Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images

Vladimir Putin and the Risk of World War III

Mar 11, 2022

After receiving a green light from Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his war in Ukraine in an effort to reclaim the old Russian empire. But both leaders appear to have misjudged the situation, raising the prospect of a global catastrophe – unless they are removed from power.

SAN FRANCISCO – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 was the beginning of a third world war that has the potential to destroy our civilization. The invasion was preceded by a long meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on February 4 – the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations and the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. At the end of that meeting, the two men released a 5,000-word, carefully drafted document announcing a close partnership between their two countries. The document is stronger than any treaty and must have required detailed negotiations in advance.

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Vladimir Putin and the Risk of World War III

George Soros warns that, after misreading the situation in Ukraine, Russia's leader seems to know no limits.

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I was surprised that Xi appeared to have given Putin carte blanche to invade and wage war against Ukraine. He must be very confident that his confirmation as China’s ruler for life later this year will be a mere formality. Having concentrated all power in his own hands, Xi has carefully scripted the scenario by which he will be elevated to the level of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.

Having obtained Xi’s backing, Putin set about realizing his life’s dream with incredible brutality. Approaching the age of 70, Putin feels that if he is going to make his mark on Russian history, it is now or never. But his concept of Russia’s role in the world is warped. He seems to believe that the Russian people need a Czar whom they can follow blindly. That is the direct opposite of a democratic society, and it is a vision that distorts the Russian “soul,” which is emotional to the point of sentimentality.

As a child, I had many encounters with Russian soldiers when they occupied Hungary in 1945. I learned that they would share their last piece of bread with you if you appealed to them. Later, at the beginning of the 1980s, I embarked on what I call my political philanthropy.

First, I set up a foundation in my native Hungary, and then I actively participated in the disintegration of the Soviet empire. When Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in 1985, the disintegration had already begun. I set up a foundation in Russia, and then did the same in each of the successor states. In Ukraine, I established a foundation even before it became an independent country. I also visited China in 1984, where I was the first foreigner allowed to set up a foundation (which I closed in 1989, just before the Tiananmen Square massacre).

I don’t know Putin personally, but I have watched his rise very closely, aware of his ruthlessness. He reduced the capital of Chechnya, Grozny, to rubble, just as he is currently threatening to do to the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv.

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Putin used to be a canny KGB operator, but he seems to have changed recently. Having developed an idée fixe, he appears to have lost touch with reality. He certainly misjudged the situation in Ukraine. He expected Russian-speaking Ukrainians to welcome Russian soldiers with open arms, but they turned out to be no different from the Ukrainian-speaking population. Ukrainians have put up an incredibly brave resistance against seemingly overwhelming odds.

In July 2021, Putin published a long essay arguing that Russians and Ukrainians are really one people, and that the Ukrainians have been misled by neo-Nazi agitators. The first part of his argument is not without some historical justification, given that Kyiv was the original seat of the Russian Orthodox Church. But in the second part, it was Putin who was misled. He ought to have known better. Many Ukrainians fought valiantly during the Euromaidan protests in 2014.

The events of 2014 made him very angry. But the Russian army performed poorly when it was ordered to attack its Ukrainian brothers. Ingrained corruption in the awarding of defense contracts also has played an important role in its underperformance. Yet rather than blaming himself, Putin seems to have gone literally mad. He has decided to punish Ukraine for standing up to him, and he appears to be acting without any constraint. He is throwing the entire Russian army into the battle and ignoring all the rules of war, not least by indiscriminately bombing the civilian population. Many hospitals have been hit, and the electrical grid supplying the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (currently occupied by Russian troops) has been damaged. In besieged Mariupol, 400,000 people have been without water and food for nearly a week.

Russia may well lose the war. The United States and the European Union are both sending defensive weapons to Ukraine, and there are efforts to buy Russian-made MIG fighters that Ukrainian pilots know how to fly. These could make all the difference. Regardless of the outcome, Putin has already worked wonders when it comes to strengthening the EU’s resolve and unity.

Meanwhile, Xi seems to have realized that Putin has gone rogue. On March 8, one day after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had insisted that the friendship between China and Russia remained “rock solid,” Xi called French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to say that he supported their peacemaking efforts. He wanted maximum restraint in the war in order to avert a humanitarian crisis.

It is far from certain that Putin will accede to Xi’s wishes. We can only hope that Putin and Xi will be removed from power before they can destroy our civilization.

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George Soros

Writing for PS since 1997
120 Commentaries

George Soros is Chairman of Soros Fund Management and the Open Society Foundations. A pioneer of the hedge-fund industry, he is the author of many books, including The Alchemy of Finance, The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crisis of 2008 and What it Means, and The Tragedy of the European Union: Disintegration or Revival?His most recent book is In Defense of Open Society (Public Affairs, 2019).

0 Comments on this paragraph, 35 Comments on this article

David Galicia Mar 13, 2022

Your political philantropist is the mass murder of thousands of child killed by Planned Parenthood. How possible to even suggest you have any feeling for life when being responsible for thousands and thousands of murders financed by you

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Elizabeth Pula Mar 12, 2022

Chaos theory creates chaos. Just depends how fast you get it, or don't get it.
This link in my comment has some pretty good syllogisms, and some pretty bad syllogisms. We're in the process of finding out just how fast chaos theory can be applied the most ineffectively and globally.
https://www.ft.com/content/f04e44d1-1309-432a-b173-dcafe021328a

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Elizabeth Pula Mar 12, 2022

A repeat just for you too:
Watch and share globally:
https://www.ft.com/video/2fce1e2e-52a1-4882-868e-c18802793e8a
What I mentioned on the roach bit, about the WEF, applies to you too. Just to be fair you know.

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Y Abdullah Mar 12, 2022

Mr Biden:
I hope you always assess and make fact-based decisions.

Just straightforward questions:
Do you believe in rule of law?
Do you believe in rule-based international order?
Are the tens of millions of people being killed/raped/injured/traumatized and/or displaced sub-humans deserving no rights and no protection at all?
Why are you not condemning all these war crimes committed by Bush, Cheney, Blair, etc.?
Should we not bring these war criminals (Bush, Cheney, Blair, etc.) to justice?

With tens of millions of people being killed/raped/injured/traumatized and/or displaced as a result of US/UK leaders' attacks/invasions (Iraq, Libya, etc.), you can see the severity of the war crimes, US/UK leaders must face the music, must be charged/jailed for all these war crimes.

Just see the gang-rape and murder of 14-year-old Iraqi girl Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi and the murder of her family by US Army soldiers on March 12, 2006 occurring in the family's house.
If your loved ones (your daughters/children/wife or daughters/children/wife of your friends, etc.) being gang-raped and then the whole family being murdered, would you be happy to see all this happening?

What Nato is about?
Nato is about using their wealth and technologies to commit crimes against humanity efficiently and effectively.

The bigger the ego, the more resources are being spent to get more advanced, more lethal weapons to attack/invade other nations, the more they gloat how wonderful to have vast fields (in Iraq and elsewhere) to test/try their shiny lethal toys from the military–industrial complex.

Nato leaders can be proud of their repeated glorious crowning achievements to boast their much-important ego leaving tens of millions of people (including women, children, etc.) being killed/raped/injured/traumatized and/or displaced.

It pains me (does it not pain you?) to see the tens of millions of people being killed/raped/injured/traumatized and/or displaced.

Please, please don’t pretend, don’t look the other way pretending you hear nothing see nothing say nothing.

Hypocrisy is the root cause of much violence and bloodshed.
Until these war criminals (Bush, Cheney, Blair, etc.) are charged/jailed, more US/UK leaders will commit more war crimes.

I hope that US leaders do use their clout to bring a close to this war as this war is in the interest of no one at all.

It is very simple, all these US leaders and all future US leaders need to do are:
1. Stop expanding NATO anywhere in the world.
2. Stop attacking/invading/terrorizing other nations.
3. Stop committing war crimes.
4. Stop weaponizing trade/USD.
5. Stop all this toxic hypocrisy.
6. Charge/jail war criminals (Bush, cheney, blair etc.)

US leaders are serial liars, serial cheats, even after they have signed the agreements, they'll lie, they'll cheat, they'll break agreements to stab you in the back (just ask President Macron about the Australian submarine deals, just ask Iran about the JCPOA, etc.)...Of course, they'll break laws, they'll attack/invade illegally and committing war crimes (in Iraq and elsewhere).

Now, please tell me, can you or anyone trust US leaders?

All along, Iran was complying the JCPOA in good faith.
US is the guilty party that unilaterally withdrawing and breaking the Iran nuclear deal with sinister intentions, US leaders are the thugs that routinely bully/trample any countries that the US leaders dislike, repudiate the JCPOA, impose illegal sanctions, US leaders must be condemned and held accountable.

Iran will not respond to threat and blackmail.

Nuclear submarines are lethal weapons of wars and the military use of nuclear technology, US/UK leaders are breaking nuclear non-proliferation treaty to help Australia to build nuclear submarines while keep accusing others (like Iran) of breaking it, US/UK leaders must face the music and must be held accountable... all these show that the world must stand up to US leaders’ bullying and brutal war criminal acts, the world must stop US leaders’ predatory actions of the strong preying/attacking unchecked on the weak.

Iran's door is always open but first thing first, US must return and must fully comply with the Iran nuclear deal in good faith, stop all illegal sanctions, stop attacking others.

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- Dennis Campbell Mar 12, 2022
  
  Are you on Putin's payroll?
  - Y Abdullah Mar 13, 2022
    
    Yes, Putin pays me US$10 billion per year.
    Are you jealous?
alex Finch Mar 12, 2022

What was Xi thinking? It’s not just Putin. China has decided to back one of the most Xenophobic and aggressive societies of the modern world. A study showed that 60% of black people living in Moskau have been physically assaulted, with little punishment for the perpetrators. Russian husbands are by law, apparently allowed to physically punish their wives for „misconduct“, as long as it doesn’t lead to „serious“ injury. Russian guards have been filmed beating and torturing prisoners in jail. The Russian army is now killing thousands of fellow Russians in the Ukraine. They would drop a nuclear bomb on Xi‘s China in a heartbeat. Xi is making the same mistake Merkel made.

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Y Abdullah Mar 12, 2022

With US leaders leading the way, US/NATO leaders have broken laws, committed crimes against humanity repeatedly... thus perpetuating all this toxic hypocrisy that is leading to more violence and bloodshed...

The notorious v.nuland (in obama presidency), so arrogant, so excited and so obsessive about regime changes, agitating anti-Russia violence/bloodshed in Ukraine day after day to achieve regime change.

Now, ms. Nuland, mr obama (so much for this nobel peace prize winner agitating violence, promoting bloodshed, what a glorious crowning achievement), are you still excited and gloating how good, clever and successful you are to agitate violence/bloodshed to achieve regime change in Ukraine?

Obama and all the senior advisors/officers in obama presidency have a lot blood on their hands, don’t run away from your responsibility, you must be held accountable.

Anyone (including Russia) can see clearly the serious danger of letting US/NATO leaders to continue their war crimes spree as usual.

For centuries, Russian leaders have viewed a friendly Ukraine as vital to Moscow's basic security.

Russia will not allow anyone to threaten Russia's security, period.

If you keep poking Russia's sensitive areas, you're going to get a response (including preemptive one) from Russia.

It does mot matter if Russians (or anyone) living overseas (or living anywhere) were criticizing Putin (or any Russian leaders) already 10 years (or centuries) ago, Russia will not allow anyone to threaten Russia's security, period, you're going to get a response (including preemptive one) from Russia.

Only US can stop this war or many other wars that US leaders always want to provoke:
It is very simple, all these US leaders and all future US leaders need to do are:
1. Stop expanding NATO anywhere in the world.
2. Stop attacking/invading/terrorizing other nations.
3. Stop committing war crimes.
4. Stop weaponizing trade/USD.
5. Stop all this toxic hypocrisy.
6. Charge/jail war criminals (Bush, cheney, blair etc.)

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- Dennis Campbell Mar 12, 2022
  
  What rubbish!
  - Y Abdullah Mar 13, 2022
    
    Is this all the intelligent response you can utter? What a pity!
Y Abdullah Mar 12, 2022

EU's first foundation principle: Not to be foolhardy, reckless and blindly support US/UK war-crime-ridden leaders (like Bush, Cheney, Blair, etc.) to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity...thus as a result, such EU leaders also become blood-soaked war criminals and murderers...

Nothing can be worse than what the US leaders have been doing...their interests, their own selfish ones, chest-thumping with naked aggressions to attack others (Iraq, Libya, etc.), looting artifacts while committing war crimes and crimes against humanity including but not limited to rapes, torture, sodomy, murders, warts and all leaving tens of millions of people (including women, children, etc.) being killed/raped (see the rape of Iraqi girl and her whole family being killed)/injured/traumatized and/or displaced...all these US/NATO leaders' blood-soaked attacks/invasions to destroy the rule of law and world peace...

The world will never accept US breaking laws to attack other countries (Iraq, Libya, etc.) and committing crimes against humanity and war crimes.

What is rule of law?
What is rule-based international order?
Are these war criminals (Bush, Cheney, Blair, etc.) above the law and allowed to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity with impunity?

Mr Biden:
Do you believe in rule of law?
Do you believe in rule-based international order?
Are the tens of millions of people being killed/raped/injured/traumatized and/or displaced sub-humans deserving no human rights?
Where is your moral compass?
Why are you not condemning all these war crimes committed by Bush, Cheney, Blair, etc.?
Why are you not taking actions to bring these war criminals (Bush, Cheney, Blair, etc.) to justice?
How can anyone trust you or trust any US leaders?

Justice delayed is justice denied.
US leaders are serial war criminals, UN High Commission for human rights and ICC cannot look the other way, UN High Commission for human rights and ICC must charge/jail these serial war criminals.

It is insane to let these war criminals (Bush, Cheney, Blair, etc.) committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, they must be held responsible for the tens of millions of people being killed/raped /injured/traumatized and/or displaced, these war criminals (Bush, Cheney, Blair, etc.) must face the music before more US/UK leaders commit more war crimes.

Other nations are being forced to get nuclear weapons to protect themselves to deter US war-crime-ridden leaders.

When you are dealing with US leaders, you are dealing with liars, cheats, war criminals, looters, law-breakers, how can you trust them even after the deals have been signed when these US leaders are always ready to stab you in the back breaking any such deals/agreements that they have signed.

Claiming that commerce is possible only between civilized people (but US leaders are liars and war criminals, how can you trust them?), yet predatory US leaders are always hell-bent to break agreements (Iran nuclear deal, etc.), weaponized USD, impose illegal sanctions....

And in the case of Russia..... U.S leaders repeatedly took advantage of Russia and with Bush as a driving force, cheating and lying, more Eastern European nations joined NATO repeatedly breaking US agreement with Russia not to expand NATO to surround Russia with hostile neighbors.

U.S leaders' antagonistic/hostile anti-Russia policies/behavior are the root causes of the problems.

Russia wants to build trust but US leaders continue to betray and destroy trust with evil and sinister motives.

Withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, funding/agitating violent demonstrations to achieve illegal regime changes, Kosovo independence, NATO expansion, deploying troops/advanced weapons in Eastern Europe have all confirmed US leaders are belligerent, to say the least, with hostile actions which lead to a deep spiral in relations with Moscow.

U.S leaders repeatedly break international laws and breaks agreements with Russia creating increased tensions and distrust that US leaders want to surround Russia with antagonistic and bellicose neighbors.

U.S leaders want to push Russia into a corner to kill Russia, venomous U.S leaders simply will not give up on trying to harm other countries with predatory and malicious actions, not the least, to attack/invade others to commit war crimes.

How about Russia deploying nuke weapons in Cuba and Venezuela? Is this acceptable for U.S leaders?

U.S leaders treat Russia as an enemy and start this new cold war and arm race that Russia wants to stop.

For centuries, Russian leaders have viewed a friendly Ukraine as vital to Moscow's basic security.

Russia will not allow anyone to threaten Russia's security, period.

If you keep poking Russia's sensitive areas, you're going to get a response (including preemptive one) from Russia.

Nuclear submarines are lethal weapons of wars and the military use of nuclear technology, US/UK leaders are breaking nuclear non-proliferation treaty to help Australia to build nuclear submarines while keep accusing others (like Iran) of breaking it, US/UK leaders must face the music and must be held accountable... all these show that the world must stand up to US leaders’ bullying and brutal war criminal acts, the world must stop US leaders’ predatory actions of the strong preying/attacking unchecked on the weak.

All along, Iran was complying the JCPOA in good faith.
US is the guilty party that unilaterally withdrawing and breaking the Iran nuclear deal with sinister intentions, US leaders are the thugs that routinely bully/trample any countries that the US leaders dislike, repudiate the JCPOA, impose illegal sanctions, US leaders must be condemned and held accountable.

Iran will not respond to threat and blackmail.

Iran's door is always open but first thing first, US must return and must fully comply with the Iran nuclear deal in good faith, stop all illegal sanctions, stop attacking others.

Just look at the history of US leaders repeatedly telling lies, breaking laws, breaking agreements and violent behavior of attacking/brutalizing other nations…US leaders are the biggest threat to rules-based international order and world peace - obviously well-founded legitimate security concerns for all nations when US leaders are always ready holding guns to their heads.

We believe in a rules-based international order that we must respect and uphold the legal foundations that have been established... Indeed. What about US leaders' illegal attacks/invasions (Iraq, etc.), committing war crimes, committing crimes against humanity repeatedly... United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said, "From our point of view and from the Charter point of view, the war was illegal." A gentle reminder, all the Generals, Commanders, senior advisors for these US leaders are equally guilty for all these war crimes.

Please don't look the other way and see US leaders committing war crimes repeatedly and run away scot-free.

US leaders are the worst perpetrators that weaponize USD, break agreements (like Iran nuclear deal), imposing illegal sanctions (like after breaking Iran nuclear deal, imposing more illegal sanctions (including medical/healthcare products) on Iran to not only to enforce subservience to its will, but to kill Iran)...

With the bloodthirsty US/NATO leaders telling lies, attacking others, committing crimes against humanity repeatedly, and now probing for more vulnerabilities to commit more war crimes and create more bloodsheds, UN and the world must come together and charge/jail these war criminals with full force of the law. History has shown that there must be no accommodation or turning a blind eye to US/NATO repeated provocations, committing more and more crimes, creating more failed states with millions of innocents (children, women, etc.) being killed / injured/ traumatized and/or displaced.

US leaders repeatedly breaking agreements (like Iran nuclear deal, arms limitation agreement with Russia, nuclear non proliferation treaty as US/UK are helping Australia to build nuke submarines), predatory US leaders just cannot be trusted as they are liars and war criminals.

And after committing all these war crimes, US/NATO leaders are not picking up the pieces to help millions of refugees still suffering hell, instead, US leaders become more thuggish, imposing more sanctions, committing more war crimes, murdering Suleimani, etc.etc.

US is the guilty party breaking Iran nuclear deal while Iran was complying in good faith, so don't expect Iran to take the blame and admit guilt when US is the guilty party.

US must remove all sanctions, stop attacking others to commit war crimes and fully comply the JCPOA as US is the guilty party.

Iran's democratically elected government was overthrown by US leaders in 1953 and the Shah dictator was installed as US puppet.

US leaders were helping Saddam attacking Iran that killed about a million people.

In 1988, US leaders were responsible for the shooting down of Iran passengers flight 655 with missile fired from USS Vincennes.

US Army and CIA committed a series of human rights violations against detainees in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq including physical and sexual abuse, torture, rape, sodomy, and murder.

The Mahmudiyah rape and killings were war crimes involving the gang-rape and murder of 14-year-old Iraqi girl Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi and the murder of her family by US Army soldiers on March 12, 2006 occurring in the family's house.

The Haditha massacre was a series of killings on November 19, 2005, in which United States Marines killed 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians including men, women, elderly people and children as young as one, who were shot multiple times at close range while unarmed.

Two unarmed civilian Afghans, Habibullah and Dilawar, were repeatedly tortured, chained to the ceiling and beaten by U.S. military personnel in December 2002 resulting in their deaths.

The 2007 Helmand province airstrikes were a set of airstrikes conducted by NATO and resulted in death of at least 45 Afghan civilians.

The Maywand District killings were the murders of at least three Afghan civilians perpetrated by U.S. Army soldiers from June 2009–June 2010.

On 2012.03.11, US Army Robert Bales murdered sixteen civilians and wounded six others in Afghanistan. Nine of his victims were children, and eleven of the dead were from the same family. Some of the corpses were partially burned.

From 2005 to 2016, at least 25 Australian soldiers involved in killing 39 Afghans — perpetrated not in the “fog of war” but against defenseless civilians and detainees including gruesome murders of two 14-year-old boys, and civilians (including children) being blindfolded, tortured and had their throats slit in a savage practice of “blooding”, where young special forces soldiers were instructed by senior commanders to make their “first kill”.

In 2007, employees of Blackwater Security Consulting shot at unarmed Iraqi civilians, killing 17 and injuring 20 in Nisour Square massacre.

On 2015.10.03, United States Air Force AC-130U gunship attacked the Kunduz Trauma Centre operated by MSF in Afghanistan with at least 42 people killed and over 30 injured. MSF condemned the attack, saying all warring parties had been notified of the hospital's location ahead of time, and that the airstrike was deliberate, a breach of international humanitarian law and a war crime.

On 2017.03.17, U.S. carried out air strike in Syria in the village of Al-Jineh hitting a mosque where 49 civilians were killed.

On 2017.03.21, at least 33 people were killed in another US-led strike on a school used as a centre for displaced people near a northern Syrian town.

On 2020.01.03: US leaders murdered Suleimani who was on peace mission discussing diplomatic rapprochement that Iraq was brokering between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Leaders (Bush, Cheney, Blair, etc.) were lying, breaking laws, attacking/invading and committing crimes against humanity repeatedly, radicalizing more and more people, destabilizing the region and elsewhere, causing more violent conflicts and bloodsheds, creating more failed states with millions of innocents (children, women, etc.) being killed / injured/ traumatized and/or displaced.

The world is cracking and breaking, not least because US/NATO leaders are repeatedly breaking laws, attacking/invading other countries, committing war crimes to destroy the rule-based system.

With the worst instincts, US leaders are mafia in the business of bullying other nations, telling lies, threatening/attacking/invading them…

Now, please tell all the readers how much worse, how much more grotesque will US/NATO leaders become?

These war criminals (Bush, Cheney, etc) have a lot blood on their hands, they must face the music, they must be charged/jailed.

All the war crimes, attacks/invasions/overthrowing governments must be stopped and war criminals (Bush, Cheney, etc) must be charged/jailed.

So long as all this toxic hypocrisy continues, US leaders will remain a serious threat to world peace, a clear danger to other nations having horror of a world in which US leaders are always ready to nakedly attack/invade other nations to commit crimes against humanity brutally which of course will not be easily forgotten. US leaders are morally bankrupt.

All this toxic hypocrisy must be stopped, otherwise history is bound to repeat itself and to record a new swathe of terrible deeds against humanity.

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Bill Halcott Mar 11, 2022

Soros certainly changed after Xi told him what the Chicoms will do to him, once they have the first opportunity!
William Hocter Mar 11, 2022

It might well be a better world if Messrs Putin and Xi were not in power. George Soros too.
vivek iyer Mar 11, 2022

This article nicely summarizes everything that went wrong with Western foreign policy over the last three decades. In a word- it became puerile.

The relevant game theory was established way back in the Sixties. One nuclear power puts a new missile system on allies soil too close to the other power. If the other is relatively weak on assured second strike, it will do nuclear proliferation- e.g. North Korea going nuclear because South Korea gets THAAD. In Russia's case, that is still on the table. If it loses in Ukraine, it says it will arm Cuba and Venezuela (who would be foolish to accept) which in practice means talking to some Mexican Cartel till the Americans fudge themselves because once that genie is out of the bottle Nation States can break up, or cease to be cohesive, as crazy militias get a threat point against the metropolis. The better alternative is for Putin to slowly pulverize Ukraine while taking Russia itself back to a 'siloviki' basted satrapy guaranteeing a second class material standard of existence in return for 'passional' conformity of an ethno-ideological type.
In practice this means that America keeps anti missile systems in South Korea and Poland and Romania in return for a North Korean lunatic or Belarusian lunatic with a finger on an independent nuclear button. This is a trembling hand equilibrium because there is sufficient uncertainty as to whether the advantage gained is actually an apocalypse taken by the regional partner. In other words, the good folk in Warsaw & Seoul get to sleep uneasy because they can never be sure if they are safer or much much less safe. That's a good thing. Essentially, if anyone should burn it is the little guys in buffer zones, not the guys who can do mutually assured destruction.

Reagan and Gorby got the world to a better stable configuration but both surrendered political control of the economy which meant that Soros type virtue signalers and crackpots could screw up the balance of power. 'Disruption' may be cool for technology. But nuclear tech is 50 year old tech. China patented the new 'trembling hand'- which involves the weaker party doing nuclear proliferation. This is a worse alternative but then a price must be paid for the folly of the oligarchs and billionaires.

Soros, it must be said, has an ethical vision and has shown consistency. However ethical visions are what 'rend the veil'- i.e. precipitate the eschaton a.k.a the apocalypse or end of days. Vide https://socioproctology.blogspot.com/2021/02/george-soros-vs-arthur-j-finkelstein.html

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Greg Daniels Mar 11, 2022

What gives Soros- or anyone else for that matter the right to determine that another nation's leader should be removed? This is the same thinking that deposed Khadafy and turned Libya into a fractured violent nation.
Elizabeth Pula Mar 11, 2022

RE: "We can only hope that Putin and Xi will be removed from power before they can destroy our civilization." What a line from the Neo-liberal left, or is it from a Soros, or from a Neo-conservative right, or is it an algorithm, or is it a bot, or is it an intern, or is it better yet a beneficial non-profit entity with absolutely no disclosed financials or accountability as a private entity above all laws? What kind of conclusion should any one take away from those words in that conclusion? What level of arrogance is that suggestive and terrible suggestion, or allusion for recommended action for some other less intelligent or less powerful something or other of no consequence just suppose to follow, presume, assume or do? You are looking at your own civilization that you have manufactured, assume some responsibility for what you are doing to everyone else for a change.

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- Elizabeth Pula Mar 11, 2022
  
  Is Kaplan's work for Zuckerbug much different than whomever and wherever anywhere else right now regardless of any fences, especially the big one that's really going up in thin air holding up, and penning up Ukrainians, Russia, and God know who else?
  
  https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-joel-kaplan-washington-political-influence/?
  
  Read More
Elizabeth Pula Mar 11, 2022

RE: "On March 8, one day after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had insisted that the friendship between China and Russia remained “rock solid,” Xi called French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to say that he supported their peacemaking efforts. " That quote may be relevant. The rest of the paragraph is totally without any credibility. How do you know what any one realized let alone when any realization is real on any level of awareness? How do you know what any of the "he's" want? Aren't they all just about your age? Aren't they men that can think and chew gum at the same time? Of course, if an algorithm actually wrote this paragraph, change the algorithm to one that works better. Right now no one is working any wonders, especially with any EU resolve or unity. The EU is incapable of protecting itself. The EU is totally imaginary and does not know what state it is barely functioning in.

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Elizabeth Pula Mar 11, 2022

It is rather interesting to observe the narratives that are rooted in a mindless ego based on willful personal perspectives and misjudgments of how the world should be, and just who should rule the world. Unfortunately for everyone, the world just doesn't seem to be acknowledging that misconception at present.

This link reveals forgotten reasonable approaches that have been forgotten:

https://matthewehret.substack.com/p/the-greater-eurasian-partnership?

Also, the Hungarian Orthodox old priest has correctly stated that what is occurring is a metaphysical transition. If humankind recognizes reasonable and rational approaches, much of these present repercussions will subside and possibly end. Further devolution of societies must end. It is possible to correct that negative effect. Many individuals are quite capable in electing self-control of their individual systems quite capably and effectively. There has been no acknowledgement in specific and real ways of that fact.

You are focusing on an incorrect view of power removal, and misjudging the real situation, in fact creating the prospect of a global catastrophe.

There is a big difference in doing anything good VS doing nothing good.

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- Elizabeth Pula Mar 11, 2022
  
  Correction Russian Orthodox not Hungarian. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Krill.
  https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-religion-europe-moscow-0670305be2e010e02a4e195ced2b7523
Emanuel Müller Mar 11, 2022

Now that Soros, the leader of the free societies has decided to take out Xi and Putin through his network of "Assad must go" governments that can be upgraded to "Xi and Putin must go", we are not only witnessing a world war but also a mind war. The three most influential minds are locked in a battle of ideas that will have repercussions into the ages to come, shaping the very evolutionary make up of humanity.

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Emanuel Müller Mar 11, 2022

So according to Soros, there is a genetically inbuilt Russian "soul", that is intrinsically "emotional to the point of sentimentality", does he mean the Russians are at a lower level of human cultural evolution as compared to the rational to the point of profitability Germanic soul?

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Vladimir Putin and the Risk of World War III

Vladimir Putin and the Risk of World War III