AIBU to ask what your next move would be if you were Putin?

[Chowbellow]

So. You're Putin. You rule a massive amount of people. You're ex KGB. You want to take over the world perhaps (or maybe just want to play!).
What is your next move now that the West is in crisis as you won't supply them with oil/gas?
Your people are dying but you've loads of people. You've invaded a non NATO country so you know they won't touch you.

This is the video which turned me against Russia.

I guess that I forget that they have been our allies. We're happy to go to bed with Russia when it gives our men money.

I should have put a warning up for that video. It is incredibly disturbing.

I didn't intend to hear a reasonable argument when I wrote this thread.

That's OK, you still haven't heard one from BelleHathor.

A lot of that screed was mince. Though I don't doubt sincerely believed by those who repeat it.

I think that there are perspectives in every argument and we don't hear their perspective so we can't understand their behaviour if we haven't even heard their side.

I'm a little shocked actually that I'm so ignorant of a lot of their history with the West.

If I were Putin and I was smart, I'd focus on Ukraine until I won (or lost).

If I were Putin and I was stupid, I'd invade Moldova.

I think denying him the attention he clearly is craving is the way forward.

You sound unhealthily obsessed with him tbh.

Eg

That axis in hypocrisy, has been responsible for the deaths and displacement of millions of people over the decades. I would remind people of the collateral damage of bombing weddings... of enacting regime changes that often lead to civil wars....of the same people who cried "weapons of mass destruction"...the everlasting effect of colonialism and slavery, the looting of resources from poorer countries (as happened to Russia in the 1990s).

If there is one thing the modern Russian empire (mostly in the guise of the Soviet Union) is known for, it's the deaths and displacement of millions of people, condemned to slavery in the gulags.

The Russian re-colonisation of neighbouring slavic countries since they gained legal independence in the 1990s had indeed caused civil wars.

The looting of Russian resources was primarily by... Russians. The oligarchs are Russian. They aren't mere puppets of outside countries either – they pay London bankers and real estate agents to be their puppets. The Russians are in charge of this activity, under Putin who holds the whiphand over the oligarchs and has them bumped off when they disobey or threaten him. The attempt to paint former-superpower Russia as the pore lil' victim of the narsty colonialists is just a feeble attempt to distract countries which genuinely were colonised in the C19th from current Russian imperial expansion (and indeed from late C20th Russian proxy wars which killed a lot of people in those countries).

It is Ukrainian grain that African countries have depended on in recent years - now rebranded Russian grain by this poster. Not unreasonably, since Russia is currently looting that grain and selling it for Russian profit.

And so on.

I think that there are perspectives in every argument and we don't hear their perspective so we can't understand their behaviour if we haven't even heard their side.

Yes, I think that poster has very accurately described the official Russian narrative.

Nice try Putin. I'm not giving you ideas 😉

I'm unhealthily obsessed with the fact that my energy bills have tripled as a result of him.

That's a really odd post.

Russians aren't being killed because the Russian state flogged a girl-band.

Russian soldiers, currently invading Ukraine, are being killed in Ukraine in an attempt by the Ukrainian government, armed forces and citizens to halt the Russian invasion of Ukraine and drive said Russian soldiers out of Ukraine.

I'm baffled that we're not willing to attack him/bump him off when we've invaded countries for less (by we I mean the collective West). I genuinely didn't think that he might have a slight point at all. In my mind he's a megalomaniac. I'm a little bit sad that maybe he's pissed off. It's far easier for me to fucking hate the bastard as he's fucking with my cost of living and quality of life. I didn't expect to see an argument in his defence as I simply didn't realise that there was one. If we don't understand what is in his mind, we can't defeat him.

I'm aware of that however, that was many years ago and I decided then that I hated all Russians. I do not like regimes. Are any of us not under a regime though?

To defeat an enemy, you need to understand them as a start.

But if as you say you weren't totally ignorant to Russian history or culture, then how could you have so adamantly decided you hated them?

*were

I'm not sad for him so much as I am sad for Russian people. They've been indoctrinated too.

As I said, that video I posted was what made me feel something strong.

Oh, and of course Russians are being killed in Russia by Russians for making Putin feel threatened in any way, and also because Putin has presided over a mafia state with concomitant mob murders.

Take your pick for which killed Ravil Maganov on Thursday.

Ravil Maganov: Russian Lukoil chief dies in 'fall from hospital window'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-62750584

Clearly, you haven't a clue.

WTF do you mean?

You asked what I would do, not what I think he will do.

I can be pretty sure I understand at least as much as you or anyone else on this thread about Russia, Ukraine and the entire situation.

You didn’t ask what I think he will do.

It is Ukrainian grain that African countries have depended on in recent years

Wrong between 2018 and 2020 30% of wheat going to Africa came from Russia and 12% from Ukraine. Hence Macrons speech in March warning about the upcoming food crisis in the global south. www.statista.com/chart/27009/import-sources-of-wheat-in-africa/

On the colonialism, I was referring to comments made by Musevini in Uganda after Lavrovs recent visit: "How can we automatically be against those who have been with us for the last 100 years? We have forgiven those who did bad things to us and we are working with them, how about those who have never harmed us?"
The pressure being applied on the global south to condemn Russia or face consequences is actually pushing them closer (also see India, China, Iran).

And I actually was entirely ignorant of their history. Even their modern history. I vaguely recall studying Lenin and Marx but if a gun was to my head I couldn't tell you what they stood for apart from communism I think? I'm genuinely not playing the fool here. I honestly don't know enough. It's only when posters started mentioning war that it came back to me about Russia.

Incorrect. I asked what he will do. Not you. Read my OP again.

You don’t know what Lenin or Marx stood for? Except communism you think?

And you think you can talk down to me? Staggering.

I would round up my 6 least favourite Generals, announce that they had disobeyed orders and killed some civilians in Ukraine, execute them instantly, blame them for everything that went wrong, and announce that Ukraine was now denazified, declare the rest of the campaign a stunning success, and retreat.

Then I’d tighten my grip on Russians even more, build up the army and tactical nukes, wait for the world attention to shift to something else (Taiwan perhaps?) and invade Ukraine again in a year or two, better.