• RiverRock@lemmy.ml
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    9 months ago

    It’s a common misconception that imperialism means “military action against another country” when in reality, it’s more like a sea slug projecting it’s stomach outward to feed on another society’s resources and labor. We don’t consider the actions of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War, for example, to be imperialism: we recognize that campaign as an anti-imperial action aimed at dislodging a US-installed puppet government which was put there for the purpose of maintaining a western neocolony.

    • F_State@midwest.social
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      9 months ago

      When you conquer a neighboring country, you gain their labor and resources. Russia is attempting to conquer a neighboring country because it was previously a part of the Russian Empire (which literally has empire in the name). You have to bury your head in the sand pretty deeply to pretend otherwise.

      • RiverRock@lemmy.ml
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        9 months ago

        the Russian Empire (which literally has empire in the name)

        That was a century and two governments ago my guy. That’d be like me saying that Hungary is intent on reestablishing the Austro-Hungarian empire: hilarious fanfiction.

        So what you’re saying is that Russia intends to take over Ukraine because the Russian government wants to return to the status quo of 110 years ago because…reasons. Even though doing that would put NATO directly across a newly destabilized border. Yeah man, sounds like a plan.

        Ukraine is a basket case state, Russia does not want to be responsible for administrating it and stomping out decades of Banderite insurgencies. It’s a drain. It’s in their interest to let Europe shoulder that burden. It’s US corporations that are intent on snatching all their minerals and real estate as usurious repayment for the equipment the puppet government used in their doomed ethnic cleansing campaign. Same mafia shit the US has been doing forever.

    • Archangel1313@lemmy.ca
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      9 months ago

      That description fits Russia’s actions towards Ukraine, perfectly. Putin sees Ukraine as a vassal state, that belongs to Russia. He believes that allowing it the illusion of independence was a mistake, and he intends to reabsorb it into the Russian Federation empire.

      Ukrainians on the other hand, do not view themselves as Russian, or even “belonging to Russia”. It is not the same as a single people having a civil war. It is a fight for independence from a larger colonial force, intent on destroying their cultural independence and stealing their land and resources.