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I think you've listened to too much propaganda from the 1990s. Tom Send a noteboard - 06/03/2014 03:06:18 PM

Russia certainly doesn't have any legitimate sphere of influence for countries outside the former Soviet Union, but it does have legitimate rights to guarantee the freedom and safety of Russians living within the borders of the Soviet Union but not Russia. The Ukrainian "revolution" was accomplished with the help of violently anti-Russian elements who are now patrolling Kiev. Signs are put on buildings saying "Russians live here" so that the lawless elements running the capital can rob them. Members of the Rada are beaten in public if they are from the East. The pro-Nazi Right Sector, which has all the guns, has openly Nazi symbols and an openly National Socialist ideology. About 23 million people in the Ukraine (about half the population) speak Russian as their primary language, and about half of them are listed as ethnically Russian, and they are at risk.

Your notions of the strength of Russia are also flawed. Russia's economy is dependent on oil and gas, yes, but it is the eighth largest economy in the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29) and it is much, much wealthier than you seem to think.

Also, Russia's military has been modernized and improved. The US was shocked that all the great military hardware we gave to Georgia performed so poorly. While some of the reason for this is that the Georgians didn't know how to use it to maximum effect, some of it was also because we hadn't kept track of Russian improvements to military hardware the way we had in the Cold War. Your statements are a vast underestimation of Russia. It's no longer the crumbling debris of the Soviet Empire - it hasn't been that for about 15 years now.

Political correctness is the pettiest form of casuistry.

ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius

Ummaka qinnassa nīk!

*MySmiley*
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Don't Make me Laugh, Mr. Obama - 01/03/2014 03:14:50 AM 1437 Views
i like obama and even i think that was dumb of him. *NM* - 01/03/2014 05:24:39 AM 510 Views
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It's always more complicated... - 01/03/2014 08:57:54 PM 812 Views
Yes yes yes. This. - 01/03/2014 09:11:19 PM 760 Views
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Any reason you keep misspelling Sevastopol? - 02/03/2014 12:52:01 AM 949 Views
You write "the Ukraine", while calling me old-fashioned? - 02/03/2014 01:57:58 AM 820 Views
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Ehem. Why are you being anti-Russian? ;-) - 04/03/2014 01:25:37 PM 806 Views
Of course we do - 04/03/2014 04:57:09 PM 795 Views
Wrong. - 04/03/2014 06:04:31 PM 709 Views
that ignores the point - 06/03/2014 02:01:09 PM 953 Views
No, it doesn't. - 06/03/2014 02:57:16 PM 738 Views
Re: No, it doesn't. - 06/03/2014 06:22:32 PM 795 Views
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I have answered your question but you have still refused to answer my point - 07/03/2014 01:48:53 PM 779 Views
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Russia signed an agreement to not violate those borders - 10/03/2014 12:18:37 PM 749 Views
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And you see that as the same thing as sending in troops? - 06/03/2014 01:37:28 PM 745 Views
I think you've listened to too much propaganda from the 1990s. - 06/03/2014 03:06:18 PM 712 Views
More like the 80s - 07/03/2014 01:50:43 PM 762 Views
So I guess traveling to Russia extensively is of no value. - 09/03/2014 05:58:00 PM 708 Views
in this case no it doesn't. - 10/03/2014 12:20:13 PM 724 Views
The junk they used in Chechnya was laughable... - 16/03/2014 01:51:28 AM 897 Views
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Call me crazy, but I like this idea! - 04/03/2014 12:31:07 PM 856 Views
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Under Obama, it would seem there are none. *NM* - 04/03/2014 06:15:27 PM 400 Views
at Poland *NM* - 04/03/2014 08:09:14 PM 406 Views
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I know what you're talking about, I was just kidding around *NM* - 04/03/2014 11:41:20 PM 435 Views
*NM* - 05/03/2014 12:38:54 AM 428 Views
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Ron Paul, interestingly enough, agrees with me. - 04/03/2014 02:38:44 PM 745 Views

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