re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

quote:

---

I think your first sentence directly contradicts your last sentence.

---

It’s only contradictory if you think

quote:

---

nation building

---

=

quote:

---

helping democratic nations defend themselves

---

They are not the same thing. Using our military to overthrow a dictatorship, install a democracy, and defend that democracy from its own people is much different than helping a self-established democracy defend itself from an outside force.

Democracy relies on overwhelming opposition to autocracy. If a large majority isn’t willing to oppose (vocally and physically) a rising dictatorship, they are ripe to be taken over by force from within. We’ve seen that time and time again.

But countries that do overwhelmingly value democracy are our strongest allies. He’s not wrong that a large amount of our geopolitical power rests on the post-WW2 order of the “first world.”

Similarly, “trade amongst free peoples” =/= “free trade.”

Our world order is based, in large part, on rationality. Countries (including the US) can act in their own self-interest and still be rational in their actions. The problem with dictatorships is that they are often irrational and impulsive. They don’t have the checks and balances or the political constraints that exist with democratic governments. They don’t even have to act in their own country’s self-interest, as long as they have the power to quell opposition.

These characteristics make dictatorships unpredictable, and they make conflicts with those dictatorships much more difficult to resolve without use of force.

Boris is in Kiev today, made this announcement:

That would actually be very useful.

quote:

---

Goonie02

---

Tard alert for the day.

quote:

---

This has finally awoken the west.

---

I agree. And the EU absolutely needed this kick in the arse.

Putin just misread the tea leaves.

LINK

quote:

---

A Ukrainian student is selling the opportunity to write custom messages on artillery shells which Ukrainian soldiers are firing at Russian troops.

Anton Sokolenko, a 22-year-old IT student based in Cherkasy, central Ukraine, told Insider he has raised thousands of dollars to support local troops through the $40-a-shell deal.

His ads, on social media platforms like Reddit, have resulted in messages like "Happy Father's Day" and "From Albania, with love" being written on shells before they are used.

"You have a chance to kill orcs with your text on 82mm artillery grenade that will be fired at Russian soldiers," reads one of Sokolenko's promotional posts. (Orc is a common Ukrainian insult for Russian soldiers.)

---

Guess that's one way to raise money

LINK

quote:

---

#Russia will invest more than two trillion rubles in the economy of the "#Donetsk People's Republic" within two years, reports Meduza.

---

This is roughly $35B USD with current FX

How many kills does the ghost of Ukraine have now?

quote:

---

Gas flows to France from Germany have been at a halt since June 15, France’s pipeline operator GRTgaz said on Friday, citing the effects of reduced Russian deliveries.

---

One would think that if Putin shut them off, that would entice the Europeans to finally say enough is enough and equip Ukraine to the max.

But these are Europeans we are talking about here.

quote:

---

Here is an interesting article showing Russians using unencrypted radios and circa 1980s maps for the invasion.

---

Yeah I can figure out how all these generals are getting killed. Every time they talk on a device it sends out a 10 digit grid coordinate.