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thomas81
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01 Mar 2014, 5:04 pm

So apparently Russia already has boots on the ground in Crimea, under the auspice of protecting ethnic Russians in the area.

America has warned of 'grave consequences'. Do you think US military intervention could be much farther off?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/f ... e-error-us


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GGPViper
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01 Mar 2014, 5:10 pm

The heart says: F*** Russia....

The head says: Divide the country into two in order to avoid a global conflict...



beneficii
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01 Mar 2014, 5:34 pm

With Russian troops already in the country, any direct military intervention by the U.S. at this point would likely precipitate World War III. Even less direct intervention, like U.S. intervention in Afghanistan during the 1980s against the Soviet Union, would run risks that would need to be very carefully analyzed.

There's also the fact that Crimea has historically been a Russian region, has a majority ethnic Russian population with mainly pro-Russian Tatars, and already is under Russian control which suggests that its link to Ukraine is really tenuous at best at this point, from many different standpoints.


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Sherlock03
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01 Mar 2014, 5:47 pm

Nope, I doubt we will get involved.


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AngelRho
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01 Mar 2014, 5:47 pm

Please…look at the recent history between the current administration and Russia. Monkeys will fly out of my butt before the US gets involved militarily in this one. At worst we'll send over a couple of drones.

I would NOT be surprised if we got in on this on the side of Russia. But since no one in the US actually wants to help out Russia (it would be a political disaster), the way we'll be "helping" Russia is by staying home and twiddling our thumbs. I have no doubts the Russians are fine with this.

Come on…is it any coincidence "the Regime" is reducing US military numbers right when something like this happens?

Politically "the Regime" isn't doing as well with the American public lately, and time is almost up. Russia knows if they want to keep the US at bay, they have to capitalize on occupying Ukraine before we hold elections and potentially elect a president who WILL come to the aid of the Ukrainians.

This makes me wonder about our situation right here at home. Is it possible Putin knows something about our political climate that we don't? He's already lied about respecting Ukrainian sovereignty by the sheer act of invading the Crimea. "Protecting Russian nationals" my butt. Only a pretext. Something's got Putin spooked, and he's reaching for all he can get before our own government changes. And that has me wondering what our own higher ups know that we don't and if they're similarly spooked.

And yes, it's just a hunch I have. We'll see whether I'm right or not, but I'd like to be wrong on the basis that this is a permanent occupation and pretext for forcefully annexing the Ukraine. I'd LIKE to be right that this spells doom for the Democratic party, although I'd regret the circumstances.

Given how I feel about our own political climate and the horrid behavior of both our major political parties, all I can say is:
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ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
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01 Mar 2014, 5:52 pm

Sherlock03 wrote:
Nope, I doubt we will get involved.

Same. I doubt we will do anything. We never do anything where Russia is concerned.



TheGoggles
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01 Mar 2014, 6:15 pm

We're technically obligated to defend Ukraine against invasions as part of an accord, but when's the last time you saw someone obey one of those?



beneficii
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01 Mar 2014, 6:18 pm

TheGoggles wrote:
We're technically obligated to defend Ukraine against invasions as part of an accord, but when's the last time you saw someone obey one of those?


Source?


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TallyMan
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01 Mar 2014, 6:22 pm

A significant faction of the Ukraine are pro-Russian anyway right back from the days of the old soviet union, so the west isn't likely to get involved in any military action. There will be denunciations and sabre rattling but that's all from the west. We aren't going to mess with Russia on their doorstep.


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simon_says
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01 Mar 2014, 6:23 pm

Putin is a piece of sh*t, of course. But I think what will happen is a Crimean vote. A referendum can have any outcome the troops guarding the ballot boxes want it to have. You either flood a region with your people (China, Morocco) or you make sure your troops will guard the "ballots". In this case they have both. So that's a done deal.



ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
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01 Mar 2014, 6:31 pm

yeah it's too bad this is all happening with Putin at the helm :s



Pobbles
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01 Mar 2014, 6:31 pm

I find this disturbing.

Even more disturbing seems to be the international response.

Everyone outside of Russia wrote:
We don't approve. Carry on and we might sulk during or not turn up to our next little meeting.


Scary stuff. All Russia has to do is roll out of bed and fart in the morning, and an Eastern European country gets flattened.



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01 Mar 2014, 6:32 pm

I'd heard the new Ukrainian president had invited Russia to send "peace keeping" troops in anyway, so Russia can't even be accused of invading... they will simply say they are helping out their neighbour at their own request. Such diplomatic manoeuvring makes it even more difficult for the west to cry foul or intervene.


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simon_says
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01 Mar 2014, 6:39 pm

Quote:
Scary stuff. All Russia has to do is roll out of bed and fart in the morning, and an Eastern European country gets flattened.


Well, Russia does nothing when the US acts. The cost for Russia will be economic and diplomatic. There is a reason their neighbors can't join the EU and NATO fast enough. And maybe one day, when the time is right, 1.3+ billion Chinese will decide to aid some separatist asian brothers in Siberia. It's not a great precedent for Putin to set.



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01 Mar 2014, 8:25 pm

I would not cry if Putin were assassinated at some point in the future.



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01 Mar 2014, 9:32 pm

We're going to have a war with them sooner or later. Do it now and get it over with.


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