As a follow up to a previous post about Russia publicly declaring its ascension to the commanding heights, I thought I’d offer in brief my analysis of the latest posturings of the said polity—namely their sanctions against Turkey. I don’t know if Russia has ever before issued unilateral sanctions against another state, but this time to be sure there is a different tenor about them that smacks of a confident country that wants to clearly define its new role as a hegemon.
Russia is overtly sanctioning a known strategic United States ally—not sheepishly as a rebellious ram making an escape, but as a wolf that knows the shepherd has grown too old to really protect the flock. Next, look for the alpha wolf to have the rest of its pack join with it. In other words, the second reason for Russia’s sanction move is to openly bring out other nations in a roll call. The Russo-China sphere of influence has been deepening to be sure, but the benefits have yet to truly start flowing in. A lot of the ground work has been laid by these two and their allies, but moves such as these sanctions will allow the dazed smaller states to be conscious of the new order of things and invest more fully and deeply in a Russo-Sino structured economy. Maybe Turkey will even be the first to realize and fully shift allegiance…
As far as future proxy conflicts, I would say there are sure to be many more that would be reminiscent of the cold war, but I have a suspicion that the “cold war reunion” between the two former rivals will go more along the lines of something like this:
An old man was bent over, winded, and after a great effort finally able to get out what he wanted to say, between haggard breaths.”I’m not in shape like I used to be, old buddy. Two rounds and I’m spent. Eurasia is yours, but maybe I can get in enough of a shape to keep the Western Hemisphere.”
The other replied, stoically and barely perspiring after the match: “No, Uncle Sam, that ship has sailed too. You’ll be lucky to be a well cared for colony. And this time, you’ll be the one forced to sell off all your military toys to pay of your debts.”
The old man winced in pain, but could do nothing more than pick up his false teeth and sit on the court to rest.
http://cnnphilippines.com/business/2015/12/01/russia-turkey-plane-sanctions.html
Subverses 