Basman

Nice gaslight. Smells like a wet fart. Anyway, I'm done with this thread. Its no longer serious about making sense of the war. Just blatantly bias and misinformation. I'm quiet disappointed with the caliber of political discourse on this forum when it comes to current conflicts. Ukraine and Israel-Palestine in particular. Too much brigading, propagandizing and pointless arguing about basic facts and not enough neutrality and serious analysis. Ironically many users here seem to lack self-awareness despite being supposedly deep into spirituality.

I doubt Putin originally wanted to get bogged down in war and thought an invasion of Ukraine would be another Crimea. A quick and clean deposition of the Ukrainian government. War is rarely ever a "quicky" but different nations and people keep making this assumption before going into war.

American chauvinism isn't enough to justify invading a sovereign nation. Donbass is Ukrainian and the shelling is part of the war against Russian backed separatists. Poland's main security threat is Russia, like the rest of East-Europe, and has a vested interested in halting and deterring Russian aggression. Its good to question American interests and bias but you don't seem do the same for Russian bias, who are as a matter of fact less developed, more brutal, more mafia, corrupt and "evil" than America. Directly targeting civilians and rape is part of Russian war strategy. Try to justify that in the context of invasion after Russia signed the Budapest Memorandum in '94, agreeing to never threaten Ukrainian sovereignty.

@Shodburrito You'll get through this man. Good luck.

This is perverse. This is exactly what I mean by twisting facts. Authoritarian countries like Russia want to impose their style of domination on other countries. The threat of Russian invasion is perpetual in East-Europe. Its only because of detterence that Russia isn't being more aggressive. Its exactly why Poland is aiming to become the biggest military in East-Europe and why new member-states keep joining NATO. Just the fact that Ukraine was invaded after Russia already officially aknowledged Ukraine as a sovereign nation since '91 disproves this statement.

That's besides the point. The aggressive bias and supposed hypocricy makes it hard to take them seriously. Its categorically an unjust war from the Russian perspective, which is why there are so many lies I believe. Russia doesn't have the moral high-ground in this situation, thus the need to bullshit one's way into the hearts and minds of people.

The kind of strong masculine men that you find attractive and that make you feel safe to have a child are necessarily going to err towards being conservative because you can't have too many fluffy liberal ideals as a man if you are survival and success oriented. Voting for Trump as a masculine guy is most likely just a vibe check based on Trump's image as a strong leader within the context of a high inflation economy. If a man holds irreconcilable values than that is going to be problem but just voting Trump is not enough evidence of that alone in my opinion. You'll have to sort the wheat from the chaff as usual. I think a relatively more conservative boyfriend can potentially be healthy if its grounded and tolerant. I hope I don't come off as too harsh in my responses.

Perhaps the neighbors are scared that they might be forced to put their dog down depending on the law which could be why they are pressing so many charges. I have no legal expertise.

I feel like there is a strain of anti-western sentiment on this forum and I believe its in part because they see western hegemony as an tyrannical bully that dominates everyone. There are critiques to be had of how western society and the US in particular conduct themselves but the irony in supporting blatantly authoritarian and anti-democratic states assuming they value peace and freedom. Just the word "western hegemony" is like a trigger for these sleeper agents. I honestly think the reputational damage that the war on terror had has embittered certain people with the west in general and what it stands for, despite probably enjoying many of its fruits. The fact that they can at all criticize the government while propping up an adversary is telling, assuming they live in a western country. They be on a list or in jail if they where blatantly pro-America while living in Russia/China.

Influencing the minds of your adversaries is a legit strategy in order to undermine their politics in your favor. I feel like there is more pro-Chinese propaganda surfacing as well. The epistemics of social media is particularly weak while being an epicenter of influence. Its ripe for exploitation. China and Russia gating their internet is probably in part so that the US doesn't do the same to them.

If you are going to argue from a Russian perspective, at least don't lie, twist facts and exaggerate half-truths. Leo seemed to argue for a Russian perspective without relying on propaganda but later seemed to change his mind. The prevalence of lies makes me suspect that the truth doesn't paint Russia in a good picture ultimately.

I can't muster the energy to deal with the obvious lies and bluster filling up this thread. I don't understand why there are so many pro-Russian trolls on this forum. And people who have been here for years as well. Is this brainrot?

Anyone who runs a successful business will see their customers as just numbers at least to a certain extent. An OF porn start isn't unique in this. Sex isn't a purely emotional intimate act and I don't see any evidence that deviation from that expectation should be seen as inherently deviant. Its a dirty job but who cares?

I've heard Americans strike up conversation with strangers quiet easily. North-Europeans at least tend to be quiet reserved.

I've always been averse to getting attached to inanimate objects for some reason. It feels mentally impure in a sense. I remember getting yelled at for throwing away postcards I received once.

If its just a like a small to moderate subscription, then I don't really see what fuss is all about. Of course someone spending thousands of dollars on porn within a small time frame is both ridiculous and troubling but I doubt that is the norm. I think people just find the prospect of sex work at an industrial scale very confronting. The outrage is way overblown. There is a demand for cheap sluts. Deal with it.

I don't get why you even would want to pay for porn unless its a very specific niche.

Destiny and the ambassador are right in that negotiation that concedes to Russian demands with no gain is just capitulation that leaves Ukraine vulnerable and isolated to another Russian assault. The leftist ego here is not wanting to sacrifice lives for long-term peace and stability. Its a spoiled attitude. This is what a just war is all about.

Sorry, I misunderstood what you meant. Though I don't think anyone said that Russia should concede sovereign territory (not contested) to Ukraine.

This is a false equivalency. Russia is more than willing to throw lives into the meat grinder via human meat waves and deliberate targeting of civilians. Their strategy is to throw numbers at the problem and be as brutal as possible in the process. Inflation of groceries and energy prices here in Europe and elsewhere is in part due to the Ukraine war as Ukraine was a bread basket (and Europe was energy dependent on Russia). War is no longer an isolated affair to the same extent as it used to be.

Its normal to keep objects of sentimental worth. Just ask your parents if they still have your baby clothes or shoes.

A persons core values doesn't necessarily equate neatly into high quality politics because politics is its own domain that requires years of deliberate study. Most people aren't serious about politics so why are you taking their politics seriously? It doesn't matter if someone voted Trump as much you seem to think it does. And your obviously a woman. Your understandably less willing to compromise on standards to seize an opportunity due to greater abundance and greater risks taken in a relationship. Thus checking off boxes. Its really kind of convenient if you think about it, to demand that people align with your politics. Its kind of "echochambery" and anti-diverse thought. Its arguably quiet unloving to be this partisan, especially considering how ignorance and fear drives a lot conservatism. You are not even willing to give them a chance. You live in a world where the vast majority of people are conservative at all times. Just being less critical will make you happier.

Thats what you get. You voted funny orange man thinking it was politically sound based on no actual policy. If you going to vote on vibes and not policy then at least vote relatively progressive by default (democrats). Conservatives are generally less competent politically and more corrupt, which you'll get a yummy taste of now. Let this be lesson. But don't beat yourself up over it. Consider that many of the Americans who will suffer from Trump's policy would vote for him given another go with no self-awareness.

You can tell he has a type when it comes to women. Good for him.

@Shodburrito Well, I think what is happening is essentially that after WW2, higher education started becoming more accessible and having a degree still held a lot of value for employment as higher education used to be a more gated community. Eventually degrees lost their value as more people got them so people started prioritizing employability over knowledge for its own sake. Fundamentally, most people treat education as a means to an end rather than knowledge for its own sake. Back then, a liberal arts degree was good enough to get a cushy white collar job but now that is the just the bare minimum so you didn't have to be as practical with your choice of degree. My interpretation is that the decline of the liberal arts is simply the bubble bursting. It was artificially high and most people in fact aren't interested in knowledge for its own sake. Historically, a liberal education was something that the elites of society cut their teeth on. They didn't have to worry about where their next meal came from so they could wonder why the stars are like that and why apples fall down from trees. Or if gender is a social construct or if the earth is actually round. Notice how most if not all great philosophers have been wealthy elites or where at least very comfortable (Aristotle, Kant, Hegel, etc.). My second conclusion is that we don't need that many people interested in knowledge for its own sake so its fine that the liberal arts are shrinking in my opinion. We need people to be nurses, plumbers and cops for society to function. A taste of liberal education during their compulsory schooling is really good enough for them I think.