If you\u2019ve ever played Risk you recognize the difficulty that comes from trying to conquer, then maintain \u201cRussia\u201d (the greenish colored countries).\u00a0 Five countries (Ural, Afghanistan, Middle East, Siam, and Kamchatka) are the gateways into Russia, defending against attacks from Alaska, Ukraine, Egypt, East Africa, and Indonesia.\u00a0 Twelve countries make up the \u201ccontinent\u201d and owning it is rewarded by an extra 7 armies per turn.\u00a0 North America, by contrast is only comprised of 9 countries and has to defend 3 ways in.\u00a0 Owning it is worth an extra 5 armies per turn.<\/p>\n
So, why the Parker Brothers geopolitical lesson?\u00a0 The game parallels today\u2019s current events.\u00a0 \u00a0When someone finally makes their play to control that continent, anyone owning those countries in Africa, Europe, America, and Australia have no choice but to attack.\u00a0 To sit back and wait is to allow that player to consolidate power until they possess such overwhelming force to blast a path through all adjoining continents.\u00a0 Letting someone control all of Russia is to cower and hope to be eaten last.<\/p>\n
It is where we are today.\u00a0 It is difficult to maintain control of a large continent like Russia.\u00a0 But, Putin is doing it.\u00a0 He took Crimea and the world basically yawned.\u00a0 Obama scolded and John Kerry (Did you know he served in Vietnam?) wagged a finger at him and said \u201cyou don\u2019t do that in the 21st<\/sup> century.\u201d\u00a0 They both told our fledgling allies that Russian is naked and alone.\u00a0\u00a0 But just as in high school, the football jocks with the huge package aren\u2019t at all embarrassed by being seen naked in the locker room.\u00a0 They may even perversely enjoy it.\u00a0 Now, he is parked on the eastern edge of the Ukraine with 100,000 troops and armor.\u00a0 Europe is decidedly not<\/span><\/i> going to be eaten last.<\/p>\n Putin is a bully and a thug.\u00a0 He is a former KGB Colonel.\u00a0 He recognizes power and preys on opportunity and weakness.\u00a0 The world and especially Obama have given him plenty of both.\u00a0 The only thing he respects (or fears) is someone stronger than him with the demonstrated resolve to use that strength.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not advocating for war.\u00a0 We\u2019ve had enough of that for a while.\u00a0 Plus, we don\u2019t have any military-minded or experienced people in positions of decision making where it comes to the use and training of our military.\u00a0 It is an art and a science.\u00a0 You don\u2019t enlist at the rank of Sergeant or Colonel.\u00a0 But we have to do something.\u00a0 Doing nothing is simply asking to be eaten last.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been the world\u2019s policeman for so long, it IS our job now.\u00a0 No one else is going to do it, or could even if we asked them to.<\/p>\n But we could stop him\u2014and without firing a shot (unless he said screw it and attacked.)\u00a0 K.T. McFarland wrote this great article about how it could be done.<\/p>\n