Most in east Ukraine region against joining Russia

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

I for one don't take too seriously those who claim to be "more religious" than others.

Such a claim smacks of a lack of humility.

As for spilling blood, sometimes you must break eggs if you wish to make a cake no?

Today we in the West are in the era of "THE CHURCH OF NICE" and how is that working out?

The good news of Christ and the liberation it brings has been stymied with all this feel-goodism.

Look around the world where Faith is growing and where it is contracting and ask which method produces fruit and which one produces emotion.

The method reaping fruit wins out in my book.

Also MArvin

I like that line of yours.. I should take it as my signature "Ignorance fights back."

Do you mind?

I guess if it works for you.

It's a line my mother taught me, you can use it. It sounds better than you homophobia signature block.

[Abell 11]

Oh boy, here we have Putin's troll peddling Putin's propaganda again. Come up with something original once, Danno, why don't you?

LOL "Putin's propaganda" is a new catch phrase this year,

so everytime someone saying that those "peaceful" protesters were not really peaceful or that new government in Kiev is not really legitimate or that people don't really like that new government, that is of cause not true, all people of Ukraine wanted that and those videos of them burning and beating police never really happened and were filmed on mosfilm studio by Putin himself, of cause those who don't like this new government are terrorists and must be killed, how dare they protest in similar ways they did, and Russia of cause can not move their own troops inside their own country, this is a big no no, only US/EU can allow them to do things like that, and Crimea referendum was of cause bogus and people are running away from there back to Ukraine in huge numbers

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

LOL "Putin's propaganda" is a new catch phrase this year,

so everytime someone saying that those "peaceful" protesters were not really peaceful or that new government in Kiev is not really legitimate or that people don't really like that new government, that is of cause not true, all people of Ukraine wanted that and those videos of them burning and beating police never really happened and were filmed on mosfilm studio by Putin himself, of cause those who don't like this new government are terrorists and must be killed, how dare they protest in similar ways they did, and Russia of cause can not move their own troops inside their own country, this is a big no no, only US/EU can allow them to do things like that, and Crimea referendum was of cause bogus and people are running away from there back to Ukraine in huge numbers

English only outside the regional forums.

[Abell 11]

English only outside the regional forums.

you forgot the catchphrase

[Sousuke 1,214]

Here is a thought on the Ukrainian Crises. If this were a game of chess and I had a piece under threat and no way of moving it to a safe position, I would try to counter it by creating a threat somewhere else.

Why doesn't NATO entertain the notion of massing troops in Estonia on the border? It would probably force Russia to redeploy.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Here is a thought on the Ukrainian Crises. If this were a game of chess and I had a piece under threat and no way of moving it to a safe position, I would try to counter it by creating a threat somewhere else.

Why doesn't NATO entertain the notion of massing troops in Estonia on the border? It would probably force Russia to redeploy.

Puitn is better at chess than Obama is at basketball, or europeans are at cheating on interactive social network games,

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Here is a thought on the Ukrainian Crises. If this were a game of chess and I had a piece under threat and no way of moving it to a safe position, I would try to counter it by creating a threat somewhere else.

Why doesn't NATO entertain the notion of massing troops in Estonia on the border? It would probably force Russia to redeploy.

Only if that would create a credible threat to Russia which it would not. Russia knows that NATO isn't going to go to war over Ukraine. The better move are the sanctions which are already starting to hurt Russia severely. After seven failed sovereign debt auction attempts over the last couple of months, S&P downgraded Russia's sovereign debt to one notch above junk today. Russia's big businesses cannot raise capital anymore and the Russian economy is now sliding into recession. The stock market is tanking, as is the ruble, forcing the Russian Central bank to raise interest rates which, in turn, stifles economic growth even more. This thing won't be resolved militarily. It'll be solved economically.

[Sousuke 1,214]

Only if that would create a credible threat to Russia which it would not. Russia knows that NATO isn't going to go to war over Ukraine. The better move are the sanctions which are already starting to hurt Russia severely. After seven failed sovereign debt auction attempts over the last couple of months, S&P downgraded Russia's sovereign debt to one notch above junk today. Russia's big businesses cannot raise capital anymore and the Russian economy is now sliding into recession. The stock market is tanking, as is the ruble, forcing the Russian Central bank to raise interest rates which, in turn, stifles economic growth even more. This thing won't be resolved militarily. It'll be solved economically.

I find it weird though that Putin doesn't seem to care about the economic impacts.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I find it weird though that Putin doesn't seem to care about the economic impacts.

Or NATO.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I find it weird though that Putin doesn't seem to care about the economic impacts.

He doesn't. He rides on a popularity wave that's founded solidly and exclusively in nationalism. That wave will eventually give way to economic concerns in the population. Of course, Putin never has and never will hesitate to silence any opposition. Seriously, all he needs is to do now is grow that friggin' stache.

Or NATO.

Why would he care about NATO? NATO doesn't represent a threat.

Edited April 25, 2014 by Mr. Big Dog

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Why would he care about NATO? NATO doesn't represent a threat.

Or even a deterrent. #TRUTH

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Or even a deterrent. #TRUTH

Bottom line is that NATO nations will not go to war over Ukraine. And that's a good thing. Why should we? There are other ways to resolve this. Isolate Russia and bring her to her knees economically. That's what we're doing and it's beginning to hurt them. The hurt will grow exponentially. Just make sure you leave a door open for Putin to walk through while saving face. If backed into a corner, he might snap. That would be bad.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Seems the French thought the same way about the Germans, and the Brits did as well, at first. Don't expect the Americans to bail europe out a third time.

Vodka is suddenly very popular in France. Maybe they sense something about to happen, and are preparing to surrender in force.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

funny

[Pooky 3,784]

Bottom line is that NATO nations will not go to war over Ukraine. And that's a good thing. Why should we? There are other ways to resolve this. Isolate Russia and bring her to her knees economically. That's what we're doing and it's beginning to hurt them. The hurt will grow exponentially. Just make sure you leave a door open for Putin to walk through while saving face. If backed into a corner, he might snap. That would be bad.

NATO has no mandate to intervene in the crisis in the Ukraine, which President Putin knows full well. And the UN will never get a mandate because Russia has it's veto on the UN Security Council. Economics is the only course of action open, but Europe needs to get serious about sanctions, or Putin will laugh in their face.

The problem I see is that if Putin gets an outcome he sees as positive in the Ukraine, he may be tempted to try something similar elsewhere, Estonia being cited as a likely future focus. If Russia tangles with a NATO member like Estonia, with its limited military, the actual military assets are likely to be American, one of the Nordic countries, or possibly German. Russian overconfidence could, in such a situation, lead to a very bloody Russian nose. Which would not be good.

This is why economic sanctions need to get serious and soon. If they don't, bigger troubles are that much closer.