Putin has no ideas. Putin is for Putin. There is no discussion of ideas when we are talking about Putin's actions.
You want to go an anti-Putin rant, that's cool. I am not a huge fan of Putin myself because of his human rights record in Russia. But it's not very interesting, and it ignores the bigger geopolitical and historical picture if you focus solely on one man.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." -Eleanor Roosevelt
You aren't a fan of Putin? Thank for you making me spit out my drink.
Do you believe by writing that comment you appear a more intellectual person?
Do you so easily forget we have an entire thread here of you cheerleading a country that is disruptive and destructive to the countries and the people neighboring its borders?
There have been tons of opportunities for discussion and you have always opted for staying on the superficial level of discussion and understanding.
I know you would prefer it, but I am not interested in discussing persons, including myself.
Russia is acting paranoid, but it has good reasons for it. Historically, when Russia lets its guard down and allows foreign military alliances on its doorstep, seven or eight figure casualties follow. Disruption and destruction is a cost imposed by Russia on neighboring countries considering joining an anti-Russian military alliance. Something for them to think about. That they could be destabilized and dragged into a civil war by a few hundred Russian special forces. That is an effective deterrent, and Russia is not the only one using it.
Russia is acting paranoid, but it has good reasons for it. Historically, when Russia lets its guard down and allows foreign military alliances on its doorstep, seven or eight figure casualties follow.
You want to go an anti-Putin rant, that's cool. I am not a huge fan of Putin myself because of his human rights record in Russia. But it's not very interesting, and it ignores the bigger geopolitical and historical picture if you focus solely on one man.
You admit that Putin has a gross human rights record. Well, guess what? That is the root of all the problems. It is related because Putin's foreign policy is very closely aligned with his domestic interests. People can--and people often do--put geopolitical history behind them where it belongs, in the past. Except in this case, Putin, in the interest of preserving his czardom, dug geopolitical history out of its grave and raised it up as a banner around which he could rally.
the funny part, is that Putin is one of the best russia leaders ever, transformed in 15 years a country full of alcoholics and prostitutes to a low tier european country
...untill he leads a mass genocide, or puts russia in another shit hole, then he would be a standart russia leader D:
Assuming a foreign military invaded Russia in such a manner as to risk "seven or eight figure casualties", that's what nuclear weapons are for. Large scale military invasions might find it difficult to survive those.
Why would they feel then need for conventional deterrents?
the funny part, is that Putin is one of the best russia leaders ever, transformed in 15 years a country full of alcoholics and prostitutes to a low tier european country
...untill he leads a mass genocide, or puts russia in another shit hole, then he would be a standart russia leader D:
But why risk letting it get to that point?
Much better to keep a buffer zone.
Fuck the geopolitical and historical picture. Should the UK go back to war with France? Should France go back to war with Germany? Should Italy reassert its hegemony over the entire Mediterranean? Should Japan abandon its alliance with the US and go on a Pacific conquest?
That is an asinine argument. The West never threatened Russia. Europe was eager to put the Cold War behind it and welcome Russia into the international community. Nobody threatened Russia. It's Putin who threw these overtures away. It's Putin who embarked on a quest of personal power consolidation. He began clamping down immediately after he took power, and the West, in the interest of friendship, mostly turned a blind eye to it and made only token noises of protest. And when Putin saw that Western influences were a threat to him in the form of an increasingly vocal liberal movement, he embarked on his anti-West crusade.
You admit that Putin has a gross human rights record. Well, guess what? That is the root of all the problems. It is related because Putin's foreign policy is very closely aligned with his domestic interests. People can--and people often do--put geopolitical history behind them where it belongs, in the past. Except in this case, Putin, in the interest of preserving his czardom, dug geopolitical history out of its grave and raised it up as a banner around which he could rally.
As I've said before, and as I'll say again, this isn't about Russia. This is about Putin, Putin, and Putin.
You really are dense.
The best way to prevent nuclear war, the best way to promote peace, is to not be a jackass to the world. To not berate people with propaganda campaigns. To not whip up your population into a frenzy that the rest of the world is against them.
The best way to avoid war is to work along with your neighbors, not sabotage them with destruction.
It's about Russia and NATO, but you can keep focusing on Putin if you want.
It's about Russia and NATO, but you can keep focusing on Putin if you want.
Russia should be real worried about NATO, an organization whose many member countries have allowed their militaries to rot due to lack of funding over the last 10+ years. All Russia's recent aggression has done is drive people further towards NATO and increasing their military strengths after years of decay.
If you're discussing WWII, Russia didn't "let its guard down and allow foreign military alliances on its doorstep", Russia actively connived with that foreign military alliance to co-invade a neutral third nation, thereby establishing a common border. I'll have to see if I can rent the world's smallest violin to express condolences there.I know you would prefer it, but I am not interested in discussing persons, including myself.
Russia is acting paranoid, but it has good reasons for it. Historically, when Russia lets its guard down and allows foreign military alliances on its doorstep, seven or eight figure casualties follow. Disruption and destruction is a cost imposed by Russia on neighboring countries considering joining an anti-Russian military alliance. Something for them to think about. That they could be destabilized and dragged into a civil war by a few hundred Russian special forces. That is an effective deterrent, and Russia is not the only one using it.
+1So basically Russia is running a protection scheme. Putin wanders into a store (nation) and says "You've got a nice place here. Be a shame if something were to...happen to it."
If you want to talk about history the gravitation of former soviet nations into the EU/NATO sphere of influence is a pretty natural consequence of Russian rule. I hear not everyone was a big fan.
Policy-wise Putin effectively IS Russia nowadays. The Politburo has been replaced by the Putinburo.It's about Russia and NATO, but you can keep focusing on Putin if you want.
If you're discussing WWII, Russia didn't "let its guard down and allow foreign military alliances on its doorstep", Russia actively connived with that foreign military alliance to co-invade a neutral third nation, thereby establishing a common border. I'll have to see if I can rent the world's smallest violin to express condolences there.
Only because Yeltsin set such a low standard.
And he could've been successful without being a jackass, and the former should never excuse the latter. After all, Adolf was quite successful and popular in the 30's.
*barf*
That experience sucked arse. Fuck that "experience".
What did we do to deserve Russians as neighbours? All they are is trouble. I'm sick and tired of them and their neverending bullshit. No matter who's in charge there or what kind of administration they have it's always the same tiring shit. Always a threath to us. If they played nice they could achieve so much but no. Putin, Stalin, Lenin, Alexander, Nikolai, Bobrikov - monarchism, communism, "democracy" - always the same! Makes me so fucking angry reading any news lately. Then we have forums full of idiots saying how it's okay for Russia to invade and that the referendum in Crimea was legitimate. WTF?! It's pissing me off!
You want to go an anti-Putin rant, that's cool. I am not a huge fan of Putin myself because of his human rights record in Russia. But it's not very interesting, and it ignores the bigger geopolitical and historical picture if you focus solely on one man.
Russia is the neighbor that tosses their trash and dead animals over the fence and into your yard, then calls the police to complain about the stench ruining their property value.
I talked about that. It's the height of hypocrisy to argue that it's okay for Russia to invade Ukraine because when they shared a border with Germany, Germany attacked. Russia helped Germany move those borders to make a common border, just as today Putin's Russia is moving its border to ensure it shares one with NATO. Russia was an integral part of the German military alliance, sharing resources and technology, and while Germany invaded Russia, Russia had the intention of doing the same to Germany.What geopolitics is there to discuss, other than Putin doing what Russia has always done? Be the bully neighbors that pisses everyone off and forces them to find other allies, then threatens them for finding other allies.
It's far simpler than you are willing to acknowledge.
The clever thing from the Russian angle, is they've managed to erase from world memory the fact that they were equally culpable in starting WW2 with Germany--pretty much by grabbing whatever they thought was theirs. Let's talk about that--kind of interesting, actually.
Whenever someone mentions Hitler invading Poland...no one ever talks about Stalin invading Poland as part of the Russo-German alliance. So bizarre.
But then I guess you can continue to wonder why the world opinion of Germany, today, is so vastly different from that of WW2...but as far as Russia goes...well, that's interesting. We must distrust them for no reason, right? Clearly, it's all in our heads! That was "ancient history," right?
I talked about that. It's the height of hypocrisy to argue that it's okay for Russia to invade Ukraine because when they shared a border with Germany, Germany attacked. Russia helped Germany move those borders to make a common border, just as today Putin's Russia is moving its border to ensure it shares one with NATO. Russia was an integral part of the German military alliance, sharing resources and technology, and while Germany invaded Russia, Russia had the intention of doing the same to Germany.