Russia-Ukraine War (Threadbanned in op)

There's been a lot of posts on here about the Russian invasion, but that post saying that the Azov battalion was responsible for the Boucha massacre is the first of its kind (to me anyway) and they being the real power in Ukraine is news to me. Can you elaborate?

But I also think this thread is thoroughly ghastly too

Ah the old calling out raping, murdering bands of invading forces as scumbags makes us as bad as them canard. I 've never subscribed to that kind of brain falling out of your head moral relativism myself. But if it makes you feel above it all then go ahead I guess. We'll get over your disapproval somehow I reckon.

My point, a great many of the revolting things said about ordinary Russians and Russian society in this thread would apply to Ukrainians too. When you laugh at Russians being ignorant, or poor, or describe them as a miserable lesion on the face of humanity you forget that the guys you support have far more in common culturally with Russia than they have with us.

The overwhelming point to be made though is Ukraine are not fine with either being invaded or the principle of invasion and genocide as a means of politics on the world stage. A point that Russians by and large have not taken to the streets to condemn. The point that both countries have poor people and are slavic in culture is not one that is primarily being used to deride Russia.

In essence the whole conflict is about Ukrainians wanting to be less like Russia and more like us. They're dying and shedding blood for that right to self determination. And keeping the Russians busy while we prepare our crumbling defense base. And you're somehow surprised that we empathize with one side more than the other? Like ….. really?

I’m pointing out the speciousness of the cheerleaders here when they routinely cast appalling aspersions about Russian people as a whole. Do you understand?

Oh we understand fine. We just think you're wrong. You want to point out how this conflict is much more a both sides thing and we should somehow feel bad for cheering on Ukraine and intellectually dishonest for deriding Russia. It's a point that's been made and debunked hundreds of times on the thread you claim you've read from the start. It's neither interesting nor unique by now. Do you understand?

Well, that was then and this is now. I imagine whatever cultural ties Ukraine had with Russia have long since been cut, given Russia's attempt to murder and subject Ukrainian citizens.

you have to admire the rank hypocrisy of being upset POTUS called out Republicans during a diplomatic visit, as if there was ever this “waters edge” norm during the last administration or his network ever called him out for same. Even in this administration Doocey and Fox leave unchecked violation of this “waters edge” by Republicans either when they themselves are overseas such as in Israel etc or when Biden is

https://www.mediaite.com/politics/peter-doocy-snarks-on-bidens-blaming-us-conservatives-for-delaying-aid-to-zelensky-politics-used-to-end-at-the-waters-edge/

I've seen it on Vatnik posts on 'X' and it likely originates on Ruzzian media (they also accused MI5 of being behind it). It stands to reason they'd resort to False Flag nonsense considering its popularity as the explantion of last resort when claims that the hostile media faked atrocities strain credulity. It probably rang a bell with the Qtipper community that live in a world of false flags from 9/11 to Sandy Hook. As for Azov, likewise. Claims that a Jewish president is a Nazi looks ridiculous to all but the most fervent Putinbot and it's difficult to explain how a Ukrainian governing party singularly lacking in far-right figures are fascists. So, best to resort to the default explanation and one tailor made to appeal to the conspiraloon cohort (who espouse this belief fervently in the American context). Ukraine is REALLY run by shadowy nazis behind the scenes, fascist puppetmasters manipulating and intimidating Zelensky and his government: the Azov ''Deep state'', if you will.

That sounds much more believable!

This whole Nazi business is strictly for home consumption. Even if few if any Russians who fought in the war are alive now, it's still re-enacted each year with the annual parade, and continues to be taught in the school's (Putin's version, that is!!) None the less, it would be hard to find any home in Russia without pictures and medals hanging up on the walls in prime positions depicting family members who had fought in the Great War. So while it pretty meaningless for us here in the west, for Russians it still very emotive, a fact that Putin has used shamelessly to encourage hatred of Ukrainians and the west, and as a justification for his invasion. Even so, that excuse must be wearing pretty thin by now, even amongst dedicated Russians.

" I'm guessing the Redd Cross never inspected that POW camp." Well, sarcastic or not,12 posters liked it, so it made an impact. The problem that I have with it is that it implies that the Red Cross could have visited the POWs but didn't by choice. And that's as far from the truth as you can get. Now if you had said " Thats one camp the Red Cross were not allowed into." And that puts a whole different perspective on it.

Yeah, sometimes I don't word good. I don't believe for a second they'd comply with any kind of international inspection, and even if they did it would be some sort of Potemkin camp with smiling POWs in clean surroundings and not a protruding ribcage in sight.

I've done my part. Gave Mick Wallace the 23rd of 23* preferences in the European elections.

I hope the good voters of Dublin see fit to give Clare Daly an equally low preference so that we'll finally see the back of the pair of them.

*before someone chimes in with I shouldn't have given him any preference at all, giving him my final preference is effectively the same as no preference

Combat Veteran Reacts on Youtube is saying that Putin accidentally let slip that current Russian casualties is running at 20,000 a month, with 5,000 being killed and a further 15,000 being injured to various degrees.

I actually had to fold it in 2 and flip it back and forth to mark my preferences. My locals had 16 on it so combined it was easily the longest that it's ever taken me to vote.

Does that mean you voted for the far right candidates ahead of him? Sorry to be nosey, but they may be even worse.