Trudeau Is an assclown. Bush, Cheney, Ashcroft and Blair should be in prison. I personally think that the U.S should mind their own business and keep all their troops at home.
Closing overseas bases would be catastrophic though. It would encourage regimes like China and Russia. I don't know the answer. Putin is about Putin, he is a narcissistic bully. I think Ukraine is fucked either way.
I'm opposed to authoritarianism. I think on the scale these things are happening on, the Russians are the lesser of two evils. The US has more power and reach when it comes to interfering with people's and countries' freedom - real freedom. Of course there's the illusion of freedom in America's zone of influence. You only see the real way things operate when someone does something big enough to threaten them. Assange rotting in jail for journalism is the obvious example.
I bet you're all in favour of Trudeau's drastic and authoritarian actions in Canada.
Parts of Ukraine would accept coming under Moscow rule again, but the vast majority will not and that sentiment has grown substantially since Crimea.
If there is significant bloodshed should an invasion occur, then anti occupational sentiment will create insurgency throughout the country and we've a century of proof that that's what the current scenario will lead to if the entire country is invaded.
Even taking the major cities would result in tens of thousands of dead on both sides. There are almost 3 million people in Kiev alone who don't identify as Russian.
How the US behaved leading up to the Iraq invasion means we should essentially treat any pronouncements from them as lies and propaganda. They're the ones (along with their British lapdogs) who've been saying an invasion is imminent and getting the mainstream media to spin it as a crisis. Other European leaders - including in the Ukraine - have been calling for calm and discussions. European leaders are frustrated that the Americans haven't shared their supposed intel that shows an invasion is planned.
All the countries Russia have invaded have been on their borders. For any other places they've been it's been on the invitation of that country's government - like in Syria. Funny how the Americans won't leave Iraq even though they've been asked to by the Iraqis. The Russians are bad, but they're bad in their own sphere of influence. The Americans export their death and destruction anywhere in the world it makes economic sense.
NATO a self-defence pact? They've been expanding eastwards since the Berlin Wall came down. Missile defence systems that could be placed ever closer to the Russians are effectively a first-strike weapon. They won't be stop a first-strike, but they could conceivably prevent retaliation.
I see no one here defending US foreign policy.
But you are absolutely being an apologist for a dictatorship.
It's not even remotely surprising either.
I won't bother replying to you again.
Oh, so the US being wrong in Iraq justifies Russia threatening Ukraine? Russia invaded Afghanistan, Georgia, Chechnya, Ukraine, some of those on false pretences too. They are currently pushing Belarus to remove their neutral stance so they can put nuclear missiles closer to Poland and Germany. (It's a done deal, Lukashenko is on board and the referendum will be rigged, like all elections there and in Russia).
Ukraine has suggested it might join NATO, but it is currently not eligible for membership. None of the NATO countries have pushed for it to join, indeed the US has made it very clear that it won't intervene militarily if Russia invades. That's because, and this might shock you, NATO is a delf-defence pact, and it only kicks in when a member state is attacked.
There is only one country threatening another here. There is only one country making up fake stories about genocide and fake attacks to justify a war. There is one country which has already broken an international treaty it signed and invaded Ukraine 8 years ago. And you know what, it's not the US.
I think you misunderstand the powers of state. We are not all Buddhist monks living in the Himalayas.
If Russia takes over the Ukraine the population will eventually accept it. Some will not because they remember freedom but they will die off and being Russian there and under Russian media and military control will become normalised.
It will be very difficult if ever to break out of that. What irks me is the way in which it is done through the portrayal of necessity and integrity. It is anything but.
The act on the international stage by Lavrov that we are all buddies and misfortunes are things get over is just galling.
Russia aren't the ones with 750 military bases in 80 countries around the world. Or the ones who on false pretenses started a war in Iraq that killed hundreds of thousands.
How would the US react if Canada or Mexico were being pushed to join a military pact with the Russians? The Cuban Missile Crisis gives us a good idea what might happen in that scenario.
Putins a modern day dictator along with Lukashenko both 26 years approx in power. His patriot pretence and denial of total domination of opponents will never be admitted. Sound familiar? It’s veiled modern day totalitarianism masked by an act of supposed self defence and democracy. It goes to show how the “narrative” of conspiracies and misinformation is actually reality in some places. False flags and election manipulation and control do happen in some parts of the world.
The thing is there is a breakdown in human trust and kindness towards each other all over the world since the dawn of the internet. We can see it here on a daily basis. How can we look to the powers that be and say we don’t experience the exact same mistrust and dislike in our own lives. Look at the TV and film library on Netflix for example, it’s loaded with depravity. The internet is essentially totally anonymous - that breeds bullying hatred and paranoia. It all breeds mistrust.
Russia is a malign actor on the world stage. It looks for weakness and exploits it. Sometimes sickeningly to depraved lengths and by proving it’s own depravity or willingness to humiliate opponents it thinks it is justified in its past suffereing. The eternal victim. We need to knock this weakness or the patient will become terminally Ill.
It's not "The Ukraine" It's just Ukraine.
And if Russia invades it will be squarely the fault of the Russian Government.
Putin's popularity was tanking throughout last year and his disapproval rating at all time highs: https://www.statista.com/statistics/896181/putin-approval-rating-russia/
It's a terribly run country, economy in shambles, high poverty and poor education. Putin has been a total failure for Russia and if they had anything resembling political freedom he'd be gone.
But it's a dictatorship and under increasing disapproval has concocted a conflict. Ultimately they can't afford this and Ukrainian's are not in favour so it will never become the settled will if the country is occupied. If they do go with a full invasion I think the condemnation and sanctions will be crippling, it will force financial centres (particularly London) to look at sanctions against individuals and ultimately it will lead to horrendous violence, depravation and death.
But it's no less foolish than a lot of what happens in Russian governance so who knows.
I'd say it's more likely to be a false false flag operation, given the US's track record...
Of course, all this would just blow over if the US stopped pushing for the Ukraine to join NATO. But that's not going to happen with the MIC having so much sway.
Putin only cares what Russians think. And they won't see anything about a false flag operation on Russian media.
Two days later and it appears Russia hasn't backed down, but I think they're getting desperate.
Reports today that civilians in Separatist areas are being evacuated to Russia today is a worrying development and reports in the last hour of an explosion in Donetsk.
Sounds to me as though the predicted false flag operation is now well under way. Pretty much happened in Crimea in 2014 and Georgia in 2008. This time the West are a bit wiser to it and are calling the Russians out. But whether Putin cares or not is another matter.
I’m astonished Russia has climbed down. Really it was a result for Biden and enormously well managed. He stood his ground ramped up the red lines and pulled off a spectacular climb down.
As a nation Russia is an oversized gorrilla. Playing the virtuous giant who uses soft power to coerce nations into submission. It seeks to rewrite history and reverse international fault lines and disobey international law.
I’m surprised they played the good cop bad cop with Putin and Lavrov who is also an naval gazing ape. What is the purpose of his employment to intimidate opponents and adversaries?Like the female abusing silverback? Advocate for eugenics? With the friendly ape act? What cavemen the Russians can be. It’s a bestial oversized giant.
Prince Randy dandy Andrew paid off his accuser! Lol, lifestyles of the rich and famous.
Some of the dialogue is bit shite
The wife and I enjoyed it. We like the books for a bit of sun holiday reading and thought the show was true to the books. Entertaining, easy, popcorn watch with action and humor. Likeable good guys and bad guys you wanted to see get a beating. Fun TV.
Yeah I watched that one too. Remarkably think skinned individuals, actually very child like in many ways and totally in denial about what they're actually involved in.
I've commented on here before about the proliferation of right wing absurdity into gaming culture and this certainly reflects that.
I thought it was passable. The lead isn’t going to be winning any best actor gongs any time soon and it was very predictable really. It got very JCVD towards the end really.
Just finished it! Pretty decent.
Yeah im finding it enjoyable so far
I’m 3 episodes in at the moment and they actually cast someone who matches the character in the books. Seems ok so far if you like the books.
Has anyone watched the Reacher t.v. series on Prime? Apparently the main character is no longer a 58-year-old dwarf in the shape of Tom Cruise.
Any British intellectual can come on and use reason to undermine and humiliate people. They do it all around the world. America is about a feeling. It’s a fiery place - Britain is a place of intellectuals and sinful underclass. Louis should go do a few to shows on his own mentally sick country. But no he loves America and making himself master of it by force of humiliation.
I watched it. It was fairly car crash TV, cringe inducing but hard to take the eyes off it. It really does show them up for the sad, pathetic people they are though. Most of them are desperately in need of some psychiatric help.
Anyone watching the Louis Theroux doc on BBC? He's interviewing a bunch of alt right Trumpers and, to a man, they act like billy big balls until he challenges them and then they turn into pussies. Less virgins at Comicon.
I liked most of the Force Awakens, but the starkiller was just ridiculous and don't get me started on the Sith Fleet in the Rise of Skywalker, plus the fact they brought the Emperor back from the dead. Snoke could have been an interesting character, but he went nowhere. One of the things I liked about the Last Jedi was the idea that Rey had no particular lineage, but then JJ Abrams changed that.
I loved Rogue One and unlike many I actually enjoyed Solo.
As for the TV series, the Mandalorian was very good and I'm only 3 episodes into Bobba Fett, it's OK, it will keep me going until Obi Wan is released. You can never get enough Vader and I think the gap between 3 and 4 has loads of potential.
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They really left the door wide open for a continuation all the same. Heard some talk of a further season being done but animated.
Have watched all the Disney / Marvel shows with the kids as they're suitable for both of them. We all liked the Mandalorian, Loki and Hawkeye. Wandavision didn't appeal to them, Falcon and the Winter Soldier was only ok and they didn't particularly take to What If.
As for Boba Fett, they loved clone wars so they're enjoying the call backs but I'm struggling with it. I'm not sure if there is some issue with the actor playing Boba Fett but half way through the season it basically turned into a season of the Mandalorian.
The prequals and all the Abrams movies are dire. Shouldn't have been made and do nothing but detract from the original trilogy. The TV shows are far superior mainly by keeping the scale more intimate to the protagonists.
If you're interested, the last book in the series was only published last year (Nov 21) and the last three books aren't covered by the series if you want to get more from the same universe.
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