earthscar

umm wow.. so..there is our side's version of <deleted>. I haven't checked your post history. You might be one of those in sheep's clothing posters who pretend they are anti-Russian but post something so crazy in an attempt to give legitimacy to pro-Putin supporters. To be clear here, Russian citizens are, as a group, not to blame. Many factors have led the average citizen to think Russia's (Putin's) actions are in the right. There is no upside to paining this issue with a broad brush stroke. You lost any ground you had when you put your argument in this fashion.

and see that's where discussions can be had.. look no further than the US "friendship" with dictator states(the Saudia gov would be an easy one to point at). At issue is not that Governments take actions for their own safety and prosperity at the expense of others... i mean usa does that every day of the week. its about how Putins current actions are so far past the pale that he is a war criminal and the world needs to come together to stop him. Saanim that's where you are in the wrong. If we attempt to place your posting in good faith then you can only be ignorant and since you able to post, and are not blocked, then you have access to information that easily shows Putin is in the wrong. which leads back to the assertion of the title Troll. If this is really the hill you want to die on please post links to reputable news sources backing up your claims. It will not be the first time I have had to change my world view so I'm all for you imparting one me something I am unaware of.

Be happy too. You're not attempting to have a discussion. You are making one-liner quips and alluding to vague statements without trying to back them up. You must support your claims because you are the outlier, which may shock you. When you respond to posts in such a way, the strong impression is that you are trying to muddy the waters and distract people from focusing on the real issues and ways to solve them. You don't add to the conversation. You just create noise, and that's the goal of a troll.

Are you attempting to imply that Zelenskyy is to be held even partially to blame for the continued war in Ukraine? Are you trying to imply the total seizure of Ukraine was not the goal of this current conflict going on? I'm curious because it would better help me understand where your coming from. It should go without saying, tho in almost every case; someone then goes on to say that ppl are not anti-Russian they are anti-Putin. It's similar to how ppl are anti-CCP and not anti-Chinese. Putin is not Russian, and CCP is not China. They are just ticks feeding off their countries.

Atm, you're coming across as a Troll; there is room for discussion on creating a buffer state, etc. But what is not in question is the legitimate right Ukraine has as a democracy-run country to decide its fate. Full stop. It's not in a debate that the actions in Ukraine fall under war crimes. Full stop. If you are attempting to imply otherwise on those 2 things, there is no discussion with you as the information is out there outside of mass media to prove both of those things. You can possibly discuss his fears of NATO and how it might hamper his rule of Russia but that's not what is happening now. A war criminal is attacking another country and committing genocide. As he has total control of his nation, more so than any democratic nation, he bears complete responsibility for this war.

Are you attempting to claim that Putin is not in complete control of state media? Did you per chance watch the televised speech he gave from the stadium? I mean if you're under some impression that Putin is not currently in total control of the Russian government I don't know what to tell you because that is irrefutable at this point. At best you could say that sometimes a news organization might be overzealous in pushing state sponsored propaganda. But that particular article came out it was approved. Putin has not been shy about his worldview.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-60562240

It's worth noting that individuals in the KGB have mentioned that Putin was not some super spy. He was a mid tear member who, with cleverness and skill, put himself in positions to take advantage and climb. He is smart enough to understand how to create an image of success and power; the strategic photoshoots etc., are sufficient proof. He is opportunistic and not stupid, but he is no Light or L(points if you catch the reference). He has cultivated a 5 D chess player's image when it's becoming clearer he is out of touch boomer desperate to leave a legacy so that he can be remembered in the future. His abject failure in taking Ukraine and misunderstanding of the fall out from the world responding to his actions are just a few clear indications of this. His country was already mismanaged and struggling. If he were in any way a leader of renown, the standard of living in Russia would have been that of some of the critical 1st world nations, but it wasn't There is this idea that he was going there the access the grain supplies or connect a land bridge to Crimea so he could shore up his defensive lines.. these all may have been a piece of the thinking. Still, it's more than likely it was an uninformed action meant to start the reformation of the USSR. His actions and words have clarified what he thinks should be the place of Russia in the world. Any action he takes should be viewed through that lens, and when you do so and consider the logistical challenges it would take to accomplish that, it's pretty sad. he is from a bygone era struggling in a world he has outlived. The scary part is that he can still cause untold harm to the world with his sad grasp on something he has no skill to create.

True enough I condemn what Russia is doing but at the same time am fully aware as a US citizen my government and my support of my government, even if in taxes only, has lead to alot of atrocities across the globe. The significance is that I don't think the wrongs of my Government preclude me to want others to do better. I can push for positive changes, though damn if it doesn't seem slow, in the USA while still demanding Russia be held accountable. I'm one of those "<deleted>" that would support the USA signing onto the ICC and allowing it to hold US soldiers accountable for any heinous act they were to commit while acting in a US war. One small additional action that would hopefully make it so the US would think long and hard before it used boots on the ground. At the same time, I would also support having some of our troops take a vacation in Ukraine right now. As well as taxes and other actions to give aid and support to Ukraine. I accept as I am not a soldier that the most effective way for me to assist Ukraine is thru financial/economic hardship. Tax the right would be a good first step. Bezo and his pals did well the last 2 years alone..there is a lot of fat there to trim.

Can't speak for Schroder due not having even the slightest past tracking his political career in Germany and I can't claim much more for Merkel. I would say as an outsider my impression of Merkel was that she was strategic and any affection you might be able to claim with her and Putin was political in nature and not admiration. Germany was tied very tightly to the Oil out of Russia but that's a claim that most of EU has and shouldn't be the sole thing to condemn her prior stances.

can't argue with that... too many things across almost every aspect of humanity for proof otherwise. That being said we do make changes when we are forced and in this case, we have already seen them. NATO was on shaky ground thanks in large part due to Trump and the overall laziness of NATO members. It's now stronger than it has ever been. Finland was pro neutrality has over 50% of this pop wanting to join NATO now. Germany has shifted their stance on wartime footing..Its looking like after the changes go into effect their spending will make them the 3rd largest in the world($$ wise) which is impressive. There was an amusing tweet about how the world was okay with this.. can't find it sadly. Russia is forcing us all to make changes we were loath to do because it would cost us $$ all the more horrible that it took genocide and mass rape to make them.

We may(are) going to see that but at the same time it is actually forcing a exceleration of greener tech aswell. https://www.forbes.com/wheels/news/ev-sales-soar-in-2022/ There are a whole host of articles about discussions in countries on increasing green tech so they are not forced to rely on dangerous partners. As of yet there is no concrete plan but there is a common refrain across all major news orgs(ruters/etc) that one of the focuses is on green tech. will we see a coal increase at the start? sure but green tech has shown that it is the better long-term way to back a country's energy needs. That is not in question. the time to roll out said green tech is.

And if that meant their economy was successfully dealing w/ the sanctions, it would mean something. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-economic-defences-likely-crumble-over-time-under-sanctions-onslaught-2022-02-25/ An interesting all-around article it says their economy has baked in protections from sanctions similar to what we have in place. It mentions that the loopholes for oil are part of why it's doing so well against said sanctions. But as a whole, while they will make a profit(all oil companies are atm), in the more larger picture, their economy is decimated and will take generations to come back. In a few metrics, this could look positive for them, but as a whole. not so much. I found an article from a journalist-owned news agency that claimed a 600billion hit to the economy, but I couldn't find something similar from routers/BBC/etc., so take it with a grain of salt. from what I could gather it seems like a reputable group with no apparent signs of bias/corruption https://thebarentsobserver.com/ru/node/414 The Sanctions are having an effect, and stricter ones, especially if we discourage china and India from hindering them, will see(force) a change in Russia's actions.

There is a discussion about the fallout that will be felt the world around, but I have not seen anyone say it will collapse the world economy. I'm all for reading otherwise, a a link to a reputable news article? There are a lot of factors that are in play. The least of which is how long the ban would be in place. Russia is teetering on collapse; a broader ban on their oil exports and denying them of the china and Indian markets would most likely be the last straw. The few players left that could purchase from them don't consume enough to replace the income lost. At some point, you can't let the bully keep bulling you, or he will never stop and will get worse. Crimea was a prime example of this. Putin has made it quite clear that he will not stop empire-building until the USSR is back in its glory.