Quote (Black XistenZ @ Nov 9 2022 02:28am)
1. Why would a country with the largest or second-largest stockpile of nukes in the world be scared of land-based invasions?
2. This theory of the case doesn't add up. Most of Europe tried to maintain neutral political and positive economic relations with Russia until the bitter end. Even back in February, when Russian tanks were already getting into position for their invasion, German chancellor Scholz still refused to end Nord Stream II. Even after the invasion begun, most non-eastern Europeans only cut ties with Russia very begrudgingly, more out of a sense of moral duty than because they were convinced it was in their best self-interest to do it. So the West actually tried to hold on to the status quo for as long as possible, until Russia's actions left them no other choice. This is not some secret 4d-chess move to destroy one of China's allies, this is Russia doing something horrible that called for a reaction.
3. The heavy industry in the Donbass is very old and not particularly competitive. It looks like the Ruhr region in Germany did... back in the 1960s. The gas and oil reserves which might be located there don't hold a strategic value to Russia since they already own more of those than they can sell. In fact, Russia's war and their antics with the throttled and then stopped gas supplies has soured the best customer they had. If Russia had started this war because they wanted to secure their dominant position on Europe's energy market, it has been a colossal failure.
4. I agree about Russia having some sort of legitimate claim on Crimea. This does not, however, justify waltzing in and stealing it from Ukraine. The fact that we haven't heard of insurgency in these places doesn't prove anything since the Russian administration would suppress any news of it, and since these places are basically under martial law where any insurgency will be nipped in the bud with force. (It does not prove that there haven been insurgencies either, just for the record.)
5. That's a legitimate point.
7. The story about the permanent "slaughter of innocent civilians in Donetsk" is straight up Russian propaganda. To the best of my knowledge, policies aiming at a derussification were passed after Russian paramilitary forces occupied and seceded Donetsk and Luhansk back in 2014, not the other way round.
1. Nukes are a last-order thing, countries usually create policy outside of their concept of nukes. Just the border of Ukraine funneling into Russia widely is problematic, especially since west-europe has historically been anti-russian.
2. I don't agree with your assessment in any meaningful way, it is very obvious there is far less lee-way for russia and their interests aren't considered at all because americans/west have already decided they will be part of the chinese-lead bloc. Germany did sorta attempt to hold europe together, i mean the entire german production depends on russia. Also because germany doesn't want to secede their autonomy to the americans. Americans wanted a divided europe by the way, easier to fold west europe and pit them against the growing concept of euroasia. (There is a reason victoria nuland leak was "fuck europe". There is a reason kissinger talked shit about the establishment, saying that russia can and should be peeled from china, to give them what they want in ukraine and force zelensky to stop. (before it is point of no return) This is all about the new world order. Personally i think americans did right in dividing europe, because russia would've joined the euroasian bloc, and europe would've abandoned america at some point.
3. There will always be a massive need for energy, there is no such thing as too much reserves. Look what is happening to europe production competitiveness just because there isn't enough gas/energy.
4. "sort of legitimacy" LOL, Crimea is as much Russia as Washington DC is America. Russia will nuke Europe and America with 6000 nuclear war heads before they give Crimea to NATO, that was always the case. By the way you can't hide insurgencies, sucide bombers, ieds and mass shootings. This is fantasy. Look what happened in iraq as an example.
7. Are we forgetting about the first events? When nazis burned 50 pro-russians alive in odessa? and everything else that happened?
This post was edited by ownyaah on Nov 8 2022 05:50pm