Russia/Ukraine

[DotAndBuzz]

Feb 22, 2022 13:36:26 GMT -5 mcppalmbeach said:

I’m curious what the tenor is amongst the Russian people…Is Putin liked? Are they in favor of war?

I only have a very surface understanding of the conflict and I know there is some oil access ($$) in play, but it seems like the real crux of the issue is the influence of the west/nato on Ukraine and that being on Russia’s doorstep. War doesn’t come without loss and sacrifice and I would think after two years of Covid, Russians wouldn’t really have an appetite for a leader that wants to engage in conflict right now. I know their media is government controlled and that’s an influencing factor as well, but you think there would be a lot of dissension. I’m tired…aren’t they?

But even if he isn’t liked, does it matter?

Any opponent running against him ends up dead before the election, and Putin has essentially declared himself president for life. So sure, they have “elections,” but it’s easy to win when you don’t have an opponent.

Likewise, he gets unanimous support from other elected officials, because the alternative means them and their family being disappeared, poisoned, etc.

I don’t pretend to be some expert on Russian politics, but it seems pretty clear that even if the majority of Russians didn’t want him, he has a stranglehold on the money, and all branches of government.

[mags]

Feb 22, 2022 13:36:26 GMT -5 mcppalmbeach said:

I’m curious what the tenor is amongst the Russian people…Is Putin liked? Are they in favor of war?

I only have a very surface understanding of the conflict and I know there is some oil access ($$) in play, but it seems like the real crux of the issue is the influence of the west/nato on Ukraine and that being on Russia’s doorstep. War doesn’t come without loss and sacrifice and I would think after two years of Covid, Russians wouldn’t really have an appetite for a leader that wants to engage in conflict right now. I know their media is government controlled and that’s an influencing factor as well, but you think there would be a lot of dissension. I’m tired…aren’t they?

I can only speak for 2 people I know who live there and they both hate Putin and are totally against the invasion. They know they are stuck with him because they say any and all elections are fixed.

[mbcdefg]

Feb 22, 2022 16:28:01 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

Thank goodness Trump isn't president. Granted, this didn't happen during his presidency because Putin had a perfect puppet in the WH and wasn't about to rock that boat, but still. Putin is also crazy enough that perhaps he would have still pulled this stunt if he were still POTUS.

Former President Donald J. Trump called Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine “genius” and called President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia “very savvy” for describing the troops aligned on the Ukrainian border as peacekeepers.

Mr. Trump made his remarks on Tuesday on a conservative talk radio show hosted by Clay Travis and Buck Sexton. He praised Mr. Putin — something he did repeatedly as president and during his 2016 campaign — as well as Mr. Putin’s tactics on Ukraine.

“Putin is now saying, ‘It’s independent,’ a large section of Ukraine. I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s going to go in and be a peacekeeper,” Mr. Trump said. “That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re going to keep peace, all right. No, but think of it. Here’s a guy who’s very savvy.”

Mr. Trump’s favorable remarks toward Mr. Putin’s aggression comes after he broke with decades of American precedent and was deferential toward Russia during his time in the White House.

…

During the radio interview, Mr. Trump said he and Mr. Putin discussed a potential invasion of Ukraine when Mr. Trump was in the White House. “I knew that he always wanted Ukraine. I used to talk to him about it,” Mr. Trump said. “I said, ‘You can’t do it. You’re not going to do it.’ But I could see that he wanted it. I used to ask him. We used to talk about it at length.”

www.nytimes.com/2022/02/22/world/europe/trump-putin-russia-ukraine.html

[rubytue]

Continuing on from mbcdefg’s, more shit how Putin buying Trump and creating the whole Q thing… worked
www.newsweek.com/qaon-followers-gleefully-back-vladimir-putins-invasion-ukraine-1681398

[underwaterrhymes]

Feb 22, 2022 20:07:24 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

Feb 22, 2022 16:28:01 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

Thank goodness Trump isn't president. Granted, this didn't happen during his presidency because Putin had a perfect puppet in the WH and wasn't about to rock that boat, but still. Putin is also crazy enough that perhaps he would have still pulled this stunt if he were still POTUS.

Former President Donald J. Trump called Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine “genius” and called President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia “very savvy” for describing the troops aligned on the Ukrainian border as peacekeepers.

Mr. Trump made his remarks on Tuesday on a conservative talk radio show hosted by Clay Travis and Buck Sexton. He praised Mr. Putin — something he did repeatedly as president and during his 2016 campaign — as well as Mr. Putin’s tactics on Ukraine.

“Putin is now saying, ‘It’s independent,’ a large section of Ukraine. I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s going to go in and be a peacekeeper,” Mr. Trump said. “That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re going to keep peace, all right. No, but think of it. Here’s a guy who’s very savvy.”

Mr. Trump’s favorable remarks toward Mr. Putin’s aggression comes after he broke with decades of American precedent and was deferential toward Russia during his time in the White House.

…

During the radio interview, Mr. Trump said he and Mr. Putin discussed a potential invasion of Ukraine when Mr. Trump was in the White House. “I knew that he always wanted Ukraine. I used to talk to him about it,” Mr. Trump said. “I said, ‘You can’t do it. You’re not going to do it.’ But I could see that he wanted it. I used to ask him. We used to talk about it at length.”

www.nytimes.com/2022/02/22/world/europe/trump-putin-russia-ukraine.html

“When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.”

[bernsteincat]

Fuck Trump and Fuck Clay Travis.

[heat40]

so this is really happening. scary

[rubytue]

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/23/russia-ukraine-updates/

my friend was telling me on Monday he was helping a neighbor whose father is in Ukraine and facing a possible cancer reoccurrence (friend was reviewing scans that had been emailed over). I can’t stop thinking about the neighbor, and his family there. Sick father, and living under threat if invasion (now happening). 😢😢

[rubytue]

I’m really trying to wait until I have verified sources, but it’s so surreal to be watching this go down on Twitter.

[HRH Queen Dick I]

It is definitely happening. Bombs on CNN.

[suburbanzookeeper]

Feb 23, 2022 22:24:32 GMT -5 HRH Queen Dick I said:

It is definitely happening. Bombs on CNN.

It feels wildly inappropriate to like this but yes. I know we hate Twitter but figured this clip was easier to catch ...

 

[erbear]

I don’t even have words. Fuck.

[pumpkin]

Feb 23, 2022 22:39:35 GMT -5 erbear said:

I don’t even have words. Fuck.

Yep, this is where I’m at

[omglol]

This is awful.
Republican response to it is also terrifying. Democracy is crumbling before our eyes and most people don’t even know what’s going on or care. It all feels very hopeless.

[isabel]

I feel kind of sick. I don't understand how there can be any support for this at all. Most of the time, I can wrap my brain around the other side's argument, even if I strongly disagree with it. I don't get this at all.

Those people (Ukrainian civilians). My God.

[seeyalater52]

I’m so sad. This week has dealt some really hard blows but this is just devastating.

[aurora]

I agree it feels kind of surreal. How many of us thought we would witness Russia trying to recreate the USSR by force?

[dulcemariamar]

Just woke up to the news. WTF... I am in disbelief. I didn’t think they would go to these lengths on the first day of the invasion.

I can’t imagine how the people in Ukraine are feeling today.

[Velar Fricative]

I’m gutted. Fuck Putin.

[abs]

I really have no words. Everything sucks. Everything.

[missva]

The Daily had a good review of Putin's Monday night speech, and it makes it even scarier to me because he legit sounds unwell. He cited history back to medieval times when Ukraine was part of Russia, saying the thought of Ukraine being part of NATAO is like a "knife to the throat" because of the quickness in which Ukraine missiles could reach Russia, and then making up stories of a (fake) genocide happening in Ukraine where they are killing Russian speaking people. The fact that he's putting this paranoia out there on national television is disturbing.

[icedcoffee]

My grandmother was born in Ukraine and we're just dreading her seeing this news this morning. She'll be devastated that this is all happening (AGAIN).

[bears]

I'm really concerned about how Zelensky will handle this. A reminder to anyone who needs it (because I had to look up the details to remember eveything this morning): He is 44, studied law. He was on a show from like 2015 - 2019 called "Servant of the People" where he plays a HS teacher whose rants about the government go viral and becomes the president of Ukraine. In 2018 "Servant of the People" is registered as a political party, he runs for president with virtually no in-person campaigning and wins by a landslide in 2019 on a platform of anti-corruption.

This such a terrifying scenario and the fact that Zelensky's so green makes me feel even worse about the situation.

[cattledogkisses]

Feb 24, 2022 8:30:37 GMT -5 missva said:

The Daily had a good review of Putin's Monday night speech, and it makes it even scarier to me because he legit sounds unwell. He cited history back to medieval times when Ukraine was part of Russia, saying the thought of Ukraine being part of NATAO is like a "knife to the throat" because of the quickness in which Ukraine missiles could reach Russia, and then making up stories of a (fake) genocide happening in Ukraine where they are killing Russian speaking people. The fact that he's putting this paranoia out there on national television is disturbing.

His whole speech on Monday was basically a giant rant about how Ukraine doesn't have the right to exist.

[bears]

Pictures of Ukraine today: www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ukraine-invasion-latest-pictures-s98bpt7b3?utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=Russia_invades_Ukraine&utm_medium=branded_social

[jamaicam]

About 20 years ago, my first job post my MA was working for a small company that carried out projects funded by the European Union in former-Communist countries. I worked on the Ukrainian team and visited Donetsk and Kyiv a few times.

The projects were aiming at helping people to build economic independence through entrepreneurship and to 'support democracy' so there was a lot of work with local mayors and building local institutions. Donetsk was very different to Kyiv - spoke Russian versus Ukrainian for example. But the people I worked with really wanted to move forward and strengthen democracy. I feel sad today thinking of the world those people were trying to do in their communities and how today, it must all seem completely pointless.

I have no way of knowing if any of them are alright; if they are even still in that area. But seeing areas where I used to visit now being a warzone is heartbreaking.

[msmerymac]

PDQ, but there is an employee at one of my client's who I work with often, but never, like, one-on-one, other than email. Like she'll be one of a few people from her side on calls. I've met her in person once since my client is in another country and, you know, COVID and stuff, but she is SO NICE.

Anyway, she's from Ukraine, and I don't mean in the way Mila Kunis was born there and her family fled communism. I mean, like she went to college there before immigrating to her current country as an adult. I think her husband is from there as well. And a few months ago both her parents had COVID and she flew back for 2 weeks to help care for them (one may have been hospitalized) and help her brother, who I assume is also there.

I think they're in Kyiv, but I don't know if they're still there or if they're with her or somewhere else. I know that things in Kyiv were pretty business-as-usually until basically last night since it's so far from the border, so I'm not sure how much people there were thinking about leaving.

Anyway, I feel like an email with essentially the message, "Sorry about your home country and stuff" would come across as super awkward, but if I were her it might also be really hard to just go about your business with no one acknowledging anything.

[rubytue]

msmerymac, I think an email that said you were thinking of her would mean a lot and would not be awkward.

We have a “very Ukrainian” last name (the quote is from some Ukrainian blackjack dealers on a cruise we were on). But that is literally the only connection to Ukraine. All other connections were lost with immigration (and the great grandfather married a very matriarchal Swede, so that is the family culture). It’s weird, like there should be connections, but aren’t. Yet my brain wants to grasp at straws of relevance.

[mcppalmbeach]

My heart is broken for the Ukrainian people. I feel the way I did when COVID started popping up more and more…like we are on the precipice of a huge abyss.

msmerymac That is very very scary for your colleague. I was watching the news this morning with cars packed heading for the border. I cannot imagine having to flee your home and I can’t imagine having to stay. It’s just terrible/

[icedcoffee]

msmerymac I've been getting a lot of messages from colleagues and friends and I'm a second generation US born Ukrainian. I vote not weird to let someone know you're thinking about them.