Re: Russia - Ukraine, Putin-Zelensky

[Jun]

No matter what the reasons, history shows that countries are better off investing in their own defence.
Trump is reminding a few countries of that.

Incidentally, when Ukraine agreed to relinquish nuclear weapons, an agreement was signed where the US, Russia and several other powers were to guarantee Ukraine's borders. Condidering how that's going, keeping the nuclear weapons might have been a better choice.

[Moses]

No matter what the reasons, history shows that countries are better off investing in their own defence.
Trump is reminding a few countries of that.

Incidentally, when Ukraine agreed to relinquish nuclear weapons, an agreement was signed where the US, Russia and several other powers were to guarantee Ukraine's borders. Condidering how that's going, keeping the nuclear weapons might have been a better choice.

It is fake.
There never been "agreement". There was Budapest memorandum - political declaration.

And if to make search, then you will find, what it was best step in world security. Russia withdrew nuclear weapon from most corrupted in Europe country - Ukraine. Just few years late Ukraine sold Soviet documentation about how to make missiles to North Korea and now North Korea has ballistic missiles. After that in a few years Ukraine sold missiles and documentation to Iran.

All these facts you may easy check with Google.

So, evacuation of nuclear weapon from poor and corrupted Ukraine in 90s was real life saver.

Read this - biography of the typical Ukrainian prime minister in 90s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavlo_Lazarenko

[Jun]

Read this - biography of the typical Ukrainian primer minister in 90s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavlo_Lazarenko

I bet he didn't go around poisoning or shooting every respectable opposition leader, as happens in certain countries.

[Moses]

Read this - biography of the typical Ukrainian primer minister in 90s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavlo_Lazarenko

I bet he didn't go around poisoning or shooting every respectable opposition leader, as happens in certain countries.

If you will bet - you will lose: open any (!) website of world journalist community and find reports from 90s about kidnapping and killing journalists in Ukraine.

You all (most) are living in dreams. You think you are living in democracy.
For example in UK for posts in social medias btw 2000 and 2020 were prisoned 1000+ persons, while only 83 were prisoned in Russia.
London is second one city after Beijing by number of CCTV cameras per inhabitant.

[Jun]

As a Russian friend pointed out recently, Ukraine has had numerous elections over the years. Real elections, with occasional changes of government decided by the people.
Whereas every leader of Russia/USSR has been in office for life, with the excptions of Mr Gorbochev and Mr Yeltsin.

[Moses]

Whereas every leader of Russia/USSR has been in office for life, with the excptions of Mr Gorbochev and Mr Yeltsin.

He is in office because of huge support in rural areas and small towns. Number 74% is "tuned" of course, but he has 55-60% for sure. Main reason: personal income during his "ruling" grew more than 5 folds, in rural areas more than 10 times. So elections here were "tuned" but not forged.

Growing personal income, low income taxation (starts from 3%, median income tax is about 13%, and this 13% includes pension and medical insurance), fast growing quality of life, including remote areas of far North (there state supply them even with satellite phones for free +$20 per month for calls), amazing developing in big cities with eco programs...

you all, who complaining about hordes of Russian tourists in Thailand, Spain, Turkey remember: at the start of his job as a president average salary in Russia was below $150... now even couriers in Moscow earn about $1500 and you see a lot of Russians around because international travels are affordable for most of Russians now.

So results of elections here were tuned for to show "nice numbers", but not forged - Putin has support within population more, than all other candidates all together.

[Gaybutton]

you all, who complaining about hordes of Russian tourists in Thailand, Spain, Turkey

I don't know about Spain or Turkey, but as far as I know from the news I read, it is not Russians causing many problems in Thailand. Lately it's been mostly Chinese and Indians, with a few Scandinavians, Israelis, and other nationalities in the mix. It makes no sense to me, but Thailand seems to cater the most to those causing the most problems.

A couple years ago a Russian acquaintance gave me a container of Russian caviar and a bottle of Russian vodka. I'm no drinker, but I did have a couple drinks made with the vodka with RichLB. Since I rarely drink, I gave the rest of the vodka to RichLB. So, if people are complaining about Russians, I am not among them.

[Jun]

I don't know about Spain or Turkey, but as far as I know from the news I read, it is not Russians causing many problems in Thailand.

I also don't have any abnormal complaints about the Russian tourists in Pattaya. Their behaviour is similar to other Europeans.

As for the Russian economy:
1. Starting with a base of failed communism and an educated population, anyone with sensible policies ought to achieve rapid improvements in living standards with a switch to capitalism. Many of the other formerly communist European countries have a higher GDP per capita than Russia. I count 12 of them.

2. Low taxes are a definite vote winner. I'd vote for almost any competent right wing candidate ahead of Kier Starmer. Not quite Putin though.....

[Moses]

As for the Russian economy:
1. Starting with a base of failed communism and an educated population, anyone with sensible policies ought to achieve rapid improvements in living standards with a switch to capitalism. Many of the other formerly communist European countries have a higher GDP per capita than Russia. I count 12 of them.

Sure. And for it exists easy explanation: Russia is huge. While small countries like Latvia, Estonia and so on invested in industries and got fast results, Russia had to invest in infrastructure, and still do it. First paved road from west to east appeared in Russia just in 2008.

By the way: you should compare GDP per capita in Russia and Ukraine ))))))))))))

[Gaybutton]

Judge for yourself.



"You were both wrong! And you were both right."
Yul Brynner (Taras), 'Taras Bulba'