6 ms·

How is this depressing? Is it not a good thing that Putin's conservative fiscal and monetary strategies were able to keep Russia afloat?

by gragas 10y ago

Filligree 10y ago
Not if you're in a country bordering it.
- gragas 10y ago
  Do you seriously expect Putin, of all people, to raise up neighboring countries in lieu of Russia? He is a strategist who puts his country above all else. This is practically out of Machiavelli's The Prince: Putin "entertains" neighboring countries and keeps a strong grip over them. But he won't expend resources on them.
  - refulgentis 10y ago
    You have invented a straw man. The parent was referring to activity such as draining resources and stoking fears in the populace of Estonia. See http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/trump-russia-worries-estonia-214511 http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/trump-russia-.... Also, Russia's backing of Assad in Syria propped up a dictator assaulting civilians with banned chemical weapons and lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands, and a refugee crisis that disrupted a continent.
refulgentis 10y ago
The Syrian atrocities.
- gragas 10y ago
  Yeah, and by that logic it's sad that the US is still afloat because all the atrocities that it has committed. I think comments like "Oh so depressing, think of the Syrian atrocities, etc." are at best simplistic nihilism. It's very easy to make comments like those; it's more fruitful to say something worthwhile.
  - refulgentis 10y ago
    You extrapolated a particular interpretation of my comment into a bizarre straw man (how in the world does the US being afloat justify the acts I named? Completely invalid argumentation), downvoted me, and put me down. I'm not sure there's much charitable behavior occuring here, but I upvoted you across the board. :) Troll away, good sir!
    - gragas 10y ago
      I honestly didn't downvote you. I'm not trying to argue that the US being afloat justifies the acts you named. I was just trying to point out that what you said can be said about almost any country. I understand where you're coming from, but I think it's ridiculous to wish harsh economic conditions on Russia simply because Putin's geopolitical strategies don't align with your own. :/
      - refulgentis 10y ago
        It's complete non-sequitor - noting that all countries do bad things doesn't have any relation to wanting countries who commit bad things to have less resources. I'm guessing you're attempting to claim that I'm saying that all countries should have less resources, thus making my point moot, but that would require me not believing all countries should have less resources, which requires you guessing about my state of mind to prop up a straw man. Bwah? Anyways, the whole thing is obviated by the larger category of error: black and white thinking on your part. The context of the atrocities matters.
      - deleted 10y ago
        [deleted]
- pdx 10y ago
  > The Syrian atrocities. Careful there. Just because something was in Jeff Bezos Blog, is no indication of it's truth. In fact, it seems to be a good indication that it's not. Are you referring to the Sarin gas that Assad used (not Russia) which is now suspected to have been rebels themselves? [1] Or are you referring to the aid convoys that Russia destroyed? Woops, Russia claims (and has video supporting) that it was actually a ground attack, not an air attack. [2] Russia may be lying, but given the history of our administrations lies, you must remain skeptical to the U.S. claims. [1] http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n24/seymour-m-hersh/whose-sarin http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n24/seymour-m-hersh/whose-sarin [2] http://en.alalam.ir/news/1871790 http://en.alalam.ir/news/1871790
  - refulgentis 10y ago
    Yeesh. And you're trying to claim that any misrepresentation of these atrocities happening validates the atrocities altogether. Hundreds of thousands of innocents died, the way it happened is irrelevant to the claim it was an atrocity.
    - dogma1138 10y ago
      And how many weddings did the US bomb again? Seriously mistakes happen the US bombs a hospital and its oops we're sorry, Russia may or may not hit a convoy and it's drag the to the Hague?
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refulgentis 10y ago
Sabre-rattling destabilizing Estonia. http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/trump-russia-worries-estonia-214511 http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/trump-russia-...

How is this depressing? Is it not a good thing that Putin's conservative fiscal and monetary strategies were able to keep Russia afloat?

by gragas 10y ago

How is this depressing? Is it not a good thing that Putin's conservative fiscal and monetary strategies were able to keep Russia afloat?

Filligree 10y ago

Not if you're in a country bordering it.

gragas 10y ago
Do you seriously expect Putin, of all people, to raise up neighboring countries in lieu of Russia? He is a strategist who puts his country above all else. This is practically out of Machiavelli's The Prince: Putin "entertains" neighboring countries and keeps a strong grip over them. But he won't expend resources on them.
- refulgentis 10y ago
  You have invented a straw man. The parent was referring to activity such as draining resources and stoking fears in the populace of Estonia. See http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/trump-russia-worries-estonia-214511 http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/trump-russia-.... Also, Russia's backing of Assad in Syria propped up a dictator assaulting civilians with banned chemical weapons and lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands, and a refugee crisis that disrupted a continent.

refulgentis 10y ago

The Syrian atrocities.

gragas 10y ago
Yeah, and by that logic it's sad that the US is still afloat because all the atrocities that it has committed. I think comments like "Oh so depressing, think of the Syrian atrocities, etc." are at best simplistic nihilism. It's very easy to make comments like those; it's more fruitful to say something worthwhile.
- refulgentis 10y ago
  You extrapolated a particular interpretation of my comment into a bizarre straw man (how in the world does the US being afloat justify the acts I named? Completely invalid argumentation), downvoted me, and put me down. I'm not sure there's much charitable behavior occuring here, but I upvoted you across the board. :) Troll away, good sir!
  - gragas 10y ago
    I honestly didn't downvote you. I'm not trying to argue that the US being afloat justifies the acts you named. I was just trying to point out that what you said can be said about almost any country. I understand where you're coming from, but I think it's ridiculous to wish harsh economic conditions on Russia simply because Putin's geopolitical strategies don't align with your own. :/
    - refulgentis 10y ago
      It's complete non-sequitor - noting that all countries do bad things doesn't have any relation to wanting countries who commit bad things to have less resources. I'm guessing you're attempting to claim that I'm saying that all countries should have less resources, thus making my point moot, but that would require me not believing all countries should have less resources, which requires you guessing about my state of mind to prop up a straw man. Bwah? Anyways, the whole thing is obviated by the larger category of error: black and white thinking on your part. The context of the atrocities matters.
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
pdx 10y ago
> The Syrian atrocities. Careful there. Just because something was in Jeff Bezos Blog, is no indication of it's truth. In fact, it seems to be a good indication that it's not. Are you referring to the Sarin gas that Assad used (not Russia) which is now suspected to have been rebels themselves? [1] Or are you referring to the aid convoys that Russia destroyed? Woops, Russia claims (and has video supporting) that it was actually a ground attack, not an air attack. [2] Russia may be lying, but given the history of our administrations lies, you must remain skeptical to the U.S. claims. [1] http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n24/seymour-m-hersh/whose-sarin http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n24/seymour-m-hersh/whose-sarin [2] http://en.alalam.ir/news/1871790 http://en.alalam.ir/news/1871790
- refulgentis 10y ago
  Yeesh. And you're trying to claim that any misrepresentation of these atrocities happening validates the atrocities altogether. Hundreds of thousands of innocents died, the way it happened is irrelevant to the claim it was an atrocity.
  - dogma1138 10y ago
    And how many weddings did the US bomb again? Seriously mistakes happen the US bombs a hospital and its oops we're sorry, Russia may or may not hit a convoy and it's drag the to the Hague?
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]

refulgentis 10y ago

Sabre-rattling destabilizing Estonia. http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/trump-russia-worries-estonia-214511 http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/trump-russia-...