• ssu
    8.8k
    Well, Russian population has been for a long time been decreasing, not that it's anything new. But now you have young men a) be killed on the battlefield and b) migrate out of Russia by the hundreds of thousands in fear of being sent to the battlefield. The Russian demographic collapse is a reality. It's just a question how much will the population of Russia will diminish. Will it be 25% or even 50%?

    Russian demographics is really horrible. Just look at the life expectancy, which shows how bad the issue is, especially about the men:

    main-qimg-24a20f79825155c41ab0e582b66ac0bc-pjlq

    The biggest challenge for Russia is to improve male life expectancy, which is starkly lower than the female statistics. Russian males on average live 66 years, whereas Russian females can expect to live 76 years. The reasons for such dismal numbers for males range from high alcohol consumption and smoking to poor healthcare and hygiene habits to dangerous driving and risky behaviors.
    Add to the equation a conventional war, which basically is now killing in weeks the amount that were killed in the Afghanistan war. The huge attrition of the war can be seen in the fact that Ukraine has been protecting it's youngest generations and the Ukrainian soldier is on average very old, from 43-45 years old range, something basically similar to Hitler's Volkstrum. The age that Ukrainian soldiers are conscripted to the war is I think at 25 years old, when a large part have already been have had children.

    Ukrainian soldiers, who look to be in their 40's or older.
    ?size=1.5003750937734&width=1300
  • jorndoe
    3.7k
    :D

    Being very busy at work is not a valid reason, but a lame excuse. You can engage in procreation during breaks, because life flies by too quickly.Yevgeny Shestopalov (Health Minister)

    Typically, offices have rules concerning sexual harassment, not so much about having sex there, let alone promoting it. (Can always grab some children from Ukraine I suppose.)
  • frank
    16.2k
    The reasons for such dismal numbers for males range from high alcohol consumption and smoking to poor healthcare and hygiene habits to dangerous driving and risky behaviors.

    So Russian men basically party full blast until they die. Is that a cultural thing?

    Typically, offices have rules concerning sexual harassment, not so much about having sex there, let alone promoting it. (jorndoe

    I would be fired on the spot for having sex at work.
  • ssu
    8.8k
    So Russian men basically party full blast until they die. Is that a cultural thing?frank
    They don't only party. They drink to forget the reality. Just like with American popping pills and using drugs. Or do you think that all those fentanol use drugs to party full blast until people they die?
    cms-140131-russia-vodka.jpg
    (2014) Russians may toast with the words “Na zdorovie” – "to your health" – but a new study finds that Russian men are often literally drinking themselves to death.

    It shows that Russian men double their risk of dying over the next 20 years by drinking three bottles of vodka a week. It helps explain why Russian men have one of the lowest life expectancies in the world – 64 compared to 76 for U.S. men.

    And vodka production has been a government monopoly for ages. Just like drugs in the US, it has a role in controlling the people. Drug users and alcoholics focus on their addiction and aren't politically active. Which for some political systems is a good thing.

    Only two Russian leaders have tried to curb Russian drinking habits. Both were ousted and the whole nation collapsed in both occasion. No really, first one was Tzar Nicholas II and the second Mihael Gorbachev.

    Now hopefully the younger generations don't drink as the older generations did, but the damage has already been done.

    I would be fired on the spot for having sex at work.frank

    You work in a school, in a kindergarten or are employed by a church? But anyway, government programs that promote people having more children are a bit odd.

  • neomac
    1.4k
    More on "Russian imperialism is just Western mainstream propaganda & russophobia":
    President Tokayev is evidently cognizant of the significant Russian-speaking population in the northern region of Kazakhstan, which harbors the potential for separatist sentiments. Additionally, he is aware of statements made by certain members of the Russian establishment, such as Vyacheslav Nikonov, a Duma deputy, who persists in claiming that Northern Kazakhstan is essentially Siberian territory, populated and developed by Russians, and that its transition to Kazakhstan was arbitrary and unlawful.
    Furthermore, Tokayev is mindful of assertions made by Russian politicians, including President Putin, insinuating that Kazakhstan, along with other post-Soviet states, was artificially created by Lenin to fragment the cohesive Russian empire and appease minority groups. These statements highlight Tokayev’s awareness of external pressures and challenges to Kazakhstan’s territorial integrity and underscore the importance of his diplomatic and political maneuvers to address such concerns.

    (source: https://cacianalyst.org/publications/analytical-articles/item/13798-kazakhstan-resurrects-golden-horde-in-political-messaging.html)
  • ssu
    8.8k
    The artificial states for Putin don't end up with Ukraine. This is why he is a threat... in the end also for the Russian people themselves.
  • jorndoe
    3.7k
    Journalist Samuel Rachlin (at newspaper Berlingske) writes of "The Buffet of the Cannibals".

    The topic, or one topic at least, is whether or not the Clown will follow Putin's example, and snack on things that aren't theirs.

    Things might be looking up in the Middle East at the moment, yet, the current climate leaves a lot to be desired — warring, dis/mal/misinformation, post-truth, political rhetoric (and tirades), tariffs, cancellation of international rules or disregard thereof, anti-democratic forces, instability, moves to divide (and polarize), extremism, ...

    More cannibalism would be a signal to the autocrats of the world (or would-be autocrats): help yourselves to the buffet. Something NATO can help deter, by the way.

    By Rachlin, backsliding has been much too frequent in our time, of which Putin's Russia is an example.

    Europe might want to get together, build sufficient deterrence, stand up for civilized democracy, build strong relationships with, say, Australia, Japan, South Korea, others.


    Ukrainian tragedies

    (I'm using "tragedy" somewhat broadly; also, there are no utopias here.)

    The war kicked off by the Kremlin is a tragedy — destruction, bombing, killing.

    Then there are possible future tragic turns:

    Ukraine falls back under the Kremlin's thumb, dragged thither by Putin's regressive Russia.
    Ukraine becomes a tense border in another cold war.
    Ukraine's supporters throw them under the bus, (cowardly) abandoning promises, appeasing Putin.
    Ukraine becomes a nation of bitterness, hate, mass production of weaponry.

    I suppose there are more possible tragedies, but there are also less tragic possible future turns:

    Ukraine continuing to develop democracy, political reforms compatible with the EU, wouldn't be tragic (if Belarus were to follow a similar path, then that would be a bonus).
    Ukraine leaves Kursk, Russia leaves Ukraine, handshakes and signatures, Russia shall not be attacked from Ukraine, ease up on sanctions, no more sabotage, GPS jamming, downing passenger planes — peace.
  • Mikie
    6.8k
    Trump said he’d end this war on day 1. So already his stupid bullshit is becoming obvious.

    Oh wait — we can’t take him seriously when he talks. It’s just “sarcasm.” Unless 1 out of the 1,000 things he promises actually happens, then he was serious all along and a very stable genius.
  • Tzeentch
    3.9k
    Trump said he’d end this war on day 1.Mikie

    A bit of a cheap gotcha, but ok.

    Let's say he ends the war in 100 days, as the Trump administration now says it intends, what then?

    Apparently all weapon shipments to Ukraine have been halted for the next 90 days.
  • Mikie
    6.8k
    Let's say he ends the war in 100 days, as the Trump administration now says it intends, what then?Tzeentch

    Not going to happen, but if it did I’d praise the move.

    I can’t see it happening because I don’t imagine Trump will agree to Russian terms regarding annexed territory, or NATO. Maybe there’s a 5% chance or so.
  • neomac
    1.4k
    As I wrote a while back, the problem the West must face is that if rising anti-Western regimes do not evolve into more Western-style liberal democracies, the West may feel compelled to adopt the characteristics of these anti-Western, militarized authoritarian regimes in order to balance the asymmetry. Meanwhile, nationalist and religious motivations, as well as propaganda, are likely to take precedence over universal human rights motivations and/or propaganda. Imperial ambitions may also become more openly territorial, which AT BEST could lead to a form of agreed-upon, stable (?) spheres of influence. In this scenario, minority groups and non-hegemonic states will likely face oppression, exploitation, or will be used to serve the interests of the dominant powers one way or another through local populist bootlickers.

    Trump seems to be reasoning along these lines:

    • If Russia can make territorial claims over Ukraine and China can do the same with Taiwan, then the U.S. could claim territories like Greenland, Panama, or even Canada.
    • If Russia commits genocide or ethnic cleansing in Ukraine, and China does the same against the Uyghurs, then Israel can act similarly in Palestine.
    • If Russia and China can leverage economic pressure or political division to exploit Europe against the U.S., the U.S. can retaliate in the same way against Russia and China.
    • If Russia and China reject green agreements, the U.S. can do the same.
    • If China exploits Russia to counterbalance the U.S., the U.S. can attempt to exploit Russia against China.
    • If Russia and China promote nationalism or religious extremism to advance their geopolitical agendas, the U.S. can follow the same path.
    • If Russia and China adopt protectionist policies against the GAFAM (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft), the U.S. can similarly oppose China’s technologies and Russia’s attempts to exploit them against the West the US.

    And so on.
  • neomac
    1.4k
    What the pro-Russian self-entitled nobodies, expert on military, economics, international law, geopolitics, propaganda, morality, etc. in this thread systematically and hypocritically failed to acknowledge is the fact that the Pax Americana MATERIALLY BENEFITED the rise of China, Russia and Europe at the expense of the US WAAAAAAAY MORE than any alleged Western provocations have MATERIALLY DAMAGED China, Russia, and Europe in favour of the US.
    That is why the accusations of the Western/America/NATO provocations are OBJECTIVELY questionable. And that is why the MAGA propaganda is so popular in the US.
    Let’s see how much those people in the West (especially in Europe) and in the Rest who despised the American Imperialism under the Pax Americana will like American imperialism after rejecting the Pax Americana.
  • ssu
    8.8k
    What is helpful for Ukraine is new technology that has given it the chance to hit back at Russia in a way before only was possible if you could have a strategic air arm and had at least partial air supremacy.



    What is encouraging is that Ukraine is becoming very good at this old-new form of unmanned air war and a home-grown industry is taking shape.
  • Tzeentch
    3.9k
    'Dishonest' to suggest Ukraine could have fully defeated Russia, retake Crimea, Rubio says (The Kyiv Independent, 2025)

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced Moscow's aggression in Ukraine but said it was "dishonest" to claim Kyiv was capable of destroying Russia on the battlefield and returning to the pre-2014 state of affairs, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview published on Jan. 30.

    The U.S. official acknowledged that Russian President Vladimir Putin carried out "atrocities" and "horrible things" as part of his invasion of Ukraine but voiced doubts about Kyiv's prospects for a complete military victory.

    "But what the dishonesty that has existed is that we somehow led people to believe that Ukraine would be able, not just to defeat Russia, but destroy (Putin), push him all the way back to what the world looked like in 2012 or 2014 before the Russians took Crimea," Rubio said on the Megyn Kelly Show.

    Rubio stopped one sentence short of finishing his thought, because of course these lies weren't propagated "somehow" - they were part of a deliberate propaganda campaign designed to instrumentalize the Ukrainian people, to have them refuse diplomacy and instead willingly throw themselves against Washington's former archrival Russia in a battle that couldn't be won.

    Notice how when it is said outloud today, it doesn't (or at least shouldn't) sound controversial, even though a year ago it would have been complete and utter heresy.

    Isn't propaganda a funny thing?

    Team realism scores again.
  • neomac
    1.4k
    Some more deliberate propaganda campaign designed to abandon the Ukrainian people, to have them accept surrender and willingly throw themselves at Ukrainian's Russia' feet in a battle that couldn't be won by Russia.
    Isn't propaganda a funny thing? Notice how when it was said outloud yesterday, it didn't (or at least shouldn't) have sound controversial, even though now it's complete and utter heresy.
    Isn't propaganda a funny thing? And then they call it "realism".
  • ssu
    8.8k
    :100: :up:

    With the realism you argue for, Finland never would have made it against the Soviet Union. We would have suffered the part like the Baltic States, that accepted "diplomacy". And luckily the Ukrainians have understood to defend their country and not surrender, which some "realists" have long argued for.

    Actual realism is that Putin will accept a negotiated peace/ceasefire if he faces a real possibility of military defeat. Nothing else.
  • Tzeentch
    3.9k
    Actual realism is that Putin will accept a negotiated peace/ceasefire if he faces a real possibility of military defeat.ssu

    Only if it's a realistic possibility, which it isn't. The US and Europe are and never were going to risk WW3 over Ukraine.

    The US Secretary of State just outright admitted it.

    But by all means keep denying what is obvious. You've spent 582 pages being wrong, so why not add a couple more?
  • neomac
    1.4k
    What is obvious is that if Russia is going to risk WW3 over Ukraine, Russia is an existential threat to the EU and NATO. You've spent 582 pages being wrong, so why not add a couple more?

    "The US Secretary of State just outright admitted it"... oh interesting, if Biden says Ukraine can win is propaganda, if Trump says Ukraine can't win is not propaganda.
  • neomac
    1.4k
    If we agree that exactly ALL politicians are compelled to conceal/misreport/state facts to the extent it is instrumental to their political agenda, then it's just some more propaganda to accuse one politician to spin propaganda and not the others.
  • neomac
    1.4k
    Oh and let's not forget about this screaming monkey accusing others of being Palestinian genocide apologetic in the other thread, that he's a Ukrainian genocide apologetic in this thread.
  • ssu
    8.8k
    Only if it's a realistic possibility, which it isn't. The US and Europe are and never were going to risk WW3 over Ukraine.Tzeentch
    What do you know, nuclear deterrence works.

    Supplying arms to one side isn't going to war. Never has been. And that supplying arms has been the issue. For the 582 pages, if you have not noticed.
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