Russia - threadbanned users in OP

We've had many new reg members on here in the past yr, they start with some angle, but eventually the mask slips and its obvious they are stooges, here to derail the discussion. We've had the "don't poke the bear it will throw the bomb at you" angle thrown at us, Also there was "lets stop the killing and have peace talks" etc etc, all designed to deflect from what's actually happening.

You fit the profile, exactly. maybe I jumped the gun, but time will tell. You register in July and hide your threads. I never said all russians should die, I said I wouldn't condemn that position, certainly not when Russians go to Ukr and rape little boys, girls, grandmothers, castrate men.... This is a Russian system. If it stayed within its borders then they can do what they want. But that "culture" spilling over its borders is disgusting.

So, other than objecting to a concept, idea, that all Russians should die. What is your opinion on the reality of Russia invading Ukr, raping and killing their way across a sovereign country ? should all those Russians die ?

So you agree Russia should withdraw from Ukraine?

That's the very paranoia Putin would sow.

In the end it will take Russian to take Putin out because Ukraine isn't going to invade and occupy Russia.

What will be interesting to see if we end up with a new Russian civil war. All the posters here who say "death to all Russian" will suddenly switch to "death to all Putinites, slava Free Russia!" And Ukraine will help them.

By the site rules (and please I'm not back seat modding), but isn't repeatedly calling for death for people just because of their nationality breaking the forum charter?

We need to reduce the heat, because there will be a post Putin Russia.

We'll probably be accused of being pro Putin stooges, which ironically is the very soup of paranoia that has kept Putin in power.

Honestly think the Russian bots have gotten smarter. Akin to the fellowship who attack russian twitter with humour, the russian bots are attacking threads like these by calling everyone a Russian bot. A number of useful posters here have either left or been threadbanned because they have been goaded by a couple of posters. Thread was once fairly on the ball with info from a number of sources, now it's just people shouting Russian bot.

No, but the ones who support the invasion of Ukraine do up until the point that they change their minds and start pressuring Putin to withdraw his forces. That may involve making some hard stands that will likely face brutal attempts to suppress, but overcoming tyranny usually involves this kind of sacrifice, as the people of Ukraine are currently finding out.

So, chop-chop, Russians.

No, the view is that we should not be concerned about harm to a population that is utterly complicit in supporting the most heinous war crimes. Every single Russian citizen at home & abroad who is not campaigning against this war is complicit imho.

Would a Brit who lost a family member in an IRA bomb be entertained here if in every post they exclaim "death to all Irish!"?

I would if my level of suffering because of the war got to the point where I was left with no other choice but to do that. Read the first line of my previous post:-

I want Russians who voice support of the war to experience every bit of economic and social pain this war can possibly bring them until they have a change of heart and, as the old rehab saying goes, the pain of change becomes to them less than the pain of staying the same.

Ideally, I would like them to press for change before they reach this point, but human nature being what it is, this probably won't happen, therefore ordinary Russians will have to suffer more in order to mount the political pressure that forces a military withdrawal.

I will admit I don't know much about Iran but I have to say I am not optimistic about that regime ending (or even just moderating) any time soon. Seems (as an outside observer) they have upped their brutality and viciousness and this worked for them (so far) - not a positive lesson really and unlikely to lead to good things. Suppose all we can do is hope something changes for the better.

As for the relationship with Russia, well it is caught on a giant spike in Ukraine and very desperate now.

Iran have leverage there + they know it. Pure speculation...I am betting Putin has promised them God only knows what behind closed doors for help with drones and sanctions busting (main rational/self interest based reason I can come up with for their extremely significant assistance to Russia here in a fight that has nothing to do with them, apart from the fact the US supports Ukraine).

Could be transfer of 1 or more of their big remaining weapons-related crown jewels left over from Soviet era....jet engine technology, rocket motor/missile technology, nuclear weapons designs, maybe even biological weapons expertise. All a bit scary to think about.

We seem to be having a bit of a "moment" for scumbag corrupt autocracy and dictators around the world. There was a short period in last 20-30 years where new IT and communication revolutions coming out of the US/West disrupted their hold over the people in some countries (esp. in ME) where the govt.'s were not ready, but that is well and truly over.

This is why I say the Ukrainians just need to hold out and preserve their soldiers. If they can maintain pressure for another 12 months it may not be worth Russia's interests to continue as they collapse internally.