Hi AC,

I find the idea of a country like Ukraine provoking Russia with acts of genocide against Russian speaking residents quite fanciful, even nonsensical, and Russia has not received endorsement of its claims from internationally recognised organisations like the ICC. Also, democracies are less engaged in a dialogue of falsehoods over controlled media and reinforced with restricted speech and freedoms than are autocratic regimes.

I disagree with Shadowminister about Russia and the Russian army being destroyed and beaten. They are faring much better than Ukraine, but I think that the future of the conflict will depend on the type and quantity of weapons available to each side. If Russia starts losing its electronic capabilities it could find itself vulnerable. I note that Ukraine has started experimenting with drone swarms.

Hi Fester,
"Also, democracies are less engaged in a dialogue of falsehoods over controlled media and reinforced with restricted speech and freedoms than are autocratic regimes."

I don't know about that, I think it's a bit of a furphy to be honest.
- I mean honestly, when has any of our media informed the public of the things I'm saying?

There IS another side of the story, but you'll NEVER hear it on our media.
They call that 'Russian propaganda'

When does any of our western media tell the full story?
When do they talk about the deal made at the end of the cold war 'Not 1 inch eastwards'
When did they tell you about the 2008 NATO conference where they spoke about expanding NATO?
- And Putin opposing it, saying he would take crimea if Ukraine moved to become a part of NATO
When did they tell us about the wikileaks exposed cable where William Burns stated the Russian position was Nyet Means Nyet?
When do they talk about the coup being sponsored by the west to overthrow a democratically elected leader?
When did they tell us about the Minsk agreements (internal right to self-determination) never being honoured?
When do they ever talk about the war in Ukraine starting in 2014 not 2022?
When do they respect the wishes of the people living in Crimea not wanting to be a part of the Western puppet Kiev regime?
- That they first voted for independence and then voted to join Russia
When do they talk about Putin accepting the independence of the LPR and DPR after Ukrainian armed forced bombed their cities for 8 years
How many western journalists are in the Donbass
When did they talk about Russia 'invading' their term - or defending the LPR and DPR under a pretext of collective self defence?

You won't hear those stories, they don't inform us at all.
The western corporate medias job is to mislead, misinform or persuade the general public.
They do stories built around emotions meant to persuade public opinion, not inform.

Hi AC,

The only puppet presidents in Ukraine were put there with Russian approval, with Yanukovych now in Russian exile after his snipers killed a hundred odd citizens protesting for an end to Soviet era corruption and for closer ties with Europe. If you want to see the type of corrupt autocratic puppet ruler Russia likes, look a little north and behold Lukashenko.

Russian despots fear the dreams of its citizens that Ukrainian democracy and freedom might provoke.

"Yanukovych now in Russian exile after his snipers killed a hundred odd citizens protesting for an end to Soviet era corruption and for closer ties with Europe."

Why would Yanukovych shoot his own people?
How does it make sense?
Let's say there were protestors all over the front lawn of parliament house.
How does it help Albo's political future to start shooting the protesters? It doesn't.
It only helps an opposition group if they can make you think Albo did it, then it's bye-bye Albo and opposition group takes power.

Ukraine protests after Yanukovych EU deal rejection
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-25162563

"If you want to see the type of corrupt autocratic puppet ruler Russia likes, look a little north and behold Lukashenko."

Lukashenko had decent ties with Europe and wasn't as friendly towards Russia as it is now, until the US tried to overthrow him too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020-2021_Belarusian_protests
After that, it was like the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so he buddied up with Russia.

US tried to get rid of Erdogan and has started trouble in Georgia as well.
Some of this is part of a policy paper 'Extending Russia' 2019 from RAND corporation
http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR3063.html

Measure 2: Reduce Natural Gas Exports and Hinder
Pipeline Expansions
..........................................................
59
vi Extending Russia: Competing from Advantageous Ground
Measure 3: Impose Sanctions
....................................................
69
Measure 4: Enhance Russian Brain Drain
.....................................
95
Measure 1: Provide Lethal Aid to Ukraine
...................................
96
Measure 2: Increase Support to the Syrian Rebels
..........................
103
Measure 3: Promote Regime Change in Belarus
............................
109
Measure 4: Exploit Tensions in the South Caucasus
........................
115
Measure 5: Reduce Russian Influence in Central Asia
.....................
121
Measure 6: Challenge Russian Presence in Moldova
.......................

Here's a good video I just watched discussing the fall of the US empire, AUKUS discussed.
SYRIA ATTACK - WONDER WEAPONS - SPRING OFFENSIVE - UKRAINE COLLAPSE WITH BRIAN BERLETIC
http://www.youtube.com/live/KEIlk1Xlras?feature=share

People like shadowminister are like 'Prove the west helped conduct regime change dammit!'
- It's like right there in their own policy papers.
*Note 'Sanctions' & 'Hinder pipeline expansions' Lol

Republican Lawmakers Press Biden to Send Cluster Bombs to Ukraine - Letter
http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-03-21/republican-lawmakers-press-biden-to-send-cluster-bombs-to-ukraine-letter

Australia is a signatory to the convention on cluster munitions
- Is Australia and other western signatory nations going to stop military support to Ukraine if the US sends cluster bombs to Ukraine?

Convention on Cluster Munitions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_Cluster_Munitions

Maidan snipers & Ukrainian proxies w/ Ivan Katchanovski, Alexander Mercouris and Glenn Diesen
(Haven't watched this video yet - it just came out a few hours ago)
http://youtu.be/E56IVQY_Sx4

Zelensky to surrender before Russia? Ukraine President says, 'Troops running out of ammunition'
http://youtu.be/yzJfP15OtS8

The media learned what Zelensky pleaded with European leaders at the EU summit
"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with European leaders gathered at the EU summit to provide as many weapons as possible to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the shortest possible time, columnists for the newspaper El País wrote."

https://ria-ru.translate.goog/20230325/zelenskiy-1860662009.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

In a new and dangerous move Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Putin compared this move to the US stationing its weapons in Europe. All this is INSANITY! Russians killing Ukrainians, Ukrainians killing Russians, MADNESS!

Hi AC,

I watched that 40 minute video you posted of the Russian girl and her story in the war zone. I think she was being truthful about what happens in the war, it happens in all wars.

I recall my old uncle Frank years ago, he fought in New Guinea during WWII, casually saying; "We (Australians) murdered Japanese in NG, but they murdered our boys as well." He seemed to think nothing of it.