Sunday, August 16, 2015

Certainly?

We certainly don't want Russia and China to have any type of alliance or coordination that is directed against the West.

Russia and China certainly have friction points that will undermine any durable strategic partnership, as this author discusses.

But what am I to make of this statement in an otherwise interesting piece on sources of tension?

Certainly, neither Tokyo nor Washington should seek to worsen ties between Russia and China.

Excuse me? Certainly, we shouldn't try to split China and Russia?

Because it is so much better to have them helping each other? Did I miss the strategy lesson on "don't divide and conquer"? Are we really going to rely on "the bigger they are, the harder they fall"?

Because a breach in relations is inevitable before cooperation can do us harm--like the Nazi-Soviet unnatural alliance eventually broke down after fewer than two years? Oh wait, bad example.

I say if we can get China pointed to the interior of Asia, that's way better for us.

I say we owe the Russians some payback for their efforts to point China at us.