3 minutes ago, sirineou said:

And Kim Jong Un is still alive. Why? because he has nuclear weapons.

Moral of the story , if you don't to be safe from the US get..........................

Ukraine relinquished it's nukes also.

Putin the Greatly Horrible by murdering Navalny has created an iconic martyr.

Why now?

The Russian "election" of course but also perhaps the Munich Conference.

His brand is fear.

Navalny was one of the rare Russians who was not afraid and that kind of spirit of course is very threatening to the fascist Russian dictator. 

Edited February 17, 20242 yr by Jingthing

1 hour ago, Andrew65 said:

Ukraine relinquished it's nukes also.

True , big mistake IMO, 

"Three decades ago, the newly independent country of Ukraine was briefly the third-largest nuclear power in the world.

Thousands of nuclear arms had been left on Ukrainian soil by Moscow after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. But in the years that followed, Ukraine made the decision to completely denuclearize.

In exchange, the U.S., the U.K. and Russia would guarantee Ukraine's security in a 1994 agreement known as the Budapest Memorandum."

 

"

It is clear that Ukrainians knew they weren't getting the exactly legally binding, really robust security guarantees they sought.

But they were told at the time that the United States and Western powers — so certainly at least the United States and Great Britain — take their political commitments really seriously.

This is a document signed at the highest level by the heads of state.

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/21/1082124528/ukraine-russia-putin-invasion

 

PS: I edited  the last quote by adding the rolling on the floor laughing emoji 

"

49 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

Fun fact: Gaddafi's death came after he declared that he was no longer trying to acquire nuclear weapons.

 

Somber truth:  Completely unrelated to the fact that Putin is terrified of going out like Gaddafi at the hands of his own people.

2 minutes ago, rabas said:

 

Somber truth:  Completely unrelated to the fact that Putin is terrified of going out like Gaddafi at the hands of his own people.

Somber truth: My comment was in reply to a comment that mentioned Gaddafi.

If Putin cared even one little <deleted> about Russia and it's people, he would have had a heart to heart with Navalny, and then come to an agreement where Navalny would gradually take over the "reins" and Putin was left with an honourable wealthy, luxurious retirement.

 

There is no way Putin did not know that Navalny was the man to take Russia into this new world order, being accepted and supported by the world community.

17 hours ago, rabas said:

 

It may indicate Putin is getting more worried about something. Hope so. 

 

Extreme propaganda, absurd lying, assassinating most anyone, and doomsday weapons can only get you so far. Soon all the damage being done to Russian ships, factories, refineries, military stocks, the economy (what economy?), not to mention nearly half a million dead Russians, many who have families, may catch up to him.  

 

Julia Ioffe, the Russian expert, explains that Putin's worst nightmare is going out like Muammar Gaddafi, hunted down by his own people, in a drain pipe, pulled out and beaten to death. Putin apparently watched the video of Gaddafi's death obsessively for days. Fun fact. It was the 2011 NATO led intervention in Libya that lead to Gaddafi's death.

 

Here The Atlantic discuses possible parallels with Ukraine. Like I said, hope so.

 

I coincidentally watched Julia Ioffe today, for such a young person she has a remarkable and comprehensive insight into Putin.

I was particularly interested in her personal eyewitness account of the Maidan Revolution and the real events as they happened.

Obviously, this video would be anathema to the Putin fanboys here.

 

 

Edited February 17, 20242 yr by LosLobo

Alexei Navalny: Police in Russia crack down on protests as human rights group claims 'at least 100 arrested'

 

"Police in Russia have cracked down on people who gathered to mark the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny - with one human rights group claiming at least 100 people have been arrested.

 

Footage and pictures from Russia's two largest cities - Moscow and St Petersburg - showed officers ripping away placards from protesters and dragging others away from makeshift memorials to Mr Navalny.

 

Journalists at the site in Moscow - set up at a monument to victims of Soviet repression - were also filmed being detained.

 

(more)

 

https://news.sky.com/story/alexei-navalny-police-in-russia-crack-down-on-protests-as-human-rights-group-claims-at-least-100-arrested-13073537

 

1 hour ago, CanadaSam said:

Putin was left with an honourable wealthy, luxurious retirement.

Well, aside for his Ukrainian war crimes that would severely limit Putin's foreign travel as a private citizen.

18 hours ago, uttradit said:

Guy was a fool. Everybody would have said stay away. Gave his life for nothing.

 

Sounds very familiar.

"I don't get it. What was in it for them?"

"Suckers. Losers."

 

I don't think we can explain it to you in such a way that you'd understand it. It's called "sacrificing for the greater good."

It's a foreign concept to yourself and the former President. There actually are people out there who do things for the benefit of others, even making the ultimate sacrifice knowing that there is that risk. For some reason, you and your ilk look askance at these heroes and choose to mock them and put them down instead because their heroism is in such stark contrast to your nihilism and egotism. You should simply answer all posts with your motto - "I'm all right Jack."

which head of state is not a crook, name one...

3 hours ago, candide said:

 

 

Putin's Commander in Chief of Propaganda Russia-side Dmitry Peskov is keeping a low profile on this, why should stateside be any different....

https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1758459553992056894?s=20

 

2 hours ago, LosLobo said:

Putin's Commander in Chief of Propaganda Russia-side Dmitry Peskov is keeping a low profile on this

Peskov is not that Chief ^^^^

He is just press-secretary...
However his story s quite remarkable and he (Peskov) was often a "star" of Navalny's "investigations". Esp. a million dollars watch and honey moon on a yacht for many thousands euros per day.

Edited February 17, 20242 yr by stats
off topic trolling comment removed

2 hours ago, NativeBob said:

Peskov is not that Chief ^^^^

He is just press-secretary.

You are preaching to the choir.

 

There is no official Commander-in-Chief of Propaganda in Russia.

 

However, as the official spokesman for Putin in Russia, Dmitry Peskov plays a major role in his propaganda and disinformation campaigns.

 

This is why I have taken some ‘poetic license’ in my analysis here.

 

For example, Peskov has been involved in covering up the Kremlin’s links to various incidents.

 

These include the poisonings of Alexander Litvinenko, a former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service, Sergei Skripal, a former Russian military officer and double agent for the UK’s intelligence services, and Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition leader.

 

Faces of Kremlin Propaganda: Dmitri Peskov - United States Department of State

Edited February 17, 20242 yr by stats
off topic diversion comment removed

23 hours ago, uttradit said:

Not very smart. Should have moved to Phuket. Did he think returning to Russia would work out?

The man went back to Russia from Germany for continuing his parties cause.

He is a Marty for freedom in Russia now.

I am quite sure the man knew what he was doing when returning to Russia.

3 hours ago, johng said:

 

 

You don't seem to have a position on Navalny's death.

Example: I saw old thai lady at 7/11 who tried to warm up tin can (sardines I guess) in microwave oven. I knew I should warn her but how could I explain to her why exactly she shouldn't do it? Hi frequency over metal object and other subjects of physics won't ring a bell in her head.

Same goes to those "poisonings": for some it is easier to "believe" into Novichok stories, capsules with polonium and other Hollywood trash instead to learn and analyze the subject. Whatever. 

Edited February 17, 20242 yr by NativeBob

Well, I guess he got what he wanted - becoming a martyr. 

 

If they try to kill you by poisoning you and you decide to still go back ro Russia then you have to have a death wish. 

 

He could've lead his fight against Putin from literally anywhere in the world. Germany would've granted him asylum in a heartbeat. 

 

Also, he knew he would get arrested for "violating his parole" by leaving Russia to get treated for the poisoning in Germany because the responsible bureau issued a statement to that regard after he announced his plans to return to Russia. 

Edited February 17, 20242 yr by pacovl46

25 minutes ago, itsari said:

The man went back to Russia from Germany for continuing his parties cause.

He is a Marty for freedom in Russia now.

I am quite sure the man knew what he was doing when returning to Russia.

Dying is smart? Should have joined NATO or something. 

8 minutes ago, pacovl46 said:

Well, I guess he got what he wanted - becoming a martyr. 

 

If they try to kill you by poisoning you and you decide to still go back ro Russia then you have to have a death wish. 

 

He could've lead his fight against Putin from literally anywhere in the world. Germany would've granted him asylum in a heartbeat. 

 

Also, he knew he would get arrested for "violating his parole" by leaving Russia to get treated for the poisoning in Germany because the responsible bureau issued a statement to that regard after he announced his plans to return to Russia. 

Must have been depressed. Basically suicide.

14 minutes ago, NativeBob said:

Example: I saw old thai lady at 7/11 who tried to warm up tin can (sardines I guess) in microwave oven. I knew I should warn her but how could I explain to her why exactly she shouldn't do it? Hi frequency over metal object and other subjects of physics won't ring a bell in her head.

Same goes to those "poisonings": for some it is easier to "believe" into Novichok stories, capsules with polonium and other Hollywood trash instead to learn and analyze the subject. Whatever. 

So this story about an old Thai lady is your proof there was no poisoning? 😆

59 minutes ago, LosLobo said:

There is no official Commander-in-Chief of Propaganda in Russia.

Of course there is a "Commander-in-Chief of Propaganda in Russia"!

He is the dictator PUTIN!

31 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

You don't seem to have a position on Navalny's death

His death is very sad for him and his family.

I wonder why he went back to Russia after being poisoned  and facing near certain incarnation ?

17 minutes ago, NativeBob said:

Example: I saw old thai lady at 7/11 who tried to warm up tin can (sardines I guess) in microwave oven. I knew I should warn her but how could I explain to her why exactly she shouldn't do it? Hi frequency over metal object and other subjects of physics won't ring a bell in her head.

Same goes to those "poisonings": for some it is easier to "believe" into Novichok stories, capsules with polonium and other Hollywood trash instead to learn and analyze the subject. Whatever. 

Seems you have the advantage over most of the critical thinkers here, we never went to Dunning-Kruger University.

23 hours ago, Tug said:

He was a Russian patriot who wanted to bring Russia out of the dark into the free world he was a brave man who was willing to die for his principles a respectable man in my book rip sir my condolences to your loved ones and the Russian nation 

 

He was a crook who was neck deep in corrupt activities, such as the fake freight company he created with his brother Oleg, or the Kirov sawmill.

 

He managed to stay out of jail until 2020 but was finally sentenced for various serious criminal activities such as embezzlement, and was due to stay inside until 2042.

 

Hardly anyone knows or cares about him outside of Moscow, where he is essentially known for his illegal activities.

45 minutes ago, uttradit said:

Dying is smart? Should have joined NATO or something. 

He was smart and brave.

 

More posts have been removed for being off-topic and presenting unsourced and unsubstantiated claims.

 

59 minutes ago, LosLobo said:

Seems you have the advantage over most of the critical thinkers here, we never went to Dunning-Kruger University.

Thank you, @LosLobo, very kind of you to conclude this conversation. Nice!

With Prison Certain and Death Likely, Why Did Navalny Return?

An activist who thrived on agitation, he feared irrelevancy in exile. Winning new respect as he continued to lambast the Kremlin from behind bars cost him his life.

 

There was one question that Russians repeatedly asked the opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny, who died in a remote Arctic penal colony on Friday, and he confessed that he found it a little annoying.

 

Why, after surviving a fatal poisoning attempt widely blamed on the Kremlin, had he returned to Russia from his extended convalescence abroad to face certain imprisonment and possible death? Even his prison guards, turning off their recording devices, asked him why he had come back, he said.

 

“I don’t want to give up either my country or my beliefs,” Mr. Navalny wrote in a Jan. 17 Facebook post to mark the third anniversary of his return and arrest in 2021. “I cannot betray either the first or the second. If your beliefs are worth something, you must be willing to stand up for them. And if necessary, make some sacrifices.”

 

That was the direct answer, but for many Russians, both those who knew him and those who did not, the issue was more complex. Some of them considered it almost a classical Greek tragedy: The hero, knowing that he is doomed, returns home anyway because, well, if he didn’t, he would not be the hero.

 

(more)

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/17/world/europe/why-navalny-returned-to-russia.html

 

or

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20240217104831/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/17/world/europe/why-navalny-returned-to-russia.html