I'm not too keen on Russia's situation as of late, but I ask this question to anyone who knows; is Russia really in a position to fuck with us right now? Seriously?

http://www.globalfirepower.com/countries_comparison.asp

Edit:

Thats a nice chart, seems Russia is not as weak these people seem to claim. I only wish I knew more about Georgia. Georgia is just another country I know nothing about and I never even knew it existed. So far it looks like Russia is to blame but then again I really don't know a thing about this.

I would really like to know more about the history and why they are at war. Anyone know of any sites that have unbiased information about this? It's pretty late and I don't have the time to look around.

I think I misunderstood the 'fit for military service' part as being the trained men. I guess it really means physically fit. There are a lot of important factors missing on that chart if you were to use that to compare military strenght.

Sure is nice living next to Russia. Can't wait for USA to come save the world!

So yeah I don't want to overshadow them invading Georgia, but Norwegians are generally very concerned about our Russian neighbours and with good reason. Norway's just one of Russia's lucky neighbours that has powerful allies. Fuck Putin. He's a gangster, not a politician.

Heh. The February 2008 Lincoln-Douglas debate resolution was "That Russia has become a threat to United States interest." We were given little packets of evidence (b/c all of us were too goddamn lazy to research it for ourselves) and I have one piece of evidence that says,

The stepping up of Russia's military activity off the Norwegian coast is not viewed as a threat to Norway, Jonas Gahr Store, the Norwegian foreign minister, told Itar-Tass in the New Year eve interview, summing up the results of the two countries' interaction in the outgoing year. "We notice that Russia has become more active in many directions of late, which reflects the country's economic development, as well as the modernization of Russia's capabilities." Store said. "The year 2007 was the year when Norwegian people began talking of Russia as a military player again," he said. "People are impressed with the present activity of the Russian air force, and with large-scale exercises, also near the Norwegian coasts," the minister said. "I have always commented on this matter in a balanced way, noting that we (Norwegians) do not regard this activity as a threat to Norway." "We realize that Russia modernizes its military potential, also by holding exercises," he added.

--ITAR-TASS World Service, December 24, 2007

Yeh. Pretty goddamn stupid. If only I could have quoted you for last year's debate.

Russia has always been belligerent. In 2005-2006 it cut the gas supply to Ukraine and Belarus, traded military weaponry with Iran (not to mention failing to keep the remnants of its nuclear stockpile guarded, making it easier for TERRORISTS to get them), and had NUCLEAR ARMS MANEUVERS with the chinese (now a big trading buddy). Not to mention there was the idiot-Bush-Anti-ballistic missile system and the whole Russia - pointing - nukes - towards - Europe thing. Anyways, if we (the US) actually get in the middle of Georgia and Russia, Russia could ally with China, Iran, and other US h8rs (North Korea mayhap?) and be a real bitch about things. Like start a WWIII (worst-case scenario).

Even if it doesn't turn out that way (this is very likely, thankfully), they will still hold a grudge against NATO and the United States. Nationalistic tendencies might have face in the Russian political sphere, and that's when parallel lines could be drawn from today's Russia to the Germans before WWII.

EDIT:
As a US American though, this topic is boring me and now I'ma post in the "Sexual Harassment" thread.