Americans do it too, but this doesn't make Russians any better
It's funny but even gracious Estonians are not better: tiny Estonia participates in occupation of 3 countries. This looks extremely aggressive for country which is smaller by population than Yekaterinburg alone.
And in general rule of force was used by humankind during thousands years. As events show, this will not change in 21st century.
Compared to you, I am genius, yes, because you forgot all the other criteria that go into peacekeeping. And you keep forgetting stuff as much and as often as it suits you. So, when we are looking for geniuses, we won't be looking at you.
I never said that I'm a genius. I'm damn stupid idiot - everybody (including myself) knows this.
At least with American forces in most places you can say they are kind of unrelated, because they come from the other side of the world.
This is the best criteria of peacekeeping mission that I ever heard. So, when USSR deployed missiles on Cuba - they were peacekeeping missilies because they were too far from Moscow. Let's continue your idea. After all, Soviet government expected that USA will invade Cuba. So, it's quite possible that those missiles did keep peace on the island. Voila, Cuban crisis was Soviet peacekeeping operation. ersi, you're a genius.
They're probably afraid that such a referendum would be rigged if deemed necessary by the Russians.
I understand that Putin is a very powerful person, but I have no idea how he can rig referendum in Ukraine where he does not control local authorities, media, police, army, etc.
Your definition of peacekeepers goes squarely against the definition of peacekeepers in the rest of the world.
I'm sorry to say this, but Estonia is not the rest of the world. Wikipedia obviously describes Russian troops in Transnistria as peacekeepers. Wikipedia also describes Russian troops which were located in South Ossetia at time of Georgian attack as peacekeepers too. BTW, KFOR is also described by Wikipedia as peacekeepers. And I wonder whether you can apply your own definition to NATO troops or this definition works only when you talk about Russian troops.
My question was about peacekeepers from Moldova and Transnistria. They obviously don't fit your definition. So, they are occupants too. Thank you for your answer.
I hope that you use the same term for NATO forces in Kosovo. Let's check it:
small military units who wear light blue helmets - currently KFOR has 4000 people - this is 2 times more than Russia has in Transnistria The troops are from countries unrelated to the situation where they are assigned - NATO bombed Yugoslavia, so, obviously, they are not neutral Their assignments are brief and temporary as per UN directives - not brief, no UN directive They are positioned in strategically inconvenient places, easy to see and shoot at - not sure When shot at, they only complain and leave, declaring the situation unbearable - I really doubt that NATO will leave Kosovo if Serbia will attack them
Occupants, not peacekeepers. Right? BTW, I don't know whether KFOR includes Estonian troops. Can you enlighten me here: does Estonia participate in occupation of Kosovo?
It's a Russian-army-occupied internationally unrecognised de facto independent territory
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The Joint Control Commission (JCC, Russian: Объединенная контрольная комиссия - ОКК) is a tri-lateral peacekeeping force and joint military command structure from Moldova, Transnistria, and Russia, which operates in a buffer zone on the border between the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
Ok, I understand that in Estonia peacekeepers are named occupants. I have question about peacekeepers from Moldova and Transnistria: are they also occupants?
It's going a bit slow to my taste, but I still think it will be as bad as I thought. Namely, there's no stopping it until the ex-USSR borders are reclaimed. And any serious attempts to stop it will look ugly enough to resemble WWIII.
Restoring USSR using armed forces does not make any sense. So, there are no reasons to assume that Putin plans anything like this.
Pro-Russian protesters who seized the regional government building in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk are reported to have declared a "people's republic".
The rebels have called for a referendum on secession from Ukraine by 11 May.
Rebels??? They are doing about the same thing as Maidan in Kiev. So, obviously, they are not rebels, they are peaceful protesters.
"Wealthy" = "no need to work till end of life" + "whatever you want - you have money for it".
By that metric no one (or at least not I) could ever be wealthy. The NASA budget is something like $15 to 16 billion a year, so even Bill Gates would have to declare bankruptcy after funding NASA for just 4 years.
If you want to finance NASA - then, yes, you will never be wealthy. But if everything you want, let's say, visit space like Dennis Tito - then, quite many people on Earth have enough money for this.
So, question here is what exactly a particular person wants. Not everybody wants to finance NASA, and even not everybody wants to visit space.
I've not been in Oymyakon, but I've been in a city close to Oymyakon - Yakutsk. I confirm: it's cold there like a hell.
That'll go -- you come in a habitat that doesn't suit your habits. It's like a Vietnamese went to Pakistan or an Inuit to Sahara: both and both there live people who're "habituated" enough into their respective life conditions.
Yes, you are right - people there are prepared for this type of weather.
I just remembered--Russia has bitterly cold winters. There's a town in Russia that regularly gets to be the coldest place in the Northern Hemisphere every year for several weeks. You don't turn your car off all winter long because if you do, it won't re-start. 50 below zero average temps-- doesn't matter whether it's C or F, at those temps it's just mind-numbingly cold. And they built a town there.
I understand that most of Russia isn't quite like that, but it appears that this place-- actually in Siberia-- is especially "favored". Yes, that kind of cold is life-threatening, just so's everybody knows.
This one based on pure science - as I get it without any look-up.
Pure science? OMG!
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Critics have frequently linked evolution, Charles Darwin and social Darwinism with racialism, nationalism, imperialism and eugenics, contending that social Darwinism became one of the pillars of fascism and Nazi ideology, and that the consequences of the application of policies of "survival of the fittest" by Nazi Germany eventually created a very strong backlash against the theory.
If I was wealthy - I would travel around the world. It would be great to visit places like Brazil, Galapagos. But crossing Atlantics costs like a hell.
... rats can be compassionate. They freed another trapped rat in their cage, even when yummy chocolate served as a tempting distraction. Twenty-three of the 30 rats in the study opened the cage. The rats could have hogged all the chocolate before freeing their partners, but often didn't, choosing to first help, then share.
While I appreciate Mac answering for Josh, I would like for Josh to man up and actually answer a question for once, on here.
Once again; who are you talking about? If it is my relative that I mentioned in response to SF, we will most likely have problems. If it is whom Mac suggests, carry on.
It looks like you're not familiar with Josh's point of view on this subject. He already explained everything on My Opera. Mac just provided scientific name for Josh's point of view.
General Assembly approves resolution on Ukraine, Crimea region
The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday approved a resolution that called the recent referendum on the Crimea region illegal and reiterated the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The symbolic resolution passed with 100 votes in favor, 11 votes against and 58 abstentions. "This support has come from all corners of the world, which shows that this [is] not only a regional matter but a global one," said Andriy Deshchytsia, Ukraine's foreign minister.
Many sources say about isolation of Russia. Yet, 69 countries (including major players like China, India, Brazil) said that they don't care. This hardly can be interpreted as isolation.
I expect a Democratic Union of Europe (or something along those lines) will form in due time. Perhaps sooner rather than later if Putin keeps up his antics. Heck, we might just as well say this is a fantastic opportunity.
This was described by Russian fabulist Krylov long time ago.
Nothing special... going from West to East across Europe I think Ukrainians are the first Slavs we find, at least at a more Southern route. A different world. It made me think about it seeing so many specialists at Slav affairs.
Your facts are not correct, but your point is clear. Yanukovich is already declared a ruthless dictator, I wonder what else sins should we appoint to him?
I understand that Putin is a very powerful person, but I have no idea how he can rig referendum in Ukraine where he does not control local authorities, media, police, army, etc.
