Posted on 08/11/2023 10:09:13 PM PDT by Cronos
To understand Russia’s current obsession with Ukraine, it is important to recognize that Russia was never a state in the common usage of the term. Unlike the modern Turkish state that emerged from the Ottoman Empire, or Great Britain, which acquired and lost an empire, Russia never had an identity separate from empire. As British historian Geoffrey Hosking observed, “Britain had an empire, but Russia was an empire.”
The Kremlin’s preferred narrative of Russia rising from present-day Ukraine (“Kyivan Rus”) is a Moscow-concocted fairy tale. The officially endorsed 1000-year history of Russia is a self-created and self-perpetuated myth that generations of Russian dictators have promoted to justify their external expansion and internal repression.
Instead, what we think of today as Russia started out as a loose collection of independent city states that included Novgorod, Pskov, Smolensk, Tver, and Moscow, the last of which attained particular significance toward the end of Mongol rule a little over 500 years ago. Kyiv was no more a part of Russia then than it is now. There was no common language, no common administration, and no joint identity. Indeed, it would be centuries before the rulers of Muscovy attempted to assert their dominance over Kyiv and the lands of today’s Ukraine.
...Under Ivan III (“The Great”), Muscovy established itself as the strongest of the city states to emerge from the Mongol period. Ivan called himself “Tsar of all Rus,” but he was actually more like the mayor of Greater Moscow. It was Ivan who started the expansion of Muscovy, initiating the so-called “gathering of Russian lands.”
...Expansion demands inward Russification and repression, and further outward expansion. As Catherine the Great famously said, “I have no way to defend my borders but to extend them.”
I like moose.
The Russian people are still serfs
I see the local Russians and Russia-philes are trying to drag you. FR is infested Russophiles and Putin’s pathetic acolytes. Their favorite President is Ron Paul. Then Bad Vlad Putin.
Thank you.
Zelensky could end what? Do you really understand that Putin doesn’t recognize the Ukrainians as an independent nation? He considers them to be “bad Russians.” Once Ukraine gives up, the Ukrainian nation ceases to exist and purges and forced Russification begin. Yes, it would be genocide by definition (genocide doesn’t have to be physical), but you don’t seem to care.
What has happened to the American conservative movement? Where are the intellectual giants like William Buckley and Frank S. Meyer? I can only see intellectual primitivism, self-centeredness and moral decline.
Agree 100%. We have a pro-Putin contingent here. He can do no wrong in their eyes. We also have an equal number FReepers who are Pro-Ukraine and anti-Russian imperialism. You are so right about the primitivism here when it comes to the local supporters of Russian aggression, who call themselves conservative.
Putin said it in his TV address to the nation when he started the war in Ukraine.
“I would like to emphasise again that Ukraine is not just a neighbouring country for us. It is an inalienable part of our own history, culture and spiritual space. These are our comrades, those dearest to us – not only colleagues, friends and people who once served together, but also relatives, people bound by blood, by family ties.
Since time immemorial, the people living in the south-west of what has historically been Russian land have called themselves Russians and Orthodox Christians. This was the case before the 17th century, when a portion of this territory rejoined the Russian state, and after.”
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/67828
He said that the people living in Ukraine have called themselves “Russians”, and therefore they are Russians. He was playing with words. These people were actually Rusyns or Ruthenians, not Russians.
I have never claimed to be an American. Are you an American?
should we be supporting Biden and Globohomo ?
Pointing out crooked Jews isn’t antisemitic, it’s truth.
Zelensky, Soros, Fink, Blinken, Nuland, Vindman, Yellen, Garland, Page & Brin, Zuckerberg, etc.
Somehow Jews whine more than blacks, fags, and women combined.
"I see the local Russians and Russia-philes are trying to drag you. FR is infested Russophiles and Putin’s pathetic acolytes."
Tell me why after all that Russia had done to its inhabitants, its neighbors and to the world, Russia should have been given a blank check instead of having to prove it was a civilized and trustworthy country. I mean before the Bolshevik revolution it was the most despotic country in Europe, after the Bolshevik revolution it was no less despotic, it had no tradition of free political institutions whatsoever, and - suddenly - it should have been trusted. Seriously?
That would be awesome if they could find a way to sell time...
I don’t deny that both issues are very important, but for some reason only “Globohomo” is mentioned when people talk about Biden and Ukraine as if abortions were not so important.
“Yes, Russia does have a need for expanding borders.”
Yes, Russia does have a desire for expanding borders.
fixed it for you
You’re wrong, I’m a boomer and I don’t hate the military.
I would say the most time zones, but that 140 million is rapidly decreasing and aging. The war is accelerating that demographic time bomb
As the article states, Russian federation is not a United entity. Don’t be surprised to see all the eastern states opt for independence or China expands
For decades ethnic Russians have used and abused its eastern (brothers) and they know this
Russia was dying slowly before the invasion, putins gamble has cemented and accelerated that.
It is a shame as this is a pattern often repeated by autocrats.
Instead of demilitarizing and de-nazifying(whatever that means)and stopping nato expansion, Ukraine is now one of the largest and most experienced militaries, NATO expansion where it was never even seen as possible is happening, and Russia is the one being demilitarize.
Master strategist
Do you realy believe that the Monroe Doctrine could work today (or in the 20th century)? What would have happened if the US had stayed out of WWII? The Nazis and the Bolsheviks would have divided the Old World between themselves or the Nazis would have defeated the Bolsheviks. Would that have been beneficial to the US? Wouldn’t the Nazis have become a mortal threat to the US? The similar situation could have happened if NATO hadn’t been established to counter the Soviet threat after WWII and the Soviets had seized all Europe.
The Monroe Doctrine could work in the 19th century because Great Britain protected the seas. It can’t work these days.
You have no sense of geopolitics.
Is nothing!!!
Hahaha!!
Next week on.....
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