Obviously, Zelensky is a professional actor, but unless this is some kind of US-UK deception, it looks like Zelensky – or the oligarchs behind him – has more sense than some “philosophers” on here. — Apollodorus
Would you still support Russia if they escalate and detonate a tactical nuke in Ukraine? — RogueAI
You didn't just say 'a' bite, you said "one bit at a time" as if it were a process inevitably ending in the subsuming of all Ukraine. I'm just saying there's no evidence that's going to happen. On the table is a Russian Crimea and an independent Donetsk and Luhansk and no membership of NATO. — Isaac
If you want to avoid the issue, yes. The point is that you simply assume the choice is between authoritarian oppression and a some kind of hippy love-in version of Enlightenment era Europe. We have nothing but your speculation to support this, you've not provided a shred of evidence, nor cited a single informed analyst. — Isaac
No, they won't. They'll get better.
See how this whole citation thing works. We could go on like this forever... or you could cite someone with actual expertise in the field to support this claim, then we've actually got something to talk about other than just pulling speculations out of our arses and expecting them to be taken seriously. — Isaac
Yes. as I said, the indices I cited are produced by the United Nations Development Program, they've no cause to submit to dictatorial pressure. — Isaac
There are 41 million people in Ukraine. In what sense does a chat with a specific group of half a dozen of them have any statistically robust value? Have you any idea how large a sample you'd have to take to even have a robust estimate, let alone a mandate. Seriously. Imagine if the UK went into the war in Iraq on the grounds of having chatted to some people on the street and then claiming they spoke for the whole of the UK. — Isaac
Where have I made any such claim. This habit you have of just ascribing opinions to me is unacceptable. The site has a quote function. If you can't quote me saying the thing you're responding to that should be a good indicator that I didn't say it. — Isaac
Seriously? Social media. 41 million people's opinions and you think a sweep of social media is going to give sufficient mandate for something as serious as war. — Isaac
No, my method is to engage in peace talks with a view to achieving a realistic solution, the same method that's resolved hundred of conflicts. — Isaac
Arming civilians without clearly identifying them as military targets is against the Geneva convention. It's that simple. It's against the Geneva convention for a reason, or do we just chuck that out of the window too because it complicates your hero narrative. — Isaac
What percent of the blame do you think Putin deserves for invading Ukraine? — RogueAI
Blame is not something people deserve. — Isaac
Our whole justice system depends on accurately blaming parties and meting out punishment. — RogueAI
What kind of punishment do you think Putin deserves for his decision to invade Ukraine? If he was on trial, and you were the jury, what sentence would you give Putin for the crime of invading Ukraine? — RogueAI
Zelensky's government isn't particularly experienced in statesmanship and it needs some proper advice from someone with more experience and expertise in the field. The Israelis would be the right people for the job. — Apollodorus
That would make a nice movie. The title could be: Rebirth of Ashkenaz. Gal Gadot would play the lead MOSAD agent. She would meet with her grandma who stayed back in the shtetl... — Olivier5
IMO this shows that Putin isn’t really a dictator, [...] military failures in Ukraine would never have happened. — Apollodorus
How do you figure?
But, sure, not "omnipotent", there is a parliament and a few players after all.
He's up there, though. — jorndoe
It's not about whether they're forced. It's against international law to have combatants who are not clearly uniformed or otherwise identifiable as military targets — Isaac
Analysis of what? I asked if you were willing to accept that an authoritarian regime took over your nation and you accepting that without a fight. — Christoffer
The sixty remaining French divisions and the two British divisions in France made a determined stand on the Somme and Aisne but were defeated by the German combination of air superiority and armoured mobility. German armies outflanked the intact Maginot Line and pushed deep into France, occupying Paris unopposed on 14 June. After the flight of the French government and the collapse of the French Army, German commanders met with French officials on 18 June to negotiate an end to hostilities.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_France — Wikipedia
Isn't the threat of being shot control enough? — Isaac
Not necessarily shoot. But (authoritarian) oppression, yep. Remove the rest. — jorndoe
These concepts speak to Russia’s strategic formulation that it is in a state of perpetual conflict with its perceived adversaries. — U.S. Department of State
Have the Kool-Aid "crafted Kremlin lines" dominate the airways, go viral, be spread, the news du jour, and they just have to keep the rest under wraps, minimal, inconsequential. Standard procedure, propaganda, control narratives, "seed" population, much better than shooting people is to have them on their side, — jorndoe
Don't know how effective some such is in Russia; others have tried, though. — jorndoe
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