going on its current course.