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This discussion has been inactive for longer than 5 days, and doesn't want to be resurrected.
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- CommentAuthorMidgetRadio
- CommentTimeDec 13th 2007 edited
I'm pretty much alone on this, but does anyone else think it's exciting that Russia's starting to come back? As much as it must suck to be Russian right now, it's really fascinating watching Putin tighten his grip on the whole country. I just saw today that Kasparov had to drop out of the presidential race. So there goes Putin's biggest political enemy. I wonder if fifty years from now we'll be wondering how Putin ever got into power just like we wonder that about Hitler.
Anyways, I'd rather America face-off with Russia than Iran. Cold, intellecutal brutality is more fun than zealous, religious anti-semitism. At least I can understand where Putin's coming from. I can't really understand wanting to kill jews for the sake of killing jews. IMHO. -
- CommentAuthorF. David Swallow II
- CommentTimeDec 13th 2007
I'm having a time out until I can learn some manners.I really wish Russia and the US were better friends. I know neither of out admins like each other, but seriously. Dosen't Russia have a shit ton of oil? i would much rather get it from them than countries that hate us.
Though with Putin killing journalists, i doubt thats to happen. -
- CommentAuthorMidgetRadio
- CommentTimeDec 13th 2007
Hells yeah they do. And a shit ton of natural gas too. That's why Putin's able to get away with all he's gotten away with. He knows the US and most European countries are too scared to fuck with him, b/c he's got high-demand natural resources by the nuts. And you know, had we in the US not overplayed our hand in Iraq, we'd probably still have enough influence left to reign in the democratic and human-rights violations Putin's been pulling over the past few years. It seems like year by year it becomes exponentially more obvious that we were playing checkers when we went into Iraq, rather than chess. -
i do think putin is interesting, but i am not sexually aroused by his actions.
i'd actually prefer it if there wasn't any face-off to speak of. generic war/cold war is kinda boring: all that killing energy should go toward deserving targets (i'll let you decide what i mean by that) -
Coming this spring to Fox: WHEN FUTURE DICTATORS RISE TO POWER.
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- CommentAuthorKosmopolit
- CommentTimeDec 14th 2007
"At least I can understand where Putin's coming from. I can't really understand wanting to kill jews for the sake of killing jews."
1. Iran's supposed anti-semitism is largely western propaganda. (For starters, if they were that keen to kill Jews they might start with the tens of thousands of Jews living IN Iran.)
2. Russia has a large and extremely violent Neo-Nazi movement which is regularly involved in the murder of Jews; Muslims; homosexuals; and Asian and African immigrants. Putin has done nothing to rein them in and most of them are enthusiastic supporters of his regime. -
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CommentAuthorPaul Duffield
- CommentTimeDec 14th 2007
I just wish everyone would put all the nukes and veiled threats away, and remember that the cold war was one of the most sickeningly tense periods of political history ever. Just because it didn't end in nuclear war doesn't mean the nuclear deterrent works and will work again. I don't know why politicians don't seem to comprehend this.
I'm of the opinion that the actions of developed nations including the UK are directly against the intentions of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and we should stop being hypocrites asking smaller nations to cease nuclear activity and give up the fucking bomb ourselves. Russia scares me, America scares me, the pressure placed on Iran scares me, and (propaganda or not) religious fundamentalism in high government scares me.
Above all, being Nuked scares me to hell and back, and I have recurring nightmares of the mushroom-shaped apocalypse which aren't fun. So, no I don't think it's "exciting", it makes me feel sick. -
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In my head Putin=Kuryakin, what with the martial arts and KGB background and everything.
I'm actually happier that there's someone as devastatingly competent as he is, in charge of Russia, than I am that Bush is in the White House. -
Putin is a Bond Villain. But like a Bond Villain for Daniel Craig, not the Blofeld kind.
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CommentAuthorhemlock_martini
- CommentTimeDec 14th 2007
I just wish everyone would put all the nukes and veiled threats away, and remember that the cold war was one of the most sickeningly tense periods of political history ever. Just because it didn't end in nuclear war doesn't mean the nuclear deterrent works and will work again. I don't know why politicians don't seem to comprehend this.
Yes, but on the other hand, it gave us "99 Luftbaloons." So it wasn't ALL bad. -
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CommentAuthorPaul Duffield
- CommentTimeDec 14th 2007
"99 Luftbaloons."
I just checked out the video of that song on YouTube and my brain melted. Maybe the Cold War wasn't all bad. -
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I don't find Putin to be amusing in any sense of the word. Gary Kasparov was forced to drop out (Radio Free Europe) after being jailed during a protest, Putin couldn't have him killed outright because he's way too popular. Putin's Russia just ran one of the dirtiest elections in that country's history. Piss off Putin and you're either killed or jailed, but he's the strongman that the Russian people want right now.
BBC World News has been all over those lovely Russian Neo-Nazis. Wikipedia has a decent up to date article on Putin here, and all the Putin News aggregated by Google, and an article about the elections on Dissident Voice. -
MidgetRadio 13 hours ago edited: "Anyways, I'd rather America face-off with Russia than Iran. Cold, intellecutal brutality is more fun than zealous, religious anti-semitism."
Which one is the US? Cold and brutal or zealous anti-semites? I'm living in the midwest now and have encountered the American equivalant of Muslim extremists, usually while enjoying freedom fries.
I agree I'd rather a stand off with Russia, but only because if they are rational (even in a cold abrutal way) it may force our government to act the same. Instead when dealling with the Middle East our religious extremists use there religious extremists as an excuse to behave with zealous cruelty! -
for anyone interested in dead Russian journalists as a measure of Putin's Russia, this was a very good interview about the ramifications of the death of anna politkovskaya and the state of the press back in 2006.
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I'd rather have NO stand off. Putin is a mad puppeteer. He is single handedly destroying every shred of democracy Russia gained over the past 18 years. Journalists are murdered, people are starving, they can't have free elections without Putin sending his guard dogs out to imprison his opponents. Things are very rotten in the state of Russia, and it is NOT fun to watch.
He gives me the creeps. -
Putin as Kuryakin? That analogy's a crime against hairdressing...
Putin's devestating competence seems to be a knack for coercion, murder, the unsubtlest of propaganda (like ordering university tutors to tell their own students which way they should vote), prosperity-carrot dangling, the use of the arch and blanket denial when questioned about any of these points, and a very shrewd appraisal of America as a political force which has thoroughly shot it's moral bolt.
I'm not sure I've ever felt iffier. -
I am given pause to wonder how many people think wistfully about the good old days of the Cold War are actually old enough to remember much about it.
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Good point rfrabcis. I am 30 and know only enough to be scared of it happening again.
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- CommentAuthorCaptain Legion
- CommentTimeDec 14th 2007 edited
Balls to your concern for the re-tightening of the world's collective anus in fear of nuclear annihilation. For those like me attracted to propaganda art, Putin's Iron-fist of Democracy is very interesting. The recent election gave us a flurry of pro-Putin propaganda that both tingled and stupefied. Especially considering it was his party running, and not Putin himself.
I mean look at this:
The BBC even ran an article, (first law of competence failed: no citation provided) which described "a shimmying girl band singing an ode to that heartthrob in the Kremlin: “I want a man like Putin, full of strength!”."
Journalist killing, coercion and outright denial. And they still had a 63% voter turnout. Beats the hell out of any North American turnout. What does that tell you?
Big Brother is out there. But he goes by (Big Brother in Russian, the text is unrecognizable) these days. How does one fight Big Brother when Big Brother is not related to you? -
Putin's devestating competence seems to be a knack for coercion, murder, the unsubtlest of propaganda (like ordering university tutors to tell their own students which way they should vote), prosperity-carrot dangling, the use of the arch and blanket denial when questioned about any of these points
So, not so very different from America these days, then? Except for the bit about being competent about it.
And as for unsubtle propaganda - I saw Fox News the other day...
Also also, despite all these things, I feel that Putin's actually not the kind of person who would get into a stupidly pyrrhic war, unlike Bush.
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