So how are y'all preparing for the Apocalypse?

[Fish Owl]

In Ukraine media always praise European Union as an example of greatest living standards and culture. People who don't know other languages are confident that Europeans never litter on streets or commit petty crimes, they are always polite and their economy is superior to ours because they work like 14 hours a day never stealing anything. And their politicians never involve themselves with business and corruption always serving Greater Good.

I find it soooo ridiculously funny. Hilarious to listen to this propaganda knowing that crime rate in Brussels or Paris is much higher than in Kiev.

Not one of my American friends who has travelled overseas has ever made that claim.

I think the best place to live is some tiny island nation like Nauru, Pitcairn or Tuvalu. All big countries claiming to be "great" are equally bad one way or the other.

 

[Av Demeisen]

Yes, it's better here. No, it's not a utopia. And that propaganda is, of course, not emanating from the EU.

 

[Av Demeisen]

I think the best place to live is some tiny island nation like Nauru, Pitcairn or Tuvalu. All big countries claiming to be "great" are equally bad one way or the other.

EU countries do not (currently) claim to be the Greatest Nation on Earth, God's Country. That kind of exceptionalism is an American affliction or disease if you like.

 

[Fish Owl]

EU countries do not (currently) claim to be the Greatest Nation on Earth, God's Country.

at least for the last 71 years And I don't think a lot of common Americans are making such claims anyway.

 

[Av Demeisen]

at least for the last 71 years And I don't think a lot of common Americans are making such claims anyway.

If that's what you are fed by your media both now and behind the iron curtain, don't believe the lie. American exceptionalism is a very different animal.

 

[Fish Owl]

If that's what you are fed by your media both now and behind the iron curtain, don't believe the lie. American exceptionalism is a very different animal.

There is no iron curtain now. At least in media. I can read anything any news agency I want in English. I think you are being to harsh to Americans.

 

[N. E. White]

I think you are being to harsh to Americans.

I wouldn't say that. Av Demeisen's statements might be tinged with regret and frustration right now, but they are fairly accurate.

 

[Matthew Hughes]

Compare an Amtrak train to an Italian high-speed, an American interstate to a French highway, an international airport anywhere in Europe to one anywhere in the US. Americans think they're leading the world only because they've never seen the world.

 

[Fish Owl]

Americans think they're leading the world only because they've never seen the world.

Sadly this is the most common problem for all nations, not only Americans. My friend from Singapore was annoyed beyond measure when he learned that a lot of people here view Asian countries as underdeveloped and primitive nations. This is actually encouraged by government. As I mentioned above everything European is considered superior to Asians. Our politicians even have the nerve to tell people “we need to switch from Mongolian Asiatic brutality and barbarity back to European culture where we belong”. I find it disgusting. They are far worse than Trump but nobody cares.

 

[N. E. White]

They are far worse than Trump but nobody cares.

I think folks do care, but they are focused on USA politics right now because the USA has so much influence throughout the world right now. I guess.

I find it disgusting.

We can agree on that!

 

[Av Demeisen]

I think folks do care, but they are focused on USA politics right now because the USA has so much influence throughout the world right now. I guess.

Once Trump throws all climate agreement deals in the trash the planet is fucked.

 

[Fish Owl]

I think folks do care, but they are focused on USA politics right now because the USA has so much influence throughout the world right now. I guess.

Nah, nobody cares. Because they are only politicians from non influential country and don’t make any speeches in English. The worst part is reading about them in European and US media. They portrait straightforward fascists like some kind of “heroes of democracy”. Remember Rambo 3 where Rambo literaly assisted bin Laden.

 

[Av Demeisen]

That should read VPN. (For example.)

link

 

[Av Demeisen]

Nah, nobody cares. Because they are only politicians from non influential country and don’t make any speeches in English. The worst part is reading about them in European and US media. They portrait straightforward fascists like some kind of “heroes of democracy”. Remember Rambo 3 where Rambo literaly assisted bin Laden.

We have always cared about Ukraine's problems. We also care about the 283 people on flight MH17 murdered by Ukrainian separatists and the Russian military. And reading and hearing Russia's denials and not being able to get justice for the victims and their families is awful.

 

[Fish Owl]

We have always cared about Ukraine's problems.

I'm very scared when I hear this after remembering how much US and EU previously cared about Afganistan, Iraq, Lybia, Syria etc. I remember how good living in Ukraine was when nobody cared about us.

 

[Matthew Hughes]

Nah, nobody cares.

There are a lot of Ukrainian-Canadians, especially in western Canada. Ukraine's situation is of concern to many of us. We just don't see much that we can practically do about it, other than to urge both sides to settle their differences peacefully. If we were asked to help do that, we would -- and there are plenty of Ukrainian-Canadians with the kind of expertise that would be useful.

 

[Fish Owl]

f we were asked to help do that, we would -- and there are plenty of Ukrainian-Canadians with the kind of expertise that would be useful.

In my opinion best way to stop this kind of conflict is to leave it to the people of the country. The worst case scenario is “helping the people overthrow evil dictator” like in Iraq and Syria. It will only lead to big war and more casualties than any dictator can cause.

 

[Av Demeisen]

That's exactly the opposite of what Russia is doing.

 

[Fish Owl]

That's exactly the opposite of what Russia is doing.

All superpowers have similar methods. US don't bother to involve itself directly only because modern Ukranian political elite is 100% pro-US. In my opinion Ukraine made huge mistake when we decided not to be neutral and applied to join EU and NATO. It was obvious how Russia would react. But pro-Westerners here believed US and EU will come to protect us. Same go for Pro-Russian population of Donbas who believed Russian army would interfere directly like they did in Crimea. So important lesson to be learned here: don’t involve yourself with superpowers and their interests.

 

[Matthew Hughes]

best way to stop this kind of conflict is to leave it to the people of the country.

I agree. And if Ukraine wanted help in facilitating talks, we would help. But first Russia would have to step out of the picture and leave it to the Ukrainians.