**** Elections thread *****

[wufwugy]

The coming reestablishment of a healthy relationship between Russia and the West is exciting. The Russian Communist era was dreadful, but it was a blip. Russian civic standards have long pulled from classicism, just like the West. Natural allies. Similar values.

[BananaStand]

The coming reestablishment of a healthy relationship between Russia and the West is exciting. The Russian Communist era was dreadful, but it was a blip. Russian civic standards have long pulled from classicism, just like the West. Natural allies. Similar values.

I agree that the hand-wringing over Russia is far far far far overblown across the media. But let's not pretend like they're nice guys who got a bad rap.

They've done enough bad stuff just in the last half decade (Ukraine, Syria) to still be considered a problem. Calling any relationship we have with them "healthy" is delusional in my opinion.

[wufwugy]

I agree that the hand-wringing over Russia is far far far far overblown across the media. But let's not pretend like they're nice guys who got a bad rap.

They've done enough bad stuff just in the last half decade (Ukraine, Syria) to still be considered a problem. Calling any relationship we have with them "healthy" is delusional in my opinion.

Russia has a lot of problems in its government. Deeming terrible the actions in Ukraine and Syria by the western media is more about a narrative than sensible analyses. Those actions were about defending its warm water seaports in a way that comes as no surprise. Some is also about defending Christians against Islamism.

I'm not a fan of defending Russia, but the western media gets it wrong. Russia's actions make a great deal of sense given its geopolitical concerns, and it's far less aggressive in hegemony than the West is.