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- Mar 27, 2018
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This is for those in the room who consider themselves anti-Russian and view the Russian Federation presently led by Vladimir Putin as either the enemy or geopolitical rival of the United States and the Western World in general.
My particular animus towards Russia came about in 2008 when they invaded Georgia, and I realized just how thuggish the Russian regime truly was. I realized that Russia had been a rather sad, corrupt backwater. But the Georgian invasion made me realize the depth and sinister elements of Russian nationalism and the ruthlessness of the Russian state itself.
What about you? When did you have your awakening and realize that the Russian state was the enemy of the United States?
Haven't they always been? There was a cooling off after Soviet Union collapsed. But lets be real,Putin is dangerous, and very adversarial to the US
You are right here, and I believed the same.Well, yes, Sampson Simpson, that is clear but I contend only in hindsight or to those who kept close watch on the developments within Russia throughout the late-1990s and into the early 2000s. Many (including myself) thought that the cooling-off period would lead the Russian Federation into becoming a fellow "Westernized" nation with open democratic institutions, increased civil liberties and rule of law, rather than a corrupt, nationalistic, militaristic autocracy. Many thought that the threat posed by Russia was largely over and that Russia would join family of (democratic law-governed) nations. I was wrong to have been so overly optimistic. And I do not think I was alone in my optimism.
This is for those in the room who consider themselves anti-Russian and view the Russian Federation presently led by Vladimir Putin as either the enemy or geopolitical rival of the United States and the Western World in general.
My particular animus towards Russia came about in 2008 when they invaded Georgia, and I realized just how thuggish the Russian regime truly was. I realized that Russia had been a rather sad, corrupt backwater. But the Georgian invasion made me realize the depth and sinister elements of Russian nationalism and the ruthlessness of the Russian state itself.
What about you? When did you have your awakening and realize that the Russian state was the enemy of the United States?
I think it's pretty clear that the Cold War never ended and Russians just convinced the GOP that it did.
This is for those in the room who consider themselves anti-Russian and view the Russian Federation presently led by Vladimir Putin as either the enemy or geopolitical rival of the United States and the Western World in general.
My particular animus towards Russia came about in 2008 when they invaded Georgia, and I realized just how thuggish the Russian regime truly was. I realized that Russia had been a rather sad, corrupt backwater. But the Georgian invasion made me realize the depth and sinister elements of Russian nationalism and the ruthlessness of the Russian state itself.
What about you? When did you have your awakening and realize that the Russian state was the enemy of the United States?
Well, yes, Sampson Simpson, that is clear but I contend only in hindsight or to those who kept close watch on the developments within Russia throughout the late-1990s and into the early 2000s. Many (including myself) thought that the cooling-off period would lead the Russian Federation into becoming a fellow "Westernized" nation with open democratic institutions, increased civil liberties and rule of law, rather than a corrupt, nationalistic, militaristic autocracy. Many thought that the threat posed by Russia was largely over and that Russia would join the family of nations (the democratic law-governed ones, that is). I was wrong to have been so overly optimistic. And I do not think I was alone in my optimism.
Russia has always been an adversary or frenemy in my book. I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt as much as possible during most of the 2000s, but Putin's rise was certainly the turning point where we had to stop kidding ourselves that they were going make the full transition into ally.What about you? When did you have your awakening and realize that the Russian state was the enemy of the United States?
They convinced the democrats it never started.
One of two things happened in Russia at the collapse of the Soviet Union. Either the collapse was planned as a way to more readily spread the ideals of Marxism/Leninism or the collapse merely resulted in the former party apparatus turning into street criminals rather than political ones. If the former is the case then Putin is likely leading the single biggest propaganda operation the world has ever seen and he’s doing so successfully. If the latter is the case then, over time, the influence of these corruptocrats will wane as they pass away and their operations get diluted by their successors.
I would say it was the latter situation. I do not think the men presently in charge of Russia are die-hard Marxist-Leninists who want to recreate a Utopian Workers State.
Well, yes, Sampson Simpson, that is clear but I contend only in hindsight or to those who kept close watch on the developments within Russia throughout the late-1990s and into the early 2000s. Many (including myself) thought that the cooling-off period would lead the Russian Federation into becoming a fellow "Westernized" nation with open democratic institutions, increased civil liberties and rule of law, rather than a corrupt, nationalistic, militaristic autocracy. Many thought that the threat posed by Russia was largely over and that Russia would join the family of nations (the democratic law-governed ones, that is). I was wrong to have been so overly optimistic. And I do not think I was alone in my optimism.
They convinced the democrats it never started.
is there a time in Russian history where they weren't ruled by asshole dictators? it's up to the people to instill change, outside forces can't ever do that. We are seeing that in Iraq and Afghanistan
Well, yes, Sampson Simpson, that is clear but I contend only in hindsight or to those who kept close watch on the developments within Russia throughout the late-1990s and into the early 2000s. Many (including myself) thought that the cooling-off period would lead the Russian Federation into becoming a fellow "Westernized" nation with open democratic institutions, increased civil liberties and rule of law, rather than a corrupt, nationalistic, militaristic autocracy. Many thought that the threat posed by Russia was largely over and that Russia would join the family of nations (the democratic law-governed ones, that is). I was wrong to have been so overly optimistic. And I do not think I was alone in my optimism.
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