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Why Russia Invaded Ukraine
American Thinker ^ | John Horvat II

Posted on 03/16/2022 2:39:43 AM PDT by RoosterRedux

truck again. The war in Ukraine is raging and changing the face of the globalized world.

The situation is confusing as people struggle to find reasons behind the invasion. Conspiracy theories abound on both sides. Like the scenes of battle in Ukraine, chaos reigns in the minds of so many. There seems to be no rhyme or reason in the attacks.

However, four points can help people better understand what is happening. There is some method to the madness.

Russia Was Already Part of the World Order

The first point is that the sanctions prove that Russia was well integrated into the globalized world. Vast sectors of the Russian economy were interwoven into the worldwide networks and commodity markets. It was not easy to disengage.

This conclusion runs contrary to those who say that Russia is a power opposing the current world order. This is not true.

Western money and investment helped rebuild the country in the decades after the Cold War. Most major oil companies, for example, were involved in extracting oil from Russia. Multinational firms were everywhere. Western banks and accounting firms helped integrate Russia into the financial system. Even the McDonald’s franchise operated at hundreds of Russian locations. The sanctions proved the extent of Russian participation in the world economy.

Unfortunately, Russia fully absorbed decadent globalized culture in movies, concerts and bad fashions. All these things harmed the nation (and the West). The sanctions in this area also proved that, before the war, Russia was a fully integrated part of the world order.

Russia Pursues an Instant Disengagement from this World Order

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


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Russia
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1 posted on 03/16/2022 2:39:43 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
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To: RoosterRedux
Oops. First sentence got truncated. It should read:
Just when everything seemed to be getting back to the new normal, abnormality struck again.

2 posted on 03/16/2022 2:41:08 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
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To: RoosterRedux

Interesting take to read.

From the story -
“Western firms are leaving Russia of their own accord with the approval and pressure of governments. They leave behind assets sold at fire-sale prices or abandoned. Everything will be in Russian hands or face nationalization.”

That is an ironic “full circle” thing - in that, when the USSR collapsed, Western business interests came in and bought anything that was of worth at fire sale prices (along with the Russian biggees who grabbed their piece of the pie, too).
The people were left in desperate straits, esp in the 90s.

Unless the Russians have been totally West-wussified the should do okay being cut off, it’s not their first rodeo when it comes to national suffering.

At least until recently, they had to be a sturdy people just to get along.


3 posted on 03/16/2022 3:00:31 AM PDT by LouieFisk
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To: RoosterRedux

4 posted on 03/16/2022 3:00:33 AM PDT by McGruff (It's America First, stupid.)
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To: RoosterRedux
Why Russia Invaded Ukraine

Empire building.

Zbigniew Brzezinski has famously observed that “without Ukraine, Russia ceases to be an empire, but with Ukraine suborned and then subordinated, Russia automatically becomes an empire.”

5 posted on 03/16/2022 3:03:00 AM PDT by tlozo (Trump-the Russian invasion of Ukraine is " truly a crime against humanity")
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To: RoosterRedux

Gobbledygook


6 posted on 03/16/2022 3:31:17 AM PDT by anton
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To: RoosterRedux

It has nothing to do with the west. They wanted Ukraine and Crimea and The Black Sea for the same reason that Cathrine The Great and the USSR wanted them. Russia has very poor natural borders. On it’s own, Russia is totally unstable an indefensible.


7 posted on 03/16/2022 3:36:12 AM PDT by Poison Pill
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To: RoosterRedux

“The war in Ukraine is putting this non-secret plan into effect. It forces Russia to unite with China, which is the only power big enough to resist the pressure of Western sanctions against Russia. The burning of the economic bridges with the West makes China the only nation that can absorb the massive amounts of raw materials and grains that Russia produces. The two countries combined can scramble the post-Cold war economic and political order and create new tensions and shortages. Some speculate that the forced marriage between China and Russia will lead to a parallel financial system with the yuan as the reserve currency.”

This is true. It’s biblical.


8 posted on 03/16/2022 3:36:34 AM PDT by gattaca ("Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives." Ronald Reagan)
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To: tlozo

I’m not a fan, but that is distinctly stated and has the ring of truth.


9 posted on 03/16/2022 3:46:45 AM PDT by Kevmo (Give back Ukes their Nukes https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4044080/posts)
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To: anton

“Gobbledygook”

Correct, looks like of the history rewrite. Here are the 4 STATED reasons, and since Ukraine (likely prodded by the US) was unwilling to seriously discuss them, we can never be sure if they were the true reasons (although Putin did have 20 years to invade prior to this, but didn’t):

1. Azov (NAZIs used by the government to attack ethnic Russians)
2. Protection of ethnic Russians, and ethnic Russian areas
3. Strong push to join NATO (finally progress on that, yesterday)
4. Threat of nuclear weapons on Ukraine soil

By the way, the Cuban Missile Crisis was basically #3 and #4 with the parties reversed. Difference being that the Soviets chose not to go hot, in that case.


10 posted on 03/16/2022 3:48:25 AM PDT by BobL (I eat at McDonald's and shop at Walmart, I just don't tell anyone.)
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To: gattaca

The phrase “Trust the plan” actually applies here. And our left is helping them.


11 posted on 03/16/2022 3:52:42 AM PDT by Captainpaintball
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To: BobL
By the way, the Cuban Missile Crisis was basically #3 and #4 with the parties reversed. Difference being that the Soviets chose not to go hot, in that case.

How many times must it be pointed out that its not the 1960's anymore? Both sides have subs off each others coast that can deliver nuclear strikes in minutes. These subs did not exist during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

12 posted on 03/16/2022 3:53:37 AM PDT by tlozo (Trump-the Russian invasion of Ukraine is " truly a crime against humanity")
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To: LouieFisk

I thought this was a very unique view and one I had not considered.

It potentially explains why Putin didn’t go blitz, and that the objective wasn’t control of Ukraine, but disengagement from the west.

Add it to the information hopper and see how it plays out. He could be completely wrong, or right on target. Time will show us.


13 posted on 03/16/2022 3:56:48 AM PDT by Ouderkirk (The democRATS are not looking to govern, they intend to RULE.)
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To: tlozo

“How many times must it be pointed out that its not the 1960’s anymore? Both sides have subs off each others coast that can deliver nuclear strikes in minutes. These subs did not exist during the Cuban Missile Crisis.”

Then why aren’t there medium range Russian/Soviet missiles in Cuba today, since you consider them obsolete? It would certainly have saved Russia/Soviet Union a ton of money rather than having to build station long-range missiles on their soil. Only reason that I can come up with is that the Russians STILL honor our red line. Can we say the same?


14 posted on 03/16/2022 3:58:40 AM PDT by BobL (I eat at McDonald's and shop at Walmart, I just don't tell anyone.)
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To: BobL
1. Azov (NAZIs used by the government to attack ethnic Russians)

Moschun (Мощун) village NW of Kyiv, before and after "denazification" by the Russian military, almost every single house damaged or destroyed, inhabitants evicted

https://google.com/maps?ll=50.614953,30.292352&q=50.614953,30.292352&hl=en&t=h&z=16


15 posted on 03/16/2022 4:02:59 AM PDT by tlozo (Trump-the Russian invasion of Ukraine is " truly a crime against humanity")
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To: BobL
Then why aren’t there medium range Russian/Soviet missiles in Cuba today... Russians STILL honor our red line

Funny you mention medium range missiles and Russians "honor". Fact is Russians cheat at every treaty including the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty which Trump terminated, due to Russian violations.

President Donald Trump announced in October that he plans to “terminate” the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, raising concerns about the return of Cold War-style tensions over U.S. and Russian deployments of intermediate-range missiles in Europe and elsewhere and the future of the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START).

“Russia has violated the agreement; they have been violating it for many years,” Trump said after a Oct. 20 campaign rally in Elko, Nevada. “And we’re not going to let them violate a nuclear agreement and go out and do weapons and we’re not allowed to.”

16 posted on 03/16/2022 4:08:41 AM PDT by tlozo (Trump-the Russian invasion of Ukraine is " truly a crime against humanity")
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To: Kevmo

I agree with some of this. I don’t think the Russians are the brains behind the geopolitical shift we are watching. The one and only huge winner here is Xi. It has been obvious to anyone with any semblance of knowledge of the region’s history that Russia could not allow a fully armed puppet of the American DS One Worlders on their border, 300 miles from Moscow. The Russians were forced to react to the NATO crazy talk. The fact that the CCP controls all Big Tech, media and many western governments, including our own, has been on display for two years. I believe the Chinese pushed the NATO expansion through their proxies to start this conflict. Of course, the Russians have no hope in the new Cold War being outspent 20-1 by NATO. This fact forces Russia into the arms of Xi. The Chinese are more than willing to fund the new East European arms race if it keeps the US bogged down militarily, financially and diplomatically in Europe. Regardless of who planned it, that is the result of the NATO lark in Ukraine. The US is now bogged down in a generational new Cold War arms race versus China’s new client state, Russia. It’s not hard to figure out who’s in the Asian catbird seat now either.


17 posted on 03/16/2022 4:09:47 AM PDT by hardspunned (former GOP globalist stooge)
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To: tlozo

Neighborhood would likely be better off today if Ukraine’s government had been willing to seriously discuss the Russian concerns. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame Zelensky, I suspect he was told to ignore Russia by the US and Europe, since we were doing the same regarding Russia.


18 posted on 03/16/2022 4:10:58 AM PDT by BobL (I eat at McDonald's and shop at Walmart, I just don't tell anyone.)
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To: tlozo

How many medium range missiles are in Cuba?


19 posted on 03/16/2022 4:11:48 AM PDT by BobL (I eat at McDonald's and shop at Walmart, I just don't tell anyone.)
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To: BobL
Neighborhood would likely be better off today if Ukraine’s government had been willing to seriously discuss the Russian concerns.

Sure blame the homeowner(Ukraine) for defending himself, not the invader of the house. Makes zero sense.

20 posted on 03/16/2022 4:15:07 AM PDT by tlozo (Trump-the Russian invasion of Ukraine is " truly a crime against humanity")
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