Ukraine's European Revolution?

[CountDeMoney]

Look out, LaCroix, he's got a Harvard Kennedy School diploma behind his back!

[Ed Anger]

Do us a favor and let us know when you hear the cart-starts pop before you head to the bunker, 'k?

My wife is freaked out enough as it is. She doesn't remember this Cold War stuff. So if I disappear, that means I've evacuated to Harlan. Just to calm her down.

[Jacob]

they're firmly within russia's sphere.

What does this even mean?

It means Russia spends more money, more diplomatic resources, and more intelligence resources than the West does. That, and Russia can apparently deploy military forces there without much in the repercussions.

[Ed Anger]

They have giant circles.

[11B4V]

or watching the 82nd AB parachute into tripwire deployments along the Dnieper

[LaCroix]

But 2 of Ukraine's (close)neighbor are part of NATO. It's his sphere, it's slowly becoming our sphere.

yes. it's not permanently in russia's sphere, but currently it is. had yanukovych not come into power, this incident probably would not have occurred as who knows what pro-west relations might have developed in those four years. but yanukovych and the ukrainian government cut those goals and decided to keep the country where it was

What does this even mean?

great powers have regional interests and exploit countries within their zone. every great power does this, and it shouldn't come as a shock when a great power exerts pressure on a smaller country within its regional interest. that is exactly what is occurring here. is it fair? no, but it's never fair. we're reacting to it because russia is seen as an enemy. if we were the ones doing it, we (or at least a portion of us) would be seeing ourselves as the good guys

[Lettow77]

Russia is "seen" as the enemy is insufficiently noncommittal. Russia is the enemy regardless of the era or government.

[Neil]

The US needs to launch a nuclear first strike against Russia and China.  Sure, the Euros would bitch, but it's for the good of the human race.

[Josquius]

I wonder whether a good outcome here may not be for Russia to just take eastern Ukraine to mire in shittyness and let the west move EUwards and become w respectable modern country some day

[Admiral Yi]

great powers have regional interests and exploit countries within their zone. every great power does this, and it shouldn't come as a shock when a great power exerts pressure on a smaller country within its regional interest. that is exactly what is occurring here. is it fair? no, but it's never fair. we're reacting to it because russia is seen as an enemy. if we were the ones doing it, we (or at least a portion of us) would be seeing ourselves as the good guys

I guess I see your point.  The US is occupying parts of Canada and demanding they be annexed to the US, and China is doing the same in Vietnam, so it's OK for Russia to.

TOTALLY INCORRECT

Great powers don't have any special rights in neighboring countries.

[Jacob]

great powers have regional interests and exploit countries within their zone. every great power does this, and it shouldn't come as a shock when a great power exerts pressure on a smaller country within its regional interest. that is exactly what is occurring here. is it fair? no, but it's never fair. we're reacting to it because russia is seen as an enemy. if we were the ones doing it, we (or at least a portion of us) would be seeing ourselves as the good guys

I guess I see your point.  The US is occupying parts of Canada and demanding they be annexed to the US, and China is doing the same in Vietnam, so it's OK for Russia to.

TOTALLY INCORRECT

Great powers don't have any special rights in neighboring countries.

That's not what he said. Like, at all.

[Tonitrus]

We will rue when the day comes that Mexico intervenes into the U.S. southwest and Texas to protect the Spanish speaking peoples there.   

[Admiral Yi]

I'm a little tired of your dancing around Jacob.  Either make a point or cut bait.

[Jacob]

I'm a little tired of your dancing around Jacob.  Either make a point or cut bait.

And I'm tired of your deliberate lack of reading comprehension; so, I pass.

[LaCroix]

I guess I see your point.  The US is occupying parts of Canada and demanding they be annexed to the US, and China is doing the same in Vietnam, so it's OK for Russia to.

TOTALLY INCORRECT

Great powers don't have any special rights in neighboring countries.

you're being unfair. the US doesn't need to occupy foreign soil for it to exploit a nation.

great powers do not have legal rights codified in international agreements to exploit neighboring countries within their sphere, yes. you are correct. no one is arguing that, because that would be a foolish thing to suggest. if you took what i said to mean that, then i'd advise rereading what i said. if you're confused, point out the confusion and i'll elaborate