Russia and Ukraine

[Thumpalumpacus]

This is definitely the biggest blunder of his career. It's mystifying how someone raised on spycraft should have such poor insight.

The iron law of dictatorships is that they always descend to delusion, happened with Hitler and Mussolini, happened with the Soviets, happened to Mao and again to Xi and so on all the way back through the annals of history.  About the only time in history where dictatorship has worked has been with Cincinnatus (and that's largely doubted by historians).

Punishing the freedom of expression results in surrounding oneself with people who only tell you what you want to hear, generally. Over time this results in growing detachment from reality.

[Anomalocaris]

A TQ is an explicit admission that someone's point is factually accurate.  Russia (or, at least four or five people in russia....) may think that military belligerence and territorial expansion is in it's best interests.  That's on them, right or wrong....not the US or anyone else.

as if ignoring that easily predicable and recognizable reality makes one blameless for the consequence,  so long as one can cocoon oneself in a shell of suitable self-righteousness selected specifically to be materially advantageous to oneself at other people’s expense.

[The Grand Nudger]

That's a thing (a government of yes men)...but assume the very best case, a dictator who demands and actually gets factual information. Still won't help. The country still succeeds or fails on the basis of a single persons whims.

[Pat Mustard]

Big "if" there.

ETA: You're going to need more than one edit to repair this flawed hypothesis.


lol, you've got to try to look 100 years into the future to find a way to rescue this idiotic decision.

fuck off..

Aww does the poor widdle Putainbot have a sad? Pity about you.

[The Grand Nudger]

A TQ is an explicit admission that someone's point is factually accurate.  Russia (or, at least four or five people in russia....) may think that military belligerence and territorial expansion is in it's best interests.  That's on them, right or wrong....not the US or anyone else.

as if ignoring that easily predicable and recognizable reality makes one blameless for the consequence,  so long as one can cocoon oneself in a shell of suitable self-righteousness selected specifically to be materially advantageous to oneself at other people’s expense.

Another swing, another miss.  

Right...or wrong.  Im suggesting that Russia owns their own decisions.  That Putin owns his own decisions.  Hey..though, by all means, tell me how Russia and Putin are but passive observers backed into situations that they have no agency in.... utterly at the whim of [checks notes]....the US? If that's so, I guess we should just back them into a situation where invading other countries is the absolute worst thing they could do for their own interests - as that will surely make them stop doing whatever it is they think they're doing, and get them doing what we want...because it's not as if they could make any other choice. /s

A TQ..is an explicit admission... that someone's point is factually accurate.

[Pat Mustard]

The iron law of dictatorships is that they always descend to delusion, happened with Hitler and Mussolini, happened with the Soviets, happened to Mao and again to Xi and so on all the way back through the annals of history.  About the only time in history where dictatorship has worked has been with Cincinnatus (and that's largely doubted by historians).

-because the strengths and weaknesses of a state are reduced to the strengths and weaknesses (and moods...lol) of a single person.  Had a bad plate of shrimp, decided to invade a neighboring state with too few troops, shitty equipment, and no logistical support?  Oh well, sucks to be all of the other people of [insert both states here].

And the lickspittle yes-men they listen to.

[arewethereyet]

The US did, with her effort to install western oriented politicians during color revolution, open declaration to put ukraine on path to joining NATO, euromaiden revolution, etc.  

Damn, and you were sounding pretty smart with all those "fucks".

Smartest guy in the room...just ask him, he'll tell you.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Damn, and you were sounding pretty smart with all those "fucks".

Smartest guy in the room...just ask him, he'll tell you.

Yeah, I remember him writing that, as if he's casting pearls before swine here. Maybe in a desolate dive-bar at 1 a.m. ... maybe.

[Anomalocaris]

as if ignoring that easily predicable and recognizable reality makes one blameless for the consequence,  so long as one can cocoon oneself in a shell of suitable self-righteousness selected specifically to be materially advantageous to oneself at other people’s expense.

Another swing, another miss.  

Right...or wrong.  Im suggesting that Russia owns their own decisions.  That Putin owns his own decisions.  Hey..though, by all means, tell me how Russia and Putin are but passive observers backed into situations that they have no agency in.... utterly at the whim of [checks notes]....the US?  If that's so, I guess we should just back them into a situation where invading other countries is the absolute worst thing they could do for their own interests - as that will surely make them stop doing whatever it is they think they're doing, and get them doing what we want...because it's not as if they could make any other choice.   /s

A TQ..is an explicit admission... that someone's point is factually accurate.

No, TQ is not an admission of any kind, it is a finger pointed at the hypocrisy in and self-obliviousness of the attempt to make such a point given the general standard set by one’s own actions,  irrespective of the validity of the point itself when seen in abstraction,  which is this case is also invalid.

[Anomalocaris]

Damn, and you were sounding pretty smart with all those "fucks".

Smartest guy in the room...just ask him, he'll tell you.

i am sorry, i am really dumb to start with, and i made a herculean effort to become even dumber, but try as I might i can’t make myself come close to being as dumb as you or thump.