Reply To: Russian Tensions
“Actually, no. That’s not what they’re “both” doing. The Russians are engaged in warfare against the army of a fascist regime. The army of a fascist regime, unfortunately including the unlucky conscripts, is not “innocent”. It is the instrument of fascist violence and oppression. Resisting such a force is one’s duty. Unless, of course, you’re physically unable or a coward.”
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If Ukraine is a fascist regime then so too is Russia. There is little to choose between them. They are both repellent, right-wing authoritarian oligarchies.
There are, of course, fascists involved in the Ukraine war but they can be found on both sides of the conflict. Indeed there is a strong case for saying that Putin himself (and certainly that nutjob Medvedev, his sidekick) is a fascist or a fascist sympathiser, soft on fascism. Putin´s ideological mentor is Iván Aleksándrovich Ilyín – a promoter of “Russian Christian fascism”. See this fascinating youtube video
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“Putin is not a “capitalist warlord”. He is the president of the Russian Federation.”
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He is both. He is a capitalist parasite and represents the interest of the Russian capitalist parasite class. Here´s a random link about his (mostly hidden) wealth
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“In the name of nationalism the deluded worker killed the madman threatening the infant with an axe. Erm, no. Stopping he madman with the axe is always the right thing to do.”
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Your analogy is laughable and asinine. A more accurate description would be two axe-wielding mad men trying to kill each other, each caring nothing about the fate of the random infant who happens to have gotten in the way
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“How? They have artillery, missiles, tanks aircraft and machine guns. They’re the Waffen SS. They’re on a tear. How you gonna stop them? “Urging”? Tell me, how you gonna urge the Waffen SS to stop? Serious question.”
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Serious question. Which side are you talking about? The Russian military or the Ukrainian military? It could be either by your logic.
I don’t pretend there is much that can be done under the present circumstances given the extent to which workers on both sides have succumbed to the putrid and disgusting ideology of nationalism. Socialists are few in number. We have little influence. But the socialist approach of refusing to fight in capitalism´s wars is still the ONLY approach that makes any sense. “Armed struggle” is just a recipe for tens or even hundreds of thousands of our fellow workers getting killed. Is that what you call a “solution”? Also, armed struggle is no way to eliminate fascism. If anything it breeds a fascist mentality in all but name
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“Actually, they do solve problems. Defeating the Waffen SS in battle is the only way you can actually stop their rampage. The application of violence does solve problems. ”
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BS. The Waffen SS may have been defeated in battle but has the ideology it espoused disappeared? No, it has not. Right-wing ultra-nationalism is alive and well. Oddly enough you claim Ukraine is a fascist regime. How could that possibly have come about if fascism was defeated in the second world war?
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““There are indications that significant numbers of Russian soldiers are questioning the very purpose of their mission in Ukraine.”
Rubbish. Provide a link. Nothing sourced to Ukraine or western MSM is acceptable.”
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https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-war-the-wives-left-behind-by-russian-deserters/a-63568056
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-searching-soldiers-abandoning-war-en-masse-ukraine-1769993