What Putin wants

[Politruk]

Putin has always placed a high priority on regime preservation. He'll do absolutely anything to stay in power.

So why did he start this hopeless, pointless war, so expensive in blood and treasure, so widely unpopular with his own people? Why do the one thing that could possibly destabilize his regime? What does he want badly enough to take that risk?

Not to keep Ukraine out of NATO. A Ukraine in NATO wouldn't be that dangerous to Russia. (And no country with an ongoing territorial dispute can join NATO anyway.) Ukraine was presenting absolutely no military or economic threat to Russia when this war started. Nobody poked the bear.

What Putin wants is to make Russia a world power of the first rank once again. Like it was when the Communists ruled. Like it was when the tsars ruled.

If simply re-annexing the empire's old territory is politically impossible, the next best thing is a regional hegemony, like the U.S. has over the Western Hemisphere. He already has a puppet state in Belarus -- now he wants one in Ukraine.

 

[Politruk]

I take it as a given that the West must not allow Russia to be a world power of the first rank once again, ever. Even without Communists in charge.

Preventing that is not worth a risk of nuclear escalation, but it is worth any expenditure of money.

 

[Politruk]

Sabotage and Assassinations: Putin's Hidden Plan Unleashes Chaos Across Europe

As Russia’s war against Ukraine rages on, a more covert but equally dangerous campaign is being waged against Europe. According to Ken McCallum, the head of Britain's MI5, Vladimir Putin’s Russia is engaged in a strategic effort to destabilize the West.

Sabotage, Arson and Assassinations​

The Kremlin’s tactics include sabotage, arson, and even assassinations across European countries. McCallum has warned that these "reckless" actions are increasing in frequency and boldness, as reported by Ziare.

The Russian military intelligence agency GRU has been behind many of these attacks, which have caused chaos in both the UK and broader Europe.

For example, in April, German authorities arrested two German-Russian nationals on suspicion of plotting attacks on American military installations on behalf of GRU.

Around the same time, Poland apprehended a man who was gathering information on Rzeszow Airport, a key hub for weapons destined for Ukraine. Similarly, several men were charged in the UK for an arson attack on a logistics company owned by Ukraine.

 

[TastySuckToy]

Preventing that is not worth a risk of nuclear escalation, but it is worth any expenditure of money.

So let those who support conflict with Russia pay for it financially and volunteer themselves as military personnel. Leave the rest of us who don't want to be part of endless expensive wars out of it.

 

[Politruk]

So let those who support conflict with Russia pay for it financially and volunteer themselves as military personnel. Leave the rest of us who don't want to be part of endless expensive wars out of it.

Let those who want to stop Hitler and Tojo go off and join the British Army.

Sorry to Godwinize, but you DO sound like one of the brain-dead isolationists of that period.

 

[TastySuckToy]

Let those who want to stop Hitler and Tojo go off and join the British Army.

Yeah, being anti war is such a terrible thing...

If you're pro war, then you pay for it and you enlist. The rest of us sane people will stick to minding our own business and only fighting in self defense.

 

[MajorRewrite]

Putin’s goal was to conquer Ukraine’s land, assets and businesses to divide amongst the Russian oligarchs. That’s the only reason a kleptocracy does anything.

 

[Politruk]

Yeah, being anti war is such a terrible thing...

If you're pro war, then you pay for it and you enlist. The rest of us sane people will stick to minding our own business and only fighting in self defense.

The isolationists were wrong in the 1930s and you're wrong now.

 

[Politruk]

Putin’s goal was to conquer Ukraine’s land, assets and businesses to divide amongst the Russian oligarchs. That’s the only reason a kleptocracy does anything.

No, he's thinking in more . . . nationalistic terms.

 

[TastySuckToy]

The isolationists were wrong in the 1930s and you're wrong now.

So support war with your money and your life, not other people's.

 

[Politruk]

So support war with your money and your life, not other people's.

May you live to be drafted and have no way to get out of it.

 

[TastySuckToy]

May you live to be drafted and have no way to get out of it.

You're in favour of forcing people to fight and die in wars, got it.

 

[Buffalogurl]

Let those who want to stop Hitler and Tojo go off and join the British Army.

Sorry to Godwinize, but you DO sound like one of the brain-dead isolationists of that period.

Hey slick..... here's an idea, you go fight, gather up the evil black rifle and walk point either in Ukraine or in gaza.. fire right up Bubba.... we learned from the 4 prior "conflicts" we ain't dieing for o'l two scoops just have a visit with any disabled veterans....... your f@#king delusional if you believe the current crime family in power cares about you
But be my guest, step up Bubba because o'l Ivan Hetortitsoff the cannon cocker, gonna drop a 155mm white phosphorus cluster munition on your happy ass..... report back how that works out for ya
Enjoy your day paying off other people's debt and paying for the well-being of the illegal aliens.... just say'in....

 

[Politruk]

the current crime family in power

 

[JohnEngelman]

So support war with your money and your life, not other people's.

Did you think that way when the Soviet Union exited?

 

[Celand]

Putin has always placed a high priority on regime preservation. He'll do absolutely anything to stay in power.

So why did he start this hopeless, pointless war, so expensive in blood and treasure, so widely unpopular with his own people? Why do the one thing that could possibly destabilize his regime? What does he want badly enough to take that risk?

Not to keep Ukraine out of NATO. A Ukraine in NATO wouldn't be that dangerous to Russia. (And no country with an ongoing territorial dispute can join NATO anyway.) Ukraine was presenting absolutely no military or economic threat to Russia when this war started. Nobody poked the bear.

What Putin wants is to make Russia a world power of the first rank once again. Like it was when the Communists ruled. Like it was when the tsars ruled.

If simply re-annexing the empire's old territory is politically impossible, the next best thing is a regional hegemony, like the U.S. has over the Western Hemisphere. He already has a puppet state in Belarus -- now he wants one in Ukraine.

Can you spell "Russian Monroe Doctrine ?" a.k.a :

Washington D.C., December 12, 2017 – U.S. Secretary of State James Baker’s famous “not one inch eastward” assurance about NATO expansion in his meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on February 9, 1990, was part of a cascade of assurances about Soviet security given by Western leaders to Gorbachev and other Soviet officials throughout the process of German unification in 1990 and on into 1991, according to declassified U.S., Soviet, German, British and French documents posted today by the National Security Archive at George Washington University (http://nsarchive.gwu.edu).

Never mind the real NAZI being hailed as a national hero!

https://cbx-prod.b-cdn.net/COLOURBOX11453668.jpg?width=800&height=800&quality=70

 

[TJX]

The best way to avoid war is to prepare for war. No country in the entire history of civilization has ever been attacked because they were to strong. There have been countless examples of countries attacked because they were to weak.

 

[UltraChad]

So support war with your money and your life, not other people's.

He's a lefty, virtue signaling with other peoples lives and money is all he knows.

 

[UltraChad]

The isolationists were wrong in the 1930s and you're wrong now.

Not being a warmonger isn't isolationism.

Saving Europe and essentially becoming Europe's bitch was one of the biggest mistakes the USA ever made.

The security of smug assholes in Europe who fucking hate the USA anyhow, is of no importance to the USA.

 

[UltraChad]

Let those who want to stop Hitler and Tojo go off and join the British Army.

Sorry to Godwinize, but you DO sound like one of the brain-dead isolationists of that period.

Just because someone isn't a warmonger doesn't make them a brain dead isolationist.

You're just a warmonger who would NEVER go fight himself.

 

[TastySuckToy]

He's a lefty, virtue signaling with other peoples lives and money is all he knows.

Exactly. Those who are favour of war should be lining up to pay for it and die for it.

 

[MajorRewrite]

Saving Europe and essentially becoming Europe's bitch was one of the biggest mistakes the USA ever made.

Chad thinks helping to defeat Hitler was a big mistake.

Nobody is surprised.

 

[MajorRewrite]

Exactly. Those who are favour of war should be lining up to pay for it and die for it.

Ukrainians have died because Putin favors war.

 

[Politruk]

Not being a warmonger isn't isolationism.

Saving Europe and essentially becoming Europe's bitch was one of the biggest mistakes the USA ever made.

The security of smug assholes in Europe who fucking hate the USA anyhow, is of no importance to the USA.

Be careful, people might be tempted to think you think like some flaming Nazi asshole like Pat Buchanan.

 

[UltraChad]

Chad thinks helping to defeat Hitler was a big mistake.

Nobody is surprised.

We got nothing out of it but a few good scientist and fucked over by euro snobs for 80 years.

Ukrainians have died because Putin favors war.

So why do Americans need to send their treasure and children to die for Ukraine??

So you can feel better about waving your blue and yellow flag around while Democrats fill their pockets??