Is the War against Ukraine the beginning of the End for Putin?

[MichaelCorfman]

Many around the world, myself included, are deeply disturbed by the war Vladimir Putin, as President of Russia, has chosen to wage against the Ukraine.

An article published today in Foreign Affairs asks whether this war will prove to be:

The Beginning of the End for Putin?

We've heard from affiliate managers in the Ukraine. One manager was taking his family to a bunker hoping to keep them safe, and planning to fight to defend his country. I pray both he and his family do not suffer any harm.

And we've heard from affiliate managers in Russia, asking what we know about the war and what our news sources are reporting because they do not trust the news broadcast over Russian television stations.

Besides voting in the poll, please share what you know, particularly with respect to those you know who are in the Ukraine.

Michael

[Sherlock]

I have no idea and I do not care. I am not there, therefore I am just manipulated as everyone else by propaganda from both sides.

In the wars is always valid: Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.

It really looks like the 1st world has a big problem with Oedipus complex. Constantly wishing to the patriarchal figure like Trump or Putin the worst. While the real tragedies are polished to Hollywood drama.

Even if you are not from Ukraine or Russia, who are affected the most. Please note that the 1st world just declared that it will not go to war against evil. It is fantastic how everyone jumps on journalists fabulations made from (still) heated office at some other part of world.

Without fight there is no war won. Even worse, when it is declared that there will not be a fight. I am sorry.

[DaftDog]

I do not know anybody in Ukraine, but I am rooting for them. I don't think this will ultimately end well for Putin.

[Triple7]

Without fight there is no war won. Even worse, when it is declared that there will not be a fight. I am sorry.

Most wars were ended at the negotiation table...

[joeyl]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfC7s1A1KjI


Ukraine On Fire: (oliver stone full documentary - 1.5 hrs)

[BCGame Affiliates]

I am hopeful that this will be the end for Putin. I think the fall out will be massive for both countries.

[statsdrone]

There are a lot of people in the industry from Ukraine that have their lives disrupted. Russia didn't have to attack but here we are.

[gm2891]

From a neutral standpoint, Ukraine wishes to be a member of the European Union, as well as NATO. Russia will keep trying to not this NATO expansion to happen. Otherwise it would look exactly the same if Mexico said, "Come on Russia, get your biggest guns in, stay here and point them at the largest US cities." I think it won't end any soon.

[Sherlock]

Most wars were ended at the negotiation table...

I have no idea what you are talking about. I do not have statistical evidence how many wars ended at the negotiation table and how many ended by total destruction of the enemy. If all wars are counted, I would bet that annihilation method was more common in the past.

I am trying to say that this war is fought just by one side and that is Russia, that is an extremely resilient nation. It does not matter whether we are fascist or not. If they will believe in it, it will give them power and courage.

What we have against it? Economic control and a mountain of weapons. Like it worked well in Afghanistan.

[Sherlock]

From a neutral standpoint, Ukraine wishes to be a member of the European Union, as well as NATO. Russia will keep trying to not this NATO expansion to happen. Otherwise it would look exactly the same if Mexico said, "Come on Russia, get your biggest guns in, stay here and point them at the largest US cities." I think it won't end any soon.

From as much neutral standpoint (Andes dessert in South America), this is just a continuation of 100+ years civil war in Europe, that needs to be united with Russia. The civil war incl. 1st and 2nd world war in European part is only about who will set up the rules. Whether the West or the East. Once the unification is done, through some bloody wars, the united block will stand against China in the 3rd world war later in 21st century and then our race (can I still use that term?) will probably die.

The paradox now is that Russia is economically extremely weak, but they scraped their last sources during last years and put much more into army modernization. So along with their will to fight and invade other countries, they might be in the end even more capable than the west, that has much more sources and people.

In the west nobody wants to have skin in the game. It starts from small economic projects, where everything is financed by credit. It goes over nursing overtaxed states that keeps solving bullshit. It ends at castrated armies.

What if the sanctions go on. What if cornered Russia decides to launch a limited nuclear attack on Kyiv, Riga or Warszawa? Will USA anihillate Moscow? To have NY destroyed? As I see it West is not ready to sacrifice even their afternoon latte. And Russia is a predator who knows that.

As a collateral damage the West is now openly racistic against Russia and nobody even is protesting against internet censorship. Freedom (with chaos) was always the advantage of the West. Russia already won the ideological part of the war, because the west is behaving in a totalitarian way.

[rmeeuwsen]

please share what you know

I know that people are dying and that it is a tragedy for everyone, and that I and billions of people do care. It is incomprehensible that anyone would support this war.

[Cash Bonus]

rmeeuwsen, it's very sad indeed, and it really hurts me knowing that children are among the casualties.

hxxps://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10567875/amp/At-136-dead-including-13-children-Russian-invasion-Ukraine-far.html

[chaumi]

"it tolls for thee"

Let's hope those are not prophetic words in this case that all of us will need to acknowledge. I probably have an (hopefully) overly-pessimistic view, but in my head, we could be little more than 3-5 poor judgments, miscalculated responses, or further reactionary or deliberate escalations away from the increasing prospect of mushroom clouds. I hope I'm wrong.

But that's all about the rest of us. Self-interest. Natural and hard to avoid completely even when the real hard pain is elsewhere.

For Ukraine, of course, it's gut-wrenching watching events unfold. And not to knock the pain of that for the Ukrainian people, or any innocent/misguided Russians involved (or even question anyone else's responses or thoughts)....but you might say it's painful that similar responses weren't there when people were dying trying desperately to hold on to the wheels of C-17s taking off from Kabul not much more than, what was it, 3-4 months ago...or, in fact with any number of other conflicts and persecutions worldwide in the last 5,10, 15 years whatever.

We might all learn a lesson from asking ourselves why that is. And, sadly, the answer is not going to 'just' be 'you can't draw the same parallels' or 'this is closer to home'. Think about it too deeply, and you have to despair.


Re Putin. I don't know.

You'd have to be thinking it's the internal 'tap on the shoulder'... 'hood over the head and bundle into a car'...or even just the 'despatch quickly' scenarios that might come into play.

But that seems unlikely.

He may well be completely nuts.

But it's hard to be thinking they didn't see all this coming. What's one of the first things to consider in a project after deciding why you're doing it, what you want to achieve, and how you might do it? A - what are the risks, can they hurt us, and how do we respond to/negate them?

Could we seriously believe they did not have a 'project plan' and just underestimated the likely responses? I guess it's possible but again seems unlikely.

Maybe they know something we don't. And don't forget, there could be plenty we don't know that our own 'leaders' know.

It would appear (if the propaganda is to be believed) that Russia (as a functioning member country of - most of - the world) is finished.



You can (perhaps) anticipate that a wounded/threatened/cornered party that has nothing to lose will react fiercely under threat (as the Ukrainians and countless others thru history have done) ...

Now give that cornered party 10,000 times more power to use in its 'nothing to lose' capacity, and try to gauge what they will do with it, when they have already (reportedly) stated 'without me, none of you can exist'.

I can't see the way out for Ukraine. I can't see Russia backing down. I hope I'm wrong.

[wonderpunter]

The best end scenario is that he gets ousted , every other otion ends up in death destruction and obliterating the global economy, Young Russians are pretty wise to whats going on and have never felt the poverty of the soviet era.. however putin has kept the majority of people poor and brainwashed for a lifetime so will have to see where this pans out to.

[celena]

Sincerely, I do not know. But for now, it's a disaster.