Benkei

I think all socially directed violence is illegitimate. Only personal self-defence is legitimate. Whenever someone decides for others to go forth else...

They're not prophecies. You can analyse the situation and have an understanding of war and history and current geopolitical decisions to get to a dece...

The war isn't contributing to Russian socio-economic organisation. It was a fascist military oligarchy before the war started. Ukraine was a democracy...

I'm happy it illicits disgust because that's precisely the emotion you should be having when people are dying in war. My vulgarities are intended as f...

Any insights on how the Italian and French diplomatic corps are looking at things? They're usually well informed and more independent thinkers than th...

Why don't you expound a bit on under which circumstances you see another party suffer more? I can imagine nukes but I'd rather not. What other develop...

By any measure that will always be the Ukrainians.

:cry: I hope Ukraine and Russia can work out a peace deal soon and avoid this insane bloodshed.

same article : And he didn't state no hope of joining but he would consider letting the plan go if it would avoid war. In any case, Zelensky's stateme...

before getting into the substance of that, why don't you share a source?

Scholz was in damage control mode on 22 Feb, because on 14 Feb he said all countries have the right to choose their alliances freely, and the principl...

I don't think this was the issue to begin with. But even so when people are manufacturing consent that we should support the Ukrainians no matter what...

Ok, but the rules say an armed breach of sovereignty is a crime of aggression. So sometimes not helping the victim is morally right because the victim...

I think your "popularity" questions are stupid. You as a person not so much, I've seen you post in other threads.

It's not a hard question. Who's morally superior the murderer or the rapist? The liar or the glutton? Are you getting the picture how stupid your "who...

There's nothing unclear about it. The Iraq war was a crime of aggression. If you can't figure out any circumstances where helping a nation defende its...

Who's morally superior the fiend or the demon?

So you don't care about sovereignty and the crime of aggression is only aggression when you've established the victim of the crime doesn't deserve to ...

I think we'll always have poor people but if being poor still means you have dignity in your work (toilet breaks Mr Besos and other oligarchs!), get p...

If you have a fiend and a demon and the demon is worse than the fiend, should you conclude the fiend is morally superior to the demon?

So arming Saddam Hussein in support in his war against the US in the 2003 Iraq War was morally totally the right thing to do?

I was personally hopeful, once the war started, that this was going to be a slam dunk for Russia, not because I want them to win or think their cause ...

Why not? I happen to think you say really stupid things at times. This is another one. You're very concerned with manners and sophistication and then ...

I'm not asking him, I'm asking you. Under what circumstances would it be true that sending arms is worse? Or do you believe those circumstances don't ...

And under which circumstances/assumptions would that be true?

I haven't read everything. I was under the impression boethius, Isaac and ssu were cordial until the last few pages and then I'm just reading things I...

No, you disagree with him what the best way to help the Ukrainians is. If the goal is to minimise causalties, he questions the wisdom of sending arms.

And any closer to a solution? I do think block chain offers an interesting opportunity to track equity ownership that could be utilised to manage stak...

I find it funny how you pretend the other side isn't listening. Nobody has disagreed with what Putin has done is morally wrong and that the Ukrainians...

I signed on for room and board for Ukrainians because my wife and daughter wanted to and am now left wondering why they never wanted to do that for Sy...

If anybody has an inability to read it's the two of you. Boethius: "Valid criticism of the USA and NATO" You: you're a "war cheerleader". Maybe find a...

Yes, sorry for not staying too much on topic. I guess the intricacies of these issues push me into abstractions even further without a clear way to ge...

I'm less concerned with fixing Russia before my own country and the EU are fixed. I think an intermediary step that is getting traction more widely is...

Thanks. So territory seems the main issue. I think the southern strip of land also means Ukraine no longer has access to the sea.

Just that first one would not only diminish the likelihood of Putin staying in power but also other autocrats rising to power and greatly affect our o...

I agree that Russia seems to be unnecessarily stalling based on what is public. I suspect, but can't be certain, that the proposed interim government ...

Yes.

History is full of it. Intolerance of intolerance isn't exclusion but nice try. No, a ius ad bellum argument. All wars of conquest were unjust, even t...

I guess what's promising is your membership in the EU.

That's a matter of definitions I guess. I'll rephrase to “inappropriately and illegally affected the internal politics of a sovereign nation". You kno...

I live in Europe man, I know my geography. Finland and Sweden were never part of the former Warsaw pact, the stated sphere of influence for decades do...

Self-confidence is about problem ownership, admitting mistakes and being prepared to let go of beliefs when they turn out to be wrong. There's no self...

https://www.cato.org/commentary/americas-ukraine-hypocrisy Here's a summary.

For this to work, you have to show it's reasonably possible for Russia to effectively occupy Ukraine. I don't think this is the case. Maybe Eastern Uk...

It's not as if there's an "objective" measure as to whether it was worth it. That you think it isn't, doesn't make it so. Depends a lot also on what t...

You describe results without relating that to the Russian strategic objectives. I asked you before what those probably were and you seemed to grasp it...

But isn't that all weakness? Not being able to change your mind because of what? Extreme beliefs to me seem to be about clinging to what you think you...

Well that puts a different spin on this family guy clip : https://youtu.be/GPH-9QfScgY

Yes. Nice of you to get all judgmental over that assessment. Just like the USA would've done in the Cuban missile crisis, the Russians attacked. Strat...

The difference is that the Palestinians have not made strategic choices for which they can be blamed, as opposed to Israel and its enablers. They have...