Can we talk intelligently about Russia and Ukraine?

[TBF]

15. This is excellent -

I hope you don't mind I've taken a few paragraphs with links to Socialist Progressives in case anyone in our little group would like to discuss. It is hard to say anything on this board right now without certain propaganda hounds yelling "Putin lover" if anyone says anything veering off the official line even a little bit. We've even been attacked in our group which is supposed to be protected.

The "secret" intervention in Ukraine is very similar to other transitions the US has supported (whether overtly or covertly to various degrees) in multiple parts of the world when economic interests dictate. While Ukraine is important in terms of resources and location, I'm not sure why this became such a hot spot last year because it appears Exxon and the Russian oil company Rosneft get along pretty well - but perhaps it was just an opportunity that presented itself when,as you say, the ordinary people on the street really were rebelling against their government for other reasons. In any event it is hard to get through the shirtless pictures of Putin long enough to have an adult conversation and I very much appreciate your efforts here.