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#121 |
Thinker
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 238
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Balance?
Intentionally attacking a bridge is not the same as intentionally killing civilians. Also, (for more balance) has RT reported how many Ukrainian civilians have been killed by Russian bombs and missiles intentionally hitting civilian targets? |
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#122 |
Banned
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Belgium
Posts: 3,398
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True, but Ukraine did know there were risks for civilians using the bridge, and they went ahead nevertheless.
They do sometimes report these kinds of accusations, generally with a pro-Russian bias. But you can find biases in Western news outlets too. |
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#123 |
Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Waiting for the pod bay door to open.
Posts: 45,984
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Continually pushing the boundaries of mediocrity. Everything is possible, but not everything is probable. “Perception is real, but the truth is not.” - Imelda Marcos |
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#124 |
Official Ponylandistanian National Treasure. Respect it!
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Ponylandistan! Where the bacon grows on trees! Can it get any better than that? I submit it can not!
Posts: 51,965
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If that's what it takes to bring balance to the forum, I prefer it stay wobbly.
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"Never judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes... Because then it won't really matter, you’ll be a mile away and have his shoes." ![]() |
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#125 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 6,705
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So. *******. What? Ukraine is prohibited from attacking any target where civilians might be killed or injured, while Russia can commit mass executions, torture, intentionally target children etc etc. What a warped world view you vatniks have.
Here's a hint for anyone visiting a warzone: you might die... it's a warzone. |
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#126 |
Official Ponylandistanian National Treasure. Respect it!
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Ponylandistan! Where the bacon grows on trees! Can it get any better than that? I submit it can not!
Posts: 51,965
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There's willful ignorance and then there's just plain stupid.
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"Never judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes... Because then it won't really matter, you’ll be a mile away and have his shoes." ![]() |
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#127 |
Thinker
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 238
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia...%20constitutes
Quote:
Balance. Ha. |
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#128 |
Banned
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Belgium
Posts: 3,398
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Frankly, my impression is that the number of Ukrainian war crimes is smaller than the number of Russian war crimes (but there are some).
Basically, what makes Ukrainian policies wrong and despicable, in my opinion (besides the fact that they are (ridiculously) trying to overthrow the democratically elected government of Russia) is that they are ignoring democracy and trying to impose Ukrainian rule to pro-Russia regions, thinking that, with massive military and financial support by the West, this might somehow work. |
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#129 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 6,705
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#130 |
Schrödinger's cat
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Malmesbury, UK
Posts: 15,951
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When are you going to list the war crimes that Russia has committed in this war?
I think most people can see the difference between the occasional civilian deaths that will inevitably occur when a country is defending itself on its own land from invaders, and the deliberate targetting of civilians by those invaders. Why can't you? |
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"If you trust in yourself ... and believe in your dreams ... and follow your star ... you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things" - Terry Pratchett |
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#131 |
Banned
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Belgium
Posts: 3,398
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Russia does actually have an official policy of never targeting civilians, but there seems some be some exceptions ...
Ukraine and the West have been targeting civilians in Russia through illegitimate and arrogant sanctions (the West does this a lot), and this probably goes a long way to explain Russian anger. |
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#132 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,191
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#133 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Denmark
Posts: 7,122
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Steen -- Jack of all trades - master of none! |
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#134 |
Crazy Little Green Dragon
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: East Coast, US
Posts: 10,407
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Balanced between fact and BS?
And RT has also been frequently caught lying, disinforming, pushing CTs, etc, which are all huge strikes against them. That's on top of the lack of media freedom available to them because this is Russia that we're talking about. If it can be verified using other sources that are actually worthy of trust, try using those sources. RT will just get you ridiculed here, with excellent cause. That's quite the incredible understatement, to start with. A bit selective about what counts as targeting, too, after all the Russian and Ukrainian civilians that have been literally seized off the streets and then used as cannon fodder by Russia. Going a bit further, given how many of their major efforts have been pointedly targeted at harming civilians, it's outright absurd to try to use said official policy as if it deserved much other than mockery. Skipping past the utter inanity of "illegitimate and arrogant" sanctions... No. It doesn't even remotely go a long way to explaining Russian anger. At best, that offers a shallow excuse that allows some people to ignore the larger, more complicated picture at hand. A picture that, in this case, involves a lot more to do with internal Russian politics, propaganda, and forces than external forces. It's often very tempting to try to understand what's going on in other countries and their politics using the understandings one has formed that are relevant to one's own country. It's very, very easy to make significant mistakes, though, by failing to identify which of one's implicit assumptions are not actually true when it comes to the other country. |
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So sayeth the crazy little dragon. |
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#135 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: The Antimemetics Division
Posts: 67,130
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It's actually a war crime to commingle military and civilian activity during a war. Moscow was in the wrong the moment they decided not to close the Kerch Strait bridge to civilian traffic.
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There is no Antimemetics Division. |
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#136 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 46,371
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Formerly known as Captain Swoop |
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#137 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 46,371
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Russian Colonel-General & 'Hero of Russia' Gennady Zhidko blamed for the collapse of the frontline in Kharkiv last year and fired by Putin suddenly died from an "illness" in Moscow at 57 years old. 7th Russian general to die in the 18 months-long invasion so far.
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Formerly known as Captain Swoop |
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#138 |
Uncritical "thinker"
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 31,372
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OECD healthcare spending Public/Compulsory Expenditure on healthcare https://data.oecd.org/chart/60Tt Every year since 1990 the US Public healthcare spending has been greater than the UK as a proportion of GDP. More US Tax goes to healthcare than the UK |
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#139 |
Critical Thinker
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 391
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despite the fact that the kerch bridge is a legitimate military target and its destruction will save Ukrainian lives
these weren't completley nieve and innocent civillians https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineInva..._in_the_kerch/ visiting a warzone that you clearly support, for a holday might be detrimental to your health |
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#140 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: The Antimemetics Division
Posts: 67,130
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I'm pretty sure at least one of them would still be alive today, if they'd been wearing a seatbelt.
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There is no Antimemetics Division. |
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#141 |
Safely Ignored
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 16,025
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Read the section of your Wikipedia link covering Legality of civilian casualties. The deaths of two civilians who happened to be using Russia's bridge to occupied Crimea at the moment when that legitimate military target was attacked by Ukraine are unfortunate but are absolutely not a war crime.
Incidentally, what do you think about the wisdom of taking a family summer holiday in occupied enemy territory during a war? Any opinion? Would you advise it? |
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#142 |
Safely Ignored
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 16,025
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#143 |
Adelaidean
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 11,810
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I figure you only care about that for the same reason other Vatniks care about those deaths, because they're Russians who died.
Such as being Chechen, or continuing to be Chechen, or Georgian, or Syrian, or Ukrainian. But outside of those exceptions Russia definitely doesn't target civilians, unless you count Wagner as Russian in which case the list also includes Central Africans and Malians. But apart from all those people they definitely don't. |
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#144 |
Banned
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Belgium
Posts: 3,398
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In my opinion, there are some legal arguments which seem to show that Crimea belongs to Ukraine, and there are some legal arguments which seem to show that Crimea belongs to Russia.
But the most fundamental argument, in my opinion, is the right to self-determination (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-determination ), which is mentioned in the U.N. Charter. This is why Ukraine's battle may be a lost cause since 2014, particularly in a political context where the West has committed many crimes (Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and so on). The many Russians who take their vacations in Crimea are perhaps not much interested in politics, and they may watch Russian TV every day, which may shape their political opinions. Perhaps they go to Crimea because they can no longer go to Western Europe or Ukraine, or because it's less expensive than Sochi. Ukraine's policies seem to be governed by a toxic nationalism: the leaders of Ukraine, probably with substantial support of the population, want their country large and powerful, they show very interest in what the locals think. This kind of mentality has probably been very common throughout human history, but it must be fought, in my opinion. |
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#145 |
ˇNo pasarán!
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Слава Україні
Posts: 12,732
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Not this gibberish again.
Crimea. Isn't. Russian. The. Referendum. Was. Not. Free. The. Russians. Fixed. It. Russia. Is. Not. A. Democracy. |
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Naturalism adjusts it's principles to fit with the observed data. It's a god of the facts world view. -joobz When I give food to the poor, they call me a Saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a Communist. - Hélder Câmara |
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#146 |
Uncritical "thinker"
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 31,372
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Talking about Crimea, Russia destroying the Kakhovka dam means that Crimea is going to be short of water.
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OECD healthcare spending Public/Compulsory Expenditure on healthcare https://data.oecd.org/chart/60Tt Every year since 1990 the US Public healthcare spending has been greater than the UK as a proportion of GDP. More US Tax goes to healthcare than the UK |
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#147 |
Master Poster
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Cork baaaiii
Posts: 2,815
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Ceterum autem censeo Factio Republicanus esse delendam |
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#148 |
Banned
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Belgium
Posts: 3,398
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#149 |
Master Poster
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Cork baaaiii
Posts: 2,815
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Again, your nazi propoganda does not work here. Leave it where it belongs, over at Stormfront.
Oh and Ukraine is committing crimes for defending itself from an illegal and immoral Russian invasion? Do you even read the scripts the Russian troll farms give you to disseminate? |
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Ceterum autem censeo Factio Republicanus esse delendam |
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#150 |
Maledictorian
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 21,574
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“Don’t blame me. I voted for Kodos.” |
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#151 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
Posts: 3,815
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#152 |
ˇNo pasarán!
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Слава Україні
Posts: 12,732
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Russia Today is one of the least credible sources for anything. Doubly so when it comes to Russia itself. It's the propaganda arm of the Kremlin.
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Naturalism adjusts it's principles to fit with the observed data. It's a god of the facts world view. -joobz When I give food to the poor, they call me a Saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a Communist. - Hélder Câmara |
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#153 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
Posts: 3,815
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Yes you are.
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
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#154 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
Posts: 3,815
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Yes, its share is all of it.
Quote:
All the humiliation that is going on is of Russia's own making. If they weren't so utterly useless at everything, they would already have destroyed Ukraine. |
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#155 |
Adelaidean
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 11,810
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And, as has been pointed out to you many times in the past, doesn't work the way you think it does. You ignore the actions of Russia, you ignore international jurisprudence on the matter, and then have the audacity to propose a "peace plan" that would violate Ukraine's right to self-determination.
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#156 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 35,043
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Not defending' Michel's bizarre point here, as obviously Russia is entirely to blame for initiating a war of aggression, but it's probably worth pointing out that this war is almost certainly going to end in some kind of negotiated peace. Even with endless NATO armaments Ukraine does not have endless blood to spend on this campaign, and there's plenty of evidence that available manpower is already quite strained. Best case scenario is that Ukraine is able to achieve enough militarily that they enter such a peace negotiation with the upper hand so that they have to make few if any concessions.
Even with how disastrously Russia is fighting it's hard to imagine anything close to a total withdrawal or unconditional surrender being the ending of this. |
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Previously known as SuburbanTurkey |
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#157 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 46,371
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Formerly known as Captain Swoop |
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#158 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 35,043
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Previously known as SuburbanTurkey |
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#159 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 6,705
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#160 |
Safely Ignored
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 16,025
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Advancing on Moscow isn't a Ukrainian war aim. That's more a Wagner thing. Ukraine's present war aims are roughly "Get your invading army out of our country, then we'll talk".
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