that is largely accurate. China has a narrow internal focus and glaring holes in its spectrum of power that would not allow it to provide russia with the degree of support substantially different in substance from studied neutrality.
The US is still playing Russian roulette by putting the revolver to the head of the US dollar’s status as the universal reserve currency, pulling the trigger, and seeing the brains get blown out this time or if it might take one or more pull of the trigger later.
My answer to NYT is simply: what make you think China is the only friend of Russia? Just because you are an American news agency and Pax Americana a priori?
No, huge entities like EU, Russia, China does NOT behave like little children playing house. They care about strategic interests. If their strategic interest aligns, they will overcome all obstacles and past grudges and work together. The US media LOVES to stress childish person-to-person dynamics, as if the large entities of the world behaves like American sitcom, because their audiences grew up watching sitcoms, instead of learning history. Well, if they are so keen and insistent upon locking themselves up in their little bubble of English-language media, who am I to burst it?
The strategic interests of EU is NOT in confrontation and cutting trade-ties with Russia. The ultimate national interest of every large entities is ultimately closer relations with everyone else across the world, and gaining interest and profit from these. This is what we truly meant by "expansion". The ONLY case in which a powerful entity will want to cut ties, is because they run into internal structural problem that prevents them from gaining their desired or deserved share of interests/profits from the relations. In fact, when such cases happen, the real problem is NOT the other party, but oneself. If the US could hugely benefit from US-China Trade, she will NOT cut trade relations/ties. If the EU can hugely benefit from EU-Russia trade, She will also NOT cut trade relations/ties. How on earth did EU and US lost the ability to hugely benefit from trade? Only when their relative power over the other party decline to a point where they simple CAN'T deter or control the actions of the other. Therefore, the gist of the problem is the declining ability to influence and persuade the other party to respect oneself.
Therefore, whatever words of bravado, is actually covering up one's declined ability to influence and persuade the other party. Remember that whenever you see such kind of language, you could pretty accurately predict that it's a weakling trying to act triumphant and appear more powerful than he/she really is.
P.S. This American narcissism might also has to do with their unhealth idolatry of the Greco-Roman civilization. They think they are Athenians, Spartans and Romans, thus they must imitate the Classical Era people and make up their own modern mythology: thus they have such truly funny stuff like Marvel version of Greek and Nordic mythology, and even as tacky as "American Gods". HAHAHAHA, the obsessive narcissism of these people! All risen out of that penis-envy ressentiment of lack of history, culture and depth.
Sorry, I think I might be off topic, will stop here.
