Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking. Login or Take a Tour!
mk · 3359 days ago · link · · parent · post: Matthew Yglesias: Something economists thought was impossible is happening in Europe
Maybe Putin decides rebuilding the USSR is a good idea? War usually means someone wants to conquer some territory, and there doesn't seem like anyone else in Europe that would be interested in expansion. Actually, I'd bet on China taking a few islands. They do have an army, and feel like they owe it to Japan. There's a solid WWIII: Russia decides to rebuild the USSR, and China takes Taiwan and invades some of Japan. Not likely.
I'm sure he'd love to have Ukraine. I'm sure he'd love to have Kazakhstan. Most of the rest of it is a net drain. If anything, Kazakhstan might be a flashpoint; the chinese have been investing heavily in Kazakhstan and if Russia decided they wanted it back, things might get exciting.