Jingthing

Are you having a laugh?

Of course he could. If backed to the wall and its looking like that might happen, so he might. People not following orders would be erased. So from that perspective perhaps we should be hoping Putin gets what he wants.

Not defending past American foreign policy mistakes and there many but there are differences. Limiting this to post WW2. So for example the US goes into Iraq but the goal was never to make Iraq part of the US, to claim Iraq doesn't exist and isn't a real country.

Could be. But its not inevitable yet. Ukraine somehow getting through this intact would help a lot.

Such weak tea from Asean! Like they are blaming both sides. Wrong. This is Putin's war. His choice only to start it or stop it.

But there is a problem with that policy. First of all health care. No Medicare abroad. Then the fact that Thailand has gradually squeezed out a good portion of retired expats over the years with the promise that this will continue. Some will say rudely that's only cheating and lying expats. Some yes but certainly not all. So then to avoid the US if leaving Thailand you need another country. But wait. There is now a definite global trend to make this harder for lower wealth retired expats. Malaysia and Mexico are prime examples of that. Yes there is "always" super easy Cambodia but most of us don't find that appealing and how long will that super easy last? So bottom line for lower wealth people the squeeze is on. At home. In Thailand. Shrinking desirable options in the rest of the world.

Again better for most lower wealth expats to avoid returning to the USA at all!

I reckon about a half do based on reporting that I've seen. Support is higher with older and provincial people. Support is lower with English speakers. I totally agree don't hate on all Russian people because of the actions of Putin the Evil.

I think what's potentially much more serious is the renewed closeness of Russia and China. That's the sort of power coalition that suggests a potential new world war. But it is a ray of hope that there are signs that China thinks Putin went too far.

That rent is too damn high!

They will be collateral damage of the totally uneccesary war started by their dictator. I do feel sorry for those that are not complicit with this evil madness.

And or poisoned / murdered.

The irony is IF Ukraine survives this intact which might mean after resistance to a Putin puppet the case for swift inclusion in Nato and or EU will be stronger. As it stands now Putin the Evil has created hatred towards Russia in Ukraine and internationally that will last generations. In other words he's not as smart as many in the west including alt right pro autocracy white nationalists give him credit for. There was no urgency about Nato before this Putin may have lets hope so planted the seeds of the destruction of his own regime with this stupid stupid war crimes invasion.

Natch.

Maybe. I doubt it. But in any case this is only the beginning.

I don't think it's that simple. Once the resistance phase starts the resistance will be aided with arms via Nato nations. Putin being Putin most likely will proclaim them legit targets. The potential makings of a world war are here.

War.

All the dead on both sides are due to Putin's choice. He will be remembered not as Putin the Great but as Putin the Evil. Hopefully and indeed probably he has set up his own destruction.

Yes Putin would much rather totally destroy Ukraine than allow them to continue on their already mature path towards western democracy. Ukrainians get it. This is about their very existence.

They care about not being Putin's slaves.

Thoughts and prayers!

How crazy is invading a sovereign country for fake reasons?

Sure. It is.

The level of anti war protest in his own country can't be pleasant to him either. Russia without Putin, Ukraine without Russian puppets, wouldn't that be lovely?

In any case the end of this battle is known. Russia will install a puppet government What is not known yet is whether they will even bother trying to defeat the rest of that large country and what will happen with the resistance