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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 17, 2023

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… their main evil was starting war.

Did they not make overtures to avoid it? Because they certainly did.

Based on their inability to understand that they are not entitled to USSR territory and that their security concerns are not trumping everyones elses security concerns.

Where did Putin ever claim as much? Go ahead and quote him. I’ll wait.

… with less bombing of civilian targets and less hilarious incompetence.

I wasn’t aware their track record was as bad as the US war in Iraq.

I am claiming that I would prefer to be invaded by USA than Russia, but even more prefer to be not invaded in the first place.

You also seem to prefer being more interested in answering your own questions, and not those that were asked if you. I think this is a good place to leave this conversation.

And no, I will not buy this books.

Or even read them. Be well.

Where did Putin ever claim as much? Go ahead and quote him. I’ll wait.

I have not claimed that Putin personally did so, but I think that https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-unveils-security-guarantees-says-western-response-not-encouraging-2021-12-17/ is enough

Russia said on Friday it wanted a legally binding guarantee that NATO would give up any military activity in Eastern Europe and Ukraine

"withdrawal of multinational NATO battalions from Poland and from the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania that were once in the Soviet Union" alone is a nonstarter. And given that Polish army existing at all is also NATO military activity in Eastern Europe this is a total nonstarter.

Oh, and we have

Russia has denied planning an invasion.

I have not claimed that Putin personally did so, but I think that https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-unveils-security-guarantees-says-western-response-not-encouraging-2021-12-17/ is enough

Sounds pretty weak if he wants a security arrangement that’s analogous to what the US imposed on Japan, after World War 2. And given that the Clinton administration immediately broke its commitment to Gorbachev, to not advance one inch to the East, only to immediately expand NATO to the borders of Russia, I can’t say I blame him for wanting such a guarantee. It’s pretty clear you aren’t dealing with honest actors at that point.

Oh, and we have

Russia has denied planning an invasion.

I’ll be sure to remind him to let the US know in advance, next time. Maybe you can admonish the Biden Administration not to follow in the footsteps of the even more egregious infractions of the Neoconservative foreign policy establishment.

Sounds pretty weak if he wants a security arrangement that’s analogous to what the US imposed on Japan, after World War 2.

Russia trying to impose on Poland this kind of arrangements is not going to fly and is not going to happen and Russia is not capable of achieving this. And would be unreasonable, absurd and unfair, though that obviously does not matter much.

Russia was either delusional or not even trying to actually negotiate or just insulting or multiple at once.

I’ll be sure to remind him to let the US know in advance, next time

USA was fully aware of it, Putin's permission was not necessary