Time to Choose …

Russia takes Crimea 2014.

Russia takes Ukraine 2022.

But it's Trump that's in Putin's pocket?

Lol... you're a fool.

If it ever wasn't perfectly clear before (and of course it was, to anyone with even one-third of a functioning brain), Donald Trump is a raging IDIOT, and a deadly existential danger to this nation and the world.

We should be the ones holding conspiracy theories, such as perhaps Trump was conceived in a lab in Wuhan as an incarnation of Q-devil, and set loose to ruin America and its democratic experiment.

PkrBum wrote:
Lol... you're a fool.

LOL you're a complete ignoramus who's obviously not paying attention to the words spewing from your own idol's mouth.

Putin didn't make a move while Trump was in office because he was getting something much more valuable -- having a Russian plant heading the United States. Not that Russia "planted" him, per se, but Trump was so enamored of "tough guys" and so desperately needed Putin to "like" him that he made himself into a willing asset.

I don't like to play conspiracy-theory games, but I still have to wonder if Trump wasn't selling -- or just giving away -- a lot of those classified intel papers he was storing up at MarALago.

Of course Putin's not going to put Trump in a tough spot and wreck the good thing he had going. It's not because Putin had any fear of Trump -- Trump was his grovelling bootlicker. It's because he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize the gift Trump's feeble ego was giving him. He wanted Trump to hold office as long as possible and keep wrecking democracy, and possibly even pull the U.S. out of NATO, which Trump had been rumbling about doing. When the other team's got a guy who's weakening and alienating his alliances with your enemies, and sucking up to you like an eager-to-please lapdog, you don't throw away that gift.

Putin knows Obama and Biden were going to stand up to him. So, he's being provacative. His real goal is likely to try to just cause enough havoc to drive gas prices up, thus creating more inflation, and then eventually getting another Republican Russia-bootlicker into office so he can exploit them. Ukraine's a means to that end for him. It might work, too, because conservatives in this country have lost their minds over partisanship and become so stupid it's absurd now.

It's pretty clear, and pretty pathetic -- Putin makes moves against the United States (which is what a lot of this Ukraine thing is really about) and who does Trump side with? Old story -- not the United States! https://news.yahoo.com/trump-calls-putins-ukraine-strategy-222823551.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

And yet suck-ups will keep on defending Trump, even now. They'll carry Russia's water for them... either because they really don't like their country, just their "team," or because they're too flat-out fuck-all stupid to know that's what they're doing.

zsomething wrote:
And yet suck-ups will keep on defending Trump, even now.  They'll carry Russia's water for them... either because they really don't like their country, just their "team," or because they're too flat-out fuck-all stupid to know that's what they're doing.

I can reach no conclusion but the latter, which would likely also be the foundation of the former.

From Hillary's "reset button" to Biden greenlighting the Russian pipeline... the dems have no clue how to act in US interest. Nor any desire to apparently. China, Iran, NK... etc are all watching and laughing. It'll only get worse from here and it's on Biden... or rather his handlers.

Sal wrote:The same cretins who made excuses for the January 6 insurrection are now Putin apologists, blaming the US for an unprovoked attack on a sovereign democracy.

They’re not libertarians, they’re fascists.

When people show you who they are, believe them.

You stupid retard. No fucking one is apologizing for Putin. The only person that's provided any comfort for him is Biden and his handlers. Putin has been building on that border since weaksauce Biden sat in the oval office... and it's your fault. The time to stand up to Putin is past. It's a total fucking loss. It's probably more inept than the Afghan withdrawal or even the Libya overthrow. These are the results you voted for... you got em. Embrace the failure and stop trying to deflect useful idiot.

Biden came right out and excused a "minor incursion" a month ago. Anyone, and any media, that isn't focused on this admin's mishandling is missing the ball completely. Maybe you should turn off the TV. Because you're running cover for incompetence... trying to deflect from your culpability in chaos and failure.

"Thank you President Biden" LMAO.

Sal wrote:Fuck off, Sergei.

Remember when Trump attempted to blackmail Ukraine by withholding military aid in exchange for political dirt, while fellating Putin?

I didn’t think so.

Yes... after Biden blackmailed them to drop the investigation of he and his son's cash cow. He flat admitted it. Wtf do either have to do with Russia spending almost a year building up on the Ukraine border prior to actual invasion... ON BIDEN'S WATCH? You seem to be trying literally anything to avoid coming to terms with this.

Sal wrote:

PkrBum wrote:Biden came right out and excused a "minor incursion" a month ago. Anyone, and any media, that isn't focused on this admin's mishandling is missing the ball completely. Maybe you should turn off the TV. Because you're running cover for incompetence... trying to deflect from your culpability in chaos and failure.

"Thank you President Biden" LMAO.

Putin did this, asshole. Focus.

Biden sat on his thumb for almost a year while "Putin did this" dipshit. Completely inept and derelict.

US Senator Chris Murphy explains what is really happening regarding Russia/Ukraine

[...]

Transcription:

Are you having a hard time following what’s going on in Ukraine? Then this video is for you.

If you watch the news these days it can feel like Vladimir Putin is holding all the cards, holding Ukraine and the West hostage. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Putin is actually operating from a position of severe weakness, with a potentially disastrous invasion as his last resort. Let me tell you why.

First let’s do some quick background: Ukraine used to be a Soviet republic, and for most of its post-Soviet independence, its leaders operated in close association with Russia.

But then, in 2013, something happened. The Ukrainian people realized that a political and economic dependence on Russia was a road to nowhere. So they rose up - and they demanded closer ties with the European Union.

Putin and his cronies in Ukraine - they panicked, and they gunned down the protestors.

Now that backfired - big time. Putin’s allies were run out of the country and the nation elected ardent pro-Europe and pro-U.S. leadership.

In response, Putin invaded Crimea - and he invaded eastern Ukraine, but frankly, that just hardened the Ukrainian people’s anti-Russia sentiments.

Still, Putin’s desire to control Ukraine - it didn’t go away. So now, he’s moved 150,000 troops to Ukraine’s border, and he’s threatened a full-on invasion.

Putin hoped that this threatened invasion, all of these troops on Ukraine’s border, would upend Ukraine’s government, collapse it. Or maybe create tensions and fissures within NATO, weakening the alliance. Or result in the West folding and agreeing to his demands.

But none of that happened. In fact the opposite of that happened. The Zelensky government didn’t fall. The United States and the West rallied to support Ukraine’s government. NATO and Europe came together - rallied to support Ukraine’s sovereignty.
And Putin’s list of demands went nowhere.

The West did not give in.

Now, faced with this reality, Putin has only two ways out. Back down - or proceed with an expensive, costly, and potentially disastrous invasion of the largest country in Europe.

It’s hard to fathom what the biggest land war in Europe since 1945 will look like, but it will likely be long and deadly.

The Ukrainian people are not going to submit - they are going to fight back.
And the sanctions from the United States and the rest of the world - they’re going to be devastating - nothing like the relatively mild sanctions Russia has endured so far.

The combination of the cost of the war and the cost of the sanctions, they’re going to threaten Putin’s hold on power. And all for what? To force Ukraine back into Russia’s orbit against Ukraine’s wishes? A nation that used to rely on Russia willingly? All of this just to achieve pre-2013 status quo but with thousands dead and a Russian economy in ruins?

When you think of it that way - how is Putin holding all the cards?

[...]

The White House has now issued a fact sheet on the new sanctions, which include:

Severing the connection to the U.S. financial system for Russia’s largest financial institution, Sberbank

Full blocking sanctions on Russia’s second largest financial institution, VTB Bank (VTB)

Full blocking sanctions on three other major Russian financial institutions: Bank Otkritie, Sovcombank OJSC, and Novikombank

New debt and equity restrictions on 13 of the most critical major Russian enterprises and entities

Additional full blocking sanctions on seven Russian elites and their family members

Sanctions on 24 Belarusian individuals and entities, including targeting Belarus’ military and financial capabilities by sanctioning two significant Belarusian state-owned banks, nine defense firms, and seven regime-connected official and elites

Exports of nearly all U.S. items and items produced in foreign countries using certain U.S.-origin software, technology, or equipment will be restricted

Russia-wide restrictions on technological goods critical to a diversified economy and Putin’s ability to project power; that includes exports of Russian technology

Tax and fee exemptions for other countries that join in the restrictions on Russia.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/2/24/2082108/-US-Senator-Chris-Murphy-explains-what-is-really-happening-regarding-Russia-Ukraine?pm_source=story_sidebar&pm_medium=web&pm_campaign=recommended

**************

Wow. If you ever had any doubt who the right-winger cult is siding with now, this spells it out:

https://twitter.com/RightWingWatch/status/1496937857839153168

They've gotten so absorbed into their White-Nationalist-Christian cult that their patriotism's just gone. They're siding with their country's enemies because they think they have more in common with them... and they hate Joe Biden that much.

I don't know who's been working to brainwash right-wingers, but they're sure's fuck's getting their money's worth from their efforts. Jeez.

Meanwhile, I think this thing just might blow up in Putin's face. Ukraine is winning the symbolic war so far. Zelensky's strapping on a flak vest and hitting the streets. The "Ghost of Kiev" has supposedly shot down six Russian fighter jets with a 70's era MiG, and those Ukranian troops on the island responding, "Russian warship, go fuck yourself" are badass as hell. That's right up there with the "Nuts" response at the Battle of the Bulge. Ukraine are looking like heroes, the Russian army -- though they'll win by sheer force of numbers and superior equipment -- are looking weaker than Putin figured, and there are even protests showing up in Russia against Putin now, some Russian soldiers are surrendering claiming Putin lied to them about not having to kill Ukranians, and the Russian economy is in free-fall... and this thing's just started.

I wouldn't let the sanctions go, whatever Russia does. Cripple their fucking economy so they can't recover from it. Got nothing against the Russian people, they're victims of Putin, too, but... enough's enough. Putin's eyes are on his legacy... give him the opposite of what he wanted. Send him out like Gaddafi, beaten through the streets with a flagpole up his ass and a legacy of being the man who ruined Russia.

And let these Trump-loyalist idiots be the idiotic scumbags who backed another loser who tried to wreck America.

Sal wrote:
This is insanity, and yet more Russians than Republicans oppose it.

You're an absolute moron to keep parroting that propaganda. Not even your fellow useful idiots really believe it.