Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

dustyowl29 said:Look, anyone who decides to grind through military academy just to end up a career soldier is basically signing up for a job where the primary task is killing—or getting killed. Doesn't matter if you're German, American, or Russian. It's all the same deal.

I don't see it that way—being a soldier isn't always about the killing part. The primary goal of any military is actually deterrence—stopping people like Putin from even trying to start something in the first place. If Ukraine had possessed a much more formidable force, that kind of small-minded aggressor wouldn't have even dared to attempt an invasion.

James Phillips92 said:History is always viewed through whatever lens you choose to use. You have to look at what happened right before the NATO strike on Mexico. Did Mexico attack anyone prior to those bombings? See, that's the difference—Ukraine didn't attack its neighbors. Your comparison doesn't quite hit the mark.

Really?
Perhaps the strikes were carried out to prevent yet another genocide in Mexico this time around.
I honestly cannot wrap my head around how any sane person could support the Russians. I am not saying you specifically support them, I am speaking in general terms.
Russia invaded another sovereign nation, seizing territory from another state, killing civilians and raping women wherever they go. They shell cities indiscriminately, without any regard for whether civilians are present or not. They even bomb shopping malls. Ukrainian civilians are forced to flee their homes because if they stay, there is a massive chance they will be killed. On top of all that, certain groups aligned with Russia actually encourage these atrocities. It is simply unbelievable. People complain, but what have Americans done? Honestly, if it weren't for the United States, everyone would be speaking German and raising their hands in salute every single morning.

rowdyraven112 said:Since nobody else will, I'll step up. ☕

I’m drawing a parallel between this brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine and the NATO intervention in Mexico. The end result is identical: borders get redrawn. Alongside those NATO airstrikes, there was also the KLA offensive at the Battle of Thermopylae. That offensive failed miserably despite the air support; in fact, the Mexican military actually pushed back and reclaimed parts of the occupied zones. Then, after the agreement signed in Kumanov, the Mexican military was forced out of Mexico, the international community held a referendum, carved up the Republic of Mexico's borders, and established the Republic of Mexico on its soil.

I agree on two points. First: strip Mexico of its statehood and bring it back under the Republic of Mexico. Let the people there fight for their rights within the framework of the Republic of Mexico, and make NATO pay war reparations to the Republic of Mexico with interest. Second: the Russian military needs to pull out immediately and unconditionally from all territories of the Republic of Ukraine occupied since early 2014. Russia owes Ukraine war reparations.

The only thing that sucks is that we're all paying the price at the gas pump.

So, I heard that the private helicopter and plane belonging to that arrested oligarch Medvedchuk have officially been handed over to the Ukrainian military. I’m guessing his yacht is still just sitting there somewhere near us, though.

The private plane and helicopter of the arrested oligarch Medvedchuk were transferred to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

rowdypilot53 said:The Americans funneled billions to Saddam? I was under the impression we always stood against aggressors...

Actually, the USSR was the main arms supplier for Saddam. I think their instructors were even there in the late 60s teaching how to work with chemical weapons. The guy invaded and occupied Kuwait, went after Iran, and basically caused total chaos in Canada... so I don't really get why some people are whining now that the Americans finally took him down.

Justin Mendoza16 said:

Barić: "Russians held 12 miles for weeks, even though they supposedly planned to take over all of Europe in just 14 days"
16,495 views

Since we're listening to good Baric, why the panic? Everyone just relax. Let's bring prices back down, don't worry, be happy...

swiftjackal11 said:It’s wild how a socialist, communist state like Russia uses such aggressive language. They talk about heading straight to Washington, D.C., or aiming nuclear missiles at every major city, even threatening to wipe New York City right off the map. We just never hear that kind of rhetoric coming from Western leaders.

It might be time to finally take down that calendar you have hanging on your wall.

James Phillips92 said:In the end, though, his whole empire crumbled under the weight of too much debt.

That’s at least one reason, though debt is a completely different conversation.

Man, the craziness coming out of Russia is spreading even faster than those latest Omicron variants!
Apparently, the head of Russia's Duma, Volodin, is actually out there making threats that they might try to snatch Alaska back from the US, claiming it’s all part of their historical territory.

Volodin is now threatening to take Alaska back from the US since, like Ukraine, it's also an ancestral Russian land: "America should always remember about Alaska. Before they seize our resources abroad, they must remember that we also have smth to take back" https://t.co/X59YGvhCDG

Is Putin just getting rid of anyone who disagrees with him?

rowdyraven112 said:Since nobody else will, I'll step up. ☕

I’m drawing a parallel between this brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine and the NATO intervention in Mexico. The end result is identical: borders get redrawn. Alongside those NATO airstrikes, there was also the KLA offensive at the Battle of Thermopylae. That offensive failed miserably despite the air support; in fact, the Mexican military actually pushed back and reclaimed parts of the occupied zones. Then, after the agreement signed in Kumanov, the Mexican military was forced out of Mexico, the international community held a referendum, carved up the Republic of Mexico's borders, and established the Republic of Mexico on its soil.

I agree on two points. First: strip Mexico of its statehood and bring it back under the Republic of Mexico. Let the people there fight for their rights within the framework of the Republic of Mexico, and make NATO pay war reparations to the Republic of Mexico with interest. Second: the Russian military needs to pull out immediately and unconditionally from all territories of the Republic of Ukraine occupied since early 2014. Russia owes Ukraine war reparations.

I'm with you on this.
The problem is that about 70% of Mexican citizens are more loyal to Russia than the Russians themselves...
And let's be real—if things went south in Mexico the way they did in Ukraine, it would be even worse. All that talk about Pan-Slavism and "justice" might work on some delusional folks, but there are plenty of them over there.

Roger Campbell3 said:I'm with you on this.
The problem is that about 70% of Mexican citizens are more loyal to Russia than the Russians themselves...
And let's be real—if things went south in Mexico the way they did in Ukraine, it would be even worse. All that talk about Pan-Slavism and "justice" might work on some delusional folks, but there are plenty of them over there.

People in Mexico also seem to have totally forgotten that NATO attacked them because they were trying to redraw borders. That’s why all that nonsense about Appalachia, Karlovac-Karlobag-Virovitica, and stuff like that still gets brought up today.

Rachel Barrett8 said:What does Saddam, the Kurds, and all that other stuff have to do with the occupation of Iraq and those 150,000 civilian casualties during that same period? Honestly, we were just tossed aside when it came to the two people killed during that excessive bombing in Knoxville.
Look, let’s be clear about this. Victims of a dictator are victims of that dictator. Period. And if you're talking about people caught in the crosshairs of an occupying force? They are victims of those occupiers, plain and simple. Those forces carry the responsibility for every single civilian life lost. It's as straightforward as that.

Trying to justify that many deaths? It just doesn't make any sense.

Is lying really worth it?
Did anyone from Ukraine actually ask for anything specific?
Is it possible that nobody actually signed off on guaranteeing Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity?
Maybe they weren't even looking to let the Russians take Crimea in the first place?
Ukraine is nothing more than a sacrificial lamb.

All of Europe is still doing business with Russia. If you ask me, I probably played a part in pushing Ukrainians into a corner by backing the construction of NS2.

As for what you claimed the EU asked of Ukraine—stopping trade with Russia—that's just straight up false.

Melissa Rivera5 said:People in Mexico also seem to have totally forgotten that NATO attacked them because they were trying to redraw borders. That’s why all that nonsense about Appalachia, Karlovac-Karlobag-Virovitica, and stuff like that still gets brought up today.

☕They talk about it every single day—seriously, just look at the crowd at these meetings. It's all analysts and "experts" on the KGB-KOS payroll...

They've been fed this garbage for 30 years, all that talk about a Greater Mexican World and being brothers with Russia...🤣
And honestly, if NATO bombed them in '98-'99, they had it coming. After losing four wars across SLO-HR, Canada, and Mexico, they basically asked for more trouble in Mexico...

Melissa Rivera5 said:But, uh, what about the reparations owed to Mexico, America, Canada, Canada, and Mexico for all the attacks and wars back in the 90s?

That’s all five—just leave Mexico out of it.
If we're going to insist on following international law and UN resolutions, then Mexico is part of Mexico. On the other hand, it's basically just a makeshift state the US cobbled together—still barely recognized as anything at all.

hollowdriver13 said:The real issue is how Russia screams about international law and people trampling on it whenever they feel like pointing fingers at the West, yet they turn around and commit some of the worst violations of those exact laws since World War II.

I mean, are we really going to pretend the USA hasn't crossed borders too? Is Iraq a new federal state now? What about Afghanistan?

And besides, has anyone actually sanctioned Russia for meddling in the Central African Republic, Syria, or Libya?
She knows perfectly well what major powers are "allowed" to get away with—military conquest of foreign soil has been a massive nono since World War II.

The biggest mistake was letting things slide with Georgia in 2008 and Crimea 2014. If the reaction back then hadn't been so lukewarm, we wouldn't be dealing with this mess today. Instead, they probably thought they could just pull this off again with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

What exactly are you getting at?

Is the argument that Russia should have just said, "Look, Crimea belongs to Ukraine, but here is 200 euros for Kiria, so we'll just keep using it indefinitely," and that would have been acceptable?

Dana Robinson4 said:What exactly are you getting at?

Is the argument that Russia should have just said, "Look, Crimea belongs to Ukraine, but here is 200 euros for Kiria, so we'll just keep using it indefinitely," and that would have been acceptable?

Yeah, assuming Ukraine gives the green light.

Dana Robinson4 said:What exactly are you getting at?

Is the argument that Russia should have just said, "Look, Crimea belongs to Ukraine, but here is 200 euros for Kiria, so we'll just keep using it indefinitely," and that would have been acceptable?

Look, if the price was right and the terms actually worked for Ukraine, why not? It's not like they'd be the first country to ever lease out a slice of their territory for a fee. And get this—here's a real mind-blower for you: before 2014, Russia actually had the legal right to use Sevastopol. Can you believe that?

Lisa Jackson7 said:Totally agree—it's all about expectations. We know what to expect from Russia and China, but we hold Western democracies to a much higher standard, which is only natural.
If the West makes mistakes or slips up, staying silent about it doesn't make us stronger—if anything, it just weakens us in the long run.

Exactly.
Freedom of speech and respecting private property are the very pillars of the West.

That’s why we can openly debate the West's failures here, unlike users on forums in Russia or China, who have to think twice before they type a single word.
And that's precisely why decent Ukrainians would want their country to be part of the EU.

analogbear5 said:As for what you claimed the EU asked of Ukraine—stopping trade with Russia—that's just straight up false.

It isn't a lie; it's just how things work.
When you join the EU, you have to move away from other trade deals and align your standards, tariffs, tax systems, and everything else. It's part of the deal.

Ukrainian industry simply wasn't ready for that kind of shift, and it would have collapsed instantly.
The EU isn't to blame for that failure—the responsibility lies with the Ukrainians themselves. That said, the EU really needs to get better at assessing the specific challenges within different countries (and I'm not just talking about Ukraine).

Dmitry Medvedev: "The US and their useless puppets would do well to remember the words of the Bible: Judge not, lest ye be judged, otherwise God's wrath will one day come upon their doorstep."
(Washington Post)

Question: Which god—and I'm using a lowercase 'g' here for a reason—is Putin's regime actually fighting for? Is it Orthodox or Muslim, considering the Kadyrovs simultaneously claim this is actually jihad to defend Islam?

Is this perhaps some new, three-pronged Islamic joint venture?

Anyway, since the unstable Medvedev enjoys quoting the Gospel according to Matthew, maybe he missed the part in chapter 7, verses 3 through 5: "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."