Is this the Ferdinand moment?

[Rupert]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/19/russias-ambassador-turkey-shot-assassination-attempt1/


Th inde says:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-ambassador-shooting-turkey-nato-security-services-andrey-karlov-a7485296.html

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who leads the right-wing nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, said the killing was "a false flag operation by the West".

[littleman]

With the risk of seeming jaded I get the suspicion that most of the dominant players in this will look at the death as an inconvenience.  Putin is not going to upset the NATO balance before his choice for president gets into office.

[Rupert]

Suspect and hope you are right.  Just after the discussions recently, it struck me there are several similarities.

But I am not sure the Russians are looking for an excuse for war.  But then I struggle to understand why anyone would at any time.

[ergophobe]

First reaction was same as Rupert and a few seconds later started thinking like littleman, mostly because right now the Turkish govt and the Russians are both fighting ISIS, so what would Russia have to gain by destabilizing Turkey right now?

>> I struggle to understand why anyone would at any time.

"Though he promise me much, I will not map him the route to any man's door.
Am I a spy in the land of the living that I should deliver men to Death?"
- Edna Saint-Vincent Millay, "Conscientious Objector"

[rcjordan]

http://dailycaller.com/2017/01/23/spicer-trump-will-challenge-china-in-the-south-china-sea-to-defend-us-interests/

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN1572M4

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/24/is-trump-ready-for-war-in-the-south-china-sea-or-is-his-team-just-not-being-clear/

[ergophobe]

Asked how the United States would enforce any move against China, Spicer seemed keen to change the subject

Ive been asking the same question as the headline for a while now. Is Donald ready to go to war over this and if not, what is his end game? This is no longer the Art of the Deal where he can just file Chapter 11 when it goes really, really astray.

[rcjordan]

His buddies are digging in. Literally.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/30/doomsday-prep-for-the-super-rich

[rcjordan]

Mikhail Gorbachev: 'It All Looks As If the World Is Preparing for War'

http://time.com/4645442/gorbachev-putin-trump/

[rcjordan]

South China Morning Post: China 'steps up preparedness for possible military conflict with US'

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2065799/china-steps-preparedness-possible-military-conflict-us