Russia Invades Ukraine. Again
POSTED BY: captaincrunch
UPDATED: Sunday, September 6, 2026 21:09
VIEWED: 562266
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Have you been wondering why Russians are this way? Wonder no more:
How Extreme Views on Ukraine and the West Went Mainstream in Russia
by Emily Ferris
16 June 2022
https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/how-
extreme-views-ukraine-and-west-went-mainstream-russia
In recent years, hard-line views once limited to ultra-nationalist Russian politicians like Vladimir Zhirinovsky have increasingly been espoused by the highest levels of the country’s leadership. How has this happened?
The war in Ukraine has prompted much soul-searching among Russia watchers and policymakers, to try to consider where we might have got Russia wrong, what we might have missed, and what this now means about how the West looks at Russia.
One of the most pressing concerns highlighted by this war has been the growing acceptance in Russia of previously fringe views on both Ukraine and the West. Several particular events in the past few weeks have illustrated this well. The first was the death in early April of nationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, and the legacy that he leaves behind. The second was an important interview that head of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev gave on 26 April to the government-owned newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta. These, and other comments by the Russian senior leadership, have illustrated how peripheral ideas and ways of talking about Ukraine and the West have now become mainstream discourse.
A Toxic Legacy
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic party (LDPR), died on 6 April from complications related to COVID-19. Much of Zhirinovsky’s racist, misogynistic and boorish commentary over the years tended to be dismissed as a colourful addition to an occasionally dull line-up of mostly grey-suited men in the Duma (parliament). But many of the views that he held – particularly on Ukraine and the West – have over the years seeped into mainstream Russian discourse, and are now being regurgitated at the very top levels of power.
A conspiracy theorist known for his showboating in parliament, dishevelled attire and vulgar language, from 1989 Zhirinovsky led the LDPR – a party that became part of the Duma’s ‘systemic opposition’ which tacitly agreed with United Russia’s positions, while giving the veneer of an active and engaged opposition. Zhirinovsky never gained a serious number of votes in the multiple presidential elections he ran in, nor was he ever considered one of President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. But he played a useful role in undermining the very concept of opposition, almost satirising the meaning of free speech and democracy and using the platform he was given as an outlet for extreme views. He was a convenient outlet to channel and amplify the Russian public’s general resentment – against living conditions, the West, or globalisation more broadly.
Taken in isolation, many of Zhirinovsky’s more outlandish statements were never a true barometer of public opinion, such as retaking Alaska by force from the US, or incorporating Kazakhstan into Russia. But disconcertingly, many of the views and expressions that he espoused about Ukraine and the West have been mimicked by those in important positions, and are now being used to promote Kremlin narratives about the war in Ukraine.
In late May, Leonid Slutsky duly replaced Zhirinovsky as leader of the party. It is an inauspicious alternative – in 2018 Slutsky was accused by several journalists (including from the BBC) of sexual harassment, which he denied, and he is believed to own property and land worth millions, which is not commensurate with his official salary. But Slutsky is also a senior member of Russia’s negotiating team on the Ukraine war and has continued Zhirinovsky’s unpleasant legacy. As Chairman of the State Duma’s Committee on International Affairs, as well as in his position as negotiator on Ukraine, he has espoused conspiracy theories about the US in particular, and what he has termed the West’s ‘neo-colonial policy’. Slutsky will play an important
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Quote:Wrong. He is ... as I previously described him... a pro-Ruusian expat SWISS military analyst. His family emigrated from Russia (they were "White Russians") I imagine some time around 1917.
THUGR: The Saker' is a pseudonym of Andrei Raevsky, an ex-patriot Russian domiciled in Florida. In other words comrade, bullshit. Just more of Putin's propaganda.
If you want to listen to/read an expat SOVIET military officer for a military analysis, living in Oregon, look up Andrei Martyanov. He's the one who keeps banging on about how Russian military strategies are highly mathematical, comprised of differentials equations and statistics that calculate various supply requirements (How many shells from how much artillery will you need to hit how many targets with 90pct certainty?)
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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE someone poor - William Blake
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Looks like none of you idiots had anything to talk about today except for Russia.
I can't blame you. There literally is nothing good to say about how Democrats are running the country (into the ground).
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Falsus in unum, falsus in omnibus
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Quote:No kidding. This whole RUSSIA!RUSSIA! campaign is one giant distraction from USA!USA!
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Looks like none of you idiots had anything to talk about today except for Russia.
I can't blame you. There literally is nothing good to say about how Democrats are running the country (into the ground).
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Falsus in unum, falsus in omnibus
It's hard to credit how easily led most people are.
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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE someone poor - William Blake
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Who said this?
Quote:
Contrary to Washington’s triumphalist pronouncements, Russia is winning the war, Ukraine has lost the war. Any longer-term damage to Russia is open to debate.
American sanctions against Russia have turned out to be far more devastating to Europe than to Russia. The global economy has slowed and many developing nations face serious food shortages and risk of broad starvation.
There are already deep cracks in the European façade of so-called “NATO unity.” Western Europe will increasingly rue the day that it blindly followed the American Pied Piper to war against Russia. Indeed, this is not a Ukrainian-Russian war but an American-Russian war fought by proxy to the last Ukrainian.
Contrary to optimistic declarations, NATO may in fact ultimately emerge weakened. Western Europeans will think long and hard about the wisdom and deep costs of provoking deeper long term confrontations with Russia or other “competitors”of the US.
Europe will sooner or later return to the purchase of inexpensive Russian energy. Russia lies on the doorstep and a natural economic relationship with Russia will possess overwhelming logic in the end.
Europe already perceives the US as a declining power with an erratic and hypocritical foreign policy “vision” premised upon the desperate need to preserve “American leadership” in the world. America’s willingness to go to war to this end is increasingly dangerous to others.
You get three guesses.
Putin? Medvedev? Saker? Someone else?
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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE someone poor - William Blake
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Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
Who said this?Quote:
Contrary to Washington’s triumphalist pronouncements, Russia is winning the war, Ukraine has lost the war. Any longer-term damage to Russia is open to debate.
American sanctions against Russia have turned out to be far more devastating to Europe than to Russia. The global economy has slowed and many developing nations face serious food shortages and risk of broad starvation.
There are already deep cracks in the European façade of so-called “NATO unity.” Western Europe will increasingly rue the day that it blindly followed the American Pied Piper to war against Russia. Indeed, this is not a Ukrainian-Russian war but an American-Russian war fought by proxy to the last Ukrainian.
Contrary to optimistic declarations, NATO may in fact ultimately emerge weakened. Western Europeans will think long and hard about the wisdom and deep costs of provoking deeper long term confrontations with Russia or other “competitors”of the US.
Europe will sooner or later return to the purchase of inexpensive Russian energy. Russia lies on the doorstep and a natural economic relationship with Russia will possess overwhelming logic in the end.
Europe already perceives the US as a declining power with an erratic and hypocritical foreign policy “vision” premised upon the desperate need to preserve “American leadership” in the world. America’s willingness to go to war to this end is increasingly dangerous to others.
You get three guesses.
Putin? Medvedev? Saker? Someone else?
Lemme guess. You found a fifth person in the world that spins the same bs as you?
"Washington’s triumphalist pronouncements" I have totally missed those. I have seen lots of reports on Russia's stumbling military putting their dck in the sand.
"Russia is winning the war" Huh? Define "winning." Denazifying Ukraine? "Returning" Russia's lost lands to their *rightful* owner at whatever cost to innocent lives? Stealing natural resources from a sovereign neighbor? "Killing more of them that they kill of us?" Great to see the pride Bully Russia has in beating up their smaller neighbors. No wonder so many countries openly hate Russia.
"America’s willingness to go to war to this end is increasingly dangerous to others." Makes no sense. We just ended 20 years of stupid in Afghanistan - way to go Joe! - and we would have sat on the world's front porch if Russia hadn't invaded Ukraine. Again. More accurately: Russia's dickheadedery is what is, "increasingly dangerous to others." Europe is seeing first hand that energy dependance on a corrupt gov like Russia is akin to extortion. Thanks Putin! As predicted, we'll see accelerated interest in renewables and alternative energy sources. Should have happened long ago, just took greedy, little-man-syndrome Putin to give everyone a nudge.
"NATO may in fact ultimately emerge weakened" - "they may" a lot of things. Nothing can stop people from saying stupid sht. Unless they live in Russia and don't want to go to jail.
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Biden* has his regrets now. He threw Z under the bus already.
Biden* is incapable of taking responsibility for anything.
Biden* is a loser.
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Falsus in unum, falsus in omnibus
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Quote:
Originally posted by CAPTAINCRUNCH:Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
Who said this?Quote:
Contrary to Washington’s triumphalist pronouncements, Russia is winning the war, Ukraine has lost the war. Any longer-term damage to Russia is open to debate.
American sanctions against Russia have turned out to be far more devastating to Europe than to Russia. The global economy has slowed and many developing nations face serious food shortages and risk of broad starvation.
There are already deep cracks in the European façade of so-called “NATO unity.” Western Europe will increasingly rue the day that it blindly followed the American Pied Piper to war against Russia. Indeed, this is not a Ukrainian-Russian war but an American-Russian war fought by proxy to the last Ukrainian.
Contrary to optimistic declarations, NATO may in fact ultimately emerge weakened. Western Europeans will think long and hard about the wisdom and deep costs of provoking deeper long term confrontations with Russia or other “competitors”of the US.
Europe will sooner or later return to the purchase of inexpensive Russian energy. Russia lies on the doorstep and a natural economic relationship with Russia will possess overwhelming logic in the end.
Europe already perceives the US as a declining power with an erratic and hypocritical foreign policy “vision” premised upon the desperate need to preserve “American leadership” in the world. America’s willingness to go to war to this end is increasingly dangerous to others.
You get three guesses.
Putin? Medvedev? Saker? Someone else?
Lemme guess. You found a fifth person in the world that spins the same bs as you?
Yep!
Quote:
Graham E. Fuller (born November 28, 1937) is an American author and political analyst, specializing in Islamist extremism.[1] Formerly vice-chair of the National Intelligence Council,[2] he also served as Station Chief in Kabul for the CIA. A "think piece" that Fuller wrote for the CIA was identified as instrumental in leading to the Iran–Contra affair.[3][4]
After a career in the United States State Department and CIA lasting 27 years,[5] he joined Rand Corporation as senior political scientist specializing in the Middle East.[3][6][7] As of 2006, he was affiliated with the Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, as an adjunct professor of history.[8] He is the author of a number of books, including The Future of Political Islam.[9]
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_E._Fuller
Go argue with him.
-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE someone poor - William Blake
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In the meantime ... RUSSIA!RUSSIA! is nothing but a big distraction from USA!USA!
Maybe we should put the focus back where it belongs.
Eventually Russia will win in Ukraine.
And I hope y'all will FINALY take a lesson on how you've been lied to for decades, and you'll stop believing the M$M which just amplifies lies by "anonymous officials". Learn to look for evidence, broaden your sources, STOP LYING, use logic to parse conflicting narratives.
Until then, peace out.
-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE someone poor - William Blake
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