Just to be clear, Taiwan IS NOT ethnically distinct from mainland China while Ukraine IS ethnically distinct from Russia.

You know what’s funny? Purge is an English word.

When has that ever been reported. There has been reports of drones hitting deep into Russian territory for years now. Are you making shit up again so you can argue against it?

It’s a deliberate choice by the USA to send these weapons. The USA should be condemned for it.

Same day article as “can’t find money to fix 5000 bridges on the autobahn because too much debt”

Emotionally yes. Materially, I don’t see how the French pull it off.

I think the difference today is that French has a far lesser chance of getting it’s access back today than at any prior time in the last 500 years

You said “Russia is authoritarian like the Republicans”, you then said “I agree the Democrats’ prosecution of the genocide in Palestine is authoritarian” but you fail to see that this means “Russia is authoritarian like the Democrats”.

You seem to think that authoritarianism is somehow a special case of governance, that there are authoritarian states and leaders and non-authoritarian states and leaders. However, the analysis by historians shows us that this is not true. Literally every piece of evidence you can provide to apply the term “authoritarian” to one state can be applied to all states throughout history. Same goes for state leaders.

Russia is no more or less authoritarian than the USA, UK, France, Spain, Australia, Canada, Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea, US Korea, Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Haiti, South Africa, Nigeria, Niger, Kenya, Turkey, Greece, India, Georgia, etc etc etc.

It’s a useless term that conveys only your lack of understanding and propagandized world view. It does not convey any information about the actual world, only about the paucity of your awareness and critical thinking.

Uhhh. So either bloody gold rush mentality or USA cracking that whip, eh?

It would be awesome if Taiwan were rid of the dominance of the Han Chinese and recognized as an aboriginal nation-state led predominantly by the aboriginals. Unfortunately, just like the KMT, the West would ensure that such a state would be part of the fascist empire and used against China regardless of the will of the aboriginal peoples. Maybe someday Taiwan can be decolonized, but not until the European empire ends. Decolonization before that will end up like decolonization of Africa did - with European capture, counter-revolution, and the building of imperial military extensions.

You will never understand why every US president since the Chinese civil war has said Taiwan is not a separate country? You will never understand why every year more nations drop the historical alignment with the former fascist dictatorship of the civil war’s losers to the current internationally recognized government of China? You will never understand something that has been understood for literally 70 years?

Sounds like a skill issue.

This is such a ridiculous take. Taiwan is literally historically, legally and internationally-recognized part of China. It’s literally an island that is part of China. There is no Taiwanese airspace to violate - it’s China’s airspace and has been since planes were invented.

Further, he didn’t say the USA is trying to trick him into violating Taiwanese democracy but instead is trying to trick him into invading Taiwan, specifically by publishing stories about completing that Pacific Kill Chain by deploying specialized weapon installations on the island that could neutralize China’s military advantages via nuclear first strike capabilities. China doesn’t need to invade Taiwan for Taiwan to accept the one country two systems approach of integration which you would still consider a violation of their democracy.

Saaameee

Enemy combatant, terrorism, terrorist, rules-based order, rogue state, authoritarian, corruption, freedom, peace, defense… The USA has been redefining things to suit their globe-dominating military adventures for a long time .

You’re right, only the pro-genocidal white supremacist West gets to decide that Ukraine should still fight after losing 3 entire militaries, sacrificing most of their military aged citizens, and having their production decimated by a vastly superior military. Only the West gets to decide that Nazis should be funded, armed, and trained openly.

If you lose 95% of your experienced veterans, then your military is shrinking far faster than you can replenish it. You’re imagining things in order to make the world for your required fantasy instead of dealing with reality.

“regenerated their forces”? The Russian military is larger than it was when they started the SMO and their shell production is higher than the entire West combined. You’re inventing narratives without basis.

By risking losing another ship with zero recourse?

This is SO bold that I have to imagine it’s a sign of a very very significant intelligence advantage Russia has over the USA. They’re not going to do this in an attempt to get the US to attack the ship to escalate conflict. They’re likely prepared to lose the ship to US violence, but that contingency is likely counterbalanced by a gambit to reduce the USA’s diplomatic power by allowing it to erode it’s legitimacy. It’s also telling that this is happening at the same time that China is reported to be engaging in “intense diplomacy” in LatAm this past week. It feels like a concerted effort to significantly reduce the USA’s sphere of influence in a very short period of time, which is only something you would try if you had serious preparations, intelligence, and counterintelligence indicating that now would be an advantageous time.

One alternative is that its desperation, but I don’t see a lot of evidence for that.

Well, that’s going to force Russia to do more damage faster with less discrimination.