heybruce

The deficit went up dramatically while Trump was President, starting before Covid. That is a fact. https://www.thebalancemoney.com/us-deficit-by-year-3306306 No amount of opinions can change that fact. That's why opinions are not valid sources for supporting claims. Pointing out the obvious is not censorship, but it is obviously a waste of time when dealing with Trump supporters.

A fiscal conservative and a Trump supporter? Sorry, you can only be one or the other, as Trump's four years in office demonstrated. I'm not censoring you, I'm telling you that claims must be supported by facts, not opinions. How often must that be explained to you?

Snowflake is a term for Trump, as has been explained.

You can find confirmation in multiple other sources. Probably not RT though.

At the time your source was published the eastern regions of Ukraine, with substantial support and encouragement from Russia, and been at war with the central government of Ukraine for months. "In March 2014, following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, anti-revolution and pro-Russian protests began in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, collectively 'the Donbas'. These began as Russia invaded and annexed Crimea. Armed Russian-backed separatists seized Ukrainian government buildings and declared the Donetsk and Luhansk republics (DPR and LPR) as independent states, leading to conflict with Ukrainian government forces.[27] Russia covertly supported the separatists with troops and weaponry. It only admitted sending "military specialists",[28][29] but later acknowledged the separatists as Russian combat veterans." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Donbas There probably were atrocities committed; after all the Ukraine government at that time was very much a product of Russian dominance. However the atrocities were trivial compared to how Russia deals with rebellious regions. "The First Chechen War began in 1994, when Russian forces entered Chechnya on the premise of restoring constitutional order. Following nearly two years of brutal fighting, with a death toll exceeding 100,000 by some estimates, the 1996 Khasavyurt ceasefire agreement was signed and Russian troops were withdrawn from the republic.[42]" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Chechen_War Ukraine isn't perfect, but it is much better than Russia.

Of course Russia has made moves. After an attempt to encircle Kyiv and capture the government failed in a costly manner, Russia withdrew and then stated that it was only interested in stealing part of Ukraine. Of course Putin has lied so much already (remember the assurances that there would be no invasion) that no sensible person trusts him.

I have a Burmese Shan friend, currently in Thailand, who told me she must either go back to Myanmar and serve five years with the Shan State army, or pay 300,000 baht to be exempted. She served in the army when she was young, but is in her thirties now and in reasonable health but not GI Jane material. If she does not pay or return life will become difficult for her family in Shan State. More difficult actually, things are already difficult. I realize this may be a scam (I've already told her I can't come up with that much money on short notice) but it might also be for real. Does anyone have insight or experience with this sort of situation?

Try very hard to grasp this: Opinions are not facts. If you had read xylopohne's post in its entirety you would have understood why that is so. When you are being asked to provide sources to state your claims, you are being asked for facts, not opinions.

I never called him a demon, but he is clearly a bloody autocrat.

Correct. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55395683

Can you defend your description of NATO?

Ok, I see you are incapable of grasping the distinction.

The Fox news articles are legitimate sources. Opinion pieces and pundit videos are not news. You seem incapable of grasping the distinction.

Idolizing Putin is not opinion, it's psychosis.

I have not read a single speech by Putin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, or other tyrants. I judge them by their deeds.

Right. The lingering effects of a near fatal assassination attempt using the Novichok nerve agent, brutal incarcerations, grossly inadequate medical care had nothing to do with it. If you believe that I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.

So....evidence that Ukraine was repressing dissidents in a rebellious region. How does Russia deal with dissidents? Oh yeah, that's what this topic is about.

I'd ask for your sources, but I'm confident that any provided would be links to wingnut opinion videos and editorials.

I think separate cells and segregating them in some activities would do just as well and be much easier to implement.

Lots of immediate "it's NATO's fault" and "it's America's fault" posts that, as always, ignore the fact that Russia invaded Ukraine. The second paragraph of the article is: "Austin expressed concern that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not halt his aggression if Moscow were to prevail in Ukraine. He highlighted the broader implications of such an outcome, suggesting that it would embolden other autocratic leaders and undermine global democracy. Austin particularly emphasized the vulnerability of NATO members, such as the Baltic nations—Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia—suggesting that their proximity to Russia makes them potential targets for future aggression. " Does anyone care to dispute those assumptions?

I know the kind of person you're describing. However nothing I've posted supports your conclusion that I am such a person. It is a biological fact that after conception women do all the work in turning the fertilized egg into a person, and it is an economic fact that women devote more of their time to child raising than men. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4131769/ If you like I can come up with many more reasons why women should have the dominant say on women's health issues, including those affected by the exodus of obstetricians and abortion. How is arriving at a reasonable conclusion based on facts and evidence painting with a broad brush?

Not really on-topic, but obviously some are and some aren't. Are you aware that large numbers of US and Mexican citizens cross that border on a daily basis legally?

Wow! I am genuinely at a loss on this one. I have no idea where they are coming from, but I'm certain it is not a good place. Can one of the other sane posters handle this one?

I'll be blunt: You are either a troll or someone who is too dim to distinguish between real news and infotainment.

What clear, specific, on-topic question have you asked?