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A year ago a war broke out in Europe—it's still happening. Worldwide that has caused an increased interest in war and technologies associated with it.

crazygringo 4y ago
Indeed. Two years ago an interest in tanks and artillery shells was about last on my list, almost a historical curiosity. But suddenly I've become extremely interested, as it's become one of the top geopolitical focus points of our time. But "horniness for war machines" is as far from the truth as you can get. It's really just an interest in what it takes to preserve democracy. We can go for decades of peace and forget that sometimes preserving democracy really does depend on tanks and bullets, when an autocrat decides to attack.
- l33tbro 4y ago
  Preserving democracy? Ah yes, those fine captains of industry from the Military Industrial Complex. Deeply enmeshed in the fabric of Washington policy and always acting for the benefits of freedom and democracy. "A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes." - Smedley Butler
  - tgsovlerkhgsel 4y ago
    The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that even if you have no intention to fight a war, an aggressive neighbor may have other ideas, so you don't have a choice other than being ready for it, if you want to continue existing as an independent country. How you're ready for it can vary, but deterrence by having better weapons is one effective way. In the best case, it works and you don't have a war. And if it doesn't, you still have better weapons to end the war - and preferably keep it on the enemy's territory so the destruction happens there and not in your country. Right now, Ukraine has its cities leveled, while Russia is (with a few exceptions) "only" losing military gear and personnel.
    - l33tbro 4y ago
      I agree. My point was that democracy has little to do with which nations the US chooses to defend. Moreover, 'peace' is essentially the continuity of economic imperialism and the maintenance of its hegemony - regardless of how inequitable that may be for everyone else. While this is an undergraduate take, it doesn't discount it from being true.
    - justsomehnguy 4y ago
      > even if you have no intention to fight a war "Crimea would be Ukranian or deserted" But of course you never heard that. Ukrainian maritime capability is another point but again you never knew anything abou that.
scatters 4y ago
The war started in 2014, with the invasion of Crimea and the Dobnas. The 2022 invasion was an escalation.
- yucky 4y ago
  > The war started in 2014, with the invasion of Crimea and the Dobnas. That's what started it? Any idea what happened the day before the invasion of Crimea?
  - paulryanrogers 4y ago
    The Ukrainian president was overthrown for trying to increase ties with Russia? Which doesn't really justify Russian troops invading (albeit without uniforms) to annex parts of Ukraine.
    - SideburnsOfDoom 4y ago
      I have found this article to be a good debunker on the above talking point: https://www.thebulwark.com/what-really-happened-in-ukraine-in-2014-and-since-then/ https://www.thebulwark.com/what-really-happened-in-ukraine-i...
      - jessaustin 4y ago
        That apologia might be more convincing if the word "NATO" appeared anywhere? Every time Putin speaks, he complains about NATO expansion into Ukraine and the resulting missiles pointed at his house from minutes away. http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/70565 http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/70565
        mopsi 4y ago
        NATO is just an excuse, even die-hard Russian nationalists like Girkin don't take that seriously and openly mock his constant whining about NATO.
freeopinion 4y ago
I'm often intrigued by the use of passive voice in language. This is a particularly interesting one to me. I don't mean this as a criticism of samsolomon. I just find language and its connection to thought and action interesting. A war did something, as if all by itself. That expression contains so much dangerous obfuscation, but also potential for insight. Russia attacked Ukraine, and in this way "a war broke out". In the parent comment, the details are not the point. The passive voice serves well to get to the point the author is trying to make. Yet at the same time it reinforces the point to which the author is responding. It glosses over the horror of the war so that we can get to the interesting parts.
- upsidesinclude 4y ago
  >Russia attacked Ukraine This is accurate, but it isn't the war being fought and it is hardly the first volley. Ukraine is a mostly unwilling participant in a much larger game. If you choose a most peculiar and narrow view regarding the nature of this conflict, it seems somewhat obtuse to question another comments "voice"
giraffe_lady 4y ago
I didn't ask why I said it's bad.

crazygringo 4y ago

Indeed. Two years ago an interest in tanks and artillery shells was about last on my list, almost a historical curiosity. But suddenly I've become extremely interested, as it's become one of the top geopolitical focus points of our time. But "horniness for war machines" is as far from the truth as you can get. It's really just an interest in what it takes to preserve democracy. We can go for decades of peace and forget that sometimes preserving democracy really does depend on tanks and bullets, when an autocrat decides to attack.

l33tbro 4y ago
Preserving democracy? Ah yes, those fine captains of industry from the Military Industrial Complex. Deeply enmeshed in the fabric of Washington policy and always acting for the benefits of freedom and democracy. "A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes." - Smedley Butler
- tgsovlerkhgsel 4y ago
  The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that even if you have no intention to fight a war, an aggressive neighbor may have other ideas, so you don't have a choice other than being ready for it, if you want to continue existing as an independent country. How you're ready for it can vary, but deterrence by having better weapons is one effective way. In the best case, it works and you don't have a war. And if it doesn't, you still have better weapons to end the war - and preferably keep it on the enemy's territory so the destruction happens there and not in your country. Right now, Ukraine has its cities leveled, while Russia is (with a few exceptions) "only" losing military gear and personnel.
  - l33tbro 4y ago
    I agree. My point was that democracy has little to do with which nations the US chooses to defend. Moreover, 'peace' is essentially the continuity of economic imperialism and the maintenance of its hegemony - regardless of how inequitable that may be for everyone else. While this is an undergraduate take, it doesn't discount it from being true.
  - justsomehnguy 4y ago
    > even if you have no intention to fight a war "Crimea would be Ukranian or deserted" But of course you never heard that. Ukrainian maritime capability is another point but again you never knew anything abou that.

scatters 4y ago

The war started in 2014, with the invasion of Crimea and the Dobnas. The 2022 invasion was an escalation.

yucky 4y ago
> The war started in 2014, with the invasion of Crimea and the Dobnas. That's what started it? Any idea what happened the day before the invasion of Crimea?
- paulryanrogers 4y ago
  The Ukrainian president was overthrown for trying to increase ties with Russia? Which doesn't really justify Russian troops invading (albeit without uniforms) to annex parts of Ukraine.
  - SideburnsOfDoom 4y ago
    I have found this article to be a good debunker on the above talking point: https://www.thebulwark.com/what-really-happened-in-ukraine-in-2014-and-since-then/ https://www.thebulwark.com/what-really-happened-in-ukraine-i...
    - jessaustin 4y ago
      That apologia might be more convincing if the word "NATO" appeared anywhere? Every time Putin speaks, he complains about NATO expansion into Ukraine and the resulting missiles pointed at his house from minutes away. http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/70565 http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/70565
      - mopsi 4y ago
        NATO is just an excuse, even die-hard Russian nationalists like Girkin don't take that seriously and openly mock his constant whining about NATO.

freeopinion 4y ago

I'm often intrigued by the use of passive voice in language. This is a particularly interesting one to me. I don't mean this as a criticism of samsolomon. I just find language and its connection to thought and action interesting. A war did something, as if all by itself. That expression contains so much dangerous obfuscation, but also potential for insight. Russia attacked Ukraine, and in this way "a war broke out". In the parent comment, the details are not the point. The passive voice serves well to get to the point the author is trying to make. Yet at the same time it reinforces the point to which the author is responding. It glosses over the horror of the war so that we can get to the interesting parts.

upsidesinclude 4y ago
>Russia attacked Ukraine This is accurate, but it isn't the war being fought and it is hardly the first volley. Ukraine is a mostly unwilling participant in a much larger game. If you choose a most peculiar and narrow view regarding the nature of this conflict, it seems somewhat obtuse to question another comments "voice"

giraffe_lady 4y ago

I didn't ask why I said it's bad.