War with Russia

[multitool]

You the one who equated your thoughts here are as fantastical as playing 3D chess!?

Sorry. I don't think your play has improved...

What seems clear, is since you can't dispute the facts referred to in my post, they got you hot under the collar because they show you are cheering the side of the big imperial bully, its vassals, and its sacrificial lamb in this proxy war. Worse, they show "your side" can't win. So you resorted to putting words in my mouth - I see no purity (whatever that means) in Russia's actions, and of course they act in their self-interest. But their self-interest in this war is diametrically opposed to that of the US. This fundamental difference in self interest is of course also why Russia won't lose, while the US will as they do even against sandal wearers on mopeds, again due to fundamental difference in resolve caused by fundamental difference in self-interest.

Your unwillingness or incapability to see this is further confirmed in your mishmash of words by a false equivalence. Russia's war in Ukraine is NOT underpinned by imperialism just like the US' wars (which as you indicated, are).

As the facts I linked to amply demonstrate, Russia does not have 800 military bases around the world, and did not wage numerous wars in distant lands causing the deaths of over a million during the last 30 years, nor are they invading other countries and sabre waving on the other side of the globe. It might have helped your argument if Russia did fan a coup at the doorstep of the US, and then proceeded to arm the resulting government not only hostile to the US, but was also oppressing and killing ethnic Yanks! Wait!

If you can't see and understand the above, it is either because you are wilfully blind, or because you have terrible difficulties standing in the shoes of others. There is no cure for the former. For the latter*, this could be a step to a cure.

* like the Dutch guy perhaps, who just opined, remarkably, that "Russia did knew what national security is, stay within your international recognised borders"!!!!

tldr

but I did read the bit about 800 US bases.

Now ask yourself how it came to be that Russia has borders with Poland at one end, and is a mere 55 miles from Alaska at the other

 

[BoldonLad]

tldr

but I did read the bit about 800 US bases.

Now ask yourself how it came to be that Russia has borders with Poland at one end, and is a mere 55 miles from Alaska at the other

My history is a bit hazy, but, didn't Alaska used to belong to Russia, before they sold it to USA, presumably, sometime in the 1800's?

 

[Unkraut]

My history is a bit hazy, but, didn't Alaska used to belong to Russia, before they sold it to USA, presumably, sometime in the 1800's?

Without googling around 1865. Imagine the implications during the cold war if this had never happened and the paranoid Americans had faced the Red Army with no sea between them!

 

[the snail]

... Russia does not have 800 military bases around the world, and did not wage numerous wars in distant lands...

Good point. Apart from the military bases in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia etc. Oh and the wars in Afghanistan, Moldova, Georgia, Syria, Ukraine, Libya, Mali etc

 

[multitool]

Good point. Apart from the military bases in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia etc. Oh and the wars in Afghanistan, Moldova, Georgia, Syria, Ukraine, Libya, Mali etc

...also Sudan and the CAR, with Wagner.

 

[Deleted member 121]

The extensive use of PMC's is growing quite fast in Russia. Gazprom had a decree signed by the Russian PM Mikhail Mishustin allowing them to form a PMC this year. Which is majority state run as we know. 19 African Countries have Russian PMC's operating within them and all with links to the Kremlin.

 

[Badger_Boom]

Yeah the Netherlands did away with all their tanks a few years ago for example, and not so long ago solders during practice had to shout ''bang bang'' instead of using real (practice) bullets. So yes western european armies have been, slowly ''undressed'' in the past decades, however if you look at eastern european countries with Poland as the best example not only because it's an quite big country, you see the opposite they are expanding also long before the war with Ukraine.

I've heard tales of this, but it certainly hasn't happened in the last 20 years.

 

[The Crofted Crest]

I've heard tales of this, but it certainly hasn't happened in the last 20 years.

I live about half a mile from a Dutch army base. We regularly (at least once a week) hear them practising with munition.

 

[icowden]

I've heard tales of this, but it certainly hasn't happened in the last 20 years.

It was widely reported in 2015.

 

[dutchguylivingintheuk]

I've heard tales of this, but it certainly hasn't happened in the last 20 years.

I live about half a mile from a Dutch army base. We regularly (at least once a week) hear them practising with munition.

It was widely reported in 2015.

Indeed @icowden is correct look an source: https://www.ewmagazine.nl/nederland...-militairen-moeten-pang-pang-roepen-2665576W/ (in dutch)
And it took until 2018 before it was solved so that @The Crofted Crest hears them now is also correct. also a (dutch) source: https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/defens...-roepen-en-vult-munitievoorraad-aan~a2ec49d5/

 

[albion]

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023...tigate-gold-smuggling-after-al-jazeera-expose
https://www.newsday.co.zw/thestanda...503/russias-wagner-has-footprints-in-zimbabwe

As Zimbabwe goes further downhill, Wagner is asserting influence again.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ting-post-russia-rebellion-video-africa-putin

 

[Deleted member 121]

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023...tigate-gold-smuggling-after-al-jazeera-expose
https://www.newsday.co.zw/thestanda...503/russias-wagner-has-footprints-in-zimbabwe

As Zimbabwe goes further downhill, Wagner is asserting influence again.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ting-post-russia-rebellion-video-africa-putin

Prigozhin - "making Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even more free"

If there were any doubts as to the intentions of these Russian based PMC's then Mr Prigozhin has surely cleared that up for us... I can't wait to see what Gazprom's recently sanctioned PMC cooks up for us with all of that private (state) fossil fuel funding.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66599733


CLEARLY a sad and total accident - probably never know what caused it

not suspicious at all in any way

no no no - not at all

these things just happen

 

[Beebo]

I won’t mourn him, he’s an animal, but Putin is a total monster.
The biggest surprise is that there were 9 other people prepared to fly on the same plane as him.
I wouldn’t be prepared to go anywhere near him.

 

[BoldonLad]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66599733


CLEARLY a sad and total accident - probably never know what caused it

not suspicious at all in any way

no no no - not at all

these things just happen

Just a very high window, I suppose