Ah but should Russia not deal in "geopolitical reality?" Russia struggles to conquer Ukraine, a single country it borders and that it had years of surreptitious buildup to try and do, unfettered by practically anyone. Why would it think itself able to take on 32 other countries who combined control over half the world's entire GDP and the vast bulk of its military might?
I just don't understand why TrueNeutral isn't asking Russia to capitulate to NATO. It's denying geopolitical reality.
All Russia's insistence on defying NATO does is cause more dead Russians.
“Do not lose time on daily trivialities. Do not dwell on petty detail. For all of these things melt away and drift apart within the obscure traffic of time. Live well and live broadly. You are alive and living now. Now is the envy of all of the dead.” ~ Emily3, World of Tomorrow
Words to live by.
Geopolitics is also about the image you give to other. While clearly, Russia showed poor military efficiency, they showed they will go to far length to get what they want, and that would scare any country.
And asking "Russia to capitulate to NATO" is asking something that is not happening because Russia is not at war with NATO.
The image they are cultivating currently is that they are unable to subdue a much smaller country they directly border that they basically sucker punched.
TrueNeutral insists on calling Zelensky a "crybaby" who "begs for handouts," and currently Ukraine is holding Russia at bay. Why does Russia want to be seen as a country being evenly matched by a country led by a crybaby?
Yes but clearly NATO wants Russia to stop fighting Ukraine. That's the geopolitical reality.And asking "Russia to capitulate to NATO" is asking something that is not happening because Russia is not at war with NATO.
If Russia acquiesced to this desire, wouldn't fewer Russians die than if they continue on their current trajectory?
Again I'm just phrasing this in the "logic" of TrueNeutral here in their constant, incessant, and bad-faith imploring for Ukraine to give up; the notion that apparently weaker entities should submit to stronger ones, and the main goal should be in preserving lives now, irrespective of what that means for the future.
NATO is stronger than Russia. NATO wants Russia out of Ukraine. Russia's current path means more Russians will die than if they stopped. Therefore, Russia should do what NATO wants. To save all of those Russian lives.
I just can't fathom why he wont respond to me...
“Do not lose time on daily trivialities. Do not dwell on petty detail. For all of these things melt away and drift apart within the obscure traffic of time. Live well and live broadly. You are alive and living now. Now is the envy of all of the dead.” ~ Emily3, World of Tomorrow
Words to live by.
Is NATO really stronger than Russia? Russia possesses the world's biggest nuclear arsenal, and Putin has the ability to unilaterally call for a nuclear strike, unlike the US where there are checks and balances. Strength is not just about conventional forces but also nuclear and ability to project fear to others. Russia is superior in these two aspects because there are no checks and balances in Russia and many NATO countries are frightened by the prospect of a nuclear war.
In short, Russia is powerful enough to stand up to NATO and not just suck it up.
Infracted.
Last edited by Flarelaine; 2024-04-29 at 12:09 PM.
Are we to take that as a good or bad thing?
Because again, one could say that the Ukrainians don't "care" either, in the sense that they don't care that they may die fighting for their freedom. Or perhaps put better, the freedom of their country is more important to them than their lives.
So I'm simply at a loss for how any of these things should be uniquely applied to Ukraine if one were, say "truly neutral." Because following any form of logic and taking it a single step past Russia (instead of selectively stopping there as them being a sole geopolitical arbiter) would imply that Russia should cease their fighting so that the much stronger NATO is not displeased with them.
- - - Updated - - -
Are they though?
Because what I'm hearing is that a lot of dead Russians could happen.
Why does Russia insist on taking a path that will lead to more dead Russians, when they could just do what the stronger NATO wants and have fewer dead Russians?
“Do not lose time on daily trivialities. Do not dwell on petty detail. For all of these things melt away and drift apart within the obscure traffic of time. Live well and live broadly. You are alive and living now. Now is the envy of all of the dead.” ~ Emily3, World of Tomorrow
Words to live by.
Russia has the numbers to sustain. Ukraine doesn't. Putin is also more inclined to use nuclear weapons than anyone else if he is pushed into a corner, even if it means dragging the rest of the world down with him. Given the prospect of a nuclear war, and Ukraine's worsening situation, Russia is at a stronger position now.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...astern-ukraine
Nuff said
“There you stand, the good man doing nothing. And while evil triumphs, and your rigid pacifism crumbles to blood stained dust, the only victory afforded to you is that you stuck true to your guns.”
Last edited by Lahis; 2024-04-29 at 09:07 AM.
I know you're banned because your ilk can't help itself, but gonna get my licks in anyway;
I'm not going to go through your reply bit by bit, because honestly it's a lot of bunk, but it seems the crux of it just boils down to "Russia is uniquely justified in invading and running amok in it's neighbor's territory because it's big and scary and strong and it's justifyibly punishing Ukraine for not bending the knee" and I think that's some horseshit.
Like if you want to talk about the practically of Geopolitics: Every interaction Ukraine has had with Russia in modern history has been a negative for them. From being the USSR's meat wall from the Nazis, to Stalin starving millions of them to death and stealing their wealth, to post Soviet Russia meddling with their sovereignty and undermining them as a country, to watching Russia bully and cudgol and annex it's other neighbors in bloody, cruel wars, culminating in the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the invasion of today; Why would Ukraine want to willingly ally itself with a country that has proven to be utterly untrustworthy and cruel when allowed to have a position of power over it?
And so then, with your nonsensical 'might makes right' reasoning, why is it suddenly wrong for them to want to make other, strong allies to protect itself? The EU, NATO, and the US are big motherfuckerd, who's tech alone has been instrumental in stalling out Russia's '3 day operation', so I'd say they're pretty darn strong allies.
And you keep bringing up the fact that Ukrainians keep dying as a reason to capitulate when, again, they'd stop if Russia just fucking backed off. Unless Russia's ultimate goal is so important that they feel compelled to throw thousands of their own men into a perpetual meat grinder.
Lastly; I agree, the US's actions in Iraq and their continued unquestioned support of Isreal does make a lot of their moral high ground shit look hollow. Though if you want to compare Gaza to Ukraine, the solution to peace for both is for the aggressor to fuck off and learn how to actually employ diplomacy than unevenly handed violence.
But, as per your own logic, the world didn't punish the US because it's the strongest motherfucker in the room and, if might does equal right, no one can really tell them no. Which I guess is why you invented your cope that Russia's a peer or even stronger than the US, to justify why they shouldn't be compelled to also grovel and beg at the feet of someone who'd otherwise be their better.
Like you're not fooling anyone with your concerned, centrist shtick when you can't help but insult Russia's enemies in every single one of your posts like it's muscle memory.
Before the usual suspects start twisting new propaganda.
https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-...o-martial-law/
For a nation in state of war, in this case, existential threat - this sounds logical to a degree. Obviously some of the wording can and will worry others...But going any less strict would just enable russian cohorts to perform their operations with more ease. Not to mention this kind of change bringing enmity towards the ruling goverment is not easy.Ukraine sent an application to the Council of Europe regarding the suspension of the terms of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms due to martial law, according to a statement published on April 28.
Ukraine made the appeal on April 4, but it was published by the end of the month.
Justice Minister Denys Maliuska said that this application was part of Ukraine's regular updates on what restrictions it might impose and is one of Kyiv's international obligations, adding that some suspensions were actually removed in April. The first such application was submitted in 2015, one year after the start of Russian aggression in Crimea and Donbas.
The European Court of Human Rights gives Council of Europe member states the right to derogate from some articles under special circumstances, such as armed aggression.
According to Kyiv's application, the military could temporarily implement limitations on certain rights.
These measures would include seizing property for the needs of the state, following the curfew, prohibiting peaceful mass events, and prohibiting residence changes for those who registered with the military or special registry, among other limitations.
The military command is also allowed to inspect the belongings, vehicles, baggage, cargo, office premises, and citizens' homes by the established procedure and implement the special regime for citizens, foreigners, and stateless persons, as well as vehicles' movement.
The military housing duty for individuals and legal entities is also established, complying with martial law.
Martial law was introduced on Feb. 24, 2022, when Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then, the Ukrainian government has prolonged it several times.
Under martial law, Ukrainian men aged between 18 and 60, with some exceptions, are not allowed to leave the country as they may be called up for military service.
The Ukrainian government is seeking to ramp up its mobilization efforts in 2024 due to the lack of personnel in the Armed Forces.
In April, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the updated bill on mobilization, which will be put into force the following month. It will introduce new restrictions to those who violate it, including sanctions on personal property.
Human progress isn't measured by industry. It's measured by the value you place on a life.
Just, be kind.
Martial law is not fun especially in modern times because how it limits your personal freedom. But then state of war is not something many nations have faced since WW2. I can just speak of personal anecdote but I have not heard, read or been told to by any finns who would think negatively of martial law during war time, although last time Finland was at war was around 1945...It simply was a necessity to defend homeland from the usual russian aggression
Yeah, but TrueNeutral has bought into the bullshit of this somehow being a NATO vs. Russia proxy war in which poor defenseless Ukraine has no agency of their own whatsoever, and the only reason they're even defending themselves is because the evil United States and their corrupt leader are forcing them to, somehow.