Russia does what any nation state is supposed to do. It looks after its national interests. Every leader of every country says that is what they do, regardless of whether they do it or not.
You donāt need to be a genius to work out what Russiaās national interest in Syria is. You just need to know a bit about their history, a bit about the present and a bit about their fears.
These are lands that have been under constant invasion, whether it was the establishment of the Russian Empire itself, or the existential threats rolling through Eastern Europe onto their steppes, significantly three times in the last 250 years. In the last war, millions of Soviets died in a war of movement, often encircled by Nazi forces and destroyed in the kessel. Iād say these people have a historical fear of being surrounded.
The Second World War brought a lot of territory under Soviet rule. The post-Communist era, particularly the drunken haze of Yeltsinās reign, saw both influence and territory fall away. The buffer zone that Stalin and Churchill shook hands on during the infamous Percentage Paper deal wasnāt just Stalin being greedy. It was a means of ensuring that Western armies would have a much longer trip to Moscow.
Putin doesnāt enjoy the buffer zone Stalin and his successors did. In its place are a load of nationalist, newly capitalist countries that really hate the Russians, letting NATO do multi-army exercises on their front lawn. Furthermore, the EU were not happy with the stuff they already had.
Russia is not going to let its southern borders go quite so meekly, hence the propping up of Syria and Iran, two states the West has had a long āregime changeā interest in. Historically, that has resulted in large, ungoverned spaces which become breeding grounds for extremism and sources of refugees, be it Iraq, Libya, Ukraine or Syria.
Maybe but anyone relying on an unreliable person to power their nation is a moron, Russia is panicking over shale and US exports to the EU/Europe there by lessening its power within hence this, it does make me laugh some of the shite written here about how bad we are and how good or innocent the Russians are.
Just look at what they have done in wars in Afghanistan and Chechyna, theyāre facts by the way, not written by a snowflake 1000ās of miles away.
Russia is panicking over shale and US exports to the EU/Europe there by lessening its power within hence this,
Yeah, iād be worried as well, if the customer is stupid enough to go for the 3x cost option, that will run out sooner, from the most unstable person imaginable. They must think we are mental.
it does make me laugh some of the shite written here about how bad we are and how good or innocent the Russians are.
We are bad though Barry. I believe your claim to be a history buff, so i also believe that you already know that. Who wrote about how good Russia are?
Just look at what they have done in wars in Afghanistan and Chechyna, theyāre facts by the way, not written by a snowflake 1000ās of miles away.
Like the western snowflakes writing about gas attacks in Syria. Those kind?
@barry-sanchez Maggie seemed perfectly capable of taking part in military action to save a community of 3k in the Falklands while entirely not giving a shit about millions of Britons not living in the South East of England, rural heartlands or northern marginals.
I donāt understand your objection in the context of our own experiences.
You do know the shale in the US is huge, its not running out anytime soon and itāll become cheaper if they build somewhere to put it in the UK (I am saying that, not anyone else mindā¦).
Russia arenāt good, weāre not perfect but I know were Iād rather live and be, you?
Russia and Syria have form for gas attacks, as a sidenote where does Novichok come from? You genuinely donāt believe they have involvement, youāll be telling me it was the Bulgarians murdering on behalf of the Soviet Union was nothing to do with the Kremlin next.
That is a childish naive way of viewing things, youāre shaping one thing to argue against another that bears no relevance, what has the Falkland Islands got to do with Russia desire to EXPAND and have more influence in arenaās in the World?
Putin isnāt rescuing or going to war openly to win an election, he rigged it last month.
Your point is quite frankly shite as there is no point to it.
Again, Iām at a loss to surmise how your points are germane to my post or your subsequent response.
To pick some of the more relevant cherries in an irrelevant mess, I find your hypothetical question of where Iād rather live a bit of a nonsense and a non starter. Iām fucking British, you plum. I speak English, all my mates are here, Iām only legal to work here and donāt speak Russian. My choice, rather predictably, is here.
Your last point about Russia and Syria having form for these attacks has no evidence behind it. Sadly, there are numerous examples of what I think you could justifiably call chemical weapons, be it Agent Orange, the stuff we helped Saddam develop in the 1980s, white phosphorous or depleted uranium shells, either used or facilitated by Western countries in the last 50 years.
Even if you had the Russians and Syrians bang to rights on prior form, which you donāt, the countries complaining about this uncrossable line have stepped over it plenty of times themselves, pretend they havenāt and vow to crush anyone committing the sin. Itās been total hypocrisy for the past half decade.
Pap, I think you better check concerning Syriaās and Russiaās invlovement in chemical attacks, go and check the facts and come back. Iāll call you Burgess and SOS Macleanā¦
I know how to hunt and gather. Could be a valuable skill soon.
Itās not economically huge though(EROI is shit and wonāt get better). Building somewhere to store it, is in itself a huge energy investment and wouldnāt get us much beyond the ā9 meals to anarchyā scenario. We live in a purely profit motivated society remember.
Historically, at least in a global sense, we destroy Russia in the numbers of people, cultures and environments annihilated. I believe we actually top the world historical shitbag chart.
Where iād rather live is a hard one, but iāll go for Asia. Going to take more thought to pin it down, but somewhere as untouched by western madness as possible(i would like an Internet connection if possible).
Form? You have evidence? Link please. As a side note, where does Sarin or VX come from, or even BZ? You donāt believe weāve had involvement although weāve been in country for a number of years. Next youāll be telling me the Al Nusra front murdering on behalf of Western governments had nothing to do with the lies and cover ups being told to hide the evil we rained on these people.
Lots of people playing lots of games on all sides, with the only guarantee being, the poorest with the most right to peace where they live, will suffer the most, purely to fulfil the desires of richer nations and that makes us shitbags of the highest order whichever way you look at it.
If you donāt know about the Soviets/Russias desire for a warm water port into a major ocean I suggest you do, many of their wars are over such a thing. You canāt be a seriously global power without ports, how did Britain have an Empire?
You may change your cuddly perception of the Russians, I have had a chuckle at some of the tin foil stuff on this and the Salisbury thread though.