fascinating stuff honestly, I'm really glad I'm not a Russian! (a sentence I have said to myself more than once)Dave wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 9:14 pmThere is a dude behind him more powerful and in command. An older gentleman, and, pulls a lot of Putin's strings. Never mentioned in the press, either Russian or American. We're all uncertain what happens when he goes.... since, well, a power vacuum his size is something unimaginable. He's a lynch pin Oligarch, the true dude behind the throne and he's as old as hell.. like the Emperor in Star Wars to Darth Vader... we all look at Darth, but, his Sith Lord is where the action is at.Caylus Ark wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2024 6:03 pm
Nobody is forcing him.
What a lunatic.
"in too deep" - if he withdrew, his people would cannibalize him, I'd think.
Here's the thing, not only does he keep Putin in line, he keeps the other Oligarchs in line. He's from the cold war days (yes, that old) and no one knows what happens when he goes... could very well be the start of another Gangsta' Russia - violence in the streets and people running for the hills. He's the guy who ended the last one. No one like him - even vaguely - to put a stop to it this time.
Prior to this recent conflict there were a number of local "governors" that had major power, and fighting forces... non-oligarchs, just strong men. Their number has been whittled down to basically nothing now. Heck, several have fled the country too - AND - lost all of their troops.
It's not just the weapons we're "using up - we're using up the regional powers. The place is basically going to be .... un-governed when the hidden dude goes, and Putin shortly after. I have no idea, truly, what will replace all of it. Nothing? Make it a big ol' park? I have not heard a single plan, and, haven't considered one myself. It's a huge tract of land to leave as wild and un-populated. Were it not for the muslims in the west of China, I'd guess it'd just become some part of a.... hey.... wait a minute... a caliphate? Oh, well, that's unlikely given that the caliph people are otherwise engaged right now in keeping what they have.... or are they?
Hmmm.... plot thickens even as the soup gets thinner.
~Dave
Maybe we can use it like we used to use Australia and send all the assholes to play king of the hill?
Instead of, "so you want to be a millionaire", we can host, "so you want to be a tsar?" and all the power hungry insane people can just go fight over it.
IDK.