“People think, increasingly it appears, that we shouldn’t be doing this. Well, let me start by saying we haven’t lost a single American in this war,” McConnell said. “Most of the money that we spend related to Ukraine is actually spent in the US, replenishing weapons, more modern weapons. So it’s actually employing people here and improving our own military for what may lie ahead.”

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/4085063

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[–] infuziSporg@hexbear.net 22 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Russia after Yeltsin

Russia during Yeltsin rolled in the tanks on its own parliament. The absence of foreign invasions was not for lack of malice, but for lack of capability.

The reason why ex-Warsaw Pact countries are flocking to NATO is because when the communists left power, the reactionaries resurged. And naturally the reactionaries in power wanted to be part of a right-wing alliance. But no matter what revanchists might tell you, living standards across Eastern Europe were better in the 1980s than they were in the 2000s.

[–] Frank@hexbear.net 3 points 1 year ago

Yeah, Russia had nukes. That's the only thing that will stop NATO.

[–] navorth@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I live in eastern Europe, and I agree that the 90s and early 2000 sucked for us. Big time. My country government absolutely botched the transition to free market economy.

Still, I feel we traded stable but shit for volatile yet hopeful.

[–] silent_water@hexbear.net 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

there's no way to sell public infrastructure to the highest bidder that won't result in a massive drop in quality of life. it's got very little to do with your government and entirely to do with the introduction of bourgeois rule.

[–] navorth@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

I'd agree in a vacuum. Even though I'd prefer state owned stuff, quality of life does not depend solely on who owns the infrastructure.

Stuff we take for granted like buying food product at the deli (meat, cheese) required either being lucky, knowing the right people or having US dollars in your pocket.

[–] Frank@hexbear.net 19 points 1 year ago

The only way the transition was "botched" was that the west wasn't able to loot as much as they wanted.