Europe under extreme duress

[Gatordev]

Allegedly an anti-drone measure, although I’m not sure exactly how they thought it would effectively confuse drone sensors.

From what I have seen reported, it's more for AI target recce, much like the debris you mentioned. The tires supposedly breaking up the recognizable shape. What I haven't heard (and don't expect to get an accurate number in open source reporting) was how many successful hits were done by AI vs the cellular remote controllers. Or if the controllers put it on a terminal path after classifying a target and then switched it to autonomous. Some of the exact targeting of wing roots and engines underneath the fuselage lead me to believe that's more man-made targeting.

 

[Randy Daytona]

Fundamentally, Putin's ego.

It's what happens in authoritarian dictatorships where there is no democracy to reign Dear Leader in.

Do you think Putin is doing anything unusual in the context of Russia’s history?

Samuel Huntington stated in his noted work “Clash of the Civilizations” that NATO/Western Civilization would push east to the dividing line between Western Catholicism/Protestant and Russian Orthodox with the result Ukraine could possibly split in 2. Article was published in 1993, book in 1996.

1 other observation. Dr Zeihan predicted back in the early 2010’s that a combination of bad Russian demographics and Russian national security concerns would lead them to attack Ukraine within a decade.

 

[Lawman]

Not saying it's right.

No you didn’t, but I’m hearing it as an often repeated justification by people who are not arguing in good faith.

 

[Lawman]

Do you think Putin is doing anything unusual in the context of Russia’s history?

Samuel Huntington stated in his noted work “Clash of the Civilizations” that NATO/Western Civilization would push east to the dividing line between Western Catholicism/Protestant and Russian Orthodox with the result Ukraine could possibly split in 2. Article was published in 1993, book in 1996.

1 other observation. Dr Zeihan predicted back in the early 2010’s that a combination of bad Russian demographics and Russian national security concerns would lead them to attack Ukraine within a decade.

NATO did “PUSH” anything, they were dragged there by the countries who recognized their newly established independence wasn’t worth anything in the face of a belligerent Russia.

The first country that joined NATO post collapse was Poland. If you look up what happened in Warsaw it’s pretty easy to establish why.

Putin doesn’t view these countries as independent, his writings on the subject and public statements out of office reveal that. He sees them as vassal states who currently aren’t doing what they are supposed to be doing and their movement into the UE sphere of economic prosperity is illegitimate.

This has crap to do with a legitimate fear of NATO continuing East to subjugate Russia.

 

[Hair Warrior]

Do you think Putin is doing anything unusual in the context of Russia’s history?

No, and if you read Putin’s speeches at the Valdai, he goes into great detail on how very recent (post-1945) Western institutions and frameworks purport a seemingly established and incontrovertible “international order” which the East (Russia/China) do not concur with, and frequently point out Western hypocrises.

If you take the Russian view, in the context of human civilization’s 10,000+ year history, the timing is indeed very convenient that Western countries could freely conquer, colonize, and exploiit desired territory from 1492-1945 and then abruptly freeze the system and claim that style of national/ethnic expansion is no longer allowed to happen.

The Spanish-American War (1898) and ensuing Philippine-American War (1898-1902) would be looked at questionably if they took place today and resulted in similar territorial possession.

 

[Hair Warrior]

In the history of the world, though, this is NOT solely a Western thing. The Moors/Berbers conquered Spain and later were thrown out. Asiatic steppe peoples (Huns, Magyars, Bulgars, etc) flowed Westward and conquered parts of Europe. The Ottomans invaded the Balkans. China, Korea, and Japan have done their fair share of conquering and expansion.

I take a pretty Hobbesian view of human nature, so Putin invading Ukraine is not surprising to me, though that does not mean I don’t support Ukraine’s right to fight back.