How United States created Putin
SkinnedWolf wrote:
Before this year's conflict in Ukraine, France and Russia actually got along pretty well.
Yes.Before Russia crossed the line of a taboo of redrawing European borders with brute force, it got along with West Europe very well.
European state borders are a big taboo, it's a Pandora's box of both World Wars. So, after WWII, to avoid further damage, Europe established some other way of functioning, treaty-based, keeping the national borders the way they are and attempting to open them instead of moving them.
The exceptions to keeping the borders the way they are were, of course, unification of Germany and splitting of several states - but only in Balkans armies were involved and it was met with strong international reactions.
By making a full scale invasion on Ukraine, Russia has broken a strong European taboo of post-WWII "never again". That got them shunned even by West Europeans who otherwise would love to just go back to business with Russia.
_________________
Let's not confuse being normal with being mentally healthy.
<not moderating PPR stuff concerning East Europe>
magz wrote:
SkinnedWolf wrote:
Before this year's conflict in Ukraine, France and Russia actually got along pretty well.
Yes.Before Russia crossed the line of a taboo of redrawing European borders with brute force, it got along with West Europe very well.
European state borders are a big taboo, it's a Pandora's box of both World Wars. So, after WWII, to avoid further damage, Europe established some other way of functioning, treaty-based, keeping the national borders the way they are and attempting to open them instead of moving them.
Khrushchev handed Crimea to Ukraine after both wars.
magz wrote:
The exceptions to keeping the borders the way they are were, of course, unification of Germany and splitting of several states - but only in Balkans armies were involved and it was met with strong international reactions.
How do you decide which exceptions are okay and which aren’t?
QFT wrote:
magz wrote:
SkinnedWolf wrote:
Before this year's conflict in Ukraine, France and Russia actually got along pretty well.
Yes.Before Russia crossed the line of a taboo of redrawing European borders with brute force, it got along with West Europe very well.
European state borders are a big taboo, it's a Pandora's box of both World Wars. So, after WWII, to avoid further damage, Europe established some other way of functioning, treaty-based, keeping the national borders the way they are and attempting to open them instead of moving them.
In similar time, Kaliningrad District was offered to Lithuanian SSR, but Lithuania declined - so there was no forcing either way.
QFT wrote:
magz wrote:
The exceptions to keeping the borders the way they are were, of course, unification of Germany and splitting of several states - but only in Balkans armies were involved and it was met with strong international reactions.
How do you decide which exceptions are okay and which aren’t?Changes made through negotiations and mutual agreements are okay.
Changes made with threat and force are not okay.
_________________
Let's not confuse being normal with being mentally healthy.
<not moderating PPR stuff concerning East Europe>
magz wrote:
Changes made through negotiations and mutual agreements are okay.
Changes made with threat and force are not okay.
Changes made with threat and force are not okay.
What do you think of the Belfast a.k.a. Good Friday agreement? It has qualities of both, no? It has the slick slimy sheen of a negotiated settlement, but at its heart it was a surrender to not just violence, but terrorism.
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Behold! we are not bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory, Farewell!
Mikah wrote:
magz wrote:
Changes made through negotiations and mutual agreements are okay.
Changes made with threat and force are not okay.
What do you think of the Belfast a.k.a. Good Friday agreement? It has qualities of both, no? It has the slick slimy sheen of a negotiated settlement, but at its heart it was a surrender to not just violence, but terrorism.Changes made with threat and force are not okay.
_________________
Let's not confuse being normal with being mentally healthy.
<not moderating PPR stuff concerning East Europe>
magz wrote:
It did not redraw state borders, which was the topic discussed here.
It did in a roundabout way. The agreement provides a referendum on transferring the sovereignty of Northern Ireland to the Republic which can be held every 7 years in perpetuity or something and there are no provisions to reverse it. Given the demographics then and now it is practically guaranteed to happen at some point. Just because it didn't happen on the day...
If the hated Russians arranged for such an agreement for parts of Ukraine, I think you would see it for what it is.
_________________
Behold! we are not bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory, Farewell!
QFT wrote:
You won’t see Russia trying to attack England or France. It just won’t happen.
Many people thought so about Russia attacking Ukraine, too.
Honestly, the biggest reason Russia won't try to attack those countries is that it'd be too hard because of all the other countries that are physically between them. But if Russia got those, then sooner or later it would most likely attack France and Britain, too. And if you're wondering about the reason, I'd say just greed in general. If they get half of the Europe, of course they'll want the rest of it too. That is the major reason for supporting Ukraine now; it protects the future of the entire Europe and Western civilization.
Mikah wrote:
magz wrote:
It did not redraw state borders, which was the topic discussed here.
It did in a roundabout way. The agreement provides a referendum on transferring the sovereignty of Northern Ireland to the Republic which can be held every 7 years in perpetuity or something and there are no provisions to reverse it. Given the demographics then and now it is practically guaranteed to happen at some point. Just because it didn't happen on the day...
If the hated Russians arranged for such an agreement for parts of Ukraine, I think you would see it for what it is.
BTW: what defines "not just violence but terrorism"?
_________________
Let's not confuse being normal with being mentally healthy.
<not moderating PPR stuff concerning East Europe>
magz wrote:
If they arranged (or even proposed) a nation-wide, internationally-observed referendum about a proposal of a well-discussed partial solution, and were ready to accept a "no" for an answer... then the situations would be roughly comparable.
Even if violence was the prime method for bringing about such an agreement? Recall what I originally quoted of you:
magz wrote:
Changes made through negotiations and mutual agreements are okay.
Changes made with threat and force are not okay.
Changes made with threat and force are not okay.
_________________
Behold! we are not bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory, Farewell!
magz wrote:
Proposing an agreement to end pre-existing violence is quite the opposite of introducing violence to change pre-existing agreements.
I propose we give Russia half of Ukraine and maybe a small piece of Poland to end the war.
_________________
Behold! we are not bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory, Farewell!
The GFA is about self-determination. The Irish state wasn’t funding the Republican terrorists, and the UK wasn’t funding the Unionist terrorists, at least not by the 80s and 90s. The violence was the result of genuine polarisation of the Northern Irish people. It was wrong, of course, but if any state was to blame then it was James I and VI’s colonisation of Ulster.
Mikah wrote:
magz wrote:
Proposing an agreement to end pre-existing violence is quite the opposite of introducing violence to change pre-existing agreements.
I propose we give Russia half of Ukraine and maybe a small piece of Poland to end the war._________________
Let's not confuse being normal with being mentally healthy.
<not moderating PPR stuff concerning East Europe>
magz wrote:
Mikah wrote:
magz wrote:
Proposing an agreement to end pre-existing violence is quite the opposite of introducing violence to change pre-existing agreements.
I propose we give Russia half of Ukraine and maybe a small piece of Poland to end the war.Give the three Baltic States to the snake to pacify it?

No Polish territory would be affected. <disingenuous>
