Russia - threadbanned users in OP

I think the fact the Chinese are not looking likely to support the Russians helps enormously to avoid it.

The last thing we needed was the Chinese becoming a great bunch of Vlads (been waiting days to make that joke 🤐)

I see a lot of overlaps with 1930s Germany. This is not the realpolitik of a Bismarck.

In terms of the playbook of naked aggression to seize resource rich territories.

The parallel universe of lies that they inhabit.

Once you go down that road, savagery follows... how far will it go.

Are you living under a %$@#¥ Rock?

Being a German myself, I usually balk at the ease with which nazi or Hitler comparisons are thrown about with wild abandon, particularly in the English-speaking world. Too often, these comparisons are born more out of a desire for a quick putdown of whatever "opposition" the person in question is dealing with, with little regard on how such a comparison might trivialise the immense magnitude of Nazi atrocities or of the pure evil of Hitler and his enablers.

When it comes to Putin and the current war in Ukraine however, I'm afraid that these comparisons are more than appropriate. The actions undertaken by Putin and the rhetoric used to justify these actions are straight out of the nazi playbook. From the "other" that is supposedly threatening the country both from abroad and within and that needs to be purged, to the quotes about ensuring that Russians need a safe place to live (Lebensraum, anyone?), this is unfortunately Hitler 101.

The big difference is that Russia lacks the industrial & intellectual power that Germany had in the 1920s and 1930s. Putin thankfully has no Russian version of Josef Goebbels by his side to spin an effective propaganda campaign, and he has also not been nearly as successful at consolidating Russian industry as that mustache-wearing maniac in the 1930s. That does nothing to dilute the very clear rhetoric coming out of the Kremlin however.

Only because he hasn't the capacity to do it. The Nazis were devastating in their speed and efficiency. The Russians aren't capable of that but there's no doubt that Putin would have no qualms employing Hitlers tactics given the opportunity.

Hes looking to purge his own state of "traitors" and happy to bomb children with impunity. I doubt 4 weeks into WW2 many would have foreseen the depths the nazis would plumb. For less than a month in Putin is excelling himself.

In that respect no. In many other respects yes... this is a repeat of the playbook of totalitarian fascism-marxism (which I see as two sides of the same coin) and its insidious propaganda and naked aggression first seen in the 1930s. We are in Guernica territory here if not yet at Auschwitz.

God I hate the "new" Boards interface; can't just easily quote a part of someone's post.

I see this sentiment expressed a lot here and elsewhere and I think it's important to remember that Russia still has significant amounts of firepower at its disposal which it has yet to use against Ukraine.

Have they been weaker than expected? Sure. However; they have managed to do a lot of damage to swathes of Ukraine and kill likely to be approaching the tens of thousands of Ukrainians.

The other problem is that they have been adapting; albeit slowly. They are no longer throwing aircraft directly at Ukrainian positions, they appear to be making better use of their drones, they are whittling down Ukraine's air defenses and aircraft, and they appear to have significantly reduced the rate at which they're losing personnel.

I think some people and journalists seem to have this idea that Ukraine are currently "winning" the war on the ground; and I don't think that is at all accurate.

All week we've been hearing about Russia's advance stalling, if this continues, how long until it can be called out that Russia is actually losing

More help from Belarus Opposition fighters -

Funny hats at sausage party showing support for Ukraine

This isn't an army that's winning.

Right. So your argument is that this is JUST LIKE Nazism. Besides it's making my head melt trying to figure out if a denazification process is Nazism.

Can we just agree he's an evil murderous dictator and we'll wait until the fog of war has lifted to see what atrocities have been committed and decide on the Nazi credentials thereafter.

Hell I've used language like "5th column" against hard leftists and ultra right wingers. I've othered the **** out of people. We're all capable for sure. We're all just one step to the side of savagery. All it takes are the right circumstances and the right leader to channel rage, frustration etc and we become primal beasts!