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Corruption is rampant on both sides, and probably equally balanced; but one side knows it is corrupt, because the used notes have been shoved into their back-pockets; while the other believes that it is essentially pure because the vast bribes are all mediated, indirect and structural.
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One side pretends to be altruistic but wants to keep-hold of what it has and ensure that more is not taken from it; while the other side pretends to be altruistic but is covertly destructive: is motivated mainly by destroying the enemy and the enemies possessions (even at the cost of destroying itself and its own possessions - for this side bilateral destruction is a feature, not a bug).
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One side lies to outsiders; the other side lie to themselves.
One side believes that reality is reality; the other side believes that reality is a perception, and perception is a product of propaganda, and propaganda is pervasive.
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The rulers of one side are Christian. Dishonestly hypocritical and backsliding Christians - but believing that Christianity is the truth: Christianity is the bottom line.
The rulers of the other are anti-Christian even when self-identified as Christian; and believe that the bottom line is that there is no bottom line.
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One side is selfishly self-interested - and will behave in a predictably self-interested way; the other side is just insane.
Who knows what they will do?
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5 comments:
A brilliant and accurate assessment of the crisis, Prof. Charlton. I believe the insanity of the West can be epitomized by a statement John Kerry made shortly after Russian forces entered the Crimea region to defend its naval bases:
“You just don’t invade another country on phony pretext in order to assert your interests,” John Kerry said during an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press.
It's all very understandable to dream that Putin will be the great white hope, but Russia is a demographic basket case. More pregnancies end in abortion than live birth. Pensioners are the fastest growing portion of the Russian population. And despite Putin's best efforts the population is still in decline. Russian military moral is low and the desertion rate is high. Russia has small industrial base and outside of gas and vodka there is little that the world purchases from Russia.
The west is decadent, but Russia isn't far behind. And at least the US has a positive birth/death rate. Other than ballistic nuclear weapons there isn't much reason to fear Russia.
@stats - Your comment bears no relationship to my posting. You are reading into what I wrote something that isn't there but which you presumably expected to find.
You are correct. My post betrays my own disappointment that Russia and Putin can't possibly be an effective opponent of Western decadence.
@stats - "You are correct. "
And we have all done it! I put my hand up as guilty.
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