He could’ve tried to revive the country, and he got an easy start in the 00s, but he chosed to gamble it instead.
That’s not why people become dictators. Not to mention that in autocratic environments heads of states don’t really feel the consequences of their actions, and don’t really mind throwing millions of their own people under the bus to bring some ephemeral former glory back.
Some folks became billionaires in Russia simply because they were friends of Putin though.
These may truly be protected class. Everyone else though - out the window as soon as they outlive their usefulness.
Interesting how he wasn’t just transferred to some “window looker” job (pun not intended).
Ministers in Russia are appointed basically by czar himself and firing such folks for their failures would mean admitting that czar made wrong decision when appointing them.
There’s, of course, ol’ classic “czar good, boyars bad”, but still kinda surprising for me.
Art of the deal, folks.
Taco Don already functionally stopped all aid and arms supply to Ukraine and trying his hardest to ignore Ukraine, and will probably chicken out from helping Taiwan defend itself too in case latter gets invaded.
So that’s just China being asshole too and wanting Russia to succeed, because that’d mean you can take a dump on international laws and have benefits that outweigh repercussions.
If whatever remains of free democratic world won’t get its shit together soon - we will just get picked apart eventually by those last iteration imperialists.
Engineering PhD.
Will usually claim to be a Luddite when someone not familiar with first fact asks for help with their tech.
That’s repeating theme in Russian history though.
Back in 18th and 19th centuries French was spoken by Russian elites and wannabe aristocrates more than Russian.
(PDF) The History of the French Language in Russia
In later USSR period Russians wanted everything American and dreamed to become Americans. As Western media started creeping in, fashion started creeping in, obtaining some Levi’s pair of jeans meant you’re the coolest guy around, would also mean you could have problems with police. But Western way of life with how it was portrayed, seemed superior in every way to what people had in decaying Soviet Union. Democracy with those charismatic leaders also seemed like a dream compared to Soviet increasingly geriatric leadership (oh the irony).
Soviet Denim Smuggling - The History of Jens Behind the Iron Curtain
So, searching through Russian news, I found like 1 mention of any casualties in 10 successful oil industry strikes.
So that’s just mostly peaceful civilian oil bases getting hit, that supply peaceful oil to peaceful refineries that then supply peaceful gas to peaceful Russian war logistics and other parts of their peaceful war machine.
You’re just holding Ukraine by much higher standards. While Russia deliberately kills civilians and then says “US made us do it”, so it’s okay. And Ukraine trying to carefully disarm the aggressor can also be labeled just as bad as aggression itself and blamed on US.
Man, your worldview is so warped it hurts. And worst of all - you’ve tried to tell a Ukrainian that we should just “get over that” while Russia continues to do terroristic acts just for the sake of doing them.
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Did you read these articles yourself?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attacks_in_Russia_during_the_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine
The main targets have been the military, the arms industry and the oil industry.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_negotiations_in_the_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine
In January 2024, Putin again made statements which suggested, according to the Institute for the Study of War, that his “maximalist objectives in Ukraine” remained unchanged, “which are tantamount to full Ukrainian and Western surrender”. He again called for the overthrow of the Ukrainian government.
It’s not that I didn’t know any of these, it’s just that you just provided sources that debunk your own arguments.
Just few weeks ago Putin said in a speech (rough translation):
Russia is where Russian soldiers foot stepped.
Which is like, one of most fascist things I’ve ever heard. I’ll even provide Russian source:
Not to mention Russian denial of the very existence of Ukrainian identity and statehood, which he also did in that same speech.
Man, just read these sources, because you’re repeating Taco Don’s rhetoric about “kids fighting in a sandbox”.
Can you elaborate on Ukrainian salvos please? And also - on Russian peace proposals too.
No, Ukraine did not have any great “score” earlier as with operation “Spiderweb” to “provoke” such attack.
It was just our Constitution Day yesterday. Just so people here understand what Russians mean by “root causes of conflict”.
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While people like Rubio and Couch Lover have to “tune in” to Taco Don’s stupidity, I think Pete there was already on that wave due to being an idiot, and alcoholism probably doesn’t help, so my assumption is that he was actually quite in sync.
Considering how shipments were stopped last times, with one most idiotic - “we stopped shipment because what if they negotiate ceasefire now” - that’s absolutely what “master of the deal” would say.