So let's talk WWIII.

[E-Stalin [Orthrus]]

Ho-kay.

So rewinding to 2011, we had Arab Spring and then our Arab winter. Now Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and a fuckton of other countries all face revolutions or civil wars. The middle east is in the middle of a 3-way clusterfuck, where you have three possible out comes:
US friendly result,
Russia friendly result,
Fuck y'all Jihad result.

Russia wants a stable Middle-East to act as a trade and allied network, given that they're in Russia's backyard. This is precisely why we've been creating chaos in these countries and fucking about with Iraq, Libya, and trying to push heavy on Iran.

Now, recently, Russia got back up on its feet with a modernized military and went, "Fuck this noise, we're taking our backyard."

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Now, the clusterfuck.

The Syrian civil war goes like this: You have the government that wants to remain in control and stable. This government is on good relations with Iran and Russia, as Iran and Russia have been trade partners for some time. Given that this creates a positive environment for Russia to grow economically, the US can't allow this to happen, because unless pressure is maintained on Russia, Russia is the most logical choice to be the go-to trade partner with Europe and the Middle East given their geographic proximity.

So, we have Syria vs Rebels who want to overthrow this government. A bunch of Islamist types who seek a Shariah government join in with the rebels, so now we have two factions fighting against the government for different reasons entirely. The US provides funds and arms to the 'safe' rebels, and ultimately arms both of them, creating Al Nusra and Al Queda in Syria.

So now we have 4 factions fighting against the government, with proxy US involvement. At the same time, the Kurds in Syria go, "Yup. We're done. We revolt, give us our own state."

So now you have the Kurds fighting against Syria AND the Rebels, with the rebels fighting against the Kurds AND Syria.

Then ISIS hops the fuck in, so now you have EVERYONE trying to kill ISIS while ISIS tries to kill everyone else at the same time, while all of these factions are fighting eachother.

Iran goes, "Yo, Syria. Let me help you out." and starts funneling funds and arms to the Syrian government.
Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries go, "Iran? FUCK Iran" and go, "Hey Turkey, you hate Iran too yah?"

Now the gulf states funnel arms and cash into Syria for the rebels through Turkey, while inadvertently arming ISIS and the Kurds at the same time.

Russia goes, "We're allies with Iran and we dig Syria. Let's help you out." and start bombing the fuck out of not just ISIS, but virtually all opposition forces.

The US continues to support the rebels directly and indirectly, while also supporting ISIS indirectly.

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So, we now have a 10-way clusterfuck. Why is this crucial?
Well, the fate of Syria will decide the geopolitical balance of power and alliances as we know it in the 21st century. This is basically our centuries World War 1, where everything that happened afterwards can be tied back to that war.

So Russia's hardcore hooked up with Iran and Syria, and currently has free use of an Iranian airbase. After the Iranian Nuclear Deal (possibly the best thing Obama's ever done for world peace), Russia's free to start trading in nuclear power with Iran again, and they've invited Iran to join Russia's growing Eurasian Economic Union, an alternative to the EU.

Now, TURKEY has had it up to hear with the EU and NATO after the recent failed Coup, and is getting really sick of our shit. So recently, they hooked up with Russia and are considering giving up on the EU entirely, which is interesting given their lack of relations with Iran.
And Turkey just invaded Syria themselves. Problem being, they don't really give a fuck about ISIS, they just hate the Kurds. The Kurds are to Turkey what ISIS is to us. So Turkey's in Syria now but no cooperating with the Syrian government or Russia on actual objectives.

Now, France and Germany are on the verge of civil unrest given the migrant influx and without Turkey's support in taking care of incoming refugees, the EU's facing an internal clusterfuck and possibly collapse.

The UK fucking left the EU and is now actually reopening relations with Russia.

And Ukraine? Well, what's left to say?

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So. We have a splintering EU and NATO, a growing alliance of Russian allies and military power, and a very real chance of NATO losing their control of the Middle East.

Iran is fighting a proxy war in Yemen and is on the verge of possibly facing actual openwarfare with Saudi Arabia, and have recently dropped Russian S-300 ABMs on their nuclear facilities (bad sign).

Russia has upped their military to hardcore "Holy shit, this is Soviet Union level stuff" and planted mobile ICBMs all over the European border as well as hardcore S-400 ABMs on those borders, as well as in Syria to control airspace.

If the EU goes, NATO goes. If NATO goes, the US drops dead like a fucking rock.

We're on a fucking brink here.

[Tundra]

This was so cheerful and heartwarming. I'm gonna sleep soundly tonight.