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Never thought that Republicans would be all in with Russia. Strange world.
by throwawaysleep 3y ago
Never thought that Republicans would be all in with Russia. Strange world.
- labrador 3y agoI know right? I'm an older person so I remember Reagan's "Evil Empire". It's gobsmacking.
- linksnapzz 3y agoTIL people can't tell the difference between Soviet communists, and Russians.
- dekhn 3y agoI mean, we covered this in my Russian Politics class in detail. Even during soviet times, every non-russian soviet state had russian politicians working behind the scenes. And many of the leaders/powerful people in Russia today are the inheritors of the power structure of the immediate aftermath of the collapse of the soviet union. I suspect many people you think are ignorant are actually quite aware of the subtle relationship between the two.
- linksnapzz 3y ago“Inheritors of the power structure”; i.e. they had inherited authority in what was effectively a new state in economic & demographic collapse. Do you think that all of them believe, now as then, that the situation they found themselves in in 1992 was entirely exogenous to the Soviet system?
- wmf 3y agoIf Putin can barely tell the difference why should we?
- linksnapzz 3y agoI've never heard Putin say much in favor of either Bolshevism or Soviet command economics; other than how the collapse of the former resulted in a terrible situation for the post-soviet Russian economy.
- throwawaysleep 3y agoDifferent flag. A little less land. Fewer people occupied. Same people in charge. Soviet government officials are now Russian government officials.
- linksnapzz 3y agoThose same people would have to have been hired (at the latest) in 1991. Most ex-Soviets have retired or passed on by now.
- sanderjd 3y agoThis whole thread is very off topic for HN so I shouldn't even engage, but this comment just seems so bizarre that I feel weird not responding: The current leader of Russia is Vladimir Putin, who certainly can be described as an ex-Soviet, having begun his career working for the Soviet intelligence service. His inner circle mostly share that same background. Am I missing your point?
- linksnapzz 3y agoYes. He worked for a Communist state, he was not personally invested in the ideology beyond what was necessary to succeed in his organization. This describes many, many Russians.
- sanderjd 3y agoI think "you can't call people who were in the KGB ex-soviets because they did not have strong attachment to communist ideology" is an indefensible assertion. If these people were a farmers or factory workers or something, sure. But these were people who worked and fought for the soviet state, not just workaday citizens. If the current government of the US collapses, and whatever government we end up with afterward is eventually run by a cadre of career CIA agents, it will be very fair to call them whatever the equivalent of "ex-soviet" will be, even if they don't ever talk about their ideological attachment to constitutional republics.
- labrador 3y agoThe imperial mindset of Russians who think lands outside their borders belong to them gives me the same "look and feel" as Soviet communists
- linksnapzz 3y agoThere is certainly much truth to that observation; but there is a difference in principle.
- simonblack 3y agoA CEO trying to prevent harm to his company and also to increase returns to his (mainly American) shareholders is considered 'all in with Russia'. Strange world. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. He probably cares more about his shareholders' opinion of him than your opinion of him.