Hi AC,

I'm not going to argue with you about Putin
or his regime or the real fears that the
Baltic and other states have after Putin's
invasion of the independent state of Ukraine.

The day that free elections, free press, free
opposition, free political criticism, is allowed
in Russia, the day that people versing criticism
of Putin's regime don't fall off buildings, or get
arrested, or end up in Siberia - perhaps we can talk again.

As for choices in the candidates at the ballot box?

If you don't like any of the candidates or the
policies of the two major parties - there's always
the Independents. We do have the power to apply
pressure and make the parties change their minds
on issues.

At least we do have a vote. It may not seem like much -
but lets not under-estimate its power.

Drop by drop even a mountains range can get eroded.

At least Hanson once managed a Fish & Chips shop which puts her level of economic know how several levels above those of mere intellectual wafflers & absolutely no idea how economies should be managed ! The evidence & their legacy is the reason we have these conversations.

Baldrick, (AC)

Once again you are lying through your teeth.

Russia had no legitimate reason whatsoever to invade Crimea or the Donbas in 2014 or Ukraine in 2022.

However, finally, Russia has bitten off more than it can chew and is getting its arse kicked and sometime in the future Russia will retreat with its tail between its legs and return all of the captured lands including Crimea.

"Russia had no legitimate reason whatsoever to invade Crimea or the Donbas in 2014 or Ukraine in 2022."

Who are you to decide what is and isn't a legitimate Russian security interest?

When the US allows Soviet and Chinese nukes in Cuba and Mexico then I'll entertain your stupid argument.

You know, you'd make a horrible diplomat.
Your attitude is the reason we have wars, you know why?
- Because you're incapable of putting yourself into your adversaries shoes and seeing things from their point of view.
You think only your position matters, that you can do whatever you like and everyone else is wrong, or their interests don't matter, only yours do.
Can you even accept this analysis?

I hope your getting regular payments from Blackrock and Vanguard on the fire sale of Ukrainian national assets, it would be pretty stupid to go to all this trouble to create conflict in the world that risks a world war and not get something out of it.

Palestine to Ukraine. Conflicts without Solution - Alastair Crooke, Alex Mercouris & Glenn Diesen
http://youtu.be/9Io6KXDVqoM

Russia ends 300 years of west-centric foreign policy: Gordon Hahn, Alexander Mercouris, Glenn Diesen
http://youtu.be/P_MJi5H6HKU

You should maybe spend some time listening to people who are smarter on the topics you discuss than yourself.
That's what I do.

Up to this point, Ukraine's achieved absolutely NOTHING of substance whatsoever.
What are Ukraine's achievements in this war?
You tell me and we'll both know.

You know what Ukraines angle is now?
'We'll blackmail Russia by rounding up the ethnic-Russian Ukrainians that escaped the country to Europe as well as the Pro-Russian Hungarians in Ukraine, and we'll send all of them to the front, if Russia does not engage in the Zelensky peace plan, which is more like a complete Russian surrender.
It's a joke, and meanwhile, Russia can produce more weapons and ammunition in a day than America can produce in a month.
The West could do better, but their arms industry is all about price-gouging and profits; not winning large scale wars - especially not ground wars of attrition.

[Cont]
"...sometime in the future Russia will retreat with its tail between its legs and return all of the captured lands including Crimea."

Yes, right after Ukraine builds and commissions the Death Star you delusional fool.
Until then Ukraine can keep dragging men that don't want to fight off the street and out of clubs and send them and the women to the front line without sufficient training, to fire weapons and ammunition it does not have.
- And Russia will keep getting 40,000+ volunteers for its military every single month.

I don't know how you measure these unfortunate facts...
But whilst you live in a world of delusion, Ukraine gets weaker and Russia continues to get stronger.

America and the West are not providing Ukraine with the tools to win, Ukraine doesn't even have the manpower to even potentially wage and kind of successful counter-offensive.

Military historians state that you need 3 times as many troops as your enemy to even have a chance of success.
Ukraine doesn't even have the weapons to do it, let along the manpower.