The right was correct about almost everything the past 15-20 years

[Himu]

- Saying not to take in migrants from war torn countries like Syria because it would breed radical Islamism in western countries only to see reports from Germany News saying 9 foreign born Muslim boys (they're underaged) gang raped a 15 year old girl in a park.

- The war against freedom of speech and coddling victims. In that same news report a 20 year old woman called them accused disgusting pigs and she was thrown in jail for a weekend. The young boys that committed the crime cannot be tried as adults since they're minors and haven been let go reportedly.

- Mass atheism/nihilism will create a vacuum and allow more dangerous forces than Christianity to usurp western culture. As atheism helped kill Christianity in the western world Wokeism and Islamism replaced it.

- Republicans like Romney said Russia was a bigger threat than China and Dems like Obummer mocked him. Few years later you have libs like Hillary Clinton saying Trump used Russia to steal the election.

- Trump told Europe to stop relying on American might and to learn to defend your own selves less you end up having an enemy on your doorstep and now are panicking about Russia invading Ukraine and demanding American tax dollars go to Ukraine's war effort.

- Lower expectations for minorities has led to less than good behavior. Now we have an entire toxic culture of victimhood that appears inescapable especially for black people.

What else?

https://twitter.com/oldbooksguy/status/1780988865928745145

https://twitter.com/kevin72127362/status/1780990741268869495

https://twitter.com/auronmacintyre/status/1775629835198492868

[Samson Manhug]

1. I mean so did Brock Turner and he served three months. The fact that some refugees commit crimes isn't a good enough argument to keep them out all things considered. Especially when your country is destroying their country for reasons that almost no one can really articulate. Europe helped break Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria and so they bought it.

2. I'm kind of with you on this but not specifically this point. It does seem to me, though, that the conservatives and liberals simply value different types of speech and are happy to suppress others. It feels like only the ACLU is really ideologically committed to this, but I think they have a defending Nazis kink.

3. I'm still hoping for global communism to replace it.

4. There's context to this I think is interesting. Obama had been in the news at the time for being caught saying to the then Russian president that once he was re-elected he would be empowered to negotiate on a missile treaty that would have a lot of resistance from Congress and their weapon manufacturer donors. Romney was probably just trying to get this inserted into the debate. Obama's "the 80s called" retort is classic liberal dickhead snark, though. And it's funny because Obama said al-Qaida was the #1 enemy and the U.S. government just helped basically al-Qaida take over Syria partly to piss off Russia. None of these guys are consistent or really seem to believe in anything, in my opinion. Current levels of publicly-accepted/promoted Russiophobia right now will hopefully be looked back on with shame, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

5. I'm with you on this, too. The thing is it's plainly obvious to me that the U.S. provoked Russia into invading Ukraine. But Europe is as dependent on the U.S. military industrial complex for its quality of life as the U.S. is on foreign (and domestic private prison ) slave labor. If they spent what they needed to to defend themselves they would have to implement strict austerity and turn their social safety nets and happiness indexes into something more resembling their former colonies.

6. I don't have an opinion on this.

7. Re: Dawkins and Hitchens and all those guys—they were never interesting to begin with. It always sounded like middle school rhetoric with grad school vocabulary. I'm with Joseph Campbell that all religions are true.

[daemon]

"- Lower expectations for minorities has led to less than good behavior. Now we have an entire toxic culture of victimhood that appears inescapable especially for black people."

This seems to be happening everywhere. Like there was mandatory mask when COVID on public transports, and of course there's an immigrant of arab origin wearing a chin diaper instead. My mom calls him out just making the sign to put it correctly (a hand swipe upwards from the chin to the nose), the guy berates her and suddenly a whiteknight girl calls my mom RACIST for whatever brainrot reason she had. Everyone else stayed silent but then timidly some congratulated my mom (for doing what they didn't have the balls to do). But it's like that, fear of being called out for acting with an immigrant the same way you would to a local... which begs the question: who is the racist? the person who thinks no matter the origin one should work under the same values others do, or the ones who treat them as lesser beings unable to function as requested?


Something similar happened when a cyclist who happened to be black was on the pedestrian sidewalk at, let's say, not safe speeds. My mom stopped him and said to get down of the bike when he was on pedestrian sidewalk. The guy started saying, in loud voice: "RACIST, I'M A PERSON TOO" (as if my mom was telling him he couldn't use a bike because he was black or something, when it was clearly not the case). Of course this prompted death stares towards my mom from everyone around. It's their crying wolf tactic because it elicits a response as it's taken seriously.

[Fifstar]

The thing is it's plainly obvious to me that the U.S. provoked Russia into invading Ukraine

Care to explain?

While I think there is a solid argument to be made that realpolitik wise it would have been better to just leave Ukraine in the sphere of russian influence, this seems a bit much?

Why should the US provoke Russia to attack Ukraine? How is it plainly obvious?

In general, as I German I can understand the position that Europe has to finance it's own security. That shouldn't be the job of american tax payers. On the other hand, I don't believe the US would have spent so much on european defense if it had not benefit the US, at least in the past.

[Samson Manhug]

I'll explain, and I hope you appreciate this post will take me some time to lay out clearly, but I don't care to argue. Feel free to respond however you like, but I won't engage in debate. I'm simply politely acquiescing your request.

- 1954 Soviet Union proposes German reunification if it is demilitarized, US refuses
- 1990 US assures Soviets that if they let go of DDR, NATO will not expand to East (but never codifies this into treaty)
- 1997 NATO and Ukraine begin alliance talks
- 1999 NATO, ostensibly a defensive pact, bombs Serbians
- 2000 Putin asks to be invited to join NATO, is refused
- 2000 Color revolution in Serbia with Western support
- 2001 NATO (a European defense pact) invades Afghanistan and gets comfortable in former Soviet Airbases
- 2002 NATO and Ukraine create plan for Ukrainian admission. Ukraine sends troops to support US in illegal invasion of Iraq
- 2003 Color revolution in country bordering Russia, Georgia, with Western support that takes country away from Russian influence and into Western influence
- 2004 NATO expands to seven counties, all east of Germany, three of which were former SSRs. Two border Russia.
- 2004 Color revolution in country bordering Russia, Ukraine, with Western support that takes country away from Russian influence and into Western influence

If you were Russia at this moment, you might be thinking, "NATO was created to defend against the Soviet Union. USSR doesn't exist anymore. You are using your defensive military alliance to bomb and attack countries that have either cultural or historical ties to Russia. We've liberalized our economy, joined the World Bank, joined the IMF, sold off state owned industries and land to Westerners, essentially allowed you to loot us as victors. Yet when we asked to join your military alliance that was created to defend against a state that doesn't exist you rebuffed us and instead moved it not only eastward, but right on our borders. You are overthrowing the governments of countries we have important economic relationships with right on our borders. The US is invading countries without any respect to international law and creating military relationships with countries on my borders. I am beginning to think NATO may be a threat to Russia."

- 2005 Color revolution in Kyrgyzstan with Western support that takes country away from Russian influence and into Western influence
- 2006 Attempted but failed color revolution in country that borders Russia, Belarus
- 2009 NATO expands to two more countries, one which was a Warsaw Pact member
- 2013 Violent coup in Ukraine by white nationalist forces using false flag attacks. White nationalist groups linked to CIA-funded groups during Cold War
- 2014 New Western-backed government in Ukraine responds to protest in Donbas with lethal force, begins propaganda campaign calling ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking Ukrainians in Donbas "bugs" to dehumanize them, passes laws to suppress Russian language in schools and official offices in Donbas and Crimea
- 2014 New Ukrainian president asks to join NATO, NATO vows path to membership

At this point if you're Russia you might legitimately be panicking. NATO and the US have become aggressive forces that are not afraid to use their military might in offensive, foreign wars without respect to international law. The West is trying to destabilize countries on your border one by one. NATO is saying it's about to take in another member on your border. What is the point of all this if not to weaken and isolate Russia?

- Early 2014 Russia annexes Crimea to protect Black Sea Fleet and the 80% Russian population there. Russia arms and supports Russian-speaking resistance to Western-backed, violent far-right linked government in Kiev. In the grand scheme of things, these are minor actions to stabilize regions directly on Russian borders for people who are linguistically and culturally linked to Russia. Skirmishing between Russian-backed forces and Ukraine being and fronts are formed.
- Late 2014 Russia, Ukraine, and DPR sign ceasefire agreement. Ukraine immediately breaks ceasefire.
- 2015-2019 fighting continues but front barely changes. NATO deploys troops into Ukraine to train Ukrainian troops including large, strong Neo-Nazi paramilitary force recently incorporated into the military. NATO and Ukraine continue steps to make membership reality.
- Late 2020 NATO announces Ukraine and Georgia are official candidates for membership and begin membership action plan.

What do you really do at this point as Russia? At what point is this an existential threat? For three decades a strong and growing stronger, aggressive, unpredictable NATO and U.S. have pushed right up to your borders. They are arming and training Neo-Nazis to kill Russians and Russian speakers just a few dozen miles from your border. In 2021 Russia starts massing troops along the border to either prepare for war or try one last escalation to force a ceasefire. In 2022 they invade. Nothing is inevitable but this certainly looks like provocation to me.

[daemon]

I'll explain, and I hope you appreciate this post will take me some time to lay out clearly, but I don't care to argue. Feel free to respond however you like, but I won't engage in debate. I'm simply politely acquiescing your request.

- 1954 Soviet Union proposes German reunification if it is demilitarized, US refuses
- 1990 US assures Soviets that if they let go of DDR, NATO will not expand to East (but never codifies this into treaty)
- 1997 NATO and Ukraine begin alliance talks
- 1999 NATO, ostensibly a defensive pact, bombs Serbians
- 2000 Putin asks to be invited to join NATO, is refused
- 2000 Color revolution in Serbia with Western support
- 2001 NATO (a European defense pact) invades Afghanistan and gets comfortable in former Soviet Airbases
- 2002 NATO and Ukraine create plan for Ukrainian admission. Ukraine sends troops to support US in illegal invasion of Iraq
- 2003 Color revolution in country bordering Russia, Georgia, with Western support that takes country away from Russian influence and into Western influence
- 2004 NATO expands to seven counties, all east of Germany, three of which were former SSRs. Two border Russia.
- 2004 Color revolution in country bordering Russia, Ukraine, with Western support that takes country away from Russian influence and into Western influence

If you were Russia at this moment, you might be thinking, "NATO was created to defend against the Soviet Union. USSR doesn't exist anymore. You are using your defensive military alliance to bomb and attack countries that have either cultural or historical ties to Russia. We've liberalized our economy, joined the World Bank, joined the IMF, sold off state owned industries and land to Westerners, essentially allowed you to loot us as victors. Yet when we asked to join your military alliance that was created to defend against a state that doesn't exist you rebuffed us and instead moved it not only eastward, but right on our borders. You are overthrowing the governments of countries we have important economic relationships with right on our borders. The US is invading countries without any respect to international law and creating military relationships with countries on my borders. I am beginning to think NATO may be a threat to Russia."

- 2005 Color revolution in Kyrgyzstan with Western support that takes country away from Russian influence and into Western influence
- 2006 Attempted but failed color revolution in country that borders Russia, Belarus
- 2009 NATO expands to two more countries, one which was a Warsaw Pact member
- 2013 Violent coup in Ukraine by white nationalist forces using false flag attacks. White nationalist groups linked to CIA-funded groups during Cold War
- 2014 New Western-backed government in Ukraine responds to protest in Donbas with lethal force, begins propaganda campaign calling ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking Ukrainians in Donbas "bugs" to dehumanize them, passes laws to suppress Russian language in schools and official offices in Donbas and Crimea
- 2014 New Ukrainian president asks to join NATO, NATO vows path to membership

At this point if you're Russia you might legitimately be panicking. NATO and the US have become aggressive forces that are not afraid to use their military might in offensive, foreign wars without respect to international law. The West is trying to destabilize countries on your border one by one. NATO is saying it's about to take in another member on your border. What is the point of all this if not to weaken and isolate Russia?

- Early 2014 Russia annexes Crimea to protect Black Sea Fleet and the 80% Russian population there. Russia arms and supports Russian-speaking resistance to Western-backed, violent far-right linked government in Kiev. In the grand scheme of things, these are minor actions to stabilize regions directly on Russian borders for people who are linguistically and culturally linked to Russia. Skirmishing between Russian-backed forces and Ukraine being and fronts are formed.
- Late 2014 Russia, Ukraine, and DPR sign ceasefire agreement. Ukraine immediately breaks ceasefire.
- 2015-2019 fighting continues but front barely changes. NATO deploys troops into Ukraine to train Ukrainian troops including large, strong Neo-Nazi paramilitary force recently incorporated into the military. NATO and Ukraine continue steps to make membership reality.
- Late 2020 NATO announces Ukraine and Georgia are official candidates for membership and begin membership action plan.

What do you really do at this point as Russia? At what point is this an existential threat? For three decades a strong and growing stronger, aggressive, unpredictable NATO and U.S. have pushed right up to your borders. They are arming and training Neo-Nazis to kill Russians and Russian speakers just a few dozen miles from your border. In 2021 Russia starts massing troops along the border to either prepare for war or try one last escalation to force a ceasefire. In 2022 they invade. Nothing is inevitable but this certainly looks like provocation to me.

I would add this detail:


https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/opinions_218172.htm

Then lastly on Sweden. First of all, it is historic that now Finland is member of the Alliance. And we have to remember the background. The background was that President Putin declared in the autumn of 2021, and actually sent a draft treaty that they wanted NATO to sign, to promise no more NATO enlargement. That was what he sent us. And was a pre-condition for not invade Ukraine. Of course we didn't sign that.

"of course we didn't sign that". Yeah I mean, why would you sign that a "defensive" (against what exactly, NATO? Are we going back to East vs West blocks?) coalition stops getting closer and closer to a clearly defined line you've trampled over and over, and forced the hand of Russia to also adopt a defensive stance (which in this case follows the logic of "the best defense is a good attack").

But people don't see (or don't want to see) the full picture. The USA was in a quite dire situation after COVID and things were looking better for the eurozone than for them. So they did what they do best: poke the wasp's nest. And marketing to play the victim at every turn. Ever wonder why they call it the Cuban Missile Crisis and not the Turkey Missile Crisis?

Not gonna sugarcoat is: Russia has a lot of issues, from autocracy to interferring with other nations. They're no saint, but in this case I do believe there's merit to their claims. The more we understand and deal with proper diplomacy with Eastern nations, the better outcome for the whole world.


And I believe it's noteworthy to understand that the DPR and the Donbas region was left only with russian supporters because Ukraine bombed their infrastructures and civilians (this was said by a catalan reporter that I can't consider having any bias that lived there for several years and saw bodies left and right of non-combatants). In fact he mentioned that while he doesn't think it was a genocide like Putin claims, clearly there were targeted civilian structure casualties (way before Russia entered Ukraine properly) that western media was simply NOT commenting on at all. So we've been in a propaganda game for longer than these past two years. Also, when he went to interview the DPR leaders after the faux elections to annex some regions to Russia, the building he was in, where media reporters (usually kremlin favored) people were staying, was bombed several times by Ukraine.

https://x.com/ManelAlias/status/1576087033847902213