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consumer451

> I wonder why Russia gets a pass from the left and right on being pretty brutal colonial empire.

Can you give some examples of what you are talking about here, and in what countries?

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The entire expansion of Russia eastward across Asia to the Pacific ocean?

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

I am well aware of Russian Imperialism.

Are you talking about the left and the right in the USA?

Who aside from modern US Republicans is giving them a pass?

pretty much everyone on the left too. Outside of Chechen wars I've never seen Russia criticised for it's colonial practices from prominent figures on the left.

Jeremy Corbyn has consistently criticised Putin's aggression since Georgia - far more consistently than anyone else on the Right or the Left in the UK.

https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-corbyn-interview-russia-ceas...

This is for countries that gained independence from Russia not 100s of nations that are still part of it. Plus he parrots so many Russian talking points on stop arming Ukraine that it's not a very good look.

It's been understated in the US because the US did something similar marching westward across the continent.

Are you equating the control that the USA exerts over countries like Holland, Germany, and France with the control that The Kremlin exerted over countries like Poland, Lithuania, and Georgia?

No, I'm equating the subjugation of low population density areas of Siberia and such with the conquest of North America from its native peoples.

OK, I totally misread that. In that case, that was a while ago. I mean does Belgium turn a blind eye towards Russian massacres in Ukraine because of their history in Congo?

Belgium no longer holds the Congo. The US still holds this huge chunk of North America. It's easier to be moral when it's not in conflict with your own selfish interests.

Mostly US.

How does "the left" give them a pass exactly?

Until recently, both Dems and Reps were happy to fund and expand NATO, which is basically and anti-russian expansion org. Now Republicans seem to have an issue with that though.

I just don't understand what you mean by "Russia has gotten a pass?"

None in russia's ruling class believes NATO is anti-russia that's a TV talking point for the masses.

The talking point afaik, is that NATO is coming to kill all russians, in Russia.

The goal of NATO is to defend members against invasion. Who tends to invade those nations? Russia. BTW, I am fully in support in NATO.

I think it's fair to say that NATO is an anti-Russian imperialist organization.

Hmm Russia can stop invading other countries ... In reality all of Russian elite was living in the west prior to the war. Lavrov's daughter in US Lavrov's Mistress and their children in UK. Putin's daughter in Netherlands and other daughter in South Korea and so on. Medvedev's son in California etc.

Chomsky, Greenwald and the lot.

Greenwald ain't left anymore. Hasn't been for a decade now.

Then please post direct quotes by Chomsky and prove it for everyone. The guy always gets defamed and everyone likes to put words into his mouth.

I don't see any evidence that either of these two have influence on "the left's" policies as seen by actions and laws passed.

Caitlin Johnstone is a lefty shilling for Russia. Chomsky blames NATO expansionism for the war.

I see lots of such posts by my lefty friends with nary a mention of Russian culpability.

https://caitlinjohnstone.substack.com/p/its-not-okay-for-gro... https://www.afr.com/world/europe/chomsky-we-re-approaching-t...

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