Are US Republicans Putins best ally in the world?

NickAu and JohnnyBeeGood have learned nothing from history because they believe the fake news media that spoon feeds them on how to think and feel.

LOL!

Same old, same old.

Nothing changes. You support Putin and Russia's expansion into Europe.

You use defunding of defense as the means.

And have even claimed you wouldn't defend our nation until enemy troops were on our soil...an actual physical military invasion.

History....it didn't work well for Chamberlain.

In addition, you are against higher education, so it's doubtful you'd support any further funding.

Typical Trumpism.

Call for an adjustment and cancel it in the future.

Claim and later deny the claim.

Same old, same old.

And then phrase it as a job well done 

30,000 lies later.....

up and more of Hollywood would be in jail too at the same time. Time to clean up those drug addict sex crazed fools in California.

Yeah...California.

Yeah....we have them here in Ohio, too. They may not be actors, but they do act up. 

And they vote.

Some of those midwest Trump  rallies are quite 'colorful'.....

Just because I don't support wasting my tax mine on useless conflict doesn't mean I support Russia get that through your thick stubborn skull of yours. 

Other than when defunding the defense of the US....I've never seen you support any social necessity with out a future  contradictory claim.

So...it's an issue of credibility, rather ...the lack of it, Dan.

@ Dan:

Vietnam War was a waste
Middle Eastern conflict has been a waste
Ukraine has been a waste

The Vietnam war was a waste. Yes. Russian interests held sway. We lost.

The middle eastern conflicts did get out of hand under Bush and still continue.

However,

Ukraine will only be a waste if we defund military hardware support and and allow the advance of Russian dominance into Europe.

It's obvious. You do support Russian aggression.

If Trump had never been President, in many ways, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Obama did fail in his poor foreign policy of essentially allowing Russia to dominate Crimea.

Biden chose to stop further Russian expansion.

That's History.

Putin supplied funding for Trump's 2016 campaign.

That's also history.

Trump didn't support defending the Ukraine.

He still won't.

And why would US's foreign  policies be involved with Russia taking back the Crimea?

It is a Ukraine issue and hence it should be an European problem, not the US's problem.

OTOH I think the Europeans are really not that concerned over the Russia/Ukraine conflict or are actually doing any real serious trade embargo to Russia.

The Europeans want that Russian marketplace for their products and want the Russian energies, resources and supplies that they need to keep their economies going as normal as possible.

It is in their best interests not to get involved and let the Russians take over Ukraine.

Despite what our slanted media and politics keep telling us the very opposite is true. This Russia and Ukraine isn't just a conflict of  violence, but a war of economics and a superior economy would probably win. 

And the Russians have the upper hand in a war of economics with the Europeans collective. The Russians and Putin's policies are winning the war. 

"War is a mere continuation of policy with other means" quoted by Carl Clausewitz

see source: https://oll.libertyfund.org/page/clausewitz-war-as-politics-by-other-means

also see for reading:

https://www.militarystrategymagazine.com/special-editions/the-continuing-relevance-of-clausewitz/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_von_Clausewitz

Edited by 0lds0d, 21 January 2024 - 02:08 PM.

Are Ukrainian refugees in Canada here to stay?

Surveys in Europe show that one in three Ukrainian refugees feels they have become part of the community in their host country.

The same surveys show that a greater number would like to return home.

In March 2022, the world opened its doors to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war zone. The countries involved, though, did not always think it through.

“As the war drags on, we need to put in place effective long-term measures that allow host societies and displaced people to adapt to the upheaval resulting from this war,” said the director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), Michael O’Flaherty.

Although almost half the surveyed refugees reported feelings of depression, more than 60% percent expressed optimism for the future since arriving in their host country.

However, only about 1/3rd reported being in paid employment. Almost 80% said they faced financial problems.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has created the largest refugee crisis in Europe, since World War II.

According to data from the U.N. Refugee Agency, more than 8 million Ukrainian refugees fled to another European country since the beginning of the war.

About 4.8 million have applied to a temporary protection scheme in an EU country.

Since publication of these statistics, large numbers of Ukrainians have begun returning home.

Ukraine was not expected to last long, against the Russian army. Ukrainians were already aware of the brutality of Russian policy toward Ukraine.

(Russian soldiers have admitted that they were ordered to "Shoot everyone. Soldiers and Civilians", as they advanced through Ukrainian territory.)

Ukrainians refugees have begun to feel more secure, as the Russian advance has stopped, and the AFU have taken back some of the occupied territory.

The flow of refugees from Ukraine slowed to a trickle, and is starting to reverse.

So, what made Canada so different from Europe?

Polls indicate that at lease half of the Ukrainians who fled to Canada intend to stay.

Two major factors influence Ukrainian refugees in Canada.

Firstly, they are not considered refugees. They do not meet the definition, under Canadian immigration policy.

Although they are at risk of a bomb falling on their home, they are not being persecuted by their own country.

That makes them "Displaced People", as opposed to a refugee who is seeking asylum.

So, the Government of Canada created "The Canada‑Ukraine authorization for emergency travel", a program specifically aimed at Ukrainian refugees.

The program was hastily written, and had many flaws.

Ukrainians arriving in Canada under the program are considered temporary residents. This means they can work and study in Canada for three years.

However, unlike refugees, they did not have permanent residency when they landed.

This meant that they don't get social assistance in some provinces.

That included things like Health Care, enrolment in publicly funded schools, and English/French second language instruction.

It also meant that they would have to pay international students fees if they wanted to go to university.

The program underwent several changes, and with the help of Provincial Governments and Ukrainian-Canadian organizations, many restrictions have been dealt with.

The program, however, ended in July 2023.

The program has been replaced with a new one, that provides for those who came to Canada on the original one. It is a fast track to permanent residency.

The fast track is tied to the second factor that made Canada an attractive destination for Ukrainians.

Permanent residence for Ukrainian nationals with family members in Canada

As of October 23 2023, you can apply for the new permanent residence pathway for Ukrainians

if you’re a Ukrainian national who is already in Canada, and

the family member of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

This is an incentive that many of the Ukrainians, who fled to Canada because of the war, are taking up.

Due, of course, to the reason many of them chose Canada as a destination, in the first place.

They had family members already here.

That is because of Canada's relationship with Ukrainian immigrants, since the late 19th century.

In 1896, a federal program sought to settle the Prairies with Eastern European farmers by promoting Canada as the “Last Best West.”

Huge numbers of immigrants came from the provinces of Bukovyna and Galicia, then under control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

As these ethnic Ukrainians began to make a life for themselves, they encouraged more to follow.

Canada offered households 160 acres for the price of $10. Thousands of Ukrainians came to Canada.

The 1901 Canadian census listed 5,682 Ukrainians in Canada.

In 1911, the number had soared to 75,432, about 1% of the population.

The Russian/Ukrainian War in 1919-1921, the Holodomor, and forced deportation, increased the numbers, again.

By 1931, Ukrainians comprised 2.2 per cent of Canada’s population.

Even after the Trudeau government, (Pierre the father, not Justin the son), changed immigration laws in the 1970s,

allowing for huge numbers of former Commonwealth, as well as Asians into Canada.

Ukrainian immigration continued to be significant.

Between the independence of Ukraine in 1991, to the end of the 20th century, 23,000 people left Ukraine for Canada.

After 2001, roughly 2,500 immigrated per year.

As of the 2016 census, there were 1.36 million people in Canada who call themselves Ukrainian. That was about 4% of the population.

By 2016, Canada was home to the second-largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world, behind Russia.

The Russian one is questionable, as the majority of it was forced under the Soviet Union.

Even today, Putin has ordered all people in occupied Ukrainian territory to surrender their Ukrainian citizenship and obtain Russian passports.

So, it looks like a lot of the displaced Ukrainians who came here, came to stay.

That is, of course, until they get their Canadian passports. Canada allows for dual citizenship, and I suspect that once the war is over, things may change.

The Ukrainian economy, which is switching to a war footing, is growing.

In my opinion, when the Russians are gone, and Ukraine is an EU and NATO member, it will become a destination of choice, and investment.

Cheers!

Naught

Sources:

https://www.politico.eu/article/third-ukraine-refugees-eu-return-home-survey-fra/ February 28, 2023

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/ukraine-measures/settlement/welcome-canada.html

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/timeline/ukrainian-canadian-history

Stability of Europe. Of which the US has treaties with and NATO involvement.

OTOH I think the Europeans are really not that concerned......

You do obviously think that and some Euro leaders do seem to be backing down.

If it's an argument they should do more to resist Russian agression, I agree.

The Europeans want that Russian marketplace for their products and want the Russian energies

Indeed, self interest.

The cost of indulgence will only intensify over time.

That's the typical result of appeasing an aggressor.

This Russia and Ukraine isn't just a conflict of  violence, but a war of economics and a superior economy would probably win.

Indeed, it's exactly why Russia desperately needed the ports of Crimea and now of Ukraine.

To improve and expand their future. The need for access to competitive transportation. Security in their future.  The need for more warm water ports.

I really get tired of all the bogus Reasons that Russia is aggressive, and the denial.

Here's an intelligent treatise on the subject of Russia's involvement in starting hostilities.

There is more than one reason Russia needs those warm water ports of Ukraine and Crimea.

And they are taking them by force as the Russian Federation intends to expand. It's a 'long game'.

https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/05/20/what-is-russia-doing-in-black-sea-pub-84549

You won't find this on Fox News, NewsMax or X.

Not much in main stream media either.

Which is why I said "Canada has done it's part for Ukraine - we let in many many Ukraine immigrants. Almost all are staying in Canada  and never going back home, ever."

Not refugees. Immigrants.

There was a refugee crisis when the Russians started to take over some of Eastern Europe some years ago, but I have not any figures as to how  many went and to where.

Oh by the way what was the world doing when Russia took over the Eastern Europeans - again they did nothing. Just like today with Ukraine.

"And they are taking them by force as the Russian Federation intends to expand. It's a 'long game'."

Indeed. China is also playing the long game with not just building a superior military force but is building up for an economic war.

Taxes. LOL I don't pay any taxes at all! 

Oh by the way what was the world doing when Russia took over the Eastern Europeans - again they did nothing. Just like today with Ukraine.

After a devastating world war....obviously few were up for further confrontations.

And I think you just proved my point.

What happens to unchecked aggression. More aggression.