This might be a little tougher than Putin thought...
- Thread starter Nole Lou
- Start date
No, Russia is an empire, not a country. It must be permanently neutralized by breaking it up into 20+ independent nations. Enough is enough.
I have mixed feelings on that. A democratic Russia would be great for the world. But, I feel like we tried to do that for 30 years. I don’t think they are trustworthy or worthy of reintegration unless their ability to control information is broken. Otherwise I feel like the serial killer will just lick his wounds until he grows in strength enough to get back to what he had been getting away with: nibbling body parts off Ukraine and similarly situated countries a little at a time.
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Seems like that could end up badly....
Not sure a bunch more countries with Nuclear weapons would end up as a great scenario...
While I don’t disagree and think the world would be better without Russias influence, this would make the nuclear problem potentially 20x worse.
Agree. One of the things that tricks us with Russia is because they look like Europeans (at least in the west portion where all power is held) I think maybe we feel they can someday turn into a western democracy like most of Europe.
Problem is, their history, orthodox religion, and overall culture is much closer to a typical Middle East type nation where the people just don’t seem to want it or make it work. They prefer an authoritarian male dominated society controlled by a wealthy ruling class.
No; the oligarchical structure over there will not allow it.
It will be oligarch warlords vying for control, and we don't need to be involved in it.
100 percent the US needs to up its game and provide long range rockets. They are critical to the success of an offensive, and at this stage could be easily blended into the Ukrainian arsenal.
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Time to sanction S. Africa. WTF are they thinking?
Also at play is the number of former eastern bloc countries thriving as democracies. Perhaps we can only hope for this result with former satellite states, and not the center of their former universe. But, we see Russia enjoying the fruits of western civilization and it seems that they want it for themselves too. But really, they just want to have their cake and eat it too. At least the ruling class. I cannot tell if the ruled share in this philosophy, or if they are just brainwashed/forced to outwardly adopt it.
My understanding is that the majority of Russians are depoliticized. Basically they don't pay attention and feel pretty powerless to have any political influence.
There is 20% that are nationalist, pro-Putin, pro war, 20% that are pro democratic, anti war anti Putin. The middle 60% are depoliticized. How that 60% shakes out will determine Russia's future. Putin is guiding them toward an authoritarian regime in which the purpose of government is to defeat the west.
"There are reports of Ukrainian troops carrying out a flanking action to the SW of Bakhmut (blue). If this is correct then a large number of Russian troops/Wagner mercs may become encircled (red)"
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"There is a major fire with explosions in Norilsk, Russia"
(Wondered how recent this was when I saw the snow then found out this is in the arctic circle.)
"Norilsk was founded due to the existence of a rich deposit of non-ferrous metals including nickel, cobalt, copper, platinum, and palladium. Founded before World War II, Norilsk and its mines and industrial plants, as well as a railway connecting the city with the port of Dudinka, were built with a large-scale use of convict labor from gulag prisoners.
Norilsk Nickel is the largest producer of non-ferrous metals in the world, accounting for 38% of worldwide production of palladium and 22% of worldwide production of nickel, a key ingredient in stainless steel. Some of the locally mined ore is smelted into metals at the local refinery. More ore, after some enrichment, is shipped by rail to Dudinka; from there it is sent by icebreaker-led ships to Murmansk, and eventually to the copper and nicker refinery at Monchegorsk, whose own ore has long been exhausted.
As a result of the smelters, Norilsk is the most polluted city in Russia and is one of the most polluted cities in the world, usually covered in chemical smog. The life expectancy in Norilsk is one of the lowest in Russia and its cancer rates are one of the highest.
The yearly average temperature is in Norilsk is −9.8°C and temperatures usually hover around −40°C in the winter.
Most inhabitants of the city were transplants as a result of the high salaries and abundant opportunities offered by the mining industry."
(Wondered how recent this was when I saw the snow then found out this is in the arctic circle.)
"Norilsk was founded due to the existence of a rich deposit of non-ferrous metals including nickel, cobalt, copper, platinum, and palladium. Founded before World War II, Norilsk and its mines and industrial plants, as well as a railway connecting the city with the port of Dudinka, were built with a large-scale use of convict labor from gulag prisoners.
Norilsk Nickel is the largest producer of non-ferrous metals in the world, accounting for 38% of worldwide production of palladium and 22% of worldwide production of nickel, a key ingredient in stainless steel. Some of the locally mined ore is smelted into metals at the local refinery. More ore, after some enrichment, is shipped by rail to Dudinka; from there it is sent by icebreaker-led ships to Murmansk, and eventually to the copper and nicker refinery at Monchegorsk, whose own ore has long been exhausted.
As a result of the smelters, Norilsk is the most polluted city in Russia and is one of the most polluted cities in the world, usually covered in chemical smog. The life expectancy in Norilsk is one of the lowest in Russia and its cancer rates are one of the highest.
The yearly average temperature is in Norilsk is −9.8°C and temperatures usually hover around −40°C in the winter.
Most inhabitants of the city were transplants as a result of the high salaries and abundant opportunities offered by the mining industry."
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Ukrainian counter-offensive 'in full swing'
The head of the Wagner mercenary group has claimed that the Ukrainian counter-offensive has already begun in Bakhmut, with Ukrainian units approaching from the flanks.
The ANC is so wildly corrupt that this shouldn’t surprise anyone. Every President after Mandela has been a crook.Time to sanction S. Africa. WTF are they thinking?
They were also historically aligned with Russia. Russia recognized the ANC when no one else would.
Market has reacted to the South Africa news.
The South African Rand just reached its all time low against the US dollar. If it passes 20/1, expect to see serious instability.
The South African Rand just reached its all time low against the US dollar. If it passes 20/1, expect to see serious instability.
In other Japan related news, and another example of the horrible miscalculation that Putin made in invading Ukraine, Japan is in talks to open a liaison office with NATO.
https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-closer-nato-ukraine-war-another-putin-own-goal-2023-5
https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-closer-nato-ukraine-war-another-putin-own-goal-2023-5
I suggested this as a way to avoid fortifications and to draw the Russians back into Russia but still really don't think they would attempt this.
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I mean, yeah. I love the Ukraine PR machine but they foresaw the invasion long enough ago to make most tanks inoperable? Ukraine has taken or destroyed 3k of them since the war started.
