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Stephen Harrod Buhner's avatar

Chris Hedges has the best overview of Putin's rationale and notes that western diplomats and leaders understood as early as 1989 that if NATO expanded to the Russian borders that Russia would view it as an act of aggression. Here is that link: https://scheerpost.com/2022/02/24/hedges-the-chronicle-of-a-war-foretold/

also: In one place you write "Less often reported is that men between the ages of 18 and 60 are now forbidden to leave the country and are stopped by Ukrainian soldiers aiding the flight of refugees." Referencing your later comment " apex-oppressor cis-white-heterosexual surplus males," shouldn't that have been "people with testicles" or perhaps "people who inseminate?" After all it is "people who menstruate" and "people who are pregnant." How come it is always women who are redefined in this way? And not men? It may just be me but it seems as if women are being erased as a category but not men. I think there is a word for this, something something gynist. Something like that.

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macFhiodhbhuidhe's avatar

Just as Finland was declared an Axis country because they were fighting Russia while Russia was fighting Germany and accepted weapons from Germany does not really make Finland an Axis country. Anymore than it made the British supporters of the Red Russians when they fought the White Russians and White Finns during the Archangel Expedition in 1919.

Yes there are far-right units on all sides. I do not use fascist lightly, and I try to use it correctly, as in Mussolini's actual definition of business running the government, which really makes all countries fascist to some degree.

Addition: it is widely reported that all adult males are being called into military service. It is conscription. My Grandfather, a WWI veteran, was required to register for the draft during WWII as was his older brothers, also WWI veterans. Not unusual.

I do find discussing the military with people who have never been rather interesting, because they have very narrow ideas of the what and why of conscription. This does not mean I support military action, that is why I left the Marines in 1991 after 14 years.

As for propaganda, you need to realize that it has two primary goals, building morale of the Ukrainians and lowering the morale of the Russians. Propaganda works both ways. Really given the odds, Ukraine needs the morale boost. And the Russian military is unsure of what they are doing, and the propaganda helps lower morale.

There is no way to know what true casualties are, at least Ukraine is admitting to human lives list, Russian State media, not so much.

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