Russia and Ukraine

[The Architect Of Fate]

Yes, I think it's good to step back and see that the history goes further back than last week, and what's happening now has direct causes.

When the US and the IMF imposed shock therapy on the collapsing Soviet Union, millions of people suffered financially, and life expectancy shortened significantly. The oligarchs took everything.

Putin is very popular in Russia now for restoring stability and exercising power over the oligarchs. No one is saying that he's a pure democratic leader and the ideal we would want -- but there's a reason he's so popular at home. 

There's also a reason why the Russian people have no trust for promises from the US. 

Yes, the issues in eastern Europe have nothing to do with having corrupt autocratic leaders. It's all the west's fault and apologizing for an autocrat who's only "popular"  due to silencing all his critics and a sweeping decades-long bombardment of state propaganda....

And remember that Russia got al Qaeda out of Syria, even as the US was supporting them. Now the US is occupying large parts of Syria and is stealing their oil and wheat with impunity. 

Yeah let's just ignore that Russia props up the Assad Regime and no the US has not "stolen " anything unlike Russia which plunders left, Right, and Center

I agree that the invasion of Afghanistan made the world worse. It would also have been better if Jimmy Carter had not begun funding the extremist Muslims in order to counter the Soviets. It was this US-backed group that caused a little bit of trouble later on.

These issues go back a long way. Both sides are guilty. Pretending that it's all one side prevents us from accurate evaluations of history and realistic plans for going forward.
Posted by Thumpalumpacus - 23 minutes ago

Yes the US should not have funded the only group that was willing to fight the autocratic dictatorship that was slaughtering the Afghans. Because the US is psychic and can totally tell the future, And there are no both sides here. It is one side and it's the mass of ego and receding hairline sitting in the Kremlin...