Russia - threadbanned users in OP

so appease Russia at all times, even though they will never do similar, right, gotcha

Your versus you’re. You should look up the difference. It looks sloppy. (‘ in the English language refers to the omission of part of a word (in this case are) or the possession of a noun by the previous noun (e.g. John’s bike-> as in the bike of John). Your refers to the possessive determiner and would be the appropriate choice in your above post

Whether or not the person has stolen the car is arbitrary. Are they wrong to say that stealing the car is bad? Sure they stole the car. Nobody will justify that. However, does that absolve the other party of any censure or culpability if they steal another independent third-parties car? Two wrongs don’t make a right. Because we end up falling down a slippery morality slope, if everybody can use past moral precedent to justify future behaviours. Where does it end? Your friend goes on to steal the car? And then does that person steal another car? And another? And another? That is not society. That is chaos

From an article dated 2016

July 23, 2016, 9:18 AM EDT / Updated July 23, 2016, 9:18 AM EDT

By Mansur Mirovalev

MOSCOW — Britain’s decision to leave the European Union is just the beginning, if some in the Kremlin have their way.

Northern Irish, Scottish, Basque, Catalan and Italian secessionists have been invited to Moscow for a conference, partly funded by Russia, planned for August. They will mingle with Texan, Californian, Puerto-Rican and Hawaiian wannabe-separatists from all over the world, the conference organizer says.

“Our goal is to consolidate efforts based on international legal standards [and] to achieve the very democracy the European Union and the United States talk about, but [the democracy] in its true meaning,” Alexander Ionov, head of the Anti-Globalist Movement of Russia, which is organizing the event, told NBC News.

Oh, you must mean like the two party dictatorship in the USofA, right?

And their all-powerful military industrial complex, which pretty much dictates their foreign policy interventions around the world?

We have the illusion of democracy and free choice in the west. You only have to look at covid to see how much of a sham our freedoms actually are when it suits our masters.

We're given BS referendums, on issues that our great leaders don't give a toss about in truth - stuff that makes deluded people think they have freedom and choice. You'll never see our populations given a vote on something that actually matters, like major military interventions for example. Stuff like that is too important to allow the plebs in our great western democracies to decide on.

Your average citizen in a liberal democracy, is about as clueless as it's possible to be about how the world actually functions. And that's exactly how they want to keep you.

So America stole a car. This was not right. However, Can other countries be justified to steal other people’s cars? Does America’s previous moral precedent absolve all blame from future culprits? And should nobody be allowed to take out car insurance to protect their cars?

What is this dastardly plot about Ukraine joining the EU? How awful + nefarious.

If we use past events as a predictor for the future, if it can ever happen it is highly likely to make Ukraine in general (not just the businessmen or property developers or politically connected etc.) alot richer and happier.

Sure they are a long ways away from it for many reasons (incl.the elephant in the room, or next door) but maybe someday? Would be great if Russia could join it someday as well, though perhaps that is just a dream too far lol.

Forgive me, I misread the title of the thread. I thought that this pertained to the Ukraine-Russia situation? Bad America! I mean, let all the other countries do what they wish. They will never be as bad as America. Got it! Okay, I am up to speed bow

Interesting choice of publication. I am interested to know your views on Dimitiri Simes? Or Maria Butina’s contribution to the publication? Kirchick had an interesting view on the matter.

No doubt, you will dismiss my concerns as propaganda (I am being ironic here, Irish humour is based around irony) from the West. But interesting that you should use an obscure publication (unlikely ever perused by your average Irish punter) which has been cited by others as “…most Kremlin-sympathetic institution in the nation’s capital, even more so than the Carnegie Moscow Centre” to bolster your flailing argument.

Not the typical reference from a typical poster… That is my 10 cent on the matter

Genuine question here. But why is there the need by Russia to potentially invade Ukraine, if the overwhelming majority want to remain under (by your reports the de facto) rule of the Russians?

But the US continue to 'steal cars'....there's a persistent attempt on this thread to pretend the US were once imperial war dogs and are now some form of cuddly benevolent force for good!

Actually Ukraine could have learned lessons from Ireland regarding independence.

Like Ukraine, Ireland too had a large, aggressive and global power next door. Yet Ireland managed to navigate it's independence in a way that kept that larger power at bay, or on side at least. Despite the 30 year war in the north which saw certain participants of that conflict fly the flag of the Republic and commit attacks on the British mainland.

I'm sure it was no easy feat to maintain independence despite enduring such provocations toward the British lion.

Ukraine on the other hand, allowed itself to be wooed by meddling actors from US/EU and NATO, failed to navigate it's independence successfully and now will be forever fractured as a result.

And again 'previous'...why so afraid to acknowledge current and ongoing 'car stealing'?