Quote:
Originally Posted by jhynes
Are you kidding? Do you understand anything about geopolitics? The US is no angel, but at the end of the day is a true functional democracy with rule of law, real competitive elections, a true independent judiciary, an independent media, and general transparency at all levels of government (if somewhat imperfect).
Russia has again become a police state controlled by a single party/leader, aggressively using KGB-style tactics and military power to impinge on the sovereignty of Ukraine, and other regions.
There is a world of difference between these two countries...
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To my opinion, you are partially correct about Russian internal issues and specific behavior of Putin (for whom I never voted since the 2000). And partially correct about US true democracy and transparency also with leader-specific impeachment issues and healthcare issue ets. Maybe before making the conclusions and public statements on "police state" you have even red this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ary_operations and totally comfortable with this way of democracy setting.
But it looks to me you are talking about geopolitics in the area I live all my life when sitting at the opposite side of the world learning Europe by Jen Psaki. And I think you are missing the point. Many people have no idea what Ukraine and Russia really is, where it is on the map, never been there, but you see the majority of members here keep anyway aside their political opinions.
Despite E90SLAM tried a number of times to calm down the trolls and turn the current thread in "Professional Motorsport Racing Discussion" back to F1 talk which makes all of us unite, there are still people knowledgeable about every single piece of the Universe watching TV in Kansas City (or wherever else). You know, when somebody says: the Russians, the Americans, and the Canadians let’s agree, there is no equation between the nation and the Cabinet with its politics, army and media. Citizen and patriot is not a headless dumb that fully supports all and every President’s word and decision.
I had to write that comment because I respect the forum and wisdom and passion of the majority of its members (you cannot even imagine what happens in our forums about that matter) but I cannot keep sitting and watching how my country is being made the Planet Evil. There is somehow true what you said about my country, but also be prepared to hear something new about your own country if the forum discussion deviates from context that way.
You probably never heard or not allowed to hear about many facts about the military take-over in Kiev that has happened last winter. And you have never seen SWAT officers shut down by the crowd on the street or burned alive with a bottle of petrol (you are not allowed to see that on your TV). Maybe you did not see Nazi flags flying there everywhere and marches of the private armies of local nationalist billionaires (you are not allowed to know about it). And how the Nazi crowds burned alive 50 demonstrants in Odessa being sieged inside of the Trade Union building. And how the young nationalistic gangs all wearing masks throw down monuments and draw swastika at the walls of Kiev. And what is the historical basis of what happens in South-East of the country. And many other reasons that are totally offtop here, but such comments like yours seem to be out of context and offtop too, sorry.
I lived in Kiev for 25 years, half Russian half Ukrainian, still travel often to see my parents and friends, and the last trip was end of June. One of my reasons to leave the country in the middle of 90’s was that the new nationalistic government has decided: the 18% ethnic Russians have no right to use Russian language in schools, business and formal communication. Hey, can you imagine that to happen in your country? Tell me which would be the
one and only national language in Canada, or multinational Switzerland, or Finland?
Now please guess where those ethnic Russians live in Ukraine. I will open you a top secret: this is the Crimea and South-East of Ukraine. So, Russia had actually not too much to do there, because ethnic Russians historically resident in these areas and their rights were smashed. This is the beginning of 90’s not the 2014, when the fundamental was created in Ukraine for the widest national conflict and tragedy.
The country has gone through ethnic discrimination of the 90’s, incredible state corruption of the consecutive governments within next twenty years, the economy was totally fucked up. And now it turned into genocide and a full-scale civil war there now, in the 21st century.
Millions of people like me are the evident how the blessed "sovereignty of Ukraine, and other regions" has been traded out by their leaders within last twenty three years, and today's president is a billionaire who was a part and sponsor of the government since 2003 and is responsible for the situation in the country. You guys are so far away and you are not allowed at least to come and see facts before making your own conclusions totally based on all this propaganda crap.
This is sad but true how the information from both sides are perverted by all and every national mass media. Please don't buy it and question yourself before copying into your mind all whatever they say.
And this is great the cars and sports and F1 are bringing people together, so also this forum does. When we start talking, it is normal that we see from different angles but let’s be smart and respect each other. Nothing is simple and black-and-white.
Welcome to reality, no kidding.