Is now when we find out how weak Europe really is?

What exactly could they do?

Please understand what I am about to say is on the extreme side. This is Russia once again flexing its muscle against the U.S.A. in front of Europes face. This doesn’t look to good for the whole world. Russia is protecting its income in weapons manufacturing for Ukraine.

The thing about Europe is they have one key alley they know for a fact will aid them, the U.S.A. So I’m not too sure Europe will act right away with out big brother playing the larger role.

@raginboli Wherever you are. How do you feel about the U.S.A. protecting your little butt now? Haha

I don’t see what you think Europe is supposed to do either. Invade Russia? They aren’t going to do that for the same reason the USA won’t do it.

@pleiades: Russia sees itself as the defender of Russian ethnics in the former eastern bloc. They may enjoy waving their dicks at other countries, ahem, like the USA, but usually what motivates them to act out in that region is some bumblefuck notion that they’re defending Russian nationals/ethnics.

Russia regards Ukraine as being in her “sphere of influence”. Russia has long regarded Ukraine as “South Russia”, or some territory that should really be Russian; hence centuries of intermittent attempts at genocide against Ukrainians and Russification of the region. It’s the genocides and Russification of the Ukraine why there are even that many Russians there today.

That said, NATO has been expanding toward Russia ever since the Cold War ended, and Ukraine herself was a target for NATO expansion, and probably eventual EU membership—Russia wasn’t going to idly stand by and let that happen.

Had the venal neoliberal crooks and bandits not forced Gorbachov’s hand back around 1990, and forced Russia to “liberalise” its economy (Gorbachov naively thought he’d be free to pursue a Nordic style of social-democratic economic development in Russia) it would now perhaps not be run by the Mafia, oligarchs, and “Tsar” Putin.

Not an argument to condone Russia, but her sphere of influence, and her imperialist ambitions and adventures, are largely contained to neighbouring countries—unlike the USA, which acts like it owns the whole world.

How about this is when we find out how practical Europe is. Essentially, this is a civil war. Like what happened in Georgia. The idea that this is all an act for the benefit of showing off to the USA is an extremely ‘Columbia-centric’ view. This started with ‘unrest’ essentially taking place within the Ukraine between two factions of Ukrainians.

Regardless of the posturing and warnings from the West, one would have to be beyond naive to believe that Russia would tolerate even the threat of chaos or disruption in the Crimea. It wouldn’t matter if the Pope were president of Russia, because the Russians have no choice other than to muscle up the peninsula. The Black Sea fleet, all by itself, dictates that the Russians are compelled to intervene, and there isn’t a government official in Europe, nor NATO trooper above the rank of corporal who would not have expected or predicted the current reality.

It’s a sad situation in Ukraine. People are poor, war never ends, politicians gets elected all the time and nothing good is going to happen.
But boys&girls are still falling in love, children is having fan in the yard, pensioners are playing chess in the park. Life goes on.