Im almost afraid to ask what became of them.
What is worse-The possibility that she thought this story would attract Republican voters, or the possibility that she might be correct?
I wondered about that at first, too, but even plenty of Republicans love their doggies.
There was no shortage of people who were callous about domestic animals when I was a kid growing up in the country but it seems like most of the country has evolved from that callousness in the interim decades.
A lot of Republicans were anti-Russia, too.
Since Putin supports Trump, I’m now a bit anti-Russia. I was hoping that after the USSR dissolved, they where getting things together. But, of course was wrong.
At some point in time you have to wonder if Russia isn’t just too badly damaged by history to ever be a force for good in its part of the world.
Because to a simplistic fool like me it seems that the smart play is to embrace democracy and become a powerful and contributing member of the EU.
Point 1, not if you are a kleptocrat. Under Communism, the system was nominally egalitarian, but in practice the party leaders gained privilege and wealth at the expense of the people. When Russia got rid of communism, the people who gained control of the new capitalism were the mobsters and corrupt. They soaked up wealth at the expense of the people. Joining the EU would mean a radical clearing of corruption. See Ukraine.
Point 2, Putin is an old school Soviet KGB soldier. He longs for personal gain, but also for Russia to regain its power and influence in the world. From the Czarist days to the Soviet time, Russia was a significant power player. With the breakup of the USSR, Russia lost a lot of clout and a lot of face. Putin wants Russia on top. That means putting down the West, especially the US, so he can step into the gap. Joining the EU would not regain that prestige, it would be capitulating to the West.
Kleptocrats and autocrats don’t often give up power to the people. Too much personal downside. Which is why revolutions typically are violent. The people have to take the power and control, and the ones in power control the military, police, and weapons.
Easy. It makes the corporate wallet fatter. When it comes to Republican evil, never look far for the answer.
You’ve pretty much summed up why I think both Russian leadership and the Russian people may be irreparably broken.
If dominating your neighbors, either in fear of them as a threat or for a simple desire of power, is your prime motivation, then you remain outside the prospering union of nations and remain forever the sick man of Europe.
It’s not their children. It’s about hurting the right people. Same with voter restrictions, outlawing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), denying trans rights/medical care, denying abortions (unless you’re white with money), on and on. The party of Evil and Hate.
I agree, but am having a very hard time wrapping my mind around that … ideology.
A person that is different than you must be punished is what the belief seems to be. Why?
Could say the exact same about religious beliefs.
All I can come up with is it’s some sort of fear. And an innate desire to hurt others.
If you don’t like the music, don’t listen to it. It’s not hard. It’s very easy. If you don’t want to marry a homosexual, or someone with a different religious belief, umm… Don’t. Problem solved.
“Irreparably” and “forever” are a little harsh. Ukranians give an example that shows that people from a slavik culture can change. And having Ukraine succeed would go a long way to setting an example, which is why Putin is so heartbent on defeating Ukraine. They dare to change to democracy and overcome the corrupt autocratic past. But with Putin in power, it will take a lot of people as brave as Navalny to rise up and overthrow the plutocrats.
I think one of the hopes of the West was that the heavy sanctions would affect the oligarchs enough that they would want a change in leadership. A military coup almost occurred. I think that is the most likely scenario for the fastest change. Ukraine actually regaining their territory and making Putin fail in his bid for takeover might trigger such a response. Or a straight up revolt because of all the dying of their own soldiers for nothing.
Look, strange things happen. I mean Taiwan willfully changed from an autocracy to democracy without a revolution. But that situation was entirely different. Taiwan needed US support to keep China at bay. That was the calculation their leader made. Russia is nowhere near that situation.
Yes. Foreigners are different, they don’t look like us or think like us. They will ruin our culture.
Poor people don’t count. They deserve being poor because they don’t try hard enough.
That “music” isn’t just bad, it’s scary. It glorifies violence and misogyny, it teaches children the wrong values, i.e. no values.
Homosexuality and transgenders aren’t just people with different experiences, they are evil manifestations of rejection of morality.
People who support abortion are immoral bastards that would rather kill babies than take responsibility for their own choices. You got raped? Not the baby’s fault. Had a miscarriage? You really wanted an abortion. Complication to your pregnancy? Pray hard enough and God will save you. Or at least your soul.
These are pretty good arguments and I hope I’m around long enough to see the Russian people get the chance to join the European family.
Oh yes. Mexico accepts Americans. Even Canadians accept Americans. But we shouldn’t push our luck.
American acceptionalism.
< golf clap >
Which is why they protested at the six-month delay in getting Ukraine the munitions it so desperately needed. They protested so effectively the six-month delay was reduced to… six-months.
OAN spreads virulent lie about Michael Cohen, then retracts under pressure. A f$%^ing lot of good the retraction will do - the deplorables will have already spread the story in their little cesspool groups and won’t even notice the retraction (deep state!!)
Pubs in the state of Washington say the quiet part out loud.
“We are devolving into a democracy, because congressmen and senators are elected by the same pool,” was how one GOP delegate put it to the convention. “We do not want to be a democracy.”