Poland`s aid to Ukraine if Russia invades

Socialism doesn't necessarily requires planned economy. Planned economy doesn't necessarily means socialism by itself. I think system which existed in Poland more resumbled capitalist corporation than socialism. Monopolistic capitalist corporation owned by government. One of the largest advantages of a true socialism and cooperative entreprises is electivnes. Employees elect their managers and always have ability to choose the best possible candidate among all other candidats. If manager started to loose steam and do failures they could call for his/her resignation at any moment and elect someone younger, tallented and energetic one. This is the advantage that democracy does have over other systems. Non-electivness which existed in Poland is more typical for a capitalist forms of entreprises.

Putin's yacht "Graceful" left Hamburg before finishing repairs, German media reported.
It is speculated "Graceful" made an abrupt exit to avoid Western sanctions should Russia invade Ukraine.
The luxury superyacht is said to be worth at least $100 million.
This would have to confirm to me Putin's intentions from this preemptive move.

The german media speculate too about a looming Ukraine invasion...and yes, Putin fears the start of sanctions so he moved his yacht to Kaliningrad....and why should the West start the sanctions if not Putin acts stupid?


news.de/panorama/856119738/wladimir-putins-yacht-graceful-in-hamburger-hafen-gesichtet-luxusboot-von-kreml-chef-flieht-nach-medienberichten-aus-deutschland/1/

abendblatt.de/hamburg/article234517709/hafen-hamburg-putins-yacht-auf-dem-heimweg-graceful-jetzt-vor-ruegen-ukraine-russland-wladimir-putin-roman-abramowitsch.html

Hard to not remember Heinlein, and difficult to say better:

"A perfect democracy, a 'warm body' democracy in which every adult may vote and all votes count equally, has no internal feedback for self-correction. It depends solely on the wisdom and self-restraint of citizens... which is opposed by the folly and lack of self-restraint of other citizens. What is supposed to happen in a democracy is that each sovereign citizen will always vote in the public interest for the safety and welfare of all. But what does happen is that he votes his own self-interest as he sees it... which for the majority translates as 'Bread and Circuses.'"

If you need to build a road, a despotism of experienced and responsible civil engineer will be more effective than a democracy. But to those who cannot understand this, I might suggest that they demand democracy in the hospital and in the operating room when their appendix is removed. Don't forget to involve janitors and orderlies - democracy should be representative, not for a few families with "old money" as in the U.S.

Not obvious. Prove it. An experienced and responsible manager could be an elected official.

Could, but most likely will not, if we are talking about democracy. Look at Heinlein quote above, and think twice.

But we are running too far from topic.

@gumishu
Read the whole post, I said it was based in Amsterdam and listed on NYSE. Dont just skim read next time.

Not a moral authority (see his loving descriptions of sex between parents and teenage children...)


this is why participatory needs a _lot_ of supporting social infrastructure, from education to a high social value placed on honesty for honesty's sake...


That explains the gleeming infrastructure of Russia vs the decaying wreck of Switzerland...

Cannot compare russian roads with Switzerland (never been there), but for sure most of roads in european part of Russia now in condition better than public roads in Belgium. ;) Personal experience. ;)

Still not even all provincial roads in Ukraine are THAT bad. I watched Ukraine in "Google maps". We need to remember that population density in Ukraine is 4 times lower than in Germany (hence 4 times more roads per capita) and it would take a signifficunt costs from poor country to maintain roads of the same quality as in EU.

hey do you want a medal? What is your point? In 1991 Ukraine was in a better shape that Poland. After devaststing Balcerwicz plan people were better off.

Then it all went to the dogs in Ukraine.

Don `t scream like old woman.


To you. Because you aren`t clever.

You describe Ukraine like it is an African country and Ukrainians aren't capable of ANYTHING.

Some may like dogs in Ukraine more than sh*it, needles, riots, looting, and being pushed in front of a train in the US. Or coming home from Afghanistan - minus legs.

yes, it's true - I am often guilty of skim reading posts or just reading the first couple couple of sentences and reacting immediately - you have called me out

This is Russia:
A 16 year old was sentenced to 5 years of gulag for playing an online Minecraft game in which he built and planned to blow up the headquarters of the current Russian KGB

And those fekkers expect that other countries in Eastern Europe will be only too delighted to ally with Russia??? Fekk them.

Ukrainians have no choice but to fight hard. Like Poles in the past.

Great post Pawian.
I agree with every word.
I have never had a problem with Russian people.
Only their rulers.
My father's family were deported to a Siberian Labour camp in 1941.
They never had a bad word to say against ordinary Russians.
In fact quite the reverse.
But they hated the rulers of Russia....at that time, the Communists.
Russian leaders only understand one thing.
Violence.

In my opinion largest disadvantages of Eastern European national character (not only Russians) is that they probably too much socially and politically passive and covardish especialy when it comes to stay together against different bandits. And have lack of ethnical unity. And too many corruption.

all good points

@Vlad1234

There is truth in what you say.
But ordinary Russians are good people.
They need another revolution to rid themselves of the tyrant dictators that always seem to rule them.
Other Slav nations have done it.
Why not Russians?

They need to solve problem with oligarchy as well.

violent revolutions are always used by a new elite to establish themselves - Russians simply need to stand up for themselves and another little man and not bend backwards and find joy in Russia beating up a smaller neighbour

Agreed.

Name one revolution that did not replace one set of tyrants with a new set.
The current ones can shut down the whole country, something the old ones wouldn't dare or want to.

We are training the Ukrainian Guerrilla Fighters with the American experience they learnt from street to street fighting in Iraq as we speak, along with Slovakia.

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  480pxUkrPolBat.jpg
  

You are full of it. He was sent to prison or to a juvenile facility, not a "gulag". Just as every German was a Nazi, every Russian prison is now a "gulag" among the low-IQ idiots.

If you don't like such methods, never come to the US and say "bomb" at the airport.


And that's all he did? Or did he get some chemicals to make a bomb or bombochki?
How about the name?
BTW, specifically, how are the Russian cops supposed to tell if planning to blow up FSB is for real or just a moronic joke. In the US, kids get suspended for bringing a picture of a gun, not a gun. Or if they pretend one with their fingers.

In the US, just saying what sounds like a threat can easily be viewed as a "terroristic threat" - a higher grade. When you do that, you will have a fed SWAT team in your living room very quickly at 3 am. They usually enter without saying please.


Lesson 17: How to tell a 14-year-old boy from a 14-year-old boy with an IED detonator in two seconds or less.

We need to shot down everyone who trying to make another revolution here (if it is local), or return them to their motherland (if it is foreigner) to try to do it at home and tell us how it REALLY taste afterwards. Too much revolutions per length of human life here.

Putin probably first "dictator" that was able to provide relatively calm 10 years in a row, with slow but steady prosperity growth. I drive across the country since 1990 and can compare (for example) how looked small villages in Tver region in 1990's and how it looked now.

So, do not even try to help us with arranging another revolution. We are already too experienced, much more that we wanted. Practice on Her Majesty first, if you need some personal experience.

But for any other reason, you are welcome here. Country is in growth, despite any western elite attempt to "contain Putin's regime".

without thinking for two seconds even....

The American Revolution.... (shouldn't you know that one?)

The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia...

Are you sure? Replacement of overseas tyrant to collegial tyrant assembled from a local rich families - not the best example. ;)

"Die Wende" in the GDR 1989?

Actually I think one could say revolutions meant to topple capitalist/bourgeoisie/democratic governments tend to end up dictatorial/leftist/bloody....revolutions toppling leftist/socialist/communist dictatorships tend to end up democratic and peaceful....can we all agree?