spooky lynx

There are lots of places to bring democracy. Just look at Persian Gulf absolute monarchies.

The ordinary people of Syria feel pretty good about killing everybody outside their clan or religious group during the struggle for power. So do ordinary people of Libya, Afghanistan and Iraq. If they have enough force - they will promote their own clan no matter of any freedom of speech or other democratic stuff. Arabs are similar to Caucasians in this way, and I live nearby the latter (and have both Caucasian and Arabian relatives BTW). So I know what I'm talking about. Arabs still have mostly clan-based relations, Europeans don't. We tried to bring European-kind relations on Caucasus, Middle Asia and Afghanistan. It was only partly successful until the fall of USSR and vanishing of the system that forced these people to live like Europeans. After 1991 all I see there is rebirth of clan-based relations, medieval traditions etc. Emirs and shaikhs can wear European suits but they won't become more democratic after putting it on.

At first please quote my words about my support of Putin and especially Kadyrov. At second I don't hate democracy but not everybody fully understands it. Some regions and nations must 'grow' for it. Now democracy doesn't suit to every country and nation. So I think every nation must go through its way just like Europeans did. Don't try to bring democracy to the nations that live with some ancient traditions and in absolute monarchies. They must do this in proper time by themselves without any external help.

I believe that people are different (I don't mean today's official European sh!tty multiculturalism and political correctness). And what suits to European country and people - may do not suite Middle Eastern one. I mean with all Arabian traditions, way of life and other things it's impossible to hold European-like country. Look at the Libya and Iraq. Yes, there were dictators ruling there. But at the same time they were stable and quiet countries without open religious or tribal wars and daily suicide bombings and terror acts. Dictators were removed, and what's happened? Civil war, insurgency, destruction of all infrastructure and crash of the economy. 'Free' elections but in the destroyed poor country with a little chance to recover. If you, Europeans feel almost like one nation, Arabs live in clans. Clan is the first, nation is the second. So all that clans will fight for gaining the power until new dictator arrives and holds all of them in iron hands. And I believe that all this mess called Arab spring doesn't have anything with civil rights etc. It's just simple spheres of influence redistribution. P.S. There's one 'golden' rule of the driver - don't touch anything if it works. So don't disrupt dictatorship if it helps to hold stable secular country. Things can turn worse without dictatorship in some regions. Sad but true.

Haven't you seen a funeral of murdered by bloody regime civilians, whose coffins bounced in the hands of the crowd at the end of the video?;) I've seen such 'funeral'. Those coffins with the corpses were empty and were made of cardboard. But the title of the video stated that it were true funeral of those who died because of the shelling by Assad's army. Special effects? Yes, you are quite right. Those Russians who live there saw the so called burning houses shelled by the army. In fact it were... burning tires and trash. But filmed from far distance. So, I can write a number of pages and describe dozens of ways to make a propaganda video, and show examples of that from both sides. But I won't do it because of one reason: some people believe too much in official agenda stating that Assad is murder and opposition consists of angels. Just like in old good times in my country - evil Imperialism, etc. I compare some hardcore commies and some people writing here and realize: sh!t, they are the same! Just change 'evil Western capitalists' to 'evil dictators (Assad, Mubarak, Hussein)' - and you'll get the same picture.

I saw plenty of that videos and haven't seen any connection between the video and its annotation in many cases. For example - "Dictator's bloody army shells civilians in al-Blah-blah", where something explodes near the crowd. Who knows for sure, what was this? Why should I trust the guys who have their own agenda? Maybe it's some C4 planted and detonated in front of the camera. So it's clear for me that this endless stream of videos showing 'evil dictatorship crimes' is nothing like another information war. And you may be banned on some forums just if you think that it's not good guys vs bad guys (freedom fighters vs dictator) story. I'm bored while reading Soviet-style comments 'Let's punish that douchebag that kills children and innocent civilians! And if you think different - you will be banned!'... Just like in old good times of Cold war. Hey, if you are so concerned about killed civilians and lack of freedom - why don't you bomb another dictatorships like KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, UAE? Oh wait, they are 'our SOBs' and host our military bases...

I'm registered there, and already received ban 'for posting unauthorized propaganda' in the Syrian topic (doubted that all that videos are true and told why I was doubt):) So I can say information war takes place there too. There were already fake videos of defected pilot with his Mi-24 (filmed at some museum of military hardware). There are some videos showing fake blood used by so called victims of evil dictatorship.

In the sunny day of 8th of august I've seen that many news agencies were telling that Russian tanks are advancing at poor innocent Georgia. But later they pardoned and said that tanks shown at those news were Georgian but not Russian. And it was not Gori but Tskhinval. All this was done after massive counter campaign by pro-Russian media. So I don't see anything strange when only Syrian government bad stuff is shown. Information war, nothing special.

Government posts its propaganda, rebels post their. Isn't it true freedom of speech? Or freedom is not for everyone?

I've read enough of Politkovskaya's articles and may say - they have not much common with really free and unbiased view and opinion. One fact - she fully admitted so called genocide of Chechens but refused to admit the same genocide of Russians in 1991-1994. Despite the well known facts that nobody killed Chechens only for their nation, but Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians and others were killed just because they were not belonging to Chechen nation. But she refused to understand it. So does she has right to be named as the example of the free press? P.S. Here's her words about it. Third question from the beginning (link in Russian). P.P.S. Translated via google, so I'm sorry for bad translation - lack of free time.:o

And what's the real influence and value of that outlets, and how many of them hold the topics about politics (both inner and foreign)? I know there are plenty of journals, sites, newspapers, TV channels etc. But do all of them have news and politics topics that affect public mind? Do all of them have large auditory? Not so many people are wise enough to analyze a number of different sources to get some kind of real info. P.S. You'd better not start offending the whole nation if you don't have anything wise to say to your opponent. Mkay?

Idiotic? Better prove the counter.

Sure, his (and other defectors' too) opinion is the same as the opposition agenda just accidentally! And he talks the same as western governments accidentally too, that's truth!:D Dear Pelham, I don't want to ruin your childish dreams but... There's no free press. At all. Everywhere. Press is called the 4th power (after judical, legislative and executive branches) not just for lulz. So your fetish called international media does not equal reliable, honest, impartial and free from somebody's influence source of information. Try to say something against LGBT or about black racism in western countries and you'll see how truly free are media. P.S. Those indexes do not refer any real things just because one things - they are made by engaged persons who have their own agenda, live in another country (doubt they've been in all the countries they list) and ways to count the index. I may establish my own agency and publish my own index of something, but it doesn't mean that it will reflect real thing in the country. So in 99,99999999999999% all that indexes of democracy/happiness/insert other stuff you want are just horse apples.

And he's defector and another 'spokesman' of opposition. So I ask again: does he have an option to say something else than that 'truth' about bloody regime killing innocent people, total support of population and other stuff?

And does he have an option to say something else?:confused:

I suppose that plane failed to get any info about air defense of that place before it was shot down. So there won't be any retaliation until proper intel will be gathered.

I thought that this plane would be something like gulf of Tonkin incident. But still there's no sh!tstorm over Syria.

I second this. Unfortunately still not everybody have good internet connection at home, so box version will be quite good solution.

Unfortunately it's the only available option for me now, since all the money were spent on the new apartments.:) So you say Quad is better for Arma than top Core 2 Duo?

I've decided to make a small gift for myself - changing CPU. Now I'm running Core 2 Duo E6550. The possible variants are something like double-core CPU with much higher core frequency and cache memory or quad-core CPU with not so much higher specs. Both on 775th socket (now I don't have enough finances to change MB and RAM, total budget is about $190). Which variant is better?

True. Instead of old T-55/-62 and first versions of T-72. We have enough of own tank reserves. But I'd be happy if our army will use those T-64B instead of that old T-72A and T-72B1. Those T-64Bs with remote NSVT station could save many lives in Chechnya and Dagestan.

Because only few people will be able to buy a PC which will run this 'united' sim at least with 25 fps.

Why wasteful? All this tanks can be sold to various African or Asian countries, moreover, they are sold regularly.

Glad to hear this. As for the T-55s, I don't see a reason to be aware. It was used some years ago, in the times of most famous modern battles of Macedonian army.

-Syria isn't far from main NATO bases. I shouldn't say it would be expensive to move some assets to Turkey and maybe Jordan. Also it won't take much time to move some naval assets through the Mediterrian sea. -One of the solutions of the crisis is some little war. Just like WW2 for USA. -I hadn't seen little support for the operation against Libya. On the countrary, even here I've seen plenty of people that wanted their countries to bomb Qaddafi. It fully depends on the media campaign. Even now I don't see lack of OEF support. -US military won't be fully refocused. And it will have a potential force capable to participate in a war against any Middle-Eastern country. Even with all that cutbacks and relocations it's easy to form a joint NATO force that will outnumber any Middle-Eastern air force.