Off Topic Politics Thread

Putin is corrupt to a level unmatched by anyone in the world. Anyone who has seen his vast palace knows this man enjoys being alive. The last thing he is going to do is start WW3.

 

Yep. If he can come out of this and spin it as a win, he will.

 

This. Russia can say as many times as they like they have the biggest nuclear arsenal in the world. Fine. There's a big difference between boasting and actually using them. Putin's found it tough enough simply fighting Ukraine. Like you say, taking on the whole of the EU isn't going to end well. No one from western Europe intends to go toe to toe with Russia, as Os puts it, but at the same time can't step aside and give Putin free reign to take Ukraine, with or without Trumperica.

 

The whole point about nuclear weapons is that they are a deterrent. If an aggressor launches a pre-emptive strike, they will get wiped out by the retaliatory response, nobody wins, nobody loses, they are simply vapourised.

 

It’s all smoke and mirrors ultimately, on both sides. But we’re doing the right thing. As I said a while back, there’s actually a good opportunity right now for Starmer, and I’m impressed that he’s stepping up to it.

 

Exactly, which only works if you are prepared to actually use them.

Putin knows that the west won’t use ours to defend Ukraine, or we would have done it already. He essentially called the world’s bluff.

All we can do now is draw a hard line and stand strong that we will actually use them if he goes further.

Which has been the case since the day he invaded imo. (I also said this at the time btw)

 

Aren't you fortunate to have first-hand experience of everything, having seen it with your own eyes, and been personally present at everything, with no need for any unfiltered information. It's a good job you are so knowledgeable, so you are able to explain clearly how the entire universe works to us mere mortals who depend on other sources for their information

 

He’s not willing to use them either. Thankfully.

 

Debatable. I wouldn’t want to test that theory by putting troops anywhere near the Russian border personally.

 

Well that is how you cede all power to a bully.

 

More eyeliner than a highschool prom.

 

It's not debatable as the US would have to retaliate as they are part of NATO.

 

If you have studied the conflict since day one, you wll realise he has worn the same style of dress everywhere he has gone, it's his trademark. Would you say a kippah or a turban should be removed as it's rude to wear a hat in the White House?

 

Not really. He knows that if he launches one, there’ll be ten straight away on their way back into Russia. Nobody wants that.

If you want the Chicken-Licken scenario, he ignores the fact there is European peacekeeping forces there, and goes back in for a second bite with conventional forces, to test out whether we have the mettle to react to that. Hence why the deal is so much stronger if there’s an American backstop there.

I don’t think he’d do that, but I’m guessing a bit. The fact he’s using North Korean forces (by the way, when it comes to nukes, I’d be far more concerned with Kim than Putin) would suggest his levels of army reserves aren’t great right now. He won’t want to enforce conscription either - that won’t wash with the Russian public, and as we’ve both said, he’s many things, but he’s not stupid.

 

With a pair of nutjobs in charge of the two main aggressors, anything is possible and we would be powerless.

 

What we don’t need right now, globally, is silly twats like Musk saying that the US should pull out of the UN and NATO. That’s deeply unhelpful, and one of the myriad reasons someone like him should be nowhere near the levers of power.

 

Or suicidal thankfully. I do actually wonder if it is better dealing with the devil we know rather than him getting ousted or assassinated and then someone worse taking his place.

 

Says something when I’m not sure if you’re talking about Putin or Trump there!

 

Definitely Putin. Trump makes me nervous that he will do something exceedingly stupid.