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Do you think Ukraine should exist as a country? Because where I see a negotiation that gives up a bunch of Ukrainian territory is another invasion in a few years (like they already did to Crimea). Then another one a few years after that. Then Russia's in Kyiv and there's no Ukrainian government anymore. In my mind, it's not just about Ukraine. It's about whether we want to set the precedent that bigger nations can just seize territory from smaller ones at will, because we don't think we should get involved in territorial disputes. I'd also say one big difference between Ukraine and Iraq is that the US didn't set out to conquer and annex Iraq. There was never, even for a second, the consideration that Iraq would become a US territory.

That’s a narrative constructed to ignore the previous past of Russia during Stalin’s expansion of the Soviet Union and blame NATO as an aggressor. It ignores how countries in places like the Baltics became Soviet satellites (or why Russia was fighting a war in Finland before fighting the Nazis). The Russians aggressively annexed those nations under the guise of protecting the smaller nations against the European great powers. Once done it immediately moved to a policy of Russification something plainly evident as still policy in Ukraine with things like changing the spelling of a Nations capital (we all grew up recognizing it as Kiev until they gained independence) along with a host of brutal actions against the native populations. Russian authority’s in Putins group don’t view things like Latvia as some aggressive preemption by NATO to invade them, they view it as it and other nations maneuvering away from some perverse “rightful position” as vassals to the greater Russian motherland. This whole “view it from their perspective,” is fine. But let’s not pretend they base that perspective on reality. It’s like asking a Japanese citizen today about why we dropped the bomb. They’ll have a lot to talk about, but somehow things like Nanking or Saipan propaganda causing mass civilian suicide isn’t going to be part of the discussion. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, there's that hegemony thing - a minor detail. Besides Russia (and especially Stalin's Soviet) have done nothing but renege on every agreement they've made with the west.

X 11

So in Russia's eyes, this is an existential war that they started because...?

Looked damn tough tonight!

M2 sure loves German chicks in dirndls. Me too

https://nypost.com/2023/09/02/fauci-admits-lack-of-covid-mask-evidence-but-still-wants-us-to-wear-them/

This is why healthcare/insurance needs to be removed from employment. It was originally used as a way of bargaining with union employees as a way to avoid taxes, etc. Just pay people their wage/salary and then allow them as people to find their own healthcare and insurance. Also, we need to treat healthcare and health insurance as two totally different things. Treat routing health care (the flu, basic bone breaks, strep, basic prescriptions, etc) like basic car needs (ie oil change, new battery, etc)—you pay out of pocket. And treat health insurance for treatment that will not be used often, if ever (major surgeries, cancer treatments, costly disease prescriptions) like car insurance for when you have a bad accident/total your car…you have a high deductible that you can save for in case it’s needed but won’t go bankrupt as well. I’m sure I could have worded it better, but I think you get the idea. Expecting great healthcare for a much less direct cost to you means that someone else is going to be picking up the tab.

They did exactly this to my Mom before she died. We got the denial letter after she was in the ground. It's been a year, I'm still pissed. Employer of picks for almost all Americans.

The problem is not that Ukraine bought the American vice president. The problem is that the American vice president was for sale. There's not a country on earth that wouldn't make that deal.

Bashi, take Trump’s dick out of your mouth for 5 seconds and look at the world around you.

god damn right. support comes with a price. we don't let ukraine dictate the national security policy of the united states. a country which before the invasion was touted as the most corrupt in europe. but i bet they're squeaky clean now! and absolutely NO connection to the biden crime family!

Correct. I forwarded to our resident AFSOC Stolen Valor hunter and he is on the case. Thus far there is no record of Robert or Roberta.

I feel sorry for these stolen valor types. It’s a sad life to feel the need to find worth in a made up existence.

Russia launders propaganda through American news sources and people like Bfargin fall for it. Be careful where you get your news from people: https://www.csis.org/analysis/exploring-information-laundering-ecosystem-russian-case Claiming Russia is stronger now than before the war has the same energy as claiming the Earth is flat.

Let me see that DD-214 Colonel lol.

He's about as pro-Putin/Russia you can get as an American short of actually owing a dacha outside Moscow. Actually appeared on RT in 2014 defending Putin's seizure of the Donbas and Crimea. His talking points on Carlson's shows have been re-broadcast on RT. He's consistently argued that Ukraine is on the verge of defeat during the entire war. He further stated that Russia was "too gentle" in the opening phase of the invasion, something that the citizens of Bucha probably disagree with. I understand that there's people who don't support us helping Ukraine (for various reasons) but I truly can't understand how anyone outside of Russia can be supportive of Russia's actions during this war.

This has so many red flags I am surprised some of you are not trying to date it.

In Russia's eyes NATO has been encroaching on them for decades despite promises not to, and they started this war to prevent Ukraine from further aligning with the west and threatening them. Additionally the area they invaded are full of ethnic Russians who claim mistreatment by Ukraine. you asked the question so I'm answering it, not endorsing Russian actions. Although I would add that my non-US friends are quick to point out that a preemptive invasion to deter a threat to their homeland.... is exactly what the US did to Iraq. my opinion: we need to end the war in Ukraine. It would involve Ukraine giving up territory. That sucks. However, that is preferable to me than getting the US involved in war against Russia to settle a regional dispute.

No, dude. You asked a bunch of strawman/loaded questions based off of one of the most clearly biased pro-russia American commentators and Russian aligned sources. THAT is why so many called you out. It's not zealotry when people criticize clearly biased and VERY often wrong sources. Ukraine is fighting an existential war vs. Russia pursuing an entirely optional one. That does mean something. Additionally, UKR is getting a LOT of external support. That doesn't mean they will win, but it does mean they do have a chance.

ukraine is losing. there is no way they are able to defeat the russian bear. which might set us up for a hot war with russia....something the elites want...and something that a few of you on here jerk off to

Ukraine has about 500k dead and injured now, so it’s def not going well for them. If you listened, he does at least acknowledge the complexity and huge risk of not working on a peace deal sooner than later. Again I’m not sure how in the know he is, but he’s pointing out the obvious fact that Ukraine is not winning. He thinks we’re essentially destroying a nation by encouraging them not to seek peace. On the last point, he seems correct for sure.

Thanks. I've not studied that region of the world much but I know it's more complicated (Russia vs. europe) than many suggest and it's not a simple Russia bad and Ukraine good situation. Hopefully he didn't actually support or celebrate the Russian invasion of a sovereign nation (I can't find where he's doing that). Russia needs to offer peace to Ukraine immediately, and we need to help facilitate that peace. Some kind of compromise at this point is better than the wholesale destruction of Ukraine.

Not sure where it ends exactly, but if we keep going with the current plan I don't have much hope for Ukraine remaining as a nation and if they do, whats left will have 1/2 the population dead or permanently disabled. All I'm saying is we need to reassess and work as hard as we can to negotiate the best peace agreement we can to save Ukraine. This war is def shaking up Russia but they have banded together and won't trust us for decades now. They have upped their in-house production capability and are even selling more oil to Europe than before we "closed" them off and they have more liquid cash than they had prior to the war. From what I've been reading (from European and American news sources) patriotism is up in Russia and they trust the West less than they have since 1989 when things began to crumble for the former USSR. They've banded together with China in a stronger relationship and the world seems less stable than it's been in a while. I'm not a policy expert or a bureaucrat and am not a fan of Putin but I hate to see a country used up and spit out when there are probably ways to establish peace (with some concessions that might not be perfect). If Zalensky dies in battle soon, my skepticism of him might be proven wrong. I don't trust his motives, and he's a biden type "leader" who is all about himself and enriching his own. Towards the end, when Ukraine is completely toast, I see him heading for Florida or Switzerland and moving into a nice comfortable mansion to spend some of the billions we've sent over as he lives out his comfortable existence (similar to other scumbags of the late 1900s...Suharto, Marco, Seko, Aleman, to name a few).

so i agree with you from a western perspective. but i'd imagine russia doesn't hold the same perspective. try to see the game thru your opponents eyes and not western ones.

https://dnyuz.com/2023/09/04/where-is-the-money-military-graft-becomes-a-headache-for-ukraine/ uh oh another "told ya so" moment