Russian Tensions
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TN – “Lol, now that Finland has joined Putin must be quaking in his boots!”
Finland and Sweden have both joined or are planning to join NATO
Sweden’s defence spending is estimated as $6.7 billion per annum
Finland’s defence spending is estimated as $5.8 billion per annumA total of $12.5 billion
Russia’s defence spending is estimated as $66 billion per annum.
The increase in NATO’s spending is therefore nearly 1/5th of the total amount of defence spending included in NATO’s budget.
Not unsubstantial.
The USSR had a history of underestimating the capability of Finland’s armed forces. You might look at The Winter War. (Your hero Stalin was happy to cooperate with your hated Nazis and their arms blockage of Finland)
Putin has intimated his admiration for Imperial (imperialism, TS?) Russia and would like the restoration of its control over its former western empire in eastern Europe.
He uses the symbols of the fallen Tsarist empire that even the Bolsheviks had smashed: the two-headed eagle of Byzantium, which linked the Tsars to the Caesars, and the Church with its roots in imperial might, autocracy and xenophobia.Not an imperialist? Give me a break!
It does show that supporting either side is not correct, both sides are presided by capitalists criminals
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Germany, Italy, and Japan called themselves anti imperialist
If Russian capitalism is not imperialist, the USA is not imperialist either. It contradicts completely what Rosa Luxembourg wrote about imperialism
Path to Peace
Noam Chomsky, Jill Stein, Jeremy Corbyn, Vijay Prashad, Medea Benjamin, Brian Becker, Eugen Puryear and Claudia de la Cruz on the need for negotiation, not escalation“Many of the countries in Nato have no significant history of what you would describe as imperialism (for example Poland”
Hahahahahahahahahahaha!
“Russia’s defence spending is estimated as $66 billion per annum.”
The number is ridiculously misleading. You probably also believe the Russian economy is the size of Spain’s or Australia’s. It’s not. It’s far bigger. By PPP Russia’s economy is 5th largest in the world and its military spending far higher than a paltry $66 billion.
“Russia’s effective military expenditure actually ranged between $150 billion and $180 billion annually over the last five years.”
https://warontherocks.com/2019/12/why-russian-military-expenditure-is-much-higher-than-commonly-understood-as-is-chinas/ Russian military expenditure is much higher than commonly understood
“You support capitalism because you thoroughly endorse its supporting ideology of nationalism”
I’m an internationalist but I recognise the right of a nation state to sovereignty as laid out in the UN system. Nothing to do with capitalism Robotomy.
“national sovereignty” is something to be valued!).”
It is. Without it the imperialists and hegemons will be either interfering with or outright invading you. Perhaps you enjoy being interfered with. Most people don’t.
“And you previously poured scorn on the concept of Marxian socialism”
No, only on your twisted, inchoate interpretation of it.
“As a gullible right-wing supporter of Russian imperialism”
Russia is not imperialist. It is fighting against NATO’s imperialism. And it is winning. And that is good.
“you have that in common with naive leftists with their gibberish about “national liberation struggles”.”
Lol, it’s pretty obvious now why your “party” only has half a dozen members.
“Imperialism is not limited to overt military conquest. It is an expression of capitalism’s expansionist dynamic and since capitalism is global so is every part of the world, imperialist – latently or manifestly.”
Russia is helping to create a new way of economic development through BRICS+ and partnering up with the Belt and Road inititiative as well as developing many other multilateral institutions free of western imperial dominance. Win-win outcomes are the model not imperialist exploitation.
“Imperialism is hardwired into the very nature of the modern capitalist nation-state. Russia is no less imperialist than the US for example even if it is not as successful as an imperialist power as the US”
Well those times are changing. Perhaps you don’t think change possible?”
“You don’t need to intend to capture a city of 3 million in order to “assault” it. Geddit?”
You framed Russia’s actions re Kiev as failed. You cannot fail in an attempt if no attempt is made. You get that right? I’m afraid I don’t speak brain damaged so perhaps I can’t explain it in terms you’ll understand.
“Seriously? So the Russian military should have no problem strolling back into Kherson tomorrow in that case since it would have no reason to expect any military resistance. You are such a clown, TS”
Robotomy, child, listen don’t speak. You’re only embarrassing yourself. Russia is fighting a war of annihilation against the Ukrainian military. Territory is not important, grinding the enemy down is. If it can achieve this aim from the left bank or the right bank of the Dnieper it doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. And once the Russian reserves are mobilised and the ground hardened offensives will begin that will, as sure as night follows day, eventually take back Kherson.
“Do you seriously imagine Russia’s capacity to manufacture advanced modern weaponry is greater than that of the NATO countries combined? You are living in a dream world TS.”
NATO countries are voluntarily deindustrialising, their leaders have shot themselves in the lungs by refusing Russian hydrocarbons. NATO’s arsenals are already sorely depleted thanks to aid to Ukraine. Nato’s armies haven’t fought anything but tribesmen in decades. NATO is a paper tiger and the whole world can see that now.
“How many Russian soldiers do you think have been killed or wounded in this war, TS?”
Two months ago it was up to almost 6,000. Ukraine at least ten times that though probably significantly more.
“How much Russian equipment has been destroyed or simply captured by the Ukrainian forces?”
This is a war against a well equipped and highly trained NATO proxy army so there have been losses. But nothing that can’t be replaced. NATO, on the other hand, is being forced to scrape the bottom of the barrel to keep Ukraine equipped. Overwhelming advantage, Russia.
“Do you seriously imagine the Russian economy is not being seriously impacted by this war? What do you imagine the “real world” is outside of your little bubble, eh?”
Russia’s economy is huge and China has it’s back. It’s struggle is existential so it will make sacrifices. But the rouble is stable, inflation is falling and supermarket shelves are well stocked.
“Drivel as usual. The comrades in the Azov battalion in Ukraine no doubt exhibit “solidarity” toward each other and by your pisspoor line of reasoning must therefore be considered as putting into effect a major tenet of “socialism”. Why don’t you trot off and join the Azov comrades in that case? You are the consummate muddlehead”
Doth protesting too much me thinks.
“But you have no problem supporting a thoroughly obnoxious authoritarian capitalist regime”
The running dog has reverted to chasing it’s flea-bitten tail again. You’re talking in circles Robotomy. I support the struggle against Nazism and western hegemony as should you.
Truely Stupid,
“I’m an internationalist but I recognise the right of a nation state to sovereignty as laid out in the UN system. Nothing to do with capitalism”
So you endorse the concept of the nation-state, an integral feature of capitalism’s institutional architecture, Hence you endorse capitalism
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“national sovereignty” is something to be valued!).”
It is. Without it the imperialists and hegemons will be either interfering with or outright invading you. Perhaps you enjoy being interfered with. Most people don’t.”
To repeat, all nation-states are latently or manifestly imperialist. Imperialism is an expression of capitalism and capitalism is global. The capitalist regime of Putin that you bootlick for has just engaged in an act of blatant or manifest imperialism with its invasion of Ukraine on the spurious pretext of denazifying Ukraine. There are, of course, some nazis in Ukraine (a minority) just as there are some nazis in Russia (even if not by name) but that is not the real reason why capitalist states like Russia go to war
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And you previously poured scorn on the concept of Marxian socialism”No, only on your twisted, inchoate interpretation of it.”
Care to explain what is “twisted” or “inchoate” about the Marxian definition of socialism as a stateless non market alternative to capitalism, eh???? It’s like you are just inclined to regurgitate any old unsubstantiated drivel that first enters your mind without a second thought. You are the consummate muddlehead
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“Russia is not imperialist. It is fighting against NATO’s imperialism. And it is winning. And that is good.”LOL Russian imperialism has just ceded ground to NATO imperialism in Kherson and elsewhere and this is what you call “winning”
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“Lol, it’s pretty obvious now why your “party” only has half a dozen members.”Please try not to come across as even more stupid than you are. The vast majority of members are not even on this forum
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“Russia is helping to create a new way of economic development through BRICS+ and partnering up with the Belt and Road initiative as well as developing many other multilateral institutions free of western imperial dominance. Win-win outcomes are the model not imperialist exploitation.”Gawd you are so gullible. Do you seriously imagine BRICS is some kind of benign non-capitalist initiative? “Win-win outcomes” is the language of smart-suited business executives trying to sell you something while being intent upon ripping you off behind your back. Do you seriously imagine the participants in so-called BRICS are not just as rapaciously capitalist as any other economic bloc in capitalism?
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“-You framed Russia’s actions re Kiev as failed. You cannot fail in an attempt if no attempt is made. You get that right?”I said it was an assault. I realise that you are a sandwich or two short of picnic but I tried to explain that a military assault on Kiev or elsewhere, whether or not the intention was to capture the city, was an expression of manifest imperialism. Your argument was that the actions of the Russian capitalist regime were justified because it was intent on “defending Donbas”, Well if so why did it not confine its military presence to Donbas rather than venture as far as the outskirts of Kiev. As per usual you squirmed out of answering that question
———————————-“Russia is fighting a war of annihilation against the Ukrainian military. Territory is not important, grinding the enemy down is. If it can achieve this aim from the left bank or the right bank of the Dnieper it doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. And once the Russian reserves are mobilised and the ground hardened offensives will begin that will, as sure as night follows day, eventually take back Kherson”
I cannot predict the outcome of the war but at the moment it appears that both sides are being ground down and many of your “grounded hardened” Russian squaddies – poor sods – are surrendering in their thousands and feeling distinctly disinclined to fight Putin’s war. I don’t blame them
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“NATO countries are voluntarily deindustrialising, their leaders have shot themselves in the lungs by refusing Russian hydrocarbons. NATO’s arsenals are already sorely depleted thanks to aid to Ukraine. Nato’s armies haven’t fought anything but tribesmen in decades. NATO is a paper tiger and the whole world can see that now.”Gawd, TS- what’s it like living in a little make-believe world all on your own? American military spending alone exceeds that of China, Russia, India, France, Germany and the UK combined, FFS. Its military-industrial complex must be rubbing its hands in glee at the thought of all that extra weaponry required and will have no problem meeting the demand. Russia’s military-industrial complex is by comparison tiny. There is no way it can match the combined manufacturing capacity of the NATO countries. If anyone’s arsenals are being depleted it is Russia’s. It’s little wonder it’s relying on North Korea and Iran for military support. As for your talk of Nato’s armies not having fought anything but tribesmen in decades, it was Afghan tribesmen that routed the Russian army if you recall
———————–“Two months ago it was up to almost 6,000. Ukraine at least ten times that though probably significantly more.
“How much Russian equipment has been destroyed or simply captured by the Ukrainian forces?”
Depends on which propaganda you choose to believe in. Ukrainian sources believe Russian fatalities are approaching 100,000, The truth is probably somewhere in between
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“Russia’s economy is huge and China has it’s back. It’s struggle is existential so it will make sacrifices. But the rouble is stable, inflation is falling and supermarket shelves are well stocked.”
“Huge” is a relative term. The Russian economy has not collapsed but there is no doubt that it is suffering as a result of sanctions and that things are going to get progressively worse the longer the war drags on. As for China – well China has got Russia over a barrel (no pun intended) and has been able to purchase Russian oil and gas at a steep discount rate. Capitalist competition does not cease between capitalist countries just because they appear to be friendly toward each other
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“I support the struggle against Nazism and western hegemony as should you.”
You don’t. All you support is the struggle of one authoritarian capitalist regime against another authoritarian capitalist regime. You have no objection to either authoritarianism or capitalism as such
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