Symphony D.

Are you in favor of a more technocratic system?

So what do the Chinese do, just use lower quality weapons? It seems that Russia doesn't really have the proficiency of European companies either...

Also you seem mad about the sequester and its effects on the military. Who do you think should be in charge of military budgeting (you seem adamently opposed to Congressional oversight in this regard (I also really liked the B.A. in political science comment))

PRC wants European weapons? Why not American ones? Or home develop them?

Also, why would Europe/America sell a potential enemy weapons?

Realistically, how long are these sanctions going to last?

Why is Russia so bad at foreign policy? :|

Did you see the I, Robot movie? I don't normally do the author purity thing but I could just see Asimov spinning in his grave.

If only to see how many nutjobs would break out the pickets going SEE? SEE??? IT'S HAPPENING!!!

Fair enough. Aren't Russia and China supposed to be allied against the USA though?

From what I understand, that seems to be endemic in that region. I wonder if it's a cultural thing.

Do you think if we do that to Israel, they're going to back off? or are they going to keep going? Is there any power aside from the USA that Israel can turn to? It's unlikely that we're going to cut off aid due to our new project with them: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-23/israel-s-iron-dome-defense-in-line-for-tripled-u-s-aid.html

That they are :/

Does Chinese immigration really mean +influence? I mean, the USA has alot of Chinese, but the PRC doesn't have a huge lobby in the USA.

If only they did dirty work for our own benefit

Does the leadership really believe their inflated numbers are sustainable? :/ Do you think China will continue with peaceful development, or could we see them pull a Russia against other countries on their own claims?

So what would your alternative be for Israel?

You wrote your response on your wall XD.

Why does Russia need to feel threatened by China (in reality I mean not our hypothetical scenario)? Are the French even CLOSE to great anymore?

Is alliance with China long term really impossible?

Also, how do you see the US's position with Israel? Are they still a worthwhile thing to support overwhelmingly like we have? Could we maybe cutback (make them withdraw to pre 67 borders?)

A Russia not under Putin that felt more threatened by China (for many good reasons) and a France which was not so doggedly obsessed with, as Conrad put it in Lord Jim: "Allow me . . . I contended that one may get on knowing very well that one's courage does not come of itself (ne vient pas tout seul). There's nothing much in that to get upset about. One truth the more ought not to make life impossible. . . . But the honour--the honour, monsieur! . . . The honour . . . that is real--that is! And what life may be worth when" . . . he got on his feet with a ponderous impetuosity, as a startled ox might scramble up from the grass . . . "when the honour is gone--ah ca! par exemple--I can offer no opinion. I can offer no opinion--because--monsieur--I know nothing of it."

The problem with "great" nations is they can never really acknowledge a subordinate status to another. You'd think if any one of them could, it'd be China with all its Confucian history... but no.

That's the same logic I used

What would be those conditions? More democratic Russia? More militant France?

Honestly, I'm not really sure WHAT I want to do. I chose IB because I didn't like being locked into finance, marketing, or management (the last one is hard to find a job straight out of college). I like video games, baseball, and tech, so Japan's alright?

Also going back to our old convo, didn't you say Russia and France were our ideal allies?

Hrm.

Onto other topics, it seems my subset major is being chosen for me. I'm an international business major and this semester they're offering business in Japan, Latin America, or Emergin markets. China and Europe are not being offered this semester.

Is Japan and Business still a worthwhile major, or should I wait until new classes open next semester? I have no strong preference tbh

Doesn't this risk Russia doing something even more stupid in an effort to assert their strength?

Also, is Putin really as strong as people say he is, or are there opposition groups in Russia against him still?

Seems kind of sad. :/ So where does Russia go from here if they don't have Ukraine (or anywhere else of Europe for that matter?)

So is Russia's ambitions over in the regard of the Eurasian Union? I read that this is all an affect of NATO's eastern expansion, should we have expanded into those countries or no? And I thought Kazakhstan has alot of natural gas?

So what is Russia's next move then if their Eurasia plan is done? Do you think the USA is going to continue footing the bill for Europe (in regards to defense with NATO) when they refuse to go along with our foreign policy objectives?

Yeah, I'm down. Just send it whenever you finish it. Even an early draft would be fine, as I'm capable of critique.

If I asked to read that one story you were working on a year ago, would you share it?

The question is, will Europe follow through? I recall reading that the reason the Mistral class ships are being sold to Russia still is because the UK said they're not cutting off oligarchs from splurging in London. Looking back to what you said, I now realize that this is exactly the sort of thing you need allies/legitimacy/credibility for in efforts to punish but not have war.

So I guess is further sanctions against Putinist Russia actually possible? And if they're not giving back Crimea, when is it going to end? Is it even viable to fight back against Putin, or would it be better to simply let him win this time?