Fine do something about it. Oh wait, you won't because your ugly stupid political elite is incapable of action.
I would LOVE to see the Russians kicked out of Ukraine, but unfortunately the chance of that is zero while we have a succession of senile, impotent, american presidents.
That's a nice idealistic perspective of the world, democracy and prosperity. A perfectly suited view if you are thinking the '90s/early 2000s. Indeed such a view was widely held at the time even within Putin's inner circle.
Not today.
Democracy and furthering western ties are not a guarantee of prosperity, not when China has grown and it still growing as the 2nd largest economy in the world. Freedom is not Free. We have to fight for it instead of taking it for granted that we can be free and rich.
If Putin believed his country would be better served "minding it's own territory" and building better economic ties with the West he would do so. He did once, he doesn't anymore, he made his choice. Putin is not an ideological foe. If anything, despite basically leading a mafia state, he and his government are the very definition of technocrats: Smart and well educated and not really ideological.
Also this "mind it's own territory" crap. No country that is or wants to be a major or at least regional power does this: Not the UK, not France, not Iran, not China, not Turkey and not the US. So by what nonsensical standard is Russia held here? Every country that has and/or wants power and prosperity gets involved in the affairs of other nations.
Russia simply does it in a way we in the EU or US don't appreciate at all but they DO view it in their interests to get involved in Ukraine. It's important to understand why it's happen, just as important as to understand why Erdogan wants to become a new Ottoman Sultan through all his foreign involvements ( seriously he just helped Azerbaijan crush Armenia ) no matter how much one would love to see him hanging from a tree.
Finally I would like to add that Putin does have genuine popular support in his country despite all the things he has done. The only major thing that he has done that people universally despised was the pension reform. Polling, done by credible organizations, has shown popular support for him to be extremely high all the same, and no it's not because he jails or murders his opponents ( Navalny is not Putin's biggest opponent, he's an activist. Same with all those people that got shot/poisoned. The real political opposition is from the Communists ).
Last edited by CostinR; 2021-04-24 at 12:38 AM.
"Life is one long series of problems to solve. The more you solve, the better a man you become.... Tribulations spawn in life and over and over again we must stand our ground and face them."
Thank you for perfectly illustrating my points.
Oh, I am sure you do In the meantime real world where the course of rouble is again at the lowest it was after Ukraine tells a different story, no matter what you keep repeating or what alternative economy theory you believe.
(https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/poli...ph-rub.en.html , set history to 10 years and cry/laugh).
P.S.
Ehh, get in contact with the central and decide with Yadronowhich which party line you are supposed to say.
Folly and fakery have always been with us... but it has never before been as dangerous as it is now, never in history have we been able to afford it less. - Isaac Asimov
Every damn thing you do in this life, you pay for. - Edith Piaf
The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command. - Orwell
No amount of belief makes something a fact. - James Randi
What exactly are you trying to prove by exchange rate graphs? Plenty of things in Russia are local and not dependent on foreign trade.
I guess it's understandable that for people in tiny Baltics where almost everything has to be bought outside it's hard to imagine that exchange rate doesn't matter most of the time.
And even where it does - rouble exchange rate certainly didn't stop me from upgrading my PC last year.
Russia is a country where citizens are free to hold differing opinions rather then pretend to be hive-mind.P.S. Ehh, get in contact with the central and decide with Yadronowhich which party line you are supposed to say.
On related note, from results of last executive order(s):
Russia's response ( in diplomatic terms ) :
1.Ambassador John Sullivan was advised to leave Moscow
2. Ten US diplomats will be expelled from Russia
3. Moscow is introducing a ban on hiring staff from the Russian Federation and third countries for the US for the US embassy and other embassies. This is gonna be painful as Americans do not speak Russian ( or other languages; hey, they don't even speak English)
4. ANY remaining US NGOs and foundations associated with the embassy and still operating will be will be closed.
Sergei Lavrov : The organizations "directly interfering in Russia's domestic political life".
5. Americans coming to Russia for "short-term business trips, having diplomatic immunity when they are not US embassy's employees " is over : limited to 9 / year, on a reciprocal basis. This will deeply cut into CIA " business trips"
6. The Russian Federation is unilaterally suspending the 1992 Memorandum of Understanding "on an Open Country" ( embassy staff has to inform inform the the host the host country of a journey of more than 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the city of residence.
Sergei Lavrov says that the Americans often ignore this treaty ( as usual ). Americans will need granted permission from now on. Lavrov said that a US military attaché recently traveled to Central Russia without even mentioning this to Russian authorities.
Folly and fakery have always been with us... but it has never before been as dangerous as it is now, never in history have we been able to afford it less. - Isaac Asimov
Every damn thing you do in this life, you pay for. - Edith Piaf
The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command. - Orwell
No amount of belief makes something a fact. - James Randi
You sure?
https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-pol...om-russia.html
Your virtue signaling is noted... lolyour neglect of human rights is showing again
Folly and fakery have always been with us... but it has never before been as dangerous as it is now, never in history have we been able to afford it less. - Isaac Asimov
Every damn thing you do in this life, you pay for. - Edith Piaf
The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command. - Orwell
No amount of belief makes something a fact. - James Randi
You article says they "intend to".
I did a quick check and found no articles about them actually sending such extradition request (except for in 2015 when it was so clearly politically motivated and no investigation was completed yet).
Plenty of articles that say they claim they have right to though - including just last month.
It only doesn't matter if you are content buying inferior Russian products instead of ROW products.
You can hold a different opinion, so long as it has been ok'ed by Putin....
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Everyone knows why no sanctions, they have no economic leverage against the US.
You can say whatever you want in Russia.It only doesn't matter if you are content buying inferior Russian products instead of ROW products.
You can hold a different opinion, so long as it has been ok'ed by Putin....
Protesting on the other hand...well that gets you into the gulag.
"Life is one long series of problems to solve. The more you solve, the better a man you become.... Tribulations spawn in life and over and over again we must stand our ground and face them."