Posts by mistycanyon67

James Phillips92 said:What do you think—would it be considered "fair" if Ukraine had been warning Russia not to flirt with China?

In an ideal world, no. But this isn't an ideal world. Maybe we should stop pretending that Russia and NATO aren't enemies. Russia doesn't want NATO troops near its borders, period. To them, it’s a security issue.

Even Americans didn't want Russian missiles in Cuba, and they threatened World War III if they weren't removed. That's where the Russians messed up. They probably should have just left the missiles there, given how cheap a third world war is. At least it would have been on a different continent for once.

IamBlackShip said:mistycanyon67

In the real world, Johnson and those three have been claiming both today and yesterday that victory and the total liberation of Ukraine remain the ultimate goal.

Even Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović claimed the US would become a tiny Switzerland, with salaries hitting 8,000 euros. 🙂

mladovino said:Only you seem to know where the West is attacking Russia...

It’s not just me; I think plenty of other people know too. 😁

They're hitting them with economic and political sanctions, media incitement, propaganda, hacking, and all that.

velvetcyclist95 said:So what, we’re just supposed to roll over and meet every single Russian ultimatum?

Exactly how far are we talking? Which line on the map gets drawn?

I wouldn't call it an ultimatum. There was plenty of time to settle this—to neutralize Ukraine through more peaceful means. I guess Putin just ran out of patience.

I heard the USA didn't react too kindly when weapons were placed right in their backyard 😉 but I suppose those aren't considered ultimatums if the USA starts hysterically reacting?... 🤔

Terry Barnes9 said:Yeah, they sure as hell have. It’s pretty obvious at this point. 🤦

I mean, I hear how much weaponry there is, but apparently, nobody actually wants to fight if they're just handing out guns to anyone who asks. Wasn't that the news yesterday? That weapons were being distributed to whoever wanted them? I guess they have weapons to spare.

William Anderson5 said:Good grief, can you seriously not see that there were actual reasons to arm up? You people are living in a parallel universe...

No, considering they were attacked for that exact reason. The Russian demand was military neutralization and demilitarization based on their own security concerns. They didn't comply, and this is the result.

brightheron64 said:It seems our cultural institutions are jumping on the bandwagon too 😲

The Philadelphia Orchestra has pulled several Tchaikovsky pieces from their program due to the situation in Ukraine

I guess what does Tchaikovsky have to do with the current Russian government? If they cut a contemporary composer, maybe I'd get it. But this? 🤦

Are we waiting until they start banning British artists over colonization crimes? Or German ones due to the Nazi stain? Or maybe Americans because of wars everywhere?

Carl Hill6 said:If it’s such a problem, why didn't they just attack NATO instead of Ukraine?

Because she didn't want World War III, even if the USA keeps pushing her buttons everywhere.

Keith Williams3 said:It’s not like Ukraine needs to be in NATO just for the US to send them weapons or turn the place into a base facing Russia.

The whole point of NATO membership is really just that "collective defense" clause. But even without that official tie-in, Ukraine can still pose a threat to Russia if they're basically under the US thumb.

And hey, we've seen this play out before.

Russia just wanted everyone to get out of Ukraine.

Exactly. That's right.

bluemason3 said:True, but that’s just cushioning the blow. It won't stop the long-term fallout from sanctions.

Relying solely on China as a strategic partner is even riskier than depending entirely on selling energy to the European Union. Russia and China have conflicting interests in plenty of areas, and frankly, the West is still much more financially vital to China than Russia is.

There will be consequences on both sides. I guess the question is how long the sanctions will actually last if the European Union starts feeling the hit too. It's all interconnected.

Either way, I get the impression the Russians were much more aware of the potential blowback than Zelenskyy was about how quickly the West might bail him once things go south.

Laura Scott7 said:Look, it’s pretty simple if you actually bother to look at the big picture: Russia is just looking out for its own backyard, especially after being backed into a corner by NATO constantly pushing its borders right up against Ukraine. Putin laid out the terms clearly—he wanted a guarantee that Ukraine wouldn't be joining NATO, plain and simple. But instead of taking that seriously, these folks got way too cocky, acting like Russia was some minor player in the Middle East that they could just push around. Now, they’re trying to flip the script and spin this whole thing to make it look like Russia just attacked Ukraine out of nowhere without any provocation. Give me a break... what a joke. And don't even get me started on those EU sanctions; as if they’ll actually do anything when half the stuff they produce is already being bought up by India and China anyway. But hey, the absolute best part of this circus? The USA won't even stop importing oil because heaven forbid they actually try to do something to keep energy prices from skyrocketing, right? Total joke.

Accurate analysis. Most people just haven't followed the situation closely enough to know what's actually happening. You could try explaining it to them until tomorrow, but they've already decided they hate Russia, so there's no point. 🙄

Not to mention that most people get their info on this conflict from Western media outlets owned by Westerners who fled Ukraine the second things got messy, or who left everyone else behind despite promising protection 😁. How could those kinds of media outlets possibly provide objective news? Especially after the pandemic, you can see how all the mainstream Western media outlets just push the exact same narrative. It's pure propaganda, just from the other side.

William Anderson5 said:Russia has ignited a war in Europe that could easily escalate into a much larger military conflict. The response from the West has to be radical and uncompromising.
There’s just no room left for half-measures. Putin has made it clear he isn't interested in negotiating...

So you actually want bombs dropped in your own backyard? 🤦

Paul Patel95 said:And what about those Swedes? They gonna speak up once they're done packing their helmets?

The Germans were actually one of the few who acted smart here. I liked that move with the helmets, and even Milanović's initial statement about not sending troops over there was a decent call, which surprised me.

ironranger67 said:Sure, they're definitely doing it out of pure humanitarian concern—not because a higher number of civilian casualties would just give Ukrainians even more reason to fight back tooth and nail. 🙂

And besides, the Ukrainians aren't going to run short on weapons the way we used to struggle with supplies back in the day.

Yeah, right. Like the Russians are actually scared. 🤣I honestly think Ukrainians don't stand a chance and should just surrender or let Russia take over already so this can end. They're just dragging out the misery at this point.

If the Russians actually intended to cause total devastation in Ukraine, I suspect the casualty count would be significantly higher. It feels more like they're being cautious, almost like they're trying to minimize the loss of life.

As for these stories claiming Ukraine didn't see this coming? Pure fantasy. 😁 They knew exactly what was on the horizon and chose this path themselves. Maybe they just ignored the facts, especially since Putin has been explicitly warning about the consequences for months now, yet everyone seems determined to turn a deaf ear.

Is anyone actually going to answer my questions? I don't plan on leaving this forum anytime soon, so if someone could just tell me what I'm doing wrong, it would be appreciated. It’s still not clear to me why I received that second ban. Maybe knowing what happened would help me adjust my behavior so my time here—and everyone else's—is a bit more pleasant. But I can't really do that unless someone points out my supposed mistakes.

I have a few questions for the political subforum moderators 😍

1. Why was a red card issued Imbarazzato for his post, while frane_mafia didn't get one for his, considering he only changed his wording from "piece of shit" to "scumbag" in the first sentence later on. Also, you didn't card Bubochka for a post using terms like "lowlife" and "trash," which clearly violates Article 2 of your rules. I guess I use similar language sometimes too, but I've taken my fair share of cards in these situations.

2. You deleted this post of mine (even though it wasn't technically even profanity),

Pupovac "divides" us into us versus them, but I suppose a hooligan brings us closer when he's yelling "kill the Mexican"?

I don't really follow Pupovac, but he can't be any worse than people like this.

but you didn't delete the replies where people quoted me directly (#1, #2), so my post is still visible in their comments. I don't see the point of such biased deletion. If you're going to delete, just delete everything—both sides of the argument. Or just shut down the whole thread immediately. At least then you wouldn't have to walk on eggshells every time someone says something you don't like.

3. This post of mine was flagged as trolling. Can you explain exactly what was trolling about it, given that a few posts down, bubi_mir agreed with me, yet he didn't get a card? I'm not saying he deserves one, just that you seem to be handing out cards unfairly based on whether you like the content of a post, in this case, mine.

4. This one was also deleted and I got a card for "violating subforum rules." Could you specify exactly where it states that "humor isn't allowed"? I couldn't find it. I hope you won't hide behind claims of "spamming" or "off-topic posting," since you've ignored and tolerated those kinds of posts so many times before that there's no point in discussing it.

Dear Lastan, I look forward to your responses. You can PM me if you lack the nerve to reply publicly or if you're just shy.

I've screenshotted my recent messages just in case, seeing as you love deleting things. ♥

By the way, Happy New Year (almost)! 🎉
Don't want to seem rude. 🙂

It’s just Janez Janša and his administration that have lost their way. Not the public. I guess Janša's supporters are too clueless to realize what's actually happening, while everyone else is busy pushing back against the current policies. 😁

On the other hand, I don't really buy into this whole empathy thing... well, I do. But I wouldn't call it empathy, per se. It's more like reading people. You look at someone, they seem off, and you realize they're hurting. Then you just remember how you felt when you were going through it, and how you looked back then, and you feel for them because you know exactly what they're dealing with right now...

I feel it constantly. It isn't even really about feeling it anymore; I just see it. It’s like when you look at someone and can tell they're miserable—you just see it in their face, their posture, everything...