By Kumar David –
Prof. Kumar David
“It’s a funny world” said Margaret Thatcher. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pleading with America and the Brits to stop whipping up panic in his country, but Biden and Boris have their own agenda. Both are deep in trouble; popularity plunging, there is a revolt within their parties and Boris faces a battle for survival. Both must divert attention; what better scarecrow than a foreign enemy, funnily enough on someone else’s doorstep! The Ukrainian people demonstrate and thank the Americans and Brits for military hardware against a fate that may never befall them unless the West manages to provoke the Russian bear. The government of the Ukraine is lukewarm about joining NATO, but Biden and Boris insist “You must have the right to self-determination whether you intend to join or not. Let’s push to the brink to authorise your right”. Ukraine has made no NATO application and is unlikely to do so; maybe Zelensky and Putin have winked and established an unspoken deal! Your right Meg, it’s a funny world indeed.
Were Kiev to declare that it has no intention of joining NATO, Russian pressure would cease. Putin has placed three demands on the table, only one concerns Kiev, “Don’t bring NATO’s frontier to the Russian border”. The others like an agreement on intermediate range missiles in Europe have nothing to do with the Ukraine. A “we don’t want to join NATO, so what’s all this fuss about” declaration from the government in Kiev would defuse volatility pronto, but you see Zelensky can’t do it because that would take the mickey out of Biden-Boris clamour. The Europeans know this, that’s why they are half-hearted, reluctant to ship arms to Ukraine, Anglo-American pressure notwithstanding. Russian troops have not crossed its borders; US and British troops and armour have been moved into surrounding countries.
But! My theory is that there will be no war because Biden and Boris don’t want it, all they want is sabre-rattling to shore up domestic popularity. But that cock is now not fighting too well either. US Senators are asking: “Why on earth do we want Ukraine to in NATO, what does it do for defence of” the ‘Free World’. Ukraine in NATO does bugger-all to strengthen European or Western defences. How does membership of faraway Ukraine reshape NATO defences? These are questions that the now jingoistic BBC will not even ask the reams of “expert” commentators it invites on its shows. Europe and America understand that Russia will not allow NATO to creep up to its border; the sabre-ratting is entirely for domestic consumption.
To avoid misunderstanding may I add in conclusion that I do not support Putin and am aware that he is an autocrat who has locked up critics and silenced the opposition. I support Biden in so far as the return of Trump must be resisted. As for Boris he is fun guy in an age where every other president or PM is a grim visaged bore. Boris, they say is bananas, true but the poker-faced countenance of all the others is bitter gourd. When did Xi last smile? Behold those faces Meg, maybe the world isn’t funny anymore.
By far the status quo is the best; let sleeping dogs lie; keep Ukraine out of NATO but in other matters (economy etc) let it do as it wishes. It’s like keeping Sri Lanka out of all military pacts with the QUAD, China or India; nonalignment has worked very well. I recommend it to the Ukraine.
chiv / February 2, 2022
OMG, I am shocked, is that true SJ ???
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SJ / February 2, 2022
If you say that you are shocked, you must be.
I will not contest that.
Are you better now?
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chiv / February 3, 2022
I was just checking on your orientation. ( time, place, person).
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SJ / February 5, 2022
How is your post-shock orientation?
Take care.
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chiv / February 2, 2022
KD, just a doubt. Regardless who is coming and going what will be the impact of Ukraine crisis ( more to come as in Taiwan , South China Sea) on Oil, $ and future Lankan economy / recovery ????? Any idea.
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old codger / February 2, 2022
Chiv,
Foreign wars are good for the economy. If you research a bit, you will find that WW2 ended the Great Depression. Much of the hundreds of thousands of vehicles and aircraft left over were NOT shipped back home but destroyed or dumped. The Cold War was very good for defence contractors. Even the Afghans have a huge inventory of US material. Keeping the factories busy, you see.
If I were you, I’d buy shares in arms factories.
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SJ / February 2, 2022
OC
But what did WWII do to the two Empires?
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old codger / February 3, 2022
SJ,
Nothing matters more than keeping the home folks happy.
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srikrish / February 3, 2022
Old Codger,
Absolutely, It is part of Marxist theory, you inadvertently endorsed the Marxist theory that postulates that capitalist economy is cyclic with alternate booms and recessions and that war is inevitable in such a situation.
War creates demand for armaments r and as a consequence the capitalists switched to armament industry leading to end of recession.
But of course, Keynes came out with an alternate theory that with pumping of money for massive government’s expenditure during reception to create artificial demand thereby economy becomes buoyant.
Both theories were validated in the second world war.
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chiv / February 3, 2022
OC my concern was for ailing Lankan economy. Given our current situation any further adversity may turn into irreversible.bankruptcy.
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chiv / February 3, 2022
OC , whatever the outcome Lanka will.be the loser 1) Impact on tourism in general and especially those who visit from that area 2) possibility of $ appreciating further 3) Breakdown in oil supply and global logistics 4 ) many more 5) As long major economies gaining from wars , answer is yes and no. I was in US through out Iraq conflicts.. Other than economy the impact of war in all other areas ( developmental indicators) are always negative. 5) Many of those Americans thought the war is good for economy. But years of Iraq and Afghan ventures proved otherwise.
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old codger / February 3, 2022
Chiv,
The only place Sri Lanka could invade is Maldives. But we would need a lot of oil for that. No, I am not suggesting anything.
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SJ / February 5, 2022
OC
The only place Sri Lanka could invade is Maldives.
The PLOTE beat us to it, but India spoiled the fun.
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Sarath / February 2, 2022
The BBC has become the jingoistic mouthpiece of the Western world, doing so without efforts to conceal itself any longer. Not sure if that’s because of amateur and barely qualified journalists. It no longer tries to be covert, instead seems proud of displaying its biases. Every day there will be a story against China and against Russia. It’s hoping the Winter Games will fizzle. It’s also hoping there will be war in Ukraine to divert attention from a troubled Biden and Boris.
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SJ / February 2, 2022
S
The BBC has been playing the dirty for very long.
But, of late, it has lost its finesse– perhaps because many of the skilled British journalists have found greener pastures
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old codger / February 2, 2022
S.J,
“the skilled British journalists have found greener pastures”
It seems the Emir of Qatar pays them better at AlJazeera. As long as they don’t talk about him. All media are biased, but some are better disguised.
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SJ / February 2, 2022
OC
True.
But there are petty thieves, highway robbers and burglars.
BBC could feign objectivity at one time, but that has totally changed in the past three decades.
AlJazeera has a clear anti-left bias when reporting on Latin America. It was harsh on Gaddafi, far more than on Saddam. It has an anti-Saudi line for some years now. However, it does things in better style than BBC which could soon end up like Fox News, but loss making.
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Singar A. Velan / February 3, 2022
BBC was at its worst in the run-up to the UK elections of 2019. Its journalists played a big part in the relentless attack on Corbyn, killing all hope of fairer policies, and getting instead the present embarrassment into power.
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old codger / February 3, 2022
SJ,
The BBC does some quite uncomplimentary stuff on past and present heroes, including Churchill. Even the Indian media analyses politicians of the past, though it is careful on things like Kashmir.
I wonder when one of our own multitude of channels (or even YouTube) will give us documentaries about the intrigues in the DSS government, the Bandaranaike assassination, and 1958, 1961, 1971, 1983,1989, etc.?
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SJ / February 5, 2022
There were and are people who wrote on these subjects, but not via our media.
We had the Lake House and Times monopoly, wedded to the UNP.
The take over of the Lake House only made things worse (with the Sun rising and setting after its mischief during the food drive). The Island was promising for a while but its parochialism gets the better of journalism.
At one time the language (EST) was grammatically right. Now not even that.
The failure of our media has elevated the status of gossip as as source of news.
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Mallaiyuran / February 3, 2022
Come on Sarath, Don’t just show how meaningless your torn off mouth is.
Is that you offered Hindu Ram the Lanka Ratna and capital punishment for Lasantha, Eklinigoda and 45 Tamil journalists capital punishment? Tamilini was killed after writing her book with an average cancer causing poison, over a year. But Putin use instant Plutonium tea. Britain has to pursue its own justice against Russia for killing the journalists inside Britain. It is almost certain Putin will bankrupt Russia just like your Dutugenu, Hitler hero doing it for Langkang. Tell me something man, if you are in Lankawe, do you have light today or no? Dedicated Cooli!
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Jit / February 2, 2022
“…..But! My theory is that there will be no war because Biden and Boris don’t want it…”
Heck NO!! Putin doesn’t give a toss about Bo-Jo. But because Biden and Putin have a clear understanding about each other and their countries and strengths!! As a professor you should know already that both these parties play a coveted political game for the past few decades to hoodwink the rest of the world. They both have done each other’s SWOT analysis and conveniently follow their own agenda with an understanding. Dont worry, there wont be any war!!
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SJ / February 2, 2022
“…Biden and Putin have a clear understanding about each other and their countries and strengths!!”
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Jit, Biden is America’s Sirisena.
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Amrit Muttukumaru / February 2, 2022
Prof. Kumar David
“I support Biden in so far as the return of Trump must be resisted.”
1) Obviously Biden’s plunging approval rating has compelled you to acknowledge the real possibility of the “return of Trump”. It is not the business of ‘outsiders’ to “RESIST” the will of the American voters.
2) The reasons for Biden’s growing unpopularity include (i) Biden’s cognitive impairment which is now in full view (ii) the crisis at the US-Mexico border (iii) the Afghanistan blunder (iv) the alleged plausible corruption of Hunter Biden (v) allegation of Russian interference in favor of Trump’s presidential campaign now proven to be a HOAX. You have yourself referred to the bungling of the Ukraine issue by the Biden administration.
3) Questions continue to linger on the INTEGRITY of the 2020 presidential election in the context of inter alia ‘in-person’ voting on the day of the election being the most transparent mode and the unprecedented influx of ‘mail-in’ votes ostensibly due to the Covid. For the most part, the majority of ‘mail-in’ votes was in favor of Biden.
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Amrit Muttukumaru / February 2, 2022
Prof. Kumar David (Continued)
4) The POLITICIZING of the investigation of the January 6 Capitol riot. This includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arbitrarily barring two Republican members from the select committee purely due to “statements made and actions taken by these members.” Is this not the very reason they should be in the committee if the intention is to get to the bottom of it? Let there be no doubt, what took place on January 6 is atrocious and must be condemned.
5) It is your prerogative to support Biden.
6) These are some of my observations. My comments must not be construed as support for Trump or any other. I am merely stating the GROUND REALITY.
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Agnos / February 2, 2022
AM is up to his usual BS. I don’t need to respond to every moronic comment.
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SJ / February 2, 2022
“When did Xi last smile?” Check on smiles of faces that have been lifted out of poverty.
Yet, smiles can be deceptive: a smile can also be a mask that conceals cruelty.
Look at Justin Trudeau.
Netanyahu did not stint on smiles, although he frowned at Palestinians
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Mallaiyuran / February 2, 2022
Lengthy explanation of learned professor talks goes to long way that Russia invaded Cermia in 2014 and even for than that Russian troops are fighting in Easter Ukraine, or even Russia shot down Malaysian passenger plane only because to help to straighten the sagging Biden-Boris popularity. What a master framing work our communist professor trying to save his Manasiga leader Putin and cleverly covering him with a fake declaration “To avoid misunderstanding may I add in conclusion that I do not support Putin “. Whom is our tricky professor expects to believe this nursery story telling.
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Agnos / February 2, 2022
KD,
Why did Russia mass 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border in the first place? The world blamed the US and NATO for inaction on Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the earlier annexation of parts of Georgia. The US as “the leader of the free world,” in order to maintain credibility on the inviolability of borders, had to impose a redline about any further aggressions. Biden has been wrong on the hasty withdrawal in Afghanistan and a few other things. But your analysis is flawed. No one can seriously argue his focus on Ukraine is to divert attention from domestic troubles. The Supreme Court vacancy created by Stephen Breyer’s retirement provides such a diversion, not Ukraine.
And you are not talking about the declining popularity of Putin within Russia, with existing sanctions biting hard. Putin is not merely an autocrat, but an ex-KGB thug who poisons his political opponents and jails them on flimsy grounds. Then he pretends not to know anything about it, so no one can take anything he says seriously.
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SJ / February 2, 2022
A
Are you sure that it started with Russia sending troops to its border?
It will be like saying that all the trouble started with the LTTE killing 13 soldiers.
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Agnos / February 4, 2022
SJ,
Regardless of what Putin feels about the loss of the Soviet Union and the Russian empire — he has spoken nostalgically about the empire –, the implosion of the Soviet Union was a done thing. It was hastened, in part, by their own misadventures in Afghanistan. The newly independent former soviet countries are entirely free to choose whom they want to associate with.
But even after the Russian annexation of Crimea, things were reasonably quiet until Putin massed the troops on the border. Putin probably bought too much into the declining power theory about the US, especially in the aftermath of the hasty US withdrawal in Afghanistan, and assumed the US and NATO would be too weak to push back. But his actions have given NATO a renewed sense of purpose. Now a lot depends on whether Putin finds a face-saving exit from his brinkmanship, or he really invades Ukraine and subjects the Russian people to punishing sanctions that have never before been imposed, even at the height of the cold war.
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SJ / February 5, 2022
Agnos
Putin is not complaining about the loss of the Soviet union. He only refers to pledges made at the end of the Cold War.
He is rightly concerned with the security of Russia. When moves are made to encircle Russia militarily he responds accordingly.
Putin has not bought into anything about Afghanistan. His position was very much the same on border states as before the US was unceremoniously kicked out of Afghanistan.
The US tried its nonsense Georgia, but learned nothing.
Nobody volunteers to teach US imperialism lessons. It creates situations whereby it is taught its lessons.
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Agnos / February 6, 2022
SJ,
You keep talking about US imperialism, but what Russia and China are doing with their smaller neighbors (Ukraine, Taiwan, etc.,) can be properly called imperialism, which you ignore.
What you call Russian security interests are mostly Putin’s paranoia. Having annexed Crimea, he felt that Ukraine may want to join NATO and have NATO fight Russia to get Crimea back, even though there is no such plan. You see that Putin can’t sleep well because of his own past actions, which include the annexations as well as the poisoning of Alex Navalny and many other opposition figures.
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SJ / February 6, 2022
The US has done most damage to humanity since WW2.
Let us get a few things straight. Even the US recognizes One China..
Then it plays tricks with promoting separatism in Taiwan. Taiwan is part of China and US meddling is the source of the problem.
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The problem in Ukraine stared with the coup some years ago.
Crimea had a referendum cleaner than any Presidential election of the US. It voted out of Ukraine and joined Russia.
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If you call an invading country imperialist, the US has invaded far more times than the rest of the world put together since WWII. What can you call the US? Super duper democracy?
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But invasion is not the sole criterion for imperialism. there are other criteria.
Look at the way the US bullies half the planet.
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chiv / February 3, 2022
Agnos, SJ questioning “are you sure it started with Russia” ?? will be like saying that “all the trouble in South China Sea started with Chinese incursions”.
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SJ / February 5, 2022
Hi
Have you recovered from the shock?
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Mallaiyuran / February 2, 2022
Can Prof. Kumar explain why in the world a UN member has to sign a deal with another country with whom it will make economic contracts and defense contracts. Why in the world any country has to respect Russian security while Russia is steering up everybody else’s security. Russia made a master blunder hoping China would immediately invade Taiwan. So, he can make an effortless walk over the Ukraine. He has no idea of China’s politics. China won’t run over Taiwan, unless it can hold it here after, without any trouble. Putin has placed in about 10 places from 1,000 to 10,000 troops around Ukraine. In another 20 places in Belarus and in other Russian controlled countries an unknown number of troops are placed. It is so stupid for Prof. Kumar to argue Putin is doing this only to help Biden to straighten his sagging popularity. Now it is Putin who is crying “foul” through his nose, because China didn’t so far play the part he was looking for. Even the imbecilic UOJ Saddampy wrote here that China is going to invade Taiwan and the US is going sunk because it is being forced to put its leg in too many boats. These guys write these head or tail less stories but if you question them, they come back “I didn’t say that”.
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SJ / February 2, 2022
Overdose is showing.
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Mallaiyuran / February 3, 2022
Why your hallucination draw too many maps forces you to wash cloths too many times?
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chiv / February 3, 2022
Your hypocrisy and abusive nature is showing.
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SJ / February 5, 2022
Why are you picking on M?
We are used to it. He is just as good as you.
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Mallaiyuran / February 2, 2022
At least in this round President Putin is not arguing that Ukraine joining NATO will amount to a NATO expansion. But he is saying that if Ukraine is allowed to join NATO and after that if Ukraine starts a war with Russia to recapture Crimea, wouldn’t that mean that Russia will have to fight with an unmatching enemy NATO. So, Putin argues that Ukraine should not be allowed to join NATO, otherwise Russia will invade Ukraine. Leave the brainless UOJ Saddampy, come on Professor Kumar, where did you learn your logic to support this kind of argument and you demand Ukraine not to join NATO. Let me ask you a question, is there any law preventing NATO fighting for Ukraine, in any event a country unfairly attacks this weak nation, if Ukraine is not a NATO member? If so, then why all NATO nations (sans Germany) are sending lethal weapons to Eastern European Friends. What has President Putin so far achieved is that all his non friendly Eastern European nations have stocked a large chunk of lethal weapons. President Putin is so stupid to tell that he by mistake captured Crimea and he now could sleep in nights because he is fearing Ukraine may join NATO and bring an unmatching organization against him. Man: What a joke!
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SJ / February 2, 2022
“What a joke!”
Yes, mallung, you always are one.
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Mallaiyuran / February 3, 2022
Savams, now you have gained capacity to evaluate and differentiate a joke from a serious talks? Good for you man that advancement, from a state to Savam.
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ramona therese fernando / February 3, 2022
It’s ALL to do with the Sino-Russian Treaty Organization (FCT) attempting to overturn NATO and its peripheries/appendages. In the meantime, our Motherland in dancing to the tune of FCT, is invoking grave consequences upon itself. Very risky venture indeed. We have nothing to offer either side, and will have to suffer the consequences. 😢 Alas.
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srikrish / February 3, 2022
The NATO formed in 1949 as a counter to communist threats, then went on expanding from 12 to 30.countries now.
Warsaw Pact was established in 1955 as a balance of power to NATO during cold war years.
After the collapse of Soviet Union in 1989 and Communism along with the Warsaw pact in Europe the threat perception of USA had vanished the justification for the existence of NATO also had vanished.,
But contrary to all conventional expectations NATO continued its expansion into Eastern Europe roping in many of ex- Warsaw Pact countries into its fold. Now they are setting their eyes on Ukraine to join NATO.
.Ukraine borders Russia and naturally Russians feels threatened and wants to preempt this attempt precipitating a war situation.
How USA reacted in1962 when Soviet Union tried to put in Soviet missiles in Cuba claiming that Cuba is in their border.
What is good for the Goose is also good for the gender!
Imperialists never change they are the cause of war.
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Mallaiyuran / February 3, 2022
srikrish,
You have some points but still you lost track during presenting it. You are comparing that, during cold war time, the USSR mounted atomic missiles in Cuba with the intention of attacking the USA, with Russia heaping troops on the Ukraine border where Ukraine is fighting a long separation war against masked Russian troops, as Ukraine rebels. Russia says that all its fear is Ukraine joining NATO and recapture Crimea. Unlike India and Langkang in Katchatheevu, or unlike in Hong Kong there were no negotiated transfers that took place with Russia when it captured Crimea. Suppose as within “Bangladesh and Langkang”, where Bangladesh has massively grown over Langkang and going to start capturing lands in Langkang for unpaid loan, if Ukraine grow over Russia and start to capture lands in Russia, what protection Russia is proposing to control that Ukraine’s economy growing over Russian? The Warsaw Pact was written while Poland youths were fighting against the USSR. The Warsaw Pact was written while Hungary youths were fighting against the USSR. So don’t blame the West for that mistake USSR did by putting together a defensive Warsaw Pact with its enemy countries.
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Mallaiyuran / February 3, 2022
Put aside the talk of dismantling NATO. President Regan promised President Gorbachev economic aid. But the Gorbachev refused to dismantle Communist Party and it went for a suicidal mission and arrested President Gorbachev. After being praised as the best leader of that time and winning the Nobel Prize for him and Russians calling him that their Leader Lenin had born again, but his small mistake of refusing to dismantle the Communist Party prevented Russia evolving into a clean democracy. Now it is evolving into a new fascist country. Not everybody wished for it but unfortunately that is what happened.
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chiv / February 3, 2022
“Yes , mallung , you always are one” . Are you sure SJ , why not get a feed back from others ???
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SJ / February 5, 2022
Sorry.
I do not do listeners’ requests.
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You do have interesting bedfellows.
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