Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ukraine is not a member of NATO. We should not be intervening militarily.

Russia’s official (and likely) reason for the military build-up is Russian fear of Ukraine joining NATO.

I am as pro-west and pro-USA as they come. But it behooves us to view this potential conflict from every angle.

The Russian “angle” sees Ukrainian NATO membership as analogous to the Cuban missile crisis in reverse; the Russians fear NATO missiles in Ukraine.

Putin will also hold up “protecting the human rights the Russian minority” in Eastern Ukraine as a pretext, even though we know he cares not at all for anyone’s human rights.

But the problem is that NATO, besides Poland and the Baltics, doesn't really want Ukraine to join. Considering the state of relations with Turkey, and Putin's growing friendship with Erdogan, there is chance that NATO expands in the short term. If Russia doesn't make it an issue it wouldn't be an issue. The Ukraine's geography is not a good defesive line and missiles in Ukraine provide no strategic advantage over missiles in Poland, Romania, or the Baltics. It's all a saber rattling move on Russia's part. Unfortunately the more Russia pushes the more likely Ukrainian membership in NATO becomes. If there is ever a war then the entire East European Plain would be one giant killing field, just like it has been during every previous war in that region.

From NATO's perspective, the Russian aggression over Ukraine, along with its Belarusian puppet, is a direct threat to Poland and the Baltics. Russia has already meddled with the Baltics through cyber attacks and riling up the ethnic Russian minority population. If the Ukrainian buffer gets breached then events will spiral out of control.

But the ethnic Russian minority in the Baltics IS prosecuted and denied their human rights. It's not a made-up problem.

- given Stalin and the USSR’s persecution and oppression of non-Russians in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia right up to 1989, is anyone surprised?

I am not aware of anything stopping Russians living in the Baltics from moving and living someplace else, such as, maybe, Russia?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ukraine is not a member of NATO. We should not be intervening militarily.

Russia’s official (and likely) reason for the military build-up is Russian fear of Ukraine joining NATO.

I am as pro-west and pro-USA as they come. But it behooves us to view this potential conflict from every angle.

The Russian “angle” sees Ukrainian NATO membership as analogous to the Cuban missile crisis in reverse; the Russians fear NATO missiles in Ukraine.

Putin will also hold up “protecting the human rights the Russian minority” in Eastern Ukraine as a pretext, even though we know he cares not at all for anyone’s human rights.

But the problem is that NATO, besides Poland and the Baltics, doesn't really want Ukraine to join. Considering the state of relations with Turkey, and Putin's growing friendship with Erdogan, there is chance that NATO expands in the short term. If Russia doesn't make it an issue it wouldn't be an issue. The Ukraine's geography is not a good defesive line and missiles in Ukraine provide no strategic advantage over missiles in Poland, Romania, or the Baltics. It's all a saber rattling move on Russia's part. Unfortunately the more Russia pushes the more likely Ukrainian membership in NATO becomes. If there is ever a war then the entire East European Plain would be one giant killing field, just like it has been during every previous war in that region.

From NATO's perspective, the Russian aggression over Ukraine, along with its Belarusian puppet, is a direct threat to Poland and the Baltics. Russia has already meddled with the Baltics through cyber attacks and riling up the ethnic Russian minority population. If the Ukrainian buffer gets breached then events will spiral out of control.

But the ethnic Russian minority in the Baltics IS prosecuted and denied their human rights. It's not a made-up problem.

👆 no chance that NATO expands

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ukraine is not a member of NATO. We should not be intervening militarily.

Russia’s official (and likely) reason for the military build-up is Russian fear of Ukraine joining NATO.

I am as pro-west and pro-USA as they come. But it behooves us to view this potential conflict from every angle.

The Russian “angle” sees Ukrainian NATO membership as analogous to the Cuban missile crisis in reverse; the Russians fear NATO missiles in Ukraine.

Putin will also hold up “protecting the human rights the Russian minority” in Eastern Ukraine as a pretext, even though we know he cares not at all for anyone’s human rights.

But the problem is that NATO, besides Poland and the Baltics, doesn't really want Ukraine to join. Considering the state of relations with Turkey, and Putin's growing friendship with Erdogan, there is chance that NATO expands in the short term. If Russia doesn't make it an issue it wouldn't be an issue. The Ukraine's geography is not a good defesive line and missiles in Ukraine provide no strategic advantage over missiles in Poland, Romania, or the Baltics. It's all a saber rattling move on Russia's part. Unfortunately the more Russia pushes the more likely Ukrainian membership in NATO becomes. If there is ever a war then the entire East European Plain would be one giant killing field, just like it has been during every previous war in that region.

From NATO's perspective, the Russian aggression over Ukraine, along with its Belarusian puppet, is a direct threat to Poland and the Baltics. Russia has already meddled with the Baltics through cyber attacks and riling up the ethnic Russian minority population. If the Ukrainian buffer gets breached then events will spiral out of control.

Anonymous wrote:Ukraine is not a member of NATO. We should not be intervening militarily.

Russia’s official (and likely) reason for the military build-up is Russian fear of Ukraine joining NATO.

I am as pro-west and pro-USA as they come. But it behooves us to view this potential conflict from every angle.

The Russian “angle” sees Ukrainian NATO membership as analogous to the Cuban missile crisis in reverse; the Russians fear NATO missiles in Ukraine.

Putin will also hold up “protecting the human rights the Russian minority” in Eastern Ukraine as a pretext, even though we know he cares not at all for anyone’s human rights.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m giddy at the prospect of watching Biden F this up. Because we all know he will.


“Never underestimate Joe’s ability to F things up”
- B. Obama

Here we go with the defeatist cheering for the demise of the USA. I bet you were dancing in the street on 911.

Um, we spent 4 years watching the democrats throw a collective temper-tantrum over a fairly-elected president they did not like, and they were “defeatists cheering for the demise of the USA” the whole time.

Your retort is rather hypocritical.

DP, btw.

Anonymous wrote:Trump had everybody under control. He was a genius at keeping peace. The dummies are back in control and here we go again with the death and mayhem.

Yep. Chaos returns, right on cue.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m giddy at the prospect of watching Biden F this up. Because we all know he will.


“Never underestimate Joe’s ability to F things up”
- B. Obama

Here we go with the defeatist cheering for the demise of the USA. I bet you were dancing in the street on 911.

Actually I was at Ft Hood finishing up morning PT on 9/11. And unlike you, I knew back then I’d be doing something about it in the near future.

Trump had everybody under control. He was a genius at keeping peace. The dummies are back in control and here we go again with the death and mayhem.

Anonymous wrote:I’m giddy at the prospect of watching Biden F this up. Because we all know he will.


“Never underestimate Joe’s ability to F things up”
- B. Obama

Here we go with the defeatist cheering for the demise of the USA. I bet you were dancing in the street on 911.

Ukraine is not a member of NATO. We should not be intervening militarily.

I’m giddy at the prospect of watching Biden F this up. Because we all know he will.


“Never underestimate Joe’s ability to F things up”
- B. Obama

I just hope no one bombs no one else. How can one want that?!
I think Russia will need a really really strong provocation to attack. I hope neither the US nor Ukraine provoke them.
All in all, I don’t care who the bad guys are (I have an unpopular opinion). I just want peace.
I have family in both countries and it’s been heartbreaking to watch how they have so much trouble visiting each other.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jesus Christ.

Will stupid boomers/silent gen just die off already? Putin is still stuck in the cold war mindset. Biden doesn't even know what's going on. Xi wants to revert to the days of Mao, but with expansionist tendencies.

Boomers are going to leave their final terrible mark on the world by starting WW3.

This. Can we stop reliving the 1910s? We already had a pandemic. I don't want a world war

I'm afraid there will be a last gasp boomer war. Sigh.

The apparent belief that if only boomers would die off, the world politics would be peace, love, and rainbows is silly and naive.

Russia took Crimea from Ukraine. No one could do much about it. People of Crimea didn't seem to mind either. Seems like Russia digested that piece and ready for more. It will probably take eastern Ukraine where a large portion of the population is pro Russian. Western Ukraine is a different story