Ukraine and Russia event discussion

[Kalahari Inkantation]

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-04-20/news/49266213_1_alexei-ulyukaev-russian-economy-finance-minister-anton-siluanov

puts a smile on my face

[spoiler]

it's too bad that putin will use this as an example of how """the west""" punishes russian success and use it as justification for further dickheaded moves[/spoiler]

[Kalahari Inkantation]

[spoiler=here's a piece of russian propaganda making the case for the full annexation of 'novorossiya'][/spoiler]

[spoiler=here's a larger picture of the graphic under point 2 on the first page that putin's useful idiots love to whip out at any given opportunity][/spoiler]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/04/18/understanding-novorossiya-the-latest-historical-concept-to-get-worried-about-in-ukraine/

[Kalahari Inkantation]

http://ukrainianpolicy.com/southeast-statistics-of-ukraine-april-2014/

tl;dr even in the most hotly contended regions of ukraine, only 25% at the absolute most support the actions of the we-swear-we're-not-russian militia

in southeast ukraine, which is vast majority russian-speaking and has a significant minority of ethnic russians and historically is more favorable of russia than is the rest of ukraine:

89% reject the notion of ukraine and russia merging into a single state
89% reject federalization as a solution to the (nonexistent and entirely fabricated by the kremlin) problem
30% of those polled in the most russia-supportive region of donetsk (behind crimea) favor a crimea-like annexation

so while southeast ukrainians do genuinely question the legitimacy of the new government (50%), the overwhelming majority agrees that russia has absolutely no right to intervene

too bad rasputin isn't the type to give a damn about popular opinion

[ncba93ivyase]

too bad rasputin isn't the type to give a damn about popular opinion

really though what politician does care what their citizens think of them

how often do you see articles saying "people ask for x, politician gives them exactly what they want."

or even "people ask for x, politician considers giving them what they want"

[Kalahari Inkantation]

the fact that most politicians themselves are shit doesn't really excuse putin's behavior lol

for one, the vast majority of bad political behavior is relatively inconsequential compared to something as dangerous and with such massive worldwide implications (to say the least ) as the unauthorized redrawing of european borders

and secondly, most shitty political decisions are restricted to the area in which the official has jurisdiction

nobody would care nearly as much if putin's bad behavior were limited to russia alone because it wouldn't affect anyone but russians (who are extremely tolerant of putin's behavior regardless), but now putin is exporting russia's shit to its neighbors en masse and putting enormous stress on geopolitical stability worldwide

it's his assertion that he is ultimately the decision maker in a sovereign state that wants nothing to do with him that is disturbing, especially considering the absolutely insane reasoning behind it

[ncba93ivyase]

putin's yet to face any consequences for his actions. some countries give him empty threats, but he knows they won't do shit. the world as a whole isn't really paying attention to what he's doing.

and it's not like ukraine is even fighting back. hell having 30% of a population wanting to join russia is better than the state of "democracy" in this country, with congress's approval rate sitting around 9%

[Kalahari Inkantation]

putin's yet to face any consequences because he has nukes, but that is not at all any indication that the world is comfortable with his behavior

when hot-headed but militarily feeble iraq tried the same thing in kuwait in 1990, the entire world, communist and capitalist, unanimously carpet bombed it into renouncing its ambitions, even though the average person probably isn't particularly invested in the geopolitical affairs of mideastern states they don't really care about

when the argentarded government had previously attempted the same idiocy in the falklands in 1982, the world again found itself universally condemning the actions of the illegitimate invader, again even though nobody outside of the uk or argentina gives a hoot about the falklands

were it not for russia's military might, the absolutely only recourse it has keeping it any more proportionally relevant in the modern era than those sorry middle eastern petrostates, this would be over with by now (heck it probably wouldn't have even started)

it's not like ukraine is even fighting back, but that's because ukraine is realistic enough to acknowledge that any direct retaliation against russia's aggression would result in it being utterly annihilated in one fell swoop with the flick of putin's pen

http://abcnews.go.com/International/russia-outraged-deadly-ukraine-shootout/story?id=23399299

lol, 'outraged'

here is confirmation of why ukraine has no choice but to tiptoe around russia's aggression, otherwise putin will feign """outrage""" over the disposable russian soldiers whose existence he wasn't even aware of before the incident, hype up the propaganda machine and use it as a convenient pretext for a full-scale invasion and takeover

fmlol

also, i'm still not sure why you continue to insist upon dragging the us into these conversations lol

[ncba93ivyase]

Idk I just find it hard to be overly upset by Putin when his global approval rate seems to exceed most politicians lol

I mean, goddamn, Ukraine is going to vanish and it's happening with little resistance anywhere

[Kalahari Inkantation]

Idk I just find it hard to be overly upset by Putin when his global approval rate seems to exceed most politicians lol

just so you know, this has never, ever been true

http://www.gallup.com/poll/168467/tops-global-leaders-approval.aspx

putin's internal approval ratings may be the envy of politicians worldwide (one of the perks of controlling your media and competition i suppose), but russia's global approval at its best is worse than anyone else's worst, and it's been that way since well before this shitshow

[ncba93ivyase]

I am sorry tec orz

Also I was not even sober when I made my original post I Apologize

[Kalahari Inkantation]

ussian President Vladimir Putin has signed laws simplifying procedures for Russian speakers in the former Soviet Union to obtain Russian citizenship and on obligations for migrant laborers working in Russia.

lel

and i especially love the language used here

[...] the law on citizenship makes it possible for any Russian-speaking person "who has consistently been living, or has relatives who have consistently been living or earlier were living on the territory of the Russian Federation, including the territory of the Russian Empire or USSR," to obtain Russian citizenship.

not even pretending that the ussr wasn't just a continuation of the russian empire anymore lol

I am sorry tec orz

Also I was not even sober when I made my original post I Apologize

you've made posts like that while perfectly unintoxicated before

but i am glad you are starting to See the Light

[Kalahari Inkantation]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/04/moscow-warns-kiev-pull-back-troops-2014423154218313631.html

there's that assertion that russia owns ukraine again

how dare you make any pitiful attempt to defend yourselves from losing another hunk of your own territory

[Kalahari Inkantation]

and perhaps the best news of the day

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/24/us-georgia-eu-idUSBREA3N1JE20140424

yes, YES

we must Quarantine the Eurasian Disease

[Kalahari Inkantation]

[spoiler][/spoiler]

[Kalahari Inkantation]

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20140425-702019.html