Via Instapundit comes word that Russia is embarking on a $650 billion expansion of its conventional military forces and upgrade of its existing nuclear forces:
The graying bear is getting a make-over. Russia’s military is launching its biggest rearmament effort since Soviet times, including a $650 billion program to procure 1,000 new helicopters, 600 combat planes, 100 warships, and 8 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.
Analysts say Russia, while already the world’s fifth-largest military spender, needs strong conventional forces to reduce its overreliance on its aging Soviet-era nuclear missile deterrent. Valentin Rudenko, director of the independent Interfax-Military News Agency, says it could create “a whole new ballgame.”
“For about two decades we’ve had no real modernization, at least not like what’s being proposed now,” he says. “Russia will finally have a modern, top-level armed forces that are capable of protecting the country.”
The New START Treaty made perfect sense for Russia. Only the U.S. has to reduce longe-range nuclear stockpiles, since Russia is under the limit already, so Russia no longer needs to direct resources into competing with the U.S. as to the number of long-range nuclear weapons. Those resources are being re-directed by Russia into conventional weapons and an upgrade of its existing long-range nuclear arsenal.
In other words, while Obama, the Democrats and 13 Republicans viewed New START as part of some dreamy dream for world peace and disarmament, the Russians viewed it as a strategic decision to enable Russia better to compete with the U.S.
It also is not surprising that Russia is delaying negotiations over short-range nuclear weapons, where Russia has a large advantage.
Russia got what it wanted from New START. It’s moving on, like a three-card monte dealer who quickly scurries down the street before the dupes figure out what has happened.
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Comments
"… viewed New START as part of some dreamy dream …"
Slightly off topic … but that's what you get from a generation raised on Seals & Crofts and their ilk.
Now, here's my daughter and her rockin' conservative band in their first of three videos. Let them negotiate with the Russians (hope the shameless plug is OK):
http://www.nocode7.blogspot.com/
The new START Treaty is a new start for an unpredictable, aspirational Russia– so kind of u.s. to give caprice a chance. The Russians should inscribe the names of the idiot two dozen Repubs (Condi and GHW, too) and submissive to sabotaging Democrats who supported this paper surrender onto their upgraded missiles and new conventional artillery pointed at the West and Japan.
LukeHand Cool, nice blog, and your daughter is not only beautiful but talented!
Cheers runic rhyme!
I don't know about her singing ability, but she wrote the Japanese part (heck if I know what the Japanese lyrics mean). She's a natural conservative. Hope she enters politics one day.
A Lukoil gas station is down the road from me.
By refusing to utilize our oil deposits, we're raising the price of Russian oil and helping them pay for their military build-up.
The democrat dupes and RINOs will never figure out what happened, cause the democrats are interested in destroying American military strength and the RINOs are interested in getting on the front pages of the NYSlimes and WashComPost. The realists are just waiting for the other shoe to drop when the Ruskies demand that we stop all nuke missile defense deployments and possibly have their lackeys bring lawsuits in the US to enjoin such technologies as a violation of that unbalanced treaty.