Unrest in Ukraine

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Even if true I doubt that would have lasted him a second term. Putin is smart enough that he'd have caught on anyhow that it's all useless hot air and that Trump's apparent idolizing of Putin may well have resulted in a weak response from him.

Well, we can't speculate on what conflicts Trump's bloviating and unpredictability did or didn't prevent, because the conflicts never happened. That's kind of the point.

Also, it's pretty weird what equates to "idolizing" with leftists. Stop it. You don't even believe it. It makes you sound ridiculous.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Also, it's pretty weird what equates to "idolizing" with leftists. Stop it. You don't even believe it.

When he was talking up Putin all positive-like and admiring him, just as he was about to send in an attack on Ukraine, totally counter to what the rest of the world was seeing and saying, yeah, that's rather demented idolizing-like behavior. Why do rightists choose to be blind. Stop it.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Ukraine is only one country that was once under Soviet control, makes you wonder who could be invaded next. Azerbaijan? Kazakhstan? Belarus? Even Poland?

[joe-eyeball]

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

Ukraine is only one country that was once under Soviet control, makes you wonder who could be invaded next. Azerbaijan? Kazakhstan? Belarus? Even Poland?

No doubt this is a potential reality! Also could this embolden China against Taiwan?

[Andrew NDB]

Jesus... Russian troops are marching with a mobile crematorium as they go? Just vaporizing bodies? Goodness gracious.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/ukrain...le-crematorium

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Jesus... Russian troops are marching with a mobile crematorium as they go? Just vaporizing bodies? Goodness gracious.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/ukrain...le-crematorium

Saw this today that the advance is not going as well as planned:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/russian-o...184643283.html

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

Saw this today that the advance is not going as well as planned:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/russian-o...184643283.html

I'm sure it isn't. We are talking about people defending their lives and homes to an extreme. But ultimately Ukraine can't resist this offensive and the truth is that Russia has gotten this far on only the first real wave of military input.

Part of me hopes that the Ukranian government has wired the every capital building with tremendous explosives and left so that the Russian invaders are obliterated simply by occupying the space. That's a purely emotional judgement on my part there - not a tactical one.

[CyberCubed]

I think people forget how hard it is to conquer a country in the modern world of 2022. It isn't 1945 anymore, the world is connected through computers and technology and Ukraine as a country is pretty big in itself. Yes Russia has more military power, but being able to hold an entire country like that with both the civilian population fleeing and the military fighting against them and of course it's not easy.

Who knows what will happen as the months go on though.

[MikeandRaph87]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/taiwan-re...222956278.html
China now making moves to potentially seize Taiwan with Russia taking Ukraine.

[Sumac]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

You're the weird one who confusingly decided on the Batman angle for some odd reason, as if your leader is somehow immortal and unable to be defeated by real life mortal humans, but sure, okay.

It is totally not weird suggesting some dumb scenarios like "bunch of James Bonds takes out a villain". Just WTF?
Do you have an ability and knowledge to refer to something that is not action movies or comic books?

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

So what are you doing to stop it then? Because what's happening to Ukraine is horrible. Why have people in your nation allowed Putin to even stay in power this long instead of doing whatever was needed to oust him.

I am gonna do nothing, because, I value my life and don't want to end up in jail or in the grave.

But, if you was as brave and decisive, as you pretend to be, I am sure you would come here and tried to stage a protest. After all it is very easy to do, when your enemy exists solely in your head, like those Trump Death Squads, or when when you are sitting in a comfort of your own room on another end of the world.

Sure, show us by example, how to do it. If you dare.

People in my nation are scared of consequences. I do blame them, but I understand why they are afraid. Something seemingly you can't comprehend, which means you either have no-one to care about or just don't care about meaning of your own words.

Originally Posted by Galactus

Other than blind partisan-ship I don't see how anyone could reasonably think this wouldn't have happened under Trump.

Last time, when Russians attempted to do so something funny in Syria, Trump gave an order and those funny Russian mercenaries turned into 200 dead mercenaries. Which is enough of an answer, why Putin hadn't try anything like it, during Trump's rule.

Of course, you conveniently ignore this, because, that's the only thing weaklings like you can do, to no ruin your precious fake ****ing picture of your imbecilic world.

Originally Posted by Galactus

The political right in the US has a multitude of horrible tactics but the ability to distract from big issues by deflecting to culture wars ones has got to be their worst. There's been a sharp rise in white nationalism, a deadly virus has swept across the globe and a bunch of people who thought the former president was communicating with them on a board for anime tried to launch a violent coup on the nations capital that resulted in people dying...and right wing pundits insist the things you should really be mad at are gender pronouns, football players kneeling and whether the green M&M is sexy enough.

Yaaaas, Queeeeeeenn!

Its not like Left constantly make mountains out of molehills, with "what is your identity today - boy, girl or a deer" or "how to chop off your dick, so everyone would think you are a woman" or "why creators should not have right to write Black characters without being Black" or "when its healthy to buy little kids their first dildo"....yeah, very IMPORTANT issues, which concern everyone in the world!!

I wonder why White Nationalism is rising...could it be, because, Left politics make White people felt like citizens of the second class, who should forget their own culture and achievements, just to feel permanently guilty, because, of some **** that had happened few generations ago?

Could it be, because, whenever, someone insists that immigrants should learn local languages and customs and live by the laws of the country they are trying to settle in, Left trash screams that it is "Nazism!!!!1111!".

Could it be, that Left doesn't spend enough on acclimatizing of immigrants and when they become criminals, they blame "nazzzzzzzisms!!!" as the reason why people dare to don't like those poor poor people?

Yes, it is worthy to be mad at "gender pronounce", because, it is insanity, which directly affects kids and weak minded people. And, yes, kneeling in front of anyone, except the queen, is a humiliation. **** that ****.

Originally Posted by Galactus

You don't have to be a raving SJW to realise and understand that the Christian Broadcasting Network might have a very skewed view on this issue. I don't watch much children's television but I'm sure there is an agenda but I don't see that as a bad thing. As acceptance of LGBTQ people slowly happens kids will naturally see more of it in their everyday lives. Their friend with two moms or their teacher who is trans plus some of these kids will grow up and realise they are queer or trans themselves so it's good to have media that so it's a good thing to have programming that says these are things that exist and it's okay. The people getting mad about this were decades ago getting mad at the purple teletubby. We look back and think that was ridiculous as I'm sure people ten years from now will think the criticism of today's kids shows was stupid.

Except it won't change the fact that most queer people are just attention whores and most trans are rapey mentally ill deviants and abusers, who belong to mental asylum. Also, men can't become women. And never will be, so trans won't ever be normal. Good day, sir!

Of course, those cases, where "poor oppressed trans and queers do something bad-bad" won't be widely published, but when this shitshow and pandering will be over, people will see this mountain of **** for what it really is and will be horrified how they could even think about normalizing trans and queer.

But go on, pretend that abusive insanity is normal.

Originally Posted by Leo656

Four year old kids don't need to be told about some stuff. Let them find out about it at a more age-appropriate time.

Spoiler:

This is why we suddenly have a swarm of kids who are so young they need to be reminded not to sh*t their pants declaring themselves to be "LGBTQ" when they couldn't even tell you what it means. Kids that young are only barely capable of independent thought, they mostly parrot what they hear other people say. And if they hear people say, "It's okay for boys to wear dresses and girls to have dicks," they'll repeat that. And again, they don't even know what it means yet. BUT, we're supposed to indulge them and allow them to take experimental hormones and undergo elective surgeries anyway. Which to me is "programming". Which isn't right.

Also, schools think it's MORE important, at present, to teach That Stuff to kids - along with a hefty dose of "Whitey Is The Devil" - instead of things like basic reading, math, and science skills. Kids are graduating high school who can't even read BUT they can tell you the entire history of the LGBTQ "struggle" in detail over the last hundred years. Priorities, at present, are completely skewed, and it starts with what we present to kids.

When kids get closer to puberty, they can start learning about it Then at the same time they start learning about everything else relating to sexuality because that's when it becomes relevant to them. Not at an age when they should still be playing with Legos and sh*t.

Should we just start letting kids as young as three or four watch hardcore porn, "since they're gonna learn about it anyway and there's really nothing wrong with it in the first place, so we may as well normalize it"? Most people would say "No, don't be ridiculous". But it's really not very far away from what people are already pushing for.

Again, people who lean more left have a VERY hard time recognizing that most peoples' points of view aren't black-and-white but rather have many degrees and lots of nuance. Most people who don't want children's programming inundated with Gay Stuff don't have any problem with gay people. They just think it's not appropriate for kids. Just like some of the books that are so controversial in schools at the moment. SOME people want them eliminated altogether, but not MOST people. MOST people simply don't think those books are appropriate for a school library, specifically, especially certain topics which may be put in the hands of people too young for the material. In theory, most of the people protesting said books wouldn't have an issue with them being in a regular public library, they just don't want it in a SCHOOL setting, because in that setting those materials are not appropriate. Just like you wouldn't stock copies of Hustler at your local school library, either.

But again. "Liberals" and "Nuance" are not great bedfellows. You're either "accept everything" or "You're a Bigot".

I can assure you, nobody has less of a problem with gay people than I do. I keep saying this. I just don't think certain things are appropriate for young kids. That doesn't make me or anyone who feels that way a bad person. The fact is, it's how MOST parents feel but they're too scared to say so out loud because of the current social climate. I myself am not a parent, but plenty of people I know are. Including one of my gay friends who has a kid. And HE even thinks this "social programming" stuff is completely bananas and that they shouldn't push it on young kids. Again, he's a gay man in a relationship who's raising a child. In his opinion, some things are not age appropriate for very young children.

I'd love to see someone call him a misguided, closed-minded bigot. He's about 6'4, 275lbs of solid muscle and I can attest from experience that he can throw the average person pretty far. Again, I would LOVE for someone to tell that guy he has the wrong idea about this kind of thing. It'd be fun to watch that "conversation".

100% This.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by Sumac

Do you have an ability and knowledge to refer to something that is not action movies or comic books?

Do you have the ability not to invent weird crap you pretend someone else is doing and scream at them about, or is that just normal twisted Far Right behavior.

Maybe you're just too afraid to say much and lash out at others instead like this because if they find out the authorities will go arrest you.

[Leo656]

I think in Russia they can kind of do that without a valid reason, and it's worse if you give them any semblance of one... and I think that that's kind of Sumac's point. People over there don't "Do More" because they don't see it helping and they're mostly resigned to This Is How It Is. Why "fight back" and become enemies of the state when "the state" is all too happy to punish them for it?

He's spoken at great length in many threads about how people over there just accept dictators and their dictator behavior as a way of life because that's how it's always been. Nihilism maybe isn't an attractive trait or outlook, but it tends to creep in over long periods of utter hopelessness. And I suspect that's where most Russian people are.

It's easy to forget that in most of the world, people are not "allowed" to fight back against or even criticize their governments, no matter WHAT they do. It's part of what makes America so "exceptional"; we get to do that (to a point) and nobody else gets to at all. Even the basic concept of "free speech" - as nebulous as it can be - is something that I've been told many times by people from all over the world is "crazy". I.e., "You can't just say whatever you want! What if people get mad/punish you?"

I don't envy the people over there, but I can understand why they don't try and change their own situation. It really kind of IS hopeless. If not Putin, who else? I mean, I literally don't know, I'm no geopolitician and he's frankly the only Russian politico whom I even know the name of. But I ASSUME that if Putin weren't there, it would be someone As Bad or Worse, same as it is with so many countries in the Middle East which have similar problems.

The fact is, there are a LOT of countries on Earth that would only ever "get better" if someone somehow gutted them completely and "started over". Problem is... that's kind of impossible, because of how certain systems are so entrenched.

It's a big reason I'm such a cynic, myself. There IS no "saving the world". HUGE chunks of it do not WANT to be "saved" and you can't drag them kicking and screaming into the "Modern Age". The best you can do is threaten to spank them if they misbehave. And when they don't listen, well... you get what we have Right Now.

It's a mess. But I honestly don't know how it can ever possibly be "fixed". Especially since I don't live over there. Mostly all I know of Russia is from Sumac's posts and the words of multiple people I worked with over the years who used to live there. Their consensus was always some variant of, "Place is sh*thole, that's why I'm here and not there." I'm inclined to believe them, but past that, I have no idea. Everyone I ever talked to basically implied there's no "fixing" sh*t over there, just to try and get out if there's any possible way and be done with it altogether. Which not everyone can do, obviously.

It's a mess, for sure, but I get why so many people just resign to it. If you can't leave, what's the alternative? "Fight back"? They're literally not allowed to do that.
----------------

Without making it overtly Dvs.R kinda thing, I don't think it's any coincidence at all that these countries always start sh*t when a Democrat is President, though. Go figure, the Democrats go on TV for years screeching about war being bad and "let other countries do whatever, we have our own problems at home, it's not our place to meddle in others' affairs", and then whenever we have a Democrat President again these other countries suddenly wanna flex. I WONDER why that is? I mean it's not like they were basically told, "Go ahead, we're weak on foreign policy" or anything, going back countless decades. Like, at least the Republicans don't go on TV and OPENLY SAY things like "We won't physically intervene in other countries' affairs." Once you expose a weakness, you're basically giving permission. That's a big reason so many Republican candidates always talk up the military so big; they're well aware that other countries are watching what we say/do, and you need to at least project an appearance of strength.

In hindsight, America was probably way too nice when the Cold War ended. We were collectively just so happy to have Russia as our "buddy" again that we just went right back to making kissy-face with them, not really caring whether or not they were secretly plotting some kind of nonsense to eventually put things right back to where they were. Even when we've been warned about it coming sooner or later, we're like "Naaaaaah, they wouldn't!" And now, here we are.

Seems to be a bit of a recurring theme. America has a long history of being way too nice to countries and their leaders who later go on to make us look spectacularly stupid for giving them the benefit of the doubt in the first place. This is just the latest example.

Sh*t wouldn't be happening under Reagan.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

What I wonder is why didn't Putin invade when Trump was president? Why did he wait till now? I'm confused why he didn't do it when Trump was praising him from 2016-2020.

Vladimir Putin probably first waited for Donald Trump to be re-elected in November 2020, allowing the USA to leave the NATO and withdraw its soldiers from Europe. That never happened, so instead he took advantage of the continuing Coronavirus pandemic.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan

Vladimir Putin probably first waited for Donald Trump to be re-elected in November 2020, allowing the USA to leave the NATO and withdraw its soldiers from Europe. That never happened, so instead he took advantage of the continuing Coronavirus pandemic.

Probably not.

[ZariusTwo]

Poland refusing to play Russia in the World Cup qualifier

https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/st...7Ctwgr%5Etweet

[The Deadman]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

When he was talking up Putin all positive-like and admiring him, just as he was about to send in an attack on Ukraine, totally counter to what the rest of the world was seeing and saying, yeah, that's rather demented idolizing-like behavior. Why do rightists choose to be blind. Stop it.

Your irony knows no bounds. Stop it.

[The Deadman]

Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan

Vladimir Putin probably first waited for Donald Trump to be re-elected in November 2020, allowing the USA to leave the NATO and withdraw its soldiers from Europe. That never happened, so instead he took advantage of the continuing Coronavirus pandemic.

There's no proof that Trump would allow Putin to just invade any country because they got along.

Leftists fail to realize that Biden pulled out the remaining troops from the Afghan region and what happened after that? The Taliban took right back over and the Afghan president ran with his tail tucked between his legs. But sure, Trump was totally going to pull the US out of NATO so Putin could have free reign. Holy ****.

[Sumac]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Do you have the ability not to invent weird crap you pretend someone else is doing and scream at them about, or is that just normal twisted Far Right behavior.

Maybe you're just too afraid to say much and lash out at others instead like this because if they find out the authorities will go arrest you.

Considering me "far-right" is a peak of...not being smart, to say the least. But, I now that childish Leftoids can't see people as "normal, with different opinions", so I forgive you for this. I can't expect better from you, after all.

And, no, I am not afraid of saying anything, its just your "scenarios" work only in action movies. Knowing Leftoids obsession with pop-culture, which replaces their education and proper knowledge, I am not surprised, that you create such scenarios. Once again, I don't blame you, that's the best your brain-on-the-left can come up with, but it doesn't win you points.

Originally Posted by joe-eyeball

I’ll be honest I suspect things would be different if it were Trump in office but ultimately who knows? I’m more irritated by all the liberal responses when legitimate questions and concerns are being addressed regarding Biden’s obvious mishandling of this situation, and the liberal response is something like “well Trump wouldn’t have done any better!”

It’s irrelevant what Trump would have done and all that matters is how the current boiled potato in office is fumbling the ball every time it’s handed to him.

I wonder if all we will hear about for the most part is Biden’s Supreme Court nomination and how great he is for being brave enough to nominate a black female for the position? Because you know black female is a super important requirement to the highest court in America.

That's funny, because, Left-peabrains were seething every time, when Trump, justified or not, blamed Obama for problems.
And now, lo and behold, our "just friends who love science and logic" are suddenly doing the same, shifting their blame on Trump, whether its irrelevant or not.
So much for being better!

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

One theory of mine as to why the invasion of Ukraine is happening now rather than earlier or later is that Putin is 69 years old, and fearful of his death to come, whether it be from old age or an assasination attempt. As such, he wants to see his vision of the Soviet-era borders restored before he dies, and he knows that now is a better time than ever because of American instability, and the reluctance of the Western Powers to directly send in troops.

Yeah, I suspect he has a "I want to leave some legacy type of thing going on", otherwise it is very hard to explain rationally, what dwarf is doing or why.

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

Ukraine is only one country that was once under Soviet control, makes you wonder who could be invaded next. Azerbaijan? Kazakhstan? Belarus? Even Poland?

Anyone.
The problem is that even if Putin attacks NATO countries no-one will take responsibility at starting direct war with a nuclear power.
No-one wants to play in the nuclear Russian roulette with a potentially crazy lunatic. Though, personally I wonder what his response would have been, if someone would have been brave enough to do that and throw nuclear bomb his way.

Putin has mentality of a petty thief and a bully, and those usually crumble when they see someone who is stronger and who doesn't afraid of punching them in a face. That's basically a foundation of his politics in the last 10 years.

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I think people forget how hard it is to conquer a country in the modern world of 2022. It isn't 1945 anymore, the world is connected through computers and technology and Ukraine as a country is pretty big in itself. Yes Russia has more military power, but being able to hold an entire country like that with both the civilian population fleeing and the military fighting against them and of course it's not easy.

Who knows what will happen as the months go on though.

The things is, Russia might take over Ukraine and install puppet government, but then what?

How they gonna maintain control over country, where 99% of people hate them?

Constant guerilla warfare, acts of terror - all of those would weaken even powerful military bit by bit. Remember, what had happened with Americans in the Vietnam or Soviets in Afghanistan? In both cases superior numbers were unable to fight against small squads of partisans. The only answer is a total genocide, which will lead to even greater resistance and probably (finally) some international intervention (let's call them "volunteers").
What Putin had started is an unwinnable war, which will lead only to even more problems to Russia. Not that dwarf cares about Russia.

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Yeah, I wish he'd come out tougher on it, though I wasn't able to watch his speech on it yesterday so not sure how that went. He's not a bag of hot air the way Trump was, spouting off "tough guy" words that result in little, so no, he doesn't sound as strong because he focuses more on the real work of it, not just making a superficial display to the public.

In politics, it is not about what you say, it is about how you say it.

If you pretend to be a political leader of any importance, yet, you talk and look like you are about to catch a stroke any moment, than, of course, no-one will take you seriously.

Yeah, Trump said a lot of empty or stupid stuff, but he always knew how to dress it up so it still would come as something legitimate, which gave him a leg up compared to most modern political leaders who are all complacent bureaucrats with no spine or balls.

Also, justifying weak response of the US and allies towards Russian aggression by "but that's a multicountry effort" is ********. We don't live in an age of pigeons. We live in the age of a ****ing Internet, where all possible questions can be resolved in a manner of hours and something tells me, one country attacking another in a very center of Europe, warrants a quick, extremely ****ing quick answer.

But let me guess, you answer will be something-something Trump is bad doo-doo-doo.
Damn, zealots. But at least they are fascinating examples of how dumb humans can be.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by The Deadman

There's no proof that Trump would allow Putin to just invade any country because they got along.

Leftists fail to realize that Biden pulled out the remaining troops from the Afghan region and what happened after that? The Taliban took right back over and the Afghan president ran with his tail tucked between his legs. But sure, Trump was totally going to pull the US out of NATO so Putin could have free reign. Holy ****.

Exactly.
Additionally, we want our President to be able to go out and schmooze the leadership of other countries. That's called "being a politician". So far Trump is the only guy who was able to do that with Putin and that goof from North Korea.

It's fascinating to me as well that this is going on and there is a bigger picture problem and deranged fools like Indigo are still talking about Trump in any negative way possible. These life-lost are going to be on their death beds muttering quietly "Don't let Trump get me", "Don't let Trump come in here".

[The Deadman]

Also Joe Biden isnt a bag of hot air like Trump? How is saying "we're gonna wait a month to see if the sanctions we placed on Russia changes Putin's mind" not full of hot air? If Putin really cared about sanctions, he wouldnt have even thought about invading Ukraine.