Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

gentlestag15 said:Why didn't you mention this already happened before Mexico? Oh, right—because Russia had their hands in it, so we just skip over that part.
Abkhazia and Ossetia from Georgia, Transnistria from Moldova...
That's how Russia opened the Pandora's box, and now they're just playing with it in Ukraine.

Russ was just defending Russians. Same thing in Donbas—they’re just protecting Russians there, too, while the West ignored them for eight years.

What are the odds of kicking Russia out of UNA? There was some talk about it today.

http://www.twitter.com/OlegNikolenko...C-vazbk9crAAAA

A meeting regarding the referendum.

Man, I swear, whenever I stumble upon some of these posts, I almost find myself wishing they’d just drop the nukes already just to put all this human misery out of its misery...

God, what a total waste of good DNA.

bluemason3 said:If history has taught us anything, it's whether it's actually healthier to live under a small-time tyrant than some corporate alpha male overlord. 😁

I'm grateful for the horsemen. I know for a fact that Russia was supplying us with weapons while our own leaders were busy slapping on sanctions.

Revenger20 said:When Mussolini took over, he became the blueprint for everyone wanting a powerhouse state—one that doesn't give a damn about democracy, just pure, raw power.

He was an inspiration for plenty of people... unfortunately, that's just the reality.

But man, what happened to him in the end?

Maybe we Americans don't realize what kind of low-life politicians we keep voting for, but any nation with actual self-respect will see Putin’s potential success as a roadmap for rebuilding centralized state authority.

I have no clue what you actually mean by "state power" or how that supposedly impacts the lives of everyday citizens.
And honestly, talking about the integrity of the government here in America is just a waste of breath...

Kate Cook27 said:You’ve got to fight for it. I'm fully behind that struggle—Donetsk will be liberated. Once that happens, you should definitely come out to Ukraine so we can celebrate together. You can swing by Donetsk or even head over to Mariupol.

Go ahead.

I guess we're just talking about Penkala now? Maybe. It’s all a bit much, really. Lisa Jackson7 says:
Why didn't you mention that this already happened before Mexico? Oh, right—Russia had their hands in it, so I guess we just won't talk about that.
Maybe it’s Abkhazia and Ossetia from Georgia, or Transnistria from Moldova. I guess.
Russia opened Pandora's box, and now they're just playing games with it in Ukraine. I guess.

So you're just going to lecture me about how certain borders are unsustainable. Is that it? I guess you think Russia is right. They aren't. Not in my book. My opinion doesn't really matter, though. If I actually had nuclear weapons, I'd probably be looking to squeeze out every bit of advantage I could. I wouldn't be some hypocrite pretending to be something I'm not.

bluemason3 said:If history has taught us anything, it's whether it's actually healthier to live under a small-time tyrant than some corporate alpha male overlord. 😁

Two sides of the same coin... why on earth would you think your interests matter to some big boss—whether they're local or from overseas?

Lisa Jackson7 said:Two sides of the same coin... why on earth would you think your interests matter to some big boss—whether they're local or from overseas?

Look, they don't necessarily care about me. But if democracy actually means anything, they should at least care about my vote. For me, the most important thing is having a solid system in place. The individual leaders and parties aren't nearly as vital as the framework itself.

When you deal with those alpha-male style authoritarian types, the whole system tends to slide toward corruption and instability.

Lisa Patel4 said:It’s bad because it was stupid. True power requires rationality if you want it to actually last. Hitler only holds that kind of historical weight because he lost the war. I don't hold any illusions when it comes to human morality or our species.

State power means having a government that is willing to articulate and defend specific interests—interests they refuse to compromise on. In America, we see this struggle constantly; a government will swallow any amount of filth just to serve the interests of its masters rather than defending itself as a sovereign nation. That is why we can barely call ourselves a true state anymore.

To be blunt—if my interest is buying cheaper natural gas from Russia, then I’m going to buy it.

And all this talk about solidarity with Ukraine... can someone please remind me how many refugees the U.S. took in during the nineties?

Look, when your neighbor's house is on fire, your first instinct should be to help them put it out. It’s no different than putting out a fire at your own place to stop the flames from spreading to your doorstep. This isn't the time for petty arguments or saying, "Well, he didn't help me pick up my plums last year."

Of course, selfishness is always lurking in the background... which is really just a symptom of a broken relationship with society, a mindset inherited from those old-school socialist dictatorships.

lp

I don't think that happened—Denis Pušilin actually put out a translation back on September 21st.

http://www.twitter.com/MatreshkaCB/s...03451405897729

Donbas and Russia are one forever. Russia acts as the protector for Donbas.
Russia destroyed Donbas.
And of course, you see all those monuments to the "heroes of Donbas" who dreamed of being united with Russia.

The "referendums" are being held strictly by the book—we've even got observers arriving from all over the globe:

http://www.twitter.com/gahamalian/st...ClofeQ_NYrAAAA

And who says refugees don't cast their votes?--it happens more than you'd think.

http://www.twitter.com/MatreshkaCB/s...C-hczEgNcrAAAA

Food and water shortages in Mariupol are still a massive issue. People have been out there protesting, but the occupying authorities aren't even bothering to hide the truth about fixing things anymore. It’s gotten bad enough that looting is basically being overlooked—authorities are letting people raid apartments left behind by those who fled. Some folks don't even have windows in their homes yet, and others are literally still living on the streets. Honestly, Mariupol is just such a heartbreaking place right now.

Lisa Patel4 said:I'm grateful for the horsemen. I know for a fact that Russia was supplying us with weapons while our own leaders were busy slapping on sanctions.

selling....

Lisa Patel4 said:Go ahead.

I guess we're just talking about Penkala now? Maybe. It’s all a bit much, really. Lisa Jackson7 says:
Why didn't you mention that this already happened before Mexico? Oh, right—Russia had their hands in it, so I guess we just won't talk about that.
Maybe it’s Abkhazia and Ossetia from Georgia, or Transnistria from Moldova. I guess.
Russia opened Pandora's box, and now they're just playing games with it in Ukraine. I guess.

So you're just going to lecture me about how certain borders are unsustainable. Is that it? I guess you think Russia is right. They aren't. Not in my book. My opinion doesn't really matter, though. If I actually had nuclear weapons, I'd probably be looking to squeeze out every bit of advantage I could. I wouldn't be some hypocrite pretending to be something I'm not.

Why is it that you think Pandora's box was opened in Mexico, yet it wasn't in those previous quasi-states?

"The level of official Russophobia in the West is unprecedented. It's honestly grotesque," Sergey Lavrov declared during a heated speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

There is no cure for this.

It feels like they’re living in an entirely different reality, honestly. They just can't stomach the idea of taking responsibility for the mess they've made, so they have to go looking for someone else to blame because admitting their own role is simply off the table for them.

I can't help but wonder how the discourse would shift if the much-maligned West started talking about using nuclear weapons to wipe out Russia or systematically eliminate its population. It’s pure madness.

The Russians can just pack up and leave Ukraine along with whatever territory they actually claim—doesn't that sound awfully familiar to anyone watching this unfold?

"State Duma deputy Mikhail Sheremet, hailing from the Crimea region, basically signaled the start of a massive exodus of Russian-aligned territories out of Ukraine following the referendums held in Donbas and other areas under the control of the Russian Federation. That’s what RIA Novosti is reporting.

“[President Volodymyr Zelenskyy] has made it crystal clear more than once that there’s no room for Russians in Ukraine, so they've decided to head out. They should just take their territories with them... Honestly, the Kyiv regime shouldn't be complaining about holding these referendums. We're seeing the beginning of a huge exodus of lands that are historically Russian leaving Ukraine. These are places returning to Russia,” Sheremet claimed.

He went on to argue that, unlike the West, Russia actually respects the "right of people to self-determination," which is why they'll be backing the choices made by the people in Donbas..."

https://www-gazeta-ru.translate.goog..._x_tr_pto=wapp

Terry Green3 said:According to the Russian media's playbook:

28th: The Duma submits documents to formally annex Zaporizhzhia, the DPR, the LPR, and Kherson into the Russian Federation.
29th: The Duma debates the request.
30th: A session is scheduled where Putin will make an official statement.

And anything that happens afterward in those "annexed" territories? Russia will view it as a direct attack on the Russian Federation!
That’s a brilliant move, assuming they actually have one brain cell left to think with.

The Russian Federation is made up of 22 different republics; honestly, it would be great to see some momentum building for them to finally break away from Russia.

Nancy Gomez26 said:selling....

Yeah—Russia was selling us weapons, but so were the Ukrainians.

gentlerider7 said:The Russians can just pack up and leave Ukraine along with whatever territory they actually claim—doesn't that sound awfully familiar to anyone watching this unfold?

"State Duma deputy Mikhail Sheremet, hailing from the Crimea region, basically signaled the start of a massive exodus of Russian-aligned territories out of Ukraine following the referendums held in Donbas and other areas under the control of the Russian Federation. That’s what RIA Novosti is reporting.

“[President Volodymyr Zelenskyy] has made it crystal clear more than once that there’s no room for Russians in Ukraine, so they've decided to head out. They should just take their territories with them... Honestly, the Kyiv regime shouldn't be complaining about holding these referendums. We're seeing the beginning of a huge exodus of lands that are historically Russian leaving Ukraine. These are places returning to Russia,” Sheremet claimed.

He went on to argue that, unlike the West, Russia actually respects the "right of people to self-determination," which is why they'll be backing the choices made by the people in Donbas..."

https://www-gazeta-ru.translate.goog..._x_tr_pto=wapp

Great. I can't wait for the referendum in Mexico where they want to join up with Albania. I'm dying to see if they suddenly start respecting "self-determination" then, and I wonder what they'll tell Aleksandar Vučić when he finally wakes up from his nap.