I have learned two things from watching this war unfold. First, most people get their news only from sources which support their world view. Second, most people are unable to walk in an opponent's shoes and assess their character. Their emotions make accurate analysis impossible.
I remember the Iraq war and all the emotions and propaganda of the time well. We were constantly lied to and drawn into supporting a nasty, murderous war of choice in which hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians died. I believed those lies at the time and supported the war, and only over time did I see how badly I'd been fooled. I'll not be taken in like that again.
I'll take some of your ideas and discuss:
They are losing a lot these days in spite of trying to redeem themselves, if you can call it that, by using sheer force and cruelty to try and salvage a win.
They are not losing, and Ukrainian casualty figures are not any more to be trusted than Russian figures. They are also not using "sheer force and cruelty" to win. My evidence: The lights, internet, water and sewage are still on in all the major cities. A single missile strike can wreck those things in an instant and Russia clearly can place missiles where it wants.
The economy of his country is being destroyed overnight.
They are having some economic difficulties, that much is clear. But destroyed? No. The Ruble has recovered all its value since the beginning of the war and they are finding ready trading partners outside of Europe. My evidence: India just announced they will buy Russian coal and oil, and some of the European countries are signaling they'll pay in Rubles for Russian exports.
Even China is sitting on the fence watching to see how he comes out of this.
China's neutrality is a sham. They have not joined the war but they are certainly not against it. They are FIRM Russian allies because they know they must all hang together, or they'll all hang separately. My evidence: Russia and China have regularly held joint military exercises together for many years, and officials on all levels meet with each other regularly.
They may have just sunk a massive modern missile ship.
It was a command ship and it was 40 years old.
This man has nothing to live for. He will never again stand on the world’s stage as a feared equal.
Nonsense. He is authoritarian and undemocratic but he's a nationalist and the most wily and effective leader they've had in a century. He is currently wildly popular which is to be expected at the start of a war. You're reading his character and intentions through Western eyes and missing the mark.
You're getting your news from people who want you to support the war and maybe consent to entering it with American troops on the ground. You are being propagandized. I know you'll probably resent my message and hate me for it, but I'm saying it anyway. Try and look for alternative voices.
One day you're going to wake up and see the war end with news of a Russian victory in Ukraine of some sort, just as the more honest American generals have predicted. The propagandists will have been saying everything was fine and that Russia was losing right up to the moment when Ukraine came to terms. There will be an effort to spin this defeat as a Ukrainian victory, but if you look closely you'll see the Russians took and held territory and wrecked the Ukrainian capacity for war.
When this happens, take a moment and reflect why the news you were watching and trusted were wrong, and how they could be so badly off the mark. Hate me now, fine, but remember this post for that future moment when you realize you've been misled. Then shore up your defenses and don't let them do it to you again.
Good luck.
