How Odd Is Putin's Russia?

[Revoltingest]

Set aside the humor of Putin walking in to Darth Vader's Imperial March.
Consider the short man (a little Napoleon) entering the huge fabulously
gilded palace. His right arm largely immobile, while the left one swings.
Watch all the froufrou uniformed guards as all in unison, they so formally
turn their uplifted gaze slowly & synchronously in Putin's direction as he
passes, making his way toward into the palace.
It all suggests that if Napoleon, Caligula, Hitler, & Stalin mixed their DNA
together to create an unholy spawn, it would be Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

 

[The Hammer]

Set aside the humor of Putin walking in to Darth Vader's Imperial March.
Consider the short man (a little Napoleon) entering the huge fabulously
gilded palace. His right arm largely immobile, while the left one swings.
Watch all the froufrou uniformed guards as all in unison, they so formally
turn their uplifted gaze slowly & synchronously in Putin's direction as he
passes, making his way toward into the palace.
It all suggests that if Napoleon, Caligula, Hitler, & Stalin mixed their DNA
together to create an unholy spawn, it would be Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

Yuk were they actually playing that, or was it just overlayed on the video?

 

[Aupmanyav]

No more than Biden's USA.

 

[Father Heathen]

No more than Biden's USA.

Biden hasn't carried out an unprovoked attack against a democratic nation nor is he responsible for any war crimes or violation of human rights. He also hasn't jailed, poisoned, or "disappeared" any political critics/rivals. Why embarrass yourself by making such ridiculous comparisons that no intelligent person would ever take seriously?

 

[Twilight Hue]

Actually Putin walks like that from the KGB days where he carried a submachine gun for which one arm was kept at the ready as he walked.

That from what I hear about it.

He's likely always armed wherever he goes I suspect, albiet it's probably a pistol now.

Still, I gotta admit the Putin walk is pretty cool.

Darth Vader or otherwise.

 

[Twilight Hue]

No more than Biden's USA.

Except Biden might need a hidden counter balance to keep him in sync.
Otherwise, he might wander off and get into all sorts of trouble.

 

[Stevicus]

Yuk were they actually playing that, or was it just overlayed on the video?

Oh I'm sure it was just someone playing around.

I'm not sure what song they would play. Of course, we play "Hail to the Chief" in the U.S.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Biden hasn't ..

NATO's quest to encircle Russia brought about the Russo-Ukranian war. There may be more in future if anyone tries to be one-up.

 

[The Hammer]

NATO's quest to encircle Russia brought about the Russo-Ukranian war. There may be more in future if anyone tries to be one-up.

NATO didn't encircle Russia.

The surrounding nations requested to join NATO because of Russian aggression.

 

[Aupmanyav]

It is their foolishness and that of NATO. It is provocation. How did US react to Cuban crisis? What was wrong in Russia having nuclear forces in Cuba? It was not attacking US. So, the race to be one-up goes on. You have China too in the fray.

 

[Father Heathen]

It is their foolishness and that of NATO. It is provocation. How did US react to Cuban crisis? What was wrong in Russia having nuclear forces in Cuba? It was not attacking US. So, the race to be one-up goes on. You have China too in the fray.

How is a self-defensive measure "provocation"? Do women "provoke" rapists by carrying mace?

Do you believe the following is excusable/justified?
'Rape is a Russian weapon of war' Ukraine tells UN as boy was 'assaulted in front of his mother' | Daily Mail Online

 

[Debater Slayer]

No more than Biden's USA.

The U.S. under Biden is probably at its most timid since at least 1991. He even withdrew arguably prematurely from Afghanistan.

Biden and Putin aren't even remotely close in terms of how they govern their respective countries. One has a problematic history (e.g., voting for the Iraq War) but is otherwise currently restrained and not aggressive (so far, at least); the other is a bona fide war criminal and expansionist dictator who has repeatedly threatened to use nukes in a reckless and irresponsible manner.

 

[RestlessSoul]

Biden hasn't carried out an unprovoked attack against a democratic nation nor is he responsible for any war crimes or violation of human rights. He also hasn't jailed, poisoned, or "disappeared" any political critics/rivals. Why embarrass yourself by making such ridiculous comparisons that no intelligent person would ever take seriously?

America is a very odd place. Your country has almost certainly been directly involved in just as many wars, funded as many insurrections, supported as many barbarous regimes, as Russia has in the last 60 years.

How much does the USA spend on arms every year? How many of it’s own citizens has it executed recently? How many Americans have been shot dead in the last decade, by other Americans, and by the police?

 

[Debater Slayer]

America is a very odd place. Your country has almost certainly been directly involved in just as many wars, funded as many insurrections, supported as many barbarous regimes, as Russia has in the last 60 years.

How much does the USA spend on arms every year? How many of it’s own citizens has it executed recently? How many Americans have been shot dead in the last decade, by other Americans, and by the police?

While these points are valid, I think @Father Heathen was specifically addressing the claim about Biden's USA, not that of past administrations.

 

[RestlessSoul]

The U.S. under Biden is probably at its most timid since at least 1991. He even withdrew arguably prematurely from Afghanistan.

Biden and Putin aren't even remotely close in terms of how they govern their respective countries. One has a problematic history (e.g., voting for the Iraq War) but is otherwise currently restrained and not aggressive (so far, at least); the other is a bona fide war criminal and expansionist dictator who has repeatedly threatened to use nukes in a reckless and irresponsible manner.

Do you think US foreign policy has exercised a benign influence on the Middle East in the last several decades, by and large? How about Central and South America?

Whilst Putin is certainly a gangster who has turned Russia into a kleptocracy, when it comes to exporting terror abroad, the USA has surely given Russia a run for her money, pretty much every day since 1945.

 

[RestlessSoul]

While these points are valid, I think @Father Heathen was specifically addressing the claim about Biden's USA, not that of past administrations.

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

Well no, that’s not fair. Anyone would be an improvement on the old boss; just as Kruschev was an improvement on Stalin.

 

[Debater Slayer]

Do you think US foreign policy has exercised a benign influence on the Middle East in the last several decades, by and large? How about Central and South America?

Whilst Putin is certainly a gangster who has turned Russia into a kleptocracy, when it comes to exporting terror abroad, the USA has certainly given Russia a run for her money, pretty much every day since 1945.

I addressed this in my previous response: the subject is the U.S. under Biden, not under previous administrations. I don't think the U.S. is currently the same as Putin's Russia in terms of military aggression and violent threat to other countries.

My posts contain extensive criticism of U.S. foreign policy and military adventurism, but under Biden's leadership, there hasn't been any military aggression on other countries by the U.S.

 

[Debater Slayer]

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

Well no, that’s not fair. Anyone would be an improvement on the old boss; just as Kruschev was an improvement on Stalin.

So far, it seems to me that Biden has been different from many of his predecessors as far as military aggression and threats go. So no, I definitely wouldn't say he's like the "old boss." Heck, even Trump was less hawkish than many of his predecessors.

 

[Debater Slayer]

Biden hasn't carried out an unprovoked attack against a democratic nation nor is he responsible for any war crimes or violation of human rights.

To be fair, if we count his support for the invasion of Iraq, then he partially is. Whether his vote for the war was based on negligence/inexcusable ignorance/indifference to U.S. aggression or a genuine mistake despite having good intentions and doing his due diligence is a different story, though.

 

[RestlessSoul]

I addressed this in my previous response: the subject is the U.S. under Biden, not under previous administrations. I don't think the U.S. is currently the same as Putin's Russia in terms of military aggression and violent threat to other countries.

My posts contain extensive criticism of U.S. foreign policy and military adventurism, but under Biden's leadership, there hasn't been any military aggression on other countries by the U.S.

The US is clearly not the same as Russia, no. And Biden is not the same as Putin. But if those two powers end up at war with each other, dragging the whole of Europe and Asia in with them, it will be because of decades of diplomatic failure on both sides.

Currently we see the leaders of both Russia and America whipping their populations into a war frenzy. Perhaps both populations will tell their leaders to shut up, sit down, and find a way out of conflict. It’s a lot harder for ordinary citizens to do that in Russia, obviously.