He is a psycho for sure. Thats already confirmed. |
That looks really suspicious. |
Why would they? For some, not much has changed because they never travel abroad/use credit cards abroad/shop abroad For some, they see how they (who have nothing to do with the war) are targeted - visas impossible to get, credit cards not working, bank accounts closed. They go straight to blaming the west, skipping the real reasons for that. Also, 10-15 year sentences don’t help the cause. |
Are you Ukrainian? |
Putin was smart to throw the whole boat at trying to stop inflation. Hyper inflation and shortages of basic goods is what brought down yeltsin. They traded off any progress towards democracy for stocked shelves and predictable pricing. But it might be a no take backs situation on that trade. |
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DP.
First of all, I think Putin isn't going to fall from power that easily. Replaced by a strongman nutcase looking for his seat maybe, not not necessarily collapse. He was smart to make arrests quickly at the beginning of the war effort and any real resistance fled the country. What is more likely is a slow devolution from disgruntled military returning from Ukraine and the families from the dead, which takes time. Second, although economics hurt Russia's younger generation, older Russian's aren't wallflowers. The older generation just fall back on their Stalin-style war gardens. For them it's same-old same-old. In the meantime, the Russian male youth that would cause issues are all getting drafted and ground up into hamburger in Ukraine, or thrown in jail. Middle aged are mostly falling in line to avoid issues. Finally, you really have to wonder - is Putin really losing it, his inner circle knows it, so he's being goaded and managed by his inner circle to chew up the supporters willing to follow him? There is a real possibility that someone eyeing his position is helping to weaken Putin's absolute power within the country. This is the way to do that by turning the entire country against him. If this is the case, then I think that person is far more dangerous than Putin himself. Who is that more dangerous person? And I wonder if Putin figured it out? Hmm.. You have to remember the pre-Uke war context. Russia was internally dealing with covid trying to cover-up the full extent of the damage, reeling from the "don't call me dimon" revelations, and on the road to public Yelsin-style regime change. Putin's solution? Same as Hitler's - distract everyone with a war. It's just that it got out of hand. Now he can't back down because failure is weakness, and weakness is political death in Russia. Mark my words, the buzzards are circling over the Kremlin, but it's a slow death so far. I give it three to five years before the whole thing blows up, and it will be bloody with a lot more "housecleaning". In the meantime, as Russia's influence weakens, the East turns towards China, and Russia's south starts to disintegrate with ethnic rivalries. The dominos are lining up for a major change within the next 10-20 years. But the one thing I absolutely wouldn't want to be right now is a Russian deep-cover agent. If there is a shift in power, Putin loyalists closer to the top will be the first to go, and those will be the same people looking to cut deals. But what do they have to trade? Information. But information has an expiration date, and if someone cuts a deal before someone else, that information is no longer a valuable commodity. I'm sure the deep-cover agents all know this. They know that they are just commodities to be traded when times get tough, and they know just how "loyal" their superiors are. When the time comes, it will be a race towards the FBI's door. |
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That’s probably a correct assessment (look how long it took for the afghan war to really rot out the Soviet Union from the inside), except Stalin died 70 years ago so anyone who remembers him is in their 90s. The “old” people in Russia are the ones that came up during Andropov etc. anyone over 50 remembers the hyperinflation and the shortages well though. But for at least 30 years, people who care about democracy have been steadily leaving Russia — lots live in NY, DC and LA. It’s sort of like a brain drain but in a political sense.
I feel so bad to navalny — I wonder if he ever feels like a sucker sacrificing himself for his countryMen that care so little about their own government. |
Agree 100% Keep Russia mired in it as long as possible, just like in Afghanistan in the 80’s. The more they’re preoccupied with one mess, the less likely they are to start other messes. |
Be sure to let Ukrainians know their only utility to the US is to keep Russia occupied. It’s ok if lots of them die in the process, lord knows Afghanistan was left in a much sorrier state. |
Oh please, of course the Ukrainians have the capacity to do this. Almost everyone and everywhere does. It's not a question of capability or capability. It's a question of purpose. Most of the time people aren't assassinated because it doesn't achieve the ends you want. |
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The coverage of Dugina’s death illustrates the demise of serious journalism. So many talking parrots repeating nonsense cliches.
Dugin was not Putin’s advisor. He is not a mastermind of anything. He has never met Putin or been inside the Kremlin walls. He is a third rate, marginal commentator who has no importance whatsoever on the political landscape of modern Russia. Ugh so stupid. |
Good riddance to white nationalist Navalny who compared labor migrants from the Caucasus and Central Asia to vermin. No tears for him. |
And how do you know this? Some Russians who hate Putin are claiming responsibility for the bombing. Somewhat ironic that they are named NRA. https://www.newsweek.com/what-russias-anti-putin-national-republican-army-darya-dugina-1735541
We had conservative commentators have the ear of our illustrous leader Trump, and they helped him make policy. In normal times, I might think a political commentator having such a huge influence on a country's leader is stuff of tv, but since Trump, what is "normal" has gone out the window. |
Would you say he is kind of a covfefe boy? |
Ponomarev is a clown. Dugin is not an architect of anything. He is a marginally important commentator on an obscure right wing orthodox Christian channel. Nobody I know watches that stuff. Dugin has never advised Putin or been close to him. |