Russian flights smack of Cold War

Why don't we do the same to them and fly just outside their ADIZ..and get their fighters up checking their times scrambling?

One only needs to ask if U.S. primacy is receding and global power entropy taking its place? Post World War II established a political and economic environment in which global stability was based on U.S. primacy. U.S. global autonomy was assured by a strategy of mutual destruction for our enemies. After the fall of the Soviet Union the U.S. had no enemies to apply the strategy toward and no plans for any other type of warfare. We had warnings with the 93 WTC, the Khobar Towers, the Embassy and the USS Cole bombings and Black Hawk Down in Somalia, but our government did not understand the significance or the impact of assymetrical fractal warfare (911). Combine this with a consensus without compliance global multilateralist model and the stability can longer be maintained by one entity. What we have now is dysfunctional multilateralism with global consensus but regional compliance. Russia, China, the U.S. with South America, Africa and Southwest Asia up for grabs. That is why Russia is testing U.S. resolve, to determine how far our primacy has receded and how far theirs can advance. China is pursuing the same agenda, only through economic and intelligence intrusions. Venezuela doesn't have the political savvy to become a controlling factor, but Iran could start a nuclear arms race and our withdrawal from Iraq will most definitely be filled by Iran's power entropy.

Ronald Reagan broke the back of the cold war by driving the Soviet Union to near bankruptcy. They had no money to maintain their military, thus were no longer a threat. Now they are rich in oil money and rebuilding their military and are becoming a threat again. The same holds true for Iran - oil is making them a threat. Yet we continue to send, each year, $500 Billion in dollars to foreign governments for foreign oil. If we drilled for domestic oil and natural gas and developed renewable energy, we could have it all, with a surplus to export. We could take a piece of their action so to speak and again they would be less rich and less of a threat. Read more at: http://brokengovernment.wordpress.com/2008/06/22/having-it-all-both-oil-and-clean-energy/

Mr. Moyes is right about one thing- military spending can lead a nation to bankruptcy. That's what's happening to us right now. Putin now leads Russia, not the Soviet Union. Except for Alaska, there are a slew of mostly friendly, independent states that separate Russia's land borders from those of other adjacent states. If/when that changes, that would be the time to worry about resurgent Russian power, except for one other case- Israel. No one really knows that Russia's response will be if Israel attacks Iran. I suspect it will not be pleasant. Not militarily threatening, not at this time, but there could definitely be economic consequences from both Russia and China if one of their major cash customers and/or oil suppliers is attacked by Bush.

The Radicalcentrist is right about the reaction of China and Russia. I believe that as incompetent as George Bush is, he realizes that attacking Iran, unless they were about to set off or have set off nuclear devices would prove to be impeachment for him. I do not believe that he can keep Israel from attacking Iran - we have influence there, but we do not have absolute influence. http://brokengovernment.wordpress.com

George Bush incompetent? I guess Mr. Moyes doesn't own a map: B-52s and other resources can now operate out of Iraq, a nation rapidly being brought back to Western civilization. Go get a map, Mr. Moyes, and draw a 6,000 mile circle using Baghdad as the center. Further, presidents can only be impeached on a showing of a high crime - Clinton should have been impeached for perjury, but ending Iran's nuclear project is what crime, specifically? Radicalcentrist, nobody in his right mind, including China and Russia, wants Iran to have nuclear arms.

Certainly, Russia with its nuclear weapons is a threat; just as a nuclear-armed Iran would be. However, note that the intercepted Russian 'Bear' bomber is a late 1940's technology propeller-driven aircraft. During recent history, hasn't the lifespan of a Russian decreased? What is the rate of increased spread of AIDS/HIV in Russia? Increased flights near Alaska are probably for internal consumption. How else to do you explain the misplaced priorities?

Radicalcentrist, Soxconn, Kent Moyes: First, Russia "DOES" file a flight plans and contacts every country along the route they will fly, before the flights. The flights are NOT incursions into US or any other country's airspace. I contacted the writer of the article. Apparently he talked to some retired and some unnamed officials for their opinions. Robert Gates recently publicly said Russian Federation's military was in disrepair and aged. Hardly a threat. However, US created Nato putting US bases and military "weapons" on Russia's borders, creates a war atmosphere, they will respond to. Do you think US would tolerate any country putting its bases and weapons on US borders? No! After WW2 and havoc wreaked by Hilter, by common agreement, UN Charter and Geneva Accords it is now unlawful to gain territory by waging war. Israel,and U.S. signatory to both. If you don't believe such an agreement should be observed then reread your history of WW2 and ask if you would like to revisit that again! Israel may not choose good judgment NOT to preemptively attack Iran, however, "retaliation" will come making a large crater, where Jewish state was! And, the Palestinians being killed also, is something they know will happen NOT If but WHEN Iran retaliates! After all, they only have 40 more years of occupation, torture, murder of their people and stealing of their "deeded" land to look forward to, or whatever Israel decided to do, to them, like collective punishment,targeted assassinations and not allowing UN and Russian food, water, and medicine to get into Gaza and parts of West Bank. Which is war crimes, human rights violations and crimes against humanity.