State TV says Russia could turn US to 'radioactive ash' (Iran, Iraq)

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by burgler09

We'd literally decimate anyone that truly tried to attack us.

We might kill even more than one in ten.

[CraigCreek]

Originally Posted by mag32gie

Please explain this to me?
If the people voted to be a part of Russia again, why are we sticking our noses in?
I don't keep up with things but this is why.

Okay, I have been keeping up with things, following websites ranging all over the place. Here's some of what's been reported today - sorry, at this point, I can't cite sources.

- Armed Russian "guards" were at Crimean polling places.

- Ballot boxes were made of plexiglass, or some other similarly transparent substance. Ballots were filled out by hand, and placed in one of two (clear) boxes, apparently depending on which way the vote went. There was no confidentiality or anonymity or anything approaching a secret ballot. Ballots were filled out behind curtains - but then the voter placed the ballot in a clear box.

-Multiple reports of non-Ukrainian citizens voting. Russian citizens were allowed to vote, even if they were not Crimean residents but were just passing through or visiting for whatever purpose.

-Multiple reports of voters placing more than one ballot in the clear boxes.

-Multiple reports of voters voting at two or more polling places.

-Much disinformation from the Russian press, especially RT: that Ukrainians of Russian ethnicity were experiencing discrimination and threats from the current Ukrainian government, that the current Ukrainian government is made up primarily of Nazis and fascists, that the United States, NATO, and the EU are running things in Ukraine, especially events which occurred in the Maidan and as a result of that which occurred in the Maidan.

-Multiple reports of Ukrainian clergy being arrested, some during church services in Crimea.

-Multiple reports of those opposing Russian invasion and occupation of Crimea being arrested.

-Multiple reports of arrests of Tatars in Crimea.

-Multiple reports of residences of Tatars in Crimea being marked with X.

-Multiple reports of efforts to intimidate and harass journalists, especially Western journalists. including a so-called "drill" in which uniformed and armed Russian soldiers invaded a Crimean hotel in which many Western journalists were staying, breaking into rooms, threatening civilians with weapons and in some cases actually striking them.

-Multiple reports of Ukrainian television and radio stations being blocked from reception in Crimea, while Russian stations were freely broadcast.

-Multiple reports of the families of Ukrainian servicemen stations in Crimea being forced by Russian forces to leave their houses and apartments and evacuate to mainland Ukraine, with little notice and only what they could carry with them.

-Multiple reports of pro-Russian posters prominently placed in polling places.

-Multiple reports of forcible "exit polls", in which voters were made to reveal how they voted.

-Multiple reports of helicopter-borne Russian troops attempting to seize a gas processing facility just outside the Crimean border, in a town in mainland Ukraine.

-Multiple reports of Russian efforts to foment violence during peaceful demonstrations by Ukrainians in support of the Kyiv government, so that Russia could claim her assistance is needed to "protect" Ukrainians of Russian ethnicity and to suppress violence.

-False claims of Ukrainian discrimination against Russian-speaking Ukrainians, Jews, and other minorities.

I could go on, but you get the idea, I hope. Some of the sources I've been closely following online include The Kyiv Post, Euromaidan in English on Facebook, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, NPR, the BBC, Al Jazeera, Espresso TV, YouTube videos posted by a wide variety of people and groups, and blogs, Facebook pages, and websites of both American and Ukrainian NGOs and charities active in Ukraine, as well as blogs of Americans currently in Ukraine. I've also had a look at the American embassy's site.

Many of these websites have very interesting links, and the Ukrainian sites tend to be much more current and detailed than do the American ones. I've also factored in obvious points of views and political persuasions. I also watched a couple of the morning news interview shows earlier on Sunday.

As to why the U.S.A. is getting involved, we have an obligation to Ukraine dating to an agreement made in the 1990s that we would help with defense if Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons in exchange for Russia (and other countries) respecting Ukraine's national borders.

We also have considerable interest in access to the Black Sea, in particular the Sea of Azov, whose narrow entrance is about to be bridged between Crimea and Russia - by Russia. There is also the oil and gas issue, and what lack of adequate oil and gas would do to both the economy and the people of Europe.

And there's doing what's right, to support the cause of self-determination, freedom of expression, justice, and democracy.

There's also the notion of balance of power, and an effort to maintain peace without it being the kind of "peace" that happens due to dishonesty, threats and harsh suppression of all opposition, stark economic contrasts between the haves and have-nots, and fear of those in power. Yet we must consider the dangers and move with wisdom, knowledge - and caution, carefully weighing our choices and decisions.

Accurate information is essential now - along with recognizing that much of what is coming out of Russia is spin, and is spun for pretty obvious reasons. It's not being done very well, thankfully for the Ukrainians - in fact, much of it is laughably clumsy. Unfortunately, it's also backed up with a great deal of military power...

Comments from readers on the various news sources are also very revealing - there are many, many pro-Russian commentators who appear to be posting from Russia and posting Putin's POV. The same lines repeat over and over again - makes me think of that big room full of monkeys typing until they recreate Shakespeare, somehow. But these commentators appear to be paid for their efforts - in more than bananas.

You can even find some examples of this kind of posting right here at C-D. Just look for threads dealing with Ukraine, and they'll pop right up, with obvious examples of twisted logic, limited knowledge of both history and more recent events, etc.

So - yes, we do have a dog in what I hope won't be a major fight, but we'd better train him well and keep a strong leash on him for the time being, while recognizing that the time is changing at a very fast pace these days.

Keep your dog near - and make sure he's a good guard dog, as well as a good watch dog. And keep your eye on that other dog, too. He can be a very mean one.

[Auntie77]

Originally Posted by mag32gie

Please explain this to me?
If the people voted to be a part of Russia again, why are we sticking our noses in?
I don't keep up with things but this is why.

I would prefer we allowed the EU to take the lead and were less enthusiastic about the whole thing, to be honest. However...
I believe that the reason things are escalating, is that the Ukraine, which regained sovereignty from Russia, contained the area we are calling Crimea. After the former president of the Ukraine was impeached, Russian troops began moving into the Crimea, and there is concern that they are pushing through their own agenda with a vote that took place basically on a rushed basis, wherein they grab the port of Sevastopol, which was always a crucial port for Russia, on the Black Sea. By seizing the Crimea, Russia basically takes half of the Ukraine's valuable Black Sea coast.

There is concern that some boycotted the vote, and it is not representative of the wishes of Ukrainians in the region. It would be so wonderful if Russia would back off, and the UN could oversee a more democratic, considered response to this, involving negotiation and cooperation between Russia and Ukraine.

[Futurist110]

Originally Posted by midwest61021

DID you just seriously type that???? ARE YOU NUTS??? HOW MUCH do you know about nuclear warfare and how it's implemented?? Study up, because if that happened it would NOT end there.!!

It's easy for him to say stuff such as this considering that he is probably safe at home right now on his computer, possibly enjoying himself by eating some smores and drinking some hot cocoa.

[Futurist110]

Originally Posted by urbanologist

This is what I call diplomacy at work. Can't we just get along. What's with all the crazy talk about nuking each other. McCaine's ealier Gas station comment didn't help either. They need to understand that neither side will win this. The two sides just need to chill. If the people in Crimea want to join Russia then let em.

Source: State TV says Russia could turn US to 'radioactive ash'

The principle of MAD.

'Nuff said.

If Russia even attempts something such as this, then the U.S. and its NATO allies will wipe Russia off the map.

[Caltovegas]

I say send a couple of the housewives shows over there.at some point weapons of mass destruction should be banned by the world. What benefit is there to anyone to blow up the planet?

[midwest61021]

Originally Posted by Futurist110

The principle of MAD.

'Nuff said.

If Russia even attempts something such as this, then the U.S. and its NATO allies will wipe Russia off the map.

Possibly, but we would NOT come out of a nuclear conflict unscathed!! Once you cross that line, you'd better be ready to accept casualties too. Do you think China is just going to sit there and allow it to happen?

[urbanologist]

No, just award Russia the next summer Olympics games (sorry Rio) and Putin will return Crimea back to Ukraine with a sincere apology as if nothing even happened.

[tofur]

Originally Posted by Futurist110

The principle of MAD.

'Nuff said.

If Russia even attempts something such as this, then the U.S. and its NATO allies will wipe Russia off the map.

you need to watch the video that was posted at the end of the previous page of this thread. Wiping russia off the map with nuclear weapons would do extreme damage to the planet as a whole, not to mention Russia would kill millions upon millions of Americans. No one would win.

[mag32gie]

Thanks to those who answered my question!