Russia invades Georgia

[Darth Rotor]

So, Sept. 11 was not a big deal, according to you?

Are you trying to put words into his mouth, Matteo?

As some people, especially Americans, are probably only concerned with the lives of their fellow citizens.

Your refrain returns, in the usual tiresome tone and fashion. But I did miss you. Good seeing you here again.

This explains why there is so much hatred against America all around the world.

Thanks so much for explaining that, it is of course the only possible answer.

And this hatred sooner or later will turn against the hated country, I fear for you.

Grazie Mille, amico, for your sincere sentiment. I imagine there are enogh Americans around to deal with whatever arises out of that, you might want to spend your emotion elsewhere.

DR

 

[Darth Rotor]

??
Evidence?

World War I
World War II
The centuries of war between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire.
The Thirty Years war
The Napoleonic Wars
The Wars of Spanish Succession
The Seven Years War

All took place in a multi polar power scenario.

Who should be, let me guess.. uhm.. the US of America?

Not anymore. There was a short window in the early 1990's where maybe there was one superpower, but Russia is back, India is rising, China is getting into the game nicely. No turning the clock back.

Pretty much nobody was happy with the Pax Romana, except for the Romans!!

Perhaps. Topic for another thread.

DR

 

[Darth Rotor]

Russia will find another excuse to invade Ukraine or Estonia? Maybe someday it will be Finlands turn and then Finland can take Karelia back that Russia stoled from us in 1939.

What's stopping you now?

 

[Matteo Martini]

Are you trying to put words into his mouth, Matteo?

He looks like a fully grown up person, why do not you let him reply by himself!

Your refrain returns, in the usual tiresome tone and fashion. But I did miss you. Good seeing you here again.

You too have not changed so much.. the good ol` DR!!
Good seeing you too again.
BTW, noted that you did not address the point

Thanks so much for explaining that, it is of course the only possible answer.

No, there is another one.
Everybody dislikes American as you are so smart and brilliant while the rest of the world is crap.

Grazie Mille, amico, for your sincere sentiment. I imagine there are enogh Americans around to deal with whatever arises out of that, you might want to spend your emotion elsewhere.

DR

Remember that Iran is getting nuclear power, and you can not do anything to stop them, and Musharraf is getting impeached, and after him there will be an Islamic goovernment (Pakistan has some 50 nukes around)

 

[moon1969]

Russia is accusing president Mikheil Saakashvili of genocide without showing any evidence, without showing any proof to support their accusations. Just look at what Vladimir Putin has done to Chechnya.

 

[Matteo Martini]

World War I
World War II
The centuries of war between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire.
The Thirty Years war
The Napoleonic Wars
The Wars of Spanish Succession
The Seven Years War

All took place in a multi polar power scenario.

Now we have internet.
People of different nations can talk to each other.
Difficult to involve them in a "we must defend our motherland from the bad aggressor" type of rethoric

 

[CapelDodger]

In another thread, this bloody Colonial (the economy, army and navy of which save Brit bacon a few decades back ) suggested that the Durand line is a load of bollocks, and that Pashtunia Irridenta is not an unreasonable position for the Pashtun to take. Why are those lines deemed sacrosanct? You seem sympathetic to that idea.

Similar fun with lines in Africa, of course, if one examines the butcher's bill for the past two generations.

DR

Africa is, of course, the poster-boy of the anti-map school of thought. All those straight-line borders drawn on maps by guys in suits in the 1890's. Come independence, those imperial boundaries became nationalist icons, to be defended beyond reason.

 

[gumboot]

so, What Is All The Fuss For Only 2800 And So People Who Died On Sept. 11?

[nitpick]2998[/nitpick]

 

[gumboot]

Pretty much nobody was happy with the Pax Romana, except for the Romans!!

This is a common myth. Everyone living under the Pax Romana very much preferred it to the alternative - except the slaves of course...

The fall of the Pax Romana saw about 12 million people's lives very rapidly get a lot worse. Those that survived it, that is.

 

[gumboot]

Now we have internet.
People of different nations can talk to each other.
Difficult to involve them in a "we must defend our motherland from the bad aggressor" type of rethoric

You're only reinforcing DR's point - having a single global identity means less conflict than having lots of distinct identities.

 

[CapelDodger]

Russia is accusing president Mikheil Saakashvili of genocide without showing any evidence, without showing any proof to support their accusations

It's only been a week since the war kicked off, so demands for proof are premature (if not ingenuous). Russia is confident enough in their case to have started international legal proceedings. Or not. The situation is very fluid.

Just look at what Vladimir Putin has done to Chechnya.

Are you actually taking the side of Islamist fundamentalists simply because they don't like the Russians? Just how confused can a person be and still function? Is there no limit?

I've yet to see one.

 

[HAL 9000]

It's only been a week since the war kicked off, so demands for proof are premature (if not ingenuous). Russia is confident enough in their case to have started international legal proceedings. Or not. The situation is very fluid.



Are you actually taking the side of Islamist fundamentalists simply because they don't like the Russians? Just how confused can a person be and still function? Is there no limit?

I've yet to see one.

So according to you, all Chechens are Islamic fundamentalists? Is this how you justify the massive crimes being committed by President Ramzan Kadyrov and his private army?

 

[gtc]

Odd, I don't recall posting anything "defending" CapelDodger or anything he's posted. Perhaps you can point me to where I did?

So you aren't concerned about defending him then. That is nice to know.

Here is something else for you to be untroubled by:

It beggars belief, but that's mountain-folk for you. Being pissed-off about something is what they live for.

So according to you, all Chechens are Islamic fundamentalists? Is this how you justify the massive crimes being committed by President Ramzan Kadyrov and his private army?

No. I think his justification is that Untermenschen have it coming.

 

[a_unique_person]

Africa is, of course, the poster-boy of the anti-map school of thought. All those straight-line borders drawn on maps by guys in suits in the 1890's. Come independence, those imperial boundaries became nationalist icons, to be defended beyond reason.

I've been thinking that is why Asia has done so much better. The countries were left mostly intact.

 

[President Bush]

Nah, Bush is too stupid to be frightened.

Well, I dunno. Newt called to tell me everything is quiet in Marietta.

 

[geni]

I've been thinking that is why Asia has done so much better. The countries were left mostly intact.

Yes and no. India for example is pretty much a bunch of seperate countries stuck together.

 

[geni]

So according to you, all Chechens are Islamic fundamentalists?

Not some much these days. Islamic fundimentalism turned out not to be much of a survival trait in that area of late.

Historicaly the chechen have been very islamic though like their neighbours the Ingush (the Ingush might be one of the few group who can beat the chechen when it comes to haveing a bad time in the 20th century).

 

[geni]

Now we have internet.
People of different nations can talk to each other.
Difficult to involve them in a "we must defend our motherland from the bad aggressor" type of rethoric

Experence suggests it gives it a chance to reach a whole new level of pettyness. Refereeing between Japan and Korea on the Liancourt Rocks issue makes you wish for the days of nuclear testing when you could remove the darn things.

 

[geni]

Remember that Iran is getting nuclear power, and you can not do anything to stop them,

Prepared to do to stop them maybe. The west could turn Iran into radioactive glass tomorrow if it felt like it

and Musharraf is getting impeached, and after him there will be an Islamic goovernment (Pakistan has some 50 nukes around)

Doubtful. There are still powerful non-islamic groups in Pakistan (and for various reasons the Islamic parties didn't do too well at the last elections).

 

[geni]

So, Sept. 11 was not a big deal, according to you?

I didn't say that. I said "For a modern war rather a high percentage of the fighting has been between regular forces."

And this is true. Once the fighting proper started both sides focused on conventional militry targets. By the standards of modern warfare the percentage of civlian casulties has been rather low.