All Things Russia & Ukraine

[MDlaxfan76]

Dunno if this has been brought up but here's a guy (originally from God's Country, no less) who really knows his stuff:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUok5xT ... chRichmond


Russophobes are not likely to enjoy any of it. Rather than criticize, try to present evidence to refute what Professor John Mearsheimer says.

J. H. C., not this Chicago guy again.

Mearsheimer is one of those morons from the misnamed “realist” school. I’m sure there’s much more to that school than I understand, but it’s basically a dehumanizing school of thought that tends to emphasize the “state” over the individual.

I don’t know the professor, and he may be a nice guy, but I really doubt it (consider that my realist take on him).

Oh, and it is worth saying again … Le Corbusier was a jerk and his architectural style really sucks.

End of rant. Thank you, thank you very much.

DocBarrister has left the building.

Great rant !
Two things can be true at the same time :
(1) Putin is evil incarnate, vengeful after his loss of the Cold War, obsessed with restoring Russia's historic borders,...& a war criminal.
(2) our insistence on boxing in Russia, by expanding NATO all the way to include Ukraine, precipitated this.

Yes, two things could be true.
Doesn't mean they are.

Putin has been very clear that NATO expansion was not the issue, it's that Ukraine should not have ever been an independent country, in his narrative, it was part of the Czarist Russian empire, thus isn't really a country in the first place.

His issue is with that independence, not any actual concern about NATO.

Everything else he says has been proven to be a lie. It's when he goes on his emotional rants that you see what he actually angrily, resentfully, maniacally "thinks" and wants.

[a fan]

And you believe that?

Yes. Why else would he say as much publicly? To what end?

The door is open for peace, Doc. Only a fool or a war monger doesn't try and walk through that door..... you seem hell bent on shutting it.

He says all sorts of things, lying through his teeth...why would anyone, especially anyone who has him on the run, allow him an opportunity to regroup and attack and disrupt again? Of course there needs to be an ironclad agreement that the West will defend Ukraine in order for Ukraine to accept anything but the complete withdrawal of Russia.

There is no 'neutral' for Putin, who will not ever accept that Ukraine doesn't belong as part of Russia. and that means Kyiv and Odessa must be included.

Don't guarantee complete protection and no deal.
And denying Ukraine the opportunity to economically align with whoever they want?...FU, Putin.

That's the Ukrainian position. It should be ours, too.

+43.8 quadrillion

DocBarrister

Yeah, but you two sort of left this part out: what's YOUR plan to get Putin out of Ukraine? (you don't have one)

I don't think either of you are getting my point.......Remember the Cuban Missile Crisis? Anyone remember what Kennedy "gave" the Khrushchev to get us out of that mess?


Zelensky can "give" Putin things, that simply aren't real in any practical sense.....and yet are trophies for Putin to show his country as a "victory".

[old salt]

Dunno if this has been brought up but here's a guy (originally from God's Country, no less) who really knows his stuff:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUok5xT ... chRichmond


Russophobes are not likely to enjoy any of it. Rather than criticize, try to present evidence to refute what Professor John Mearsheimer says.

J. H. C., not this Chicago guy again.

Mearsheimer is one of those morons from the misnamed “realist” school. I’m sure there’s much more to that school than I understand, but it’s basically a dehumanizing school of thought that tends to emphasize the “state” over the individual.

I don’t know the professor, and he may be a nice guy, but I really doubt it (consider that my realist take on him).

Oh, and it is worth saying again … Le Corbusier was a jerk and his architectural style really sucks.

End of rant. Thank you, thank you very much.

DocBarrister has left the building.

Great rant !
Two things can be true at the same time :
(1) Putin is evil incarnate, vengeful after his loss of the Cold War, obsessed with restoring Russia's historic borders,...& a war criminal.
(2) our insistence on boxing in Russia, by expanding NATO all the way to include Ukraine, precipitated this.

Yes, two things could be true.
Doesn't mean they are.

Putin has been very clear that NATO expansion was not the issue, it's that Ukraine should not have ever been an independent country, in his narrative, it was part of the Czarist Russian empire, thus isn't really a country in the first place.

His issue is with that independence, not any actual concern about NATO.

Everything else he says has been proven to be a lie. It's when he goes on his emotional rants that you see what he actually angrily, resentfully, maniacally "thinks" and wants.

There are underlying root causes & there are precipitating events. They are different.
The precipitating event finally pushed Putin to act on the root cause.

Prof M was right -- Putin could never accept the Black Sea Fleet homeport of Sevastopol being part of a NATO country.
The 2014 Maidan revolt/regime change & vow to seek NATO membership was the precipitating event.

[MDlaxfan76]

Dunno if this has been brought up but here's a guy (originally from God's Country, no less) who really knows his stuff:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUok5xT ... chRichmond


Russophobes are not likely to enjoy any of it. Rather than criticize, try to present evidence to refute what Professor John Mearsheimer says.

J. H. C., not this Chicago guy again.

Mearsheimer is one of those morons from the misnamed “realist” school. I’m sure there’s much more to that school than I understand, but it’s basically a dehumanizing school of thought that tends to emphasize the “state” over the individual.

I don’t know the professor, and he may be a nice guy, but I really doubt it (consider that my realist take on him).

Oh, and it is worth saying again … Le Corbusier was a jerk and his architectural style really sucks.

End of rant. Thank you, thank you very much.

DocBarrister has left the building.

Great rant !
Two things can be true at the same time :
(1) Putin is evil incarnate, vengeful after his loss of the Cold War, obsessed with restoring Russia's historic borders,...& a war criminal.
(2) our insistence on boxing in Russia, by expanding NATO all the way to include Ukraine, precipitated this.

Yes, two things could be true.
Doesn't mean they are.

Putin has been very clear that NATO expansion was not the issue, it's that Ukraine should not have ever been an independent country, in his narrative, it was part of the Czarist Russian empire, thus isn't really a country in the first place.

His issue is with that independence, not any actual concern about NATO.

Everything else he says has been proven to be a lie. It's when he goes on his emotional rants that you see what he actually angrily, resentfully, maniacally "thinks" and wants.

There are underlying root causes & there are precipitating events. They are different.
The precipitating event finally pushed Putin to act on the root cause.

Prof M was right -- Putin could never accept the Black Sea Fleet homeport of Sevastopol being part of a NATO country.
The 2014 Maidan revolt/regime change & vow to seek NATO membership was the precipitating event.

Good distinction between root cause and precipitating event.

But that's a theory, a hypothesis but not a fact.
It may simply have been an excuse...yes, the precipitating excuse.

What we do know is that Putin had long before 2014 made clear what his ambitions were for a return to the full reach of the Russian and Soviet eras. If we actually believed that ambition was real and that he would act upon it in due course, that would mean that there was never any real hope for a continued status quo.

In that understanding, it wasn't the expansion of NATO that was a threat to Russia's sovereignty, rather it was a block to his ambitions to reconquer former territories and peoples. Which he was determined to do.

We just weren't listening to him seriously enough.

[MDlaxfan76]

And you believe that?

Yes. Why else would he say as much publicly? To what end?

The door is open for peace, Doc. Only a fool or a war monger doesn't try and walk through that door..... you seem hell bent on shutting it.

He says all sorts of things, lying through his teeth...why would anyone, especially anyone who has him on the run, allow him an opportunity to regroup and attack and disrupt again? Of course there needs to be an ironclad agreement that the West will defend Ukraine in order for Ukraine to accept anything but the complete withdrawal of Russia.

There is no 'neutral' for Putin, who will not ever accept that Ukraine doesn't belong as part of Russia. and that means Kyiv and Odessa must be included.

Don't guarantee complete protection and no deal.
And denying Ukraine the opportunity to economically align with whoever they want?...FU, Putin.

That's the Ukrainian position. It should be ours, too.

+43.8 quadrillion

DocBarrister

Yeah, but you two sort of left this part out: what's YOUR plan to get Putin out of Ukraine? (you don't have one)

I don't think either of you are getting my point.......Remember the Cuban Missile Crisis? Anyone remember what Kennedy "gave" the Khrushchev to get us out of that mess?


Zelensky can "give" Putin things, that simply aren't real in any practical sense.....and yet are trophies for Putin to show his country as a "victory".

I think you're missing a different point. I'm not arguing that there aren't worthless "gives" that Putin can claim in his state media as victories.

It's that Putin isn't going to accept those until his military power is virtually spent and it is clear that he's lost. I don't think he's even close to being at that point.

On the other hand, what Putin would demand now, aren't worthless (not simply state propaganda) and would be a very real mistake to allow, not simply for this crisis but because it would mean that aggression works. And the Ukrainians aren't going to do those anyway.

So, no, I don't think there's a legitimate way to get Putin out until it's far more clear that his military foray has lost decisively.

[tech37]

And you believe that?

Yes. Why else would he say as much publicly? To what end?

The door is open for peace, Doc. Only a fool or a war monger doesn't try and walk through that door..... you seem hell bent on shutting it.

He says all sorts of things, lying through his teeth...why would anyone, especially anyone who has him on the run, allow him an opportunity to regroup and attack and disrupt again? Of course there needs to be an ironclad agreement that the West will defend Ukraine in order for Ukraine to accept anything but the complete withdrawal of Russia.

There is no 'neutral' for Putin, who will not ever accept that Ukraine doesn't belong as part of Russia. and that means Kyiv and Odessa must be included.

Don't guarantee complete protection and no deal.
And denying Ukraine the opportunity to economically align with whoever they want?...FU, Putin.

That's the Ukrainian position. It should be ours, too.

+43.8 quadrillion

DocBarrister

Yeah, but you two sort of left this part out: what's YOUR plan to get Putin out of Ukraine? (you don't have one)

I don't think either of you are getting my point.......Remember the Cuban Missile Crisis? Anyone remember what Kennedy "gave" the Khrushchev to get us out of that mess?


Zelensky can "give" Putin things, that simply aren't real in any practical sense.....and yet are trophies for Putin to show his country as a "victory".

I think you're missing a different point. I'm not arguing that there aren't worthless "gives" that Putin can claim in his state media as victories.

It's that Putin isn't going to accept those until his military power is virtually spent and it is clear that he's lost. I don't think he's even close to being at that point.

On the other hand, what Putin would demand now, aren't worthless (not simply state propaganda) and would be a very real mistake to allow, not simply for this crisis but because it would mean that aggression works. And the Ukrainians aren't going to do those anyway.

So, no, I don't think there's a legitimate way to get Putin out until it's far more clear that his military foray has lost decisively.

"until his military power is virtually spent"

What on earth does that even mean? Are you referring to his ground troop invasion force alone? I sure hope so.

[Typical Lax Dad]

And you believe that?

Yes. Why else would he say as much publicly? To what end?

The door is open for peace, Doc. Only a fool or a war monger doesn't try and walk through that door..... you seem hell bent on shutting it.

He says all sorts of things, lying through his teeth...why would anyone, especially anyone who has him on the run, allow him an opportunity to regroup and attack and disrupt again? Of course there needs to be an ironclad agreement that the West will defend Ukraine in order for Ukraine to accept anything but the complete withdrawal of Russia.

There is no 'neutral' for Putin, who will not ever accept that Ukraine doesn't belong as part of Russia. and that means Kyiv and Odessa must be included.

Don't guarantee complete protection and no deal.
And denying Ukraine the opportunity to economically align with whoever they want?...FU, Putin.

That's the Ukrainian position. It should be ours, too.

+43.8 quadrillion

DocBarrister

Yeah, but you two sort of left this part out: what's YOUR plan to get Putin out of Ukraine? (you don't have one)

I don't think either of you are getting my point.......Remember the Cuban Missile Crisis? Anyone remember what Kennedy "gave" the Khrushchev to get us out of that mess?


Zelensky can "give" Putin things, that simply aren't real in any practical sense.....and yet are trophies for Putin to show his country as a "victory".

I think you're missing a different point. I'm not arguing that there aren't worthless "gives" that Putin can claim in his state media as victories.

It's that Putin isn't going to accept those until his military power is virtually spent and it is clear that he's lost. I don't think he's even close to being at that point.

On the other hand, what Putin would demand now, aren't worthless (not simply state propaganda) and would be a very real mistake to allow, not simply for this crisis but because it would mean that aggression works. And the Ukrainians aren't going to do those anyway.

So, no, I don't think there's a legitimate way to get Putin out until it's far more clear that his military foray has lost decisively.

"until his military power is virtually spent"

What on earth does that even mean? Are you referring to his ground troop invasion force alone? I sure hope so.

You believe he means until all of his nuclear weapons are used up?

[MDlaxfan76]

And you believe that?

Yes. Why else would he say as much publicly? To what end?

The door is open for peace, Doc. Only a fool or a war monger doesn't try and walk through that door..... you seem hell bent on shutting it.

He says all sorts of things, lying through his teeth...why would anyone, especially anyone who has him on the run, allow him an opportunity to regroup and attack and disrupt again? Of course there needs to be an ironclad agreement that the West will defend Ukraine in order for Ukraine to accept anything but the complete withdrawal of Russia.

There is no 'neutral' for Putin, who will not ever accept that Ukraine doesn't belong as part of Russia. and that means Kyiv and Odessa must be included.

Don't guarantee complete protection and no deal.
And denying Ukraine the opportunity to economically align with whoever they want?...FU, Putin.

That's the Ukrainian position. It should be ours, too.

+43.8 quadrillion

DocBarrister

Yeah, but you two sort of left this part out: what's YOUR plan to get Putin out of Ukraine? (you don't have one)

I don't think either of you are getting my point.......Remember the Cuban Missile Crisis? Anyone remember what Kennedy "gave" the Khrushchev to get us out of that mess?


Zelensky can "give" Putin things, that simply aren't real in any practical sense.....and yet are trophies for Putin to show his country as a "victory".

I think you're missing a different point. I'm not arguing that there aren't worthless "gives" that Putin can claim in his state media as victories.

It's that Putin isn't going to accept those until his military power is virtually spent and it is clear that he's lost. I don't think he's even close to being at that point.

On the other hand, what Putin would demand now, aren't worthless (not simply state propaganda) and would be a very real mistake to allow, not simply for this crisis but because it would mean that aggression works. And the Ukrainians aren't going to do those anyway.

So, no, I don't think there's a legitimate way to get Putin out until it's far more clear that his military foray has lost decisively.

"until his military power is virtually spent"

What on earth does that even mean? Are you referring to his ground troop invasion force alone? I sure hope so.

First, I obviously wish that Putin would leave immediately, just as I wish he'd never made these horrible decisions in the first place. But wishes don't make it so.

Second, what I mean is that Putin will need to come to the conclusion that he's made all the moves he can, expended all the resources he can, that would bring Ukraine into submission and be habitable and ruled by Russia and/or its proxy. That's not possible if he goes nuclear, but it is at least conceivably possible if he turns many of the cities to rubble. Obviously the latter is awful, but it's what the Ukrainians appear to be prepared to withstand.

But there are limits to Putin's capacities that are being quickly expended, especially as the Ukrainians progressively strike back at those capabilities.

And in 3 weeks Russia has already lost 50% of the soldiers it lost in 10 years of Afghanistan. More than we lost in 20 years of Iraq and Afghanistan. Body bags and limbs lost will begin to be obvious to the Russian public; it already is within the military itself.

I don't know how long it will take for Putin to conclude that his ambition is for nought, but it's quite clear from his public rants that he ain't there yet...doesn't look close to there.

[dislaxxic]

Has Vlad even SAID what he wants...beyond the very amorphous "No NATO on my borders"? Has he even said, "Hey Volo,,,step aside, get out of dodge...

What are his demands? "Give me back your country." ??

..

[MDlaxfan76]

Has Vlad even SAID what he wants...beyond the very amorphous "No NATO on my borders"? Has he even said, "Hey Volo,,,step aside, get out of dodge...

What are his demands? "Give me back your country." ??

..

He's said many things, often conflicting, depending on the audience. Immediately prior to the attack, he said there would be no attack. Then he said he only wanted D and L to be "independent"...none of this was even close to the truth.

I'd suggest that we look to his most emotional rants as his authentic self, and in these he's very clear that Ukraine is part of Russia, can't be independent, and he implies the same about quite a lot of other countries.

[a fan]

I think you're missing a different point. I'm not arguing that there aren't worthless "gives" that Putin can claim in his state media as victories.

It's that Putin isn't going to accept those until his military power is virtually spent and it is clear that he's lost. I don't think he's even close to being at that point.

What would possibly make you think that?

On the other hand, what Putin would demand now, aren't worthless (not simply state propaganda) and would be a very real mistake to allow, not simply for this crisis but because it would mean that aggression works.

?

Do you REALLY not understand that Putin has already lost? That Russia's economy was just set back by DECADES? That China is looking at Putin's sh*tshow when it comes to Taiwan and going "Yikes. Maybe we ought to think twice about moving in"?

The entire world is punishing Putin economically.....do you understand how big of a deal it is that it's not the .gov's that are sanctioning him....but companies are getting out of Russia via their own choice? Ruble is F'ed. Russians loans are F'ed. Rich Russians are being targeting globally, and are F'ed.

Yet you think the message is: aggression works?

Putin has lost. All that's left is picking up the pieces, and minimizing death and damage to Ukraine...and keeping Putin from doing something crazy.

[Essexfenwick]

^^^
So naive.

1) Russia has the hardest currency in the world

Abundant Commodities. Much stronger than the US fiat dollar

2) Russia will end up working with China, India, Saudi and Iran to end the dollar as the reserve currency

All those countries are not happy that the USA has that power and are beginning to end it.

3) China needs cheap Russian resources and Russia needs Chinese financial services

4) Putin is like Superman on trial. He has the most nuclear weapons on earth. The judge and jailer are hoping Superman is nice / takes his humiliation peacefully and doesn’t decide to turn his punishers into mush.


4)

[MDlaxfan76]

I think you're missing a different point. I'm not arguing that there aren't worthless "gives" that Putin can claim in his state media as victories.

It's that Putin isn't going to accept those until his military power is virtually spent and it is clear that he's lost. I don't think he's even close to being at that point.

What would possibly make you think that?

On the other hand, what Putin would demand now, aren't worthless (not simply state propaganda) and would be a very real mistake to allow, not simply for this crisis but because it would mean that aggression works.

?

Do you REALLY not understand that Putin has already lost? That Russia's economy was just set back by DECADES? That China is looking at Putin's sh*tshow when it comes to Taiwan and going "Yikes. Maybe we ought to think twice about moving in"?

The entire world is punishing Putin economically.....do you understand how big of a deal it is that it's not the .gov's that are sanctioning him....but companies are getting out of Russia via their own choice? Ruble is F'ed. Russians loans are F'ed. Rich Russians are being targeting globally, and are F'ed.

Yet you think the message is: aggression works?

Putin has lost. All that's left is picking up the pieces, and minimizing death and damage to Ukraine...and keeping Putin from doing something crazy.

You are talking about the reality, as you see it (and as I see it too); but our perceptions about "lost" aren't what matters, it's Putin's...and "losing" does not appear to yet be where his mindset is, at least if we believe his most recent rants...and I think that's what we need to take seriously, not the pretenses at negotiation he allows to be tossed out, while they double down on missiles.

Again, I don't know how long it's going to take for Putin, himself, to realize that he needs to give up his ambitions, put aside his resentments...until then, I just don't see even a temporary diplomatic solution that doesn't include allowing him to annex or dominate most of eastern Ukraine, at a minimum. And yeah, that's not ok, nor would it hold.

And our Russian troll tells us quite a lot above.

[a fan]

^^^
So naive.

1) Russia has the hardest currency in the world

Abundant Commodities. Much stronger than the US fiat dollar

2) Russia will end up working with China, India, Saudi and Iran to end the dollar as the reserve currency

All those countries are not happy that the USA has that power and are beginning to end it.

3) China needs cheap Russian resources and Russia needs Chinese financial services

4) Putin is like Superman on trial. He has the most nuclear weapons on earth. The judge and jailer are hoping Superman is nice / takes his humiliation peacefully and doesn’t decide to turn his punishers into mush.


4)

Take it to the kiddie pool, boy. The grown ups are talking.

[Essexfenwick]

I think you're missing a different point. I'm not arguing that there aren't worthless "gives" that Putin can claim in his state media as victories.

It's that Putin isn't going to accept those until his military power is virtually spent and it is clear that he's lost. I don't think he's even close to being at that point.

What would possibly make you think that?

On the other hand, what Putin would demand now, aren't worthless (not simply state propaganda) and would be a very real mistake to allow, not simply for this crisis but because it would mean that aggression works.

?

Do you REALLY not understand that Putin has already lost? That Russia's economy was just set back by DECADES? That China is looking at Putin's sh*tshow when it comes to Taiwan and going "Yikes. Maybe we ought to think twice about moving in"?

The entire world is punishing Putin economically.....do you understand how big of a deal it is that it's not the .gov's that are sanctioning him....but companies are getting out of Russia via their own choice? Ruble is F'ed. Russians loans are F'ed. Rich Russians are being targeting globally, and are F'ed.

Yet you think the message is: aggression works?

Putin has lost. All that's left is picking up the pieces, and minimizing death and damage to Ukraine...and keeping Putin from doing something crazy.

You are talking about the reality, as you see it (and as I see it too); but our perceptions about "lost" aren't what matters, it's Putin's...and "losing" does not appear to yet be where his mindset is, at least if we believe his most recent rants...and I think that's what we need to take seriously, not the pretenses at negotiation he allows to be tossed out, while they double down on missiles.

Again, I don't know how long it's going to take for Putin, himself, to realize that he needs to give up his ambitions, put aside his resentments...until then, I just don't see even a temporary diplomatic solution that doesn't include allowing him to annex or dominate most of eastern Ukraine, at a minimum. And yeah, that's not ok, nor would it hold.

And our Russian troll tells us quite a lot above.

This is much like the end of the Cold War when Russia’s economy was communist/socialist and just beginning to baby step modernize progressively with some capitalism.

Russia is now cut off from the west and will be looking East to China, India, Iran and Saudi the largest populations and soulmates in ending the dollar as reserve currency.

Ending the dollar as reserve currency is the endgame started by Biden’s financial nuclear strike on Russia. Other countries are watching in horror that it could happen to them as well and are going to put an end to the reserve status. The Fed chairman laughably inferred that loss of reserve status wouldn’t effect the USA very much. How bout not being able to paper over 30 trillion in debt? And the loss of the financial hammer?

That’s the BEST realistic outcome. The worst is nuclear exchange.

Biden has ruined the peaceful and well managed world Trump had created.

[old salt]

Dunno if this has been brought up but here's a guy (originally from God's Country, no less) who really knows his stuff:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUok5xT ... chRichmond


Russophobes are not likely to enjoy any of it. Rather than criticize, try to present evidence to refute what Professor John Mearsheimer says.

J. H. C., not this Chicago guy again.

Mearsheimer is one of those morons from the misnamed “realist” school. I’m sure there’s much more to that school than I understand, but it’s basically a dehumanizing school of thought that tends to emphasize the “state” over the individual.

I don’t know the professor, and he may be a nice guy, but I really doubt it (consider that my realist take on him).

Oh, and it is worth saying again … Le Corbusier was a jerk and his architectural style really sucks.

End of rant. Thank you, thank you very much.

DocBarrister has left the building.

Great rant !
Two things can be true at the same time :
(1) Putin is evil incarnate, vengeful after his loss of the Cold War, obsessed with restoring Russia's historic borders,...& a war criminal.
(2) our insistence on boxing in Russia, by expanding NATO all the way to include Ukraine, precipitated this.

Yes, two things could be true.
Doesn't mean they are.

Putin has been very clear that NATO expansion was not the issue, it's that Ukraine should not have ever been an independent country, in his narrative, it was part of the Czarist Russian empire, thus isn't really a country in the first place.

His issue is with that independence, not any actual concern about NATO.

Everything else he says has been proven to be a lie. It's when he goes on his emotional rants that you see what he actually angrily, resentfully, maniacally "thinks" and wants.

There are underlying root causes & there are precipitating events. They are different.
The precipitating event finally pushed Putin to act on the root cause.

Prof M was right -- Putin could never accept the Black Sea Fleet homeport of Sevastopol being part of a NATO country.
The 2014 Maidan revolt/regime change & vow to seek NATO membership was the precipitating event.

Good distinction between root cause and precipitating event.

But that's a theory, a hypothesis but not a fact.
It may simply have been an excuse...yes, the precipitating excuse.

What we do know is that Putin had long before 2014 made clear what his ambitions were for a return to the full reach of the Russian and Soviet eras. If we actually believed that ambition was real and that he would act upon it in due course, that would mean that there was never any real hope for a continued status quo.

In that understanding, it wasn't the expansion of NATO that was a threat to Russia's sovereignty, rather it was a block to his ambitions to reconquer former territories and peoples. Which he was determined to do.

We just weren't listening to him seriously enough.

With the exception of Georgia, Ukraine & the Baltics, he was satisfied with his dominate relationship with the other former SSR's.
They were in his sphere of influence -- to him, his modern Russian Empire.
He did not start causing problems until NATO expanded to the Baltic states & invited Georgia & Ukraine as future members.

[a fan]

Ending the dollar as reserve currency is the endgame started by Biden’s financial nuclear strike on Russia. Other countries are watching in horror that it could happen to them as well and are going to put an end to the reserve status. The Fed chairman laughably inferred that loss of reserve status wouldn’t effect the USA very much. How bout not being able to paper over 30 trillion in debt? And the loss of the financial hammer?

That’s the BEST realistic outcome.

I'd wager any amount of money you'd like that this won't happen. Pick a number. The entire world is screwing Russia right now. And yet you think this is the moment that the entire world is going to move to what....the Ruble? The Rupee?


And the word you're looking for is "implied", not "inferred", Pete.

[MDlaxfan76]

Our Russian troll, he of Trump/Putin lovefest, has simply repeated what his RT/Internet Research Agency feed tells him to argue.

Never a thought of his own.

[Matnum PI]

...Biden has ruined the peaceful and well managed world Trump had created.

[Kismet]

Dunno if this has been brought up but here's a guy (originally from God's Country, no less) who really knows his stuff:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUok5xT ... chRichmond


Russophobes are not likely to enjoy any of it. Rather than criticize, try to present evidence to refute what Professor John Mearsheimer says.

J. H. C., not this Chicago guy again.

Mearsheimer is one of those morons from the misnamed “realist” school. I’m sure there’s much more to that school than I understand, but it’s basically a dehumanizing school of thought that tends to emphasize the “state” over the individual.

I don’t know the professor, and he may be a nice guy, but I really doubt it (consider that my realist take on him).

Oh, and it is worth saying again … Le Corbusier was a jerk and his architectural style really sucks.

End of rant. Thank you, thank you very much.

DocBarrister has left the building.

Great rant !
Two things can be true at the same time :
(1) Putin is evil incarnate, vengeful after his loss of the Cold War, obsessed with restoring Russia's historic borders,...& a war criminal.
(2) our insistence on boxing in Russia, by expanding NATO all the way to include Ukraine, precipitated this.

Yes, two things could be true.
Doesn't mean they are.

Putin has been very clear that NATO expansion was not the issue, it's that Ukraine should not have ever been an independent country, in his narrative, it was part of the Czarist Russian empire, thus isn't really a country in the first place.

His issue is with that independence, not any actual concern about NATO.

Everything else he says has been proven to be a lie. It's when he goes on his emotional rants that you see what he actually angrily, resentfully, maniacally "thinks" and wants.

There are underlying root causes & there are precipitating events. They are different.
The precipitating event finally pushed Putin to act on the root cause.

Prof M was right -- Putin could never accept the Black Sea Fleet homeport of Sevastopol being part of a NATO country.
The 2014 Maidan revolt/regime change & vow to seek NATO membership was the precipitating event.

Good distinction between root cause and precipitating event.

But that's a theory, a hypothesis but not a fact.
It may simply have been an excuse...yes, the precipitating excuse.

What we do know is that Putin had long before 2014 made clear what his ambitions were for a return to the full reach of the Russian and Soviet eras. If we actually believed that ambition was real and that he would act upon it in due course, that would mean that there was never any real hope for a continued status quo.

In that understanding, it wasn't the expansion of NATO that was a threat to Russia's sovereignty, rather it was a block to his ambitions to reconquer former territories and peoples. Which he was determined to do.

We just weren't listening to him seriously enough.

With the exception of Georgia, Ukraine & the Baltics, he was satisfied with his dominate relationship with the other former SSR's.
They were in his sphere of influence -- to him, his modern Russian Empire.
He did not start causing problems until NATO expanded to the Baltic states & invited Georgia & Ukraine as future members.

So it's all the West's fault and Putin bears NO responsibility for the current situation?
A gross oversimplification of a complex issue IMHO.

BTW, today new video today showing a Russian convoy near Mykolaiv getting obliterated by artillery on a main road. Amateur hour continues for the Rooskies who lost yet another senior commander - Colonel Sergei Sukharev, of the 331st Guards Parachute Assault Regiment from Kostroma. His deputy Major Sergei Krylov was killed alongside him.

Word is they are also running out of missile weapons as well as food and fuel. Is it possible they could just fold and begin to withdraw without orders to do so?