Belarus gives insurrectionist asylum

@no1marauder said
Your irrational stupidity continues to be on full display; you seem incapable of actually responding to points raised in a reasonable way.

I don't have to google the "anti-Russian" laws; I've already presented them here on this Forum along with criticism of them from Human Rights Watch (which must be "pro-Russian" puppets of Putin according to your way of "thinking" ). ...[text shortened]... attack.

Of course, NATO membership hardly requires a functioning democracy; ask Orban or Erdogan.

Those pro Russian parties were who Putin was going to replace the legitimately elected government with once they had disappeared into ‘filtration’ camps, so how much sense would it make to allow them to continue in the body politic.
When you have a murderous regime on your border that has already invaded your country and set up a puppet regime in opposition to the central government you may have to restrict some of the niceties of a modern democracy.
Your twisted portrayal of Ukraine as a repressive state is laughable in juxtapose to the Kremlin regime which has been murdering journalists and opposition politicians, banning political parties and shutting down and curtailing media outlets that do not tow the regimes line. You really are sounding like an idiotic right wing conspiracy theorist now.
When are you going to own up to your reasons for this irrational pro Russian anti Ukraine stance.
Ukraine is a democracy under incredible strain due to its violently aggressive neighbour. You are a disingenuous / lying Putin mouthpiece no better than, and in some respects, worse than MB who may actually not know the truth and the Russian patriot EintaluJ.

@kevcvs57 said
“Of course, NATO membership hardly requires a functioning democracy; ask Orban or Erdogan.”

They are functional democracies with populist movements winning the debate for now.
Democracy in most countries actually means the party that garners the most votes gains power but I can see why you are confused about that.

Both were functional democracies backsliding into authoritarianism. They have many of the traits that you ascribe to Russia, also a place where "the party that garners the most votes gains power."

@kevcvs57 said
Those pro Russian parties were who Putin was going to replace the legitimately elected government once they had disappeared into ‘filtration’ camps so how much sense would it make to allow them to continue in the body politic.
When you have a murderous regime on your border that has already invaded your country and set up a puppet regime in opposition to the central governm ...[text shortened]... in some respects worse than MB who may actually not know the truth and the Russian patriot EintaluJ.

Your childish insults aren't an impressive debating technique to anyone but others as gullible as you in swallowing neocon propaganda.

It is certainly a "nicety of democracy" to have opposition parties. A country which arrests the leaders of such parties on political charges is hardly acting like a democracy. A country that seemingly unilaterally declares 33 to 40 percent of their population enemies that can have their rights restricted and be subject to extreme surveillance has stopped being a functioning democracy and has lapsed into tyranny.

Your refusal to face these facts makes your posts little more than ill-informed, emotional bleating.

@no1marauder said
Both were functional democracies backsliding into authoritarianism. They have many of the traits that you ascribe to Russia, also a place where "the party that garners the most votes gains power."

Yeah but it garners them by banning opposition parties and stuffing ballot boxes. Are you going to pretend not to know this too.
Russia isn't backsliding it’s at full sprint in the opposite direction. Poland and Hungary are a worry in terms of democratic checks and balances but not in terms of the integrity of their ballot box unfortunately those boxes keep producing illiberal governments who are at odds with the general philosophy of the EU. But hey look at Florida and California who’d a thought they could exist in the same federalist system.

@no1marauder said
Your childish insults aren't an impressive debating technique to anyone but others as gullible as you in swallowing neocon propaganda.

It is certainly a "nicety of democracy" to have opposition parties. A country which arrests the leaders of such parties on political charges is hardly acting like a democracy. A country that seemingly unilaterally declares 33 to 40 perc ...[text shortened]... Your refusal to face these facts makes your posts little more than ill-informed, emotional bleating.

I’ll remind you again that Ukraine has been at war due to Putins decision to not recognise their sovereignty since 2014 a lot worse has been done in times of war when dealing with potential fifth columnists, in fact I cannot imagine a democracy that would not curtail political parties that by their own definition are pro the invader.
Do you not find it odd that with Putin pummelling civilian residential area all across Ukraine and an unknown number of grotesque hands on atrocities by the invading Russians that you are constantly critiquing Zelensky, it’s totally surreal.

@kevcvs57 said
Yeah but it garners them by banning opposition parties and stuffing ballot boxes. Are you going to pretend not to know this too.
Russia isn't backsliding it’s at full sprint in the opposite direction. Poland and Hungary are a worry in terms of democratic checks and balances but not in terms of the integrity of their ballot box unfortunately those boxes keep producing illibe ...[text shortened]... t hey look at Florida and California who’d a thought they could exist in the same federalist system.

Russia is obviously an authoritarian system with the trappings of democracy. In that, it is similar to the NATO nations you mention which also have little history of democratic rule.

The point being it is hyperbole to describe what it is going on as a clash between authoritarianism and democracy.

@kevcvs57 said
I’ll remind you again that Ukraine has been at war due to Putins decision to not recognise their sovereignty since 2014 a lot worse has been done in times of war when dealing with potential fifth columnists, in fact I cannot imagine a democracy that would not curtail political parties that by their own definition are pro the invader.
Do you not find it odd that with Putin p ...[text shortened]... rocities by the invading Russians that you are constantly critiquing Zelensky, it’s totally surreal.

That "fifth column" is the largest opposition party; if it is not allowed to freely campaign on its political platform how can the Ukraine be described as a "democracy" in any sense?

@no1marauder said
Your childish insults aren't an impressive debating technique

Have you looked into a mirror recently, mr. Lawyer?