TW: Some, including many of the same neo-cons that brought us the Iraq morass, have been shrieking about a resurgent Russia. While Russia clearly has a chip on it shoulder, its resources remain limited not least militarily. And understand its population of 140MM is declining by more than 2,000 people...per day, a rate that is increasing.
From the Economist:
"[when engaging the Georgians] Russian forces lacked surveillance drones and night-vision equipment. Radios worked poorly, and commanders resorted to using mobile phones. Troops barely co-ordinated with the air force, which lost several jets...and dropped mostly old “dumb” bombs rather than modern smart ones...Outside experts estimate that one-third of defence spending is embezzled...The Russians may not be a match for even a medium-sized Western army, say experts, but they are good enough to scare the poor, post-Soviet states in the “near abroad"
http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12262231
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