Ukraine - somebody explain to me

[Omaha 680]

What bugs me most about these situations (like Syria, and Egypt also) is how easy it seems for irate protests to spiral out of control toppling or seriously challenging the government. There is no path to prosperity for nations in turmoil like this, as it seems like the new regime is just a different "flavor of corrupt" than the old one. Not all nations are prepared for democracy in would seem.

This is how revolutions typically go and why they are usually not all they are cracked up to be. The aftermath of the American revolution was as big a miracle as the Americans actually winning.

It's funny how every religious persion thinks it's not his PR nightmare. Is it a coincidence that all the wars are now caused by religious people? Oops. Actually they always were.

If you really believe that last statement you aren't as intelligent as I thought.

[SeattleUte]

If you really believe that last statement you aren't as intelligent as I thought.

I may define religion more expansively than you do.

[Omaha 680]

I may define religion more expansively than you do.

Oh I'm sure you do.

[USUC]

I may define religion more expansively than you do.

What was the religion of Lenin? Mao?

Edit: genuinely interested how expensively you define religion.

[The_Tick]

If the Ukraine were a NATO member, this could get messy in a hurry. Since it's not, this feels like some bad Tom Clancy novel instead of a Hunt for Red October.

YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH.

In all seriousness...Tom Clancy has written about 2 major world events before they have happened..

He wrote about terrorists hijacking planes and flying them into the financial district and government buildings 5 years before they happened.

His last book that came out in December focused on Russia and their rolling into Crimea without much pushback and basically annexing it back to itself.

Don't go all "bourge" on me because he doesn't have a foreign name and isn't 500 years old.

[Pelado]

YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH.

In all seriousness...Tom Clancy's ghost writers have has written about 2 major world events before they have happened..

FIFY

[CardiacCoug]

Who wants us to get involved in a land war in Asia?

[Blueintheface]

What was the religion of Lenin? Mao?

Edit: genuinely interested how expensively you define religion.

Kindness isn't expensive, it's priceless.

[YOhio]

YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH.

In all seriousness...Tom Clancy has written about 2 major world events before they have happened..

He wrote about terrorists hijacking planes and flying them into the financial district and government buildings 5 years before they happened.

His last book that came out in December focused on Russia and their rolling into Crimea without much pushback and basically annexing it back to itself.

Don't go all "bourge" on me because he doesn't have a foreign name and isn't 500 years old.

Ha. I just listened to that one. LDP narrates his books and does a great job. Too bad Obama doesn't have a son working at a firm with deep ties to the Russian mob. That would be pretty helpful right about now.

[Bo Diddley]

By the way, Putin is an Orthodox Christian.

You're right if he were an atheist he would NEVER have made a move into Crimea.

[venkman]

Hey Obama, the 1970's called and they want their foreign policy back!

[TripletDaddy]

This has got to be a PR NIGHTMARE for the Orthodox Church about now.

Fortunately, Harold ramis passed away recently.

[wuapinmon]

[SeattleUte]

What was the religion of Lenin? Mao?

Edit: genuinely interested how expensively you define religion.

Totalitarian states closely resemble one another whether theocracies, fascist, communist or whatever. The Nazi party was essentially a religious cult, with a Messianic leader; the Soviet Union was not much different. Marxists even spoke in religious jargon -- faith in the abilitiy of the movement to succeed and take over the world, Lenin was Moses, Joseph Smith, etc. Hitler, Mao, Staliin et al. were atheists because religion rivaled their claim to power and authority.

It's ridiculous to associate the secular, empirically driven culture of the west with the atheism of totalitarian leaders. The latter are in the tradition of medieval norms as we see today in the Middle East, where they still have kings who wield power, state religion, deprive women and minorities civil liberies, and put heretics to death.

Solon agrees with me.

[New Mexican Disaster]

Totalitarian states closely resemble one another whether theocracies, fascist, communist or whatever. The Nazi party was essentially a religious cult, with a Messianic leader; the Soviet Union was not much different. Marxists even spoke in religious jargon -- faith in the abilitiy of the movement to succeed and take over the world, Lenin was Moses, Joseph Smith, etc. Hitler, Mao, Staliin et al. were atheists because religion rivaled their claim to power and authority.

It's ridiculous to associate the secular, empirically driven culture of the west with the atheism of totalitarian leaders. The latter are in the tradition of medieval norms as we see today in the Middle East, where they still have kings who wield power, state religion, deprive women and minorities civil liberies, and put heretics to death.

Solon agrees with me.

What secular empirically driven culture are you talking about? The municipality of Seattle? Certainly there is a big difference between many Middle Eastern states but you are giving way too much credit to the "West."