Lend Lease passes and will become Law

[margaretms2]

[Hexenbiest]

They will align themselves more with China, That is the inevitable place they are heading.

[DougBH]

@FloridaYankee

@WuWei

Now we’re talking!

'EU Empire': Army, Centralised Brussels Powers Approved by Conference

Isn’t that NATOs job?

I wouldn’t worry about that. When they see how much keeping up such an army without US dollars costs, there is likely to be some rethinking.

[Samm]

@Hexenbiest

They will align themselves more with China, That is the inevitable place they are heading.

The “Evil Axis.”

[Orygun]

@margaretms2

Another part of it was the economic trauma: in the wake of the USSR’s collapse, the West offered neoliberal reforms in a country with no real tradition (ever) of capitalism, free markets, or even property rights: sudden pension reform, austerity, privatization, no price supports, little regulation, etc. In retrospect, it makes sense that they ended up a corrupt oligarchy, with a strongman leader.

This is at the core of it. When the USSR fell, we thought we could remake Russia into a capitalist neoliberal freemarket country and instead it opened the doors for a few bullies to start monopolies based on the remnants of state enterprise. And now we have the end result- a despotic regime surrounded by kleptocrats propping up the populace with oil and gas money.

Honestly Russia has failed at modernizing and joining the rest of the world since Catherine the Great. In the last (little over) 100 years they’ve gone from tsars to despotic communists to robber barron maniacal tyrants.

The trajectory of this country ain’t great- with or without Putin.

[TheRedComet]

Russia as it currently stands probably won’t exist in 50 years.

A bunch of the ethnic minorities want out and have wanted out since Peter the Great.

Ukraine winning this war by keeping its independence will probably end up inspiring other uprisings over the next few decades.

I think that’s why Putin is so dedicated to proving to everyone that Russia is still a great power. He has to know the day is coming when Russia consists solely of the land between Moscow and St. Petersburg.

[FloridaYankee]

@DougBH

@FloridaYankee

@WuWei

Now we’re talking!

'EU Empire': Army, Centralised Brussels Powers Approved by Conference

Isn’t that NATOs job?

I wouldn’t worry about that. When they see how much keeping up such an army without US dollars costs, there is likely to be some rethinking.

I was thinking the same thing.

[Paul_Thomson]

@Samm

Quite frankly, I fully expected China to invade Tiwan simultaneously with Russia invading Ukraine. Perhaps Xi and Putin are not as aligned as we are led to believe.

I think Xi would like Xiden for maybe a year longer to fritter away US dollars and munitions in Ukraine and on unproductive and debilitating liberal causes, and increase domestic chaos and resource shortages to limit the US ability to respond to China post a 2024 presidential change.

[SixFoot]

@SixFoot

@TheRedComet

That’s true.

If nuclear weapons could be made obsolete it would… be interesting to see what would replace them.

It’s those satellites with freakin’ laser beams attached to their foreheads!

And now Apaches. Tech’s getting smaller.

Apache Helicopter Fires High-Energy Laser Against a Ground Target at White Sands

[WuWei]

Dumbass is sending another $40B to Ukraine.

[Bill.in.PA]

10% for the Big Guy. How many Big Guys are there?

[Orygun]

Correction- Dumb “entire government including all GOP minus a few weirdos” ass.

[zantax]

@Orygun

@margaretms2

Another part of it was the economic trauma: in the wake of the USSR’s collapse, the West offered neoliberal reforms in a country with no real tradition (ever) of capitalism, free markets, or even property rights: sudden pension reform, austerity, privatization, no price supports, little regulation, etc. In retrospect, it makes sense that they ended up a corrupt oligarchy, with a strongman leader.

This is at the core of it. When the USSR fell, we thought we could remake Russia into a capitalist neoliberal freemarket country and instead it opened the doors for a few bullies to start monopolies based on the remnants of state enterprise. And now we have the end result- a despotic regime surrounded by kleptocrats propping up the populace with oil and gas money.

Honestly Russia has failed at modernizing and joining the rest of the world since Catherine the Great. In the last (little over) 100 years they’ve gone from tsars to despotic communists to robber barron maniacal tyrants.

The trajectory of this country ain’t great- with or without Putin.

We could have molded them into a western democracy, we chose not to.

[Orygun]

[quote=“WuWei, post:359, topic:241903, full:true”]

@Orygun

@WuWei

No they don’t.
[/quote]

Great- you tell them when they apply and are accepted.

Ok, just let me know.

Letting you know…

Finland is on the verge of asking to join NATO. Here's why that's bad news...

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/finnish-pm-joining-nato-strengthen-security-84642131

[Rurudyne]

Belly on up to the bar for goodies at American expense…

[WuWei]

@Orygun

Correction- Dumb “entire government including all GOP minus a few weirdos” ass.

Oh yeah, they’re helping.

[SixFoot]

@WuWei

Dumbass is sending another $40B to Ukraine.

Very fitting meme for that family of crack sniffers, too.

[Rurudyne]

Our government will follow any white line.

[WuWei]

Yep, and now we can’t get baby formula?

[JayJay]

Any one NATO nation could stop them from joining.