Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Aardwolf on February 02, 2008, 11:28:15 am

Title: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: Aardwolf on February 02, 2008, 11:28:15 am: Recently, Russia opposed a U.S. plan to build Interceptor missile sites in Poland.

I am suddenly reminded of the political backstory in Ender's Game, in which Russia was secretly arming itself, while the world was distracted by a war with the Buggers.

Your thoughts?
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: achtung on February 02, 2008, 12:11:40 pm: The Russians are too busy enjoying the new-found wealth their natural resources keep bringing them to pay too much attention to this. They'll complain, but nothing more.
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: Hippy on February 02, 2008, 07:55:43 pm: Ender's Game contains many political philosophies that are worth exploring.

However, the situation you mention was, I would guess, meant to resonate with the cold war generations.

Though it applies to our farcical "Global War on Terror" too.
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: karajorma on February 03, 2008, 02:50:17 am: Quote from: Aardwolf on February 02, 2008, 11:28:15 am
Recently, Russia opposed a U.S. plan to build Interceptor missile sites in Poland.

Your thoughts?

Ask yourself how the US would react to Russian plans to build interceptor missile sites in Cuba.
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: BloodEagle on February 03, 2008, 02:55:01 am: Quote from: karajorma on February 03, 2008, 02:50:17 am
Ask yourself how the US would react to Russian plans to build interceptor missile sites in Cuba.

Would those have the range/speed to be useful at that location?
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: Polpolion on February 03, 2008, 08:25:41 am: Just as useful as the US's in Poland...
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: NGTM-1R on February 03, 2008, 09:10:59 pm: Quote from: karajorma on February 03, 2008, 02:50:17 am
Quote from: Aardwolf on February 02, 2008, 11:28:15 am
Recently, Russia opposed a U.S. plan to build Interceptor missile sites in Poland.

Your thoughts?

Ask yourself how the US would react to Russian plans to build interceptor missile sites in Cuba.

Likely not care, since the US has put the majority of their ballistic missiles to sea aboard the Ohio-class.
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: karajorma on February 04, 2008, 02:15:14 am: The military wouldn't care. The politicians would be hypocritical bastards about it.
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: NGTM-1R on February 04, 2008, 02:45:37 am: Well, the Air Force would care, I suppose, since it would be the excuse needed to finally cut the last of the ICBMs.
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: Flaser on February 04, 2008, 08:20:04 pm: Quote from: Swantz on February 02, 2008, 12:11:40 pm
The Russians are too busy enjoying the new-found wealth their natural resources keep bringing them to pay too much attention to this. They'll complain, but nothing more.

Russia is on the move again. Whether you believe it or not, it going to be once again a superpower.

Following their economic exploitation at the hands of American capital - which the only adequate allegory to describe is getting gang-raped while a suited guy whispers into your ear how much you should be enjoying it - they would do more than complain and growl like a dog.

Right now the world is looking forward to the bloodiest clashes in remote, resource rich countries that both empires want to join to their dominium.

It will be all "civilized" and "remote", with nice facade of hostile, but cold diplomatic overtones.

In other words:

Welcome to Cold War no. 2
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: achtung on February 04, 2008, 09:07:32 pm: Quote from: Flaser on February 04, 2008, 08:20:04 pm
Quote from: Swantz on February 02, 2008, 12:11:40 pm
The Russians are too busy enjoying the new-found wealth their natural resources keep bringing them to pay too much attention to this. They'll complain, but nothing more.

Russia is on the move again. Whether you believe it or not, it going to be once again a superpower.

Following their economic exploitation at the hands of American capital - which the only adequate allegory to describe is getting gang-raped while a suited guy whispers into your ear how much you should be enjoying it - they would do more than complain and growl like a dog.

Right now the world is looking forward to the bloodiest clashes in remote, resource rich countries that both empires want to join to their dominium.

It will be all "civilized" and "remote", with nice facade of hostile, but cold diplomatic overtones.

In other words:

Welcome to Cold War no. 2

Sounds fun.

Think Asia and Europe will join their respective allies in an even bigger way this time?
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: spartan_0214 on February 04, 2008, 10:24:34 pm: After the Cuban Missile Crisis, I don't believe that Russia is likely to make another obvious faux pas (or perhaps not another egregiously close one). Then again, subtlety has never been the Russian's strong point. Regardless, I doubt Russia will make a power-play as discussed in Shadow of the Hegemon, as the other "superpowers" such as Germany, China, Great Britain, the United States, etc. already have the power they could have absorbed. Plus, we don't have the Formics to fight, so why not fight some power-hungry Russkies?

[Off-Topic] This kinda reminds me of The Heavy Weapons Guy (who is voiced in the following trailer with a Russian accent) from TF2. I thought you want to see a trailer of him and his Russkie Russkieness: http://orange.half-life2.com/tf2.html# (http://orange.half-life2.com/tf2.html#) (third trailer, the one on the upper left of the individual trailers)
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: Aardwolf on February 05, 2008, 12:59:49 am: Because we're fighting the war on terror (this has already been pointed out)
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: Mefustae on February 05, 2008, 02:33:57 am: Quote from: Aardwolf on February 05, 2008, 12:59:49 am
Because we're fighting the war on terror (this has already been pointed out)
No, you're too busy stretching yourselves thin allocating resources to occupation forces. Although it is a possibility. A nice, proper war would be far, far more lucrative for the American military-industrial complex than all the asymmetrical warfare they've been seeing recently, and the signs are already there. Let me put it this way: What use is the F-22 against a guerrilla or insurgent?
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: Aardwolf on February 05, 2008, 10:38:20 pm: Same thing.
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: Flipside on February 08, 2008, 10:17:42 am: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7234817.stm

And heeeeere we go! Hold on tight folks, keep your hands inside the car at all times....
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: karajorma on February 08, 2008, 10:32:22 am: Given that this kind of idiocy nearly led to WWIII in 1983 you'd think the Americans would know better than to make the Russians think that they are trying to nullify their nukes. :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: achtung on February 08, 2008, 10:33:40 am: I hope this one is as fun as the last one.

Why do I expect to see the Russian military backing Middle Eastern insurgents now?
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: Flipside on February 08, 2008, 10:43:50 am: To be honest, I'm more concerned for those in the neighbouring ex-CCCP states, building an army requires both people and resources, I'll admit I don't know the exact situation out there, but I would have thought the first move would be try and re-enforce social and financial dominance of states such as Chechnya with it's massive oil reserves etc.
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: BloodEagle on February 08, 2008, 01:44:12 pm: Quote from: Swantz on February 08, 2008, 10:33:40 am
Why do I expect to see the Russian military backing Middle Eastern insurgents now?

Er... poetic justice? :lol:
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: Scuddie on February 08, 2008, 05:29:49 pm: Why do people assume that this has anything at all to do with anything else?

I believe the words, "So what?" sum it up best.
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: Flipside on February 08, 2008, 05:58:45 pm: Yes, this isn't even happening on planet Earth, it takes place in the mythical land of Flongiddle....
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: Scuddie on February 08, 2008, 06:17:36 pm: The rumors are true??

God help us all.
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: Flipside on February 09, 2008, 11:04:33 am: It also certainly shows that you were 9 when the USSR broke up.
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: Hippy on February 13, 2008, 09:16:02 pm: Quote
Why do I expect to see the Russian military backing Middle Eastern insurgents now?

Quote
Er... poetic justice?

Payback more like it.

I'm sure the Mujahideen would happily accept Russian assistance to fight the Americans. Operation Cyclone Ver 2.0 - The Russian Edition. It would make sense for them to do so - bleed their main 'enemy' white and undermine their domestic cohesion... just as we did to the Soviets in Afghanistan. And they get Iraq as a bonus theater of operations too. My enemies enemy... etc

Quote
war on terror

There is no such thing. It's called propaganda.

Add to that that the terms 'the west' and 'islam' (or 'political islam' if you prefer), are nonsensical and non-existent. Huntington be damned - the guy was an idiot. Oh yes, let's just upscale realist politics to civilisational proportions and then let's arbitrarily determine those civ's and then let's apply the security dilemma. Joy. Such... academic rigor.

It must warm Huntington's heart to know that the two biggest believers in his Clash of Civilisations theory are the Neo-Cons and Al-Qaeda.
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: Aardwolf on February 14, 2008, 09:27:18 am: Whatever, that's what it is referred to, at least far more commonly than "Bush's lies-and-propaganda scheme to destroy all of our freedoms and to do a bunch of other bad stuff too". Seriously, get the opponents to agree on a single name that is three words or less, that doesn't describe any other event.
Title: Re: Peter Wiggin for Hegemon!
Post by: NGTM-1R on February 14, 2008, 11:02:50 am: The Russians always supported Middle Eastern insurgents, except the Afghani ones.