Do you believe we are in another Cold War?

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 11:16:19 -0500

Having witnessed the end of the previous one, one that my Father served during, I am at this point certain that we have entered the beginning stages of a new Cold War. This has become evident with today's announcement that Putin will deploy strike weapons capable of penetrating our defense shields. The reasoning is that such shields eliminate the advantage of his tactical nukes and gives us superiority. This is the great butter battle all over again. So long as Putin is in power, or at least, so long as we remain closed in our dialogue with him, this will continue to escalate. While we might not be at the point of no return, we are quickly approaching it. Winter is coming.

Response by Col Joseph Lenertz made Nov 10 at 2015 11:20 AM

Col Joseph Lenertz — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 11:20:49 -0500

Yes, but it's not bipolar anymore. China is the third player, and the US is no longer assured of winning the way we did the last war - through superior economic growth.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Nov 10 at 2015 11:29 AM

LTC Stephen F. — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 11:29:34 -0500

Yes LTC Private RallyPoint Member while we were winding up OIF, Russia, Iran, and China have been enjoying a cold war with us overtly and I suspect more of a hot war covertly.
The former Soviet Republics and Syria and Iran are of interest to Russia; North Korea, India, and the Spratly Island are of interest to China; and Iranian leadership still considers us be be "the great satan."
Below is the description of a discussion I started in April 2015 which was focused on a cold war with Russia.
"Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and breakup of the Soviet Union, most of our military engagements have been around the Mediterranean Sea or Southwest Asia. We have drawn down our forces and reduced our nuclear response capability as we have tried to use diplomacy to address world problems.
The US and many "western" nations have reduced defense spending relative to GDP while Russia has increased their spending made possible by economic growth. The past few years have shown us working with Russia at the UN on rare occasions and working opposite in Syria, Iran, Yemen, Ukraine, the Baltic States, etc."

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 10 at 2015 1:56 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 13:56:55 -0500

cold and cyber , thats for sure .

Response by COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM made Nov 10 at 2015 4:05 PM

COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 16:05:24 -0500

A few thoughts:
- Are we in another Cold War? Short answer. Yes but only one side recognizes it is in a war.
- What was the Cold War? An approximately 44 year war (1947-1991) that involved an ideological struggle (Democracy vs Communism) between Western Democratic countries and Communist bloc countries that occasionally spilled over into proxy wars and battles (Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan). The war was fought at all levels of war (tactical, operational, and strategic) and with all elements of national power (diplomacy, information, military, economic).
- What is the new Cold War? First hard to have a war when one side (us) is not fighting. Second, a cultural and religious war between Islam and everyone else (Read Huntington's Clash of Civilizations). The problem is that Radical Islam is fighting at all levels of war and with all elements of national power but the Western Democratic countries are only fighting at the tactical level of war and with only the military element of national power. We have no national strategy to counter ISIL (air bombing is a tactic, not a strategy), we are not isolating ISIL diplomatically, we have ceded the cyber domain (inform) to ISIL, and we are not cutting off their funding or recruiting revenue streams.

Response by SSG Robert Spina made Nov 10 at 2015 4:52 PM

SSG Robert Spina — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 16:52:45 -0500

NO NOT AT THIS TIME BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE MIGHT BE HEADINNG TOWARD ONE