Should NATO be folded in favor of a European Union unified command?

[Brenus]

“Such an intellectual. Can't wait to read your enlightening thesis on why overt authoritarianism will be the great liberator from the American panopticon.” Can I remind you that the last 20 years, the very democratic USA started more wars than the Russian Dictatorship? I am not a big lover of Putin, but things have to be said.

"That sounds like nowhere but Putin's Russia" You were referring to Germany, that was Nazism.

[Pannonian]

“Such an intellectual. Can't wait to read your enlightening thesis on why overt authoritarianism will be the great liberator from the American panopticon.” Can I remind you that the last 20 years, the very democratic USA started more wars than the Russian Dictatorship? I am not a big lover of Putin, but things have to be said.

The west doesn't start wars, it introduces freedom for the oppressed subject people's sake.

These people are using hypernationalistic violence against unarmed citizens. This is different from Kiev. In Kiev citizens used violence against the armed and oppressive state. Do you see the difference?

Did we find out in the end who it was that ordered their snipers to fire?

I have no idea. The snipers had a right to fire to protect others from bodily harm. Some police could have just had enough, independent of an order.

[Kadagar_AV]

According to Swedish media, the same sniper attacked both protesters and the police.

It's thus no longer a tin-foil thingy to assume it was done to heat up the situation.

I'd say it points towards the opposition being behind the sniper attacks.

EDIT: We know it's the same sniper because ballistic analysis shows it's the same weapon who fired the shots.

[a completely inoffensive name]

“Such an intellectual. Can't wait to read your enlightening thesis on why overt authoritarianism will be the great liberator from the American panopticon.” Can I remind you that the last 20 years, the very democratic USA started more wars than the Russian Dictatorship? I am not a big lover of Putin, but things have to be said.

No kidding. It's only been twenty years since the USSR collapsed. Russia has been focused on consolidating within and establishing a new power structure around their new Constitution. Hell, the Communist Party still has control of 20% of the State Duma. Low and behold, once a new top dog cements himself over the past decade, Russia now starts getting antsy with its bordering countries.

Number of wars means nothing. Afghanistan was 100% justified and was mismanaged. Iraq was a large mistake, the American people by and large admit this and it should serve as a testament to the American people that we do not and probably will not ever look back on Bush 42 kindly, despite this man once holding a 90+ approval rating after 9/11.

I don't know what is more embarrassing than this, seeing Europeans in here chastise the US for putting boots on the ground in foreign countries under Bush and then chastise the US when we switch tactics under Obama when they have literally nothing but hands to sit on when Ukraine is under siege.

[Pannonian]

No kidding. It's only been twenty years since the USSR collapsed. Russia has been focused on consolidating within and establishing a new power structure around their new Constitution. Hell, the Communist Party still has control of 20% of the State Duma. Low and behold, once a new top dog cements himself over the past decade, Russia now starts getting antsy with its bordering countries.

Number of wars means nothing. Afghanistan was 100% justified and was mismanaged. Iraq was a large mistake, the American people by and large admit this and it should serve as a testament to the American people that we do not and probably will not ever look back on Bush 42 kindly, despite this man once holding a 90+ approval rating after 9/11.

I don't know what is more embarrassing than this, seeing Europeans in here chastise the US for putting boots on the ground in foreign countries under Bush and then chastise the US when we switch tactics under Obama when they have literally nothing but hands to sit on when Ukraine is under siege.

It shouldn't be too outrageous to ask for a decent argument for war before actually fighting a war. Afghanistan was justified, as someone under their wing attacked the US, and they failed to give satisfaction. On Iraq, a number of BS arguments were put forward, clearly refuted, then argument number n put forward in turn, before returning to argument number 1 again and circling back, with the basic argument that we should fight because we should fight. As quoted in my previous post in this thread (last post on the last page), we have an emotional argument put forward with a compelling picture of the Russian-backed government oppressing the poor Ukrainian people, then when I point out that the oppressive actions may have been ordered by someone we're currently backing, the language changes and suddenly said oppressive actions are no longer important. Having been against Iraq from the beginning, I smell BS again.

[Kadagar_AV]

It shouldn't be too outrageous to ask for a decent argument for war before actually fighting a war. Afghanistan was justified, as someone under their wing attacked the US, and they failed to give satisfaction. On Iraq, a number of BS arguments were put forward, clearly refuted, then argument number n put forward in turn, before returning to argument number 1 again and circling back, with the basic argument that we should fight because we should fight. As quoted in my previous post in this thread (last post on the last page), we have an emotional argument put forward with a compelling picture of the Russian-backed government oppressing the poor Ukrainian people, then when I point out that the oppressive actions may have been ordered by someone we're currently backing, the language changes and suddenly said oppressive actions are no longer important. Having been against Iraq from the beginning, I smell BS again.

The Talibans offered to help against terrorist training camps, what more could you have asked for?

Do you seriously think there was ANYTHING the sitting Afghan regime could have offered, once USA smelled revenge and got their war machine going?

[a completely inoffensive name]

It shouldn't be too outrageous to ask for a decent argument for war before actually fighting a war. Afghanistan was justified, as someone under their wing attacked the US, and they failed to give satisfaction. On Iraq, a number of BS arguments were put forward, clearly refuted, then argument number n put forward in turn, before returning to argument number 1 again and circling back, with the basic argument that we should fight because we should fight. As quoted in my previous post in this thread (last post on the last page), we have an emotional argument put forward with a compelling picture of the Russian-backed government oppressing the poor Ukrainian people, then when I point out that the oppressive actions may have been ordered by someone we're currently backing, the language changes and suddenly said oppressive actions are no longer important. Having been against Iraq from the beginning, I smell BS again.

My position is that we should not go to war unless Russia attacks Ukraine. Then we are morally and legally obligated to defend it based on that treaty we signed back in the 1990s with them in exchange for their nukes. Ukraine should take all measures to fight its Crimean War of Independence and we should stay out at all costs, until Russia moves its troops in.