[jester]

Here is the scenario:

Nationalism rising in Russia and their getting nasty, as its former PACT members join Nato and they consider this expansionism. They use force as well as subversion to keep the remaining former satelights in their sphere of influence. They form a new version of the WARSAW Pact whatever it would be called. They also overthrow some nations and install pupet governments more inline with MOSCOW. They also manipulate the flow of oil and gas to Western Europe...

MiddleEast and other OPEC members manipulate oil production to increase its costs, this backfires causing a worldwide recession.

China has massive numbers of unemployed due to a world wide recession. And it is pumping up its military to quel domestic unrest. It also challenges fuel supplies in their sphere of influience, and they ramp up Nationalism to divert from their domestic problems. Its those Damned Yankees for not buying our junk! They also build up their naval forces and shadow US planes and submarines, as well as invade Japanese waters.

Escelation of tensions develope between the two nations. An unknown submarine threatens a US carrier group and the carier employs ASW assets, this can be successful or not, China protests and tensions ramp up or hostilities can begin there. Further China moves in to blockade China and threaten the US naval assets in the Pacific because they want to be a world player and project power now.

Russia has shattered Nato with its manipulation of gas and oil. They move into one of the newer smaller member nations of ?Nato and their bluff is not called. They realise Nato is not going to respond. The UN as usual says just words. Then Russia goes on a rampage eating up many of the smaller republics that once were part of the USSR.

The US and a few European Nations finaly act after Russia has reclaimed much of Eastern Europe and its former asian republics.

The US became weak, a leftist president came to power with promised of social reform. To fund his programs he gutted the military and pulled out of the comitments abroad. The US lacked the men and equipment to man its units let alone handle combat operations.

And having snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in the middleast the US credibility plumeted further. Those countries soon fell to sectarian violence fueled by external influences. Iran and Russia and thuse control of oil from the Persian Gulf was not under control or threat by Iran., Iraq becomes a broken but the bulk of it is controled or a puppet of Iran.

Pakistan withdraws support because of the new US presidents policy, Taliban grows and turns portions of Pakistan into regions that are lawless, others are supported by Pakistan and some by Russia with a few remaining civil but they are under threat.

The US is perceieved as weak moraly and militarility, that emboldens the Russians to move and the Chinese. They think we will not do anything and that we can not. They think they have dealt with Western Europe with manipulating their fuel supplies and their proven weakness and failure to respond to earlier encroachments on nations. So the bullies get bolder and brazen, but then they move one step to far.

In Asia it could be Taiwan, or a showdown between US and Chinese fleets or naval assets. The submarine incident is a likely one.

Europe, pretty much as I said.


But then the US and the remaining countries in Europe <or some at least> tell the Russians "STOP! You have until X to get out." Russia emboldened by its earlier sucesses and just the words from the other countries of the world ignores the threat <really when has that worked? Didn't work in Kuwait and didn't work in Georgia> this time however US/European forces are there and a face off ensues. Two forces near one another with hostile intentions, or a date to leave. Or a threat is made or percieved and there is fighting. The Russians think they can beat the weak Americans after all they are weak, and they have to transit the Atlantic. But a good effort is made, and these soft Americans whose only culture is blue jean, sneekers and big mac and coke bloody the Russians, who have now lost face so they pour in more and more forces and eventualy break the Americans and go into the rear, now in an effort to take a vital tatget. By now Flights of C-5s and C-117s and C-130s are brining in more and more US troops and equipment to fill the gaps while the larger forces are crossing the Atlantic via ship.

US reserves are called up as are national guard and even inactive reserves and it is on! A new president is elected to undo the damage done by the leftist and maybe he is a magician who can win this.

By now Russia and the US is in a full on conflict. A few European Nations are along side the US, and some of the countries that have been swallowed up by Russia have formed free governments in exile and rallied a few regiments or even divisions who are fighting as well.

The Middle East is in chaos. A Multi National Force is sent in to stabilize specific areas, mainly those who produce and supply oil so the industry of the world can continue. Kuwait is protected, portionso of Iraq and Saudi Arabia is propped up with a division, a squadron of Destoryers with some air assets are stationed in the Gulf, now oil tankers are sent out in convoy with an air umbrella.

Dog fights between Allied and Iranian/Russian aircraft are a common sight over the Persian Gulf. An Allied Landing occurs on the Irainain side of the Straights of Hormuz so the Iraninans can not attack ships transiting the Gulf.

Asia:

China is in revolution with disenfranchised poor, coupled with unemployment and drafting for the military. An Aliance between Russia and China did not hold, they have to long a history of hostility and they dispute regions of their common boarder. They have border clashes of divisional size but they have not devolved into an outright war.

N and S Korea make a mpove. The dying Kim wants to make one grand foolish gesture. He fires nukes at S. Korea, Japan and American forces in Japan, they have limited assistance from China but then the assistance given to S.Korea from the US is also limited.

Mostly the fighting in Asia is an airwar and one of naval assets and missiles.

Taiwan is pummeled by conventional weapons and near blockaded, although the blockade doesn't last when the US fleet is in the area.

China sends an invasion forces they have been working on for 10 years to take that rogue province. With the help of the US it is destoryed. And to break the blockade Taiwain sends an expedition to mainland China with is met as liberators from some areas and a free Chinese Army is formed among units who mutinied or that are raised on the mainland. China is in a full civil war.

But the Taiwanese can only give so much even the US can give only limited support. So what becomes FREE CHINA does not expand to much, but they do manage to support the other Free Forces throughout China but most of the Support is in areas they have influence and communication with.

There are also uprising or conflicts in Vietnam and China, and Tibet and Burma revolt now that they have seen what is happening and take a chance to return as free and independant states. And Western China revolts too and are helped by Radiacal Isamist Groups, fighting the Americans in Iran and Iraq is old, the new Jihad as it is called is in Western China.

India and Pakistan are tense with some boarder skirmishes by nothing major happens.

Cuba has several older US Frigates and Destroyers circling it and they remain quiet, although they do make themselves available for Russian submarine facilities and even aireal recon assets and a hotbed of intelligence activity with agents going to Mexico or Latin America and then into the US.

Venezuela creates hostility in its region, creates an arms race although it is petering out as the powers who supply arms are now using them. They do support guerilla groups in Columbia and Peru and Ecuador and Chile <those are the nations that border it right?> and there are the odd clashes between patrols with alot of military buildups and posturing but they do not break into open war, Venezuela would loose, Chaves remains in power by the slightest grip and a full on war would force him to loose his control. The neighbors just do not want a war.

Portions of Africa have turned into a bloodbath with rivals taking revenge for age old rivalries, if you are of the wrong tribe, religion or color then you are hunted and killed, almost all whites are driven from the continent those who remain are butchered, and that was what drove most out, the wholesale slaughter of people based on their skin. It reverts to the most barbaric of places on earth, but they do have modern weapons.

Only a few western buisnesses have maintained a presence there and that is with the help of private armies. But these are in the more remote areas that are inaccessible without great difficulty. It was learned early on that locals be avoided for these security forces as they desert, turn on their employers or they just plain kill each other. These remain only if they have clear access to a port. Oil Facilitis off coast are well guarded, with these companies buying older military vessels to protect them and the oil. Mining corporations build their own docks and rail lines that are heavily guarded, most assets in the inerior are abandoned.

S. America errupts into economic chaos but they really avoid the war, but there are large segments of the societies of Brazil and Argentina that are diseffected and they are both dangerous places to be. Bandits roam the countrysie, gangs the inner cities, draconian police andm ilitary roam everywere and they shoot first and don't ask questions, they fall into martial law with a military junta rulling both countries.

These countries also supply the waring powers with raw materials and act as a means for eastern and western goods to be exchanged, so the rifle between rich and poor grows, Brazil is on the verge of a popular uprising and the military and police are doing everything they can to errradicate it.

Austrailia, has supplied troops to The Middle East and Asia with some in Europe, they have been effected by Chinas attempt to become the dominant region in the power and its navy took a heavy blow. Norther Oz has taken some missiles as well. And they have become more isolated with goods from not comming in very often as a result of the war and limited shipping.

Alasaka is more a naval war with some bombers flying over, a few small raids by Soviet forces occurs but thats it. The US beyond landing SEALs for intel work blasts the Russian Pacific bases with a few raids by Marines but these operations are limited in scale.

And that is how I would rewrite it.