You could make that argument for literally any conflict this country has ever been involved in, including the world wars. In fact, that exact argument was used at those times. My argument is that we need to act as a check on Russian expansionism, or risk having something like a repeat of Hitler annexing the bits of Europe he wanted and Europe just kind of went along with it. All to lead up to Cold War II: Electric Boogaloo as Russia controls as much of Europe as it can.
Treating Russia/Putin like Nazi Germany/Hitler is a farcical view of the situation that has little to do with reality.You could make that argument for literally any conflict this country has ever been involved in, including the world wars. In fact, that exact argument was used at those times. My argument is that we need to act as a check on Russian expansionism, or risk having something like a repeat of Hitler annexing the bits of Europe he wanted and Europe just kind of went along with it. All to lead up to Cold War II: Electric Boogaloo as Russia controls as much of Europe as it can.
Actually, I was on Russia's side regarding Ukraine even back when Obama was still president, and I thought Biden was one of the good guys. No, seriously; I felt super bad for the guy when he went to Russia to try and ease tensions, while at the same time Obama was shit-talking them at the UN. I seriously believed back then that Biden was one of the only people in Obama's cabinet actually trying to make things better.
What about NATO expansionism? The thing which caused the coup in Ukraine in the first place? Who's going to act as a check against that? Russia, apparently; and good on them for it. Besides; there's no need for a Cold War II. The first Cold War never ended, at least not from the perspective of America's and Western Europe's leadership class. Russia, meanwhile, actually entertained burying the hatchet and becoming our friend at first; up until they realized that our leaders merely saw the supposed "end" of the Cold War as an opportunity to grind Russia under their heels, forever ending their potential as a threat.You could make that argument for literally any conflict this country has ever been involved in, including the world wars. In fact, that exact argument was used at those times. My argument is that we need to act as a check on Russian expansionism, or risk having something like a repeat of Hitler annexing the bits of Europe he wanted and Europe just kind of went along with it. All to lead up to Cold War II: Electric Boogaloo as Russia controls as much of Europe as it can.
Considering that there's something of a parallel there with the Sudetenland, it's hardly farcical. It doesn't have to be 100% exactly like it to be a valid comparison. We also have what previously happened in Eastern Europe with the Iron Curtain, which you seem to be just ignoring in the face of Russia pulling some Chinese-style "historical connection" bullshit to justify expanding wherever it pleases.
They never "needed" to annex or set up puppet regimes in any of the countries that they have done so in, yet they certainly wanted to and did so. I also doubt if Russia will let membership in NATO deter them much, since so much of their game plan seems to be in getting NATO to either break itself up (as you yourself have advocated for, if memory serves), or to test the resolve in its member nations to see if they'll actually do anything. What they're doing with Ukraine is probably part of that, specifically because they can fall back on its lack of membership to defend itself politically, while also gauging what the response from NATO is. It looks like Germany has been successfully compromised, and other countries, the US included, have been forced to walk things back, thus showing a lack of resolve, which might signal other possibilities later.
Yeah, like that's not a big deal or anything. Plus, totally sure it was all just an accident, really we swear.
Yeah, how's that going?
We'll see. After all, if we simply give Russia a free had in Ukraine (because fuck those people, apparently), why wouldn't we walk things back on Poland or those other Baltic states? I mean, what do we get out of it, right?
Are you for real? NATO isn't "expanding" by letting other countries join the alliance, and Russia isn't acting as a "check" on anything - they're a bully that's taking over other countries in an effort to get their old Soviet empire back along with the respect it commanded from the rest of the world (you know, for doing evil shit), even if the government isn't socialist anymore. Dude, you're seriously coming off like a Russian shill here.
Are you even aware that a coup happened in Ukraine? Because it seems like you keep shoving that fact into the memory hole. Let me remind you that some very violent and nasty people, including members of organized crime syndicates and literal Nazis, came together to take over Ukraine because they didn't like the fact that the president of Ukraine didn't want to join NATO.
I'm aware, I'm just not convinced they they are "literal Nazis" as you accuse due to how this kind of accusation gets thrown around all the time. I am also not convicting the US of having anything to do with it. This isn't to say I completely discount it, either, but you take this to a ridiculous degree, where you not only are absolutely sure the US is responsible for this coup and put literal Nazis in charge of the government there, which is in fact just a puppet of ours (in spite of how they have hardly acted as such, unlike say Belarus toward Russia), and this leads you to literally cheer Russia on as they conquer another country. I'm honestly shocked at this coming from you, of all people.
A lot of it comes from listening to an actual Ukrainian living in Ukraine (as well as a few Russians, admittedly) who was posting in the threads about the coup on Spacebattles, and then following up with my own research. They talked a lot about the internal divisions within Ukraine that led to it, that it was sparked by the president choosing to align the country with Russia (which the people who voted for him supported) instead of NATO (which the people who voted against him supported), that a number of journalists and politicians in the aftermath either "committed suicide" or disappeared altogether, that a lot of people involved with the coup were horrible people who went on to abuse their power, et cetera, et cetera.
By remembering what Russia's government has shown itself to be capable of, and are hardly trustworthy themselves.
You could make that argument for literally any conflict this country has ever been involved in, including the world wars. In fact, that exact argument was used at those times. My argument is that we need to act as a check on Russian expansionism, or risk having something like a repeat of Hitler annexing the bits of Europe he wanted and Europe just kind of went along with it. All to lead up to Cold War II: Electric Boogaloo as Russia controls as much of Europe as it can.
The best you could argue with that logic is that we shouldn't side with anyone regarding Ukraine; but that's not what you've been arguing. You've been arguing that we need to oppose Russia; and I'm sorry, but the justification for that just isn't there.
And USA pulled similar stunt a few years ago in order to kidnap a whistleblower, but it turned out he wasn't on the plane.
The justification is not allowing Russia to take over another country. This is something that should not be lost sight of.
