You mean those poor, poor billionaire oligarchs who made their fortunes by killing their opponents, thieving the nation's wealth and leaving Russia in tatters? What a shame. I bet you also believe in the Western propaganda myth of Yeltsin as a flawed, yet heroic leader. I'm not saying Putin is a good guy here, but let's try and look at things with a bit more perspective.
Once a political decision has been reached to proceed with internal disturbances in Syria, CIA is prepared, and SIS (MI6) will attempt to mount minor sabotage and coup de main [sic] incidents within Syria, working through contacts with individuals. Incidents should not be concentrated in Damascus. [A] necessary degree of fear, [...] frontier incidents and [staged] border clashes [will] provide a pretext for intervention. The CIA and SIS should use [...] capabilities in both psychological and action fields to augment tension. [Funding should be provided for a] Free Syria Committee [and arms should be supplied to] political factions with paramilitary or other actionist capabilities.
~ Joint US-UK leaked Intelligence Document, 1957
Sounds like every post-Stalin party chairperson. I remember reading about senior Soviet generals having basically their own feudal fiefs, making themselves rich through corruption and getting away with rape and murder. But they seldom got to enjoy such a lifestyle for long before falling out of favour for one reason or another.
"Sebaceans once had a god called Djancaz-Bru. Six worlds prayed to her. They built her temples, conquered planets. And yet one day she rose up and destroyed all six worlds. And when the last warrior was dying, he said, 'We gave you everything, why did you destroy us?' And she looked down upon him and she whispered, 'Because I can.' "
Mangalore Design
Won't someone think of the billionaires?!?
What a joke. Hope Merkel intensifies the sanctions and puts them four trillion in the hole.
Patron to Lord Mov, Azog 150, JaM, Lord William, Grouchy13
"For what it’s worth: it’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."
Indeed, foreign policy is the area where Germany isn't simply issues mandates in the EU. It's not surprising either, they want all the perks of leadership but none of the responsibilities.
Patron to Lord Mov, Azog 150, JaM, Lord William, Grouchy13
"For what it’s worth: it’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."
Seriously OP really?- will this help turn the German masses into Putin's embrace once and for all? Or has this once pragmatic mediator between east and west now been discarded as a 'comrade' for good?
- will Angela Merkel now feel pressed to cease the sanctions, intimidated by the thermonuclear levels of hipocrisy? Or will she rather realize that there simply is no moving forward diplomatically anymore?
- does this behaviour point towards a broader trend, where autocracies, to save face inwardly, must estrange their former friends? Can Laika come back from outer space and save Russia's relationship with Europe?
Last edited by pacifism; February 27, 2015 at 11:49 PM. Reason: insult removed