(April 22, 2025 at 7:32 am)Leonardo17 Wrote: While it is true that almost all East-European countries joined NATO (and the EU) in the 1990’s, you cannot blame “Western Imperialism willing to surround Russia with Nuclear missiles” for that.

Utterly absurd, on the face of it. Always was, is and will be. Whoever suggests such crap it utterly delusional, full of shit, or flat out a liar. Yes i am looking at people like our resident wannabe intellectual sitting at the slopes of Fujisan.

Since i am intensifying my ties to relatives in Lithuania, i am learning more and more about its culture and historic background. Let me give you a very brief (!) summary of its relationship with Russia since ca. 1800, and then you tell me how much motivation Lithuania needed to join NATO (and EU for that matter).

Until 1795 it was part of the once mighty Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania, stretching from the Baltic Sea to Crimea. In 1795 it was annexed by Russia under the infamous "third partition". The lithuanian language was then immediately forbidden, even the latin letters. Russian language and cyrillic letters were enforced in order to "assimilate" Lithuania by destroying its heritage and culture. Only after 1905 (a century later!) this was taken back.

In 1918 it gained independence, only to be annexed again in 1940. It was forced into the CCCP and remained until 1990, being the first Soviet republic to secede after the collapse of CCCP, followed by a failed putsch by CCCP forces, OMON and KGB in 1991. After 1945, partisans were fighting the 1945 annexation. 20.000 were killed, another 20.000 arrested and 300.000 Lithuanians, Estonians and Latvians deported to Siberia, out of a total population of ca. 6mio today! (couldnt find historic data from 1945. Make your own guess).

My cousin sends me regularly pictures of areas that still are "shithole" remains of the reign of Russia over its republics, more than 30y after Lithuania's independence. Thats how thoroughly Russia fucked up and exploited territories under its control.

Now, you tell me how much fucking "manipulation from The West" these people need to turn to .....ANYone but Russia for preserving peace, freedom and independence.

(April 23, 2025 at 3:43 pm)Leonardo17 Wrote: I think all of those "impredictable" /* Leviathan-like politicians around the world should be replaced by some sort of AI. Call me futuristic but I don’t see any other solution

That is a ferociously bad idea. It really deserves its own thread, so I won't clutter this thread up with further debate on it.

Russian banks getting bailed out...

(April 22, 2025 at 12:43 pm)Deesse23 Wrote: 20.000 were killed, another 20.000 arrested and 300.000 Lithuanians, Estonians and Latvians deported to Siberia, out of a total population of ca. 6mio today! (couldnt find historic data from 1945. Make your own guess).

IIRC Lithuania's population in 1940 was ~2.3 million. (I had occasion to look it up earlier this week.)

Quote:Now there is a piece on the board I did not expect - that the neo-Nazis would be telling the Jewish president of Ukraine that if he stops fighting they will march to Kyiv and overthrow him - now armed to the brim with US and European made weapons since they were removed from the US's terrorist sanctions in mid-2024.

What a shit show

1. Giving Ukraine weapons was good / Russia is 100% bad guy here 

2. Trumps a Russian puppet and doesn't rule fairly 

3. Russia is a fascist state and army is full of neo Nazi's

4. The Azov battalion can't overthrow shit 

5. The war isn't ending and Trump has totally failed at making peace and has made things worst through his own incompetence

Given the conditions laid down by both sides, I don't think any negotiations will last more than the time it takes to have a coffee and introductions.