Instigator / Pro
0
1528
rating
11
debates
59.09%
won
Topic
#1696

The USA has a stronger military than Russia

Status
Finished

The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.

Winner & statistics
Better arguments
0
24
Better sources
0
16
Better legibility
0
8
Better conduct
0
8

After 8 votes and with 56 points ahead, the winner is...

VonKlempter
Parameters
Publication date
Last updated date
Type
Standard
Number of rounds
3
Time for argument
One week
Max argument characters
3,000
Voting period
Two weeks
Point system
Multiple criterions
Voting system
Open
Contender / Con
56
1523
rating
5
debates
60.0%
won
Description

Rules
1. No forfeiting
2. No trolling
3. No excessive cussing

Round Format
R1: Opening statements
R2: Rebuttals
R3: Defense

Round 1
Pro
#1
Forfeited
Con
#2
     USA - The United States of America, a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States] Stronger - More able, competent, or powerful in a specific field. [https://www.dictionary.com/browse/strong?s=t] Military - the armed forces. [https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/military] Russia - A transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and North Asia. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia] I shall now present my arguments on five fronts:
   
  Military Technology:
   Common propaganda considers American technology superior to that of Russia, yet Russia’s military has been more successful in recent conflicts, while the US has not. American wars in the Middle East became multi-year quagmires, in comparison to Russia’s rapid victories against Georgia and Ukraine. Most people consider Russian technology to be "Quantity over quality". Contrary to common understanding, I apply this phrase from a different perspective to the Russian military. To illustrate what I mean, take a look at two scenarios: First, Country X has terrible military technology; and they are massed. Second, Country Y has great weapons technology; and they are massed. Russia is an example of Country Y.

  Quantity:
  Throwing as much as they can muster into the fight is a classic Russian strategy:
  • 22,170 MBTs, 3 times more than the US. 
  • 70 Corvettes, 35 times more than the US.
  • 17 Submarines, 9 times more than the US.
  • 449,000 personnel, 41 times more than the US.
  Military Campaigns:
  The US intervention in the war in Afghanistan, soon to enter its 18th year, is the longest-running conflict in American history. US-led forces managed to root the Taliban out from the country’s major cities, but have since been locked in guerrilla fighting as the Taliban still controls and contests much of the rest of the country. 
  Contrast Russia’s experience. In 2008, it launched a surprise invasion of Georgia, a small country on its southern border. Georgia’s two secessionist regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, worked quickly with Russia’s military to declare and secure independence. The war officially lasted less than a week, as Russian forces quickly overwhelmed Georgia’s army.

  Expenditure:
  Ask yourself: Do we know how much our adversaries spend on their military, and what they are getting for their money? Russia, for example, presents a glaring problem for academic and policy circles alike. Most comparisons are done in current U.S. dollars based on prevailing exchange rates, making Russia’s economy seem the size of South Korea’s. This approach is useless for comparing defence spending, or the country’s purchasing power. Yet, it is used frequently to argue that despite a large military modernization program, and a sizable conventional and nuclear deterrent, Moscow is a paper tiger. As a consequence, the debate on relative military power and expectations of the future military balance is warped by a low-information environment.

  Servicemen:
  The American Army was led by a Ukraine asset, although he is not technically Russian, Ukraine employs Russian technology, tactics and training, which proves that the Russian military is made up of more than a bunch of California gangsters. If you consider the American Army strong at all, it is because of the strength of this Ukraine commander. 




Round 2
Pro
#3
Forfeited
Con
#4
Forfeited
Round 3
Pro
#5
Forfeited
Con
#6
I am unable to give any defense owing to the fact that my opponent has not given any sort of rebuttal.