#8. JayGalt: Stop the pro-Russian propaganda line.
If they had wanted to be friends with the West and the US, they would not have:
1. Invaded Georgia and annexed two provinces
2. Invaded Ukraine and helped set up a puppet government in the Donest region
3. Would not have used thermobaric artillery shells which incinerated Ukrainian soldiers defending their country from both Russian troops disguised as pro-Russian Ukrainian/Russians, nor have fired these weapons from Russian soil.
4. Poisoned political opponents abroad and shot them down in the streets of Moscow, etc in broad daylight.
5. Aided Iran with their nuclear weapons program hidden under the guise of “nuclear energy”.
6. Provided Iran with their modern SA-300 anti-aircraft system, designed to thwart any US or Israeli attempt to take out illegal nuclear weapons facilities.
7. Aided Assad in Syria in their fight against other Syrian groups, including the Kurds, while doing very little to hurt ISIS.
8. Reenforced their Kaliningrad base where not threat existed.
9. Threated Poland with another invasion and warned Hungary about a possible act of retaliation for them and their relationship to NATO.
10. Secretly helping Hezbollah in Syria and Lebanon to seize parts of those countries and use them as bases to attack Israel.
11. Conduct major cyberwarfare attacks on US economic facilities as well as defense/governmental facilities/databases and systems.
12. Try to influence US elections, not including cover attempts to influence American leftist congressmen and women in how they vote.
13. Continue to prop up the communist dictatorship in Cuba and Nicaragua, and reportedly in Venezuela, with arms and supplies.
And this is only for a start.
I’m pretty sure I’ve been around longer than you have and have seen more Soviet operations and operatives in the US than you ever will.
Only a fool believes a Tiger becomes a Bobcat when it changes its stripes.
You are working from a black white perspective I am working from a pragmatic one. I try to look for what is in America’s interest not decide who is the good guy & bad guy because it looks different depending on where you stand.
If we can work on some common ground with Russia while making America stronger and more economically independent we will have more leverage.
I don’t see the point it demonizing. Learn from past behavior, analyze by understanding what they see as their interest and improve America’s position by making peace and cooperation in Russia’s interest. It’s not a tea party, one needs to be vigilant and count fingers but I would never waste the opportunity to gain leverage. We have squandered an opportunity because of the Democrats attempts to use a strawman to regain political power.