I just find it rather shocking that there are some people allegedly or self proclaimed to be on the left that seem to think Russia is on the left. It’s not and it’s not the USSR, nor is it particularly ideological and has drifted into very right leaning, strongman authoritarianism with capitalist oligarchy and is off in some imperial fantasy stuff. It’s neither democratic nor into human rights. Try being gay in Russia or expressing opposition to the state for example…
A cohort who’ve an issue with the powers that be in the US, NATO and the broader West seem to be falling straight into a notion of “my enemy’s enemy is my friend!” It’s rarely an accurate statement and it’s a rather oversimplification of the world. Your enemies’ enemies can actually be far, far worse. This guy is not your friend. He would see you as a threat to the state and one to be suppressed or eliminated.
Your enemies’ enemies can actually be far, far worse.
Well said. I think this is the reality that many can't face. Another reality many can't face is that our 'friends' can be fooking awful too. One person's regime change operation is another's illegal interference.
I find it difficult to navigate it all, TBH. To reach any sort of judgment, one has to focus on the specific issue and strip away distractions. In this case, the Putin admin is clearly in the wrong. But focusing on the details can lead to not understanding the full context, to not seeing the wood for the trees. Stand too far back and you end up with superior, but ultimately empty talk that through distance bears little relation to empirical reality.
All I know is that MICs exploit and victimize their own people first and foremost and that civilians usually come out worse in conflicts in terms of deaths and injuries (despite the hubris that surrounds soldiering).
When MICs get entrepeneurial, selling their wares around the world, then it's hard to see them as anything but agents of chaos for us all, whether they are Russian, American, British, French etc. etc. Ireland's experiment in neutrality may not survive the world created by these fupping morons.
I thought that was a wind up account but no, official GOP account. That's sad and pathetic.
The big move was the Germans on Nord Stream 2. As anticipated, other sanctions will be gradual as he needs what looks like an out. If they hit with him with a full range now, he would have no reason to reverse anything.
Every reporter on the Hill should be asking Republicans if they support Trump's comments yesterday praising Putin.
Watch them squirm.
Then ask them again.
And again.
Yes, that really weird summit Trump had with Putin in edit: Finland!...time to bring it out of the memory hole.
But apparently (according to some posters on thread) we'd all be better off right now with him + current Republican party at the controls in the US.
Put it there, auld stock .............
Two bowsies. Trump did his part in disrupting the international (dis)order with his easy-to-win trade war too.
There was a small drone flying at 18000 feet at only 83 knots yesterday right beside the area that was shelled by separatist. I believe that this drone, which was squawking a transponder code, but no calling, was being used to direct artillary. I don't think the operators knew that it was transmitting.
No worries. I think the big issue here is that people are trying to see Putin's steps from a purely rational and logical point of view. Putin is not operating from a logical perspective, he's working an emotional narrative that Russia has been systematically cut up and cheated by outside forces, is being kept from fulfilling its destiny and beset on all sides by enemies. He is trying to right this perceived wrong and feels justified in going to any lengths to make that happen.
If that narrative sounds depressingly familiar, it's because it is. This same rhetoric was used in the 1930s to whip up the German people and just like back then, Putin now scoffs at and despises the international order and customs of diplomacy. I used to have trouble wrapping my head around how events such as the occupation of the Sudetenland or even the full-on occupation of Czechoslovakia could go ahead without massive international intervention. I'm beginning to understand now how that could happen...
Seems they definitely can't tell the time in Russia,
It wasn't just one watch with the wrong time
The millions and millions of useful idiots created in the states in the last decade could end up being Russia's best move in the medium and long term.
Putin’s watch is on his right arm. I wonder does he, ‘swing from the other tree’ if you know what I mean.
And yet Putin's "invasions" happened during Obama and then Biden presidencies, but not Trump who was so easy on Russia.
apparently a full-scale invasion is very very imminent and higher than highly likely now
There has been rumors , he seems to prefer saplings to trees
Nord Stream 2 is hardly a sanction since it is not even active yet. Putin is looking at the Brits and at M. Martin drinking tea and watching Ant and Dec and he's thinking "These people are decadent f'ers. I'm going to go for it."
But NATO and even Russian generals think Putin is on a course of self destruction so it's going to be a war of attrition in Ukraine and Russia will get nothing out of it, like Afghanistan. I bet that's NATO's uber plan.
It would explain a lot of those, ummm, curious photoshoots.
Ukraine just announced conscription for males 18-60 .
There going to defend themselves
Looking that way.
I think I said earlier in the thread but it's bizarre living through something like this. Reading a history book of big events and it's like "Day x, this happened, day x+3 this happened..." and it takes up a paragraph. But living through the couple of weeks is very different.
Also gives the bots a couple of extra days to keep denying and downplaying.
Aged 16yrs - Jesus Wept..............
18 auto correct .
Sorry
Donald trump has been praising putins invasion ,for those who think putin was afraid of trump you's were sorely wrong
Amongst all the bikering and trying to get one up on the other on this thread. Its a sobering thought now for many families in Ukraine who are staring into the face of this conflict knowing that their children will be sent out to defend their country against nearly hopeless odds and in all likely hood may nether see them again.
As much as we may give out about how currupt or a sh**t hole we live in here we really dont have it too bad at all...
They should defend themselves. Their country is being invaded. Even after Russia steamrolls them and they accept that to avoid casualities they need to prepare for insurgency and a guerilla campaign. Make life too difficult for the occupier.
It's so grim. It's very difficult to imagine what those people are going to have to go through by the looks of things.
Ah but sure if only they just gave Russia everything they wanted 🙄
Biden controls the Houses. Other Democrat presidents were struggling against Republicans who were happy to see the world burn if it allowed to frustrate the President in the simplest of matters. Putin understands this. You don't.
I see a lot of anti trump posts up here and the continual play on what he said …..I’m just goin to put up a non cnn article to give it some context … trumps an asshole no doubt but I think Biden equally matches him in that dept… anyways trumps using the current scenario to undermine him. Fact is Putin was goin to plow ahead with this regardless who was in power of USA as he knows they ain’t goin to get involved for Ukraine …
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