rodp wrote:I'm assuming Bruce is referring to trump nuking Russia, which at the moment is the only real threat to America.
You mean number one rival to America, not necessarily threat, and not the only rival or threat. But even so, what is the reason Trump will even ever think of nuking Russia, no, they get along very well, that's obvious. Trust my words, he will be the first US President to be smarter than a mouse about the US relations with Russia, finally. He is going to be the greatest President in US foreign policy history. I just wish he is surrounded with the best Presidential protection team, as should.
I'm sure many countries are going to try everything to break that closeness (any comes to mind?). Your "friends" in the gulf already started since day one of his win, but they are fooling no one. Anyway they are going down, and soon you'll be dealing with different kind of people over there, no need for thanks, be our guests, you're share of oil will be preserved, just like everyone's.
rodp wrote:The middle east could be turned to glass by the western world so not really a threat .... yet. The troubles over there just occupy various armies at the moment hence everyone abiding by various human rights laws.
Trump just may do something decisive regarding the middle east, even if only to totally ignore them and close the gates. Problem with that is the massive American weapons companies would suffer, and Trump is a business man through and through. He may just escalate everything in the middle east knowing full well the American companies will do well supplying overseas armies .......... who knows?
Lot of money to be made in war, especially if you supply both sides !!
Russian made arms is fuelling 90 % of the Syrian conflict, and more than the needs, many of it coming from Muslims in ex Yugoslavian territories and some from ex Czechoslovakia too (way to go Europe
). USA contribution is there with some equipments and training and arms and information, but most of it (not all) going to partially arm fellow Kurdish citizens fighting ISIS and other Islamists (so a good thing), other is for others but was not a successful story because dangerous things like held guided rockets ended in AlQaeda hands, also recently things are given directly to sub-AlQaeda groups! The rest is to Turkey bypassed to the benefit of its militants. The Big US portion is to arm the Iraqi government and anti ISIS parties there (so to our benefit too). So the party on the US companies side must be going on pretty good. The Syrian government and allies side armed only Russian made.
Britain is doing it's part mostly from Jordan and coordinating with UAE and the Gulf States, active in the southern and eastern Syrian borders, also in northwest Iraqi kurdistan and Turkey along northern borders. I don't think you are selling any British made weapons other than to your official allies Governments in the region, but other aids and training, arms and equipments was given to some elite groups controlled buy Jordan, as there was some incidents and failed plans on that sector. But your worst is the Islamic activities and satellite TV channels broadcasting from inside the UK, many are Salafi Jihadi too (freedom of speech I guess?!) preaching all the time against our secular state, and the other regional secular states like Egypt, same thing on the web, many websites, Facebook, social media groups, apps groups, ... etc, like the Muslims Brotherhoods Group activities (maybe their real headquarter too ?!) and Salafi Mosques and preachers and followers, part of it must be under secret service control, and most of it is being watched, but the fact remains that there are Islamists "Islands" inside your country. I hear you welcomed many of them with open arms over the last century, and years (letting in the ones useful policy I imagine ?!).
It was all media.