miketheterrible wrote: ATLASCUB wrote:I do agree. Russia has high tolerance for the loss of their own. Culture I guess.
Edit: No one's gonna impeach the Russian's establishment favorite man. For that you'll need the FSB and they're as loyal to the man as they can be.
Not if the majority of people have a say.
There is already major shake ups because of Communist party and LDPR gaining huge territory in recent elections. United Russia lost a lot of seats
Judging by that map, those S-400 are easily able to take out those F-16's. Seeing as they didn't, even Russians saying that Putin is sucking on that kosher dick sounds about right.
You have been one of the biggest fanboys of Putin.. Why took you so many years to change?
When it comes to Syria , Putin policies of patience is the only thing he could do ,if he don't wanted to waste the Russian budget saving Syria from NATO backed terrorist..
The only way to properly defend Syria will have been a full army deployment with hundreds of combat planes in All Syrian cities ,by Russia military ,and you have any idea how that will cost? and a policy of zero tolerance for NATO or ISrael attacks on Syria.. that will have worked ,but the price to pay for that ,.. is exactly what NATO was aiming,when they recruited ALqaeda and ISIS and gave weapons to them to over run syria. So the Syrian war ,
Is an ECONOMIC WAR.. from any angle you see it.. is the ultimate goal.. to starve Russia economy in a vietnam in Syria.. the humiliation of Russian military and airforce and Putin was a bonus. and with a bit more luck a civil unrest in Russia..demanding Russia military to leave Syria.. after too many Russian army casualties..
So this means that even me.. who dislike Putin more than anyone ,and think he should have resigned long time ago ,for its lack of leadership and ambitions , can see why Putin policies in Syria (and in Ukraine are the way they are). Putin mistake in Syria ,was decades old , into not pressuring Assad into become allied with Americans.. and avoid an IRAQ like war invasion in their nation.. Follow a Policy more similar to Jordan , that way Russia will not have to come in their defense.. Putin one of his major mistakes is to encourage nations to resist NATO giving them false hopes that Russia will come in their Rescue later.. But any competent leader , the most important thing he can make ,when rise to power like in Russia, is to understand the Limitations of their country . predict what kind of conflicts Russia can expect in which places in the world.. and if Russia economy can't afford to save anyone ,and only Russia.. then he needs to retreat and develop a policy contained to Russian borders ,of trying to get allies on all its borders..But Putin allowed Ukraine to fall to American influence.. Russia economy only allows Russia to defend inside Russia or near its borders..but not far from Russia ,or even less when a nation can be encircled by NATO or its allies..as Syria ,Serbia ,Venezuela ,Nicaragua ,Cuba are.. Is not Syria ,or middle east,or IRAN or North Korea , is not rejected countries the ones Russia needs to influence.. the nations that Russia really needs to influence.. are EU instead..Japan , or even US and UK..and ofcourse CHina too.. every nation can be influenced.. and if Putin was not so disconnected with the world he lives , so disconnected into how US influence the world.. he then will have developed a plan to get Europe and Ukraine out of NATO orbit .other than offer gas discounts..
Putin ignorance and lack of ambitions for Russia is what is causing the problems Russia is face today.. As i said many times ,Russia have an Influence problem.. that is not influential enough with he most powerful and developed nations..(where it really matters).
Is a leadership problem.. what Russia face.. and this is why only rejected countries are the only ones that ask an alliance with Russia . Putin understand that he needs to influence the west... the problem is ,he is doing it in the wrong way. The olympics.. what is this is not a major investment to promote nations to come closer to Russia ?
But the olympics are gone.. nobody give a damn about it... so is wasted money.. Since Russia is not rich ,and have to limit its budget ,Putin should better invest in things that will promote Russia influence in the world forever.. a More ambitious Russian space program , as for example ,will have been far better than Sochi and world cup.. combined.. with the ~60 billions $ USD Russia spent in winning meaningless medals..they could have funded a moon and mars manned explorations projects.. and get more respect in the world and more influence.