What do you think about Russia and the Crimea. Interested in your opinion.

[47_MasoN_47]

Originally Posted by MickZEL

I am not a politician, just the first in many years, I started a country proud of where I live.: W00t:

Russia seems like a cool place. I'd love to visit there one day. Your country has a fascinating history. I like to collect soviet-era items, especially from WWII.

[MickZEL]

Originally Posted by 47_MasoN_47

Russia seems like a cool place. I'd love to visit there one day. Your country has a fascinating history. I like to collect soviet-era items, especially from WWII.

Come, I live in Moscow. Objects of which you speak officially forbidden to export from the country, but you can buy them.: Питьевая:

[MickZEL]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Do you think your armies will take over Eastern Ukraine? Western Ukraine?

I do not know, but I think it would not be right.: Ионосферы:

[bronsin]

It looks to me very likely. Indeed the entire situation seems to be unfolding in that direction as part of the Russian authorities plan.

[MickZEL]

Originally Posted by bronsin

It looks to me very likely. Indeed the entire situation seems to be unfolding in that direction as part of the Russian authorities plan.

I have not heard about sending troops to Ukraine.
* We only show that eastern Ukraine asks for a peacekeeping force, and asks that Donetsk Russian accession.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by MickZEL

I do not know, but I think it would not be right.: Ионосферы:

IMO, this shows your HEART lies with Russian people no matter which flag happens to be flying above them, rather than with (given that you have pride that Putin is your president and generally support him) however Putin intends to manifest his ambition.

[fuuao]

Can we just keep politics out ...

[tooter]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

^^^^^ I agree, except that I credit my grandparents, rather than my parents. They passed away years ago, but I 'feel them inside' and feel as if they are walking alongside me with every step. I feel as though I am one of the most fortunate people on the planet to have this feeling. I see my incomparable grandmother in my wonderful cousin and my wonderful aunt, and I know they feel the same connection to my grandparents. Having had largely clueless parents (re how the world works) somehow granted me the ability to appreciate the wonderful attitude/perspective my grandparents had toward life. I always hoped that there would be a 4th generation to receive the essence of my grandmother, and my little cousin (she's 12 now) is the fruition of that hope.

Those are some of the most beautifully moving words I've read in some time, nook. Thanks, man.

Greg

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by fuuao

Can we just keep politics out ...

International relations involves the actions of political actors, namely the politicians who have the power. Given the OP's question, I don't see how a germain discussion develops with your caveat.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by tooter

Those are some of the most beautifully moving words I've read in some time, nook. Thanks, man.

Greg

Thanks . My grandparents were rare people. One thing my mother got right was that she realized how special my grandmother was. My grandmother had many friends. Any one of them would have done just about anything for her. My mother wrote a few words, and later expressed them at the gathering when my grandmother passed away (almost made it to age 91). One sentence my mother wrote about my grandmother particularly sticks with me: "She never said 'I don't have time', she made time for everyone".

I started a daily paper route when I was 10 years old (I actually had a weekly paper route before that). My grandfather was tickled because he also started a daily paper route when he was 10 years old (65 years before I did). My route was in a very hilly area with lots of twists and turns. I got into a bicycle accident, not on my route, but in front of my house (I leaned into the hill turning into my driveway...I leaned too far and the pedal caught the pavement, throwing me over the handlebars). My arm was in a sling for ? weeks. My grandfather drove me on my route (so that I could still do my deliveries) every day until my arm healed.

When I was 12 I went to 'Bat Day' with a bunch of my friends. The dad of one of my friends was supposed to pick us up. He forgot . We ended up getting mugged for our bats (much larger group of guys who already had a bunch of bats with them). Afterword, I said "I'll call my grandpa, he'll pick us up". My friends looked at me in bewilderment (perhaps not imagining that anyone would have such a cool grandpa, or that a grandson could be that close to his grandpa ). I called my grandpa, he came down, and we all piled into his big Lincoln.

A few years ago I thought, I can't decide which gives me more satisfaction: A. - Watching my aunt spend time with my little cousin, B. - My spending time with just my little cousin, or C. - Watching my cousin parent my little cousin. I thought, what an 'embarrassment of riches' to have such a mock dilemma. I came to feel that, of those three, watching my aunt spend time with my little cousin gave me the most pleasure -- mainly for two reasons. One, that my my aunt (being the oldest) has the least time left with my little cousin. Second (and more germane to what you quoted), my aunt is the closest to the essence of my grandmother and I love watching my little cousin 'drink up' as much of that as possible.

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by MickZEL

I have not heard about sending troops to Ukraine.
* We only show that eastern Ukraine asks for a peacekeeping force, and asks that Donetsk Russian accession.

Russian combat divisions (not peacekeeping forces) are massed on the borders of Eastern Ukraine to the tune of 55,000 troops, is whats on the news in the US.

What would you think if Canada or Mexico asked for a "peacekeeping" force and the United States sent troops into those countries to enforce peace?

BTW almost all the members in the UN have declared illegal the "referendum" voted in The Crimea to join Russia.

[47_MasoN_47]

Originally Posted by bronsin

What would you think if Canada or Mexico asked for a "peacekeeping" force and the United States sent troops into those countries to enforce peace?

Isn't that what we've been doing in the middle east for the last 12 years or so?

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by 47_MasoN_47

Isn't that what we've been doing in the middle east for the last 12 years or so?

Sadam gassed his own people for years. But...we dont have a problem with Assad doing it? And the UN does?

The Taliban were directly responsible for helping and protecting the man who killed over 3000 American civilians. The greatest war we ever got involved in happened when Japan killed 3000 military personnel. Who should have been able to protect themselves.

[MickZEL]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Russian combat divisions (not peacekeeping forces) are massed on the borders of Eastern Ukraine to the tune of 55,000 troops, is whats on the news in the US.

What would you think if Canada or Mexico asked for a "peacekeeping" force and the United States sent troops into those countries to enforce peace?

BTW almost all the members in the UN have declared illegal the "referendum" voted in The Crimea to join Russia.

America and so shoves its armed forces, wherever possible.
American instructors were in Georgia when aggression occurred in the North Caucasus.
You remember all the armed conflicts in recent years, were all American troops or military instructors.
With regard to the Crimea, it is recognized. It is only a matter of time, no turning back.

[MickZEL]

And what do you say about the bombing of Yugoslavia 15 years ago? This was done without the permission of the United Nations.

[47_MasoN_47]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Sadam gassed his own people for years. But...we dont have a problem with Assad doing it? And the UN does?

The Taliban were directly responsible for helping and protecting the man who killed over 3000 American civilians. The greatest war we ever got involved in happened when Japan killed 3000 military personnel. Who should have been able to protect themselves.

It's not any of our business what a leader in another country does, as long as it doesn't directly affect us.

IMO, we should have went over there and blown a bunch of stuff up and then left. We don't have any business staying over there for a decade. If we were going to do that we should have just taken the country over and made it a state or something.

The US needs to stop trying to police the world. Eventually we'll run out of people willing to lend us money and will be overextended so far that someone else will have a bigger stick with which to force their will upon the rest of the world.

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by 47_MasoN_47

If we were going to do that we should have just taken the country over and made it a state or something.
.

I agree! Make Irag the 51st state! They get representatives to the congress, two senators, the Constitution, The Bill of Rights...

Who wouldnt want that....

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by MickZEL

America and so shoves its armed forces, wherever possible.
American instructors were in Georgia when aggression occurred in the North Caucasus.
You remember all the armed conflicts in recent years, were all American troops or military instructors.
With regard to the Crimea, it is recognized. It is only a matter of time, no turning back.

Ive heard it said the natural state of humanity is war.

You want war?

As it stands right now youre going to get economic war for what Putin has done. Russia fighting an economic war is like a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.

Youre going to get your ass kicked.

You want that?