It's entirely possible to believe that Russia is a psychotic bully state and its attack on Ukraine was unjustified, AND believe that bandwagoning hate of all things and humans Russian is utterly stupid. But to do that you have to be able to think clearly and read past the headlines. Most people seem to be incapable of doing that.
I've commented thus on other blogs: Russia has been a psychotic bully nation for at least four hundred years and possibly longer. Individual Russians can be fine people, and Russian music and culture and literature yadda yadda yadda, but the nation as a whole is like a person who was seriously abused as a child and now only knows how to threaten and lash out. Yes, they've been invaded multiple times, but ICBMs vitiate bad geography, so their pathological need to control a buffer zone, and then a buffer for the buffer, and a buffer for the buffer for the buffer, and so on is no longer adaptive. Regime change would be nice, but it's going to take cultural change before they can really be trusted.
Very reasonable reply. Still, the modern world, with its internet and cellphones has "educated" the populace, and all that is lacking is a popular uprising (the one that looked like it would happen after the collapse of the Soviet empire). The Russian people are no longer peasants. They would deserve their own representative democracy if they would just demand it. Perhaps it is coming soon. I just can't see how Putin wins in the end, even if his vaunted military (20% of GDP? 30%? U.S. is down to 3%!!) and "all going according to plan" "special military operation" suddenly starts "pulling its head out." Of course we don't want to see ANY nukes going off, but can you imagine world opinion if he does that?! Why, even the libertarians would join in the beat down.
In short, I think the West is not only selling the Russian people short in being ready for the cultural change you wisely call for, I think the West should demand it of them.
Why? Have you taken a deep dive on this? Is Ukrain suddenly beyond reproach? I don't want any harm to come to citizens of ANY country. I don't want them to be invaded, pushed out of their homes, or killed. But due to the lies we have heard already, this is just the latest clarion cry of the woke and virtue signaling. If we go in and help Ukraine, we ARE AT WAR WITH RUSSIA. How do we know we aren't being fooled again? Into going into a war? Remember 9/11? And we were lied to and went to war? If we go to war with Russian, you better tell everyone you know goodbye. Get right with the Lord. Putin CAN destroy us. I think he is manipulating us into an excuse to do so.
Remember, China is in control of Tik Tok and can manipulate our citizens through social media. "I stand with Ukraine" is an almost instantaneous cry. I have heard people passionately saying that it's our moral duty to help Ukraine. It could be a trap!
Are there not other ongoing crimes against humanity in many parts of the world? Including China? Where is the slogan for those victims - the slogan that is spreading like wildfire?
Putin is no fake. He is NOT Saddam Hussein. He is the real deal: An Authoritarian National Socialist (Fascist) with as many nukes as the rest of the world (including the U.S.) combined, and he just went international.
Ukrainians are NOT Russians, and more importantly, THEY DON'T WANT TO BE. Historical national/cultural boundaries be damned. They had a choice to be part of Russia in 1991. They said NO, and they obviously still do. Ukraine wants to join the West, and we should not only welcome them; We should do everything we can to make it happen.
I do NOT advocate U.S. nor NATO boots on the ground, but a complete boycott of Russian energy and wealth/finance, a complete pariah-nation status, until Putin is deposed.
It's entirely possible to believe that Russia is a psychotic bully state and its attack on Ukraine was unjustified, AND believe that bandwagoning hate of all things and humans Russian is utterly stupid. But to do that you have to be able to think clearly and read past the headlines. Most people seem to be incapable of doing that.
Russians have needed to stop their war-mongering leaders for over a century.
The world has finally had enough.
Russians need to change.
I've commented thus on other blogs: Russia has been a psychotic bully nation for at least four hundred years and possibly longer. Individual Russians can be fine people, and Russian music and culture and literature yadda yadda yadda, but the nation as a whole is like a person who was seriously abused as a child and now only knows how to threaten and lash out. Yes, they've been invaded multiple times, but ICBMs vitiate bad geography, so their pathological need to control a buffer zone, and then a buffer for the buffer, and a buffer for the buffer for the buffer, and so on is no longer adaptive. Regime change would be nice, but it's going to take cultural change before they can really be trusted.
Very reasonable reply. Still, the modern world, with its internet and cellphones has "educated" the populace, and all that is lacking is a popular uprising (the one that looked like it would happen after the collapse of the Soviet empire). The Russian people are no longer peasants. They would deserve their own representative democracy if they would just demand it. Perhaps it is coming soon. I just can't see how Putin wins in the end, even if his vaunted military (20% of GDP? 30%? U.S. is down to 3%!!) and "all going according to plan" "special military operation" suddenly starts "pulling its head out." Of course we don't want to see ANY nukes going off, but can you imagine world opinion if he does that?! Why, even the libertarians would join in the beat down.
In short, I think the West is not only selling the Russian people short in being ready for the cultural change you wisely call for, I think the West should demand it of them.
The new chant is "I stand with Ukraine." Forget Black Lives Matter, Flatten the Curve, Misinformation, and all the rest.
The only difference is....we SHOULD stand with Ukrainians. They don't want to be Russians. They VOTED so in 1991.
Why? Have you taken a deep dive on this? Is Ukrain suddenly beyond reproach? I don't want any harm to come to citizens of ANY country. I don't want them to be invaded, pushed out of their homes, or killed. But due to the lies we have heard already, this is just the latest clarion cry of the woke and virtue signaling. If we go in and help Ukraine, we ARE AT WAR WITH RUSSIA. How do we know we aren't being fooled again? Into going into a war? Remember 9/11? And we were lied to and went to war? If we go to war with Russian, you better tell everyone you know goodbye. Get right with the Lord. Putin CAN destroy us. I think he is manipulating us into an excuse to do so.
Remember, China is in control of Tik Tok and can manipulate our citizens through social media. "I stand with Ukraine" is an almost instantaneous cry. I have heard people passionately saying that it's our moral duty to help Ukraine. It could be a trap!
Are there not other ongoing crimes against humanity in many parts of the world? Including China? Where is the slogan for those victims - the slogan that is spreading like wildfire?
Putin is no fake. He is NOT Saddam Hussein. He is the real deal: An Authoritarian National Socialist (Fascist) with as many nukes as the rest of the world (including the U.S.) combined, and he just went international.
Ukrainians are NOT Russians, and more importantly, THEY DON'T WANT TO BE. Historical national/cultural boundaries be damned. They had a choice to be part of Russia in 1991. They said NO, and they obviously still do. Ukraine wants to join the West, and we should not only welcome them; We should do everything we can to make it happen.
I do NOT advocate U.S. nor NATO boots on the ground, but a complete boycott of Russian energy and wealth/finance, a complete pariah-nation status, until Putin is deposed.