Russia Attacks Ukraine

[Diogenes]

For the first time since 1939 a major European power, Russia, has attacked another country in Europe, Ukraine. We have not seen an analogous situation since Germany attacked Poland setting off World War 2. Surprisingly we have Neville Chamberlain like appeasement/isolationist responses from Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson. Besides the 180 turn from traditional Republican politics, to what extent are these events relevant to Christianity?

[Diogenes]

The difference between Putin and Hitler (not to mention Trump) is that Hitler loved dogs, or at least his own, 'Blondi.' Of course, his 'love' for 'Blondi' did not keep him from testing his cyanide capsule on her. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondi

[bjs1]

The difference between Putin and Hitler (not to mention Trump) is that Hitler loved dogs, or at least his own, 'Blondi.' Of course, his 'love' for 'Blondi' did not keep him from testing his cyanide capsule on her. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondi

Putin isn't Hitler. Putin launched an unjustified and unprovoked war that has killed thousands, but he's not attempting genocide. Let's recognize the seriousness of what is happening without exaggerating into something unreasonable.

[Diogenes]

The difference between Putin and Hitler (not to mention Trump) is that Hitler loved dogs, or at least his own, 'Blondi.' Of course, his 'love' for 'Blondi' did not keep him from testing his cyanide capsule on her. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondi

Putin isn't Hitler. Putin launched an unjustified and unprovoked war that has killed thousands, but he's not attempting genocide. Let's recognize the seriousness of what is happening without exaggerating into something unreasonable.

While I agree that 'Putin is not Hitler,' [no person exactly represents another] there ARE parallels.
"Putin himself justifies his unlawful war with a fanciful interpretation of history in which "Russians and Ukrainians were one people" and the nation of Ukraine is an artificial one with no right to exist." This is reminiscent of Hitler's claims about Austria and the Sudetenland.
"Putin himself justifies his unlawful war with a fanciful interpretation of history in which "Russians and Ukrainians were one people" and the nation of Ukraine is an artificial one with no right to exist."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/ ... -zelensky/

[Diogenes]

Let me add, there is a kind of 'deification' of Hitler, in reverse if you will. This is represented by the philosophy (and sometimes forum policy) that NOone should be compared to Hitler. This is contrary to the ideal of freedom of expression. OF COURSE there are parallels to Hitler. This does not mean one is claiming a 'perfect' comparison.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The difference between Putin and Hitler (not to mention Trump) is that Hitler loved dogs, or at least his own, 'Blondi.' Of course, his 'love' for 'Blondi' did not keep him from testing his cyanide capsule on her. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondi

Putin isn't Hitler. Putin launched an unjustified and unprovoked war that has killed thousands, but he's not attempting genocide. Let's recognize the seriousness of what is happening without exaggerating into something unreasonable.

While I agree that 'Putin is not Hitler,' [no person exactly represents another] there ARE parallels.
"Putin himself justifies his unlawful war with a fanciful interpretation of history in which "Russians and Ukrainians were one people" and the nation of Ukraine is an artificial one with no right to exist." This is reminiscent of Hitler's claims about Austria and the Sudetenland.
"Putin himself justifies his unlawful war with a fanciful interpretation of history in which "Russians and Ukrainians were one people" and the nation of Ukraine is an artificial one with no right to exist."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/ ... -zelensky/

Cambodian bombing deaths

From 1964 to 1973, the U.S. dropped more than two million tons of ordnance on Laos during 580,000 bombing missionsequal to a planeload of bombs every 8 minutes, 24-hours a day, for 9 years making Laos the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. The bombings were part of the U.S. Secret War in Laos to support the Royal Lao Government against the Pathet Lao and to interdict traffic along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The bombings destroyed many villages and displaced hundreds of thousands of Lao civilians during the nine-year period.

Up to a third of the bombs dropped did not explode, leaving Laos contaminated with vast quantities of unexploded ordnance (UXO). Over 20,000 people have been killed or injured by UXO in Laos since the bombing ceased. The wounds of war are not only felt in Laos. When the Americans withdrew from Laos in 1973, hundreds of thousands of refugees fled the country, and many of them ultimately resettled in the United States.

Here are some other startling facts about the U.S. bombing of Laos and its tragic aftermath:

• Over 270 million cluster bombs were dropped on Laos during the Vietnam War (210 million more bombs than were dropped on Iraq in 1991, 1998 and 2006 combined); up to 80 million did not detonate.

• Nearly 40 years on, less than 1% of these munitions have been destroyed. More than half of all confirmed cluster munitions casualties in the world have occurred in Laos.

• Each year there are now just under 50 new casualties in Laos, down from 310 in 2008. Close to 60% of the accidents result in death, and 40% of the victims are children.

• Between 1993 and 2016, the U.S. contributed on average $4.9M per year for UXO clearance in Laos; the U.S. spent $13.3M per day (in 2013 dollars) for nine years bombing Laos.

• In just ten days of bombing Laos, the U.S. spent $130M (in 2013 dollars), or more than it has spent in clean up over the past 24 years ($118M)

.

This may go some way in showing why I for one, am not reacting with shock and horror and hysterics over Putin's actions in Ukraine.

[bjs1]

The difference between Putin and Hitler (not to mention Trump) is that Hitler loved dogs, or at least his own, 'Blondi.' Of course, his 'love' for 'Blondi' did not keep him from testing his cyanide capsule on her. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondi

Putin isn't Hitler. Putin launched an unjustified and unprovoked war that has killed thousands, but he's not attempting genocide. Let's recognize the seriousness of what is happening without exaggerating into something unreasonable.

While I agree that 'Putin is not Hitler,' [no person exactly represents another] there ARE parallels.
"Putin himself justifies his unlawful war with a fanciful interpretation of history in which "Russians and Ukrainians were one people" and the nation of Ukraine is an artificial one with no right to exist." This is reminiscent of Hitler's claims about Austria and the Sudetenland.
"Putin himself justifies his unlawful war with a fanciful interpretation of history in which "Russians and Ukrainians were one people" and the nation of Ukraine is an artificial one with no right to exist."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/ ... -zelensky/

"There are parallels" to Hitler is a vague enough statement that it could be true of virtually any world leader.

However, the thing that Hitler is most remembered for is the murder of millions of civilians and an attempted geocide.

Putin has done something horrible, but he has not yet done anything remotely like that.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The difference between Putin and Hitler (not to mention Trump) is that Hitler loved dogs, or at least his own, 'Blondi.' Of course, his 'love' for 'Blondi' did not keep him from testing his cyanide capsule on her. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondi

Putin isn't Hitler. Putin launched an unjustified and unprovoked war that has killed thousands, but he's not attempting genocide. Let's recognize the seriousness of what is happening without exaggerating into something unreasonable.

While I agree that 'Putin is not Hitler,' [no person exactly represents another] there ARE parallels.
"Putin himself justifies his unlawful war with a fanciful interpretation of history in which "Russians and Ukrainians were one people" and the nation of Ukraine is an artificial one with no right to exist." This is reminiscent of Hitler's claims about Austria and the Sudetenland.
"Putin himself justifies his unlawful war with a fanciful interpretation of history in which "Russians and Ukrainians were one people" and the nation of Ukraine is an artificial one with no right to exist."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/ ... -zelensky/

"There are parallels" to Hitler is a vague enough statement that it could be true of virtually any world leader.

However, the thing that Hitler is most remembered for is the murder of millions of civilians and an attempted geocide.

Putin has done something horrible, but he has not yet done anything remotely like that.

Indeed, not to mention the fact that Ukraine did see locals collaborating with the SS during WW2, consider Serbia too in WW2, they rejected an alliance with Hitler and were bombed for it, only to be bombed again fifty years later by their former WW2 allies, under the guise of NATO, that much lauded defensive alliance!

[AgnosticBoy]

The difference between Putin and Hitler (not to mention Trump) is that Hitler loved dogs, or at least his own, 'Blondi.' Of course, his 'love' for 'Blondi' did not keep him from testing his cyanide capsule on her. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondi

Putin isn't Hitler. Putin launched an unjustified and unprovoked war that has killed thousands, but he's not attempting genocide. Let's recognize the seriousness of what is happening without exaggerating into something unreasonable.

Just the facts:
Only state exactly what happened, without embellishment or exaggeration.
https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Ju ... t%20phrase.

Ironically, there are probably no news outlets that just gives you the facts. All have their own agendas, biases, propaganda, etc. To get a fair and balanced picture requires watching multiple news sources and of different perspectives. Currently, I watch Fox News and CNN. I watch Western Media and Non-Western media.

On a side note, I know some here have tried inject politics into this discussion by bashing Republicans. But let's also bring in an even older divide, i.e. that of atheists and Christians. It is ironic that BJ is a Christian and is reminding atheists about the FACTS and just that alone. It is very annoying to see that many atheists are so good in the science and religion section but then to see some lose their critical/skeptical thinking skills when it comes to these issues as they fall right into propaganda, tribalism, bias, etc. Someone that claims to be rational should be applying reason to all areas that it can be applied (politics, included) instead of applying it selectively (only towards religion).

[AgnosticBoy]

CNN is starting to get it... the bias of Western coverage...

'Egregious level': Journalists are being called out for bias reporting on Ukraine

Media coverage of the war in Ukraine has largely been praised. Some journalists see this as an opportunity to reevaluate how wars and conflicts are covered when the victims are not mainly White or directly related to Western interests.

[emphasis added]

Source: CNN

[Sherlock Holmes]

CNN is starting to get it... the bias of Western coverage...

'Egregious level': Journalists are being called out for bias reporting on Ukraine

Media coverage of the war in Ukraine has largely been praised. Some journalists see this as an opportunity to reevaluate how wars and conflicts are covered when the victims are not mainly White or directly related to Western interests.

[emphasis added]

Source: CNN

It almost disgusts me how the general public are acting like sheep. Everyone is blogging about it, everyone is expressing outrage about Putin on Twitter and so on.

Celebrities like David Beckham and Sean Penn and all the rest, are leading initiatives and making documentaries and so on.

None of these people has said a word about the child victims of western bombs or bombings carried out by our "allies" or nations in an "alliance" with the West.

This is how it always is, every military escapade by "the West" is always covered primarily with an air of justification, we are reluctant participants, we have to act against "dictators" or "ethnic cleansing" and so on, "we" had little choice, whereas Putin is Hitler reincarnated, Russia is a threat to world peace and killing thousands of innocent people etc etc.

One clear fact here is that since WW2 the West has been in the driver's seat in every military conflict that touches upon Western "interests" for the first time since WW2 there is a war unfolding where we don't call the shots, do not control how the destruction unfolds, NATO is impotent here.