Will Russia Ever Become A Normal Country?

Straight Talker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121186290#Comment_121186290

Yes it does mate.

Straight Talker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121186694#Comment_121186694

Hopefully the situation will improve in Russia whenever/if he takes over. Hopefully he might pull back on or better still call off the war effort as well.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121186290#Comment_121186290

Correct…. A countries first priority is to its own citizens.

the situation in Ukraine / Russia is not changing unless Putins physical health takes a dive…

he can be elected for two more terms

ancapailldorcha

No idea what Fico is. Since you're spouting Putinist drivel, I see no reason to care.

eightieschewbaccy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121188023#Comment_121188023

Fico is the new leader of Slovakia. He's publicly blamed "Ukrainian Nazis and fascists" for the invasion. He's an ally of the likes of Orban. However going into a coalition means he's unlikely to actually block EU aid.

He's very much so of a similar ilk to Orban. Describes NGOs as "foreign agents", relies on conspiracy theories. Also concerns that he'll go after the media, independent judiciary etc. Not exactly the kind of leader most would want to celebrate.

crusd

For those interested in the History of Russia, the Empire Podcast Series 4 is doing an excellent history of the Russian Empire. It is astonishing how often the exact same themes we see today repeat themselves.

The outsider was always to blame, the people were always cannon fodder, the elites were always kleptocrats and were regularly purged on the whims of whatever paranoid strongman was in place. Ivan the Terrible even vacated the throne because of fear of the nobles for a time to one of his apparatchiks and remained in complete control, taking it back officially a a while later with the pesky restrictions on his power removed and purging of all opposition, a la Medvedev.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121189186#Comment_121189186

The place is too big, too dysfunctional and lacks the infrastructure to be a properly modern state. It could be transformed by dedicated and effective leadership but all it's ever had was tsars and tsar impersonators.

Ten of Swords

Thread closed

This was meant to be a discussion about Russia as a nation however it has simply become a vehicle for posters banned from the Russia/Ukraine war thread to carry on the discussion here.