The United States is not going to get obsessed with Russia notwithstanding the sudden Democratic hatred of Russia. Which is bound to disappoint China.
The secretary of defense on Wednesday dismissed Russia as unable to present persistent dangers to the U.S., marking a notable shift in the Pentagon's view of the global threats for which it must prepare.
"China has a vast population, its resources, its vast dynamism of its economy," Defense Secretary Mark Esper said at an event organized by the RAND Corporation in California, "very different from Russia in terms of demographics."
"We see Russia as a challenge right now, but in the future, less so."
Esper's comments mirror the kind of American denigration for the former Soviet republic that has reportedly infuriated Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past, including in 2014 when then-President Barack Obama referred to Russia as a "regional power."
Esper is right. Heck, I chuckled when Obama noted that fact.
Not that the truth is an excuse to ignore Russia or dismiss their aggression. Russia is a threat to smaller powers near Russia--including NATO states--so this reality check does not say that Russia does not pose a military threat close to Russia. And Russia has nukes, of course.
I swear, Russia really just doesn't like to be ignored after being the "big bad" during the Cold War:
The Russians and their Soviet predecessors acted on the theory it is better to be feared than liked. Russia is finding that without conventional military power, the fear option is not readily available.
And the charm and grace of Putin isn't enough to make up for that lost power.
But China is a growing military power even if their economic growth is faltering. Russia is only useful to China if Russia soaks up American power in Europe.
And if we don't fall for that ploy and misdirect too much of our attention and power to Europe (although I do think we need Army and Air Force reinforcements for Europe) what use to China is Russia?
At that point, Russia's policy of appeasing China might be cancelled by China just as Russia has pointlessly alienated NATO with aggression in fact and rhetoric.
#WhyRussiaCan'tHaveNiceThings
