I’ve never gotten that error. I haven’t spent a dime on this game in years.
I think its pretty safe to say Baal and I agree on very, very ,very little. Besides I don’t like or even respect the man. So… 
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Not many do and I get why honestly
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Me on the other hand? I’ve lost count the amount money I spent on this game 
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Ukraine is a situation to be cautiously optimistic on. The future of the Russian Federation is not. I remain uncertain if Ukraine can retake Crimea anytime soon as Russia has had way longer to dig in there, but the mobilization is a last-ditch effort that will probably exacerbate rather than improve Russian fortunes.
The primary purpose for Russian revanchism is not resources but nationalism.
Corruption and fascism are both key issues here but there’s more at stake that really underlines the complete lack of expertise that Russia has at the moment.
- The Russian military has been systematically undermined in ways unavoidable, avoidable, and incidental. (Perhaps a better wording would be both systematic and systemic?) The Soviet Union’s level of mobilization was completely unsustainable even for itself by the end, and triply so for a smaller country, smaller population, with smaller resources. Trade with the West led to a vampiric structure where key government functions were sold off (either effectively or literally) to enrich specific individuals. Serdyukov made some moves in the early part of the century to adapt Russia to a more feasible military standpoint, but his policies infringed upon the immediate enrichment of oligarchs, so he was dismissed. But it’s not merely a top-down process; there is a casual disrespect for the Russian military ingrained to the point where individual bases are usually beholden to the mob, and even within itself, the dysfunction of the Russian military is legendary. Enlistment is a short process, there is effectively no institutional memory and less training, while the hazing and harassment they commit upon one another is… Well, not being an expert on it, I hesitate to say more in detail lest I basically give in to lurid sensationalism, but it’s enough to destroy morale.
- Russian nationalism is sort of a “we’re the best by default” stage. No country does not engage in propaganda, but while many countries rely primarily on a sort of blinding ego stroke where you don’t see the flaws and a touch of direct cover-up, the Russian strategy of maintaining tacit popular support, preceding the RF and going straight back to the USSR, relies heavily on convincing the people that everything sucks for everyone everywhere and you’re just not going to get a better deal anywhere else. This leads to a very thin sort of pride that does not entice voluntary sacrifice.
- Russia handled Ukraine in a very poor way over the last eight years – they acted with hostility and then basically stopped, leaving most of the country alone, before continuing eight years later. This was a constraint of pragmatism, because they would have been risking too much if they went straight for the entirety of the nation eight years ago, but in effect they vaccinated Ukraine against Russia. The aggression instilled a self-preservation instinct in the people, resurfaced old fears, and gave the government and military a jolt – with a real possibility of danger on their northeastern flank, fleecing others for money became less important. Corrupt revanchists and sincere people wishing for peace found something to agree on and spent a lot of time hoping for the best, preparing for the worst, with training and anti-corruption measures that have distinguished Ukraine from the majority of the post-Soviet states militarily over that time.
- My big point I initially forgot to include: Putin bungled this. Everyone with satellite imaging saw the military build-up coming, the question was whether it was going to be a threat or a full-scale invasion. Nevertheless, Putin insisted on keeping key elements a secret from his own military (see: casual disrespect) which prevented them from using what expertise they did have positively. He did not, however, keep China out of the loop. China didn’t particularly care one way or the other, but Putin did understand he would need their economic support. But China didn’t want this to overshadow the Olympics, so Putin agreed to delay the invasion, per Western intelligence. In so doing, he had the invasion start in the worst possible season for tanks: mud season. As the Russian military’s greatest offensive strengths are all mechanized vehicles – tanks and artillery – this was a death sentence to the element of surprise.
Without all four of these factors, I am legitimately uncertain Ukraine would have made it. I don’t claim to be a prophet; I didn’t seriously think Ukraine would last as long as it has. But I’ve spent the last half year reading a bit from the people who saw this second phase of the Russian invasion coming from 2021 (with evidence and receipts of such) and I think I’ve read well enough to synthesize the main points.
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Russia needs to be defeated so badly and economy so completely shattered that any other country (looking at you china) thinks they can just annex a country with force will always fail.
I like to think the west learned its lesson with the middle-east and north africa.
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Wow, you are so knowledgeable!
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I am flattered I give that illusion, but trust me, there is a lot I don’t know crap about, lol. I mostly just hope no one notices me when there’s something I know nothing about that I should!
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You brighten this place up twinkle. Just wanted you to know that 
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I don’t want to get banned for politics but I work with several ukranians that recently fled Ukrain. I was in a conversation with them and mentioned “Yeah Russian government sucks but I feel sorry for the average russians” You know… blame the government, not the people.
I got a weird looks from them and they explained to me even the average russian in their experience are horrible people. It’s all biased and subjective experiences from them, I don’t think you can really generalize an entire nation under one single stereotype but… after decades of dehumanizing others and advocating your own exceptionalism its not too unimaginable to believe some people really believe the propaganda.
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Some of the worst and well known dictators have used propaganda quite effectively. It’s especially useful when a country is going through rough times economically and a scapegoat is needed to put the problems on
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One thing to keep in mind as well is the Global power balance, which from what I can tell is the main catalyst for the invasion. I am kind of too lazy and busy to get into a lot of detail, so here is a short version.
There is a bit of a debate when it comes to energy in Europe. Countries like Germany, who are pushing towards Wind and Solar and away from Fossil Fuels and Nuclear have become reliant on Russian Natural Gas to have power. Countries like France, who have rather sophisticated Nuclear energy grid, are far less reliant.
This essentially means that the EU is economically dependent on Russian Natural Gas which was fed into Europe from Ukrainian Pipelines. Which proposes significant complications to Russia if Ukraine was to join the EU and NATO, given sanctions placed on Russia in 2014.
The Annexation of Crimea was another issue involving Missile Defense, which is a tale as old as the Cold War.
Long story short, the US kind of out maneuvered Russia and forced them into a lose-lose situation. negotiating Missile Defense treaties with Ukraine, sanctioning their natural gas distribution, letting them build a pipeline and not letting them use it after it was finished.
it does not justify Russia invading a Sovereign nation, but politics is a mean game. And it is just a shame that the Russian people are caught in the middle of it, and their leader is a corrupt Communist who will sooner destroy the entire world before appearing weak.
My mother is a terrible person. (I promise this tangent has a relevant point).
Not everything that she does that I dislike is terrible in the sense that it is unforgivable, not understandable. My mother was born at the end of the Japanese occupation of Korea, and both she and I – her far more than me – saw the aftermath of the incredible evils committed by the invaders over the 70 years they first ensnared, and then directly conquered, Korea. Even as a kid, I saw the scars that that left on my grandfather, who was conscripted by them.
My mother did not take well to a Japanese person I was dating for a while. “Did not take well” is probably too kind, honestly. I fought with her and I did not give one inch – because if I was willing to give that inch, then I would have been letting my partner down. But at the same time, I get it, even decades after the liberation of Korea. And it’s not something I would have tolerated from my father if he had shown the same thing. It is great when a victim of such… I don’t even know how to describe it, nationalized? violence can overcome that viewpoint, but it’s asking a lot. And it’s asking even more when that violence is actively ongoing and there’s still a fear that their country and fellow nationals will not even exist soon.
I think it is great for all of us to keep such separation in our minds, but I understand, at least a little bit, where those Ukrainians are coming from.
I didn’t go at length into the causes of the war as opposed to the causes of the military failure Russia has displayed, but suffice to say I do agree that fuel was a contributing factor; however, I think it ascribes too much ‘materially interested rational actor’ to the situation to place it as the key feature.
And no, Vladimir Putin is absolutely not a communist. I don’t want to discuss political philosophies at length, but he self-describes in that way less than the Kim Dictatorship does at this point (which is already quite minor) and his actions and government are not consistent with either the ideal form of that political philosophy, nor the dysfunctional ideological core of the Soviet Union. He is informed by the most powerful and effective leaders of centuries of Russian history, but what leader isn’t informed by their nation’s past?
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“Understandable racism” is never a pleasant subject to discuss. I would be a victim of it in some people’s eyes.
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I am not always sure that understanding is the best way forward. I’ve definitely ‘understood’ my way into excusing things that, in hindsight, were not excusable and I’ve got a lot to make up for with what I casually enabled. But… nevertheless, understanding is what I try to do when I am uncertain of a clearly better answer.
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I seriously wonder if any of the common habitual serial posters / arguers on this forum are older than 30.
Just a curious thought.
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I’m only 20. I’m chronically online, and have been getting into online arguments since I was 12 or so. Most people here are much older than I am, however, or at least half a decade older.
Young people are pretty uncommon in WoW.
Edit: double post.
I mean, ex-KGB. Has aspirations of resurrecting the institutions of the Soviet Union. That is about as Communist as it gets, but I see what you mean. The difference between Communist and Fascist is subtle. Frankly, I think Fascism is just byproduct of a late-stage communist system.
I was surprised that Ukraine managed to hold on to any land and still exist. I thought the Russians would move fast with massive numbers and ruthless abandon. I suppose I underestimated the will of the Ukrainians to maintain an independent nation.
And I can see why. If they accepted Russian rule, Putin would just draft them to fight another war against non NATO countries. Like the Chechens, who fought against the Russians, but are now being rounded up to fight in Ukraine.
I saw a news story where some Chechen soldiers in the Russian army basically switched sides and are fighting for Ukraine, because of what the Russians did to Chechnya.
It boggles my mind when I see people suggest we should just let Russia take Ukraine, and stop arming their defense. Ukraine is acting like the bulwark of democracy, and NATO is the arsenal. I hope we continue to help them for as long as they wish to fight for their freedom. At least they are holding back Putin’s land grab for Europe.
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