World Politics

[Buffalo Soldier]

Because reality.

The reality being that its Black Sea fleet is based there with a heavy infrastructure and 15,000 men...and has been for many years. Sevastopol has become even more important since Russia was forced to stop using the naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus as result of the country’s civil war.

Moscow has sought to convert Novorossiysk, a city on Russia’s Black Sea coast which is already the country’s largest commercial port, into a full-scale naval base. But while the Russian navy has started using the port for smaller naval vessels and a supply point, this is still at an embryonic stage.

Bluntly, they need that base for strategic reasons and it has shown this recently during the Georgia war, Libya and also for Russian resupply to Syria.

I'm sorry, but I really don't get it. Russia has plenty of other borders with the black sea. What big strategical difference does the Crimea make?

 

[The Hitch]

the bolded part of your quote is the key difference btwn the british colonialism and the american arrogant neo-colonialism. simply put, you fellas managed to leave behind the english speaking, common law world, that by and large, has sought to emulate you and, whats more important, aint embarrassed to demonstrate its british roots everywhere - from their flags to culture to mentality...some former colonies are, of course, still grumbling but no more

the us, otoh, has managed before itself becoming a real nation, to pyss off half the world.

lol what? Wow that tinfoil hat you wear must be really effective.

Leave your nuclear proof steel enforced basement for a second, go down to the airport and take a plane to any country in the world. Roll a dice if you can't think of one. Land there, and then tell me if you can go 10 seconds without walking past a Mcdonalds or Starbucks, hearing the latest American rap tune pumping out of shop windows or seeing an advert for the latest Hollywood blockbuster. Tell me if you even come across people who don't speak English at some communicative capacity. Tell me if you meet anyone who wouldn't in a heartbeat sell everything they own for a green card. There are 500 million people on facebook, when an American celebrity dies it makes the front page in every country on the planet, when eminem or whoever goes on tour, he sells out stadiums in every major city in the world despite the fact that the only appeal of his music - the slanged lyrics, mean less than nothing to most people who will go see him.

14 of the top 15 highest grossing films in my country are American. At the moment 19 of the top 20 songs are American and the one that isn't is the English version of a Latin song. And my country has one of the lowest % of English speakers in the entire EU (no not England)

If you think US power isn't heavily ingraining itself on the culture of every country in the world, and that countries that fall or have fallen under the American "empire" don't feel that legacy every single day, you are deluding yourself massively.

And its clearly a concequence of wishing the world were different but being unable to handle the truth. There are a lot of things about this world I don't like but I don't deny their existence just because it would make me happier. Stand like a man and deal with things you don't like, rather than doing what one of your heroes - Leonid, did and close the blinds to pretend the train isn't moving.

And ps, any apologist for the British empire should be taken about as seriously as someone who thinks they have found proof through obscure Russian language blog reports, that Obama ordered the shooting down over the airplane over Ukraine as part of some grand new world conspiracy

 

[Amsterhammer]

the virulent hypocrite and very visibly so is you. Any one willing to revisit the issue, can page back and see that the issue i raised was NOT how many times you were banned, but that because you wished an ultimate fate to a poster who disagreed with you, you barely survived a life long ban.

Thus fella, i do not wish to share my personal details over internet with such unbalanced types. That you missed my residence yet tried to pin it as my fault re my opinion in politics says everything one needs to know about a self righteous demagogue you are.

Yes, i file you under the worthless, pretentious american who can be taken out of america but whose peculiar brand of arrogance cant be masked.

I presume that English is your third language, since your cognitive reading skills are still pretty undeveloped. You raised my one and only ban for no other reason except as an insult. I pointed out that I was sure you have had many more bans than I have, and that therefore raising the subject was rather hypocritical on your part.

I made no comment whatsoever in any way relating the fact that you live in NYC (which I hadn't even noticed) to any of your opinions. You thinking that seems to reinforce my opinion that you are a delusional dilettante. You calling me a "demagogue" really made me LOL, and absolutely nails the fact that your head inhabits a very strange, confused, and lonely place.

 

[ChrisE]

Do I need to go and research how many times you've been banned, or will you just stand up and admit to being a hypocrite?

.'

Word.

He got banned when I called him out for lying about what was in the LA SCA deposition. He busted a spring and started attacking me and got whacked.

I used to respect and value python's opinion, but since then he has no credibility. He has not credibility on this russian crap. Now he is partisan about the typical russian BS that is a constant thru history. War mongering vermine. Like I wrote earlier, we should have turned Patton loose on that *** after WWII and let him kick that commie *** all the way back to Siberia. Then we could talk about other things like bike racing.

 

[ChrisE]

Anecdote, but horrendous nevertheless:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/26/world/europe/russia-ukraine.html?_r=1

Of course, I'm sure that on the other side, equally horrible things happen.

WTF is this a picture of? It looks like Saturday night at the Mcdonalds in Lufkin..

 

[Amsterhammer]

Word.

He got banned when I called him out for lying about what was in the LA SCA deposition. He busted a spring and started attacking me and got whacked.

I used to respect and value python's opinion, but since then he has no credibility. He has not credibility on this russian crap. Now he is partisan about the typical russian BS that is a constant thru history. War mongering vermine. Like I wrote earlier, we should have turned Patton loose on that *** after WWII and let him kick that commie *** all the way back to Siberia. Then we could talk about other things like bike racing.

Man, talk about coincidence! Haven't seen you around for ages....your name just came up in a PM I read just before I came in here...and saw your post. How are they hangin' down there in Tejas? You been good?

 

[Amsterhammer]

.....an astonishing amount of insight and common sense.....

A sincere tip of the hat for that excellent post!

 

[python]

You raised my one and only ban

i do speak many languages. thanks. i presume that your reading ability is better than you lead us to believe. no one, read again, no one COUNTED your bans vs mine. your only ban regarding wishing a forum member to die because he disagreed with you was the subject. it is a fact still easily verifiable and it was enough for me.

the topic also was - your public demand to me to disclose my ethnic background in response to you not liking my opinion and thus accusing me of some secret intentions.

to which i reasonably responded, that unbalanced psychos with a history likes yours, that is, being banned for wishing death to a poster for being disagreeable, aren't on the list of priorities regarding my personal details.

that's all i told you, champ

again, only an unbalanced, confused, angry demagogue would comment on a city i live in because i never mentioned it in any of my posts. certainty not to you, champ. not only you don't exude my trust to deserve such details, but mainly because it has nothing to do with my opinions.

in one word, you invent stuff or pursue such low tactics as associating a person's opinion with his background to ridicule an opinion.

sorry champ, this is not narrow-minded, as i thought before, rather, small minded. intellectually limited, in fact.

next time you bring the subject, i will quote your own words.

 

[patricknd]

WTF is this a picture of? It looks like Saturday night at the Mcdonalds in Lufkin..

can't be Lufkin. there's only one rifle and neither of the women is wearing a tube top.

 

[patricknd]

Word.

He got banned when I called him out for lying about what was in the LA SCA deposition. He busted a spring and started attacking me and got whacked.

I used to respect and value python's opinion, but since then he has no credibility. He has not credibility on this russian crap. Now he is partisan about the typical russian BS that is a constant thru history. War mongering vermine. Like I wrote earlier, we should have turned Patton loose on that *** after WWII and let him kick that commie *** all the way back to Siberia. Then we could talk about other things like bike racing.

they never listen to the great ones

 

[Amsterhammer]

i do speak many languages. thanks. i presume that your reading ability is better than you lead us to believe. no one, read again, no one COUNTED your bans vs mine. your only ban regarding wishing a forum member to die because he disagreed with you was the subject. it is a fact still easily verifiable and it was enough for me.

the topic also was - your public demand to me to disclose my ethnic background in response to you not liking my opinion and thus accusing me of some secret intentions.

to which i reasonably responded, that unbalanced psychos with a history likes yours, that is, being banned for wishing death to a poster for being disagreeable, aren't on the list of priorities regarding my personal details.

that's all i told you, champ

again, only an unbalanced, confused, angry demagogue would comment on a city i live in because i never mentioned it in any of my posts. certainty not to you, champ. not only you don't exude my trust to deserve such details, but mainly because it has nothing to do with my opinions.

in one word, you invent stuff or pursue such low tactics as associating a person's opinion with his background to ridicule an opinion.

sorry champ, this is not narrow-minded, as i thought before, rather, small minded. intellectually limited, in fact.

next time you bring the subject, i will quote your own words.

Dude, it is very evident that I am not the only one to have come to the conclusion that you are stark, raving, mad loon, who gratuitously distorts, baits and insults. Apropos "unbalanced psychos", I understand that you have left a long trail of enemies behind you on various other forums too. The reactions of others here to you also reinforce the conviction that "unbalanced psychos" should not be lobbing rocks out of their own glass houses.

I did not "demand" anything from you. I "asked". Again, you are hallucinating about some comment you think I made about NYC. I never commented on NYC since I didn't know you live there until earlier today. I could care less where you live, I only originally asked because I wondered if you lived in Eastern Europe. Judging by your responses, you're also obviously a very insecure individual, and more than a little paranoid. In truth, you are beneath my contempt. I'm done with you.

 

[python]

lol what? Wow

you just wasted a lot of band width ranting. not the 1st time.

no one whitewashed the british colonialism nor diminished the current influence and power of the us, rather, how the subjects of the british empire felt long after the empire disintegrated vs the political treatment the us is getting in the world outside nato and the eu. you need to be willfully blind, to deny that the us has been the major reason for most recent needless wars and the suffering of millions...those living on the receiving end of those wars dont care how many american movies thehitch has watched.

the other half of the world has evolved sufficiently to rebel against the unfair and arrogant military power, against the unfair advantage of dollar, against hypocritical bully tactics.

the brits were every bit as exploitative, they just showed more class and thus remained more successful for longer.

 

[patricknd]

The lying hypocrisy of the Russians is starting to take on laughable proportions. Russia still officially denies any involvement whatsoever, while Russian soldiers have been captured 25 kms inside Ukraine - they 'got lost' according to Moscow.

Meanwhile, they have opened a second front along the Sea of Azov, as a separatist commander admits that Russian soldiers are fighting with his forces, but that they are "volunteers" who are "on leave" from the Russian army. Oh, that's alright then.

It's completely believable that they got lost, probably using crappy Russian GPS units. When will they learn to Buy American?

 

[python]

Dude, it is very evident that I am not the only one .

the angry, insecure loon emerging from your last post is obvious. why would else you resort to 'others'. yes, because the facts of your posting hurt the thin psyche of yours. the rest of your incoherent babble shall be addressed with your own quotes...

Anyone on a board like this who deliberately refuses to share even the most basic information - as all of us who have been here for years have done - clearly has something to hide

to which i reasonably responded, according to the rules of the forum, it is my preference considering the Internets....

secrecy about ... residence is someone whose motives are highly suspect.

to which i simply stated that you missed i mentioned several times i currently live in the us. to fault me for your own miss was clearly strange. besides, why did you care ? what had it got to do with the opinion i expressed..?.yes, i also mentioned that you survived a life-long ban for wishing death to a poster who dared to disagree with you. a very rare occurrence indeed even in the Internets. thus i was unwilling to share my personal info with a person who managed to work up himself to such an irrational rage.... the object of the rage did not appreciate that, the mods did not....

it is a fact easily verifiable from the feedback forum search. deal with it. again, nothing to do with the # of my bans. everything to do with WHAT YOU WERE BANNED FOR. quality, not quantity.

that you took this simple matter as far as it got tells me you are a thin-skinned, self righteous poster. otherwise, you probably are a regular, insignificant, decent human in real life.

as to how many friends i have, vs what you wish to exploit to advance your own sins, well, not only i dont care about any internet friends or foes, i pity those like yourself bringing it up as an argument. hollow it seems.

 

[The Hitch]

you just wasted a lot of band width ranting. not the 1st time.

no one whitewashed the british colonialism nor diminished the current influence and power of the us, rather, how the subjects of the british empire felt long after the empire disintegrated vs the political treatment the us is getting in the world outside nato and the eu. you need to be willfully blind, to deny that the us has been the major reason for most recent needless wars and the suffering of millions...those living on the receiving end of those wars dont care how many american movies thehitch has watched.

the other half of the world has evolved sufficiently to rebel against the unfair and arrogant military power, against the unfair advantage of dollar, against hypocritical bully tactics.

the brits were every bit as exploitative, they just showed more class and thus remained more successful for longer.

You clearly aren't applying any logic here, just pure emotion. I mean for one you say the British empire lasted longer, but then admit the US empire isn't over. So how can you know it lasted longer if the US empire hasn't actually come to an end yet

You totally ignore what the discussion is actually about (cultural effect of an empire, after you truimphuntly delusionaly tried to deny the US has massive cultural power around the world) to talk about "millions suffering" and wars which has nothing to do with what I responded to. In either case millions suffered under the British Empire, actually way more than so far under the US, so the distinction is lost on me. What you seem to be saying is that its good to die against Britain or Russia or any other power, but bad to die against the US.

And aside from the offensive portrayal of the British empire and the idea that it had "class" (go read some history books ffs), you then suggest that it lasted longer because of "class". You do realize the British Empire (like every empire) thought wars to protect their interests and keep the empire from declining What did the British do when India rebelled, exchanged pleasantries, sipped tea tipped their hats and conceded the country in gentelmanly style
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/aug/24/india.randeepramesh
Is that what you mean by "class"

You are basically admitting you have no moral code, just hate the US for some reason but excuse everyone else. Which tbf we all already knew.

 

[laurel1969]

I'm sorry, but I really don't get it. Russia has plenty of other borders with the black sea. What big strategical difference does the Crimea make?

Its more a question of the infrastructure already being in place. But Sevastopol has a natural warm water harbour. Probably the best in the area. There are other strategic reasons why Russia was more than happy to nab the Crimea. It puts more pressure on the Ukraine, and as we have seen has encouraged pro-Russian separists further west in the country to take up arms. Ironically, despite the angry rhetoric from the West, closer uniin with the west is off the agenda for now. It was also pretty easy pickings for Russia as the population of Crimea were, for the most part, welcoming.

As ever, an action like this has several drivers. Maintaining the ability of the Russians to project naval power in the Black sea and beyond as well as trying to keep Ukraine within its sphere of influence.

 

[python]

You clearly aren't applying any logic here, .

another waste of the band width...i said nothing you purported. i said, the british empire lasted longer because it is obvious to anyone with a view less delusional than your own, that the us power and influence is on the decline. a fact. i never said i see the end but the british empire has not declined after the first 60 years. you can do better.

 

[python]

Its more a question of the infrastructure already being in place. But Sevastopol has a natural warm water harbour. Probably the best in the area. There are other strategic reasons why Russia was more than happy to nab the Crimea. It puts more pressure on the Ukraine, and as we have seen has encouraged pro-Russian separists further west in the country to take up arms. Ironically, despite the angry rhetoric from the West, closer uniin with the west is off the agenda for now. It was also pretty easy pickings for Russia as the population of Crimea were, for the most part, welcoming.

As ever, an action like this has several drivers. Maintaining the ability of the Russians to project naval power in the Black sea and beyond as well as trying to keep Ukraine within its sphere of influence.

i agree more or less, but the annexation was much more dramatic than the purely strategic calculation. it was, in fact a desperation move, likely pulled out of a long contingency box in case ukraine had joined nato. as we know, ukraine is long way from the nato membership, yet putin snapped...

by annexing ukraine, putin had deliberately chosen a risky gamble. to face the combined west reaction and the almost 50-million nation as his long term enemies, vs the immediate benefit.. his strategic calculations may still prove mistaken. i think the objective strategic value of the crimea was secondary to his annoyance with nato and the west advancing into their zone of influence.

we shall see. he also may have counted on the 'injection' of 2 mln of ethnic slavic people into a country with fast growing muslim population.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

When Russia annexed Crimea they overstepped a boundary that has been asummed to be unbreachable.

When and where did that happen?
Last time I checked, Krim people decided to join Russia on free will.

OTOH, what happens if you are "protected" against your will, you see it in the rest of Ukraine.

So instead to repeat the lies and nonsense you get from reading one sided press, better start thinking yourself... Thanks in advance.

P.S.: I am always shocked how easy people fall for western propaganda lies again and again and again... OMG.

 

[rhubroma]

I think Cold "war" is the operative word here. This was not supposed to happen in the post cold war era in Europe. When Russia annexed Crimea they overstepped a boundary that has been asummed to be unbreachable.

This means Russias neigbors can no longer feel protected by international law and especially the OSCE framework. Think Norway, Finland, Turkey, Baltics, Poland, Slovakia, Romania. Not to mention Georgia,Armenia etc.

It means that any contract signed with the Russian state is worthless if the Russians don't want to honor it. The whole framework on which trade and mutual relations are built upon are worthless.

If Russia wants to play the cold war "game" again it forces EU/Nato and it's Neighbors to do the same. Imagine the defense budgets going up in Europe. Where is the money going to come from? Taxes or cuts to services etc.?

Russian children are tought at school that Russia began at Kiev, when SS. Cyril and Methodius Christianized the region and invented Slavic literature.

Hence, the idea that the former Soviet Union "overstepped its bounds" depends upon which histroical analysis one takes. The West, in this sense, once agian, has failed to estimate the longue durée consequences of cultural genesis.

 

[Amsterhammer]

When and where did that happen?
Last time I checked, Krim people decided to join Russia on free will.

If you can seriously write the above with a straight face, then no rational dialogue is possible.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

If you can seriously write the above with a straight face, then no rational dialogue is possible.

Why?
Because I do what the late Scholl-Latour did: Middling the propaganda from both sides, and firm a rational opinion? And while doing that I ask the right questions: Who started the putsch in Ukraine, who financed it, who benefits from it, who prolonged it to become a civil war...
I think it´s a better way than to just repeat what MSM feeds the people.

 

[python]

If you can seriously write the above with a straight face, then no rational dialogue is possible.

pls, let us know where and when you were capable of a rational dialogue about ukraine...

wait, yeah, i just recalled when you called one side to a conflict drunks and scum. what a great start to a rational dialogue

Why?
I ask the right questions: Who started the putsch in Ukraine, who financed it, who benefits from it, who prolonged it to become a civil war...
I think it´s a better way than to just repeat what MSM feeds the people.

excellent questions that would appear a good start to a rational discussion.

of course, one has to offer certain objective facts to start the rational discussion.

i'd reason, that questioning the discussants ethnic background and their place of living would be least rational way to start...

 

[blackcat]

Dude, it is very evident that I am not the only one to have come to the conclusion that you are stark, raving, mad loon, who gratuitously distorts, baits and insults. Apropos "unbalanced psychos", I understand that you have left a long trail of enemies behind you on various other forums too. The reactions of others here to you also reinforce the conviction that "unbalanced psychos" should not be lobbing rocks out of their own glass houses.

I did not "demand" anything from you. I "asked". Again, you are hallucinating about some comment you think I made about NYC. I never commented on NYC since I didn't know you live there until earlier today. I could care less where you live, I only originally asked because I wondered if you lived in Eastern Europe. Judging by your responses, you're also obviously a very insecure individual, and more than a little paranoid. In truth, you are beneath my contempt. I'm done with you.

i vouch by python. respected poster on a few other fora.

 

[blackcat]

it aint the first proxy war by the soviets and the yanks, and NATO as trojan horse

this is of of rumsfeld's unknowable unknowables. heck, i reckon james baker and kissinger are still in the dark