Ukrainian Crisis

[Towson]

It's the same issue with New York, we have a bunch of New York City and Albany liberals making decisions for the whole state (which without NYC, is mostly conservative). If Ukraine joins this, all their decisions will come from Brussels which has no idea what the people of Ukraine want.

Or Maryland with Balitmore and the D.C suburbs.And Very True for most of the Mid-Altanic/Mid-Western/West Coast States.

[Ainin]

What a shame. This deal had the potential of helping Ukraine a lot.

[Towson]

What a shame. This deal had the potential of helping Ukraine a lot.

Same Here.

[DrakoLand]

Yeah, the idea that sovereignty is retained after joining the EU is BS, just look at Greece or Hungary. Brussels is always snooping in their affairs.

Except they can withdraw from EU organisations at any time; the EU has no binding authority over them and can't enforce decisions without the consent of national authorities. They'd be screwed by leaving the EU, but only because they'd be losing the advantages of EU membership.

Like it helped Greece and Italy?

[Divair]

Because:
1. Largest nation means nothing when it's full of nothing.
2. Largest nuclear arsenal means nothing when it's used for nothing.
3. Richest means nothing when you just sit on your ass with your money.

The USA has a far bigger influence across the globe, and Obama leads the USA. Boehner can single-handedly launch a global depression. Elon Musk has the potential to save humanity through SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity. Xi Jinping leads China, which is currently consuming an absurd amount of resources and polluting without any significant attempt to stop, potentially leading to extinction.

Putin just sits about hating on gays and selling guns to people. Not very impressive.

You think Boehner can plunge the world into depression? You think China is going to lead the world into extinction?

Hold on a minute, I need to go laugh for about six hours.

They both have the potential, yes. That's fairly bloody obvious to anyone on the planet.

USA may be more powerful then Russia, but let's keep in mind that Obama has much less personal power then Putin. Obama can't even chose his own cabinet without congressional approval. And considering the House is in the hands of the Republicans that further weakens Obama's ability to do as he wishes.

Domestically. Foreign policy is a completely different matter, and foreign policy heavily impacts domestic policy. The only reason the US is as rich as it is is because it hasn't entered a state of total war in almost 200 years.

Elon Musk is a great souled man, and I agree his inventions are cool. But they aren't gonna save humanity until they are adopted on a more widespread scale and that could be a long way off.

If by "long way off" you mean a few years.

Xi Jinping is powerful, but not number one. Just because his country is always polluting shit doesn't mean he personally has any extra power.

China is large enough to cripple the entire planet. If their economy fails, if their industry keeps polluting, if their population keeps consuming, we're all going to be royally screwed. That is huge leverage.

And Boehner? lol. He cannot cause a global depression nor would he.

Yes he can, and yes he would. He's insane enough to do it. The latest shutdown proves that.

Russia is not an empty land either, it is an energy superpower. It has vast tracts of arable land and a wealth of raw materials. How else could they pressure Ukraine so effectively.

Their oil won't last forever. Nor will it be used until it's gone. Russia barely has any influence outside of some states like Syria and Ukraine. Their days of superpower status are long gone and they'll never return. Putin is simply keeping the country afloat, nothing more.

[Imperial Nilfgaard]

Except they can withdraw from EU organisations at any time; the EU has no binding authority over them and can't enforce decisions without the consent of national authorities. They'd be screwed by leaving the EU, but only because they'd be losing the advantages of EU membership.

Like it helped Greece and Italy?

The EU's defenders here have blinders on if they thing Brussels is a benevolent force.

[Divair]

Except they can withdraw from EU organisations at any time; the EU has no binding authority over them and can't enforce decisions without the consent of national authorities. They'd be screwed by leaving the EU, but only because they'd be losing the advantages of EU membership.

Like it helped Greece and Italy?

Nobody talks about Ireland. Convenient for those who wish to whine about the EU as if it were Satan incarnate, I suppose.

[Towson]

Like it helped Greece and Italy?

Nobody talks about Ireland. Convenient for those who wish to whine about the EU as if it were Satan incarnate, I suppose.

Or Portugal.

[Petrovia-]

Well would you look at that, Ukraine does have common sense!

Bravo Ukraine, bravo.

[Imperial Nilfgaard]

They both have the potential, yes. That's fairly bloody obvious to anyone on the planet.

Let me ask you something. Why is it that you take in Boehners potential and China's potential but not Russia's potential. Russia has enough nukes to destroy the world, how come that counts for less in your powerscale then Boehner's arguably dubious ability to cause a global depression?

Domestically. Foreign policy is a completely different matter, and foreign policy heavily impacts domestic policy. The only reason the US is as rich as it is is because it hasn't entered a state of total war in almost 200 years.

The US may not hav had a massive war on it's soil since the 1860s, but it's hard to argue it wasn't fully mobilized during the First and Especially Second World War.

[Arglorand]

But it's not like anyone - neither the EU nor Barroso nor Russia nor Putin nor the US nor Obama nor whomever else - has the prerogative to tell Ukraine what to sign and what not to sign because of "it's my sphere of influence", but the Ukrainian citizens themselves and their elected representatives.

E-fucking-xactly. Ris, you are a wonderful human being.

[Inyourfaceistan]

Ukraine has rejected joining the European Union Trade Pact at the last minute.
http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/21/ukraine-shocks-west-with-eu-decision/?hpt=hp_t3

I believe this to be a fantastic development. For too long has the EU been expanding it's liberalist tentacles across the European Continent. And despite their clear incompetence in handling the Eurozone crisis. Naive governments like Croatia and Serbia continue to push for EU membership (with the former having already been accepted).

The EU's attempt to woo over the FSU states like Ukraine was a blatant attempt at interference in Putin's sphere of influence. The last thing any of us should want to see is a Bureaucratic mess like the European Union weakening the power of our mightiest statesman, Vladimir Putin, or his great nation. Also Ukraine is better off without Brussels making unfair demands on it's internal affairs.

Down with the EU, who agrees?

Edit: Here is another article about how Ukraine made the right choice.
http://rt.com/op-edge/eu-ukraine-russia-deal-130/

Good for them!

[Divair]

Let me ask you something. Why is it that you take in Boehners potential and China's potential but not Russia's potential. Russia has enough nukes to destroy the world, how come that counts for less in your powerscale then Boehner's arguably dubious ability to cause a global depression?

MAD prevents any form of nuclear war. There's no such concept when it comes to American politics. Boehner is crazy enough to sacrifice the economy for his personal aims. Every time the GOP decides to bring America to the brink, it does so slightly more than the last time. Either Boehner gets kicked out or he'll eventually send America off the cliff.

The US may not hav had a massive war on it's soil since the 1860s, but it's hard to argue it wasn't fully mobilized during the First and Especially Second World War.

It wasn't. It was heavily invested in both wars (WW2 more so than WW1), but it never entered a state of total war according to the criteria historians use. They profited from both wars. Massively.

[Dyakovo]

I don't care about Putin.

Love him or hate him, you cannot ignore Putin. He is the most powerful man in the world.

He certainly thinks he is anyway...

[Divair]

Love him or hate him, you cannot ignore Putin. He is the most powerful man in the world.

He certainly thinks he is anyway...

But Dya, RUSSIA STRONK, no?

[Hurdegaryp]

A damn shame, this.

I'm not opposed to nations uniting under a regional framework, either politically or economically, however the framework must be inherently strong willed. The EU attempts to foster democracy and liberalism, thus it is a supranational organization which is a threat to a strong government of the type needed to see humanity through the 21st century.

Something tells me you're rooting for a political function in the Fourth Reich.

[DrakoLand]

He certainly thinks he is anyway...

But Dya, RUSSIA STRONK, no?

But Timmy, Putin cares about you!

[Hurdegaryp]

But Dya, RUSSIA STRONK, no?

But Timmy, Putin cares about you!

Well, the Russian Orthodox church seems to think he's a gift from God, so why not?

[DrakoLand]

But Timmy, Putin cares about you!

Well, the Russian Orthodox church seems to think he's a gift from God, so why not?

Well, dunno about the gift from God part, but how anyone hate Putin? He is dah boss

[Divair]

Well, the Russian Orthodox church seems to think he's a gift from God, so why not?

Well, dunno about the gift from God part, but how anyone hate Putin? He is dah boss

It's very easy to hate Putin.

[DrakoLand]

Well, dunno about the gift from God part, but how anyone hate Putin? He is dah boss

It's very easy to hate Putin.

Why? I support him

[Dyakovo]

He certainly thinks he is anyway...

But Dya, RUSSIA STRONK, no?

It is. Just not as strong as Putin and his lap dogs think it is. Russia does not, despite their fantasies to the contrary, weird the power and influence the Soviet Union did.
Does it have the potential too? Sure, they're just not realizing that potential because Putin insists on trying to weird the same kind of influence the Soviets did.

[The yoshin empire]

Well, the Russian Orthodox church seems to think he's a gift from God, so why not?

Well, dunno about the gift from God part, but how anyone hate Putin? He is dah boss

He is dah homophobic ,gullag makin , freedom breakin,, kgb reinstatin , ego inflatin, tsar impersonatin , king of russia

[Divair]

It's very easy to hate Putin.

Why? I support him

He's homophobic, a religious nut, he jails his political opponents, and he supports dictators. I see no reason to like him.

[Hurdegaryp]

It's very easy to hate Putin.

Why? I support him

If you love him so much, why don't you go to Russia and propose to him? Apparently he's freshly divorced, so he's a free man.