Post by elpajero on Sept 22, 2014 4:13:13 GMT -5
Greetings friends.
Now I don't know if this is a good place to discuss this, but I'll give it a shot. What I'm asking you people, who represent many nations from many corners of the world, is that how much of a threat you see Russia's warmongering politics of today and what could a worst-case-scenario look like?
I'm a Finn and have lived in Finland all my life. Since unfortunately you can't choose your neighbors, we share around 800 miles of land border with Russia. And here's a brief history lesson: Finland was the serf-nation, oh sorry, an autonomous state within Russia until the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, when dear old Lenin and his cohorts gave us independency. 22 years went by until Stalin realized Lenin had made a mistake and had the Soviet forces attack Finland in 1939, a war ensued which somehow lasted until 1944 (mainly thanks to Soviets fighting on multiple fronts and Stalin having killed most of his A-grade officers before the war).
Many a year has since passed, the youngsters barely even know what the Cold War was all about, but now the world is facing another crisis with Russia. Or until now it's only Ukraine where the Rooskies are hassling in, but what will lie ahead? The world leaders condemn Russia's or Putin's actions, but like with the United Nations, do they really matter? What can anyone besides NATO/the United States military do if Putin decides that Poland/Finland/Romania/etc. is next? The motherf***** has said Russia's forces can take over the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) in a matter of days. And they can, not without a fight I'm sure, but the armies of those countries together wouldn't stand a chance against them.
One day I heard on the news that Russian fighters and bombers had been sighted and intercepted near Alaska, close to both American and Canadian coastline. I know I'm probably paranoid (who isn't who has lived next to the radioactive bear known as Russia all his life), but I nearly shit myself when I heard this. I know air forces of different countries "trespass" on other countries airspace all the time, but in the past years Russia's had a really hard time keeping their planes on their own side.
Both my grandfathers fought the Rooskies in the Second World War, both were wounded more than once, my father's father lost parts of his right hand from a grenade and got shot in the lung another time. My parent's generation survived without a war (on European ground at least), but now I fear my generation is headed for another. Maybe even WW3. And 70 and so years ago there weren't any nuclear weapons until 1945 and Japan, now just about everyone has some.
It's so bizarre how many things are very similar today in just about everything Russia is doing to Nazi-Germany's rise to power in the 1930's. A nation who has built a large army and plenty of weapons in a relatively short period of time (is Russia's case, new post-Soviet weapons)? Check. A mass media that is controlled by the select few in the government and that is making everyone believe how their leader is the wisest man in existence and how their nation is the crown of creation? Check. A megalomaniac and overall a completely insane leader? Check. Nonconformists and people of political opposition who mysteriously disappear or get murdered? Check. I could go on for hours.
Just some thoughts. I'd be happy to hear your thoughts and comments and how you see the land of the two-headed eagle.
- Tim
Now I don't know if this is a good place to discuss this, but I'll give it a shot. What I'm asking you people, who represent many nations from many corners of the world, is that how much of a threat you see Russia's warmongering politics of today and what could a worst-case-scenario look like?
I'm a Finn and have lived in Finland all my life. Since unfortunately you can't choose your neighbors, we share around 800 miles of land border with Russia. And here's a brief history lesson: Finland was the serf-nation, oh sorry, an autonomous state within Russia until the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, when dear old Lenin and his cohorts gave us independency. 22 years went by until Stalin realized Lenin had made a mistake and had the Soviet forces attack Finland in 1939, a war ensued which somehow lasted until 1944 (mainly thanks to Soviets fighting on multiple fronts and Stalin having killed most of his A-grade officers before the war).
Many a year has since passed, the youngsters barely even know what the Cold War was all about, but now the world is facing another crisis with Russia. Or until now it's only Ukraine where the Rooskies are hassling in, but what will lie ahead? The world leaders condemn Russia's or Putin's actions, but like with the United Nations, do they really matter? What can anyone besides NATO/the United States military do if Putin decides that Poland/Finland/Romania/etc. is next? The motherf***** has said Russia's forces can take over the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) in a matter of days. And they can, not without a fight I'm sure, but the armies of those countries together wouldn't stand a chance against them.
One day I heard on the news that Russian fighters and bombers had been sighted and intercepted near Alaska, close to both American and Canadian coastline. I know I'm probably paranoid (who isn't who has lived next to the radioactive bear known as Russia all his life), but I nearly shit myself when I heard this. I know air forces of different countries "trespass" on other countries airspace all the time, but in the past years Russia's had a really hard time keeping their planes on their own side.
Both my grandfathers fought the Rooskies in the Second World War, both were wounded more than once, my father's father lost parts of his right hand from a grenade and got shot in the lung another time. My parent's generation survived without a war (on European ground at least), but now I fear my generation is headed for another. Maybe even WW3. And 70 and so years ago there weren't any nuclear weapons until 1945 and Japan, now just about everyone has some.
It's so bizarre how many things are very similar today in just about everything Russia is doing to Nazi-Germany's rise to power in the 1930's. A nation who has built a large army and plenty of weapons in a relatively short period of time (is Russia's case, new post-Soviet weapons)? Check. A mass media that is controlled by the select few in the government and that is making everyone believe how their leader is the wisest man in existence and how their nation is the crown of creation? Check. A megalomaniac and overall a completely insane leader? Check. Nonconformists and people of political opposition who mysteriously disappear or get murdered? Check. I could go on for hours.
Just some thoughts. I'd be happy to hear your thoughts and comments and how you see the land of the two-headed eagle.
- Tim