from the Finnish outback — Apollodorus
've seen that story bandied around, but it's not true. Yeltsin was corrupt af, and he chose Putin as his successor so he'd have protection from prosecution.
Putin has the same problem. He can't step down unless he has a successor who's loyal and corrupt. — frank
Over the past week, I’ve spoken with several people close to Putin, as well as with about a dozen civil servants of various levels and state company employees. I had two goals. First of all, to understand the mood among the Russian elites and people close to them after the imposition of unprecedented sanctions on Russia. Secondly, to find out whether anyone is trying to convince President Putin to stop the bloodshed — and why Roman Abramovich ended up playing the role of mediator/diplomat.
In short, it can be said that, over the past month, Putin’s dream of a consolidation among the Russian elite has come true. These people understand that their lives are now tied only to Russia, and that that’s where they’ll need to build them. The differences and the influence of various circles and clans have been erased by the fact that, for the most part, people have lost their past positions and resources. The possible conclusion of a peace treaty is unlikely to change the mood of the Russian elites. "We’ve passed the point of no return,” says a source close to the Kremlin. “Everyone understands that there will be peace, but that this peace won't return the life we had before.” — Farida Rustamova
I think all socially directed violence is illegitimate. Only personal self-defence is legitimate. Whenever someone decides for others to go forth elsewhere and fight to the death, whatever the reason, it is ethically wrong whether we label that war a just war or not.
We're not made for this, and I mean that in a very real biological and mental sense — Benkei
The late Christopher Hitchens, most of the Bush Administration. The Kremlin now. — Manuel
think one can make a case that there is a certain "ideal" element to this, who is against "democracy" or for Nazis? But more often than not, the arguments are bs or vastly exaggerated as is the case now . — Manuel
frank
10.4k
In this case, many oil companies are very very happy. Not to mention Lockheed and company.
And seeing as this war may escalate again, they are even happier. It's savage.
— Manuel
Yep. — frank
He was corrupt, but that's totally normal for a nation who still has echos of its former regime. The only thing that matters is how it progress, does it move towards less corruption or more? — Christoffer
World Bank published The Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) reports that evaluate efficiency of governments in several countries on the basis of following six indicators.
Voice and Accountability
Political Stability and Absence of Violence
Government Effectiveness
Regulatory Quality
Rule of Law
Control of Corruption.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday said Russia is shifting its strategy in Ukraine, discounting the idea that it could be withdrawing from the war-torn country.
“What we see is not a real withdrawal, what we see that Russia is re-positioning its troops and they are taking some of them back to rearm them, to reinforce them, to resupply them, but we should not in a way be too optimistic because the attacks will continue,” Stoltenberg said during an interview with co-anchor Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“And we are also concerned about potential increased attacks especially in the south and in the east. So this is not a real withdrawal but more a shift in the strategy, focusing more on the south and the east,” he added.
Stoltenberg discounted the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin is scaling back his goals for the war that began six weeks ago. — NATO chief says Russia shifting strategy: ‘This is not a real withdrawal’
Definition of siege:
a military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling those inside to surrender.
This hasn't at all happened, so what are you talking about? Quite baseless remarks. — ssu
Thanks for the articles. Yes, I agree with you. And in the Russian way likely people will say one thing publicly and one thing in the kitchen with people they trust. When Putin veers the discourse into something equivalent of Soviet times (without the ideology), then Russians adapt.But then the mood changes. There is the expected rally-around-the-flag effect, as well as a realization that, like it or not, this is a new reality to which they will have to adapt. — SophistiCat
And Russians do support they troops. — ssu
I don't think all roads save one were cut off. And I think the trains have been moving also.A. If all roads are cut off save one, and that can be covered by artillery, missile and air cover, maybe supplies are disrupted enough. As has already been mentioned, few sieges in history are perfect, so certainly Russia disrupted Ukrainian supply of Kiev, and with modern weapons and surveillance maybe a modern siege doesn't literally require a circle of guard and torches all the way around the city. — boethius
(the Economist, March 18th) The trains are fast becoming the arteries of Ukraine’s wartime being, moving refugees and exports west, and critical humanitarian supplies back to the centre. Tickets have in effect become voluntary, and the system runs almost entirely on emergency state subsidies, which last month cost 18bn hryvnia ($612m).
I think here media reporting doesn't use the word accurately. It's more like if the advance stops and one side bombards a city, it is called a siege when it's not technically one. Basically it's only that the city (or part of it) has become the frontline.B. The media started reporting it as a siege once the West highway was taken, so maybe the definition of siege is changing to fit modern warfare (rather than medieval and ancient warfare). — boethius
Did they in Afghanistan? Nobody supported them... the leaders just siphoned money with salaries of nonexistent servicemen and proved no support for the army to defend itself in the Taliban offensive. So it was easy for the Taleban to make the deal to the ANA soldiers that if they go home, they won't kill them. Many took that offer. The Afghan way of war.Everyone support their troops There should be condition of enlistment that they will only fight wars sanctioned by the UN Security council. That will show them. — FreeEmotion
I think here media reporting doesn't use the word accurately. — ssu
I'm not sure if it is so simply that the good things happen because of good people and bad ones because of the bad.I see no way for the good people of this world to control the trajectory of their nations be it in economy, foreign policy or the environment, maybe they never had a prayer, though revolutions keep occurring 360 degrees revolutions, these. Paradoxically, the unpredictability of war has the chance to disrupt the system. It is not ideal. — FreeEmotion
I'm asking you to find a better alternative, that exists today. Please present an alternative that actually counters my argument here, because I still haven't heard any actual and realistic alternative yet. — Christoffer
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