Replies

Thanks for your reply. I don't take offense when the criticism is valid or your opinion shows a mistake in my logic or interpretation of what I think I see. As far as interpreting what Putin or Xi's motives are, men are men.

Their mentalities and outlooks are far too foreign for you to empathize with them. Putin is a billionaire socio-path, former KGB, perhaps suffering a terminal illness; can you honestly say that you are capable of "putting yourself into his shoes?!

Well maybe not the billionaire, sociopath, former KGB but, certain "types" of behavior can be gathered by what men DO, not but what they say. Or if you do listen to what they say, see how it relates to the actions they take after speaking their lies or truths.

He told Chechnya he would destroy them if they continued to strike at Russia, he murdered over 100,000 civilian and did level the capital. He stated he would use force in Georgia because they were committing "genocide" , he did kill several thousand (estimates) and lost many Russian soldiers wounded and killed.

He stated that Crimea was vital to Russia and would take it by force if necessary, he did.

He declared individuals "enemies of the state" and should be "dealt with", he murdered/maimed dissidents and opponents.

He stated that he would militarily support Syria from islamic terrorist rebels... he did.

He said that he would consider NATO expansion into Ukraine a military threat and he would stop it.... he did.

Now he is saying that supplying Ukraine with precision missiles capable of being armed with nukes a threat and he would destroy transport, storage and importing facilities. He would also consider those that supply nukes or those weapons to Ukrainians as combatants and consider them hostile forces.

I'm thinking that he might start hitting railheads, highways, airports and depots anywhere they can.

I know that Russia has subs off our coast with nuclear platform capabilities, just like we do.

As for your final comment about the illegitimacy of the Russian invasion.... I'm not saying it was legitimate, I'm just stating that it doesn't matter if it is legitimate or not.. it's happened and now we have to deal with the fact that they are destroying the Ukrainian country and all it's infrastructure.

They aren't going to "occupy" Ukraine but either make them a puppet state or cripple them to such a degree that they will never be a threat to join NATO.

my "understanding" toward Putin and his actions in Ukraine are understandable and have been around since men have ruled over men... Machiavelli stated “… he who becomes master of a city accustomed to freedom and does not destroy it, may expect to be destroyed by it, because it always has liberty and its ancient rights as a way of uniting a rebellion. Neither time nor benefits will ever cause it to forget these. Whatever you may do to protect against rebellion, the people never forget freedom or their old rights unless they are scattered."

That's why you have millions of displace refugees leaving Ukraine

and

"If There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.

Men ought either to be indulged or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengeance, but if you injure them greatly they are unable to retaliate, so that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared."

I am not a Putin supporter, just an observer of current events.

I am an American and love OUR country.