"Hey, Russian, stop War, go Home."

Originally Posted by hazel Things don't seem to have changed much in 80 years. The big Russian offensive in East Ukraine also involved "human waves" of unarmed or poorly armed men (often convicts) driven into battle by officers with guns.

Russia did many massacres in Poland, even after wwii in the east of the country. It seems, that even today the population did not forget.

It is all about respect. There are rules, not any gov seems to care about it.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Universal+...f+Human+Rights

USA isn't better than Russia, as we all know.

Originally Posted by yancek I also find it interesting that the party of Joe McCarthy that has spent decades talking about the evils of communism and doing what they could to rid the world of communism is now supporting a communist dictator. Particularly rich from Trump and his supporters who call others communists while they support a communist dictator.

In what sense is current day Russia communist though? Isn't Putin just a "regular" dictator now?

Originally Posted by ntubski In what sense is current day Russia communist though? Isn't Putin just a "regular" dictator now?

The Soviet Union was a corrupted communist state (or Empire, take your pick). Russia was a democracy for a short time and is now some kind of corrupt dictatorship or fascist state: nothing matching any pure definition anyway.

Originally Posted by wpeckham The Soviet Union was a corrupted communist state (or Empire, take your pick). Russia was a democracy for a short time and is now some kind of corrupt dictatorship or fascist state: nothing matching any pure definition anyway.

corrupted for a long time:

Stalin, Gorbachev,... it seems that it is tradition there.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/20...empire-dead-91

This shouldn't need saying... but it hasn't beem communist since Stalin took power. It is now even further transformed, into a quasi dictatorship run by Putin and a number of elites. If you do 5 minutes of reading, you will note that Putin is not affiliated with any communist political movement in Russia.

So in fact, NATO and the US in particular, achieved their goals and replaced the Soviet system with a much more friendly dictatorship, such as those they have heleped to install / supported elsewhere in the world, over the last several decades.

My 5 minutes or reading indicates that the communist party as it initially existed in Russia no longer exists and that Putin was a member of the communist party in his early years. Most government officials were members of the party and it was very difficult to hold any government office without being a member of the communist party until it was basically ended in 1991.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Com...e-Soviet-Union


The emphasis is on dictatorship rather than communism and Russia never came close to accomplishing the theoretical goals of Marx/Engels, the dictatorship of the proletariat. Like many other countries, they got the dictatorship right.

The United States was particularly adept at promoting dictatorships (especially in Latin America) to support American corporations in that area and when the people of those countries objected, the US government would often intervene for the benefit of these corporations and the taxpayers of the USA would end up paying for it.

Russia is no longer a Communist nation, and the Communist Party, although it still exists there, has lost its entire grip on national power.

Like China eventually will do, Russia turned back to its historical identity and values. Communism looks good on paper, but it utterly fails in actual practice. The "USSR," while certainly a "grand experiment," was never a successful one. So, the Union was eventually (and, peacefully(!)) dissolved, and the various former members each went their own way. The USSR "left with a whimper, not with a shout." In time, China will also do the same – but, "time is very old there."

Putin is not a dictator, but he is the President of a single country which spans seven time zones and many climate regions – some of them very brutal. And many historic indigenous civilizations. It is an enormous challenge to govern a country like that. But, the Russians have done exactly that for many thousands of years. Years which they remember.

Originally Posted by sundialsvcs It is an enormous challenge to govern a country like that. But, the Russians have done exactly that for many thousands of years. Years which they remember.

I am not sure if you could call it "governing" when you are avoiding managing multiple internal wars between different parts of your country. Russian history is long, very "messy", and very difficult to parse. (Especially since the primary sources often have been destroyed or suppressed within Russian territories!)

Putin is not a dictator,

He certainly is by common definitions of the word. In government, a dictator is a ruler who has total control over a country, with no checks or balances to prevent abuse of power. Another definition is a dictatorship is an autocratic form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, who hold governmental powers with few to no limitations. This describes Putin very accurately.

It is also interesting that Putin apparently is a billionaire although his salary is now the equivalent of $140,000. A miracle, no just standard theft just like the Russian 'oligarchs', theft from the Russian people.

Russia under Putin is described by the Washington Times writer Richard Rahn called Putinism "a Russian nationalistic authoritarian form of government that pretends to be a free market democracy" and which "owes more of its lineage to fascism than communism".

Although there are elections in Russia, those who oppose him do not fare well.

https://www.rferl.org/a/enemies-krem.../32562583.html

Originally Posted by yancek He certainly is by common definitions of the word. In government, a dictator is a ruler who has total control over a country, with no checks or balances to prevent abuse of power. Another definition is a dictatorship is an autocratic form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, who hold governmental powers with few to no limitations. This describes Putin very accurately. It is also interesting that Putin apparently is a billionaire although his salary is now the equivalent of $140,000. A miracle, no just standard theft just like the Russian 'oligarchs', theft from the Russian people. Russia under Putin is described by the Washington Times writer Richard Rahn called Putinism "a Russian nationalistic authoritarian form of government that pretends to be a free market democracy" and which "owes more of its lineage to fascism than communism". Although there are elections in Russia, those who oppose him do not fare well. https://www.rferl.org/a/enemies-krem.../32562583.html

He certainly suffers from paranoia, seeing all the disaster he made.

Zelensky now qualifies as "a dictator," because (for example) he is "declaring martial law" to avoid elections which might remove him from power. Putin is doing no such thing. Stalin, without question, also did this. And so, to a lesser extent, did Lenin. In other countries, we have Mussolini. The list goes on. Each of them bypassed the expressed will of the people to amass power to themselves, and they crushed anyone who would dare oppose them.

But, the history of the now-defunct Soviet Union is not the history of "Russia." The two are distinct. The USSR is a grand social experiment which ultimately failed and was abandoned by its participants. Russia is a country with more than five thousand years of recorded history.

A certain man who wore five(!) stars on his lapel (you basically can't earn six ...) tried to warn us what would happen when "War" became "a lucrative [and 'Top Secret™'] industrial product." Something that would control enough unquestioned money to overrule everything else. Ironically, the final product would be military weakness.

For example: Israel. They are now trying to figure out what to do, now that a credible enemy has actually (and, creatively) attacked them . . .

Originally Posted by sundialsvcs Zelensky now qualifies as "a dictator," because (for example) he is "declaring martial law" to avoid elections which might remove him from power.

Well, that's a novel doctrine! When I was growing up, it was considered perfectly reasonable for a democratically elected national leader to declare martial law when his country was actually at war as a result of a massive invasion by the army of another country. If that makes you a dictator, maybe we need more dictators. Then bullies like Putin wouldn't have everything their own way.

Originally Posted by sundialsvcs Zelensky now qualifies as "a dictator," because (for example) he is "declaring martial law" to avoid elections which might remove him from power. Putin is doing no such thing. Stalin, without question, also did this. And so, to a lesser extent, did Lenin. In other countries, we have Mussolini. The list goes on. Each of them bypassed the expressed will of the people to amass power to themselves, and they crushed anyone who would dare oppose them. But, the history of the now-defunct Soviet Union is not the history of "Russia." The two are distinct. The USSR is a grand social experiment which ultimately failed and was abandoned by its participants. Russia is a country with more than five thousand years of recorded history. A certain man who wore five(!) stars on his lapel (you basically can't earn six ...) tried to warn us what would happen when "War" became "a lucrative [and 'Top Secret™'] industrial product." Something that would control enough unquestioned money to overrule everything else. Ironically, the final product would be military weakness. For example: Israel. They are now trying to figure out what to do, now that a credible enemy has actually (and, creatively) attacked them . . .

Only Putin has the strongest army. If they send the bomb on London, ... only concrete may survive but radiation will ruin the whole planet. With all the reaction around, that would lead to a mega chain of atom explosions. ...
https://archive.org/details/AtomBomb1946

"Declare martial law," and with it, "suspend elections." There is nothing particular about the present war which would "necessitate" prohibiting the people from democratically choosing to replace you. Nor, if you are doing well, should you fear it.

History books tell us plainly what will eventually happen to this man. If the Ukranians are "theatrical," they might even do to him what they did to Benito Mussolini. Who, along with his mistress, literally became "food for the ravens." There is only so much abuse that a nation will tolerate. Eventually, the frogs leap out of the pot.

A vastly-lucrative (to the very few ...) "military industrial complex" needs "a bogey-man" to justify its own existence. And, they have very-carefully sold you on the notion that "Russia is it." And of course, that "Russia still is 'the USSR.'" The Evil Empire.™ They have harvested trillions of dollars from the public purse to pay for their "toys," which have never yet been challenged in "true War" to see if they actually work.

Originally Posted by sundialsvcs "Declare martial law," and with it, "suspend elections." There is nothing particular about the present war which would "necessitate" prohibiting the people from democratically choosing to replace you. Nor, if you are doing well, should you fear it. History books tell us plainly what will eventually happen to this man. If the Ukranians are "theatrical," they might even do to him what they did to Benito Mussolini. Who, along with his mistress, literally became "food for the ravens." There is only so much abuse that a nation will tolerate. Eventually, the frogs leap out of the pot. A vastly-lucrative (to the very few ...) "military industrial complex" needs "a bogey-man" to justify its own existence. And, they have very-carefully sold you on the notion that "Russia is it." And of course, that "Russia still is 'the USSR.'" The Evil Empire.™ They have harvested trillions of dollars from the public purse to pay for their "toys," which have never yet been challenged in "true War" to see if they actually work.

Actually the Ukrainian people have overwhelming support for him and if Russia loses this I would expect that to continue after elections are restored. (Although I expect him to soon retire after that, this is draining on a leader who actually CARES about his people.) IF Russia WINS this I will be surprised if he survives.