When did you start believing Russia was the Enemy of the United States/the Western World?

[antiquity]

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?

Do I think Russia is a enemy or the US....yes. But I also think that China is a much bigger threat than Russia which has an economy about the size of Texas.

 

[Birdzeye]

I grew up in an era when, as a school kid, I participated in the “duck and cover” drills. I remember Khrushchev promising to “bury” us. I also learned from my Polish immigrant grandfather the extreme animosity Poles had towards the Russians, who ruled the part of Poland he came from with an iron fist (they even criminalized the use of the Polish language).

After the USSR collapsed, my wariness of anything Russian didn’t go away, and subsequent events, especially during the Putin regime, have convinced me that Russia is not to be trusted.

 

[Rogue Valley]

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?

Always. The names change but the Putin regime has the same animus towards the US as did the various Politburo's. Their MIRV'd nuclear missiles still target US cities.

As we speak, the GRU is busy mapping critical infrastructure networks and US government command nodes. Moscow has been practicing cyber-warfare against electric grids in Ukraine.

I was fortunate enough to be in Kyiv for parts of Maidan. If anyone wants to see the true malevolence of Vladimir Putin, visit eastern Ukraine.

 

[Hawkeye10]

Around Feb 2017, when Russia gave up on America after ceaseless hostilities from us.

 

[TheParser]

I cannot think of a time when Russia was not ruled over by brutal autocrats.

Very important comment.

The whole history of Russia is one of the common people suffering horribly.

To expect democracy in Russia is absurd.



Russia has never been our enemy.


It certainly did a lot to help us defeat Hitler.


President Trump refuses to blame Russia for everything.


He is right.

 

[Rogue Valley]

Russia has never been our enemy.

Russia has been our enemy since Joe Stalin.

 

[iguanaman]

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?

As long as Russia has 100's of thermonuclear ICBM warheads pointed at us they are our enemy. Putin is a product of the USSR and wants to re-assemble it by invading his neighbors. That is the reason for NATO, something that Trump should never forget.

 

[iguanaman]

I think it's pretty clear that the Cold War never ended and Russians just convinced the GOP that it did.

I think Putin bought the GOP with his ill gotten gains from pillaging Russia. I know he bought Trump.

 

[cpwill]

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?

Roughly the same. The digital assault on Estonia was also a wake up call.

Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[HumblePi]

Neither the former Soviet Union nor the current Russian Federation is our friend and can never be.

Excerpts from an article from a Reuters article from 2012.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia/putin-says-u-s-stoked-russian-protests-idUSTRE7B610S20111208

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the United States on Thursday of stirring up protests against his 12-year rule and said foreign countries were spending hundreds of millions of dollars to influence Russian elections.

In his first public remarks about daily demonstrations over allegations that Sunday’s election was slanted to favour his ruling party, Putin said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had encouraged “mercenary” Kremlin foes by criticizing the vote.

“She set the tone for some opposition activists, gave them a signal, they heard this signal and started active work,” Putin told supporters as he laid out plans for his campaign to return to the presidency in a March election.
==============================================================

After reading that, people here that hate Hillary Clinton will say, "that bitch! no wonder Putin hated her".
This isn't the first time that Putin spouted anti-Western rhetoric and Hillary Clinton isn't the first U.S. diplomat that he accused of doing wrong to him or to Russia for that matter. Anyone from the West who criticized Russia's elections as being fixed by Putin got Putin's wrath. Using his experience with KGB, Putin sought to influence the opinions of his voters by demonizing the West. To do that, Putin utilized one of the oldest tricks in the book. He created 'fake news' and pointed blame at the U.S.

The Russians particularly hate Michael McFaul because as an ambassador between 2012 and 2014, he refused to be cowed by harassment from the Russian FSB intelligence service. Employing an array of KGB-developed tactics (and some measures even more aggressive than those employed by the KGB), Putin sought to push McFaul out the country. That McFaul stayed for two years testifies to his patriotic courage and that of the diplomats who serve under him, and serve in Russia today." Putin's elections are not even close to being free and democratic. Officials have been videoed stuffing ballot boxes with reams of ballots.

John McCain described Putin as a 'thug and a murderer' and John McCain knew what he was talking about. ”Frankly, I would never accept an award from Vladimir Putin because then you kind of give some credence and credibility to this butcher, this KGB agent, which is what he is.”

Gun owners here hold onto their guns rights fiercely. In Russia, there are no gun rights. It's illegal to own one in Russia. In the U.S., people can talk smack about our president and voice objections, they're free to shout obscenities and tweet vulgarities to him. That's our 1st Amendment right to freedom of speech. If that happened in Russia, guess what? Those people would simply disappear one day, they would be imprisoned on political trumped up charges. People in the US enjoy the freedom of being openly LGBTQ but in Russia they remain in the closet and when exposed, they're harassed and thrown off rooftops to their death.

Suppression tactics range from laws limiting free assembly and other civil rights, to jailing protestors for vague offenses such as “hooliganism,” to using the notoriously corrupt courts to convict opponents of embezzlement or tax fraud, to straightforward police intimidation, as well as murder.

 

[Geoist]

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?

In the early 2000s I wanted to believe that Russia was going to continue mending relations with the US and give more freedom to the Russian people, even though it was being led by a former KGB officer. However, once the poisoning of journalists and other dissidents began I could no longer believe that was the case.

 

[HumblePi]

I do know my Democrats I watched them for decades. Ted was ****ing pissant communist sympathizing traitorous ****. Those my kind words for the dumb SOB being as he is dead. As for Bobby he and Jack were the same IMO same morals too. Not that I care. They cared about the country and weren't communists. Nixon was an asshat, politico who was just interested in being president.

As far as Garner and Clint and the rest, they didnt put their politics in my face, and you are quite right they weren't hacks about it when they did on occasion. that and for the most part they made movies and such I liked to watch. I watch all sorts of peoples movies, and I dont particularly care about their politics, only if they are good at entertaining me and the movie they are in is entertaining. Alex Baldwin is one of my favorites even though he is a bit loopy. He does passable Trump impression too.

You seem to have gotten a little pissy over my previous description of the lying scoundrel named Ted Kennedy. I you wish I will happily dredge up the nasty awful **** that scumbag did. I dont know all the Democrats but I do know Ted.
****ing vermin that one.

I have to agree with you on Ted Kennedy, but John and Bobby actually did some great things.

 

[Geoist]

Russia is not an enemy. They just want security for their country.

The two don't need to be mutually exclusive.

The US is the aggressor. How many foreign bases does the US have? Russia?

The US has certainly been an aggressor. I do mostly blame our neo-imperialist foreign policy for Putin's popularity.

 

[HK.227]

When did you have your awakening and realize that the Russian state was the enemy of the United States?

Sometime in the latter half of the 80's, when I learned the term "Geopolitical Interests".

 

[Bodi]

Russia has been the Enemy of the USA and the Western World since 1917....

 

[Logician Man]

Russia is not an enemy. They just want security for their country. The US is the aggressor. How many foreign bases does the US have? Russia?

We have a lot more to fear from China.

/// Russia is not an enemy. /// Yet EVERY U.S. Intel agency agrees they mingled in the 2016 Presidential election, and continue to mingle in U.S. elections. " Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

 

[Waddy]

/// Russia is not an enemy. /// Yet EVERY U.S. Intel agency agrees they mingled in the 2016 Presidential election, and continue to mingle in U.S. elections. " Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

How many elections have we meddled in? Wonder how the Iranians feel 'bout USA meddlin' ? Google it. We spent 5 million to get Boris Yeltsin elected. We actively worked against Putin. Now we call foul when they turn the tables. Don't be such a hypocrite. If "meddling" is the problem we should be going after China...... and Israel. And as we speak they US is meddling in Venezuela. Come on', man....

 

[Abbazorkzog]

This thread's still active? People, we're not in the Cold War anymore. The Soviet Union - does not exist anymore. Russia itself might not exist much longer. The U.S. is the end-all be-all one sole superpower with no rival on the world stage. China is a distant, DISTANT second, and that's including the EU through NATO to be a satellite region of the United States.

 

[Abbazorkzog]

As long as Russia has 100's of thermonuclear ICBM warheads pointed at us they are our enemy. Putin is a product of the USSR and wants to re-assemble it by invading his neighbors. That is the reason for NATO, something that Trump should never forget.

If we're being honest, the 2016 election demonstrates that cyberwarfare is a FAR greater threat than 1950's-era misplaced hysteria over ICBMs. Furthermore, nobody is using nukes unless they themselves want to be nuked. It's called

Mutually Assured Destruction.

 

[Cardinal]

I grew up with the Soviet Union posing a daily existential threat, and then in 1991 there was good pause to that threat. Then Putin took power with the idea of reviving the might of the old Soviet Union, and everything went to **** again.

One line from a movie that has not aged well...

 

[PIPEWRENCH]

You are right here, and I believed the same.

But then in came Putin. Now as to whether Putin led the charge back to the old ways, or rather reflected the populace's changing direction, is perhaps a subject worthy of fruitful debate. But regardless, it is what it is.

You have to remember it was western Europe that has been the aggressor towards Russia for a long time also. Even Japan attacked Russia. I see no reason for the Russian people to trust Europe. We took Texas from Mexico and the Louisiana Purchase was a do or die for France. They could not stop us from just taking it so it was a no brainer.


I think the only solution to nuclear powers such as Russia or China is to stop excluding them but to work with them. But as long as we are spying on them and interfering in elections all over the world I see no way to try and tell them it is wrong.

 

[Logician Man]

How many elections have we meddled in? Wonder how the Iranians feel 'bout USA meddlin' ? Google it. We spent 5 million to get Boris Yeltsin elected. We actively worked against Putin. Now we call foul when they turn the tables. Don't be such a hypocrite. If "meddling" is the problem we should be going after China...... and Israel. And as we speak they US is meddling in Venezuela. Come on', man....

Nice red herring....defeat accepted.....moving on....

 

[Waddy]

Waddy; How many elections have we meddled in? Wonder how the Iranians feel 'bout USA meddlin' ? Google it. We spent 5 million to get Boris Yeltsin elected. We actively worked against Putin. Now we call foul when they turn the tables. Don't be such a hypocrite. If "meddling" is the problem we should be going after China...... and Israel. And as we speak they US is meddling in Venezuela. Come on', man....

Nice red herring....defeat accepted.....moving on....

Come on, counter the argument. Should people who live in glass houses throw bricks? Mansplain yourself. I'm listening.

 

[Logician Man]

Come on, counter the argument. Should people who live in glass houses throw bricks? Mansplain yourself. I'm listening.

I don't counter red herrings and deflections. Now if you want to start anew, actually answer the question posed and we can go from there. You did understand the question ? YES ? No ?

 

[Waddy]

I don't counter red herrings and deflections. Now if you want to start anew, actually answer the question posed and we can go from there. You did understand the question ? YES ? No ?

So you got nothin'. That's what I thought. But, OK, let's start from some facts. Everybody does "meddlin'. In that sense, then, everybody is an enemy. But the US is better at it than most; or at least much more involved. We're like old school gangsters; we don't just buy or influence a few thousand votes; we actually kill people and plan the deaths of others. And we'll actually invade to get what we want. There is nowhere on the planet we won't go to sabotage an election, drive out an elected leader, assassinate where other means don't work, and in general interfere on a global scale. How many foreign bases we have compared to those horrible Russians? How many elections have we interfered with the past few decades? Almost 200 by some counts. Maybe we should lead the world by example.....Oh, wait......we do...... we set a very bad example. Does that make US the enemy of almost every other nation on earth?