What people believe in the privacy of their minds is between them and their conscience. What people do is as much a representation of their beliefs, and more fundamentally representative of themselves than anything else. In other words, i do not have to prove anything about Putin’s beliefs or Russia’s beliefs (as if such a thing were possible). I merely have to prove that they act as if they have. That is much easier and more relevant - and most crucially, it is already evident.
How can you proof that someone “has always wanted” something?
What people believe in the privacy of their minds is between them and their conscience. What people do is as much a representation of their beliefs, and more fundamentally representative of themselves than anything else. In other words, i do not have to prove anything about Putin’s beliefs or Russia’s beliefs (as if such a thing were possible). I merely have to prove that they act as if they have. That is much easier and more relevant - and most crucially, it is already evident.
I disagree. But I see now that this whole discussion is stupid.
I’ll let you and your motivated reasoning alone.