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Here's the truth on Ukraine, as far as I can tell
American Thinker ^ | 9 Mar, 2022 | Dan Truitt

Posted on 03/09/2022 4:20:32 AM PST by MtnClimber

First, and most importantly, virtually no one in the US has got this right, including conservative outlets and pundits. Putin's a thug, but he's an excellent politician and a strong leader. And he’s not crazy, as some seem to surmise. He is a cold, calculating, strategic thinker who has disciplined his mind and body for decades. He’s a Russia first guy. Think Donald Trump minus all that hot air, Big Macs, and add a willingness to off his enemies.

We promised Russia we would not expand NATO when the Soviet Union fell. We went back on that promise and incorporated almost the entire Eastern Bloc into NATO.

Then after 9/11, Bush II unilaterally cancelled the '72 ABM treaty, which until then had frozen nuclear weapon development in the Soviet Union and the US, effectively ending the arms race. Bush's rationale was that we needed to develop new nuclear weapon tech to defeat terrorism. Like we were going to nuke Osama Bin Laden.

Bush's rationale for NATO expansion was also terrorism. So, Bush triggered a fresh arms race. Bush was a decent man, but the more time goes by, the more he looks like an absolute moron to me.

Ukraine belonged to Russia for centuries. They have almost identical cultures and languages. Kiev used to be the capital of Russia. Putin's war is a war of defense. Russia (rightly, in my view) feels threatened by NATO expansion. Russia is a mainly land-based, continental power which desires a buffer with the West. Ukraine serves that purpose perfectly.

The US triggered a coup d'état in Ukraine in 2014, overthrowing the democratically elected president who was Russia friendly, and installing a pro-western, pro-NATO leader. Putin has had his eye on Ukraine ever since but dared not do anything when Trump was in power

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans; Society
KEYWORDS: nato; putin; russia; ukraine
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

Oh please. Is there a “Nazi” under your bed Mr. NeoCon?


61 posted on 03/09/2022 5:56:14 AM PST by TTFlyer (Lenin: that by the infliction of terror, a well-organized minority can conquer a nation.)
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To: MtnClimber

we constantly antagonize Russian with our NATO expansion.


NATO is just another arm of one world government.


62 posted on 03/09/2022 5:58:25 AM PST by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: MtnClimber

I’m wondering what President Potted Plant is going to do when China invades Taiwan? Now that is a threat to world peace. We get almost all our microchips from the Taiwanese.


When we things happen and we have a shortage of chips the guy that owns the junkyard of computers might have a lot of bargaining power?

Don’t throw out your old computer yet.


63 posted on 03/09/2022 6:01:41 AM PST by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: All

When an opinion piece opens up with, “Here’s the truth on...”, you know it is complete Bullslit.

“We promised Russia we would not expand NATO when the Soviet Union fell. “

This is a lie that Russia and the Russian troll and weak vacillating Liberaltarians spew daily.

There is and was no agreement or treaty or proclamation promising any such ridiculous claim. It’s propaganda and a lie to protect the War Criminal Putin.


64 posted on 03/09/2022 6:02:32 AM PST by rbmillerjr (Defeating China is impossible without understanding that Russia is our enemy)
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans; All
We promised Russia we would not expand NATO when the Soviet Union fell. We went back on that promise and incorporated almost the entire Eastern Bloc into NATO. reetings_Puny_Humans: There was never any signed agreement, just an alleged verbal understanding.

The author never stated "signed agreement"; your own quote is demonstrative. I've never stated "signed agreement." I cannot recall any FReeper stating "signed agreement."

Clearly you fail to grasp the definition of 'Straw man' and, thus, you have NO CREDIBILITY.

65 posted on 03/09/2022 6:07:35 AM PST by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: joe fonebone

“If europe does not want to defend itself, why the hell should WE do it for them?”

~~~

I agree completely with this sentiment.
I said the same thing about Ukraine. If the EU isn’t going to help, we sure as s*** shouldn’t.

I feel similarly but with nuance about NATO. If all of the European nations stepped up to defend a NATO member, and we didn’t, I’d have an obvious problem with that. But if they can’t pick up the ball, why should we. Russia is their neighborhood threat (ignoring full escalation).

Trump was right on so many other things, but he seems almost prophetic in his problem with NATO members not meeting their obligations. I bet there are some now, particularly in the east, who are wishing even more had been done.


66 posted on 03/09/2022 6:09:42 AM PST by z3n (Kakistocracy)
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To: z3n

Europe has been at war with itself since before the birth of Christ.
To paraphrase one of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson:

Europe is a continent that is constantly at war with itself.
Better for us to stay out of it.


67 posted on 03/09/2022 6:16:45 AM PST by joe fonebone (And the people said NO! The End)
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To: no-to-illegals

Answer: He doesn’t. Read his article: https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2017/12/donald_trumps_secret_admirers.html


68 posted on 03/09/2022 6:17:17 AM PST by Beowulf9
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To: logi_cal869
Clearly you fail to grasp the definition of 'Straw man'

I didn't claim you stated there was a "signed agreement." I responded to the article which said there was an "agreement," and refuted it.

69 posted on 03/09/2022 6:19:11 AM PST by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans
Trump and Putin are not deep state so that is why they are under attack.

Newt Gingrich said that Trump was not a member of the club. He is not deep state. Putin is not a member of the deep state UN nor NATO nor the Military Industrial Complex. Soros took over Ukraine with his color revolution and Putin wants it back. Ukraine is one of the most corrupt countries. It has wheat and oil which also has big incomes.

70 posted on 03/09/2022 6:19:59 AM PST by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

Cite the word in the article.

Furthermore, nice try: You’re as much spreading Ukraine propaganda as others ignorantly spread Russian propaganda, the latter of whom you equate as ‘useful idiots’ as you nurture your fallacy.

Useful idiot, indeed.


71 posted on 03/09/2022 6:37:20 AM PST by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

You are not worthy of any debate. GFY!


72 posted on 03/09/2022 6:46:23 AM PST by ohioman
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To: Beowulf9

Why would I want a o give the author hits ? No Thanks


73 posted on 03/09/2022 6:55:54 AM PST by no-to-illegals (The enemy has US surrounded. May God have mercy on them)
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To: MtnClimber

thanks for posting this


74 posted on 03/09/2022 7:09:53 AM PST by CarolinaReaganFan
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To: El Cid

Self ping


75 posted on 03/09/2022 7:12:27 AM PST by El Cid (Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house...)
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To: no-to-illegals

The author is not against Trump, as this article written by him shows.

“It is indicative of how completely the left has taken over our major public organs and institutions, including the press, the entertainment industry, and Higher Ed, that many are embarrassed to admit to others the secret we carry around in our hearts like a treasure — we absolutely love Donald Trump.

This is the reason Trump’s approval numbers are almost certainly way under-reported: who wants to admit that they love an uncouth, billionaire New York braggart who made his fortune by parlaying a “small” $150 million-dollar loan from dear old dad into a business that literally changed the skyline of the world’s greatest city? The answer, apparently is: millions.

This has led to articles and blog posts such as Tiffanie DiNato’s “Why I’m so darned afraid to admit I support Donald Trump,” subtitled, “I’m a Donald Trump supporter, and I’m coming out of the closet.” Or this from the uber-liberal UK Guardian: ‘Not even my wife knows’: secret Donald Trump voters speak out.’

Both of these were written during the campaign season, but the brutal backlash against Trump and his supporters by the so-called “resistance” has caused Trump supporters to go to even greater lengths to hide their affiliation and affection for our rough, gruff chief executive.

The liberal media makes excuses for the phenomenon of hidden Trump supporters with all kinds of bogus analyses, such as Slate’s slanderous ‘Polling After Charlottesville Confirms That Trump’s Base Is Very Racist,” or Nate Silver’s obtuse post-mortem on the 2016 election, “Shy’ Voters Probably Aren’t Why The Polls Missed Trump.”

Those of us who have been dismissed for half a century as boobs, philistines, and ignorami read such headlines, shrug, mutter, “There you go again,” and move on to the latest sports scores, great recipes, how-to videos, or episode of “In The Woods With Phil.” When we do pay attention, we are not only perfectly content to impassively observe the implosion of the left, we relish it. We revel in it. We watch this slow-mo train wreck with great glee.

Here is what many of us feel about Donald Trump that we find often difficult to articulate: He doesn’t care what people think about what he says, and we’re all in on the joke. Our reaction runs to various iterations of the same theme: It’s about damn time.

A prime example, and possibly the funniest thing I’ve seen in 50 years of observing politics, was the recent dustup following Trump’s award to the Navajo Code Talkers at the White House. First, he framed the ceremony under the White House painting of Andrew Jackson, he of the Trail of Tears Fame. You think that was an accident? Perish the thought. I believe he framed this solely to wring the nose of the press, and it worked beautifully.

Then he mentioned Elizabeth Warren, calling her Pochanontas.

Rude? Yes.

Inappropriate? Wildly so.

Funny? Absolutely.

And the self-serious, self-righteous leaders on the Left reacted exactly according to script, calling the name “Pochahontas” a “racial slur.” If they had just shut up and said nothing, Trump would have come out of this with egg all over his face. But no, they had to speak up. And far from a racial slur, “Pochahontas” is actually a compliment, because she bravely risked her life to save Captain John Smith, and later converted to Christianity.

“Pochahontas” is far too good a name for a complete phony like Elizabeth Warren. Which is Trump’s point: Warren is a phony, and left is outraged that Trump has exposed her as a phony. Warren, as Rush Limbaugh has said, is forever saddled with the stigma that she lied about her ethnic heritage, without a shred of evidence to back her up, in order to gain coveted faculty positions on such elite universities such as Harvard.

Trump does this sort of thing all the time. He says things that politicians are too afraid to say, but that we are all thinking, and he makes us shout for glee. Nothing touches him because he has spent his whole life in mortal combat as he fought to have his buildings constructed on the ultra-prime real estate of Manhattan, and his skin is about five inches thick.

The other day I watched him lumber across the White House lawn, approaching the press, a hulking, scowling snapping turtle of a man. He was coming at the press from stage left, alternately looking away at something in the distance he evidently thought was of greater interest than the ink-stained wretches who snap at his heels like a pack of chihuahuas, then shifting gimlet eyes to his enemies in the Fourth Estate.

Watching Trump, I thought of the contrast between him and the svelte, smooth, athletically trim stride of the previous president, you know, the guy who just spent eight years doubling our national debt, setting the Middle East on fire, handcuffing our businesses with excessive regulations, siccing the IRS on his political opponents, and exacerbating racial tensions which had been relaxing on their own for decades and which culminated in his own election, forever putting the lie to the notion that America is an institutionally racist country.

I watched Trump, who walked like something out of Gorillas in the Mist, and I laughed. I laughed loudly, knowing that he was about to put the kabosh on some snooty, self-important journalist who is just as clueless as to how to handle the man as he was on that day in the summer of 2015 when he announced his run for president.

Man, this guy is fun”.


76 posted on 03/09/2022 7:13:54 AM PST by Beowulf9
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

You may think the “NATO violating its promises” is not true—but what matters is that Russian leadership believes it is true.

They are not crazy—they just draw different conclusions than you do.


77 posted on 03/09/2022 7:16:17 AM PST by cgbg (A kleptocracy--if they can keep it. Think of it as the Cantillon Effect in action.)
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To: rbmillerjr
"When an opinion piece opens up with, “Here’s the truth on...”, you know it is complete Bullslit."

Shazam.

78 posted on 03/09/2022 7:21:07 AM PST by StAnDeliver (Each of you have at least 1 of these in your 401k: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, J&J, Merck and GSK)
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To: alexander_busek

I think it’s because Biden took one side on this, so they took the other.


79 posted on 03/09/2022 7:22:52 AM PST by Kevmo (Give back Ukes their Nukes https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4044080/posts)
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To: cgbg
what matters is that Russian leadership believes it is true

And what matters even more is that WE KNOW THEY BELIEVE IT.

Very important hunting rule - DO NOT WOUND THE BEAR.

80 posted on 03/09/2022 7:25:57 AM PST by Jim Noble (Who saves the nation breaks no law)
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