Another analysis of Ukraine
I thought I'd add one more scholarly look at the basket-case which is the Ukraine/Black Sea region. The author lays out some of the history of the region as well as the less-admirable aspects of US involvement.
Another way to look at it is the Cuban Missile Crisis - just reversed. Can anyone really fault Putin for not wanting HIMARS systems - potentially nuclear tipped - right off his border and especially in a region which has been affiliated with Russia for hundreds of years?
Another way to look at it is the Cuban Missile Crisis - just reversed. Can anyone really fault Putin for not wanting HIMARS systems - potentially nuclear tipped - right off his border and especially in a region which has been affiliated with Russia for hundreds of years?
I know popular culture ignores this aspect about theories and treats them as less than hypotheses, but we should point out to them that there is significant evidence for each and every one of the items here which is ignored only at one's own peril.
Did any of Dobrien's rant meet your "rigorous testing and support" criterion?
Pick a topic. I'm all for a good debate which gives both sides a chance to offer their arguments, framework, and support. (I'm a certified State Debate Judge.) If you care to do so, I'm more than happy to listen to what you have to say.
This is the best forum on the internet (IMHO) for reasoned debate. And we're more than happy - and capable - of poking holes in poorly-devised arguments. I've been justifiably skewered several times and come out the better in the end as a result. So if you have such a rhetorical kebab, toss it on the fire!
(I think he is using the word "satanist" in the same way one might exaggerate to make a valid lesser point.)
VVP does not want to war with the West. He does not want to engage with them. Russia has turned its back on the West, and the rest of the world is not regretting that the US is no longer the "King of the Countries."
(excerpt)
“Let’s answer some very simple questions for ourselves. Now I would like to return to what I said and want to address also all citizens of the country – not just the colleagues that are in the hall – but all citizens of Russia: do we want to have here, in our country, in Russia, “parent number one, parent number two and parent number three” (they have completely lost it!) instead of mother and father? Do we want our schools to impose on our children, from their earliest days in school, perversions that lead to degradation and extinction? Do we want to drum into their heads the ideas that certain other genders exist along with women and men and to offer them gender reassignment surgery? Is that what we want for our country and our children? This is all unacceptable to us. We have a different future of our own.
Let me repeat that the dictatorship of the Western elites targets all societies, including the citizens of Western countries themselves. This is a challenge to all. This complete renunciation of what it means to be human, the overthrow of faith and traditional values, and the suppression of freedom are coming to resemble a “religion in reverse” – pure Satanism. Exposing false messiahs, Jesus Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount: “By their fruits ye shall know them.” These poisonous fruits are already obvious to people, and not only in our country but also in all countries, including many people in the West itself.”
NATO that Torments Russia (Even Biden said it EXISTS to torment Russia).
The truth is that there is a CYLCE to everything (Life, Governments, Beliefs, etc).
And it is natural for people to want to move society in certain directions. When you have too much freedom and opportunity dissenters clamor for more govt control. And do things to initiate it's necessity.
So, as Russia was the first big ALL-IN Communism with some success... As it failed. It only had ONE DIRECTION to travel towards. That was more individual Freedom. That was CLOSER to capitalism. And boy has she! (Honestly, if you saw the changes I've witnessed since 1990s until a few years ago. AMAZING. Nicer/better stores than we have!)
China is doing all kinds of NASTY stuff. But notice we are not upset with them to the point of wanting to start a nuclear war. China killed far more people internally, etc. Not barely a word!
Ever Since Russia started kicking out the Globalists... The banksters... He became Public Enemy #1.
And we've done a LOT to irritate him. (Striking that bridge, blowing up THEIR pipelines. We are now the terrorists!)
[But haven't we always been, after Kennedy was taken out?]
If I were in charge of America, I would let go of Ukraine. I would spend ALL of that money creating and deploying GEN IV Nuclear reactors, with a state goal of 100% of our electrical grid provided by ZERO Carbon Nuclear Power Plants that CONSUME the WASTE product of the OLD nuclear power plants!
And be rebuilding our infrastructure, protecting our grid from EMP, in ways where once an area gets to NUCLEAR power, the grid could be severed... Forcing all the states to do it, to avoid the exposure.
Because as long as we have electricity, we can have a modern life.
WHEN (and not if), that electricity stops. The death toll will make Communism look like a Dry Run!
"China is doing all kinds of NASTY stuff..." I think China gets a pass from the left and its media is because it hasn't publicly thrown out communism. Russia has and, therefore, has earned the ire of the American left. They hate Russia and want it destroyed for poking Marx in the eye.
👍
except to fill the pockets of politicians
The problem is that - as you point out - it has turned from a self-defense treaty into a political one. In that way it is not dissimilar to the various treaties negotiated between WW I and WW II between England, France, and Germany. The fallout has certainly been similar: just as England and France pushed Germany into a corner following WW I, NATO's courting of Ukraine performs a similar maneuver in boxing in Russia. The other members of NATO have also neglected to attain to their responsibilities - especially when it comes to defense spending. This further degrades the notion of NATO as a military defense body and enhances its appearance as nothing but a political body.
In my opinion, the United States should look to cement one-on-one alliances with key players but leave NATO unless all of its members agree to return to focusing on self-defense as per NATO's key charter. Given that every other nation involved in NATO has devolved into socialism, I seriously doubt this will happen.
But before I would worry too much about NATO, I'd ditch the United Nations. There is no more corrupt, elitist bunch of supercilious snobs than those. They turn their noses up at the United States despite our funding 1/3 of all UN activities. I would cut off that funding and withdraw our support and let them see what they do.
I have another idea. Simply move them to one of those African nations they've been trying to control. Let them work and live like that for a couple of years. Give them a little compassion and a reality check from their elitist backgrounds.
Unfortunately the scum can still do immeasurable amounts of damage if the just move.
NIFOITOWTBS.
The UN has earned it and deserves it.
One can apply this maxim to nations. Russia and Ukraine have been integrated, intermingled and intermarried for generations. My best friends in Simferopol ("sim-fer OPAL" if you're wondering) are married - a Ukrainian woman and Russian man. But the US has been interfering in national relations between Ukraine-Russia for a couple of decades now.
The US has only itself to blame for this conflict.
https://www.scientology.tv/series/l-r...
In Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, ethnic Russians are not allowed to vote and are discriminated against when running businesses or owning property.
Yes, these are human rights violations and following the US and NATO examples, it is okay to invade countries which violate fundamental Human Rights.
Russia is way too paranoid about the west invading russia. I just dont see anyone in the west actually wanting to attack russia militarily. When he is so paranoid, it makes me think this is psychological projection more than anything. I watched Oliver Stone's interview with Putin, and he seemed (at least at the time) to be fairly reasonable and amenable to discourse.
Fact is that Russia is a communist country which can only exist by taking over other countries continually. I dont see any threat to Russia from the west, as long as Russia isnt a threat to everyone else.
Actual polling from only a couple of years ago put the sensibilities of the people in Crimea better than 90% in favor with Russia. Among the reasons cited in the article you have several hundred years of culture. I'd take about five zeroes off your estimate there.
You are right about Poland. They hate Russia not only for splitting them with the Germans at the beginning of the war but the way they allowed 50% of Warsaw to be slaughtered by the Nazis at the end of the war just so Russia could install a puppet leader. There is no love lost between those two nations and it is why Poland is actually one NATO member the US has always been able to depend on since their breakoff in the 90's.
"Fact is that Russia is a communist country..."
I'd actually put Russia's current state far closer to a dictatorship or oligarchy for the simple fact that Putin is king. But the underlying economy and such has changed radically: where once literally everything was controlled by the Politburo, you now have Putin actually supporting private industry to a growing degree. Conditions have changed there. It's not a great western market and there is still a thriving black market, but when you consider that Russian history includes precisely ZERO familiarity with individual rights, I'd like to give them credit for trying. It's easy for us to overlook here in the United States, but even scholars admit that the US was remarkably used to self-rule for nearly a century prior to the Declaration of Independence. Russia has only been at this for about twenty years in comparison.
That said, what Putin is doing is just wrong and he deserves to lose big time.
The Ukrainian oligarchs organized their own private armies, to protect their wealth had their own groupings of armed militants, such as Azov battalion, some of whom have Nazi tattoos.
My tax dollars are supporting the Ukrainian mafia - the oligarch structure - and an army which includes thousands of violent thugs released from prison on promise to fight in the army, and NATO's imported Middle Eastern terrorists who commit unreported war crimes.
One can argue that assisting ukraine ISNT the place to make a stand against Russia's expansion. I am not sure about the answer to this, but at some point none of us will be safe the more power russia and its dictator are. We waited too long to go after Hitler, and look what happened. If we draw the line at Poland after Putin has assimilated the wealth of Ukraine, will be just be fighting a stronger Russia anyway?
The media lies to you. About Coivd, about the 2020 "election," about Trump Collusion with Russia, about Ukraine, about Russia and about the whole gamut of US domestic issues.
Putin is not Hitler.
Putin is not Satan.
There is no such thing as "Russian Expansionism."
It is the very moment where the fundamental pillar of the idea of “good Ukrainians” and “bad and vicious Russians” appears.
However, solidarity between a bunch of state leaders is much easier to establish than between the citizens of countries. Our people demand logic and a fair explanation as to why they have to pay a fortune for a certain Ukraine and a certain Zelensky – who, it is said, will withstand Russian aggression with bravery and passion.
Our authorities utilised the media to persuade us, the people, that we should be tolerant and perceive Ukrainians as our own fellows. The main idea was, and remains, that both the Western and Ukrainian spirits have common values including inalienable human rights, democracy, courtesy etc.
At once our media turned Mr. Zelensky from a bribe taker who fuelled corruption into an innocent progressive country leader.
Moreover, these 8 months have proved that freedom of speech and an honest government are not familiar notions for Ukraine. What can we talk about when there is a single information source for each Ukrainian mass media and TV? Have you heard that all political parties opposing the ruling party have been officially banned in Ukraine? I doubt it because our media do not emphasise these “insignificant events.”
Independent journalists and newspapers no longer exist in Ukraine as many of them are already in prison, many others have been killed and the rest are either scared to death or fleeing the war-torn state.
https://www.rt.com/russia/564217-ukra...
Russia used to be bad, I stayed at a Journalist's apartment in a Russian city where the mafia had some power, and there was kidnapping and worse but that was 15 years ago. That area has been cleaned up. Things are much better now.
Not so Ukraine.
Did you mean to say "Russia"?
I am not sure what the Satan construct really is, so I dont call anyone Satan. Not sure what even means.
As to our media, I agree totally that what we hear from them is very suspect
Under Putin, the standard of living is about the same as Sweden or of Finland, filtered by the exchange rate of the Ruble, of course, so the GDP figures are distorted.
Stalin was a long time ago, when all countries had to expand or they would be "contracted against." We need to let go of the past and past injustices. I can't stand people in the US who continually rail about past injustices as if I had anything to do with such history. In fact, my ancestors died (I am from NY), 500,000 of them, to free the slaves, but who offers me a recompense?
The past is past and can't be undone. And today, the world is embracing a new paradigm, where there truly is a "community of nations" and not one "King Country". There will be better communication and affinity (when the oligarchs controlling social media are disenfranchised), leading to greater understanding around the globe, with planetwide agreements, between individuals, groups and nations.
Nostradamus predicted this "new paradigm" in the 1400s. The next couple years are going to be turbulent, so hang onto your hat, Tectonic plates are shifting and the Earth will never be the same.
Russia sends 100 tons of food and medicine to Ukraine.
Winning in Ukraine would require USA fighting Russia and most likely enduring nuclear war. Losing in Ukraine will entice Russia to keep on invading other countries. Neither is a great outcome.
What’s next when Xi in China invades Taiwan?
Are we going to pour massive amounts of money into another losing cause that is none of our business? BTW do you know Zelensky outlawed opposition political parties? Oh and keep Russia busy? Up until now most fighting the NeoNAZI’s
are paid mercenaries easily paid for by the massive increase in cash or Gold from selling oil. You claim “Russia to keep on invading other countries” that is baseless and you really should check your premises.
As to what Russia will do when they take over Ukraine, thats up to Putin really. He says in his speeches he wants to restore the Russian Federation back to the power and influence of Soviet Russia through acquisition of the countries the Soviets lost when their economy collapsed. Who knows. If he does what he says, it will be terrible for europe and somewhat negative for the usa until he comes for US.
If you expect Russia to just walk away from this, you don't know squat about Russian history.
Where do you think Putin can "get away with expansionism?" I'm just not seeing it actually play out...
If he is successful at his invasion of ukraine, he will next go for the baltic states. polamd, amd romania. Its all about what he can get before the world stops him. (or he simply dies or is assassinated)
I will never give up the fight and will die on my feet before living on my knees. The rest get the FuQ out of the way.
So waiting to be shot like a fish in a barrel won’t do for me.
Which part of the "Human Right of Self-Determination" do you not understand?
What a mess. If I were Ukranian, I would probably have left Ukraine awhile back and salvaged whatever I could of my wealth (if I had any) and never looked back. If I was Russian, I would probably have moved back to Russia after liquidating what I could of my wealth in Ukraine.
Once in office, Dr. Jekyll changed to Mr. Hyde. He refused to honor the Minsk agreements and he worked with NATO, planning an invasion of the LPR and DPR, as well as Russian Crimea. The US has pumped in $80 billion in weapons to Ukraine since 2014.
The USA is involved becuase it has been driven mad by the media? The Deep State and the media are getting richer and more powerful from this war.
More accurate to say they took advantage of the West's apathy and loss of appetite for war. Churchill didn't even last until V-J day before he was canned by the British. The British only made token actions in the Pacific Theatre once Berlin fell. (They did intervene in Greece, however.) And the new socialist government in England - and it was socialist didn't want to compete with another socialist nation in Russia. All of mainland Europe was in complete disarray. Russia used its influence to take over Yugoslavia (Tito). It pulled back for a week to allow the Nazis to execute 1/2 the city of Warsaw just so they could install a puppet government there.
Patton wanted to force the Russians all the way back to their own territory - beyond Poland's 1938 borders. He was told to stand down by Truman and Eisenhower ostensibly because the US didn't want to start a war with an ally and because there was still the fight with Japan to finish off. I think that Eisenhower only really regretted this several years later as President when he had to deal with some of the fallout.
"Doesnt it look like Putin wants to take over countries to regain Soviet power?"
Like what, exactly? Cite specifics because I'd sure like to know what actions you infer are "expansionist."
Our government was STUPID to be so friendly with Stalin, what can I say. England is a real piece of work with its socialism. Intellectually bankrupt, with USA not far behind.
Yes, our government was naive to flirt with Stalin. But Putin is not Stalin. The comparison fails right there.
Like... what exactly? You can't use Ukraine to justify your analysis here.
"#2 and #3 have been promised by Putin in his speeches and writings."
Not to doubt you, but please provide links to the speeches/writings you are referring to.
"Past performance is no guarantee of future performance."
That too, but the primary issue is that there isn't even any "past performance" to bolster the argument that Putin is a warmonger or megalomaniacal dictator. Corrupt? Sure. But he's been in power since 2000. That's an awful long time and we've seen nothing until Ukraine.
Again, you're attempting to draw parallels but the parallels are either so extremely tenuous as to be purely hypothetical or lack the necessary support to lend credence to your assertion. Poland especially is a member of NATO. If Russia were to attack it would immediately escalate to a full-blown war. Putin knows he doesn't have the military to take Poland - especially not if opposed by all of NATO.
We will c what happens with Putin/Russia.
That is when the US took over Ukraine.
2. Chechen Republic lost its independence when it’s continuous terrorist attacks in Russia caused retaliation. Now the Chechian soldiers are paid by Putin to fight the NeoNAZI’S that you totally ignore.
The European Union
Votes for its own President
post held for a 2.5 year term, renewable once
nominated by political groups or a minimum of 38 MEPs
election held by secret ballot
maximum of 4 ballots
candidate must win an absolute majority of votes cast, i.e. 50% plus one.
Elects its own Vice-presidents, quaestors, committee and delegation chairs and vice-chairs
Elects the President of the European Commission
Parliament must approve the new Commission President, proposed by the European Council, by an absolute majority (half of all MEPs, plus one).
Vets Commissioners
each Commissioner-designate (proposed by the Council, in agreement with the President-elect of the European Commission) must appear before parliamentary committees in their prospective fields of responsibility
negative evaluations can result in a candidate’s withdrawal from the process. A new candidate for Commissioner must then be put forward for scrutiny
Approves European Commission (the Commissioners, the President and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy)
by a single vote of consent
(they are then officially appointed by the European Council)
Has supervisory and control powers over the other EU institutions, holding them to account. It can for instance adopt a vote of no-confidence to censure and ultimately dismiss the Commission.
Leadership
The European Commission is led by its President and the 26 Commissioners, one per country.
President
The Commission President is elected for a 5-year term by the European Parliament, following the European elections.
The European Council (EU heads of state or government) proposes a presidential candidate to the Parliament. Because the choice of candidate must take into account the European election results, the proposed candidate generally comes from the largest political group in the Parliament.
The Parliament has to approve the new Commission President by an absolute majority (half of all MEPs, plus one). Once approved, the European Council officially appoints the new President.
If the candidate fails to secure the approval of the European Parliament, the European Council must propose a new candidate within 1 month.
oligarchs, the politicians. That is where most of the booty is, in the funding being sent to
Ukraine and redistributed to the Deep State mob of traitors and their conspirators.
They have stated publicly that they want most of us dead and the rest enslaved (owning nothing.)
I see this everywhere. No articulation to the anger - driven insane by years of anti-Russian vitriol and disinformation pounding 24/7/365 from the hatemongering dishonest media? Similar to TDS.
Putin has from the start made it clear he sees communism as a dead end alley. He rescued the Russian people from a free for all of assets and resources jailing an oligarchy tied to the Cabal. From that point the media smear campaign commenced.
I didnt see Ukraine invading Russia. I did see Russia invading Ukraine, so its not so hard to "articulate"
Because ALL of those Youtube videos were deleted by Google in 2015. I saw with my own eyes, a kiosk where i bought French fries and the nearby bus terminal in Lugansk, in 2012, turned to rubble in 2014, in a YouTube video. That video disappeared in 2015. It didn't meet "community standards." LOL!
The most frequent visitors to the Obama White House were Google (Youtube) executives. And what did they discuss there? If you guessed "behavior modification" you would be pretty accurate
Have you heard of the BRICS? that’s 3/4 of the worlds population and they support Putin. It’s only the corrupt WEF and the purchased politicians of NATO countries who support Ukraine. Just like they support Klaus Schwab and the Great Reset. Even now they are pushing to make Ukraine a NATO member. That is an intolerable prospect for Russia. Killing civilians and bombing non military areas for The Land/ Natural resource grab describes Bush’s Iraq fiasco or Obama’s Libya action, Where’s the Gold? Why did Obama/NATO take out Libya’s eight wonder of the world , the under water river system? Maybe you have not heard of it…
Contrary to common belief, the most important riches of Libya are not the oil wells, but water. The world’s biggest reservoirs of fossil freshwater lie below its desert. Through an extensive pipeline system, these aquifers provide the country with water for consumption and agriculture. The so-called “Great Man-Made River” is the world’s largest irrigation project.
"That the U.S. would meddle with Russia’s vital interests" was especially laughable.
We have here a good forum where we appreciate extended explanations over sound bites. If you have some specific arguments and would care to share them, you'll find nothing less than a considerate audience even if we might disagree with the premise. You may have a point yet to be considered. We won't know until you share it, however.
I would also be very careful about calling anyone on this forum a "troll." We are active in self-policing and the rating system is how that is accomplished: we vote down those who do not provide value. Now it isn't that one can not disagree. I disagree with others here frequently. It is in how one goes about that process that matters. Come armed with solid facts and logic and while people may not agree with you, they won't downvote you.
But as you would notice if you looked at profiles, those (like me) with ratings over 10,000 have done so only by extensive effort on our parts. I've been a paying member of this forum (a producer) for ten years. I even published a book on Amazon and credit this group in particular for helping me refine my arguments. To put down those who have produced so much is to discredit yourself within this community.
I would also be very careful about calling anyone on this forum a "troll." We are active in self-policing and the rating system is how that is accomplished: we vote down those who do not provide value. Now it isn't that one can not disagree. I disagree with others here frequently. It is in how one goes about that process that matters. Come armed with solid facts and logic and while people may not agree with you, they won't downvote you.
But as you would notice if you looked at profiles, those (like me) with ratings over 10,000 have done so only by extensive effort on our parts. I've been a paying member of this forum (a producer) for ten years. I even published a book on Amazon and credit this group in particular for helping me refine my arguments. To put down those who have produced so much is to discredit yourself within this community.