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Russia attacks and invades Ukraine 🇷🇺☠️🇺🇦

Scattered thoughts.

Apologists of Putin can eat a bag of dicks

I’ve seen plenty of apologists online who almost utterly deny Putin’s *agency* in this. To be clear: Putin ordered an all-out attack on a sovereign country (one that was already partly occupied by Russian-backed forces) for no other reason than he wants to restore the glory of the Russian Empire. All talks about “being threatened by NATO expansion” are just bullshit.

If you post the following, I will cut^Wblock you

“Ukraine was going to join NATO imminently!” - false
“Biden wants a war because higher energy prices == bigger profits for his donors.” - Almost certainly false, no-one wants an energy-price recession just after COVID
“Ukraine is not a real country” - Ukraine (as a constituent of the USSR) was a founding member of the UN, for Christ’s sake.
“Ukraine is not a democracy” - false, and irrelevant. Being a sovereign nation is enough
“Ukraine is not a democracy because it banned media!”[1] - irrelevant, democracies must sometimes defend themselves from external enemies (in this case: hostile websites bankrolled by Russian oligarchs). And it’s not as if Russia is better in this department
“If Trump were president this wouldn’t have happened!” - don’t make me laugh. Trump loves Putin and fully supported the recognition of the breakaway “people’s republics” that preceded the invasion
“Ukraine is corrupt” - and Russia isn’t? Also irrelevant
“Ukraine is run by Nazis and has performed genocide on Russians!” - Putin’s words, they are not worth *anything*. The current president of Ukraine happens to be a Jew.

Ukraine is hard to defend, and has few formal allies

This is unfortunately true. Since the beginning of recorded time, Ukraine has been a part of the vast Eurasian steppes. Such a terrain is a nightmare to defend and hold. The best defense is for countries to come to agreements *not* to fight each other. Sadly this doesn’t always work.

Ukraine would probably never be able to join NATO simply because it’s so hard to defend creditably. I am afraid this war will end with a decisive Ukranian defeat, followed by a long, bloody occupation.

Putin is not motivated by money

Will sanctions hurt Russia’s people? Yes. Will they hurt Putin? No. He is not motivated by economic terms - in fact, from my reading of Russian history, such disdain for commercialism and “empty” materialism is a deep-running undercurrent in how Russians see themselves. Putin’s goal is restoring honor - the honor of the Russian people. They might suffer hardship but they will be proud to see the (not-so) ancient border re-established.

And if they disagree? They will be punished. The Russian people have no say in Putin’s designs for them.

Russia is back to its 19th century role - a protector of elites

After the council of Vienna, Russian armies were always ready to march to defend the restored monarchies of Europe. They were an effective backstop for conservatives like Metternich.

After a break in the short 20th century, Russia is once again happy to lend moral support to the nascent oligarchs of the West. Russia is against a united Europe, and is happy to play on the right’s fear of “wokeness” to achieve it.

The current Western elite is all too happy to offer culture wars instead of real benefits to the working class, is fine with global warming and fossil fuels, and thrives on the suppression of journalists or free speech that would expose their corruption. Putin is there to help them.

It’s personal

Under a regime that Putin backs, members of my family would be forced to deny their true identity, based on the retrograde opinions of the religion Putin professes to espouse. I’m willing to fight against that.

—

[1] fuck you, Tucker Carlson

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✽ Friday, 2022-02-25

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