Russian Chutzpah (see what I did there with the Jewish saying!)

[Con]

You got to admire their blatant self serving interest here.  Its not going anywhere but what a load of crap

I particularly like this line

"It is possible that frau Merkel, who so longs for more sanctions against Russia, would never even have been born if it were not for the kindness of the victors towards the defeated," Fokunin said, referring to social programmes organised by the USSR in East Germany after the war.

http://www.newsweek.com/russian-parliament-set-request-eu4-trillion-wwii-reparations-germany-304163

Con

[Gusington]

Fokunin? HA. No FokMEnin.

[BanzaiCat]

Ha! Okay...

It makes sense that they're doing this since their credit is junk and they have no money. Why not extort other countries for something that happened 70 years ago to make a little quick cash?

How about reparations to all of Eastern Europe for the oppression they suffered at Soviet hands for 50-some years?

How about reparations to the central and southwest Asians for the Tsar's conquests, pre-Soviet empire?

Maybe some Swedish descendants of the Russo-Swedish War can seek reparations for their dead?

What about the families/descendants of those millions that Comrade Stalin and his butchers killed?

Seriously, fluck Russia right now. I hope Germany ignores the hell out of this.

[Gusington]

I would like to thank the Tsar for chasing my great grandparents out of Eastern Europe. I'll send them a check for whatever they wish. As I get older I grow more and more thankful for being born in 'Murica.

[BanzaiCat]

The Potato Famine pushed my family to 'Murica, not the Tsar. But perhaps I can demand the Irish government pay me for the emotional trauma that my great-great-great-grandfather and family suffered?

[Gusington]

Well if we use the Russian model we can demand anything we want.

[GDS_Starfury]

then Mirth and I want money from Gus.

who knew there was an elephant hiding in a hobbits pants?  :o

[Gusington]

It pays to do some research before diving in whole hog. Pun intended.

[mirth]

then Mirth and I want money from Gus.

who knew there was an elephant hiding in a hobbits pants?  :o

That was an Oliphant.

[BanzaiCat]

Calm down and have some synonym rolls, everyone.

[Airborne Rifles]

This is nothing new. When I was living in Moscow as a kid in the mid '90s there was some ultra-nationalist wingnut (can't remember his name) who was in the opposition party to Yeltsin who was demanding the return of Alaska from the US. He was actually a serious player in the Duma and was a legitimate presidential candidate during the '90s.

One reason Putin is popular over there is because he has squashed a lot of the chaos associated with types like the that guy. Looks like he's giving them a little more leash now that it suits his purposes.

[Atilla60]

[Gusington]

Airborne you're talking about Vladimir Zhironovsky, who is still active and still popular over there, salivating over Ukraine.

[Airborne Rifles]

Airborne you're talking about Vladimir Zhironovsky, who is still active and still popular over there, salivating over Ukraine.

That's the name! I had an (American) friend who lived in the same apartment building as him and would see him and his goons going to rallies and whatnot.

[Staggerwing]

Alexander Lebed was another ultra-nationalist pretty active during those times. He also had quite a bit of pull with the Russian Military culture, being a former general. Supposedly he considered Ukrainians to be Russians, nothing more, nothing less.