Anarchists — Metaphysician Undercover

• 1. The High Contracting Parties undertake to respect and to ensure respect for this Protocol in all circumstances.
• 2. In cases not covered by this Protocol or by other international agreements, civilians and combatants remain under the protection and authority of the principles of international law derived from established custom, from the principles of humanity and from the dictates of public conscience.
• 3. This Protocol, which supplements the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the protection of war victims, shall apply in the situations referred to in Article 2 common to those Conventions.
• 4. The situations referred to in the preceding paragraph include armed conflicts in which peoples are fighting against colonial domination and alien occupation and against racist régimes in the exercise of their right of self-determination, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

• 1. Civilian objects shall not be the object of attack or of reprisals. Civilian objects are all objects which are not military objectives as defined in paragraph 2.
• 2. Attacks shall be limited strictly to military objectives. In so far as objects are concerned, military objectives are limited to those objects which by their nature, location, purpose or use make an effective contribution to military action and whose total or partial destruction, capture or neutralization, in the circumstances ruling at the time, offers a definite military advantage.
• 3. In case of doubt whether an object which is normally dedicated to civilian purposes, such as a place of worship, a house or other dwelling or a school, is being used to make an effective contribution to military action, it shall be presumed not to be so used.

• 1. In the conduct of military operations, constant care shall be taken to spare the civilian population, civilians and civilian objects.
• 2. With respect to attacks, the following precautions shall be taken:
  
  • (a) those who plan or decide upon an attack shall:
    
    • (i) do everything feasible to verify that the objectives to be attacked are neither civilians nor civilian objects and are not subject to special protection but are military objectives within the meaning of paragraph 2 of Article 52 and that it is not prohibited by the provisions of this Protocol to attack them;
    • (ii) take all feasible precautions in the choice of means and methods of attack with a view to avoiding, and in any event to minimizing, incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects;
    • (iii) refrain from deciding to launch any attack which may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or a combination thereof, which would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated;
  • (b) an attack shall be cancelled or suspended if it becomes apparent that the objective is not a military one or is subject to special protection or that the attack may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or a combination thereof, which would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated;
  • (c) effective advance warning shall be given of attacks which may affect the civilian population, unless circumstances do not permit.
• 3. When a choice is possible between several military objectives for obtaining a similar military advantage, the objective to be selected shall be that the attack on which may be expected to cause the least danger to civilian lives and to civilian objects.
• 4. In the conduct of military operations at sea or in the air, each Party to the conflict shall, in conformity with its rights and duties under the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict, take all reasonable precautions to avoid losses of civilian lives and damage to civilian objects.
• 5. No provision of this Article may be construed as authorizing any attacks against the civilian population, civilians or civilian objects.

Certainly this – what you describe here – is mind-independent, no? — 180 Proof

• if you're referring to something extra-self, then show us something
  ^{(existentially mind-independent, objective, applicable to us all)}
• if you're referring to something you have on your mind, then tell us about it
  ^{(often enough existentially mind-dependent, subjective)}
• if extra-self, then explain your interaction therewith
  ^{(that others may differentiate you and the claimed)}

A peace may be so wretched as not to be ill exchanged for war. — Tacitus (56 — 120)

The Chancellor spoke in Berlin on the 300th birthday of the philosopher Immanuel Kant. Olaf Scholz tried to counter the appropriation of Kant by Vladimir Putin.

re: Voyager-1
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68881369 — 180 Proof

The decision to provide aid to Ukraine was anticipated and predictable. This will make the United States of America far richer but will ruin Ukraine further, making more Ukrainians killed because of the Kiev regime. — Peskov

Godfather (1972) — Mikie

excellent movie — javi2541997

Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me. — Don Corleone

Republicans denounce Russia propaganda within their own party:
https://www.aol.com/news/luxury-yachts-other-myths-republican-090000423.html — neomac

Was just going over some analyses of seemingly influential dis/mal/misinformation campaigns, maybe I'll post something later. Will likely remain applicable for the foreseeable future. — Mar 8, 2024

and the fact that Ukraine is extremely corrupt (meaning people with power do bad things against the interests of the population) — boethius

is complete bullshit. Another ridiculous misrepresentation. — Mikie

Russia targets Netherlands' North Sea infrastructure, says Dutch intelligence agency
^{— Anthony Deutsch, Bart Meijer, Hugh Lawson, Susan Fenton · Reuters · Feb 20, 2023} — Feb 20, 2023

A Russian ship has been detected at an offshore wind farm in the North Sea as it tried to map out energy infrastructure, MIVD head General Jan Swillens said at a news conference. — Jan Swillens

Weakening Russia is in our strategic interest. — RogueAI

but the CIA crafted a propaganda campaign both with Ukrainian intelligence and media as well as Western media and other governments. — boethius

really don’t have a clue about what’s happening — Mikie

a good pretext for fighting a proxy war it wanted all along — Mikie

Ukrainian people being caught up in this proxy war — Mikie

It’s a proxy war between the US and Russia — Mikie

It is a proxy war between the US and Russia — Mikie

this proxy war — Mikie

This can be intrepeted many ways, but I think the new entities refers to the Oblasts annexed. — ssu

Everything here will depend not so much on Helsinki, which has largely lost its independence in making decisions on foreign policy, but rather on the general policy course being pursued by Washington and Brussels toward Russia. — Kuznetsov

Kuznetsov blamed senior Finnish politicians for almost completely dismantling cooperation with Russia. — TASS

there will be no return to the previous format of cooperation now that Finland has joined the aggressive military bloc [of NATO] — Kuznetsov

As regards the situation around Ukraine, Finland has clearly joined `the party of war against Russia until they win’ here. Of course, we cannot but respond to potential decisions by the Finnish government in this sphere. Specific steps will be developed depending on real threats that these actions will pose to our security. The Finns cannot but realize that such a major provocation will not be left without a Russian response. — Kuznetsov

can all defense be narrated as offense, can all defensive measures be cast as threats? — Apr 8, 2024

Surely you must understand the Kremlin has legitimate concerns about NATO troops in its historical sphere of influence?

Albania: Hardly
Bulgaria: Hardly
Czechia: Hardly
Estonia: Hardly
(East) Germany: Hardly
Hungary: Hardly ?
Latvia: Hardly
Lithuania: Hardly
Poland: Hardly
Romania: Hardly
Slovakia: Hardly ?

Moldova: Help
Ukraine: Help

Finland: Hey
Sweden: Hey

It was touch and go there for a while but Cletus made it home from the fast food restaurant alive. He’ll bring more weapons the next time. — Steven Leser · Apr 9, 2024

God is sending America strong signs to tell us to repent.

Earthquakes and eclipses and many more things to come.

I pray that our country listens. :pray: — Marjorie Taylor Greene · Apr 5, 2024

2010 Jan 17	·	Ukrainian presidential election
2010 Feb 7	·	election runoff (Yanukovych, Tymoshenko)

2013 Nov 21	·	Euromaidan starts

2014 Feb 18	·	Revolution of Dignity starts
2014 Feb 22	·	Euromaidan ends
2014 Feb 23	·	Revolution of Dignity ends; organized unrest in Donbas starts
2014 Feb 27	⚔	Russian troops ("little green men") start seizing Crimea
2014 Mar 18	·	Russia annexes Crimea
2014 Mar 31	·	Kharkiv Pact annulled by the Kremlin
2014 Apr 6	⚔	insurgents seize government buildings in Donbas
2014 Apr 12	⚔	Donbas war starts; platoon under Girkin (Surkov) seizes Sloviansk
2014 May 2	·	organized unrest in Donbas settles down
2014 May 25	·	Ukrainian presidential election (Poroshenko)

2019 Mar 31	·	Ukrainian presidential election
2019 Apr 21	·	election runoff (Zelenskyy, Poroshenko)

2021 Jan 1	⚔	ongoing scattered insurgent attacks in eastern Ukraine
2021 Nov 10	·	the US reports Russian military buildup near Ukrainian border

2022 Jan 17	·	increasing Russian troops in Belarus; increased separatist strife in eastern Ukraine
2022 Jan 25	·	Russian military exercises in Crimea and southern Russia near Ukraine
2022 Feb 10	·	Russo-Belarusian military exercises start
2022 Feb 20	·	Russo-Belarusian military exercises end
2022 Feb 22	⚔	Russian "peacekeeping" troops enter Ukraine
2022 Feb 24	⚔	Russia invades northern, eastern, southern Ukraine
2022 Sep 30	·	Russia annexes Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia

2024 Jan 1	·	Russia occupies roughly a fifth of Ukraine

• the Kremlin likely planned for a while, multipronged too
• democracies tend to act slowly/hesitantly, autocrats are less bound
• the Kremlin takes initiatives (attacks), others react (less proactive measures)
• divide and rule strategies have worked, and can work, well for the Kremlin
• international peacekeepers in Ukraine didn't seem appropriate/feasible
• early unrest had appearance of mere/internal domestic conflict
• tiptoeing around Russia
• Kremlin-anxiety (not the Moldovan kind here, but) nuclear in particular
• an effective (internationally implemented) Ukrainian no-fly zone would risk direct confrontation with Russia
• China has likely been supplying the Kremlin with intelligence including satellite, reliable intelligence matters all around
• western countries have already been accused of neo-colonialism/imperialism, meddling, war-mongering, you-name-it
• Russia has occasionally been promoted as all-but "invincible", though Russia was never itself threatened with invasion here
• can all defense be narrated as offense, can all defensive measures be cast as threats?

Is it then your assertion that the Kremlin had no (reason to) care about this (E+D) and implications — it was no concern of theirs? — Apr 4, 2024

regrettable — Tzeentch

Is it then your assertion that the Kremlin had no (reason to) care about this (E+D) and implications — it was no concern of theirs? — Apr 4, 2024

The problem with these people is that they've fallen hook, line and sinker for a story of American exceptionalism.

They view Russia through a lens of unending cynicism (and I would argue that is reasonably appropriate), but fail to realise America functions in exactly the same way. — Tzeentch

(and I would argue that is reasonably appropriate) — Tzeentch

Looking at other Russian neighbors, who want to see Ukraine become like another Belarus? :down: Another Baltics? :up: (What about where to raise kids?) Pick your poison? — Apr 2, 2024

• Oct 4, 2023 map — Irredentism versus sovereignty
• Who/what honored / got behind what UA wanted, which was reasonable, more/less than others?
• Democracy versus authoritarianism (including proliferation)
• Trajectories: development (or trying) versus regress
• Comparisons

Is it then your assertion that the Kremlin had no (reason to) care about this (E+D) and implications — it was no concern of theirs? — Apr 4, 2024