MigBuster 2,879 Posted April 5, 2014 How did I miss this! http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-26882664 Ukrainian authorities have rejected a bid from a man calling himself Darth Vader, who wants to run in the presidential elections. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Erik 1,768 Posted April 6, 2014 Sad is the day the Mirror has more credibility than the BBC. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capitaine Vengeur 263 Posted April 6, 2014 "I find our lack of gas disturbing." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rexor 1 Posted April 6, 2014 ...... He was probably more serious than most politicians already in office ........................... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
von Baur 54 Posted April 7, 2014 Scary is the day that a country's leader follows staging an Olympics to show how far his country has progressed with "returning ethnically (insert nationality here) people to their historical homeland" and blames the rest of the world for acting like the Nazis AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JediMaster 451 Posted April 7, 2014 This is the result of allowing Russia to gain leverage. The only ones who would stand against this are too afraid to. Either militarily or economically, Russia could hurt them more than they're willing to take over this issue. So instead they decide a lot of loud grumbling and fist waving is as far as they're really willing to go. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marlatt 5 Posted April 8, 2014 You got it exactly right Jedi.........But then again, Russia (or the Soviet Union) has never cared what the rest of the planet thinks or does. So just about anything that anyone throws at them is pretty useless. When I was in the Army many years ago during the cold war, I was trained on the Russian mentality. They are pretty brutal people. Some of the things I learned about their methods of getting what they want made my blood curdle. I truly believe that the U.S. and it's allies are much more afraid of them than they are of just about anything we could ever do to them. They have a long suffering violent history that they still carry the lingering effects of. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JediMaster 451 Posted April 8, 2014 I think they're fatalistic. They think "well, worst that could happen is we die." I don't think that really bothers them as much as it does us. I saw an analysis of Putin that seemed spot-on--he's worried about Russia's place in the world, its legacy, its reputation, far more than he's worried about any individual Russians. If a few hundred or thousand die, big deal, as long as Russia's world standing goes up in the process. That's an equitable trade to him. He misses the USSR not for how it was, but for how it was seen. He wants Russia to be a superpower, not a regional power, and if some Russians or Ukrainians or whoever die to accomplish that, oh well. This thing in Ukraine isn't over yet, it's just in a temporary lull. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
von Baur 54 Posted April 9, 2014 (edited) Putin is a punk and a bully. And like most (if not all) punks and bullies he equates fear with respect. This wasn't valid thinking even when it was common thinking. **edit** Putin is a punk and a bully, just like Hitler was. Edited April 9, 2014 by von Baur Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
