An interesting commentary on Russia today.

Ματθιας;141954776 said:
I don't care.


Are you going to tell me that OUR media and OUR government does NOT lie as much aa theirs?

Yes. I will tell you that.

Sorry you believe otherwise, as I think your belief misguided, but also, with apologies, will not spend time and effort to convince you otherwise.

Too much work for a lazy person like me. (Plus, I doubt if I could effectively convince you to change your beliefs. People believe what they want to believe.)

I find that while in my youth reality, usually, was a consensus view, nowadays people pick and choose their versions of reality and pick their specific info sources accordingly. With all the info sources available nowadays, one can reinforce whatever version of reality one chooses.

I follow the MSM. (Yes, I hear the gnashing of teeth. But I am old school in my perception of reality.)
 
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Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
--George Santayana, 1905

While that's a well-worn saying, it can be tested empirically by finding a new Neville Chamberlain who will give Putin everything he wants to assemble a new Mother Russia (Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic states, Moldova, etc.). In return, New Neville will get Putin's signature on a document that he can wave in the air which guarantees peace in our time. Santayana could be wrong. It might actually work this time! :rolleyes:

However, if Putin also demands the return of Alaska, I hope New Neville responds with a firm, "Maybe."
 
So many words written on this forum about how
bad things are here. That's fine, it's an
American's right to express oneself.

But try making those same objections in Russia.
Try telling Putin you don't like him, don't like
his taxes, his foreign policies, his crackdowns.

And meanwhile, we on this forum honestly
celebrate daily "what's for dinner?" :). Maybe
things aren't so bad here.
 
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Two points I'd like to bring up on this thread. One; in the Budapest Memorandum, your president guaranteed Ukrainian territorial sovereignty in exchange for giving up it's nukes. Secondly, the vast proportion of the "billions in aid" are actually spent in your own country replacing and replenishing what is (in many cases) old, and sometimes clapped out, stock.
 
Thought I might add my 2 cents regarding Russia.
I'm actually going to visit Russia hopefully next year. since the war began 2 years ago. I've been doing a lot of research on Russia. and found a lot of similarities between the US and Russia. for one it's easier to buy and own firearms legally than most blue states here in the US. that would include AK's, AR's, and other wicked looking weapons. I wouldn't be surprised if they're isn't some S&W collections there.
also a lot of my research comes from watching YouTube, and documentaries on Russia and from residents, ex-pats and even veterans on the pros and cons of living in Russia. as well on X Twitter with people who live in Russia. I have a co-worker who is a loud talking, Russian born, who sends me texts with comments and pics that must be taken directly from the soldiers themselves on the battlefield (and I mean uncensored pics). they also don't have hundreds of military bases around the world.(waste of taxpayer money)
I've also listened to several of Putin's speeches, press conferences and find the man is very educated, measured, and very intelligent.
and any leader getting reelected to a 3rd term as president with an 87% win in a record election turnout has to be doing something right.
they also have a very healthy religious freedoms too, christian, Muslim, orthodox Jewish just to name a few. they also have very pro family policies in place making it easier to raise families
so I would respectfully disagree with some of the views others may have about Russia.

my plan is to travel across the country by the trans Siberian railway and find out for myself.

I'm curious if anybody here has been to Russia. would like to hear about some of their experiences.

Bryce
 
Thought I might add my 2 cents regarding Russia.

I'm actually going to visit Russia hopefully next year. since the war began 2 years ago. I've been doing a lot of research on Russia. and found a lot of similarities between the US and Russia. for one it's easier to buy and own firearms legally than most blue states here in the US. that would include AK's, AR's, and other wicked looking weapons. I wouldn't be surprised if they're isn't some S&W collections there.

also a lot of my research comes from watching YouTube, and documentaries on Russia and from residents, ex-pats and even veterans on the pros and cons of living in Russia. as well on X Twitter with people who live in Russia. I have a co-worker who is a loud talking, Russian born, who sends me texts with comments and pics that must be taken directly from the soldiers themselves on the battlefield (and I mean uncensored pics). they also don't have hundreds of military bases around the world.(waste of taxpayer money)

I've also listened to several of Putin's speeches, press conferences and find the man is very educated, measured, and very intelligent.

and any leader getting reelected to a 3rd term as president with an 87% win in a record election turnout has to be doing something right.

they also have a very healthy religious freedoms too, christian, Muslim, orthodox Jewish just to name a few. they also have very pro family policies in place making it easier to raise families

so I would respectfully disagree with some of the views others may have about Russia.



my plan is to travel across the country by the trans Siberian railway and find out for myself.



I'm curious if anybody here has been to Russia. would like to hear about some of their experiences.



Bryce
You believe that they have open and honest elections in Russia?

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 
2. Remember- opinions will differ. Get over it. State your opinion calmly, and allow others to state theirs. Discussion will be fine, but there is no need to take a thread into a verbal fistfight or shouting match.

3. Do NOT descend into personal attacks on a member.
Naiveté, or viewpoints different from yours are no reason to call a member an idiot or moron.
If a poster is obnoxious, report him and ignore him.
Do not feed trolls.
NO LYNCHINGS or MUGGINGS
 
Yep. Put me on the side that believes Putin is a bad guy, that the US has worldwide responsibilities to maintain peace as best we are able, and that my tax money is well spent in keeping bad guys far from our shores, and from our children (fighting as soldiers in foreign wars), by supporting our democratic allies abroad, as in Ukraine, against the aggression of tyrants.

And I lament those who so readily believe Russian disinformation amplified on social media.

Also, while not a practicing, church attending, member of any particular sect of Christianity, I believe in the Christian obligation of the better off to help their less well off fellows, and do not draw the line at our nation's borders.

We are all children of God, I believe, wherever born, and deserving of care, kindness and consideration. (Or retribution, if called for.) I also believe it to be of practical benefit to care for, and support, our allies abroad in terms of our own national security.

No man is an island.

I agree with a lot of this. But I didn’t realize we had borders???
 
just as much as our own national election system

I'm sorry, but you will find that a difficult opinion to sustain with fact.

As to the Soviet Union, Putin is doing his best to reconstitute it one bite at a time - South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Crimea, Donetsk. Up next is Transnistra. He doesn't care how much blood or treasure it costs other people.

One of Putin's best known statements is that the fall of the Soviet Union was the worst tragedy of the 20th century.

Enjoy your trip.

“First and foremost it is worth acknowledging that the demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century,” Putin said. “As for the Russian people, it became a genuine tragedy. Tens of millions of our fellow citizens and countrymen found themselves beyond the fringes of Russian territory.

“The epidemic of collapse has spilled over to Russia itself,” he said, referring to separatist movements such as those in Chechnya.
- Vladimir Putin, April 25, 2005
 
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Vote Early and Vote Often

and any leader getting reelected to a 3rd term as president with an 87% win in a record election turnout has to be doing something right.


Chicago Motto
Vote Early and Vote Often

1948 United States Senate election in Texas
Suspicions arose that the 202 late votes were fraudulent. The names added to the end of the tally sheet were in alphabetical order and written with the same pen and handwriting. Some of the individuals whose names were listed insisted they had not voted that day, while the last person whose name was recorded before the questionable entries stated that when he voted shortly before the polls closed, there had been no one in line behind him



An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought. - Simon Cameron



Bekeart
 
I'm sorry, but you will find that a difficult opinion to sustain with fact.

As to the Soviet Union, Putin is doing his best to reconstitute it one bite at a time - South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Crimea, Donetsk. Up next is Transnistra. He doesn't care how much blood or treasure it costs other people.

One of Putin's best known statements is that the fall of the Soviet Union was the worst tragedy of the 20th century.

Enjoy your trip.




“First and foremost it is worth acknowledging that the demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century,” Putin said. “As for the Russian people, it became a genuine tragedy. Tens of millions of our fellow citizens and countrymen found themselves beyond the fringes of Russian territory.

“The epidemic of collapse has spilled over to Russia itself,” he said, referring to separatist movements such as those in Chechnya.
- Vladimir Putin, April 25, 2005


appreciate the post, but we will have to agree to disagree. It is a matter of where you get your facts. admittedly facts aren't always easy to find these days, never trust the news without fact checking them. I've always researched anything of merit, especially things I'm interested in, like S&W's which is why I'm here.

cheers
 

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