[TheVrist]

Originally Posted by niknik ↗

Sanctions won't cripple Russia, but they will isolate them a little. Of course Russia can become self reliant. But it won't. Russia isn't interested in just becoming a self reliant nation, Russia wants to become a major world power. And becoming self reliant doesn't accomplish that. A nation that is forced into isolation will find it extremely difficult to expand its influence, which is what Russia wants.

If Russia wanted to become a rich vibrant nation it could do so. But Russia doesn't want to just be a rich nation, they want to be a Super power like they once were. Instead of spending it's wealth on infrastructure and investing in its people, Russia is spending billions on military. As well as supporting other nations military capabilities. As Russia did in the cold war, they are drawing lines and picking allies.

Exactly why the U.S's military budget cut is more damaging than good, in the long run.

[commondenom]

lolol...you guys are living in the 60s still

[niknik]

I think Russia is living in the sixties.

[Oswald2001]

Russia, when your time is up...your time is up.

Try every trick in the book.

Nothing will help you.

You're going the way of the Czars.

[ralucagymnast]

To be honest, Russia is still very much a nation in a state of transition at the moment. Its trying to undo the chaos left behind by more than half a century of communism. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, a lot of people got very rich very quickly as Russia opened up its door to free market and enterprise aka capitalism. Organised crime mushroomed, the oligarchs were able to infiltrate every single echelon of politics.Dont forget, before Stalin, Russia was very much a peasant feudal land with a draconian dictatorial monarchy in charge.After the Revolution, Russia made ENORMOUS progress, so much so that in 30 years they were able to achieve what would have taken 150-200 years in the West to achieve.But it came with a terrible toll, in terms of human lives lost to slave labour in the Gulags. But you cannot deny the fact that in just 30 years it became one of the major players on the world stage; a true superpower. In just 4 years it was able to develop an atomic bomb, something the West thought would be impossible to achieve. Russia was able to marshall all its resources into one project in a way that no other country could. After WW2 Russia was literally "on its knees"; its infrastructure had been damaged almost irreparably, but in 4 short years, it was able to build nuclear weapons. Quite an incredible achievement for a country which had been almost annihilated by war. Dont forget, I lived in Romania, under Ceausescu's rule; we had a state apartment, bread on the table, clothes on our backs. We had an education, excelled in sports. Of course "material goods" were very hard to come by, but what youve never had, you never miss it? Russia today is trying to undo the damage of more than half a century of chaos. To be honest, I dont see why NATO is still around? NATO was created after WW2 to counter the threat posed by the USSR and the armies of the Warsaw Pact. Once USSR fell, so did the Warsaw Pact, so why is NATO not redundant also?? I dont really think that Russia wants to attack anybody; they are trying to build up a strong economy, just like any other country. What is wrong with that?

[commondenom]

Originally Posted by niknik ↗

I think Russia is living in the sixties.

i don't think so...russia is looking towards the future...whereas you guys seem to think the cold war situation is still current....no doubt a product of fear mongering media

[niknik]

Russia is spending billions on military, and modernizing it's nuclear weapons. They've greatly increased its air patrols and surveillance around American territories. As well as been very active running numerous large military exercises.

Russia is preparing for war. Not that I think they want to fight the United States, but they want to be strong enough it would be foolish for America to interfere in their plans.

Sure they want a strong economy. At whose expense? I think Russia has already shown why NATO is still very much needed. If Putin was only looking for peaceful prosperity then why did he point to his nuclear weapons recently?

Why does Putin invade Ukraine? How is that not attacking anybody?

Most importantly why does Russia have so many nuclear weapons? In a time that America has been bound by treaties and agreements to decommission nuclear stockpiles. Russia has it's nuclear program going full throttle. Which is why they are currently so bold, Putin either believes he can defeat the west, or the west will be intimidated.

[niknik]

Originally Posted by commondenom ↗

i don't think so...russia is looking towards the future...whereas you guys seem to think the cold war situation is still current....no doubt a product of fear mongering media

Of course they're looking towards the future. And obviously they think the future needs 5000 nuclear weapons in their possession.

[TheVrist]

Anyone that don't see Russia is building an future, with aggressive intent, are either blind and naive, or just wish bad things for the west.

[rob666]

Russia isn't doing anything that we are not, bottom line.

When your nation spends more on its military than the next 10 nations combined, has every form of WMD ever developed, and has its military spread around the World to protect and promote that nations interests........ Who are we to criticize Russia?