Russian - US relations opinions.

[Wyrt]

That option was stopped by EU; Russia would certainly accept it before 2014.

Well, the EU isn't terribly fond of sending gays off to concentration camps.

[Skroe]

You realise that those "cyber attackers" are something like 100 people at most out of 140+ million country?

And science, education, healthcare, housing, and culture is done by millions completely independently from what those 100 people do, with budgets in billions of $?

And "sanctions alone" account for just 40% of initial GDP drop, and aren't going to stop modest growth this year, so your point is completely false. It's US imperial hubris that you're all-powerful and can do anything you want to anyone; you aren't. Your power has limits if you want to stop short of all-out destruction, and you quite obviously have a lot more to lose in case of all-out destruction then Russia.

You can threaten destruction but you cannot afford to actually perform it, and everyone knows it. So it doesn't work, and the only way out is dialogue.

You mean the GDP growth that you keep sayings coming but, you know, doesn't. You've literally been saying the same crap since 2014... "in the end of the yar it'll be better".

And then...



Russia's problem is structural. It's that Putin blew the last chance Russia ever had. He could have used years of lavish oil wealth to diversify the economy. Instead, he and his own oligarchs looted and pillaged it. And now Russia will have to somehow find a way to exist in a world where oil dances between $40 and $50 a barrel. It's not going well.

And let's be clear about sanctions. The US sanctions go after Putin's regime. Not really everyday Russians. And they bite, badly, because Russia's rich and powerful stash their wealth in London and New York. You spent years scoffing at those. And true enough the EU sectoral sanctions are the more significant against the entire economy. But against the people who Putin must keep happy? The US ones are merciless and directly invited your attack in 2016.

All say it again. Those 100 russians? The US needs to kill off each and every one of them. What better what to offer a disincentive to Russian cyberattacks on America than killing Russian hackers in their beds? It would send a message. Nobody is safe. Putin wants to play a dirty game, America should play dirty too.


America power has limits to be sure. But we haven't even begun to flex our muscle yet. And frankly, being able to punish Russia is one of the reasons to be powerful. Americans may lament our brushfire wars... our meddling in weird cultures around the world. But retaliating against an aggressive nations state? That's a reason for being powerful in the first place.

Trump has a serious problem. Putin too actually. Americans are hell bent on retaliating against Russia. Polls show it. Congressional action shows it. Meanwhile Trump-Russia is fundamentally undermining the Administration.

If Trump-Russia topples Trump, Democrats and Republicans will unite to make Russia pay in truly horrific ways.

If Trump-Russia fails to topple Trump, the only way Trump gains any legitimacy back is by becoming Russia's worst nightmare. Americans and Trump's own party won't accept anything less if he is to remain in power.

Friendly or partnership with Russia? Not on the menu. We're going to take so much from you. I'm really looking forward it. Honestly, the hardest part is going to be to know where to stop.

[Shalcker]

You mean the GDP growth that you keep sayings coming but, you know, doesn't. You've literally been saying the same crap since 2014... "in the end of the yar it'll be better".

And then...


Russia's problem is structural. It's that Putin blew the last chance Russia ever had. He could have used years of lavish oil wealth to diversify the economy. Instead, he and his own oligarchs looted and pillaged it. And now Russia will have to somehow find a way to exist in a world where oil dances between $40 and $50 a barrel. It's not going well.

No chance is "last chance" as far as countries are concerned.

Also, why are you showing chart that has Ukraine much worse off then Russia? :/

Here is another chart that shows fairly noticeable reversal of downward trend:

And let's be clear about sanctions. The US sanctions go after Putin's regime. Not really everyday Russians. And they bite, badly, because Russia's rich and powerful stash their wealth in London and New York. You spent years scoffing at those. And true enough the EU sectoral sanctions are the more significant against the entire economy. But against the people who Putin must keep happy? The US ones are merciless and directly invited your attack in 2016.

It just means they'll move their stashes to Asian countries, or evade harder.

And why would you think i would be bothered by sanctions on those who stash their wealth in London? Keep those up indefinitely as far as i'm concerned.

That wouldn't lead to any change to Russian/Putin's policies and actions however. They owe those billions to Putin, and they owe to Putin to keep whatever is left after your sanctions too.

[Vankrys]

You realise that those "cyber attackers" are something like 100 people at most out of 140+ million country?

Wait a minute. You actually support your government attacking the sovereignty of other nation?

Geez. I understand you are a proud russian. That's ok to be pound of one's root, one's culture, one's country. But I don't understand the idea of supporting current russian president behavior, it's unbecoming of a nation with such an history and culture.

I said it before, i say it again, Putin is a plague for Russia. You need a better president, a president that stop chasing the glory of the past and start rebuilding a country in ruin.

Look at the stats. Compare russia to the UK, germany or france. Russia has double the population of those country, but half their GDP. That means russian citizens are 4 times poorer than citizens of those countries.

GDP Per capita, russia is world #62, that's like 3rd wold country rank. Start to face reality, russia is poor and need to stop playing power on the international scene and start rebuild its economy.

[Daelak]

I'll kick this off by saying the left wing, the right wing, everything in between, don't care. "But, trumbushobamhillaryredblue", no, tldr.
What I can't really wrap my head around is the dramatic sway in opinion over Russia-US relations. Decades of cold war school nuke drills, bunkers, propaganda, this was ingrained. I get opinions change, but are people just parroting? Even so, thinking back 40, 25, or even 5 years, how could things change so quick? Better red than dead ffs, and now this.
If Russia hasn't changed their policies, goals, or opinions of the US, why is the US changing their opinion about Russia? I don't see any actual reason for it. Interview after interview of russian people, open, candid, propaganda, even normal every day chit chat permeates with an air of superiority over the west throwing in anti western propaganda like it's just a normal greeting or something. So what are the reasons for the shift?

The US public's view on Russia has always been negative, however since the beginning of the Russian misinformation campaign into the 2016 election to get Trump elected, republican voters' sentiments of Russia and Putin have risen precipitously due to their already primed brainwashing of domestic right wing propaganda since the repeal of the FCC's fairness doctrine, which gave rise to unadulterated conspiratorial bullshit on public airwaves. This is why Trump has a very high approval rating among republicans, and for Putin's high approval among republicans as well.

[Shalcker]

Wait a minute. You actually support your government attacking the sovereignty of other nation?

"Sovereignty"??? It's freaking emails. You had tens of thousands of them, if not hundreds of thousands leaked through Wikileaks before from various sources.

Emails that were also true. If your sovereignty can be attacked with truth, it is based on lies.

Geez. I understand you are a proud russian. That's ok to be pound of one's root, one's culture, one's country. But I don't understand the idea of supporting current russian president behavior, it's unbecoming of a nation with such an history and culture.

It is also unbecoming of America to accuse others of undermining their sovereignty while providing only allegations and no concrete proof (while simultaneously engaging in undermining of sovereignty of others).

I said it before, i say it again, Putin is a plague for Russia. You need a better president, a president that stop chasing the glory of the past and start rebuilding a country in ruin.

We're not going to get him by "sacrificing Putin" to altar of Western outrage; it is slow process, evolution that has to happen according to needs of Russian society, not some outside forces.

You're also ignoring how Putin does exactly what you want inside Russia; he doesn't chase glory of the past (he prefers economic servitude to direct control of USSR), and slowly builds up Russian economy in sustainable way.

Look at the stats. Compare russia to the UK, germany or france. Russia has double the population of those country, but half their GDP. That means russian citizens are 4 times poorer than citizens of those countries.

Look at where we started and where we got under Putin too.

GDP Per capita, russia is world #62, that's like 3rd wold country rank. Start to face reality, russia is poor and need to stop playing power on the international scene and start rebuild its economy.

We are doing exactly that. And we need power on international scene to keep doing that.

[Hound Archon]

I said it before, i say it again, Putin is a plague for Russia. You need a better president, a president that stop chasing the glory of the past and start rebuilding a country in ruin.

I concur. Regrettably, better presidents do not grow on trees and we cannot contact Japanese robot manufacturers to have them make a perfect android president for us because 1) he would not be Russian and therefore would not be able to hold office due to the terms of our constitution and 2) that would probably lead to SkyNet terminator apocalypse a few years down the line.

It's a bit of a bummer, isn't it?

[Tackhisis]

Well, the EU isn't terribly fond of sending gays off to concentration camps.

What? Russia decriminalized Homosexualism in 1993.