Could Trumps Military Spending Surge Be the First Salvo of WW3?
Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Donald Trumps election. Yet World War 3 seems closer now. The Russians feared Hillary Clinton, who spoke aggressively about Russia. Yet, not two months into the Trump presidency, and conflict with Russia, or WW3, seems closer. It was under Hillary Clintons tenure as Secretary of State that the Maidan revolt took place in Ukraine.
That was the catalyst for a civil war between pro-West and pro-Russia Ukrainians. Putin toasted Trumps win last November. But, as Trump announced a massive increase in military spending, the Kremlin issued a statement that, while short on words, was deafeningly loud on content.
The Russian president said that relations between Moscow and Washington are at their lowest point since the Cold War. What has changed? Russia WW3 2017, China WW3, or WW3predictions in general are not just for catastrophists any longer. Trumps firstand most successful so faraddress to Congress made it clear he wants a much bigger military.
During the campaign, Trump did not hide his military ambitions. Yet, even as he advocated more spending on military equipment, his major military and geopolitical target was Islamic State or ISIS, rather than Russia. Trumps focus was going to be the Syrian war. The bigger military, moreover, was going to serve as a friendly reminder to China about its own military buildup.
But China is not the only power on Trumps agenda. There have been allegations that members of his cabinet have had meetings or contacts with Russian officials. Theres nothing especially incriminatory about that. But while the media harps on about what that Russian ambassador said to this Trump insider, it has ignored a crucial thing.
Trump and Putin have not met yet. Trump has done absolutely nothing that Putin might interpret as a win for Russia. If anything, the Trump administration has stayed on message where Ukraine is concerned. Trump has also threatened Iran, a close Russian ally in the fight against ISIS and the Syrian rebellion in general.
The one member of the Trump cabinet who may have had the closest ties to Putin was General Michael Flynn. He resigned a few weeks ago from the post of National Security Advisor. Flynn allegedly told Moscows ambassador to Washington that the Trump administration would cancel the additional sanctions leveled against Russia by the outgoing President Obama.
Flynn, according to critics, became vulnerable to possible blackmail from the Russians. Flynn thickened clouds of suspicions about Trumps relationship with Moscow. Regardless of the level of contact, what is clear is that the many deliberations about the budding Trump-Putin ties have died in the bud.
Putin is pursuing a Russia First policy; it was never going to mesh with America First properly. Indeed, the kind of spending that Trump has promised to lavish on the military deserves to be described as historic. The Cold War ended to help stop the military buildup that ended up crippling the Soviet Unions finances.
It also helped reduce fears of another war, a nuclear war. And what is WW3 if not a nuclear war? The U.S. military budget under Trump will inflate by $54.0 billion. And thats just the first taste of what Trump has in mind. That amount will pay for new attack aircraft and for the production of other weapons to bolster the quality of the U.S. defense systems.
Its almost as if World War 3 is inevitable. In effect, the Pentagon will get almost 10% more than it did in 2016. In turn, other federal agencies will see a reduction in funding. These other pure Cold War policiesare those which many Americans thought they would never see again. Trump complained that the U.S. has not won a war in ages.
Both the boost in military spending and the logic that has prompted it are unusual. The U.S. is not involved in any major military conflict now. Its true that Special Forces are on the ground in Iraq and the U.S. Air Force has bombed ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria. But neither one of these goals or theaters of war requires special stealth aircraft or new weapon systems.
Trumps vision is wider and he wants to cast a shadow over Chinaexpectedand Russiaunexpected. Trump mentioned ships as one of the reasons to increase military spending. He also wants more planes. The addition of a single ship or watercraft would add nothing in the fight against ISIS or terrorism in general.
It would, however, help drive a China WW3or Putin WW3 scenario. The ships and planes make nothing but sense against the lens of the Strait of Hormuz, which separates the Arabian Peninsula the coast of Iran. The Pentagon clearly wants a bigger presence to control key international waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz and the South China Sea.
More ships and planes would also help keep a closer watch over the Arctic and northern seas, where Russia has been intensifying its own patrols. Apart from Iran, this military buildup, then, provokes Russia as well as China. America already has the most powerful fighting force in the world, by several orders of magnitude.
America already spends more on defense than any other country:
(Source: Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2015, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, April 2016.)
Not all in the military share Trumps bellicose ambitions. A group of over 100 retired U.S. generals and admirals have urged Congress to fully fund American diplomacy, rather than weapons. They see more strength in a combination of diplomacy and defense as the best way to keep America safe. Trump thinks adding 74 ships and 100 jets is the best way.
But, diplomacy must take a backseat now. Not only does Trump want to increase spending on military hardware, he wants to increase the army to 540,000 active-duty soldiers. Thats a 15% increase, given there are currently 480,000 active-duty soldiers. And thats just the Army. Trump also wants more Marines; 50% more, from 23 to 36 battalions.
The President made no specific reference about the nature of the threat that requires this massive increase in military spending. But just a day later, like a thunderbolt from Thor, the Swedes delivered a hint. Sweden wants to bring back conscription. Sweden happens to share the Baltic waterways with Russia.
The Baltic States, including Latvia, Estonia, andPoland, are among the most concerned about Russia. They happen to be in NATO. They are asking the U.S. for more defensive artillery and Patriot missiles to deploy along the borders with Russia. The Baltic is one of the regions of the world where World War 3 could start.
The other scenario comes from trade. Trump would like to find how the World Trade Organization (WTO) can impose sanctions and reprisals against countries accused of damaging Americas trade interests. Thus Trumps trade policy matches his military ambitions. Just to clear any doubts, Trump supports NATO. Now, he wants the WTO to support it as well.
Trump has ordered the Pentagon to develop a plan to demolish and destroy ISIS. The New Security Advisor, General Herbert McMaster has advised Trump to use the term radical Islamic terrorism sparingly. McMaster is more diplomatic than his predecessor Flynn, but the Middle East, as ever, remains a major trigger point for the next global conflict.
Its not so much ISIS but Iran thats the problem. Trump has not spoken much about the nuclear deal that Obama secured in 2015. But, if the new president were to repeal it, it would necessarily require a military strike against Irans well-protected facilities. The problem is that the deal ensured that Irans nuclear program remains civilianonly.
Without the deal, there are no internationally binding agreements holding Irans enrichment plansor threatsback. But, attacking the facilities would not be easy. Even stealth F-35 or F-22 fighter jets would suffer losses. Iran has Russias S-300 defense system, which renders the nuclear facilities virtually impenetrable.
Russia has a stake in this as well. Russia and Iran have been the main powers against ISIS and other Islamiststhe very kind Trump wants to eliminate. Attacking Iran would put Moscow and Washington in direct opposition. Not since the Cuban missile crisis would relations take such a turn for the worst.
Trump and Putin would never authorize the use of nuclear warheads in a conflict. But, the first strike option exists and could be unleashed, given the imminent threat of any kind of catastrophic attack. Neither Kennedy nor Khrushchev, both milder than Trump and Putin, were going to push the nuclear button. But the Cuban missile crisis did almost get there.
Nobody wants to test those odds again. Deterrence is not an exact science. There is also an art, which thankfully, nobody has had the misfortune of practicing yet. One party will always strike first. Its up to the retaliating party to decide what direction the conflict, in this case WW3, might take.
Albert Einstein famously observed that he didnt know how World War 3 would be fought, except that World War 4 would be fought with sticks and stones. But, there is a nuclear threshold. Both Trump and Putin can choose a scalable nuclear conflict rather than a full-out one. Miscalculation could trigger unimaginable consequences.
The general view is that both the U.S. and Russia would use nuclear warheads only after defeat would be assured in the conventional scenario. Thus, the idea that WW3 might be won using conventional weapons alone still exists. Its up to the losing party to decide if they want to bring down the world with them.
That said, this, theoretically, justifies Trumps military buildup. The logic being that an overwhelming conventional attack would defeat the enemy before they would have a chance to bring nuclear weapons into the calculus. Putin did not appreciate Trumps military spending plans because it forces Russia to respond in kind.
But Russias economy is in a slow recovery mode at best. It cant afford an arms race. Trump, perhaps, wants to take advantage of that weakness with a massive spending surge now to overwhelm any potential enemy from even considering challenging the United States. Its a gamble.
Its also a guarantee that for the next few years, defense contractors in Washington will do brisk business. Russia will have to increase its arsenal buildup as will China, perpetuating the cycle.
Continue reading here:
A New Cold War Has Begun and WW3 Is a Clear Possibility Now - Lombardi Letter
- WW3 fears as country with weaker army than China issues three-word warning to Xi Jinping - Express - December 16th, 2023 [December 16th, 2023]
- HISTORY IS BEING WRITTEN- WHERE WILL YOU BE IN THE ... - Resistbot News - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- CoD MW3 players blast open cover missions as sheer laziness - Dexerto - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- Like it or not, the Cowboys stir the NFL's drink Inside The Star - Inside The Star - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- It's Time for Call of Duty to Return to One Fictional War - GameRant - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Are killer robots the future of war? - Al Jazeera English - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Ukraine planned attack on Moscow that could have triggered WW3, leaked memos say - Daily Star - April 25th, 2023 [April 25th, 2023]
- WW3 fears as China readies hypersonic missiles and drones for Taiwan invasion - Express - April 25th, 2023 [April 25th, 2023]
- Nord Stream sabotage could lead to WW3 Trump - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Ukraine war: Donald Trump issues dire WW3 warning in call for ... - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Russia could launch NUCLEAR strikes using Belarus for cover from West as world now in first days of WW3,... - The US Sun - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- How to Fix Error Code 40302 in World War 3 - Followchain - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- 'NATO would have to respond': WW3 fears ramp up over worries of 'Russian attack' on Poland - Express - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Nuclear bunker in Britain on sale for just 28,000 as Putin pushes the world to the brink of WW3... - The Sun - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- 'Irregular presence': Putin sends bombers to nuclear weapons base as fears of WW3 rise - Express - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Here's where you should live if World War III happens - msnNOW - September 27th, 2022 [September 27th, 2022]
- China sending thousands of troops to RUSSIA for massive war games amid fears Putin & Xi are plotting WW3... - The US Sun - August 22nd, 2022 [August 22nd, 2022]
- Russia and China 'prepared to go further' with AI weapons for WW3 advantage, expert says - Daily Star - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- The Official Russian Invasion of Ukraine Thread - Page 44 - Bear Insider - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- Beyond the Mulish, Look to the Stars - LA Progressive - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- 'Already started' Russia sparked WW3 as West 'biding their time' for on-the-ground fight - Express - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- Putin unleashes new terrifying weapon as he turns the screws on NATO - WW3 fears erupt - Express - July 14th, 2022 [July 14th, 2022]
- Japan assassination sparks wild conspiracy theories including CIA plot to trigger WW3 - Daily Star - July 14th, 2022 [July 14th, 2022]
- People are more scared of WW3 and rising costs than global warming and Covid - Somerset Live - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- Putin Ally Announces First City Russia Will Strike if World War 3 Starts - Newsweek - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- People are more scared of WW3 and rising costs than global warming and Covid - Wales Online - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- 'This is already WW3' and if 'Hitler-like' Putin succeeds in Ukraine 'all bets are off' - Daily Star - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- Putin is 'a mad man getting madder by the moment' and could spark WW3, warns politician - Daily Star - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- Nostradamus predicted WW3 in 2023 after correctly foreseeing Ukraine ... - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- 'Nuclear war is coming' Putin's mouthpiece threatens west with 'World War 3' warning - Express - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- 'Nuclear war is coming' Putin's mouthpiece warns west of 'World War 3' in latest threat - Irish Mirror - June 7th, 2022 [June 7th, 2022]
- Russian TV host's insane threat to nuke UK into 'depths of sea' and trigger WW3 - Daily Star - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- The Philippines should learn from Ukraine, avoid the frontlines of WW3 ... - May 15th, 2022 [May 15th, 2022]
- Use of nuclear weapons by Russia would lead to WW3 - German MP - Ukrinform - May 11th, 2022 [May 11th, 2022]
- Interpretative dancers just performed at the European parliament and people are confused - indy100 - May 11th, 2022 [May 11th, 2022]
- Thousands of British troops to be sent to Europe with tanks amid Russia WW3 fears - Daily Star - May 6th, 2022 [May 6th, 2022]
- WW3 threat as Putin's mouthpiece warns of 'no mercy' in war 'against Europe and world' - Express - April 25th, 2022 [April 25th, 2022]
- Love Island's Chloe Burrows and Toby Aromolaran rubbish split rumours with date night - The Mirror - April 20th, 2022 [April 20th, 2022]
- 'Wonder Woman 3' Script Is Being Actively Worked On, Reveals Gal Gadot - We Got This Covered - April 20th, 2022 [April 20th, 2022]
- Nato map: The THREE NATO countries that could attack Russia first in WW3 - Express - March 17th, 2022 [March 17th, 2022]
- Were on the precipice of WW3 & all Kim, Kanye & Pete give a damn about is their own pathetic war, says P... - The US Sun - March 17th, 2022 [March 17th, 2022]
- China willing to send Russia WEAPONS to help with Ukraine invasion, US warns as WW3 fears grow... - The Sun - March 17th, 2022 [March 17th, 2022]
- Russia, Ukraine, and World War III Memes - The Cut - February 28th, 2022 [February 28th, 2022]
- Will there be a draft? WW3 TikTok videos speak to the anxiety of the moment - Fast Company - February 28th, 2022 [February 28th, 2022]
- World War 3: Did Baba Vanga, the blind mystic, ever predict when WW3 would start? - Portsmouth News - February 28th, 2022 [February 28th, 2022]
- Who was Nostradamus, could he see the future and did he ever predict a third World War? - Portsmouth News - February 28th, 2022 [February 28th, 2022]
- Biden says alternative to sanctions is WW3, Lukashenko slams west for pushing Russia - The Business Standard - February 28th, 2022 [February 28th, 2022]
- Albert Einsteins WW3 quote is more relevant than ever, authenticity aside - HITC - Football, Gaming, Movies, TV, Music - February 28th, 2022 [February 28th, 2022]
- How to cope with threat of WW3? Hopefully these memes will helpa bit - The London Economic - February 28th, 2022 [February 28th, 2022]
- World War 3: Here is what would happen if a nuclear bomb dropped on Los Angeles during WW3 - Portsmouth News - February 28th, 2022 [February 28th, 2022]
- World War 3: Here's what would happen if a North Korean nuclear bomb dropped on Seoul in South Korea in WW3 - Portsmouth News - February 28th, 2022 [February 28th, 2022]
- What is the Doomsday Clock and what does it predict? Here's all you need to know - Portsmouth News - February 28th, 2022 [February 28th, 2022]
- Portsmouth named on hit list of Russia's potential nuclear targets in the UK in World War 3 - Portsmouth News - February 28th, 2022 [February 28th, 2022]
- Man says aliens showed him WW3 and it will involve grim 'skin-melting' weapons - Daily Star - February 21st, 2022 [February 21st, 2022]
- Fashion Week AW22: All The Best Beauty Looks - MSN UK - February 21st, 2022 [February 21st, 2022]
- Mark Petchey reacts to Novak Djokovic willing to skip tournaments over vaccine - Tennis World USA - February 21st, 2022 [February 21st, 2022]
- I can use my powers to stop Putin invading Ukraine & save us from WW3 all the West needs to do is ask, s... - The US Sun - February 15th, 2022 [February 15th, 2022]
- Russia accuses a US submarine of violating its waters as Putin pushes West to brink of WW3 in Ukraine... - The Sun - February 15th, 2022 [February 15th, 2022]
- Afterconflict Turns the Cold War Hot With the Triggering of WW3 - Gamers Decide - February 7th, 2022 [February 7th, 2022]
- World War 3: Heres what would happen if a nuclear bomb dropped on Los Angeles during WW3 - Portsmouth News - February 3rd, 2022 [February 3rd, 2022]
- Im a doomsday prepper and heres how you could survive nuke disaster as Ukraine-Russia tensions threaten W... - The US Sun - February 3rd, 2022 [February 3rd, 2022]
- William and Kate have panic room and tunnels at home in fear of WW3 biological warfare - Daily Star - February 3rd, 2022 [February 3rd, 2022]
- World War 3: HereS what would happen if a nuclear bomb was dropped on London in event of WW3 - Portsmouth News - January 19th, 2022 [January 19th, 2022]
- WW3 fears over Russias plot to justify Ukraine invasion as expert warns escalating tensions may spark ma... - The US Sun - January 17th, 2022 [January 17th, 2022]
- World War 3: Could Russia attack these former Cold War hit list targets including Portsmouth in event of WW3? - Portsmouth News - January 17th, 2022 [January 17th, 2022]
- WW3 fears as North Koreas 2nd missile test in a week forces US aircraft to be grounded as protests erupt... - The Sun - January 17th, 2022 [January 17th, 2022]
- Strategy game Warno transforms the Cold War into WW3 with new trailer - NME.com - December 23rd, 2021 [December 23rd, 2021]
- WW3 fears as Putin warns of possible military response over aggressive NATO - Daily Star - December 23rd, 2021 [December 23rd, 2021]
- Strategy game Warno transforms the Cold War into WW3 with new trailer - NME - December 17th, 2021 [December 17th, 2021]
- Russian invasion of Ukraine will spark World War 3, Kiev fears as Putin fires hypersonic nuke just 22... - The Sun - December 17th, 2021 [December 17th, 2021]
- Putins 16,000mph Satan-2 nuke with 12 warheads that could destroy UK to be ready in a year in WW3 fears... - The US Sun - December 17th, 2021 [December 17th, 2021]
- WW3 fears as China vows to 'fire on' US troops sent to 'defend Taiwan' from invasion - Daily Star - December 15th, 2021 [December 15th, 2021]
- Gal Gadots Wonder Woman 3 To Begin Production In 2023, Director Patty Jenkins Exits Cleopatra - koimoi - December 7th, 2021 [December 7th, 2021]
- Russia sparks WW3 fears after vowing to attack Ukraine unless Nato agrees to BAN Kiev from alliance... - The Sun - November 28th, 2021 [November 28th, 2021]
- WW3 fears as Russia accuses US of staging nuclear strike with TEN BOMBERS and puts nuke forces on co... - The Sun - November 28th, 2021 [November 28th, 2021]
- World War 3 Closed Beta Test begins on November 25 - Future Game Releases - November 28th, 2021 [November 28th, 2021]
- Peter Rhodes on Covid tests, preparing for WW3 and how Lionel dealt with a heckler - expressandstar.com - November 9th, 2021 [November 9th, 2021]
- US secretly training Taiwan troops and conducted 2,000 spy missions in China sparking WW3 fears... - The US Sun - October 30th, 2021 [October 30th, 2021]
- Many Millennials Think WW3 Is Coming. What Could Cause It? - Interesting Engineering - October 21st, 2021 [October 21st, 2021]
- WW3 fears as China puts military on 'high alert' and issues 'Doomsday' warning - Daily Star - October 17th, 2021 [October 17th, 2021]