Agreed, he's a garden-variety kleptocrat--so precisely the sort Putin could normally rely on to prop him up. Erdogan's condemning him as well.
- - - Updated - - -
Great link, thank you.
- - - Updated - - -
You are. This is my last attempt at trying to explain this to you. Putin decided a year (years) ago that he would do this. But Putin has a standard m.o. for how he likes to do these things--or he would have just done it already. Biden lifted the veil on Putin's bullshit, refused to take his bait, and made it utterly transparent that this is a war of Putin's choice. That is not how Putin wanted to conduct his invasion of Ukraine, which was already predetermined.
Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect. There is nothing more or else to it, and there never has been, in any place or time. --Frank Wilhoit
He knew the EU wouldn't stop him from annexing another part of Ukraine and he is right.
Anything less then the complete financial and economic isolation of Russia is a failure to respond by the EU. And that is most likely not going to happen.
Oh no, NS2 has been halted for a short time, a project plagued with issues anyway. Pretty sure we will still be buying all the gas Russia can provide.
This mild sanctions are a calculated cost.
- - - Updated - - -
The exact plan may have changed slightly but sofar everything is happened as planned. The minor sanctions that will come are a calculated cost and nothing stops Putin from doing this again and again because the West drew a line in the sand and then turned and ran when Putin blatantly stepped over it.
It ignores such insignificant forces as time, entropy, and death
Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect. There is nothing more or else to it, and there never has been, in any place or time. --Frank Wilhoit
After self immolating with Brexit it's doubtful the UK could afford to strong sanctions against anyone.
- - - Updated - - -
Hopefully it will push Germany towards energy independence relying on other countries is bad juju for international relations.
Oh no, they have delayed certification. Surely its gone forever now...
Seriously, in a year or 2 when the people no longer have 'Russia invades Ukraine' at the front of every news article it will be approved and nothing will have changed.
You want to show me NS2 is gone? Link me that the order to dismantle it has been given.
It ignores such insignificant forces as time, entropy, and death
im telling you bring back privateering. If the cops said they would look the other way, id gather up the cowboy builders from the pub go straight to abramovichs 150m mansion in london and strip the place back to the bricks.
Send some landscapers to dig up stamford bridge.
We shoudn't just target russians either, look at the afghans who fled with all the money when the taliban took over and now piss around london in supercars. Or african despots children Isabel dos Santos. Robbing these people shouldn't be a crime.
Because Russia is a shitty ally that really doesn't do you any good and with a few exceptions most countries have a major dislike (to put it mildly) towards Russia.
If Orban tried to get closer to Russia he would defacto start a (political) war he couldn't win, EU doesn't need Hungary while Hungary needs the EU.
When challenging a Kzin, a simple scream of rage is sufficient. You scream and you leap.
Originally Posted by George CarlinOriginally Posted by Douglas Adams
When challenging a Kzin, a simple scream of rage is sufficient. You scream and you leap.
Originally Posted by George CarlinOriginally Posted by Douglas Adams
Sure, let's revisit it in 2 years. In the meantime, Russia is doing little more than confirm it's dangerous to rely on them. Or live near them. https://apnews.com/article/russia-uk...8bdfaa2c901be8
Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect. There is nothing more or else to it, and there never has been, in any place or time. --Frank Wilhoit
Cant commit to stop it with military force, but we can make it really hurt.
It will neccecarily also mean we must hurt ourselves.
Some ideas of various intensity on that ;
Full economic sanctions on all russians, not only targeting the top brass.
Seizure of all western based assets held by any and all russian nationals.
Complete western embargo on all imports and russian main exports; oil, gas and grain.
Nordstream 2 has already been scrapped.
The main russian gas artery runs right through ukraine, they can rip that.
Up to europe to destroy nord stream 1 & the land lines running through belarus & poland.
Back to nuclear for europe, short term it must fill its dependency with lng and increased northsea production (forced redirection neccecary, no more lng to china).
Bit more "out there" options;
Have turkey close off the bosphorus, blue stream and the gas west line.
All of europe; no flight zones for russian aircraft.
If breached: do not meet and greet to escort away, rather respond to any form of incursion with live missiles.
Look into feasability & benefits of isolating runet, not block; but physically locking russians out, leaving them with an intra net lan of sorts; only connected to former satelites/ russian friendly regimes.
Impacts; bad, bad bad bad. But still alot worse for Russia so sort of a win, like a lose lose win.
For the positive, irregardless of Putin we where already diving headlong straight into a big economic crash.
So eh might aswell have the pain with more pain and get it over with.
And atleast it has galvinized nato.
That 2% of gdp trump deemed neccecary for nato members to contribute seems alot more plausible now.
Still If it continues to escalate, might want to consider stocking up on some iodine.
Yesterday, considering quite a few mainstream media outlets are repeating the "peacekeeping" line (and being criticised for it) which is distinctly at odds with the official government stance on it being an invasion.
"US and Russian media are basically the same which you can tell by how the media in the US didn't follow the line set out by an aspiring autocrat like how they do in Russia with its actual autocrat."(besides Trump)
Zzz. Keep your Lugenpresse bullshit to yourself, please.
Last edited by Elegiac; 2022-02-22 at 01:51 PM.
Originally Posted by Marjane Satrapi