Merged Ukraine erupts in riots and general strike.

[spin0]

If they organize any demonstrations, they will take the line of "EU/US Hands of Ukraine" or some such, not "Russia out of Ukraine." If they try to organize such a demonstration (and I expect that they will), virtually nobody will show, because nobody else agrees with that nonsense.

TBF not all are acting like useful idiots. There has been demonstrations near Russian embassies across Europe protesting Russia's military invasion of Ukraine - for example in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland.

Usually I'm not into Hitler caricatures - except when they're apt. Appeasement can only go so far as learned with Sudetenland.

Citites have also lit buildings in Ukrainian blue and yellow to show solidarity. Arad city hall in Romania:

Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw:

In Sofia they famously love to paint the horrible Red Army monument with often humorous themes, but now its carrying Ukrainian colours:

Of course, it doesn't change much but I like it.

 

[MattusMaximus]

How many "nutters"? Can you name them? Me. CE a bit. Wow. What's going on? It's Saturday over here. Guess it must be the day we cash our checks from HIM. We can suddenly buy new evidence and logic you have to actively ignore all over again.

You do know this forum isn't the entire internet, right?

 

[spin0]

spin: what does it matter, what hardware they are using? Looks to me that whomever is sending the soldiers into a tense situation is equipping them to do what soldiers do.
Why would they not?

You're absolutely correct, it doesn't really matter. Just posted it as a curiosity, and perhaps as a reference for possible future use if more troops without insignia needs identification.

ETA: And it also shows how the earlier incident which happened before the Russian media was an all Russian ballet performing.

 

[crescent]

Yup, Russia's state controlled media has been publishing and broadcasting blatant lies regarding Ukraine since November, and now they have gone to a new level..

Unfortunately, it seems like the Russian propaganda is working, at least on the Russian people. Putin is going into this with widespread support from his own nation.

Crimea is, and will continue to be under Russian control; Ukraine will never get it back. Kharkiv will probably be the flashpoint now. I think Putin will get that, too.

Ideally the nations of the former Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact would get together and send some token military forces, to signal to Putin that harsh action would broaden the conflict. I think those eastern nations would be able to make a morally stronger point than if the western nations did it. The Russian propaganda has Russian people convinced that the east block wants back into Russia's embrace, a military show, even if only for show could counteract some of that propaganda.

They will not do that, of course. Nobody will do much of anything. Germany could restart its nuke reactors to reduce its need for Russian gas - but they won't do that. The Poles, Czecks and other nations once subjugated by Russia will complain bitterly, but keep buying the Russian exports and they will not send a single bullet, penny, or soldier to help Ukraine.

Maye the US and other western nations will suspend Russia from the G8 for a few months. I can't see that affecting Russia much, and it won't happen until it has been debated over for a few weeks, when it will be too late. We might as well bomb them with paper airplanes.

I think we all know the general way this will turn out, the only question is just how much of Eastern Ukraine will be annexed by Russia, and how much damage Western Ukraine will suffer in the process.

It is a frustrating thing to watch.

 

[dudalb]

People need to remember that the current situation represents an abject failure of Putin's foreign policy. Several months back when Yanukovych rejected the EU deal in favour of ties with Moscow that looked like a major win for Putin. Now he's scrambling to save face and salvage what he can. What really makes Putin dangerous is that isn't as clever as he (or a number of commentators) think he is.

I am concerned that although he started playing the Russian Nationalism card for political puposes, he seems to have fallen for his own propaganda.
As for "Russia and Her Slav Brothers" is that most of the "Slav Brothers" are afraid, with damn good reason, of Russia. The SLav Brothers almost always get the short end of the stick when under Russian rule.Forget the Ukranians, ask the Poles about that.

The irony is that Putin's actions do seem to be turning the West against him.

 

[dudalb]

Unfortunately, it seems like the Russian propaganda is working, at least on the Russian people. Putin is going into this with widespread support from his own nation.

Crimea is, and will continue to be under Russian control; Ukraine will never get it back. Kharkiv will probably be the flashpoint now. I think Putin will get that, too.

Ideally the nations of the former Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact would get together and send some token military forces, to signal to Putin that harsh action would broaden the conflict. I think those eastern nations would be able to make a morally stronger point than if the western nations did it. The Russian propaganda has Russian people convinced that the east block wants back into Russia's embrace, a military show, even if only for show could counteract some of that propaganda.

They will not do that, of course. Nobody will do much of anything. Germany could restart its nuke reactors to reduce its need for Russian gas - but they won't do that. The Poles, Czecks and other nations once subjugated by Russia will complain bitterly, but keep buying the Russian exports and they will not send a single bullet, penny, or soldier to help Ukraine.

Maye the US and other western nations will suspend Russia from the G8 for a few months. I can't see that affecting Russia much, and it won't happen until it has been debated over for a few weeks, when it will be too late. We might as well bomb them with paper airplanes.

I think we all know the general way this will turn out, the only question is just how much of Eastern Ukraine will be annexed by Russia, and how much damage Western Ukraine will suffer in the process.

It is a frustrating thing to watch.

Yeah, we can now call RUssia andother failed democracy.

 

[dudalb]

TBF not all are acting like useful idiots. There has been demonstrations near Russian embassies across Europe protesting Russia's military invasion of Ukraine - for example in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland.

[qimg]http://i.imgur.com/mllCmBT.jpg[/qimg]
Usually I'm not into Hitler caricatures - except when they're apt. Appeasement can only go so far as learned with Sudetenland.

Citites have also lit buildings in Ukrainian blue and yellow to show solidarity. Arad city hall in Romania:
[qimg]http://i.imgur.com/bPUe6WX.jpg[/qimg]

Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw:
[qimg]http://i.imgur.com/UNUcqsH.jpg[/qimg]


In Sofia they famously love to paint the horrible Red Army monument with often humorous themes, but now its carrying Ukrainian colours:
[qimg]http://i.imgur.com/p0XByTy.jpg[/qimg]

Of course, it doesn't change much but I like it.

A Stalin type mustache on that photo of Putin would have been a even better choice.

 

[L.Y.S.]

TBF not all are acting like useful idiots. There has been demonstrations near Russian embassies across Europe protesting Russia's military invasion of Ukraine - for example in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland.

In other words nations with an axe to grind.

On the other hand Germany, the EU's largest member, is apprehensive about involvement in Ukraine. Their tax payers already seem to be footing the bill for bail out recoveries in many ailing European nations.

Germany being one of Russia's main trading partners, has incredible sway over the situation. If they remain mute on the issue it could certainly prove to be advantageous to Russia.

 

[trustbutverify]

TBF not all are acting like useful idiots. There has been demonstrations near Russian embassies across Europe protesting Russia's military invasion of Ukraine - for example in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland

Yea, it's no surprise these populations see common cause with Maiden. Those people really are anti-imperialists, by necessity. The international order of "anti-imperialists", however, has a different set of priorities.

 

[spin0]

In other words nations with an axe to grind.
On the other hand Germany, the EU's largest member, is apprehensive about involvement in Ukraine. Their tax payers already seem to be footing the bill for bail out recoveries in many ailing European nations.

Uhm... they're demonstrating against military invasion of a sovereign country. You know, the one that's happening right now. By an authoritarian regime. You seem to see no problem with that as to even protest against it means there must be "an axe to grind" behind such objection.

 

[spin0]

Yea, it's no surprise these populations see common cause with Maiden. Those people really are anti-imperialists, by necessity. The international order of "anti-imperialists", however, has a different set of priorities.

True that.

 

[trustbutverify]

Outstanding piece. Fisking "Stop the War"

“STOP the War” is a coalition of British left-wing groups established in 2001 to campaign against the Iraq War. The organisation has often been accused of being sympathetic towards (or at least, conspicuously quiet about) despotic foreign leaders with the good grace to be non-Western. Its response to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis, issued earlier today, does little to rebut that criticism. In it, Lindsey German, the group’s convenor, sets out ten things to remember about the current crisis. The list is reproduced below, with your correspondent’s comments.

 

[dudalb]

Uhm... they're demonstrating against military invasion of a sovereign country. You know, the one that's happening right now. By an authoritarian regime. You seem to see no problem with that as to even protest against it means there must be "an axe to grind" behind such objection.

I guess "We don't want the bad old days when we under Russian Rule" equals "having an Ax To Grind" in L.Y.S's world.

 

[dudalb]

True that.

All to often "Anti Imperialism" equals "Anti Western Democracy""Anti Captialism" and "We really want to bring bacc Communism,but this time we will do it right".

 

[L.Y.S.]

Widen your field of view a bit. Vlad Putin is the leader of a Power. He doesn't confine his aims and goals to his own territory, nor just the nearby locale.

spin: what does it matter, what hardware they are using? Looks to me that whomever is sending the soldiers into a tense situation is equipping them to do what soldiers do.

Why would they not?

So now Putin's gonna steamroll into Turkey? Greece? Or maybe all the newly acquired former Warsaw Pact EU countries? Let's get real. Russia isn't getting past the 12 non-Baltic Republics of the Former Soviet Union. To do so would instantly risk war with NATO. Warfare beyond the 12 republics is not a realistic option by any measure. Mere fear mongering is what your post largely consists of.

People fail to realize that Putin is simply picking up where Gorbachev left off.

 

[trustbutverify]

I guess "We don't want the bad old days when we under Russian Rule" equals "having an Ax To Grind" in L.Y.S's world.

Apparently. Seems to me those people have an important perspective on this situation, which, at the very least, deserves to be taken seriously.

 

[L.Y.S.]

I guess "We don't want the bad old days when we under Russian Rule" equals "having an Ax To Grind" in L.Y.S's world.

And I guess "we don't want the bad old days when the west used to pillage our land and treat us like serfs" equals "being anti-western" in dudalb's world.

All to often "Anti Imperialism" equals "Anti Western Democracy""Anti Captialism" and "We really want to bring bacc Communism,but this time we will do it right".

Who is advocating for the return of communism and anti democracy but a small handful?

 

[L.Y.S.]

Uhm... they're demonstrating against military invasion of a sovereign country. You know, the one that's happening right now. By an authoritarian regime. You seem to see no problem with that as to even protest against it means there must be "an axe to grind" behind such objection.

Please show me the outspoken rhetoric of Germany's leaders and the "overwhelming" amount of protest from the general populace. Please show me.

If anything, it seems that German leaders are tap dancing around the issue without really saying much. You seem to take their soft rhetoric as outrage at the situation.

 

[spin0]

Please show me the outspoken rhetoric of Germany's leaders and the "overwhelming" amount of protest from the general populace. Please show me.

Firstly, word "overwhelming" does not appear in my post so you're misquoting me. Secondly, it should be perfectly clear that I was referring to the protesters themselves, not German leadership. Thirdly, your request is completely irrelevant to anything I wrote.

 

[spin0]

Outstanding piece. Fisking "Stop the War"

A very good read. Didn't know the western anti-imperialists were that far detached from reality until I read Ms Lindsey German's list. Sobering reading experience indeed.