141–150 of 285 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
What about sending Gagarin to space in the 1950s? Was that tech developed in the Gulags as well?
Very much so. But there was hierarchy. Top scientist had all the freedoms. You can clearly see in the Netflix-movie that cosmonauts were living in a creepy military camp, while american astronauts drove home to their family after hard day of space flying.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
People who left the country are not just software developers. We have seen the exodus of musicians, scientists etc, which after some very painful decision process just packed their things and took next flight anywhere. Many took their families.
Software engineers were a simple example of the conflation point. Those who left and those who’re the brightest aren’t the same group.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You are wrong about your military assessment. A quick win would mean Russia would hold on to a lot of military resources. By providing Ukraine just enough to deny Russia any wins, and Russia stupid enough to not pull out, they are basically draining Russia to death. Right now Russia is sending T-54's to the battlefield. Their 'storm the front' tactics is killing their soldiers at a crazy rate. Now this is the militar…
Russia has nukes, it doesn't matter how much we drain its military, it can just freeze the war, go back and rebuild. Let's say it takes 10 years. It's not solving the issue, just pushing it back to reappear later. On the other hand a decisive win for Ukraine followed by western-integration success story there - would directly contradict Putin's core internal justification for keeping his power (west is lying ,democra…
However, a weak Russia cannot keep regions that want to break away. Russia as we know it now is not going to exist anymore. Not because they would suddenly overthrow the current government (which they won't). But because plenty of 'friendly' neighbor states might cut connections, and controlled regions might see a brighter future on their own. They are not going to nuke them because of this.
Russia turning into a new North Korea is unfortunately almost a given right now, since the Russian public doesn't seem motivated to protest and demand another government.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Software developers make up maybe a third of that wave, if that. There's also artists, scientists, teachers, journalists, political activists and all kinds of other folks that simply don't see the future in the country. A lot of them are families with kids, so it's often not the lack of responsibilities but a higher willingness to take the risk.
Political activists and journalists are hardly the brightest group of people either, so you’re just assigning the opposition group that you prefer to align with, with a token of “the brightest” because it makes you feel good about it. How about you look at the rest of the society who couldn’t or weren’t willing to leave the country and who still run projects in Russia despite the sanctions. Are they not the brightest…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The US has been proven to meddle in democratic elections in every single continent, except Africa I think, at this point. But meddling in Africa will surely be made public at one point or another.
On the other hand, are we really comparing the leadership of Afghanistan and Iraq to Ukraine and deciding these things are the same? Last I checked, Ukraine hadn't invaded its neighbors, gassed ethnic minorities, or taken freedom from its entire female population. The US handled Afghanistan and Iraq poorly, and lied about reasons for going in, but there were actual underlying reasons. Ukraine is only being invaded be…
As far as I know, Ukraine never had a military big enough to actually do any invasion of other countries, but if Ukraine was the size of the US with the military of the US, I wouldn't bet on them not being horrible when invading other countries.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Realistically this war will continue for two more years. Russia's useful idiots are hard at work lowering Western popular support for Ukraine. Will the West still be giving military aid to Ukraine in 2025?
The US is free to do whatever it likes, but Europe won't accept a Russian-ruled Ukraine.
Won't accept in the sense they will continue with some sanctions indefinitely (significantly watered down by multiple parties) or in the sense that they will significantly and rapidly expand their production of ammunition and armored vehicles in order to fully sustain the Ukrainian military? Because if Biden loses they will need to have the production running in less than two years and I'm not sure they are _really_ prepared to invest the necessary resources.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm not sure stealing land and claiming the accomplishments of the residents is an argument.
I too would like to know. Which "accomplishments of the residents" did the USSR steal? There should honestly be a way to ban idiots like you from HN.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> defending smaller, but freedom loving, countries Lol. > Our grandparents told us stories about the russian army that many found hard to believe. And here we are proven that they were right all along. This is true for any military power, read stories about areas under occupation from "freedom loving" or "non-freedom loving" (?) military groups, and you'll find it is equally horrible no matter what country the groups…
Standards change though. I mean a lot of developed nations did atrocities a century or two ago but Russia is a bit behind the times.
- Haditha massacre
- Mahmudiyah rape and killings
- Abu Ghraib prison
- Enhanced interrogation techniques
- Sơn Thắng massacre
- Countless of others
All by US officials and/or military members.
I find it heartbreaking. I grew up in the Cold War (my father was in the CIA). Russians were considered brutish, non-creative, and untrustworthy. Then, the Berlin Wall came down, and everything changed. I started to see amazing creativity come from Russia. Music, technology, art, actors, dance, all kinds of stuff. I loved working with Russian engineers. They were some of the best techs I'd worked with. I have a lot o…
Russia and US were political enemies. > Russians were considered brutish, non-creative, and untrustworthy. Russia and US stopped being political enemies. > I started to see amazing creativity come from Russia. Russia and US started being political enemies again. > Russians are considered brutish, non-creative, and untrustworthy. It's not really clear but I think I'm starting to see a pattern here.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Very much so. But there was hierarchy. Top scientist had all the freedoms. You can clearly see in the Netflix-movie that cosmonauts were living in a creepy military camp, while american astronauts drove home to their family after hard day of space flying.
What Netflix movie?
Plot: Khrushchev selected Gagarin because good teeth and nice smile.