Why would Russia invade Ukraine?

[Animal]

Just watching the news videos with the dead, refugees fleeing, destruction it's hard for me to believe I'm looking at something happening in a 1st world country in 2022. None of it makes any sense. I mean WTF, Putin? Soviet flashback?

2nd world country. but, yeah, its ridiculous. Putin has dug his grave.

[CentralTexasCrude]

I consider Ukraine to be 1st World but whatever. I can almost see taking over a couple of pro-Russian eastern provinces. But bombing cities, hospitals, fleeing caravans? I mean, WTF is the purpose?

[Animal]

I consider Ukraine to be 1st World but whatever. I can almost see taking over a couple of pro-Russian eastern provinces. But bombing cities, hospitals, fleeing caravans? I mean, WTF is the purpose?

that has been my question all along. what is the purpose? what could possibly be worth the price he is paying for this?

[Deathproof]

Just watching the news videos with the dead, refugees fleeing, destruction it's hard for me to believe I'm looking at something happening in a 1st world country in 2022. None of it makes any sense. I mean WTF, Putin? Soviet flashback?

2nd world country. but, yeah, its ridiculous. Putin has dug his grave.

No hyperbole here: I'm concerned he's digging the world's grave.

[Deathproof]

I consider Ukraine to be 1st World but whatever.

You shouldn't. Take it from someone who has been there several times: Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and even Russia are glorified 3rd-world countries. Russia hasn't recovered from Stalin to the degree that the world thinks it has.

[CentralTexasCrude]

I consider Ukraine to be 1st World but whatever.

You shouldn't. Take it from someone who has been there several times: Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and even Russia are glorified 3rd-world countries. Russia hasn't recovered from Stalin to the degree that the world thinks it has.

Yeah, that makes sense, I guess. After the shock of communism collapsing in the early 90's, economy collapsing, they looked like they started having their shit together around 20 years ago. But then they started killing Russian citizen critics like the one in London with some kind of KGB chemical weapon. Must be a Slav mental thing.

[Animal]

by definition, Russia and China are both 3rd world countries.

but that definition goes way beyond having roads and utilities. it has to do with human rights, freedoms, open information, ownership of property, etc.

[Deathproof]

I consider Ukraine to be 1st World but whatever. I can almost see taking over a couple of pro-Russian eastern provinces. But bombing cities, hospitals, fleeing caravans? I mean, WTF is the purpose?

that has been my question all along. what is the purpose? what could possibly be worth the price he is paying for this?

Let me offer an explanation. Vladimir Putin was a KGB agent in his glory days. Those guys were like rock stars; they lived the high life, fucked broads like it was going out of style, partied like Hunter Biden on his best nights, never waited in line for the clubs. Imagine being the star quarterback and multiply that by a million. Imagine being him, the world is your oyster, and boom... the Soviet Union collapses and it's all over just like that. Dude has spent decades pining for the glory days and what he considers the glory days of "Mother Russia".
How much do you think it chaps his ass that his country doesn't have the prestige of, say, the United States? You know, the country he grew up being told was "the ultimate evil" and was the country who defeated the Soviet Union?
So now he's older, and he's in charge, and suddenly he sees his chance to not only show the world that Russia is the big dog in the yard, and why not restore the Soviet empire while he's at it?
This is a dude who is WAY concerned with public perception; he stole Robert Kraft's Super Bowl ring just to put it only display as a trophy in Russia, after telling the Russian public that he went to America and played American football and earned it (which nobody in Russia believed). So in his mind, I'm sure he thinks the world will fear and respect him if he embarrasses the United States of America. And that's why he's dangerous: if it comes to a point where he believes he cannot win, he will destroy the earth before he allows himself to admit defeat. Believe that.

[Deathproof]

I'd also like to add something else. Cultural heroes/icons are a BIG FUCKING DEAL in Russia. We, as Americans, don't have the idol worship for cultural/historical figures that they do, so it's difficult for us to comprehend it. There is no higher goal, no greater calling, for a Russian person than to be remembered through history.

I fucking guarantee you that Putin is seeing this as his chance to reach that goal. And we should all be afraid of what he might do if he gives up on it.

[Animal]

i really appreciate the explanation. and i understand what you are saying and i appreciate that you have a different perspective on it. but its kind of like trying to understand why manson decided they needed to murder those people in the hills of hollywood. they had a reason and it made perfect sense to them, but to anyone else its just insanity.

[Deathproof]

i really appreciate the explanation. and i understand what you are saying and i appreciate that you have a different perspective on it. but its kind of like trying to understand why manson decided they needed to murder those people in the hills of hollywood. they had a reason and it made perfect sense to them, but to anyone else its just insanity.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I understand (but do not agree with) Putin's reasoning, but I'm growing more and more convinced he's slipping into some kind of mental instability. He's 20 years over the typical Russian male lifespan already.

[Animal]

he is 69 years old. so the world ends because some guy in a third world country has a mid life crisis?

[CentralTexasCrude]

Appreciate the info, DP. We may not be sending any military forces but I sure hope this current Admin isn't pussy enough to at least not send some high tech equipment with some black ops special forces.

[CentralTexasCrude]

he is 69 years old. so the world ends because some guy in a third world country has a mid life crisis?

You forgot about the guy with the mid life crisis with the largest nuclear arsenal on Earth

[Animal]

i'm missing the old cia right about now. we let the do-gooders fuck that system all up.

[Charliesheen]

[CHEEZY17]

Remember how the Lefties used to say Trump never accepted blame or fault for anything?

Pepperidge Farms remembers.

[Who]

Remember how the Lefties used to say Trump never accepted blame or fault for anything?

Pepperidge Farms remembers.

He still doesn’t

[CHEEZY17]

Remember how the Lefties used to say Trump never accepted blame or fault for anything?

Pepperidge Farms remembers.

He still doesn’t

And neither does Shit Show Joe. Which was, of course, the point that you completely missed.

[CHEEZY17]

Shocker:
Another Shit Show failure.
Pentagon push to send more trainers to Ukraine was scrapped in December amid White House fears of provoking Russia
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/1 ... e-00016830

[CHEEZY17]

Shocker:
Another Shit Show failure.
Pentagon push to send more trainers to Ukraine was scrapped in December amid White House fears of provoking Russia
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/1 ... e-00016830

I am OK with this.

And what did that decision get us?

[Animal]

Peace talks again today. There is a buzz that there might be some good news coming out of that. Markets seem to be acting in favor of it. I heard oil was getting close to going below $100/bbl.

[Biker]

[QillerDaemon]

I'd also like to add something else. Cultural heroes/icons are a BIG FUCKING DEAL in Russia. We, as Americans, don't have the idol worship for cultural/historical figures that they do, so it's difficult for us to comprehend it.

"Do-do-doot-doot-dododo-doot-doot-doooo-doot!..." We don't?!

I could have sworn that was a Confederate flag flying off the back of that pickup truck with the "Stop the Steal!" stickers all over it.

[Biker]

I'd also like to add something else. Cultural heroes/icons are a BIG FUCKING DEAL in Russia. We, as Americans, don't have the idol worship for cultural/historical figures that they do, so it's difficult for us to comprehend it.

"Do-do-doot-doot-dododo-doot-doot-doooo-doot!..." We don't?!

I could have sworn that was a Confederate flag flying off the back of that pickup truck with the "Stop the Steal!" stickers all over it.

Exactly. Because a 92.26% voter turnout is totally normal in this country.