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At some point, Russian paranoia is the root cause here and not the west further pushing east. If France, Germany and the UK can all get along after the 20th ce
by cheeselip420 5y ago
At some point, Russian paranoia is the root cause here and not the west further pushing east. If France, Germany and the UK can all get along after the 20th century wars, then there is no reason for Russia to be so paranoid about their 'flank'. Especially as the nature of warfare has changed to a due to technology since then.
It's like if I get suckerpunched by someone on a subway, because his great-granddaddy was once mugged on the subway 60 years ago. It explains it, but it doesn't excuse it.
- llampx 5y agoThe relationship of France, Germany and UK to the US is not the same as Russia or China to the US.
- cheeselip420 5y agoOf course not. Because Russia is too paranoid, and too authoritarian (which is my point).
- awb 5y agoI think the point is that France, Germany and the UK (and all of Europe) used to engage in wars of conquest constantly throughout history. After WWII the victors decided that needed to stop and they decided to trust each other and get along. For some countries, peace is more important than trying to redraw borders through force.
- swamp40 5y ago>> there is no reason for Russia to be so paranoid about their 'flank' The US doesn't allow Russian influence anywhere in their entire western hemisphere. Are we just paranoid too? China is the same. Superpowers WILL ALWAYS defend their borders. To the end if necessary, when their very existence is at stake.
- dragonwriter 5y ago> The US doesn't allow Russian influence anywhere in their entire western hemisphere Yes, it does. It opposes it, sure, but it hasn't launched a full-on invasion of any of the states that are Russian-influenced in the Western hemisphere.
- awb 5y agoWell, the US tried to invade Cuba in the Bay of Pigs out of concerns about Russian influence and military buildup close to the US mainland.
- dragonwriter 5y ago> Well, the US tried to invade Cuba in the Bay of Pigs Well, it gave some Cuban exiles a ride to the Bay of Pigs and then cut them off without promised support.
- awb 5y agoNonetheless, the intent was a violent US-sponsored regime change in response to a close proximity Russian influence and military deployment in a foreign country. But Ukraine is Bay of Pigs x1000000, just to clarify. They’re not equivalent on any scale.
- diordiderot 5y agoThe defenses go _inside_ your borders
- gundmc 5y agoAren't Russia and Venezuela pretty closely allied?
- dragonwriter 5y ago> Russian paranoia is the root cause here I don't think that's true; I think the paranoid-sounding (as to their assessment of factual threats) excuses that nevertheless fit the style of things that are viewed as acceptable justifications for war in the West are for consumption by the international community and, particularly, Russian apologists in the West; I think the reclaiming historical territory and past glory, national glory, and creation of a grand ethno-national state angle is a lot more the motivation than paranoia. The extent to which the war announcement speech emphasized grievances at past betrayal of the Russian patrimony by its past (mostly Soviet) custodians compared to the way excuses are presented in messages more aimed at the international community I think speaks volumes here.
- watwut 5y agoThis is downvoted, but I fully agree with this. As hard as difficult it is to imagine for some Americans, it is more then just plausible for Russia to seek "reclaiming historical territory and past glory, national glory, and creation of a grand ethno-national state angle". Neither Russia nor the rest of Eastern Europe are purely reactive to what USA does. People in those countries have own history, own myths and own motivations. It is even openly in Putins own propaganda.
- watwut 5y agoWest is not pushing further east. Countries further east are seeking protection from Russia.