Ukraine Protests

Status
Not open for further replies.
reverse flow? so its better for them to pay a middle man than dealing directly with Russia? seems pretty extreme and damning of the situation and how they feel about Russia.
 
Seems like you are the one having a hard time understanding that the the USSR was finished 25 years ago because you still refer to thhe leader of Russia as a KGB dictator. Russia and Putin are fully aware of the evils and terrors of the Soviet era. The problem with Russia today is that the west continues to treat Russia as a communist, evil menace and wants to continue to fight the Cold War. And, at the same time, Russia is treated like a fangless bear that the wwest thinks they are now able to push around like one of these banan republics they are used to controlling and colonizing. The US might be able to push around one of these African or Latin countries, but if Russia has a feeling that they are being threatened in their regio, they are going to growl. The US needs to show some respect.

You do know Putin was a Colonel in the KGB right and has staffed most critical government and private sector positions with ex-KGB and FSB guys right?
 
China/Russia have an interesting dance going on.

China is definitely the one coming out on top. Putin's the fool for thinking himself some equal partner. Putin is selling off his country to keep his adventures afloat but somehow thinking China will help him stay on top. China is only interested in open market access to the goods they need. They go where the doors are open and where they can get those goods at the best rate. Right now Russia has a decent amount to offer and very close markets. Problem is they are going cheap to compete with others and running long term risks in doing so. As far as oil, Putin has promised China the sky. The issue is much of Russia's oil tech is Western (mostly American). Through heavier use these are wearing down. Sanctions prohibit buying replacement parts and shoring up rigs. Soon their system will break down and whoever dips into that oil will need to rebuild from scratch meaning higher costs.
 
i think they are trying to decide who wears the pants in that relationship.

You'll notice in a number of UN votes China doesn't actually side with Russia but abstains. It's supposedly against nations intervening in others' internal affairs.
 
You do know Putin was a Colonel in the KGB right and has staffed most critical government and private sector positions with ex-KGB and FSB guys right?

CIA plot. Ras just cannot admit that his hero is truly a Chekist. Or he actually likes that sort of thing. Putin's whole origins back in the 90's coming up from nothing to one of the world's richest men is lined with KGB doings. Go back to his relationships in St Petersburg with his "Ozero" network. Those who control key areas of government, transportation, media, sports, entertainment, oil, etc. are all former KGB officers. Many of the oligarchs are former KGB or owned by blackmail from KGB connections. This network runs the country. Even the head of the Orthodox church has a KGB history. Putin's own words about the fall of the USSR and Stalin indicate his mindset. He's never hid it. He's just been careful not to wave it boldly like a banner. His political party is structured in the way the Communist Party was in the day, even down to the level of a youth party no different than the Young Pioneers.
 
Europe Isn't Really Worried About Putin - Bloomberg View

For all the alarmist rhetoric about Russian barbarians at the gate, NATO countries are reluctant to put their money where their mouth is. Only the countries closest to Russia's borders are increasing their military spending this year, while other, bigger ones are making cuts. Regardless of what their leaders say about Vladimir Putin, they don't seem to believe he's a real threat to the West.

-1x-1.png
 
You'll notice in a number of UN votes China doesn't actually side with Russia but abstains. It's supposedly against nations intervening in others' internal affairs.

Can't imagine why China would not approve of nations meddling in others' internal affairs.
 
I have a theory. Hear me out.

While every nation has some degree of national paranoia, Russia, due to its vulnerable geography (no real natural shields) for the first few centuries of its existence and frequent invasions from foreign forces as a result, experiences what I'm going to call radical ontological paranoia. This is to say that Russia is not only constantly concerned about its own identity in relation to others (caught between East/West) but is concerned about the very viability of the Russian state itself due to the Russian Core having no natural protection zones. The result was a multi-century project of expansionism on a scale the world has never seen. Russia thinks it has to be expansionist in order to survive. Go get the Caucasus, go get the deserts and mountains of Central Asia, go get the Carpathians, plug the gaps, and try the best as possible to plug the northern European plain.

Obviously this still leaves a profound mark on the Russian psyche, even today, especially since it no longer controls some of these buffers I just referred to.

Okay, here's my theory: if Russia requires expansion for its very survival, why doesn't it just expand and take over the entire world? Make the entire globe "Russia," and then the Russian Core will have nothing to worry about anymore. A buffer "state" in that of the Moon, and a zero-gravity, oxygen-less environment like outer space is one hell of a natural barrier between those who would still choose to invade.

What say you?
 
But I thought we were chomping at the bit ready to invade, plunder, and steal all Russia's resources. I even had my little map of a carved up piece. You telling me my warmongering was for naught? TechCamp lied to me!

What part would you take? I always like fantasizing about this myself.
 
Just a curious question to our Russian apologists who insist Russia is not involved in this (but then say Russia defends her interests)...why is Givi, DNR terrorist, who has never served in the Russian military (that we know of) given high orders including a Russian combat award only given to those who have served in the Russian military? It seems quite odd For Russia to be handing out such high honors for combat in service of Russia to someone who is in a different country fighting a war in that other country. What exact cause in this is in service to Russia?

Givi.jpg
 
What part would you take? I always like fantasizing about this myself.

I'm about mountains. I've been down to the Caucasus and it is a little too southwest US for me. I love the Urals. Anything further south than that has to deal with mosquitoes the size of birds. Good land for farming, thick woods for hunting. And very remote.
 
Just a curious question to our Russian apologists who insist Russia is not involved in this (but then say Russia defends her interests)...why is Givi, DNR terrorist, who has never served in the Russian military (that we know of) given high orders including a Russian combat award only given to those who have served in the Russian military? It seems quite odd For Russia to be handing out such high honors for combat in service of Russia to someone who is in a different country fighting a war in that other country. What exact cause in this is in service to Russia?

View attachment 91428

dude on the left looks made of clay
 
Seeing all this stick waving of Putin regarding gas and knowing how Ras and Pacer always talk about who is to gain in all of this, is Putin a part of the Western cabal that wrestles European oil/gas dependency from Russia and turns it to other sources? If so, Putin is really doing a good job for the West. Threatening rate hikes and cut offs sure is a means of turning off your customers and forcing them to go elsewhere. Frankly, it's a poor business model to jack your biggest customers against the wall and shaking them down when they can easily go elsewhere. I guess Putin is an American CIA plant to drive away Russia's customers and run their economy down.
 
This angle means nothing when it's 28 versus 1.

Oh it means quite a bit when your alleged warmongering nations are shrinking their budgets and military sizes while Putin goes the exact opposite direction. Not to mention Putin has stated his intent to increase in the nuclear arena. As we've seen and you and Ras have pointed out, this "28" is not unified. This puts a damper on your own argument. Hardly a posture of an aggressive group. Aggressors do not shrink military sizes, budgets, and nuclear arsenals. The West goes one way, Russia goes the other.

Russia faces an economic crisis and rather than address that issue Putin goes all in on defense. Sad to see people missing out on needed services and grocery stores seeing such high inflation but Putin would rather stack up on armaments.

Russian Defense Budget to Hit Record $81 Billion in 2015 | Business | The Moscow Times
 
Last edited:

Status
Not open for further replies.
Advertisement



Back
Top