No I did not. What you call "Russia" (or privately, probably Mother Russia) is called the Russian Federation, formed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Putin is essentially propped up by Kadyrov, head of the Chechen Republic, a Republic that wasn't exactly on board with being a Russian fiefdom. The ethnic Russian repression of non-Russian people isn't some distant half forgotten bit of history. It reached industrial levels during the Soviet Union days. Its pretty recent behaviour. You not really a Buddhist are you? Just another Communist Barsteward inserting himself into free societies to spread hate. You pretend to be a Buddhist, presumably because you think it gives you some kind of shield from criticism, claiming 30 years of being a Buddhist. Utter nonsense, based on your postings. Given your attachment to Beavis and Butthead. I'd put your aged at about 55-60 You have referred in the past to "Christian religious fanatic crazies in Congress", referred to statements as "nonsense", repeatedly referred to the West as the same as Nazi Germany, ie using non-ethical speech in conflict with the Buddhist concept of "Right Speech". You have frequently expressed your hatred of people, one of the three poisons. You frequently involve yourself in political and contentious argument, at odds with your supposed principles of non-attachment and equanimity. You often use mockery, such as just now, which is not speech that is helpful nor beneficial. You are a fake Buddhist. You still embrace Western conceits and prejudices. Time to pack up, shave the head, bugger off to a monastery for a bit. You make a bunch of unfounded statements, and then expect everyone to take your word for it, because you are going. There isn't an argument to counter. You just spouted a bunch of <deleted> out of the Communist International Propaganda Book. So don't you <deleted> dare accuse me of using Wikipedia. Present reasoning and logic to support all of your positions, then I will present to you a counter-argument. Why don't you think the Russian Federation is a repressive empire masquerading as a nation. Start with that. Russia's political structure resembles an empire in that power is concentrated in the capital, regional autonomy is tightly constrained, and strategic decisions are imposed from the centre. All the wealth flows disproportionately towards Moscow and St Petersburg, while peripheral regions often provide raw materials, manpower and military recruits. This pattern would be familiar to historians of empires throughout history. Kremlin narratives routinely deny the legitimacy of neighbouring nations, portray surrounding territories as belonging naturally within Russia's sphere of influence, and treat the independence of former Soviet republics as a historical mistake rather than a settled reality. It views neighbouring countries as lost territories to be reclaimed, one way or the other. Empires are perpetually concerned about separatism, loyalty and territorial integrity. Nation-states are generally secure in the legitimacy of their borders. Moscow's constant fear of fragmentation, regional nationalism and centrifugal forces suggests that beneath the surface lies a political reality closer to an empire than a conventional nation-state. Because of that Empire thinking, of not accepting countries like Ukraine, Georgia, the Baltic States, have any right to exist, Russia sees itself as the enemy of the West because it never truly accepted the world that emerged after the Cold War. Russia is not an enemy of the West, that is true, but the West is an enemy of Russia, or more particularly, Putin. His mentor, Alexsandr Dugin, has called for the complete elimination of all "Atlanticist Nations", the Anglo-Saxon peoples, the peoples he defines by the Atlantic Maritime trade, ie. the British, the Americans, the Canadians, and by extension, the colonial peoples of Australia and New Zealand. Yes, Russia is very hostile to the West, and is willing to risk WW3 in order to achieve its own imperial ambitions. Putin's psychotic thinking is shown by his statement on the prelude to war in Europe: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/02/28/why-do-we-need-a-world-if-russia-is-not-in-it-state-tv-presenter-opens-show-with-ominous-address-a76653 Well, ok. Most people would pick up an Atlas, and point to Russia and its boundaries, and say "that's Russia". I might not like Russia, but I'm not seeking to end the Russian Federation/Empire; I think it will dissolve itself, and a new Russian Republic will emerge in the Moscow-St Petersberg region, and a normal republic at that, with normal problems and normal relationships. Russia is fundamentally a European state, its not this "Eurasian state", where its trying to impose the philosophy of a long dead German on Asiatic peoples with their own heritage. But how does Putin define Russia? In 2005, to the Russian Federal Assembly, he came up with this line: ie. he considered the USSR and Russia to be one and the same, so no real recognition of the sovereignty of the breakaway states. In 2016; https://www.euronews.com/2016/11/25/the-borders-of-russia-do-not-end-says-putin-during-awards-ceremony?utm_source=chatgpt.com He claimed it was a joke, but at the root of it, it indicates that he thinks where ever there are so-called ethnic Russian people, then that should be Russian. The would be like Britain thinking America is still British. We don't. And yes, you can challenge on mindsets about Irish relationships. And I would respond we are now quite settled about that. At the 2023 Valdai Club meeting, he stated that "borders do not end anywhere", and he talked up of a Greater Russia beyond its current borders. What is more, he arranged for the message "Russia's borders do not end anywhere" to be plastered on billboards all over Russia during the 2024 election campaign. https://x.com/BBCSteveR/status/1746784252312891463 And before you critique that, don't come back criticising Rosenthal because he is Jewish and works for the BBC. There are other sources In 2021 and 2022, in the run up to the invasion of Ukraine and after, he repeatedly made speeches, questioning the legitimacy of Ukraine, calling it a mistake. In Feb 2022, he repeatedly asked his minister to recognise the Ukrainian breakaway republics, thus delegitimising the sovereignty of Ukraine http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/67825 So when Putin utters "Why do we need a world if Russia is not in it?", and believes, by his own words, that the borders of Russia are NOT settled, how on earth do you have the temerity to suggest the Western nations are willing to start WW3. This guy wants to start World War 3 over some clapped out coal mines and steel works that were in a toxic landscape. That he hasn't (started WW3) isn't because he has held back, but because his armed forces are the proverbial tiger, being held, very credibly, by a Ukrainian defence (the fact they are mounting such a stout defence undermines any notion that Ukraine is not a real country). The Americans made mistakes in Iran, for sure, but the Russians must be looking at the firepower on display, which is nothing more than a shrug for the Americans. Putin literally said, if he doesn't get his way, doesn't achieve his imperialist ambitions, he will kill me, he will kill you, he will kill your dog/cat/significant other, everyone you have ever known and will know. And then you wheel out the old infantile "you only used Wikipedia" argument to mock someone who disagrees with you, and you lack the aptitude to respond properly. Was it infantile rhetoric? Possibly. Possibly he is mad and means it. Bit he doesn't want to be your friend nor mine. I'm confident, still, there are people in Russia who are not insane, who want a normal life, and will put a stop to this nonsense. That confidence sometimes wobbles, and initially, I thought the non-involvement of the Russian Air Force over Ukraine was some sort of indicator there was a break in the ranks, but it seems the top brass is so corrupted, and clearly, they don't care about their men, in the way commanding officers should be caring about their troops.
