Generational Dynamics World View News

[Xeraphim1]

Putin most likely doesn't want democracy at all

I don't want it either, especially when "democracy" exports global degeneracy, invades sovereign countries, and abuses its citizens and others via crony capitalism. That's what the US has been doing for decades. "Democracy" is a joke when the money printer and debt system control it all (you and other peons paying homage to a false idol).

The idol of Democracy, the new god, that's the way you like about it - religiously.

You complain about the anti-democratic actions of the US government and then say you don't want democracy.

Go find yourself a nice dictatorship somewhere then.

[Xeraphim1]

More NATO?

https://breakingdefense.com/2022/02/wil ... -to-nato/

Will Russia’s Ukraine invasion drive Sweden, Finland to NATO?

WASHINGTON: For years, anytime a defense official from Sweden or Finland traveled to the US, they would be asked whether the two non-aligned nations would consider joining NATO. And while never ruling it out, officials largely have fallen back on the line that it doesn’t seem likely to happen anytime soon.

But with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the clear signals from Washington that the US will only act militarily to protect NATO members in Europe, leaders in both Helsinki and Stockholm will be keeping a close eye on their options, experts say.

“I do think this will reignite a debate in their publics about NATO membership,” said Lauren Speranza of the Center for European Policy Analysis. “Witnessing the war in Ukraine, and seeing where Putin could potentially target next, could create a wider situation where Finland and Sweden’s security may indeed demand closer ties to the Alliance.”

The two Nordic neighbors both rode out the Cold War by not militarily joining either the Western alliance nor the Warsaw Pact. However, both countries are members of the European Union and have roles as observer nations at NATO through the Partnership for Peace system that allows cooperation with the alliance without actually joining.

For all of Breaking Defense’s coverage of the Ukraine situation, click here.

There is no requirement that Finland and Sweden would join NATO together, but it seems unlikely that one would jump without the other, given their close ties and decades of joint military neutrality.

While internal polling in both nations has shown varying levels of support for NATO membership over the years, there has never been enough support to join the alliance. A 2021 poll found that roughly 26% of Finns were in favor of joining NATO, 40% are against, and the remaining population was undecided. In Sweden, a 2022 poll found 42% in favor and 37% against — a stronger starting point, but still not enough to cause politicians to begin a serious ascension effort.

That ambivalence, however, may change in light of Russia’s actions. On Thursday, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin stated as a press conference that “Finland is not currently facing an immediate military threat, but it is also now clear that the debate on NATO membership in Finland will change.”

Asked about those comments at a Friday press conference, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded with a not-so-veiled threat.

“Obviously, the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, which is primarily a military alliance as you well understand, would have serious military and political consequences, which would require our country to make response steps,” Zakharova said in comments translated by the EuroAsian Times.

“We regard the Finnish government’s commitment to a military non-alignment policy as an important factor in ensuring security and stability in northern Europe,” Zakharova said in remarks tweeted out by an official Russian government account, which again repeated the “military and political repercussion” line.

Alexander Stubb, who served from 2008-2016 as Finland foreign minister, later tweeted that “Russia is pushing Finland closer to NATO membership. [Closer] than ever before. Our security has been partially based on an option to join. At this rate we have no other option but to join. Finland’s accession would strengthen the Alliance and help keep Northern Europe stable.”

So what happens now?

“I don’t think the people of Sweden and Finland will be intimidated by Putin to forsake NATO membership,” said Jorge Benitez of the Atlantic Council. “I think Putin’s aggressive behavior and bullying threats will soon push Sweden and Finland to join the Alliance. Russia will try hard to impede their membership, but Sweden and Finland are robust democracies and will eventually join the other democracies in NATO.”

In fact, Benitez predicted, “I am confident that before 2022 is over, Sweden and Finland will request membership in NATO.”

For her part, Speranza said she believed that in the short term, “we will not see any immediate moves for Finland or Sweden to join NATO.

“In a time of crisis like this, their governments will opt for stability and predictability, wanting to avoid any sudden decisions that could have escalatory or unintended consequences,” she said. But like Benitez, she sees the potential for public support to shift thanks to the Ukraine situation.

Rachel Rizzo, also of the Atlantic Council, is less confident that membership is in the offing, although she predicts that Sweden and Finland will continue to have close ties to the alliance.

“I don’t think there’s an appetite, at this point, for Finland and Sweden to change their position on NATO membership,” she said. “I think they’ll continue cooperating closely with the alliance, and clearly and publicly link their own security with broader Euro-Atlantic security. But as far as a push for official NATO membership now, I don’t see it happening.”

However, she added a prediction of her own: “If Finland or Sweden saw an actual threat from Russia, I’d be surprised if NATO didn’t get involved even though [the two nations] wouldn’t be protected under Article 5. That’s how close the relationship is.”

[Tom Mazanec]

** 28-Feb-2022 World View: Regeneracy in US

> John, do you think this will be the Regeneracy for US as well, or
> will we have to wait till (probably) the invasion of Taiwan?
> EDIT: Even Switzerland is "regenerating"!
> https://nypost.com/2022/02/28/switzerla ... raine-war/

We should get an idea of the answer to that question when Biden gives
the State of the Union speech tomorrow.

What time? Where can I watch it (I don't have cable or television)?

[John]

** 28-Feb-2022 World View: Regeneracy in US

> John, do you think this will be the Regeneracy for US as well, or
> will we have to wait till (probably) the invasion of Taiwan?
> EDIT: Even Switzerland is "regenerating"!
> https://nypost.com/2022/02/28/switzerla ... raine-war/

We should get an idea of the answer to that question when Biden gives
the State of the Union speech tomorrow.

What time? Where can I watch it (I don't have cable or television)?

C-Span.org

[Zoomer go Brr]

On cue Democratic Socialists of America (AOC, Bernie) blame America for Russia invading Ukraine:

https://nypost.com/2022/02/28/democrati ... raine/amp/

“DSA reaffirms our call for the US to withdraw from NATO and to end the imperialist expansionism that set the stage for this conflict,” the DSA said in a statement.

“While the failures of neoliberal order are clear to everyone, the ruling class is trying to build a new world, through a dystopic transition grounded in militarism, imperialism, and war. Socialists have a duty to build an alternative.”

The socialist group continued that “much of the next ten years are coming into view through this attack” and closed by saying, “no war but class war.”

So we the party of the ultra-left blaming America while advocating for “class war.” I shudder to think what America and the world will devolve into if stuff like this is true:

https://nypost.com/2022/02/27/its-lady- ... ction/amp/

And, as preposterous as it sounds, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez vs. Hillary Clinton is the matchup to watch, according to former Democratic strategist Dick Morris.

If this comes true, get for the second dark age

[John]

** 28-Feb-2022 World View: Not a democracy, but a Republic, with freedom and liberty

Those people in this forum who are criticizing "democracy" are
misguided. The United States is not a democracy, except in an
informal sense. Nazi Germany was a "democracy." In fact, all the
genocidal sociopathic leaders like to brag that they were popularly
elected in a democracy. Being a democracy means nothing.

Benjamin Franklin said, "It's a Republic, if you can keep it."

This is the Republic of the United States of America.

The US constitution does not mention the word "democracy." It
mentions the word Republic in one place:

> "The United States shall guarantee to every State in
> this Union a Republican Form of Government"

The Preamble to the Constitution is as follows:

> "We the People of the United States, in Order to form
> a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic
> Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general
> Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our
> Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
> United States of America."

The Constitution does not guarantee democracy. It guarantees Liberty.

The first paragraph in the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment, says:

> "Congress shall make no law respecting an
> establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
> or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of
> the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a
> redress of grievances."

The Star-Spangled Banner calls America "The land of the free and the
home of the brave."

The Declaration of Independence guarantees certain rights, and "Among
these rights are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."

It's Liberty and Freedom and the Pursuit of Happiness that make
America special. And it's Liberty and Freedom that America wants for
other countries.

Ukraine is a free country. Taiwan is a free country. If they are
conquered by Russia and China, respectively, they will no longer be
free. Liberty, Freedom and the Pursuit of Happiness will be a thing
of the past.

A related issue is the misguided criticism of "capitalism." The
best term is "free markets."

The United States is a great country because of Liberty, Freedom, the
Pursuit of Happiness, and Free Markets.

[Bob Butler]

While I would mostly agree with the above, capitalism or Free Markets can be abused. If the government responds more to the elites than they do to the people, you get not so free markets. Still better than one sees in most autocracies, but more could be done.

[Guest]

Food given to Russian troops has an expiration date of 2015. Captured rations have been shown on Ukraine social media by Ukraine soldiers. Most Russian units were only given 2-3 days of food and much of it is inedible. How much planning really went into this invasion? What kind of officer corps does the Russian army have?

Is the medicine given to Russian army units also expired?

[Iberia]

„The results of the analysis of statistical data on the population of Russia provide rich food for thought.

The official consultant from the power department of the Russian Federation shared some very interesting statistics.

The total population of Russia, according to the latest information, is, according to various estimates, less than 132,000,000 people. Of these, 74% (97.680.000) live in cities and urban-type settlements, and: in Moscow - 10.969.000, in the Moscow region - 7.900.000, in St. Petersburg - 6.897.000, in the Leningrad region - 3.350.000 .

The national and ethnic composition of Moscow is as follows:

Russians - 31%
Azerbaijanis - 14%
Tatars, Bashkirs, Chuvashs - 10%
Ukrainians - 8%
Armenians - 5%
Tajiks, Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz - 5%
Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese - 5%
Chechens, Dagestanis, Ingush - 4%
Belarusians - 3%
Georgians - 3%
Moldovans - 3%
gypsies - 3%
Jews - 2%
Other nations - 4%

More than 11 million people live in Moscow, of which Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, all together - 4.620.000. In the capital of the Russian State, Ukrainians, Belarusians and Russians are a national minority!

In Russia, more than 20,000,000 people profess Islam and officially consider themselves Muslims, while true Orthodox - no more than 4.5%, which is no more than 6 million people. Over the past 15 years, the number of Muslims in Russia has increased by 40%.

There are more Azerbaijanis living in Russia than in Baku, and there are more Tatars in Moscow than in Kazan.

By the middle of the century, at least every fourth Russian will be a Muslim.

According to representatives of the National Organization of Russian Muslims, at least three Russians convert to Islam every Friday in St. Petersburg. The vast majority of them are students.“

https://asiarussia.ru/news/7667/

[John]

** 28-Feb-2022 World View: Expired food and medicine

> Food given to Russian troops has an expiration date of
> 2015. Captured rations have been shown on Ukraine social media by
> Ukraine soldiers. Most Russian units were only given 2-3 days of
> food and much of it is inedible. How much planning really went
> into this invasion? What kind of officer corps does the Russian
> army have?

> Is the medicine given to Russian army units also expired?

It only takes a few hours to drive from Belarus to Kiev, so the
Russian generals didn't bother to provide sufficient food or bullets.
They expected to roll into Kiev and raid the supermarkets. It's been
five days so far.