To add some levity - during Soviet times the mythical Radio Armenia used to run a Q&A: “What is the difference between the dollar and the rouble. The dollar is backed by gold but the rouble by tanks
Question: Is it true we are on the brink of an abyss?
Answer: No. It used to be true, but since then we have taken a great step forward.
Brad the Impala (March 1st, 2022)
Televangelist Pat Robertson said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “compelled by God” in his decision to invade Ukraine, suggesting that Russia’s attacks are a precursor to an end-times battle in Israel.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...russia-ukraine
Two of Russia’s most prominent oligarchs have spoken out against Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in a major turning point in public reaction to the war.
The interventions by billionaires Oleg Derpipaksa and Mikhail Fridman came as police arrested hundreds of people at protests across the country on Sunday against a conflict that has shocked not only the West but also Russians from all walks of life.
Celebrities and some MPs have already expressed their opposition to the bloody invasion but statements on Sunday from Mr Deripaska and Mr Fridman will be a bitter blow to the president, who has long relied on the unshakable loyalty of the business elite.
Mr Fridman, the co-founder of Alfa-Bank, one of the country’s largest private banks, said in a message to staff at his London-based private equity firm LetterOne: “War can never be the answer”. In the message, he said: “I was born in Western Ukraine and lived there until I was 17. My parents are Ukrainian citizens and live in Lviv, my favourite city.
“But I have also spent much of my life as a citizen of Russia, building and growing businesses. I am deeply attached to Ukrainian and Russian peoples and see the current conflict as a tragedy for them both.”
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StevieWonders (March 2nd, 2022)
Yeah, they're not even full Russians, so who cares what they think?
Now get out of the way, while the real Russians handle this ridiculous nationalistic problem in Ukraine.