Alright Mud Pie, lets play your imaginary scenario out to its logical (and logistical) conclusion and see how it fares.Originally Posted by Mud Pie
Presumably these evil doers are coming to steal our vast and mighty resources, because were oh so flush rich with them.
The good news for them is that our major population centres as mostly situation along a shoestring not too far from the American border. That should make conquering and occupying us with a garrison pretty simple, right?
Or would it?
The bad news is that our plentiful bounty isnt all conveniently located in a big pile just on the Kanukistan side of the Detroit-Windsor border.
Nope. Far from it.
Instead its by far spread out across our vast hinterland that is about 4 million square miles big (almost 20 times the size of Ukraine), stretched across a border we share with our Yankee friends that is five and a half thousand miles long.
Do you think weve got ourselves a lovely 6 lane highway even close to the M1 running across that vast expanse? Well we sure do for about 150 miles North out of Toronto. But after that youre down to a single lane for about, oh, the next 2000 miles heading west (and thats where a lot of the good stuff is). Going further North, youve mostly got a single lane as well. East is better as youve got mostly 2 lanes going all the way to the Atlantic coast, but again, this is right along the border. Try to go North again (want some lumber?) and youre back to single lanes. Trains dont fare much better - its pretty much a single track in both directions for most of the way. But again, this is only east to west they need to go north-south.
Think the internet works along these single lane roads and rail? Nope! Most of the way you dont get a single bar (who the feck do you think theyre servicing?). The power grid is pretty shoddy too.
Now, another interesting thing about these remote locations where all our oodles of gold is stashed, is that even though they have very sparse populations, they would still need to garrison them all otherwise these long lonely roads would be prime targets for partisans with IEDs. Dont want your trucks full of ore and lumber, etc., blowing up 150 miles from civilization, would you?
So theyre going to need to build lots of fancy roads (and thats a lot of snow plows!), and rails, and set up proper telecommunications (good thing for them theyve got Elon), almost completely revamp our energy grid and then also build barracks all over the place for their troops (gotta be at least half a million or double triple?) to keep 4 million square miles under wraps, because even then thats less than 1 Oorah per 4 square miles of territory. These troops will need fed and supplied, and theyre going to want entertainment as well so thats a lot of construction going on and a hell of a lot of secondary industries popping up to support these primary ones. And thats not to mention the development that will need to be required to tap the loot! Mines, oil infrastructure and pipelines, quarries, lumber camps and mills, etc. And this is all just the tip of the iceberg!
Speaking of icebergs, if its the Russians doing it then theyd need to massively expand our ports - not just for getting all their new wealth back to Russia (or abroad), but to keep their warships docked, etc. we dont really have much in the way of facilities for that.
This would all require such massive and expensive investment, and such a money pit (think of all the greasy pockets along the way), that it seems like a real stupid idea especially and get this especially when as things stands:
They can already just buy what they want at 60 cents on the dollar!
Or if they want the water they can just open up the bloody tap! Our fresh water Great Lakes border the Americans as well!
Am I giddy at the thought of sky this?
Yes!
Is it because I love Vladimir Putin?
No, dimwit! Im giddy because its just such a ridiculous idea!
But, pray tell. With all this investment and economic activity going on
How soon can they get here?
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