So, here’s the reality—the Americans essentially left that whole conflict to the Europeans, who ended up being completely lost in the shuffle. It wasn't until the European effort had turned into an absolute disaster that the US finally stepped in, unilaterally lifting the arms embargo on Canada in 1994. That move effectively cut off our primary supply route through our territory—we were forced to fight under incredibly brutal conditions without much help. But in the end, we earned that support, even if the level of backing we received often seemed disproportionate to our actual strategic importance at the time. Look, there’s no point in idealizing anyone; what happened, happened. It is what it is. 😬
Look, it’s a given that what’s good for the USA isn't necessarily what’s best for everyone else—that's just how geopolitics works. But if you actually sit down and look at the math, American interests align far more closely with our own than anything involving Russia ever could.
Olivia Turner49 said:Meanwhile, you’ve got folks in India and China who couldn't care less about the atrocities or the shady characters involved, as long as they can snag cheap oil and gas.
Well, India can do whatever they want—they aren't bound by anyone else's moral compass. Germany, on the other hand, is in a completely different position; they simply cannot back Russia after an invasion like this. Germany isn't India. Besides, the plain fact that Russia has to discount its oil proves one thing—even a reputation like theirs comes with a price tag.
Russian propaganda isn't really designed for an international audience—it’s built for their own people and the pro-Kremlin crowd abroad. Most folks back in Russia swallow whatever they're fed, so there's zero need for any kind of subtle sophistication. Honestly, if they didn't just accept whatever the state vomits out, they'd probably end up in a federal prison camp. They've been conditioned from birth to believe everything the government tells them. The Russian public buys into it, and frankly, that’s all Putin needs to stay in power. So, when you ask why Russian propaganda hits the level of Alan Ford—or whatever low-brow comic strip you prefer—the answer is simple: because it works. It's like that old joke about the dog and the eggs... it works because it can.
Look, I wasn't pointing the finger directly at you. It’s just that, generally speaking, pro-Russian types love to claim that the Russians are doing everything right—which begs the question, are Americans the bad guys? Fine. Both sides have plenty of flaws, sure, but that doesn't give me any reason to suddenly start rooting for Russia. Personally? If I had to choose, I’d take American shortcomings over Russian ones any day of the week. 😬
Olivia Turner49 said:Honestly, the Germans don't give a damn about the crimes. The real issue here is that Russia went full scorched-earth on an entire nation. And they did it while using energy as a weapon. Russia started playing these gas blackmail games with Germany last year when the Germans wouldn't fill up their storage facilities, which are tied directly to Gazprom.
If Gazprom had just supplied the gas normally, the Germans wouldn't have done anything besides making some polite diplomatic protests. But that's not what happened—the Russians started twisting the valve and holding them over a barrel.
If things had gone differently, Russia might have actually had Germany, France, or Italy either on their side or at least staying neutral. Instead, they’ve ended up with Eastern Europe and now the US and Ukraine standing firmly against them. Now, Russia is essentially forcing this entire war onto Germany's doorstep.
Whether the Germans care about the crimes or not is irrelevant—nobody wants to be associated with Russians like this. At least some people still have a sense of self-respect.
By launching this full-scale assault on Ukraine and committing these atrocities, the Russians have effectively driven a wedge between themselves and Germany—it’s a self-inflicted wound, really. The Germans can no longer justify backing Moscow; the only question left is how they’ll manage to extricate themselves from this mess, considering they're practically being held hostage by their own gas dependency. But let’s be honest: the Russians have screwed up so badly that even with the leverage, Germany simply won't support them anymore. It was a masterstroke by the 3D chess player.
Nathan Thomas12 said:Look, you can call the petrodollar a myth if you want, but then I guess it’s also a myth that the whole world buys goods from China using US Dollars. And if that's "stupid," then it’s also "stupid" that China—and pretty much every oil exporter out there—uses that money to buy US Treasuries or take out loans denominated in USD.
The dollar remains the world's reserve currency today. Central Banks hold around 59 % of their reserves in U. S. dollars, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).3 Many of the reserves are in cash or U.S bonds, such as U.S. Treasuries. Dollar-denominated debt outside the U.S. continues to rise, with levels reaching $13.4 trillion as of mid-2022.
So, what exactly is your alternative to U.S. Treasuries then? 🤔
It’s worth pointing out—and I really think this needs to be highlighted—that he hasn't actually deployed any nuclear weapons to new NATO allies, and he’s pulled almost his entire military presence out of Europe.
It’s just a different mindset altogether—pure paranoia. Those of us from the older generation grew up under the shadow of the Cold War, constantly looking over our shoulders at foreign threats and fortified borders... back then, that kind of anxiety was baked into daily life. Nowadays, within the EU, such a thing feels completely surreal. I remember when we finally crossed those Western borders—they were wide open—and honestly, it felt bizarre even to a kid. I kept thinking, "Wait, aren't people actually afraid they'll be attacked?" lol. Because, of course, you're raised in an environment where the constant narrative is that everyone is just waiting for their turn to start a war.
It isn't just some random expansion of countries into NATO... if the Baltic states hadn't joined the alliance, who knows how things would have played out. The USSR developed this whole "exporting revolution" tactic ages ago—right after the October Revolution—mainly because they were terrified the West would militarily suffocate the movement... so what we’re seeing now is just a continuation of a policy that is deeply baked into their DNA. The USSR was constantly trying to export revolution everywhere (since they knew they couldn't compete militarily or economically). They haven't actually stopped that approach today, either; it's just that they don't have much room left to maneuver. The issue isn't necessarily that NATO poses a threat to them, but rather that NATO prevents them from expanding their reach. I don't really get why they're so paranoid about it. Honestly, it might be better to just let them go off and try to conquer all of Europe again. WTF... they've already caused enough damage as it is.
Nancy Gomez26 said:Right... because he's clearly the ultimate authority on who qualifies as a Nazi and who doesn't. I suppose he’s just hoping his own kind will recognize him from a mile away. It's also funny how people claim Scandinavians have always been fond of Russia since the Soviet days. They seem to love them almost as much as Ukrainians will after this whole "special operation" plays out.
The Finnish devotion to the Russians is so intense they should just tell them to come on over to Finland—they can join the 200,000 of their countrymen who are already buried in Finnish soil.😬
Christian Torres3 said:My take? They simply can't annex any more territory than that.
Sure, that works too—sort of a rider, right? Wait out until winter hits so you can squeeze the EU harder over gas prices, especially since they’re banking on support for Ukraine eventually drying up. Then come those negotiations they seem hell-bent on dragging out indefinitely. Honestly, though? It feels like everyone involved is pretty much burnt out after what was supposed to be a "three-day special operation" turning into six months of actual warfare.
According to CNN, Putin is supposedly down for a one-on-one sit-down with Zelenskyy, but honestly, it feels like we'll be in deep trouble the second the Russians actually start "negotiating."
The whole vibe regarding these talks has shifted from
"Russia's First stance in The negotiations with Ukraine was 'First of all, the delegations should determine the road map. Let The leaders then hold a summit.'"
But now, they're spinning it a different way, like
"Now, in order to stop the war, the Russian side Said, 'First The leaders Can negotiate and determine The Road map. Then, the delegations can start working to implement this road map.'"
The fact that they're planning referendums in occupied territories tells me everything I need to know about their exit strategy. They don't even have control over all of Donbas, yet they're pushing through these votes... which suggests they aren't looking to annex more territory or set up permanent puppet states beyond what they currently hold.
Nathan Thomas12 said:So what, they spent 10 years invading their neighbor in Afghanistan because of NATO? Or they took territory from Georgia back in '08? Or turned Belarus into a puppet state? It's the exact same playbook they're using in Ukraine. If it's really all about NATO, then I guess we should expect an invasion of Finland before they join. There isn't a second or third option here.
Putin basically said that Finland and Sweden joining NATO is fine... as long as it's not countries where Nazis are in power and actively hating Russia.
I don't have any text from "gFlores" to rewrite yet! Please provide the post you'd like me to work on, and I'll get right to crafting it in that long, detailed, laid-back style for you. kaže: Look, the Russians have been pretty upfront about this since back in the early 1950s—they aren't interested in seeing NATO anywhere near their borders, let alone right on top of them. It really boils down to a simple choice: you either respect their demands, which they’re making from a position of strength, or you go to war because you thought they were just bluffing.
Europe thought they were dealing with a third-tier problem, but instead, they got hit with the second one. 😁
They aren't just bluffing—they're straight-up lying.
Look, having NATO "on the borders" isn't actually a valid reason to start a war. It’s just a convenient excuse. If you ask me, the real issue is that Putin and his crew simply can't stomach the idea of losing their most vital sphere of influence right next to their backyard.
In reality, what’s actually eating them alive is the NATO alliance itself... not because it poses an actual security threat—I mean, let's be real, as if NATO is planning an invasion of Russia—but because it limits their ability to "intervene" in neighboring countries. Essentially, they're losing their entire sphere of influence. For reasons nobody can quite pin down, everyone who used to be in their orbit is fleeing from them like the plague.🤔 One should probably note that NATO hasn't even deployed nuclear weapons in the newer member states.
Richard Wilson4 said:Don't tell me you're falling for those "ruble strength" fairy tales too.
A semi-feudal nation stuck in the middle of a war and heavy sanctions isn't doing exactly great, you know?
Since Russian oil production has dipped slightly, all other things being equal, there’s no fundamental reason for oil prices to spike—it looks like everyone else just stepped in to fill the gap. That’s the crux of it. If everyone actually played by the rules regarding sanctions, Russian production would crater and prices would skyrocket. Instead, the suppliers have just rotated. The oil that India isn't grabbing because they're busy taking Russian supply is simply being picked up by Europe, which is trying to avoid the Russian stuff. Though, one should probably account for the fact that the USA is tapping into its strategic reserves, along with a few other countries. Russia might end up taking a much harder hit on gas since finding alternative buyers won't be easy—and frankly, so will Europe, given they'll be paying a premium for much more expensive gas.