Posted on 03/01/2018 8:59:09 AM PST by GoldenState_Rose
Without a coherent vision of the future or an attractive model for others to imitate, without any soft power to speak of, without an economic model that can ensure sustainable growth or keep people out of poverty, the missile-rattling is a terrifying but hollow sound.
In the context of a mock election with a predetermined result, Russia's growing military might means better protection for an unaccountable, oppressive regime that doesn't have to keep any of the promises it makes. It's muscle without hope or substance.
Putin's fascination with the new toys is understandable.
This part of the speech carried a three-part message to Western, primarily U.S., leaders:
— "We've never ceased to be a major nuclear power but no one would listen to us. Listen to us now!" (This line was greeted with a standing ovation)
— If you believed Russia was permanently left behind after the Soviet Union's breakup, you miscalculated: "Russia containment has failed."
— The U.S. anti-missile defense system and the expansion of NATO infrastructure to Russia's borders are "ineffective and a useless financial burden."
"This is not a bluff," Putin insisted — a claim that I hope will never be tested.
(Excerpt) Read more at themoscowtimes.com ...
LOL, no a Big Swinging Dick would have said, "Hell yeah !!" since it's the identical crew of Haaavard economists who ran Russian into a ditch that have been running the US in the ground ever since Clinton was bragging about how well the economy was tooling down the highway while he drained the gas tank Reagan had managed to get about half full.
Pointing out the fact that the same people who tore up anything of value within Russia have been running US economic policy is, a Russian expat variety fact? LOL, now that, my FRiend, is really rich.
Yea, "Russian expat", yessiree, now that's a nice one to sling around to accompany Stalinist. Yes indeed. Ya' don't have a clue about the subject matter but you damn sure have a clue about what not to bother looking into. That's the ticket. Keep chewin' the cud there bub. And always, always, make it clear your ass umptions are all that matter to ya'."
LOL, "Russian expat". You think that up all by yourself or do you have a printed list you work from?
I re-read your post 16 and still found no other way to interpret your first sentence as you blaming the US for robbing Russia blind. Why did you try to blame the US and not communism for Russia becoming poor?
BEEG everything. That huge canon at the Kremlin.
I laughed so hard I cried when I learned that bolshoi meant big.
Yes but “big” everything to the point of “little” freedom. And “little” wealth and sadly now: “little” hope or courage to make a change. The Russians have been swallowed up by the State yet again.
Well I lived in the communist state of Wa for over 20 years but the Russians have a ton of freedoms. Define little freedom.
Russia is not evil. Putin is. He is ruining Russia and it is the Russians paying the price just as they did for Stalin and every tsar. Oligarchs get the spoils.
At the moment MarMema, there is no freedom of speech or press, and even youtube/instagram adjusts to the Kremlin’s demands or face shutdowns of operating in the country. Some professions even block you from traveling. No real elections, no separation of powers...and very poor environment for entrepenuerialism and economic movement for young graduates, etc...its a mess!
This forum is called “Free Republic” two things of which Russia is most certainly not. Putin is set to rule longer than Stalin did.
But Russians are too exhausted by history to put up a fight. Things could always be worse they say...
You seem to be unable to separate individuals and groups of individuals from the nations where they were born when in fact people and groups at the level where they're capable of manipulating economies don't give a damn where they were born or whether any particular nation continues to exist once that nation is no longer of use to them. As we've clearly seen in the past twenty years, they're also quite happy to destroy stable nations when doing so increases their profits and otherwise benefits them.
But, you stick to you're preconceptions and ass umptions, fine with me. I've known that most people want to find a set of ideas they're comfortable with much more than they want to find the truth ever since I got back from VN. Pick a side, beat the drum, scream names at anyone who disagrees with you and rather than think through what someone is saying and asking for clarifications just spew.
have a lovely day
“Few Western specialists on Russia are prepared to acknowledge that perestroika was a KGB-planned operation directed at seizing power with the goal of privatizing state property” or that “in August 1991 there was no liberal let alone a democratic revolution” but rather a carefully planned operation to “channel” mass enthusiasm in the direction the organs needed.
“Today, all real policies of the Kremlin are a collection of covert special operations,” she writes. In order to understand this,” one must do what Western specialists do not want to do: recognize the way in which what the Kremlin is doing is reproducing “the Stalinist mechanism of power.”
They are united in their goal of “fundamentally weakening the West and in the first instance the US, to extend the borders of their influence in the world, and to make Russia an assembly point for all the anti-Western forces of the world."
- Irina Pavlova
Putin evil?
Matter of opinion, nothing more. He swims in a sea made by those Oligarchs who were getting rich before the USSR fell and got richer after it fell. Then most of the really big ones left because they couldn't deal with the limits Putin put on them
He's a shark in a sea where only sharks can survive much less make a difference. If that makes him evil then you'd have to say that many of the heroes of the Western history were evil as well.
To me, he's a man of his times and situation. One thing he's not, is a rudderless doormat like Yeltsin who cared more about vodka and whores than about Russia. It probably comes down to whether you want criminals having more control than they should have in Russia leaving their gains in Russia or if you prefer that they export their gains.
Time will tell whether Putin is a positive or negative for Russia. Who and what he leaves in his wake will determine whether or not he was overall a positive or a negative for Russia but there will still be a Russia, something that was in doubt prior to him.
Please see post #29.
It seems to be a grammar question. Either my fault at reading or yours at writing. I obviously read it the way you didn’t mean to write it and a miscommunication happened. Normally I’d apologize, but since I already called myself a possible big swinging dick then this can’t be an option any more if I want to be consistent :)
I’ll read it again tomorrow.
Similar to opiate crisis in the states...but more dire: there is a bolshoi HIV epidemic in Russia the Kremlin is in denial of...1 million registered patients and growing in a population less than half the size of ours: about 1 to 1.5% of people. 3rd fastest growing rate in the world.
As usual, aimed at the wrong targets. Symbolic.
Putin talked about weapons and nukes in the context of NATO, America...not terrorists.
What does it mean to be modern?
Is China modern?
No I dont consider Chinese modern but at least economically it is moreso than Russia. It takes a while to unpack the definition of modern.
SSDD
SSDD - Russian history in a nutshell. Lessons never learned.
Lol...that DPR sniper isn’t looking for terrorists.
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