International Railroad Discussion > Russia Revives Rail Garrison Concept

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/russias-terrifying-nuke-trains-will-be-roving-the-rails-1675562485

We saw one of these at the St. Petersburg Railway Museum at the Warsaw Station last year. Never dreamed it would be used again by the Evil Empire. President Reagan must be rolling over in his grave to see how we have allowed this to happen again.

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We saw one of these at the St. Petersburg Railway
> Museum at the Warsaw Station last year. Never
> dreamed it would be used again by the Evil Empire.
> President Reagan must be rolling over in his grave
> to see how we have allowed this to happen again.


Amen .Vlad seems to yearn for the old days.
Regards,DK

CPR_4000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/russias-terrifyin
> g-nuke-trains-will-be-roving-the-rails-1675562485


"Terrifying"? Really? Gee, you think these guys hype much?

The Soviet Union and Russia have had Land Mobile ICBM's aimed at North America for decades.
This is nothing new. Unless you're trying to scare your audience by hyping the crap out of it...

As I read the article this was in response to new US weapons able to hit Russian targets without warning. They are billed as second strike weapon which would survive a pre-emptive first strike by a foreign power.


Bob

Maybe this thing won't be sitting around in a museum in Ohio anymore . . .

---

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We saw one of these at the St. Petersburg Railway
> Museum at the Warsaw Station last year. Never
> dreamed it would be used again by the Evil Empire.
> President Reagan must be rolling over in his grave
> to see how we have allowed this to happen again.


I always wonder why folks think Regan was such a hard liner against the USSR. The USSR collapsed because they couldn't match the spending spree on military hardware by the USA that added billions to our national debt. Remember, it was during Regan's administration that a Korean Airlines flight was shot down by the USSR with US citizens and a sitting US Congressman on board...what did Regan do?.....he gave a tough "speech" and banned Aeroflot flights from the US. Imagine if there had been a Democrat in office and he did the same thing. I can hear the howls of protest about "cowering" and "weakness" towards the "Evil Empire" by members of the opposition.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/29/14 05:59 by ATSF3751.

ATSF3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> andersonb109 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > We saw one of these at the St. Petersburg
> Railway
> > Museum at the Warsaw Station last year. Never
> > dreamed it would be used again by the Evil
> Empire.
> > President Reagan must be rolling over in his
> grave
> > to see how we have allowed this to happen
> again.
>
>
> I always wonder why folks think Regan was such a
> hard liner against the USSR. The USSR collapsed
> because they couldn't match the spending spree on
> military hardware by the USA that added billions
> to our national debt. Remember, it was during
> Regan's administration that a Korean Airlines
> flight was shot down by the USSR with US citizens
> and a sitting US Congressman on board...what did
> Regan do?.....he gave a tough "speech" and banned
> Aeroflot flights from the US. Imagine if there had
> been a Democrat in office and he did the same
> thing. I can hear the howls of protest about
> "cowering" and "weakness" towards the "Evil
> Empire" by members of the opposition.

Thank you. Like all two-bit dictators, Putin is trying to shore up public opinion while his economy is going down the drain, due to falling oil prices, sanctions, etc. The true danger, for those who want to worry their silly heads off, is the nuclear missile submarines lurking off our/their coasts. And the day one of those is launched will be the end of both nations as we know them. Which is why they'll never be used, no matter the rhetoric on both sides.

ATSF3751 Wrote:

>
> I always wonder why folks think Regan was such a
> hard liner against the USSR. The USSR collapsed
> because they couldn't match the spending spree on
> military hardware by the USA that added billions
> to our national debt. Remember, it was during
> Regan's administration that a Korean Airlines
> flight was shot down by the USSR with US citizens
> and a sitting US Congressman on board...what did
> Regan do?.....he gave a tough "speech" and banned
> Aeroflot flights from the US. Imagine if there had
> been a Democrat in office and he did the same
> thing. I can hear the howls of protest about
> "cowering" and "weakness" towards the "Evil
> Empire" by members of the opposition.


Who was Regan? The US had a president named Reagan.

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe this thing won't be sitting around in a
> museum in Ohio anymore . . .

You know, in that same museum they have this thing, which is probably more flexible than any rail garrison concept.

(I selected the first photo because it shows WECX 1002 in the background)

Ray

---

---

Small problem with the US Rail Garrison Missile Trains.
The missile they were designed for, the Peacekeeper, have all been retired and pulled out of service.

But I think the real danger is an accident or misunderstanding that would set off a chain reacton... I mean, with all that fire power aimed everywhere as a sheer numbers thing, it's likely to happen some day. Perhaps someone will mistake one of the private industry space age rockets as something else?

Wrote:
--
-----------------------------------------------------
And the day one of those is
> launched will be the end of both nations as we
> know them. Which is why they'll never be used, no
> matter the rhetoric on both sides.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/29/14 20:46 by wabash2800.

wabash2800 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But I think the real danger is an accident or
> misunderstanding that would set off a chain
> reacton... I mean, with all that fire power aimed
> everywhere as a sheer numbers thing, it's likely
> to happen some day. Perhaps someone will mistake
> one of the private industry space age rockets as
> something else?
>
> Wrote:
> --
> --------------------------------------------------
> ---
> And the day one of those is
> > launched will be the end of both nations as we
> > know them. Which is why they'll never be used,
> no
> > matter the rhetoric on both sides.

With this type of background:

http://observer.com/2014/12/russians-rage-against-america/

Geodyssey Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Who was Regan? The US had a president named
> Reagan.

Donald Regan, Pres Ronnie's Chief of Staff, until Nancy got him sacked.

robj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> wabash2800 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > But I think the real danger is an accident or
> > misunderstanding that would set off a chain
> > reacton... I mean, with all that fire power
> aimed
> > everywhere as a sheer numbers thing, it's
> likely
> > to happen some day. Perhaps someone will
> mistake
> > one of the private industry space age rockets
> as


> > something else?
> >
> > Wrote:
> > --
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > ---
> > And the day one of those is
> > > launched will be the end of both nations as
> we
> > > know them. Which is why they'll never be
> used,
> > no
> > > matter the rhetoric on both sides.
>
> With this type of background:
>
> http://observer.com/2014/12/russians-rage-against-
> america/


I wouldn't take anything in the linked article seriously. Not really sure what the Observers point is, that's assuming they know what this cut and paste job supplied them by no doubt some neocon neoliberal think tank is about other than trying to stir up FEAR in the uninformed American public. I've spent a good bit of time in Russia the last couple years, both in Moscow and Siberia and the Far East. Not once have I encountered a single example of antiAmerican feeling, unhappiness with our government and some of it's policies yes, disappointment with President Obama, yes but open hostility, no. The great majority of Russians respect the US, good grief many have family here. We in this country need to get over ourselves, it isn't all about us, most people in the world don't think about the US at all, get through whole days, weeks, months without thinking about the US at all.
The only country I've visited where hostility to people from other nations is expressed openly, usually in the least informed and ignorant terms is here in good ole Murica.

But the bureaucrats start the wars and the common people fight them...

wabash2800 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But the bureaucrats start the wars and the common
> people fight them...


Actually, no. The electeds start the wars, the bureaucrats try to find some way of either avoiding them or winning them, and the common people fight them--and blame the bureaucrats.

But the common people elected the electeds. (often on the basis of panic-mongering articles such as this one)

Remember back when Jimmy Carter promised to "give America the government it deserves?" Unfortunately, we have achieved precisely that..

ATSF3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> andersonb109 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > We saw one of these at the St. Petersburg
> Railway
> > Museum at the Warsaw Station last year. Never
> > dreamed it would be used again by the Evil
> Empire.
> > President Reagan must be rolling over in his
> grave
> > to see how we have allowed this to happen
> again.
>
>
> they couldn't match the spending spree on
> military hardware by the USA that added billions
> to our national debt.

A mere pittance given the massive debh that the current tax and spend administration has piled on we and our heirs...all to zero benefit to anyone except their party.
At least Reagan's spending served some end.

Bob

navarch1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ATSF3751 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > andersonb109 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > We saw one of these at the St. Petersburg
> > Railway
> > > Museum at the Warsaw Station last year. Never
> > > dreamed it would be used again by the Evil
> > Empire.
> > > President Reagan must be rolling over in his
> > grave
> > > to see how we have allowed this to happen
> > again.
> >
> >
> > they couldn't match the spending spree on
> > military hardware by the USA that added
> billions
> > to our national debt.
>
> A mere pittance given the massive debh that the
> current tax and spend administration has piled on
> we and our heirs...all to zero benefit to anyone
> except their party.
> At least Reagan's spending served some end.
>
> Bob

You say this about Democrats, but we're tax and spend, Republicans are don't tax and still spend. Look at the Republican Utopia/Dystopia of Kansas, wiping out hundreds of millions of dollars of surplus and replacing it with hundreds of millions of dollars of debt. And you call Democrats irreponsible, shame on you. Also I go to Russia frequently like GettingShort, I can vouch for everything that he says. I will also add, that in Russia, there is certainly a "macho" culture, in other words if your tough or at least appear tough, more people respect you. Putin does what he does because people think him a good leader because he does it. This destruction he has wrought on their economy, might finally break his hold on the people, since it would take simply too much to overcome. Of course, like the US Russia is effectively a two party country, Putin's Real Russia vs. the Communist, if he loses, there is still going to be at the government level some antiamericanism. Their Green Party (Yoblaco or Apple) is finally gettin off the ground, and they seem to be pragmatist, so maybe in ten or twenty years, there will be some normalicy in the US Russian relations, but it will take awhile.
Nick

NGotwalt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This destruction he has
> wrought on their economy, might finally break his
> hold on the people, since it would take simply too
> much to overcome.

I suspect that's highly unlikely, given a.) the ordinary Russian citizen's capacity to endure hardship - the country's recovery from both WW1 and WW2 brought unimaginable suffering, and yet the system persisted and b.) the hold over Russian media by what used to be the KGB - Putin's people.

In any case the history of Russia's relationship with the West, from Peter the Great onwards, has never been simple. There have been times of co-operation, even friendship, when Russia has been a member of a common European cause - in 1812 against Napoleon, as a member of the Triple Entente from 1914 to 1917 and again from 1941 to 1945 (for which the Russians generally don't feel they are given sufficient credit) and there have been times of open hostility - various flashpoints during the 19th century, including the Crimean War 1854-56, various stand offs over the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire and what was called the Great Game, the Cold War 1945 to 1989 and now what looks like a renewed Cold War. I doubt that things will change anytime soon.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/15 08:59 by 86235.