Continuation of the European Cycle

Europe has, for the past 300-400 years now, been afflicted by a cycle.
Basically it went like this:
2 or more European nations formed an alliance, some other European nations did likewise, and then there's a big war that kills millions. Then, the War ends and there is peace in Europe for several decades. Then, it starts back up again, war ends, several decades of peace again, and then, well, you get the idea.
The 30 years war, the 7 years war, the Napoleonic Wars, the late 19th century wars that Germany engaged in against other European nations, WW1, and WW2.
Since the end of WW2 there's been a 70 year peace in Western Europe. So will Putin start the cycle back up?

Thoughts?

Dassault Papillon: I propose revitalizing the cold war. It seemed to be quite preventive of actual war.

Currently, Russia could defeat most of its European neighbors, only because those other countries spend absolutely nothing on military. Just as the military budget was the strength of the Soviet Union, it was also its downfall. The economy did collapse for a reason.

Blackflag: There was a kind of irony in a Left-Wing nation being so obsessed with its military and invading countries left and right. In some ways the Soviet Union was more fascist than communist, and that's the way it is today as well.

Dassault Papillon: As per usual, I'm confuddled by why people often think of Putin as the next Hitler.

admin: The guy has said some crazy stuff.

Dassault Papillon: So has Obama.

admin: Obama hasn't declared that he's going to start WW3. I dislike his policies, but Obama's a really great president in comparison to Bad Vlad.

Dassault Papillon: Vlad hasn't declared he's going to start WW3 either. That was an anonymous rumor circulated by Sud Deutsche Zeitung, which was instantly pounced upon (it seems) by every war mongering website out there.

admin: Fascism:
+State Capitalism
+Militarism
+Extreme Nationalism
+Strong elements of authoritarianism (Putin bloc supporters will openly admit all elections are rigged)
+ Authorizing KGB to spy on populist

Imperialism:
+ Invading Ukraine
+ Increasing presence in Armenia
+ Support in Nagorno Karabahk
+ Interference in Norways Artic Territory (Putin claimed the entire arctic Russia's)
+ Increasing troops in Tranisnistria
+ Annexing foreign state run oil corporations
+ Eurasian Economic Union

Genocide:
+ The Caucasus is a great example
+ State run persecution of ethno Cossack parties

Cult of Personality:

admin: Let us hear some......
and for the record, being post modern is not cool anymore.
too many ppl end up on the wrong side of history by rooting for the enemy of their enemy (because it is totally cool to root for those in opposition to the biggest power)

Blackflag: What I agree with:
> Putin is a militarist (so is Obama)
> Putin authorizes spy agencies to spy on his own people (so did Obama)
> Putin has a cult of personality (so does Obama)
> Putin has acted with a degree of hostility towards certain former soviet bloc states

What I disagree with:
> Extreme nationalism - I really don't know where you get this from. Even if Putin did want to conquer the world or whatever, that would not inherently make him a nationalist.
> That Putin has PERSONALLY been involved in any election-rigging. Probably just some KGB elements for whom it is convenient to keep Putin in power. I think Putin honestly personally believes he has the mandate of Russia.

Blackflag: Do you have any idea what "post modern" means? Your sentence makes no sense.

The US is not my enemy.

You've got to remember, every claim that the US is making of Russia, Russia is also making of the US. You can take plenty of sound bites of Obama talking about Syria or whatever and make him look like a modern Knights Templar.

It seems Russia has always had imperialistic ambitions, and even under the guise of a Left-Wing nation this ambition didn't wane any. Today, Putin's regime is merely a continuation of what Russia has always been.

Dassault Papillon: So the US has never, you know, had a hegemony of economic dominance over most of the world? I mean, this is all so ironic.

Reminds me of pre-Iraq war, how all the kids in my class were so mad when I said "well - doesn't the US have weapons of mass destruction too? Shouldn't they get rid of their own stockpile first?", and how disappointed they were to learn Hussein didn't have those weapons all along.

admin: For the love of god, do you know how sick I am of hearing "So does the US" as a rebuttal?

Blackflag: *Does that DDO thing where you "reply" to a post but say nothing in response, giving the impression that you are quoting the other guy*

admin: American nationalism exists in New Zealand?

Blackflag: Well then stop making arguments which denigrate one country, as if your own country was totally innocent.

Dassault Papillon: You could "+1" the post instead to better achieve the same thing