Why Are We in Ukraine?

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Realitybites
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Ukraine's Army Is In Bad Shape, Over Half Of Recruits Survive Just For A Few Days

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ukraines-army-bad-shape-over-half-recruits-survive-just-few-days

"The Ukrainian army is suffering from a steady decline in the capabilities of its front-line units, according to Polish news outlet Do Rzeczy, citing a report in the London Financial Times that between 50 and 70 percent of recruits survive only a few days on the frontlines.

The report follows a statement by Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was appointed in early February. Syrsky said that recruits were consistently lacking the necessary training for frontline operations. Lamenting the sheer technological superiority of Russian forces...

A senior conscript officer in Ukraine's Poltava region, Lieutenant Colonel Vitaly Berezhnyon, revealed on September 15, 2023, that the units had suffered huge losses.

"Out of 100 people who joined the units last fall, 10-20 remained, the rest are dead, wounded or disabled," he said.

This indicates a loss rate of 80-90 percent in conscript units over the past year. Former Ukrainian ambassador to the U.K. and former Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko in April pointed to catastrophic personnel losses.

"From the beginning, our policy was not to discuss losses. When the war is over, we will admit it. I think it will be a terrible number," he noted."
Sam Lowry
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sombear said:

Sam Lowry said:

sombear said:

Redbrickbear said:

Pertinent to our discussion


[What If There Were Russian Missiles in Canada?

Washington demands from other nations what it would not tolerate for itself.


Imagine it is October 2025. A ceasefire has been achieved between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow's attention shifted to North America. Canada's left-wing prime minister leaned toward making a trade deal with Russia and its Central Asian partners. Washington, however, offered a last-minute financial sweetener, an early Christmas present of sorts, and Ottawa turned back to the U.S.

Angry crowds hit the streets, causing chaos in Canada's capital. Moscow promotes the violence, as its propagandists lauded democracy in action. When the police give way, Canada's premier flees south. Russian operatives begin putting their candidates for office forward, and new elections confirm a sharp shift toward Russia, which invites Ottawa to join the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The U.S. responds by invading Canada. The Canucks prove surprisingly resilient against personnel used to fighting distant irregulars, and Moscow floods Canada with weapons, including missiles, for use against America. The first salvo results in strikes on cities across America, including on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.

Predict Washington's reaction. 1) Officials admit that Moscow had every right to send arms for Canada's defense, noting that "it's something that we did for Ukraine"; 2) policymakers agree that the costs of the continuing war were too great and decided to make a humiliating withdrawal; 3) the president warns that unless Russia stood down "immediately," there would be serious and deadly consequences....]


https://www.theamericanconservative.com/what-if-there-were-russian-missiles-in-canada/
But, mostly, it would never happen. Free countries don't align with Russia.
You bet they don't. We won't allow it!
Love to hear some names of countries that want to.
Ukraine did. You see what happened.
Sam Lowry
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sombear said:

Sam Lowry said:

Russians already controlling the eastern third of Vuhledar...that escalated quickly. Ukraine's elite 72nd Brigade is reportedly trapped there.

In Kursk, Russians are simultaneously moving on Sverdlikovo and Plekhovo, which will effectively cut off the main road from Ukraine and leave Ukrainian forces surrounded.
Ukraine is in big trouble in Vuhledar, but it hardly escalated quickly. It's been a barrage for over a month, and multiple solid sources reported 2 weeks ago it had fallen or was a day from falling.

I don't have a great grasp on Kursk. News there seems to change by the day - one day, Russia encircled, next day, Ukraine encircled. I have no idea.
Not familiar with any of those sources. The Russians have tried and failed to storm Vuhledar many times. It's been under barrage, but to see Russian troops already controlling half the city means they're moving much faster now.
sombear
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Sam Lowry said:

sombear said:

Sam Lowry said:

Russians already controlling the eastern third of Vuhledar...that escalated quickly. Ukraine's elite 72nd Brigade is reportedly trapped there.

In Kursk, Russians are simultaneously moving on Sverdlikovo and Plekhovo, which will effectively cut off the main road from Ukraine and leave Ukrainian forces surrounded.
Ukraine is in big trouble in Vuhledar, but it hardly escalated quickly. It's been a barrage for over a month, and multiple solid sources reported 2 weeks ago it had fallen or was a day from falling.

I don't have a great grasp on Kursk. News there seems to change by the day - one day, Russia encircled, next day, Ukraine encircled. I have no idea.
Not familiar with any of those sources. The Russians have tried and failed to storm Vuhledar many times. It's been under barrage, but to see Russian troops already controlling half the city means they're moving much faster now.
Again, on that we agree. Vuhledar will fall if it hasn't already.
sombear
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Sam Lowry said:

sombear said:

Sam Lowry said:

sombear said:

Redbrickbear said:

Pertinent to our discussion


[What If There Were Russian Missiles in Canada?

Washington demands from other nations what it would not tolerate for itself.


Imagine it is October 2025. A ceasefire has been achieved between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow's attention shifted to North America. Canada's left-wing prime minister leaned toward making a trade deal with Russia and its Central Asian partners. Washington, however, offered a last-minute financial sweetener, an early Christmas present of sorts, and Ottawa turned back to the U.S.

Angry crowds hit the streets, causing chaos in Canada's capital. Moscow promotes the violence, as its propagandists lauded democracy in action. When the police give way, Canada's premier flees south. Russian operatives begin putting their candidates for office forward, and new elections confirm a sharp shift toward Russia, which invites Ottawa to join the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The U.S. responds by invading Canada. The Canucks prove surprisingly resilient against personnel used to fighting distant irregulars, and Moscow floods Canada with weapons, including missiles, for use against America. The first salvo results in strikes on cities across America, including on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.

Predict Washington's reaction. 1) Officials admit that Moscow had every right to send arms for Canada's defense, noting that "it's something that we did for Ukraine"; 2) policymakers agree that the costs of the continuing war were too great and decided to make a humiliating withdrawal; 3) the president warns that unless Russia stood down "immediately," there would be serious and deadly consequences....]


https://www.theamericanconservative.com/what-if-there-were-russian-missiles-in-canada/
But, mostly, it would never happen. Free countries don't align with Russia.
You bet they don't. We won't allow it!
Love to hear some names of countries that want to.
Ukraine did. You see what happened.
By countries I assumed you knew I meant its people through its political processes.
Sam Lowry
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sombear said:

Sam Lowry said:

sombear said:

Sam Lowry said:

sombear said:

Redbrickbear said:

Pertinent to our discussion


[What If There Were Russian Missiles in Canada?

Washington demands from other nations what it would not tolerate for itself.


Imagine it is October 2025. A ceasefire has been achieved between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow's attention shifted to North America. Canada's left-wing prime minister leaned toward making a trade deal with Russia and its Central Asian partners. Washington, however, offered a last-minute financial sweetener, an early Christmas present of sorts, and Ottawa turned back to the U.S.

Angry crowds hit the streets, causing chaos in Canada's capital. Moscow promotes the violence, as its propagandists lauded democracy in action. When the police give way, Canada's premier flees south. Russian operatives begin putting their candidates for office forward, and new elections confirm a sharp shift toward Russia, which invites Ottawa to join the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The U.S. responds by invading Canada. The Canucks prove surprisingly resilient against personnel used to fighting distant irregulars, and Moscow floods Canada with weapons, including missiles, for use against America. The first salvo results in strikes on cities across America, including on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.

Predict Washington's reaction. 1) Officials admit that Moscow had every right to send arms for Canada's defense, noting that "it's something that we did for Ukraine"; 2) policymakers agree that the costs of the continuing war were too great and decided to make a humiliating withdrawal; 3) the president warns that unless Russia stood down "immediately," there would be serious and deadly consequences....]


https://www.theamericanconservative.com/what-if-there-were-russian-missiles-in-canada/
But, mostly, it would never happen. Free countries don't align with Russia.
You bet they don't. We won't allow it!
Love to hear some names of countries that want to.
Ukraine did. You see what happened.
By countries I assumed you knew I meant its people through its political processes.
Exactly.
The_barBEARian
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Realitybites said:

Ukraine's Army Is In Bad Shape, Over Half Of Recruits Survive Just For A Few Days

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ukraines-army-bad-shape-over-half-recruits-survive-just-few-days

"The Ukrainian army is suffering from a steady decline in the capabilities of its front-line units, according to Polish news outlet Do Rzeczy, citing a report in the London Financial Times that between 50 and 70 percent of recruits survive only a few days on the frontlines.

The report follows a statement by Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was appointed in early February. Syrsky said that recruits were consistently lacking the necessary training for frontline operations. Lamenting the sheer technological superiority of Russian forces...

A senior conscript officer in Ukraine's Poltava region, Lieutenant Colonel Vitaly Berezhnyon, revealed on September 15, 2023, that the units had suffered huge losses.

"Out of 100 people who joined the units last fall, 10-20 remained, the rest are dead, wounded or disabled," he said.

This indicates a loss rate of 80-90 percent in conscript units over the past year. Former Ukrainian ambassador to the U.K. and former Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko in April pointed to catastrophic personnel losses.

"From the beginning, our policy was not to discuss losses. When the war is over, we will admit it. I think it will be a terrible number," he noted."

So stupid and pointless... DC wants this thing to go on as long as possible bcs they love seeing conservative white men (on both sides) getting killed.
trey3216
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The_barBEARian said:

Realitybites said:

Ukraine's Army Is In Bad Shape, Over Half Of Recruits Survive Just For A Few Days

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ukraines-army-bad-shape-over-half-recruits-survive-just-few-days

"The Ukrainian army is suffering from a steady decline in the capabilities of its front-line units, according to Polish news outlet Do Rzeczy, citing a report in the London Financial Times that between 50 and 70 percent of recruits survive only a few days on the frontlines.

The report follows a statement by Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was appointed in early February. Syrsky said that recruits were consistently lacking the necessary training for frontline operations. Lamenting the sheer technological superiority of Russian forces...

A senior conscript officer in Ukraine's Poltava region, Lieutenant Colonel Vitaly Berezhnyon, revealed on September 15, 2023, that the units had suffered huge losses.

"Out of 100 people who joined the units last fall, 10-20 remained, the rest are dead, wounded or disabled," he said.

This indicates a loss rate of 80-90 percent in conscript units over the past year. Former Ukrainian ambassador to the U.K. and former Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko in April pointed to catastrophic personnel losses.

"From the beginning, our policy was not to discuss losses. When the war is over, we will admit it. I think it will be a terrible number," he noted."

So stupid and pointless... DC wants this thing to go on as long as possible bcs they love seeing conservative white men (on both sides) getting killed.
Says the guy cashing checks from Big Pharma...
Mr. Treehorn treats objects like women, man.
Redbrickbear
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Doc Holliday
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We can send billions to Ukraine, but we can't even help our own people?!

KaiBear
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Doc Holliday said:

We can send billions to Ukraine, but we can't even help our own people?!




Insanity

Yet Dem partisans pretend it's ok.
trey3216
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Nationalizing industry
Mr. Treehorn treats objects like women, man.
FLBear5630
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trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.
Redbrickbear
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FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Redbrickbear
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FLBear5630
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Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...

"That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence"

Yeah, invading and blowing up the Nations infrastructure should help.
Redbrickbear
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FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners




FLBear5630
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Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners





BS. Finland? That is the barameter?

Nationalizing the economy, invading Ukraine, and is actions in Georgia and Chechnya.

He may say he is not doing it, but his actions say otherwise. Will he attack NATO? No. Will he put autocratic state control in place over as many miles as he can? Damn right. The State Union...
Redbrickbear
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FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners





BS. Finland? That is the barameter?

Nationalizing the economy, invading Ukraine, and is actions in Georgia and Chechnya.

He may say he is not doing it, but his actions say otherwise. Will he attack NATO? No. Will he put autocratic state control in place over as many miles as he can? Damn right. The State Union...

1. Finland is not a barometer but if Putin really wanted the USSR back he would want Finland demilitarized and out of NATO.

2. The USSR was Marxist....more than just Marxists nationalize their economies. I mean some on here have said that Putin is a fascist....and maybe he is....certainly not just communists are into nationalization. That does not prove he wants the old Communist Empire back.

3. Chechnya was/is legally part of the Russian Federation...thats not a good geo-strategic point. D.C. just like Moscow crushes separatist movements.

It is a good point at how Moscow is hypocritical...it crushed separatists in Chechnya then complained when Ukraine tried to do the same in Donbas.

4. Ukraine and Georgia are examples of Russian trying to hold its sphere of influence….even through invasion and violence.

5. The USSR was Leftist totalitarian....not authoritarian.

A nationalist-authoritarian modern Russia is NOT the same as the Communist totalitarian USSR of old
FLBear5630
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Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners





BS. Finland? That is the barameter?

Nationalizing the economy, invading Ukraine, and is actions in Georgia and Chechnya.

He may say he is not doing it, but his actions say otherwise. Will he attack NATO? No. Will he put autocratic state control in place over as many miles as he can? Damn right. The State Union...

A nationalist-authoritarian modern Russia is NOT the same as the Communist totalitarian USSR of old
As close as Putin can get it... In practice, same thing. You guys can discuss the intricacies of the differences.
trey3216
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Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners





BS. Finland? That is the barameter?

Nationalizing the economy, invading Ukraine, and is actions in Georgia and Chechnya.

He may say he is not doing it, but his actions say otherwise. Will he attack NATO? No. Will he put autocratic state control in place over as many miles as he can? Damn right. The State Union...

1. Finland is not a barometer but if Putin really wanted the USSR back he would want Finland demilitarized and out of NATO.

2. The USSR was Marxist....more than just Marxists nationalize their economies. I mean some on here have said that Putin is a fascist....and maybe he is....certainly not just communists are into nationalization. That does not prove he wants the old Communist Empire back.

3. Chechnya was/is legally part of the Russian Federation...thats not a good geo-strategic point. D.C. just like Moscow crushes separatist movements.

It is a good point at how Moscow is hypocritical...it crushed separatists in Chechnya then complained when Ukraine tried to do the same in Donbas.

4. Ukraine and Georgia are examples of Russian trying to hold its sphere of influence….even through invasion and violence.

5. The USSR was Leftist totalitarian....not authoritarian.

A nationalist-authoritarian modern Russia is NOT the same as the Communist totalitarian USSR of old
Well, it certainly looks like he is veering towards Fascist, Nationalist, authoritarian bordering on totalitarian considering he is also eliminating the national census for the next 5 year period and nationalizing one of their main profit engines (which is hemorrhaging money this past year).
Mr. Treehorn treats objects like women, man.
Redbrickbear
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trey3216 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners





BS. Finland? That is the barameter?

Nationalizing the economy, invading Ukraine, and is actions in Georgia and Chechnya.

He may say he is not doing it, but his actions say otherwise. Will he attack NATO? No. Will he put autocratic state control in place over as many miles as he can? Damn right. The State Union...

1. Finland is not a barometer but if Putin really wanted the USSR back he would want Finland demilitarized and out of NATO.

2. The USSR was Marxist....more than just Marxists nationalize their economies. I mean some on here have said that Putin is a fascist....and maybe he is....certainly not just communists are into nationalization. That does not prove he wants the old Communist Empire back.

3. Chechnya was/is legally part of the Russian Federation...thats not a good geo-strategic point. D.C. just like Moscow crushes separatist movements.

It is a good point at how Moscow is hypocritical...it crushed separatists in Chechnya then complained when Ukraine tried to do the same in Donbas.

4. Ukraine and Georgia are examples of Russian trying to hold its sphere of influence….even through invasion and violence.

5. The USSR was Leftist totalitarian....not authoritarian.

A nationalist-authoritarian modern Russia is NOT the same as the Communist totalitarian USSR of old
Well, it certainly looks like he is veering towards Fascist, Nationalist, authoritarian bordering on totalitarian considering he is also eliminating the national census for the next 5 year period and nationalizing one of their main profit engines (which is hemorrhaging money this past year).


Then he is not rebuilding the USSR

Which was a radical Leftist and anti-nationalist Marxist multi-cultural empire with dreams of world revolution and a distinctly totalitarian ideology
Redbrickbear
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FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners





BS. Finland? That is the barameter?

Nationalizing the economy, invading Ukraine, and is actions in Georgia and Chechnya.

He may say he is not doing it, but his actions say otherwise. Will he attack NATO? No. Will he put autocratic state control in place over as many miles as he can? Damn right. The State Union...

A nationalist-authoritarian modern Russia is NOT the same as the Communist totalitarian USSR of old
As close as Putin can get it...


And a few poor states around its periphery is all Russia can dominate. (And it might fail at even doing that)

It's just not the massive world threat some on here think it is.

The whole "Putin wants to recreated the USSR" seems like a the kind of talking point Liz Cheney and her aids would think up during one of her private jet rides….

It's an excuse for a regime change war….not an actual rational assessment of modern Russia.
Redbrickbear
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whiterock
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Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners





BS. Finland? That is the barameter?

Nationalizing the economy, invading Ukraine, and is actions in Georgia and Chechnya.

He may say he is not doing it, but his actions say otherwise. Will he attack NATO? No. Will he put autocratic state control in place over as many miles as he can? Damn right. The State Union...

1. Finland is not a barometer but if Putin really wanted the USSR back he would want Finland demilitarized and out of NATO.

2. The USSR was Marxist....more than just Marxists nationalize their economies. I mean some on here have said that Putin is a fascist....and maybe he is....certainly not just communists are into nationalization. That does not prove he wants the old Communist Empire back.

3. Chechnya was/is legally part of the Russian Federation...thats not a good geo-strategic point. D.C. just like Moscow crushes separatist movements.

It is a good point at how Moscow is hypocritical...it crushed separatists in Chechnya then complained when Ukraine tried to do the same in Donbas.

4. Ukraine and Georgia are examples of Russian trying to hold its sphere of influence….even through invasion and violence.

5. The USSR was Leftist totalitarian....not authoritarian.

A nationalist-authoritarian modern Russia is NOT the same as the Communist totalitarian USSR of old
Here's the fatal flaw in your logic: USSR was not a communist empire. It was a Russian empire.

Communism is not, and never has been, relevant to understanding longstanding Russian territorial ambitions.
Redbrickbear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
whiterock said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners





BS. Finland? That is the barameter?

Nationalizing the economy, invading Ukraine, and is actions in Georgia and Chechnya.

He may say he is not doing it, but his actions say otherwise. Will he attack NATO? No. Will he put autocratic state control in place over as many miles as he can? Damn right. The State Union...

1. Finland is not a barometer but if Putin really wanted the USSR back he would want Finland demilitarized and out of NATO.

2. The USSR was Marxist....more than just Marxists nationalize their economies. I mean some on here have said that Putin is a fascist....and maybe he is....certainly not just communists are into nationalization. That does not prove he wants the old Communist Empire back.

3. Chechnya was/is legally part of the Russian Federation...thats not a good geo-strategic point. D.C. just like Moscow crushes separatist movements.

It is a good point at how Moscow is hypocritical...it crushed separatists in Chechnya then complained when Ukraine tried to do the same in Donbas.

4. Ukraine and Georgia are examples of Russian trying to hold its sphere of influence….even through invasion and violence.

5. The USSR was Leftist totalitarian....not authoritarian.

A nationalist-authoritarian modern Russia is NOT the same as the Communist totalitarian USSR of old
Here's the fatal flaw in your logic: USSR was not a communist empire. It was a Russian empire.

.


Oh but it's was not.

Even though many posters on here obviously think that.

The communists in the USSR ruthlessly suppressed Russian nationalism

It was a Moscow based empire no doubt (and thus has similar regional security desires as does any Moscow based State) but it was no "Russian Empire"

[The roots of nationalist discontent lay in Russia's peculiar status within the Soviet Union. After the Bolsheviks took control over much of the tsarist empire's former territory, Lenin declared 'war to the death on Great Russian chauvinism' and proposed to uplift the 'oppressed nations' on its peripheries. To combat imperial inequality, Lenin called for unity, creating a federation of republics divided by nationality. The republics forfeited political sovereignty in exchange for territorial integrity, educational and cultural institutions in their own languages, and the elevation of the local 'titular' nationality into positions of power. Soviet policy, following Lenin, conceived of the republics as homelands for their respective nationalities (with autonomous regions and districts for smaller nationalities nested within them). The exception was the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, or RSFSR, which remained an administrative territory not associated with any ethnic or historic 'Russia'.

Russia was the only Soviet republic that did not have its own Communist Party, capital, or Academy of Sciences. These omissions contributed to the uneasy overlap of 'Russian' and 'Soviet'.]

[Solzhenitsyn saw Communism as a foreign ideology that separated Russia from its Orthodox heritage

The 'village prose' movement was not alone in perceiving Russian identity as under existential threat in the Soviet Union. Their concern was shared by Russian apparatchiks such as the Politburo member Dmitry Polyansky and members of the intelligentsia such as the October magazine editor Vsevolod Kochetov.…]

In the early years of the USSR ethnic Russians were even a minority of the leadership class.

[Only Thirty-nine (or 42 percent) members of the Bolshevik elite were ethnic Russian…ethnic-minority Bolsheviks were overrepresented]
whiterock
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Redbrickbear said:

whiterock said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners





BS. Finland? That is the barameter?

Nationalizing the economy, invading Ukraine, and is actions in Georgia and Chechnya.

He may say he is not doing it, but his actions say otherwise. Will he attack NATO? No. Will he put autocratic state control in place over as many miles as he can? Damn right. The State Union...

1. Finland is not a barometer but if Putin really wanted the USSR back he would want Finland demilitarized and out of NATO.

2. The USSR was Marxist....more than just Marxists nationalize their economies. I mean some on here have said that Putin is a fascist....and maybe he is....certainly not just communists are into nationalization. That does not prove he wants the old Communist Empire back.

3. Chechnya was/is legally part of the Russian Federation...thats not a good geo-strategic point. D.C. just like Moscow crushes separatist movements.

It is a good point at how Moscow is hypocritical...it crushed separatists in Chechnya then complained when Ukraine tried to do the same in Donbas.

4. Ukraine and Georgia are examples of Russian trying to hold its sphere of influence….even through invasion and violence.

5. The USSR was Leftist totalitarian....not authoritarian.

A nationalist-authoritarian modern Russia is NOT the same as the Communist totalitarian USSR of old
Here's the fatal flaw in your logic: USSR was not a communist empire. It was a Russian empire.

.


Oh but it's was not.

Even though many posters on here obviously think that.

The communists in the USSR ruthlessly suppressed Russian nationalism

It was a Moscow based empire no doubt (and thus has similar regional security desires as does any Moscow based State) but it was no "Russian Empire"

[The roots of nationalist discontent lay in Russia's peculiar status within the Soviet Union. After the Bolsheviks took control over much of the tsarist empire's former territory, Lenin declared 'war to the death on Great Russian chauvinism' and proposed to uplift the 'oppressed nations' on its peripheries. To combat imperial inequality, Lenin called for unity, creating a federation of republics divided by nationality. The republics forfeited political sovereignty in exchange for territorial integrity, educational and cultural institutions in their own languages, and the elevation of the local 'titular' nationality into positions of power. Soviet policy, following Lenin, conceived of the republics as homelands for their respective nationalities (with autonomous regions and districts for smaller nationalities nested within them). The exception was the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, or RSFSR, which remained an administrative territory not associated with any ethnic or historic 'Russia'.

Russia was the only Soviet republic that did not have its own Communist Party, capital, or Academy of Sciences. These omissions contributed to the uneasy overlap of 'Russian' and 'Soviet'.]

Goodness gracious what a lack of understanding of the subject material...... The USSR was in every meaningful sense a Russian empire. Yes, the regime appealed to ideology moreso than nationalism as a legitimizing ideology, but the Soviet regime had the exact same territorial ambitions that every Russian regime before it had. Every single aspect of Soviet foreign policy can be tied back to national security of a regime headquartered in Moscow. That the USSR promoted non-Russians to leadership positions (FM Shevardnadze, for example) was not an effort to dilute Russian control over the empire. It was to solidify it, to insure that enough non-Russian elites were coopted into the structure to ensure stability of the structure itself, which primarily served the interests of Russians. It mattered less that Stalin was Georgian by birth than that he ruled from Moscow largely on behalf of an overwhelmingly Russian country. It would be completely unserious to argue that the rule of Stalin was a period of Georgian control over the Russian state. Same for the idea that his expansion of USSR strategic footprint would not have happened had he not been a communist. He expanded the USSR strategic footprint in the exact same way a Romanov would have done. Indeed, Stalin accomplished things the Romanovs actually dreamed of doing but were never able to accomplish.

The Roman Empire had non-Italian emperors, governors, and generals but the empire was still....ROME. The Roman Senate was in ROME. Roman policy served the interests of ROME. Stalin is (in the context of this discussion) analogous to Trajan, a Spaniard who expanded the footprint of the Roman empire to its greatest extent on behalf of.....ROME.

You are again making ***uyama's "end of history" error. The USSR was not some anomalous period of Russian history irrelevant to today's dynamics. The function of the USSR seamlessly fit the patterns and ambitions of every regime that has ruled from Moscow, except for the novelty of using ideology rather than divine right to claim legitimacy.
Redbrickbear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
whiterock said:

Redbrickbear said:

whiterock said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners





BS. Finland? That is the barameter?

Nationalizing the economy, invading Ukraine, and is actions in Georgia and Chechnya.

He may say he is not doing it, but his actions say otherwise. Will he attack NATO? No. Will he put autocratic state control in place over as many miles as he can? Damn right. The State Union...

1. Finland is not a barometer but if Putin really wanted the USSR back he would want Finland demilitarized and out of NATO.

2. The USSR was Marxist....more than just Marxists nationalize their economies. I mean some on here have said that Putin is a fascist....and maybe he is....certainly not just communists are into nationalization. That does not prove he wants the old Communist Empire back.

3. Chechnya was/is legally part of the Russian Federation...thats not a good geo-strategic point. D.C. just like Moscow crushes separatist movements.

It is a good point at how Moscow is hypocritical...it crushed separatists in Chechnya then complained when Ukraine tried to do the same in Donbas.

4. Ukraine and Georgia are examples of Russian trying to hold its sphere of influence….even through invasion and violence.

5. The USSR was Leftist totalitarian....not authoritarian.

A nationalist-authoritarian modern Russia is NOT the same as the Communist totalitarian USSR of old
Here's the fatal flaw in your logic: USSR was not a communist empire. It was a Russian empire.

.


Oh but it's was not.

Even though many posters on here obviously think that.

The communists in the USSR ruthlessly suppressed Russian nationalism

It was a Moscow based empire no doubt (and thus has similar regional security desires as does any Moscow based State) but it was no "Russian Empire"

[The roots of nationalist discontent lay in Russia's peculiar status within the Soviet Union. After the Bolsheviks took control over much of the tsarist empire's former territory, Lenin declared 'war to the death on Great Russian chauvinism' and proposed to uplift the 'oppressed nations' on its peripheries. To combat imperial inequality, Lenin called for unity, creating a federation of republics divided by nationality. The republics forfeited political sovereignty in exchange for territorial integrity, educational and cultural institutions in their own languages, and the elevation of the local 'titular' nationality into positions of power. Soviet policy, following Lenin, conceived of the republics as homelands for their respective nationalities (with autonomous regions and districts for smaller nationalities nested within them). The exception was the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, or RSFSR, which remained an administrative territory not associated with any ethnic or historic 'Russia'.

Russia was the only Soviet republic that did not have its own Communist Party, capital, or Academy of Sciences. These omissions contributed to the uneasy overlap of 'Russian' and 'Soviet'.]

Goodness gracious what a lack of understanding of the subject material...... The USSR was in every meaningful sense a Russian empire.

It was in every meaningful sense a Marxist-Communist Empire. (internationalist, multi-ethnic, and revolutionary at its core)

It was pure Leftist....it hated Russian nationalism.

You think when Lenin was sending Russian nationalists to be shot in the gulags he was really a russian patriot at heart?

Stalin (a ethnic Georgian and not a russia) was later forced by WWII to allow some russian patriotic expression for the war effort but he was also certainly not a Russian Nationalist.

On and on it goes.

The leadership in Moscow was hostile to Russian nationalism until end of that Leftist empire.

Heck the USSR even had the first kind of "affirmative action" and proto-DEI programs!!!! All at the expense of the native ethnic Russians.


[The Soviet policy on nationalities, or national minorities, was based on Lenin's belief that alongside the "bad" nationalism of predatory colonialist nations (i.e. Russian), there existed a "good" nationalism, that of oppressed ethnic peoples yearning for freedom. Lenin believed that a comprehensive state-sponsored program of "nation-building" could fulfill the nationalist aspirations of the many non-Russian peoples of the Soviet Union and thus prevent them from aspiring to any real autonomy.

The years of the "great transformation" from 1928 to 1932 saw the Soviet nation-building project peak in intensity, a process historian Yuri Slezkine has described as "the most extravagant celebration of ethnic diversity that any state had ever witnessed.]


[The Soviet Union's early leaders implemented policies that were similar to affirmative action in an effort to create a multi-ethnic empire. These policies included: Encouraging the use of local languages, Supporting the development of ethnic leaders, and Establishing dozens of official national languages]

https://blogs.cuit.columbia.edu/rightsviews/2017/11/07/soviet-affirmative-action-and-contemporary-inclusion-of-minorities/
Redbrickbear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
whiterock said:

Redbrickbear said:

whiterock said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners





BS. Finland? That is the barameter?

Nationalizing the economy, invading Ukraine, and is actions in Georgia and Chechnya.

He may say he is not doing it, but his actions say otherwise. Will he attack NATO? No. Will he put autocratic state control in place over as many miles as he can? Damn right. The State Union...

1. Finland is not a barometer but if Putin really wanted the USSR back he would want Finland demilitarized and out of NATO.

2. The USSR was Marxist....more than just Marxists nationalize their economies. I mean some on here have said that Putin is a fascist....and maybe he is....certainly not just communists are into nationalization. That does not prove he wants the old Communist Empire back.

3. Chechnya was/is legally part of the Russian Federation...thats not a good geo-strategic point. D.C. just like Moscow crushes separatist movements.

It is a good point at how Moscow is hypocritical...it crushed separatists in Chechnya then complained when Ukraine tried to do the same in Donbas.

4. Ukraine and Georgia are examples of Russian trying to hold its sphere of influence….even through invasion and violence.

5. The USSR was Leftist totalitarian....not authoritarian.

A nationalist-authoritarian modern Russia is NOT the same as the Communist totalitarian USSR of old
Here's the fatal flaw in your logic: USSR was not a communist empire. It was a Russian empire.

.


Oh but it's was not.

Even though many posters on here obviously think that.

The communists in the USSR ruthlessly suppressed Russian nationalism

It was a Moscow based empire no doubt (and thus has similar regional security desires as does any Moscow based State) but it was no "Russian Empire"

[The roots of nationalist discontent lay in Russia's peculiar status within the Soviet Union. After the Bolsheviks took control over much of the tsarist empire's former territory, Lenin declared 'war to the death on Great Russian chauvinism' and proposed to uplift the 'oppressed nations' on its peripheries. To combat imperial inequality, Lenin called for unity, creating a federation of republics divided by nationality. The republics forfeited political sovereignty in exchange for territorial integrity, educational and cultural institutions in their own languages, and the elevation of the local 'titular' nationality into positions of power. Soviet policy, following Lenin, conceived of the republics as homelands for their respective nationalities (with autonomous regions and districts for smaller nationalities nested within them). The exception was the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, or RSFSR, which remained an administrative territory not associated with any ethnic or historic 'Russia'.

Russia was the only Soviet republic that did not have its own Communist Party, capital, or Academy of Sciences. These omissions contributed to the uneasy overlap of 'Russian' and 'Soviet'.]

but the Soviet regime had the exact same territorial ambitions that every Russian regime before it had. Every single aspect of Soviet foreign policy can be tied back to national security of a regime headquartered in Moscow....

The Roman Empire had non-Italian emperors, governors, and generals but the empire was still....ROME. The Roman Senate was in ROME. Roman policy served the interests of ROME.

Then you are making a argument that the USSR or modern Russian Federation serve the interests of MOSCOW (and whatever ruling class/regime exits there at a certain time)

*not necessary the ethnic Russian people.

So stop calling it a "Russian Empire" and start calling it more accurately a Moscow centric-Empire.

One that depending on the time/regime might be ruled by ethnic Jewish guys (Lenin) or ethnic Georgians (Stalin), or ethnic Russians (Putin)

Either way the Russian Empire, the USSR, and the Russian Federation are 3 separate entities with separate and different ideologies
FLBear5630
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners





BS. Finland? That is the barameter?

Nationalizing the economy, invading Ukraine, and is actions in Georgia and Chechnya.

He may say he is not doing it, but his actions say otherwise. Will he attack NATO? No. Will he put autocratic state control in place over as many miles as he can? Damn right. The State Union...

A nationalist-authoritarian modern Russia is NOT the same as the Communist totalitarian USSR of old
As close as Putin can get it...


And a few poor states around its periphery is all Russia can dominate. (And it might fail at even doing that)

It's just not the massive world threat some on here think it is.

The whole "Putin wants to recreated the USSR" seems like a the kind of talking point Liz Cheney and her aids would think up during one of her private jet rides….

It's an excuse for a regime change war….not an actual rational assessment of modern Russia.
So the answer is let him dominate those poor schmucks that are too poor or able to defend themselves?

Redbrickbear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners





BS. Finland? That is the barameter?

Nationalizing the economy, invading Ukraine, and is actions in Georgia and Chechnya.

He may say he is not doing it, but his actions say otherwise. Will he attack NATO? No. Will he put autocratic state control in place over as many miles as he can? Damn right. The State Union...

A nationalist-authoritarian modern Russia is NOT the same as the Communist totalitarian USSR of old
As close as Putin can get it...


And a few poor states around its periphery is all Russia can dominate. (And it might fail at even doing that)

It's just not the massive world threat some on here think it is.

The whole "Putin wants to recreated the USSR" seems like a the kind of talking point Liz Cheney and her aids would think up during one of her private jet rides….

It's an excuse for a regime change war….not an actual rational assessment of modern Russia.
So the answer is let him dominate those poor schmucks that are too poor or able to defend themselves?


Its not the job of the USA to fight other peoples wars for them. (only those who are our enrolled treaty allies)

You are often pretty excited to spend American money and blood on wars that don't concern us.

Not to mention...we have no proof American intervention even works all that well.....DC is pretty incompetent these days.

Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.

All regime change wars that were supposed to make things better....ended in utter failure

Replaying the disasters of the last 20 years on a bigger stage in Russia sounds like absolute madness.
FLBear5630
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners





BS. Finland? That is the barameter?

Nationalizing the economy, invading Ukraine, and is actions in Georgia and Chechnya.

He may say he is not doing it, but his actions say otherwise. Will he attack NATO? No. Will he put autocratic state control in place over as many miles as he can? Damn right. The State Union...

A nationalist-authoritarian modern Russia is NOT the same as the Communist totalitarian USSR of old
As close as Putin can get it...


And a few poor states around its periphery is all Russia can dominate. (And it might fail at even doing that)

It's just not the massive world threat some on here think it is.

The whole "Putin wants to recreated the USSR" seems like a the kind of talking point Liz Cheney and her aids would think up during one of her private jet rides….

It's an excuse for a regime change war….not an actual rational assessment of modern Russia.
So the answer is let him dominate those poor schmucks that are too poor or able to defend themselves?


Its not the job of the USA to fight other peoples wars for them. (only those who are our enrolled treaty allies)

You are often pretty excited to spend American money and blood on wars that don't concern us.

Not to mention...we have no proof American intervention even works all that well.....DC is pretty incompetent these days.

Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.

All regime change wars that were supposed to make things better....ended in utter failure

Replaying the disasters of the last 20 years on a bigger stage in Russia sounds like absolute madness.
Funny, I agree with you in most of the world. Just not in Eastern Europe and Taiwan. Both areas where since Eisenhower we have courted those Nations to turn to the West and join the Western world. We played a role in Ukraine giving back the Nukes, that their scientist developed and industrial base build, most of the brain power in Russia came from Ukraine, Latvia, and other satellites.

So based on your statement, the US is the Siren leading them to the rocks that is Russia. Stupid them, right?
Redbrickbear
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For the crowd of "we can do both"....be world police and help actual Americans.

Shocker...D.C. can't or won't


[Helene: 'White Katrina':

A Louisiana friend texted yesterday to say he has a sick feeling that Helene will end up being our "white Katrina." The greater part of Katrina's cruelties was borne by the black folks in and around New Orleans. Helene, though, seems to have targeted a predominantly white population in Appalachia.

Malcom Kyeyune says it's more like America's Chernobyl. He points out that as bad as the Katrina response in 2005 was, the US was far more prepared for that disaster than it has been for Helene. But then, says Kyeyune, America was a different country then. Excerpts:

So while it can be said that Bush's administration fumbled parts of the Katrina relief efforts, they at least did so in the context of America as it existed back then. The planning wasn't always good, but there was planning. The helicopters didn't always go to the places they were most needed, but at least they were there in large enough numbers. This is worlds apart from the reality of America in 2024. Today, the institutions are weaker, the deficits are bigger, and the US empire itself- then at the height of unipolarity- is critically overstretched. There aren't enough helicopters, nor enough troops. A decent portion of the Tennessee National Guard, rather than helping rescue Americans in their own home state, are currently deployed to bases in Kuwait. In 2024, the only way for the US military to source enough men for its various far-flung bases and military commitments is to lean heavily on the National Guard. The Guard is supposed to be the primary muscle when it comes to domestic disaster relief, but as the regular Army is falling apart, there simply aren't enough resources available anywhere in the system anymore.

This means that even though the victims of hurricane Helene have found themselves stranded within a stone's throw of some of the US military's more significant military bases- Camp Lejeune and Fort Liberty are both located in North Carolina- very little help has been forthcoming. There remains a belief in the West that, despite various recent reversals and losses, the US military is a machine with near-godlike powers: if it really wanted to, it could fill the sky and blot out the sun with an uncountable number of helicopters and planes, whenever and wherever it wants.

Almost a week into the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, those endless helicopters have failed to appear. And as America readies to surge more troops to the Middle East to potentially fight Iran, it's clear that they can't appear, at least not without seriously breaking something somewhere else. Troops and aircraft busy in Tennessee or North Carolina can't be deployed to Jordan, Iraq or Syria. In theory, the US military exists to protect the lives of Americans that's why it falls under the Department of Defense. In practice, Americans have largely been left to fend for themselves, 50 miles away from their own military bases, just in case those soldiers and helicopters are needed on the other side of the world.

Kyeyune says that when he talks to friends in Washington to find out what the people of the imperial capital are saying about the suffering from Helene, he is shocked to discover that nobody is much talking about it at all. More:

What is going on right now isn't malice, it's somehow even worse: it's senility. People weren't enjoying the suffering of fellow Americans; they were simply so oblivious and zoned out that they couldn't even notice a problem.

Currently, a hurricane disaster that is significantly more challenging than Katrina is being serviced by something like a third of the resources that Louisiana called upon. And yet few people in Washington even think this is a problem. At the same time as Congress has borrowed another 10 or 20 billion dollars to hand over to Ukraine and Israel, presidential candidate Kamala Harris has announced that the victims of Helene will be able to apply for $750 in relief assistance to help them get back on their feet.

This has led him to think that Helene might well be America's Chernobyl. Chernobyl became "Chernobyl" not because of the number of casualties, but because what it revealed about the fragility and incompetence of the Soviet system. Well, let Kyeyune explain:

The real reason Chernobyl looms so large in stories about the last days of the Soviet Union was because of all the lying, the governmental incompetence, and the shared sense that the Soviet Union itself was a senile construct that no longer had any real point. A healthy society, one in which people still feel a sense of purpose and common belief, could have endured far worse disasters than Chernobyl. But by 1986, the Soviet Union was a place where neither the rulers nor the ruled believed the system still had a reason to exist. By the end, talk of socialism, Karl Marx and historical materialism seemed like nothing more than an absurd joke.

Read the whole thing. I remind you that one major factor in the fall of the Tsar was the regime's failure to do right by those Russians suffering from the 1891-92 famine, which took 500,000 lives. It shook the middle classes, and deeply damaged their confidence in the governing order.]


boognish_bear
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The_barBEARian
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whiterock said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

Redbrickbear said:

FLBear5630 said:

trey3216 said:



Nationalizing industry
He is recreating the Soviet Union. He wants the old Communist Soviet Union back and is doing it.

No he is not....and even if he wanted to do so...he can't actually do it.

The Baltic States are all now in NATO/EU.

Its old European satellite States are also in NATO/EU now (Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkans)

Finland and Sweden that used to be militarily unaligned are now in NATO

That is the whole reason why Moscow is fighting hard to keep Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan in their sphere of influence
Ok, he is trying...



If he was trying he would be trying to invade Finland (and pull them out of the NATO alliance)

Or invading the Baltic States

Or invading Poland

Or invading Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, etc

He is not doing that...

And even if he wanted to do so....he CANT.....literally economically-militarily the remnant Russia State does not have those capabilities.

This.....is never coming back.....








Modern Russia will be lucky if it can even keep its local neighbors in its alliance network (something it's failing at right now)

Whatever happens in this War most of Ukraine is now headed into the West...and the "Stans" in Central Asia are rapidly moving into the Chinese orbit and Islamic world orbit.

Russia is ending up with few real partners





BS. Finland? That is the barameter?

Nationalizing the economy, invading Ukraine, and is actions in Georgia and Chechnya.

He may say he is not doing it, but his actions say otherwise. Will he attack NATO? No. Will he put autocratic state control in place over as many miles as he can? Damn right. The State Union...

1. Finland is not a barometer but if Putin really wanted the USSR back he would want Finland demilitarized and out of NATO.

2. The USSR was Marxist....more than just Marxists nationalize their economies. I mean some on here have said that Putin is a fascist....and maybe he is....certainly not just communists are into nationalization. That does not prove he wants the old Communist Empire back.

3. Chechnya was/is legally part of the Russian Federation...thats not a good geo-strategic point. D.C. just like Moscow crushes separatist movements.

It is a good point at how Moscow is hypocritical...it crushed separatists in Chechnya then complained when Ukraine tried to do the same in Donbas.

4. Ukraine and Georgia are examples of Russian trying to hold its sphere of influence….even through invasion and violence.

5. The USSR was Leftist totalitarian....not authoritarian.

A nationalist-authoritarian modern Russia is NOT the same as the Communist totalitarian USSR of old
Here's the fatal flaw in your logic: USSR was not a communist empire. It was a Russian empire.

Communism is not, and never has been, relevant to understanding longstanding Russian territorial ambitions.

That is the stupidest **** I have read in awhile.
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