Perhaps the Z on their vehicles was no coincidence.

Precisely. Fascinating how the more we move forward in time, the more everything stays the same.

They already work on preparing this with propaganda that is supposed to work internally, but works wonders enough even on "right wingers" in America too.

This is the sad part. Despite the right wingers knowing how the MSM lies, despite seeing how fake news is made, despite knowing how much people get manipulated by it... As soon as Russia does all of it, they guzzle that stuff like a drunkard in a pub. The right-wing NPC takes whatever "1" the left-wing NPC receives and converts it into "0". So whatever choice the left-wing NPC decides, the right wing NPC will do the opposite. Without stopping and thinking for a moment to see if the reverse choice is actually the right one.

If you point out how absolutely dumb it is to do all of this, they get triggered. You know it, as they attacked you because you disproved all their arguments. They got as loud, obnoxious and retarded as the average left-wing NPC when they got contradicted or proven wrong.

I expected more from "our" side. I expected them to think, and notice those patterns. But I was wrong on that. The disappointment really hurt a lot. As I held them, especially most members in this community(with obvious exceptions), into a higher regard.

Putin has nothing to lose indeed. With rumours of him reshuffling generals in Moscow. With 3 confirmed generals killed(where that would be utterly rare in modern battlefields) in Ukraine... I think anybody who could stand up against him is too afraid of him. After all he got into power by guaranteeing anyone loud enough to oppose him gets killed or silenced. I remember the days of a certain Russian dissident getting killed by a certain radioactive weapon. A country where most news agencies and media are all government owned, the internet is heavily censored(not as bad as China), and still a few right wingers who praise liberty and freedom falls in love with Putin, and Russia and China(looking at the Nick Fuentes simps, who are more China and Russia first than America first).

Overall, in summary, I'm glad that some reasonable voice still remains in this community and that you expertly debunk a lot of the fake news, and false information spread here.

their response to nuclear threats is always just one-sided attempts to deescalate the situation, and never threaten even back

Indeed, this is true. America stopped the test of ICBMs recently to try and de-escalate. I think, considering how well you keep up with these subjects, you are. My opinion then was that... Good. Less escalation. But now, my opinion changed, and they should have tested. It was just a normal scheduled test, even before Russia decided to invade.

This is why under Trump, Mr. Putin was quiet. He knew that Trump was unpredictable, and that he would regret it if he saber-rattled. And this is how America and the West won the cold war. By selling that Star Wars program that helped break Russia. A massive bluff that never got out of the paper for the most of it. (except during the Bush years with that 747 and the laser they installed on it, but that too was mothballed)