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So far, so good. And I would expect nothing less from any legitimate leader of a sovereign nation, other than consider such a thing to be an act of treason, and expel those who would sell out their own country to foreign enemy interests? That’s what you do with traitors, unless you happen to be in the New United States of Amerika, where they are welcomed into the Democrat party with open arms and receive campaign donations from George Soros and the DNC.
We are not talking about the United states of America here, but post-Soviet Russia. And truth to be told - all these people that came to power there and acquired their capital - they all did it in illegal, criminal way.
So Putin ( being actually one of them,) got rid of part of them, while making deal with the rest.
Does it sound like "any legitimate leader of a sovereign country?"
It sounds more like mafia dealings to me.
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Funny how the wealthy elite if Russians, are “oligarchs”, but here in the west, they are simply referred to as CEO’s and Philanthropists. Interesting, huh?
I am talking specifically about the OLIGARCHS in Russia, the ones who made their billions on the death and suffering of their compatriots overnight.
America and its "philanthropists" is a whole different story yet again. If Putin's Russia ( and Russian oligarchs) were Steve Job types, it would have been a different story too. But Russian oligarchs were people that simply expropriated the natural resources and industries built by Soviet people by their hard labor, generation after generation. These new leeches didn't create anything new and unique.
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The issue I really have with what you saying here is what you aren’t saying. You toss about the term “Oligarch” which implies a negative connotation, but you really haven’t stipulated anything concretely negative about their actions. So far, it’s been positive from my point of view … the “Oligarchs” Putin kicked out were sell outs and traitors to their own Country, and the loyalists were embraced. What is wrong with that?
To me both parties are equally nauseating.
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Should Putin be More Stalin-like and more communist like and kill them all and seize their assets? I don’t understand what objection you have with Putin taking the Capitalist approach to working with the financial power brokers loyal to Russia’s interests as a nation?
If he would be a decent person, he would have rolled back the whole criminal "privatization" of the nineties in Russia, all this thuggery ( implemented with the help of "American economists"), its devastating results that pushed Russia onto the path of high income inequality, with 90% of the riches being concentrated in few hands, and rearranged economy in a way, that would allow to create the true competition in business sector, instead of few hands controlling it all, as a monopoly.
But this would lead to creation of independent from Putin's political parties, which wouldn't allow him ( and his cronies) to stay in power forever.
That's why the monopoly of power ( and money) concentrated in oligarchs hands loyal to him personally ( not the "national interests",) was the model that Putin saw as suitable for him. Besides, he promised to Yeltsin that he would protect all the loot of his family, it would remain safe and untouched.
It was part of a deal between two of them.
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I don’t know WTF you are talking about here, when we witnessed the President of the United States censored and banned across all of social media just a few years ago. What a joke to believe this absurd tingly talking point about Freedom of speech, when that’s really what couldn’t be further from the truth.
I mentioned that I see this freedom of speech evaporating in America lately - you probably missed it.
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And this bit about multi-party system? Hah! Our system has devolved to banana republic status, where the White House is now the movie set for the sequel to a Weekend at Bernie’s Place II, as a fraudulent election installed a dementia patient with a now revealed long history of selling influence to foreign powers, and is being protected by the Justice System that appears to be the wholly owned subsidiary of George Soros, LLC, USA division, which apparently extends to even local District Attorney’s who proceed to file fraudulent criminal charges against the former US President that was overthrown by fraud.
The level of corruption we’re drowning in here in the US knows no equal in all of recorded history, and makes Putin’s regime look like the Boy Scouts of America by comparison.
America is still a two party system.
So what can I say?
Organize and fight back for what you see as a right thing to fight for.
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Dude, that’s what Putin opposed, and he and his political loyalists who were loyal to Russia, rid the country of those who were ready to hand over the country to the globalists.
The "globalists" were sitting in Putin's government all these years, and getting cushy jobs from him.
Check on some Anatoly Chubais, dubbed as he "father of the privatization" of the criminal nineties. This is just an example.
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I have no doubt that there was, and probably still is a good measure of authoritarianism involved. And I suspect it’s a necessary measure, given the powerful forces hell bent on Russia’s demise, which aren’t too bashful these days in announcing their desires for “regime change” in Russia, and their willingness to take any steps necessary toward that goal, including risking World War III, as they are doing now.
There is a truth to it, that a lot of Russians who were not happy about Putin's government at all were putting up with him, understanding the danger of the "powerful forces hell bent on Russia’s demise," ( i.e. the West,) but they might not be quiet any longer, if this current war will expose all the corruption and ineptness of Putin's system.
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Nope. I don’t just listen, I also watch. Do you? Doesn’t sound like you do. But I watched as Putin has engaged the west honestly, as he watched one promise after another made to Russia, broken. I’ve watched Russia exercise immense patience, as NATO continued to expand all around Russia, contrary to the promises made to Russia when they agreed to dissolve the Warsaw Pact.
This goes back to Gorbachev, not Putin actually.
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When it comes to Ukraine, Russia has always maintained that their National Security interests cannot allow Ukraine to become a NATO member, because that will never be acceptable to Russia, which is a logical and reasonable position, just as we would find it unacceptable for Canada or Mexico to join a military alliance which was overtly hostile to the US.
Russia can "maintain" whatever now, but Putin's government failed in many ways in its Ukrainian policies to begin with, they took Ukrainian population friendly to Russia for granted for ages. And that's what many Russians are pointing at now - all these failures of Putin's government in post-Soviet space, and this doesn't go to Ukraine only. Why bother running different kind of programs there, when you can simply pocket money - and this goes to majority of Putin's officials.
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We would take the exact same stance. Nevertheless, Russia’s position on the matter was ignored by the US/NATO, and the Russians watched as the US literally orchestrated the overthrow of the Ukrainian government, and installed our hand selected western puppet regime to replace it, 8 years ago. Had the rolls been reversed, the United States would have immediately responded militarily, not wait 8 years.
I agree with all that, but that's more about "Russia" as a whole, not necessarily "Putin."
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And for 8 years, Russia watched as the anti-Russian regime engaged in ethnic cleansing of ethnic Russians in Eastern Ukraine.
Small part of Russians - let's put it this way. Because for the majority of them, Putin's propaganda was explaining all these years that "those are internal Ukrainian affairs, it's Ukrainians fighting with Ukrainians."
But you wouldn't know any of it, because today you are buying exclusively the lines of Putin's propaganda. However I know better, since I am aware of what was going on there ( both in Russia and Ukraine) all these years.
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After years of attacking civilians, Ukraine finally agreed to talks, and sat down with Russia and reached an agreement known as the Minsk Accords, which Ukraine subsequently refused to abide by. Later, it was admitted by the German Chancellor that it was all just a western ploy to buy time for Ukraine to strengthen its military. So, I’ve watched closely, and the only player that has been honest has been Putin and the Russians. Their partners in the west have lied repeatedly. And even the events leading up to and just prior to the Russian’s military operations in Ukraine, Putin tried one last time to avert a military solution. His deal was simple. Ukraine needed to honor the Minsk agreements as they promised … and stop attacking civilians in the Donbas, and pledge neutrality, and abandon NATO membership. In return, Russia would promise no military action against Ukraine, and restore diplomatic and economic cooperation between Ukraine and Russia. Putin was given the middle finger.
These are all today's Putin's talking points.
But that's NOT what it really was.
Do I need to go on?
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Progressive Left Ideology had nothing to do with American values or our 230 year history either, yet here we are, sitting in a sea of ****e piling up in the streets, and painted up pedophiles reading stories to toddlers.
20 years ago, people would have laughed at you had you predicted the crap we see happening now in America. So, it doesn’t take long to poison the minds of massive numbers of people. It just takes a few years.
Furthermore, as we have all witnessed, it doesn’t take much time to destroy a nation either. Look what has happened over the past 3 years.
As for the rest, I’m just too mentally exhausted to go any further. Believe whatever the Hell want to believe. It ain’t going to change reality.
And just to point out how bad and dishonest the news is, just take a look at this NewsMax report of the drone attack against Moscow.
Notice anything strange? Like the big “Tow Away Zone” sign there in Moscow? I didn’t realize that the Moscow used English language signage. How … English of them.
Agree with all that, but Russia is a whole different story as I said, except for I am with you, that a strange twist DID take place, when these two countries switched places, however the root of this twist goes all the way back into 90ies.
P.S. P.S. And of course that building that collapsed somewhere in America, when it was passed for the one "hit by Ukrainian drones" in Moscow - it's just part of Ukrainian propaganda hysteria.
Anyhow. Prigozhyn did say that, if RAF will not be able to stop harassment in Belgorod region, he will bring his boys, his musicians there, and they WILL bring back peace and order. He, also, said that he will do this, agreed or not by the high command.
How is this declaration of civil war, is known only to the Denis's inflamed mind. It's vigilantism, basically. And, as I said many times before - Prigozhyn is so insolent not because he's so powerful but, because he is "roofed", using Russian criminal lingo, from the very very top. He's needed by someone, who has more power than Shoigu or Gerasimov. Not Putin, Putin has his own handlers.
BTW, y'all know that Shoigu is high level mason? Right? Y'all know that, have no doubt.
........ In its history, Russia had only three people that really had personal power: Ivan the IV, Peter the Great and Joseph Jugashvili...............
Since you seem informed I would be interested in your personal opinion:
You do not think Catherine The Great had personal power?..... I ask because she usurped a weak ruler (her husband) and led the country in spite of not even being Russian. Just interested in your opinion.
Peter The Great may have been the most powerful man who ever lived, but he had that gigantic size in his favor. Napoleon did not have that advantage and he turned troops in their tracks many times.
I don't think Putin is even competitive.
Thank you for your question.
She was a great empress but not of such ground breaking and history changing magnitude, as the rulers, I mentioned. Ivan the IVth changed country from the old rites to the new ones. He was a great educator and very intelligent monarch.Reforms of the military service, the judiciary, public administration have been carried out, including the introduction of elements of self-government at the local level (lip,Zemstvo and other reforms). Were subduedKazan,Astrakhan andSiberian khanates annexedBashkiria, part of the landNogai Horde. Thus, under Ivan IV, the increase in territoryRussian state amounted to almost 100%, from 2.8 million km² to 5.4 million km², by the end of his reign, Russia became larger than the rest of Europe[8]. He left behind a significant literary legacy. He, basically returned back to Slavs, territories, taken away from them by Tataro-Mongols. It was not conquista of the colonies, it was rightful recovery of what historically was Slavic. ["terrible" is not actually culturally appropriate translation of his surname. You should read about oprichnina. It was very interesting maneuver, he came up with, to consolidate power in his hand.
Peter (there are very serious suspicions, that he was replaced with a double after his trip to Holland) turned the entire country upside down. From backward village on the European outskirts to the industrial and cultural power. As they say, he "cut window into Europe". Same time, he had no issue personally chopping heads of those, who disobeyed him or, jumping on a horse and galloping somewhere middle of the night, to have "face to face" with unruly boyarin. Many beards had he chopped off with an ax.
I am not getting into Joseph Jugashvili, party surname Stalin. Man is so much lied about in the west, there is no point to. But he made USSR power to be accounted with by the West for years and years.
If you want one of the greatest ever military leaders, probably, shadowing Alexander, read up about Kniaz Sviatoslav Igorevich. Man was unstoppable military leader.
If you want a military genius, shadowing and beating Napoleon, read up on Alexander Suvorov. That guy was something! His crossing of Alps to strike Napolen suddenly is just like what Hanibal Barka did.
Catherine was a great ruler and she built her reputation as mecenate and gendarme of the Europe. But it was more of superficial allure, than reality. read up on Potemkin villages. Fun read. What I am saying is - she didn't do anything groundbreaking for the country. And her son, Emperor Pavel, was murdered for being too intelligent and trying to be too nice to the common folk. Good intentions didn't work well for him.
Ah, Putin. But of course, he's not. He's just a manager, executing someone else's will. Clever, intelligent, smart but nowhere the grandeur of Stalin. Besides, why do y'all constantly use only him for anything that happens there? It's a multilayered bureaucratic country, run by those, who were set into power by the CIA in 1990s... eat with big spoon, it's sweet. There is strong natiional recovery trend, growing in Russia, but it's nowhere anywhere even close to the real power. Do a basic research, find photos of him in yarmulk and with his Lubavich buddies. That's the real power, minding their interest.
The trend: they hit us - we don’t respond, and there are very bad reasons for this, there are several of them and all of them do not depend on the warring battalions, regiments, divisions. Hundreds of shells are flying at us, zero in response. What kind of war is this?
Counter-battery combat, as the main, constantly used method of countering enemy artillery, is absent in our NMD. It doesn't exist, no matter what anyone says.
If your counter-battery has stopped that's usual a indication that either they have ZERO ammo, or they're dead.
Its a lot of use it or lose stuff you cant afford to lose. And Ukraine isn't likely to get slack, most likely they have established fire and move routines that are not going to change. Thats a very very bad sign for that group. And anyone thinking its 4D chess and the Russians are going to trap them, Ukraine has satellite access, in addition to a satellite of their own.
Which also makes me ask-if Russia is so capable why haven't they shot down Ukraine's military owned satellite? I guarantee you that the US could do so with ease. Why hasn't Russia?
They don't even have time to say good bye to their families.
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