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[Sergarr]

Spoiler: Wow. Lifenews didn't lie. Leopard IIs are in Ukraine. (click to show/hide)

Can they get lost?

If it's a German tank, they're probably joining on Ukraine's side.

Wonder why you're telling them to get lost if that's the case? This isn't a war you're looking to win.

By getting lost I mean getting lost in Russian Paratrooper Sense of Word Instead of Lviv appear somewhere in warzone

Of cause they are there for exercises only, still I like to see them there.

God I hope they do that. We haven't had an enemy a western tank kill since the end of WW2!

[Sheb]

Still, looking at the mess Russian media helped create in Ukraine, you can understand Sergarr. And Russia has no monopoly on those, that's on of the National Endowment for Democracy's job after all: supporting media organization serving US interest. However, you can try to limit outside influence on the media without squishing all independent media (And independant media needs to have access to mass media to be effective).

Also, it's Guardian G.I. who keeps comparing NATO to "That other alliance of progressive countries attacking in 1945". Not sure where he got the Nazi=progressive part.

[Dutchling]

Germany tries alleged 'IS' fighter

[Erkki]

Spoiler: Wow. Lifenews didn't lie. Leopard IIs are in Ukraine. (click to show/hide)

Can they get lost?

If it's a German tank, they're probably joining on Ukraine's side.

Wonder why you're telling them to get lost if that's the case? This isn't a war you're looking to win.

By getting lost I mean getting lost in Russian Paratrooper Sense of Word Instead of Lviv appear somewhere in warzone

Of cause they are there for exercises only, still I like to see them there.

God I hope they do that. We haven't had an enemy a western tank kill since the end of WW2!

Uhh....

[mainiac]

It's funny. As an American, I find Russian propaganda rather refreshing. It's a different perspective on the world compared to the usual race-baiting, sensationalist, hypocritical bullshit that our media spews 24/7.

Dont worry, the brits have those covered too.

[Sergarr]

Still, looking at the mess Russian media helped create in Ukraine, you can understand Sergarr. And Russia has no monopoly on those, that's on of the National Endowment for Democracy's job after all: supporting media organization serving US interest. However, you can try to limit outside influence on the media without squishing all independent media (And independant media needs to have access to mass media to be effective).

Also, it's Guardian G.I. who keeps comparing NATO to "That other alliance of progressive countries attacking in 1945". Not sure where he got the Nazi=progressive part.

Well why do you think English language will become a compulsory subject at the end of school in 2015 2020? It's that people can go and procure the information themselves out of foreign sources!

[nanomage]

Still, looking at the mess Russian media helped create in Ukraine, you can understand Sergarr. And Russia has no monopoly on those, that's on of the National Endowment for Democracy's job after all: supporting media organization serving US interest. However, you can try to limit outside influence on the media without squishing all independent media (And independant media needs to have access to mass media to be effective).

Also, it's Guardian G.I. who keeps comparing NATO to "That other alliance of progressive countries attacking in 1945". Not sure where he got the Nazi=progressive part.

Well why do you think English language will become a compulsory subject at the end of school in 2015 2020? It's that people can go and procure the information themselves out of foreign sources!

I kinda miss the sense of this reply. Do you mean to say that Russian state encourages the people to read and watch anglophone media, after having destroyed all most independent Russian media? If you meant to be sarcastic then it's weird too because we all know that an average Russian school graduate can't understand two shits in English, compulsory or not.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

English was a number one foreign language in Soviet schools, too. 
Soviet education:  teach you skills that you will not use

And I think compulsory Chinese language in schools would be better move for Russia.

[nanomage]

English was a number one foreign language in Soviet schools, too. 
Soviet education:  teach you skills that you will not use

And I think compulsory Chinese language in schools would be better move for Russia.

on the contrary, it would be an absolute disaster. It's outright impossible to find enough Chinese teachers, even very basic Chinese teachers to do the job. If anything, making all schools English-only may help to raise the average quality of tuition a bit because it's the only foreign language for which it is possible to find at least semi-adequate amount of semi-adequate teachers.
Not that they're really going to teach someone English anyway...

[Phmcw]

To understand Russian view on Putin, you have to keep in mind that the collapse of USSR was absolutely brutal for the average Russian. Full employment? Gone. Healthcare? Gone. Status? Gone. Security? gone. Even the army, the previous foundation of society was gone. Compeared to the complete chaos that was in place, the current neo-fascist regime seems an attractive solution. Ukraine is pretty representative of what happen when you give an ex USSR republic democraccy: secret services stayed in power, andd oligarch exploit the country.

[nanomage]

... secret services stayed in power, andd oligarch exploit the country.

wait isn't that today's Russia?

[Sergarr]

At least oligarchs in Russia do not have private TV channels AFAIK.

[Phmcw]

At least oligarchs in Russia do not have private TV channels AFAIK.

This basically. As Putin is the last man standing, it's easy to know who is in charge, who you should adress your demand to, and who represent the country. Compeare with the violent anarchy that were the 90's.

[Sheb]

Well, the Baltic states and Georgia were USSR republics too. Of course, in the case of the Baltics, they only were Soviets for 45 years, and they avoided the worse of Stalinism, so you still had people that remembered what it was like before Communism.

More importantly, the Baltic diaspora wasn't discredited in the way that the Russian diaspora (made largely of Whites and their descendants) was, so after independence you had a lots of young, idealist, brilliant, Western-educated Balts* ready to help steer the country, and a country willing to accept them. Something similar happened after the Rose revolution in Georgia.

*I think for a while Estonia had a prime minister that could barely speak any Estonian and used English as his working language.

P.S. Sergarr, wasn't it you who described the Russian way of life as "care for friends before money and always seek the truth"? How do you square that with your support for total control of the government over the mass media?

[TD1]

There are fears in my history classroom that, if Scotland goes Yes (most think they won't) then Sinn Fein will drive for an independent Northern Ireland.

I can only imagine where that would bring the country. Rational debate is fine, like in Scotland. But in Northern Ireland, politics and rational thought are even more estranged than in normal politics. It would be a political blood bath, and most probably a physical bloodbath. I honestly shudder to think of it.