Master Index of Archived Threads


Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

kcmets Jan 24 2022 12:22 PM

We need this shit like a big fucking hole in the head. I can't take much more.

Lefty Specialist Jan 24 2022 04:29 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Putin needs to drum up a little support at home because things are going to shit in Russia. He's also trying to get a friendlier/intimidated Ukraine by hook or crook. Now, NATO isn't exactly united (Thanks, Trump), and he's testing to see how far he can push Biden. They're already playing cyber games, and are trying to gin up a story to go in and help their Ukrainian 'brothers' who are being hurt by the evil West. If he really crosses the border, it could have a domino effect (troop buildups in the Baltic states, sanctions on Russia, cutoff of natural gas to Europe in winter), all of which will suck. And of course it'll suck for Ukrainians. What's needed is a face-saving way for Putin to back down, and there doesn't seem to be one that the West will accept right now.

Edgy MD Jan 24 2022 04:51 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Creating chaos in the west and putting Biden up against the wall is already a win for President Pooty. I can't say I'm not nervous about what his endgame is.

MFS62 Jan 24 2022 05:08 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I don't think he will do anything until after the November US elections because he feels an elected Trump puppet majority in Congress will go easy on him. Later

kcmets Jan 25 2022 05:30 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

8,500 US troops placed on high-alert status.

metsmarathon Jan 25 2022 07:46 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

=MFS62 post_id=85035 time=1643069327 user_id=60] I don't think he will do anything until after the November US elections because he feels an elected Trump puppet majority in Congress will go easy on him. Later

i tend to think along these same lines. build pressure on the border with ukraine to stir up shit, and allow their (unwitting? witless? one of them...) allies in red hats to further destabilize america's strength, unity, and will, making it easier for them to waltz right in after november, with us in greater disarray and lesser standing to be able to push back even a little.



blame it all on biden, and get an even weaker, more corrupt america in return, plus a free ukraine.

Edgy MD Jan 25 2022 08:21 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

=MFS62 post_id=85035 time=1643069327 user_id=60] I don't think he will do anything until after the November US elections because he feels an elected Trump puppet majority in Congress will go easy on him. Later

Is there any reason to think that the current Congress and administration will go hard?



NATO has managed to maintain a hard line against Russia for multiple generations because everybody knew where the line was. Now that we have what amounts to affiliate states in Ukraine and Georgia, that line has grown gray, and President Putin seems resolved to test it.



It doesn't help that we've been retreating from the Eastern borders in recent administrations, with Trump openly stating that the United States should feel no obligation to defend Montenegro.

Lefty Specialist Jan 25 2022 04:26 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Putin was pissed when the Baltic States joined NATO back in 2004; when Ukraine threw off their Putin toady president in 2014, one of the first things that was discussed was Ukraine joining NATO. That's kind of a red line for old Vlad. It's why he's insisting that NATO rule out Ukrainian membership, and why he's keeping the pressure on. It's also why NATO is beefing up its presence in Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. Because if he succeeds in Ukraine, they're next. Here at home, Russian agent Tucker Carlson is carrying water for Putin, decrying us even getting involved with Ukraine. Expect Fox to be pro-Russia on this if it gets ugly.

Edgy MD Jan 25 2022 04:32 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I've kind of come to expect Fox to be pro-Russia, full stop.

Edgy MD Feb 14 2022 12:50 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

So, the U.S. pulling our embassy staff out of Kyiv. They're being relocated to Western Ukraine, but dayim. Is Russia even pretending to have a pretext for this anymore?

MFS62 Feb 14 2022 01:04 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I remember a line from a movie ("The Hunt for Red October"?) in which a CIA guy says, "The Russians don't take a dump without a plan". I would think that Putin, an ex-KGB agent, would have a plan in for this , with several contingencies, based on how far he can go. It might look something like this: Plan - invade, no resistance - take over the country, set next target Contingency 1 - invade - some resistance, 1A pull back to previous border 1B Stay where he is with new border. Contingency 2 - invade - Ukraine all out resistance - action Contingency 3 - invade - NATO assists Ukraine - action Contingency 4 - invade - US full assistance - military and financial - action Plan - don't invade , suffer international humiliation, but declare a victory to his Russian people. "I made then scared" Whichever, it was just announced that the President of Ukraine thinks it will happen on the 16th. Later

kcmets Feb 14 2022 01:07 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

You say Key-EV, some now are saying KEEVE. One of my oldest friends is a stateside bishop in the Ukrainian church (no really, I shit you not) and he says it's KEEVE. Aside from that, what a scary shitshow just waiting to explode. Or not.

Lefty Specialist Feb 14 2022 03:36 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Correct pronunciation is KEEVE. Looks like contingency 2. Russia will invade, Ukranians will resist but they'll be hopelessly outgunned and outmanned. Russia will essentially shut down the internet and the power grid in the entire country, and engage in heavy disinformation. No video will escape the country unless it's Russian propaganda. It'll essentially be over in a few days but there will be pockets of resistance. I'd expect Zelinskyy to be arrested and held incommunicado. A new president will be appointed who'll be more amenable to everything Putin wants. Then they'll declare victory and get out leaving a few troops in significant places and rapid-strike forces ready to go when needed. Vlad doesn't want a long, messy war on his hands. What he wants is Gulf War 1- overwhelming force and quick defeat; but he won't leave Saddam in place to cause trouble. The West/NATO won't go to war for Ukraine and Putin knows that. He's hoping that he can survive the sanctions, by promoting cheating and counting on Europe to get tired of cold houses pretty quickly. China will back him but will watch closely, because this will be a rehearsal for their own move on Taiwan. If the west caves, they'll know they can get away with it. Be prepared for gas here to shoot up over $4 a gallon, too, because that'll be coming pretty quickly once things get hot and heavy.

kcmets Feb 14 2022 04:17 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Gas prices will be sniffin' $4 soon anyways. Pointing it at Eastern Europe is a bit of an early stretch right now. $5 a gallon gas is coming sometime in 2022. Wars or no wars.

Lefty Specialist Feb 15 2022 12:33 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Putin appears to be backing down a little bit, pulling some troops away from Ukraine. Remains to be seen if this is the real deal or a feint.

kcmets Feb 15 2022 01:18 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Well, he could move thousands and thousands of troops fifty yards further from the border and truthfully say that he's pulling troops back.

kcmets Feb 15 2022 01:18 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Not that truthfully is one of Putin's strong suits.

Lefty Specialist Feb 15 2022 02:45 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

=kcmets post_id=85883 time=1644956308 user_id=53] Well, he could move thousands and thousands of troops fifty yards further from the border and truthfully say that he's pulling troops back.

Well, we've got very good satellites that will tell us exactly what he's doing. He did the buildup in the open, and any drawdown will be just as open. Can't hide an army any more.

kcmets Feb 16 2022 06:29 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Of course.

Lefty Specialist Feb 21 2022 03:39 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Vladdy recognizes the separatist sections of Ukraine as separate entities and sends 'peacekeeping' troops, who happened to be right next door, whaddya know. Pretty close to all-out war at this point. Putin doesn't even consider Ukraine a separate country apparently. Sanctions better be ready to go on a moment's notice because it looks like it's showtime.

ashie62 Feb 21 2022 06:29 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I saw earlier today that Russia brought in 5 billion dollars from foreign banks in the month of december. This all has been planned for some time.

Lefty Specialist Feb 22 2022 06:26 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Of course it has. Putin and his cronies will be fine. The Russian people will be made to suffer from sanctions, and their leaders will tell them exactly who to blame. The question is how much pain can each side tolerate, and if the Ukranians can put up any resistance. Meanwhile in Fox-land, Tucker Carlson is openly rooting for Russia. https://www.thewrap.com/tucker-carlson-defends-putin-not-treason/

Willets Point Feb 22 2022 01:18 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I don't think he will do anything until after the November US elections because he feels an elected Trump puppet majority in Congress will go easy on him. Later I think Putin thinks of this differently, as demonstrated by his actions. After all Russia "annexed" Crimea while Obama was President, but didn't follow-up when there was someone one in the White House who'd look the other way. Putin understands how American politics works. If he invades Ukraine, and Biden doesn't respond, then it will just be used as another example of Democrats being weak and the Dems lose in November. But he also knows that after 20 years of Afghanistan/Iraq, that Americans have very little appetite for actual war, much less the WWII-level mobilization that would be necessary to actually defeat Russia. So Biden is likely to carry out bombing raids and targeted attacks around the edges which will eventually turn into a stalemate. The right will claim that Biden lead us into a quagmire and the Dems lose in November. Either way, Putin creates chaos and weakness in US leadership which benefits his ulterior goals.

MFS62 Feb 22 2022 02:13 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I moved up my timetable after that post. I agree with you. Given the options I outlined in my Feb 14 Post, the winning move for Putin could be - Invade the two separatist provinces, then "1B - Stay where he is with new border." This way, he can claim victory - "I rescued our people from Ukrainian oppression", then hold fast at the new border and not have to incur NATO military or US financial retaliation. This also would make Ukraine happy because those provinces didn't want to be part of Ukraine anyhow. If I were back in Combat Developments Command, I might have more information to flesh out the options. Of course, then I wouldn't be able to mention any of what I learned. Later

Edgy MD Feb 22 2022 03:43 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I don't think Ukraine is going to be made happy by being invaded. Nor do I think the allegedly separatist provinces are in consensus with regards to what they want.

MFS62 Feb 22 2022 03:54 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Edgy MD wrote: I don't think Ukraine is going to be made happy by being invaded. Nor do I think the allegedly separatist provinces are in consensus with regards to what they want. Then, what do you think will happen? Later

Edgy MD Feb 22 2022 04:31 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I think that if Ukraine is invaded, a lot of people will be very unhappy, in the Ukranian provinces that absorb the invasion, in the Ukranian provinces that (hopefully) do not absorb the invasion, and in the Ukrainian government. I don't think Israel would be happy if Jordan invaded their Palestinian-controlled areas under the premise that the citizens of those areas didn't want to be Israelis. I don't think the United Kingdom would be happy if Ireland invaded Fermanagh and Omagh under the premise that the citizens of those areas didn't want to be part of the UK. I don't think Spain would be happy if France invaded the Basque region under the premise that the citizens of those areas didn't want to be part of Spain. It's worth noting that, when the Soviet Union fell, Ukraine was, for a time, the world's third-leading nuclear power. They had almost 2,000 warheads and 176 ICBMs in the custody of a nation that the world hadn't even yet figured out what to call. They also held a lot of the design and production infrastructure. Beginning just over 30 years ago, following a series of agreements between 1992 and 1994, with the intervention of the Bush and Clinton administrations, Ukraine either destroyed their warheads or gave them to Russia in exchange for economic aid and security assurances, washing their hands of their nuclear capability on the bad faith of a non-aggression promise that is clearly not active. They trusted Russia with their safety more than they trusted themselves with that awesome power.

MFS62 Feb 22 2022 04:37 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

OK, but what do you think will happen? Later

Edgy MD Feb 22 2022 04:39 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I think I've used up enough keystrokes.

MFS62 Feb 22 2022 04:58 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Edgy MD wrote: I think I've used up enough keystrokes. You could have used them answering the question instead of criticizing my perhaps badly chosen word "happy". Maybe I should have said relieved that there is no full invasion which would be terrible for everyone concerned. Later

Edgy MD Feb 22 2022 05:14 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I did answer the question. Making predictions about life and death has no appeal for me. I didn't criticize your usage. I disagreed with your assertion.

whippoorwill Feb 22 2022 06:04 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I think it sounds as though MFS might have an idea what is going on

kcmets Feb 22 2022 06:22 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

=ashie62 post_id=86099 time=1645493354 user_id=90] I saw earlier today that Russia brought in 5 billion dollars from foreign banks in the month of december.

$5 billion is nothing to these cut-throat crooks. That could just be a transfer to

cover the 1st quarter Stoli Cristall, caviar and black market hooker budget.

metsmarathon Feb 22 2022 07:05 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

i expect the same as MFS62; i think he's got a damned good read on the likely situation. i sure as hell hope, too, that in the aftermath of whatever happens, we NATOify what remains of the ukraine, and any other nations that so desire, lickety-split.

Willets Point Feb 22 2022 07:44 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

[TWEET]https://twitter.com/RBReich/status/1495552620706111488[/TWEET]

batmagadanleadoff Feb 22 2022 08:34 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Willets Point wrote: [TWEET]https://twitter.com/RBReich/status/1495552620706111488[/TWEET] The GOP 's gonna criticize Biden whether he more or less does exactly what Trump did or whether he does the exact opposite of what Trump did, no matter how absurd, contorted or contrived that criticism will be. That's what the GOP does on every single issue. They'd find a way to bash Biden even if he were to singlehandedly cure cancer and wipe out world poverty all in the same week. They're fucking crazy.

Lefty Specialist Feb 23 2022 04:50 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

What he said.

ashie62 Feb 23 2022 11:37 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

It is going to be be full on and and soon. This is not a time to nothing but political points against Biden. The whole thing is perverse.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 23 2022 06:33 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I've no doubt that Putin planned this now inevitable invasion, in part, on compromised American intelligence that the orange piece of shit passed off to the Russians.

MFS62 Feb 24 2022 05:32 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=86189 time=1645666423 user_id=68] I've no doubt that Putin planned this now inevitable invasion, in part, on compromised American intelligence that the orange piece of shit passed off to the Russians.

I also think FOX will somehow spin this as Biden supporting Ukraine to protect Hunter Biden. I don't have the stomach (or gag reflex) to watch them and find out what they are actually saying.



Later

Lefty Specialist Feb 24 2022 06:33 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Yeah, let's not forget that Donald Trump tried to blackmail Ukraine into manufacturing dirt on Biden. I'd expect they'll unload the sanctions toolbox, including cutting Russia off from the international banking system. However, China is not condemning this move, thereby tacitly endorsing it. They want to do the same thing to Taiwan. Time to start seizing those oligarch assets in Manhattan and London real estate and those accounts in the Caymans. Markets will plunge, and $5 gas is coming. Yay.

kcmets Feb 24 2022 06:39 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Meanwhile, Congress remains on vacation.

Edgy MD Feb 24 2022 07:08 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Lefty Specialist wrote: Time to start seizing those oligarch assets in Manhattan and London real estate and those accounts in the Caymans. Will this happen? Because this seems to be the way to go. And presumably, there are such assets to seize in other NATO states as well.

Lefty Specialist Feb 24 2022 08:03 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Sanctions on Russia are inevitably going to cause pain in the West, too. But we better not pull our punches because some rich people will get their noses out of joint. Cutting them out of the SWIFT system of banking means those oligarchs will have a lot of trouble accessing their money, which will not be popular with the Deutsche Banks of the world.

Edgy MD Feb 24 2022 08:33 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/screen-shot-2022-02-24-at-10.30.04-am.png>

Lefty Specialist Feb 25 2022 12:35 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Have a Lukoil gas station near you? Boycott it- it's like sending money directly to Vlad. And yes, the Europeans pulled their punches on SWIFT. Apparently Germany, Italy and Hungary were against pulling the trigger. Germany because they're afraid of losing the natural gas, Italy because Russians buy a lot of Gucci and Prada, and Hungary because Viktor Orban is a Putin wannabe.

kcmets Feb 25 2022 01:06 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Lefty Specialist wrote: Italy because Russians buy a lot of Gucci and Prada That's pretty funny. (I know there's nothing amusing about any of it, just saying...)

MFS62 Feb 25 2022 03:32 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I remember when "COM-SIMP" (Communist sympathizer) was an insult, and to be called that was the kiss of death to the careers of many in the media? I think we should start labelling the FOX commentators who have been saying good things about Putin that way. And (even though he's tried to weasel out of admitting he praised Putin and the invasion of Ukraine) Tucker Carlson should be the first so labeled. Let's see how that would go over with his viewers who are veterans and fought against Communism in two wars. Later

batmagadanleadoff Feb 25 2022 04:01 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

It's like Archie Bunker's plan to hand out handguns to every passenger on a plane -- only on steroids -- and then by orders of magnitude. In The Ukraine, the government is distributing AK-47's to any citizen that requests one - men, women, anybody. [YOUTUBE]-lDb0Dn8OXE[/YOUTUBE]

Willets Point Feb 25 2022 04:43 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Except that Russia is not a communist country. The Chicago Boys saw to it in the 1990s that the state was restructured on their ideal model of neoliberal oligarchy. It's one of the reasons why the Insurrectionist Party loves Russia so much, because it's the model they want for the USA (along with having an authoritarian strongman like Putin who hates LGBTQ people, Muslims, and people of color as much as they do)

MFS62 Feb 25 2022 06:10 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Do you think the average Republican realizes that? Let innuendo work for both parties. Later

Edgy MD Feb 25 2022 08:50 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Yeah, Russia not being communist really undermines the commie-shaming operation. I kind of just got the realization that the social media misinformation campaign that got the US to elect perhaps the worst possible president is also going to make a great platform for President Putin's international propaganda war.

Lefty Specialist Feb 26 2022 05:21 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Yeah, Russia is a kleptocracy these days. And it is an inspiration to Republicans in that sense. Ukraine will inevitably fall, but so far it's not going as smoothly as the Russians (and everybody else) expected. Even once they get control, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

MFS62 Feb 27 2022 06:15 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

From the Toronto Globe and Mail (paywall). The conflict in Ukraine is really two wars: the war of arms and the war of ideas. With his overwhelming advantage in troops and firepower, Vladimir Putin seems likely to win the first. The second, he has already lost. The moment his missiles started landing with a thud around Ukrainian cities, the world recoiled in shock, outrage and disgust. Whatever shreds were left of his tattered mask as a civilized world leader were torn away, exposing him not just as a liar who had claimed to have no intention of invading Russia's independent neighbour but as a raving conspiracy theorist who saw Nazis hiding under the bed. Instead of extinguishing the flame of Ukrainian nationalism, he rekindled it. Citizens of the nation he claimed should not even exist rushed to the blue-and-yellow flag, united in their determination to resist and endure. His attack left many of his own people embarrassed and appalled. Russia's reputation, already so tarnished by his annexation of Crimea, his Olympic cheating, his murderous repression of dissent and his attempts to undermine Western elections, now bears a bright scarlet stain. None of this may matter much to Mr. Putin now. He seems impervious to shame. But reputation matters. Ideas matter. The Soviet empire whose collapse he so regrets fell apart not just because its superstructure was rotten but because it lost the battle of hearts and minds. The Berlin Wall may have kept East Germans from fleeing to the West, but it showed the world that the Soviet system was a dismal failure, unable to retain its subjects except by penning them in. Ukraine is Mr. Putin's Berlin Wall. Military victory there, if it comes, will carry a cost far greater than any ground he may gain. For let's be clear: This attack is about far more than Ukraine. It's part of a larger struggle between democracy and its enemies. Mr. Putin and his allies in that struggle, notably China's Xi Jinping, say that they have an alternative to the fractious complexity of democratic life. They say that, with wise and powerful figures such as them in charge, citizens can enjoy prosperity, stability and national pride without the bother of changing leaders every few years. Mr. Putin's reckless gamble exposes the critical flaw in that claim. Strongman rule promises order, but it often ends in violence and chaos. Without the democratic checks on their power, strongmen grow isolated, arrogant and often unstable. Mr. Putin is a classic of the type. Surrounded by lackeys, ensconced in his Kremlin echo chamber, he has come to believe himself the messiah of the Russian nation, the only one who can save it from the encroachment of a corrupt and decadent West. Mr. Xi shows the same messianic tendencies. For a good while, their argument seemed to be carrying the day. Russia came out of its post-Soviet malaise. Mr. Putin fought off challenges from liberal opponents and became a popular symbol of Russian resurgence. Mr. Xi's China grew rich and powerful without free elections or a free press. Strongmen from Turkey to the Philippines looked on with admiration. Democracy was in retreat. Even some of the oldest democracies were embroiled in internal divisions: Britain's over Brexit and the United States over Donald Trump. Ukraine could be a turning point. The world's democracies, so weak for so long, are more united than they have been for years. NATO has a new lease on life. Even American politicians are for once on the same page. The Putin attempt to crush Ukraine has reminded us both of the dangers of the unbridled strongman and of the value of democracy, still by far the best guarantor not just of freedom but of order. The reminder is overdue. Too often, we have taken our system for granted or succumbed to doubt about its merits. Too often, we have wondered if its opponents are right when they say they have found a better way. Didn't Mr. Putin have a point when he said Russia had been humiliated by the West? Wasn't Mr. Xi correct to say the Communist Party had delivered lasting peace and wealth? Mr. Putin's attack has clarified things. It is hard to see it now, as the bombs fall in Kyiv and Kharkiv, but Mr. Putin may have done the democratic cause a great favour. Later

Willets Point Feb 27 2022 10:19 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Alright, apparently there is at least one prominent Insurrectionist Party member who still thinks Russia is communist. [TWEET]https://twitter.com/SethCotlar/status/1497801926049611780[/TWEET]

Lefty Specialist Feb 28 2022 07:52 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Putin appeals to Republicans because he's white, pays lip-service to religion while being irreligious himself, and hates all the things Republicans do- Hillary Clinton, gay people, education, Muslims, a more diverse world in general. He's even trying to protect his southern border in ways Republicans can only fantasize about. To the rest of the world he's a monster, but to them he's Andy from Mayberry. The most stunning thing that's happening here is that they're LOSING the messaging war. When Ukranians capture soldiers, they let them call their mothers back in Russia to let them know they're OK. That's genius. The fact that they've held out this long is pretty remarkable, but Putin's pissed now and he's going to double down. He was pretending to avoid targeting civilians up to this point. That may be coming to an end and it'll be more bloody from here on in. The line in Shakespeare is: 'Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.' Mr Zelinskyy falls into that last category. He's been like Churchill rallying his country and it's quite amazing to watch. He's got a price on his head though, and the Russians either want him dead or making a public confession after being tortured. But for now, he's showing he's got big brass balls.

Edgy MD Feb 28 2022 08:46 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I think we probably wrote history too self-aggrandizingly when we claimed to have won The Cold War. A new regime replaced the Soviet Union, but if we had truly won, we'd have disarmed the enemy instead of letting a new regime seize their arsenal.

kcmets Feb 28 2022 08:46 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Of the four dozen disturbing things about the events of the last five days, what I find most disappointing and sad is how many times I've heard people rally around this as a Biden failure and how America would be better off today if Trump was still in the White House this morning. The hook, line and sinker brainwashed that we share a country with is just fucking mindboggling.

Willets Point Feb 28 2022 08:52 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

As I noted earlier, Putin timed the invasion during the Biden Presidency because he knew it would hurt a Democratic President in just this way.

metsmarathon Feb 28 2022 09:03 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Willets Point wrote: As I noted earlier, Putin timed the invasion during the Biden Presidency because he knew it would hurt a Democratic President in just this way. yes. exactly. he had no need to invade during trumps presidency because trump's presidency was making any such invasion easier.

Edgy MD Feb 28 2022 09:06 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

He was too busy invading the US during the Trump years.

Lefty Specialist Feb 28 2022 01:39 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

He wouldn't have invaded in 2020 because it would have interfered with Trump's re-election. He thought Biden and NATO were weaker than they actually were. The real story is how the Biden team got an incredibly diverse group of nations to sanction Russia. Even Switzerland is enforcing sanctions. Sweden is sending weapons, Germany is doubling defense spending and Sweden and Finland are now contemplating joining NATO. Putin had hoped for a 'shock and awe' quick capitulation of Ukraine, and the West being too divided to take effective action. He grossly miscalculated on both counts. Biden does not get enough credit for the effective, unified western response. It simply doesn't happen without him, and not enough people realize this. These sanctions are going to bite, and bite hard. The ruble is tanking, and he won't be able to use his foreign currency reserves to stabilize it. The only friend he has right now is China, who will probably quietly help him a bit, but not enough to offset losing the entire West. The typical Russian is going to have a rough couple of months. The real question is how much will the oligarchs feel it, and what will they do when it starts to hurt. Oil is over $100, so things are going to be a bit dicey on that front. It'd be nice if the Saudis helped out by increasing production, but they're Putin fans, too.

kcmets Feb 28 2022 01:52 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Lefty Specialist wrote: Biden does not get enough credit for the effective, unified western response. It simply doesn't happen without him, and not enough people realize this. Well, it's only been FIVE days.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 28 2022 10:42 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Trump: "Putin is a genius!" The orange dirtbag sociopath is so under Putin's thumb, that if Putin wanted to, he could probably make Trump eat his own shit turds on national TV.

Lefty Specialist Mar 01 2022 07:47 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Lefty Specialist wrote: Biden does not get enough credit for the effective, unified western response. It simply doesn't happen without him, and not enough people realize this. Well, it's only been FIVE days. True, but once committed, it's hard to un-commit. Sure, there'll be 'leaks' and countries willing to help you get around sanctions. Iran didn't collapse when we put sanctions on them, but they did come to the table about their nuclear program (another thing destroyed by Trump). Putin won't be brought to his knees in 5 days or even 5 months. But these sanctions are pretty tough, and they're going to cause a lot of unrest among the regular people and oligarchs alike. And the longer they're on, the more they'll hurt. Imagine what the Trump response would have been. He'd have turned a blind eye to it all and continued messing with NATO (which he wanted to withdraw from in his second term). Sanctions, if any, would have been piecemeal. Fox News would cover other things, like the disaster of Critical Race Theory in our kindergartens. And Vlad would have been laughing all the way to Kyiv.

ashie62 Mar 01 2022 08:00 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Nukes....On the table?

Lefty Specialist Mar 01 2022 11:00 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

=ashie62 post_id=86349 time=1646146810 user_id=90] Nukes....On the table?

No. It's bluster, and Biden didn't fall for it. Even on regular alert, our nuke forces and theirs get up to speed pretty quickly.

seawolf17 Mar 01 2022 11:14 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Seems like a terribly unsafe place to keep your nukes.

MFS62 Mar 01 2022 11:40 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Lefty Specialist wrote: Nukes....On the table? No. It's bluster, and Biden didn't fall for it. Even on regular alert, our nuke forces and theirs get up to speed pretty quickly. This Russia expert doesn't take nukes off the table: (long, but offers a complete picture of Putin and how he thinks) https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/02/28/world-war-iii-already-there-00012340 There's lots of danger ahead, she warned. Putin is increasingly operating emotionally and likely to use all the weapons at his disposal, including nuclear ones. It's important not to have any illusions — but equally important not to lose hope. “Every time you think, 'No, he wouldn't, would he?' Well, yes, he would,” Hill said. “And he wants us to know that, of course. It's not that we should be intimidated and scared…. We have to prepare for those contingencies and figure out what is it that we're going to do to head them off.” Later

batmagadanleadoff Mar 01 2022 08:56 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Pat Robertson says Putin was ‘compelled by God' to invade Ukraine to fulfill Armageddon prophecy https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/01/pat-robertson-putin-god-russia-ukraine/ Excerpt: Televangelist Pat Robertson said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “compelled by God” in his decision to invade Ukraine, suggesting that Russia's attacks are a precursor to an end-times battle in Israel. ___________ Who's gonna argue with Robertson? Pastors and ministers are always on the right side of history, so it has to be true. Also, God himself compelled me to write this post when he came over to my house for lunch yesterday and told me that he'd pay my cable tv bill for the next 12 months in return for this post. That was an offer I'd be nuts to refuse. I wonder if Robertson got the same deal from God to make that Putin statement. Anyways, what's good on Netflix this month?

batmagadanleadoff Mar 02 2022 01:55 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Nina Khrushcheva, an international-affairs professor at the New School in New York and the great-granddaughter of former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, told me. She said the Russian leader [Vladimir Putin] appears to “have lost all grip on reality, more so than I was willing to admit only yesterday.” She added, “I didn't think he was suicidal, but he clearly is, and is taking the world and us with him.” She described Putin as a “ruthless megalomaniac with a giant imperialist agenda” akin to Stalin and Mao. Also: Others compared [Putin] to Hitler. “There are many parallels between Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939 and Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022,” Michael McFaul, the former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, who is now at Stanford University, tweeted on Thursday. Putin no longer appears to be a rational actor on the international stage, experts say. “I hate comparing people to Hitler, but Putin's crazy talk is making it hard to avoid,” Stephen Sestanovich, a Russia expert at Columbia University, told me. “Did he think forcing all of his advisers to stand up on television and say, in such obvious discomfort, that they agreed with him would make the decision for war look careful and deliberate? My Russian friends suggest something different—is this guy losing it?” https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/putins-historic-miscalculation-may-make-him-a-war-criminal ________________ You don't have to commit mass genocide on the scale of millions to be rationally compared to Hitler. (As I was sayin' like ever since the orange piece of shit was, incredibly, elected US President in 2016.

Fman99 Mar 02 2022 05:43 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=86385 time=1646211329 user_id=68] Others compared [Putin] to Hitler. “There are many parallels between Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939 and Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022,” Michael McFaul, the former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, who is now at Stanford University, tweeted on Thursday. Putin no longer appears to be a rational actor on the international stage, experts say. “I hate comparing people to Hitler, but Putin's crazy talk is making it hard to avoid,” Stephen Sestanovich, a Russia expert at Columbia University, told me. “Did he think forcing all of his advisers to stand up on television and say, in such obvious discomfort, that they agreed with him would make the decision for war look careful and deliberate? My Russian friends suggest something different—is this guy losing it?”

Reminds me of a super cringeworthy cabinet meeting that took place sometime during the orange shitbag era. Where they all kissed his ring.

ashie62 Mar 02 2022 11:39 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Lefty Specialist wrote: Nukes....On the table? No. It's bluster, and Biden didn't fall for it. Even on regular alert, our nuke forces and theirs get up to speed pretty quickly. This Russia expert doesn't take nukes off the table: (long, but offers a complete picture of Putin and how he thinks) https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/02/28/world-war-iii-already-there-00012340 There's lots of danger ahead, she warned. Putin is increasingly operating emotionally and likely to use all the weapons at his disposal, including nuclear ones. It's important not to have any illusions — but equally important not to lose hope. “Every time you think, 'No, he wouldn't, would he?' Well, yes, he would,” Hill said. “And he wants us to know that, of course. It's not that we should be intimidated and scared…. We have to prepare for those contingencies and figure out what is it that we're going to do to head them off.” Later I read this piece by Fiona Hill also. She is certainly no crackpot and it did unsettle my stomach some.

MFS62 Mar 02 2022 01:57 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

My home telecom provider Frontier Communications just sent out an email to customers saying that all phone calls to Ukraine will be free. Later

batmagadanleadoff Mar 02 2022 04:17 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Assassination plot against Zelensky foiled and unit sent to kill him ‘destroyed,' Ukraine says Excerpt: A recent alleged assassination plot against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was foiled over the weekend and the Chechen servicemen sent from Russia were “destroyed,” a Ukrainian security leader said Tuesday. Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said during a broadcast marathon airing on Ukrainian TV channels that officials were recently tipped off that a unit of Kadyrovites, elite Chechen special forces, was on its way to kill Zelensky. After Ukrainian officials were informed by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), the Chechen special forces were killed Saturday on the outskirts of Kyiv, Danilov said. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/02/zelensky-russia-ukraine-assassination-attempt-foiled/

Double Switch Mar 02 2022 10:33 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Lefty Specialist wrote: Nukes....On the table? No. It's bluster, and Biden didn't fall for it. Even on regular alert, our nuke forces and theirs get up to speed pretty quickly. This Russia expert doesn't take nukes off the table: (long, but offers a complete picture of Putin and how he thinks) https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/02/28/world-war-iii-already-there-00012340 There's lots of danger ahead, she warned. Putin is increasingly operating emotionally and likely to use all the weapons at his disposal, including nuclear ones. It's important not to have any illusions — but equally important not to lose hope. “Every time you think, 'No, he wouldn't, would he?' Well, yes, he would,” Hill said. “And he wants us to know that, of course. It's not that we should be intimidated and scared…. We have to prepare for those contingencies and figure out what is it that we're going to do to head them off.” Later Thanks, MFS62, for providing this Politico interview with Dr. Fiona Hill, whose insights and vast knowledge need wider dissemination. I agree with you that many US citizens are only vaguely aware that there no longer is an entity known as the United Soviet Socialist Republics. As for "commies," all those obedient GQPers chant "commie, commie, socialist, socialist" in that twangy monotone they affect so efficiently. They've been fact-deficient for so long, they can't keep their memes straight. I appreciate your own insights so keep them coming.

kcmets Mar 03 2022 05:15 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Oh, my gosh. Put on a bib if you're gonna slobber on him!

Lefty Specialist Mar 03 2022 09:30 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Pat Robertson says Putin was ‘compelled by God' to invade Ukraine to fulfill Armageddon prophecy When I see that headline, I can't help thinking about this: https://media0.giphy.com/media/xT9KVqVCDHN6UG9u4U/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47elape2dl5irh75llhdtyy40sen0yfly3k0vtvviy&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g>

Edgy MD Mar 03 2022 10:29 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Pat Robertson is a serial failure when it comes to predicting Armageddon. I think his show is called The 700 Club in honor of the number of apocalyptic events he's incorrectly predicted.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 03 2022 12:41 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Edgy MD wrote: Pat Robertson is a serial failure when it comes to predicting Armageddon. Just Pat Robertson? Back to the war in Ukraine: The best thing that could happen is for some insider with access to Putin to take him out. Like permanently. I'd say the exact same thing for a specific certain aspect of our Domestic political situation right here in the ol' USA, but I won't.

Edgy MD Mar 03 2022 12:45 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Edgy MD wrote: Pat Robertson is a serial failure when it comes to predicting Armageddon. Just Pat Robertson? His prediction was the one brought up above.

Lefty Specialist Mar 03 2022 01:03 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Edgy MD wrote: Pat Robertson is a serial failure when it comes to predicting Armageddon. Just Pat Robertson? Back to the war in Ukraine: The best thing that could happen is for some insider with access to Putin to take him out. Like permanently. I'd say the exact same thing for a specific certain aspect of our Domestic political situation right here in the ol' USA, but I won't. Vlad has been thinking about this too. It's why he has those cartoonishly-long tables for meetings. https://i.inews.co.uk/content/uploads/2022/02/PRI_223524626-640x360.jpg>

Edgy MD Mar 03 2022 01:30 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

That a foreign head of state or head of government would allow that sort of garbage only feeds President Putin's narcissism.

kcmets Mar 03 2022 01:46 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Lefty Specialist wrote: https://i.inews.co.uk/content/uploads/2022/02/PRI_223524626-640x360.jpg> "I got the button right over there." "Right, but no one person controls the button. There are safe guards." "Maybe, perahps."

MFS62 Mar 03 2022 04:47 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Knowing how effective this would be against oncoming Russian tank and equipment columns, I think this is a great idea. https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2022/03/03/transfer-three-a-10-aircraft-squadrons-to-ukraine-now/ That plane is exactly what is needed, now! Later

Double Switch Mar 03 2022 09:44 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Knowing how effective this would be against oncoming Russian tank and equipment columns, I think this is a great idea. https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2022/03/03/transfer-three-a-10-aircraft-squadrons-to-ukraine-now/ That plane is exactly what is needed, now! Later Again, thanks for providing a great link and an informative read. My only question to the writer would be why he thinks the USA still has a moral compass. It's not been in evidence for many years. Nevertheless, I have bookmarked your source.

MFS62 Mar 07 2022 08:16 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

We're getting announcements of US companies no longer doing business with Russia. What I'd like to see is a list of US Fortune 500 companies that are still doing business with Russia. Later

metsmarathon Mar 07 2022 09:25 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

while on the face of it, i applaud the idea of "just give ukraine warplanes" it really, REALLY falls flat in the face of realistic implementation. it's not like pulling up to the local hertz and figuring out the new rental car in the parking lot - these planes, even the venerable a-10, require a tremendous amount of training, and a huge logistical tail. you don't just pick 'em up over the weekend. to say nothing about spare parts and maintenance, and connected systems, and all the weapons and electronics and communication and targeting systems and what not. also, not minimal is the fact that a-10s would be sitting ducks flying in contested skies against more advanced fighters. as ground support platforms they're outstanding and awesome. but they're slow, and would get shot down without air superiority in place. but more importantly, i don't know that they'd ever get into the air in the first place, given how long it would take to get a crew flightworthy. it's really the huge advantage of handing out manpads and anti-tank missiles to ukraine - these weapons are standalone, can really be used by anyone with minimal training, and can make mincemeat of the russian armor, especially when employed by irregular combatants against an invading/occupying force. the only way giving air support to ukraine works is by having those planes flown by their own nations. if ever the un were looking for an excuse to demonstrate their relevance, this is that time. take a stand against the unprovoked invasion of one nation against the other, and impose a no-fly zone against russia, backed by UN airpower.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 07 2022 11:07 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

With the war in Ukraine, there's hardly any Covid or Trump talk on cable TV news lately.

Edgy MD Mar 07 2022 11:12 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

=metsmarathon post_id=86511 time=1646670321 user_id=83]it's not like pulling up to the local hertz and figuring out the new rental car in the parking lot - these planes, even the venerable a-10, require a tremendous amount of training, and a huge logistical tail. you don't just pick 'em up over the weekend. to say nothing about spare parts and maintenance, and connected systems, and all the weapons and electronics and communication and targeting systems and what not.

According to that article, (a) the airplane was designed to operate in Europe from ill-prepared facilities, and (b) pilot retraining is minimal.



I assume the readership of Defense News are frequently folks with an interest in the defense industry, and certainly an interest in old equipment finding new purpose and marketability, so take those claims with whatever amount of salt suits your taste. I can't pretend to know much of anything on the matter.

kcmets Mar 07 2022 12:28 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

=MFS62 post_id=86506 time=1646666177 user_id=60]What I'd like to see is a list of US Fortune 500 companies that are still doing business with Russia.

Coca-Cola and McDonald's are getting bottom scrolly bar attention on BBC.

I haven't been to an American news station or outlet in about five days now.

metsmarathon Mar 07 2022 05:11 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Edgy MD wrote: =metsmarathon post_id=86511 time=1646670321 user_id=83]it's not like pulling up to the local hertz and figuring out the new rental car in the parking lot - these planes, even the venerable a-10, require a tremendous amount of training, and a huge logistical tail. you don't just pick 'em up over the weekend. to say nothing about spare parts and maintenance, and connected systems, and all the weapons and electronics and communication and targeting systems and what not. According to that article, (a) the airplane was designed to operate in Europe from ill-prepared facilities, and (b) pilot retraining is minimal. I assume the readership of Defense News are frequently folks with an interest in the defense industry, and certainly an interest in old equipment finding new purpose and marketability, so take those claims with whatever amount of salt suits your taste. I can't pretend to know much of anything on the matter.

there's a difference between an ill-prepared facility and an under-equipped facility, i think. i dunno.... i read that op-ed and was just scratching my head about it. even minimal training is weeks-to-months to learn and relearn new flight systems, so that you don't have to think about it when a target starts shooting back.



it's why the idea of transferring cold war era planes from other european nations has so much appeal. they already fly those planes. but even that is fraught with difficulty as those planes are all different revisions. again, those little changes can make the difference between life and death when you have to fall back on muscle memory. and flying fighter jets in combat is definitely one of those muscle memory type things.



yes, when it comes down to it, i'm finding reasons not to save lives. but thats because i believe there are better ways to achieve the same goals that will not be as wasteful of both equipment and valuable pilots.



but i could be wrong. i'm hardly an aviation expert. just know that as interconnected as our military systems are, and as specialized as the versions we sell to foreign nations are, it's just not as easy or as quick as handing over the keys.

Edgy MD Mar 07 2022 05:32 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Intuition would have me agree with you. As I suggested, I'm guessing that there's at least a little bit of wishful thinking sewn into that essay.

ashie62 Mar 08 2022 11:53 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

The banning of Russian oil is primarily targeting the US consumer. 200-300 a barrell

kcmets Mar 08 2022 12:02 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 08 2022 12:55 PM

=kcmets post_id=86538 time=1646681302 user_id=53]McDonald's is temporarily closing 8500+ Putinssarnts in the mutha land.

Uh, make that 850+... I got carried away.

Edgy MD Mar 08 2022 12:42 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

=ashie62 post_id=86580 time=1646765639 user_id=90] The banning of Russian oil is primarily targeting the US consumer. 200-300 a barrell

You don't actually think your government is targeting you, do you?

kcmets Mar 08 2022 12:58 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Charging $.75/gallon more for gas an owner already had in his tank is kinda price gouging and unpatriotic. Or a windfall, depends...

batmagadanleadoff Mar 08 2022 12:59 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

McDonald's succumbs to public pressure, shuts down all of its Russian located McD's restaurants. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/08/mcdonalds-will-temporarily-close-850-restaurants-in-russia-nearly-2-weeks-after-putin-invaded-ukraine.html

batmagadanleadoff Mar 08 2022 01:00 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

McDonald's succumbs to public pressure, shuts down all of its Russian located McD's restaurants. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/08/mcdonalds-will-temporarily-close-850-restaurants-in-russia-nearly-2-weeks-after-putin-invaded-ukraine.html And get their quarter-pounder. It's fresh; not frozen anymore. ttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-10473825/McDonalds-worker-shares-tips-secrets-fast-food-chain.html

MFS62 Mar 08 2022 02:50 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Poland has agreed to place their old MiG-29 fighters at the disposal of the US which is the first step for sending the fighters to Ukraine. That model has been used by the Ukraine Air Force before and little, if any, training will be needed. Later

MFS62 Mar 08 2022 05:07 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

An updated list of companies still doing business in Russia and those that aren't as compiled by WINS news radio. (as of three hours ago) https://www.audacy.com/1010wins/news/business/heres-a-list-of-companies-doing-business-in-russia-and-not-doing-business-there?fbclid=IwAR0FxSbOZYJd_CrcjC7fKTtI2xRWEpEiKlzTG_7jSR38PDH_nquNxeV8t9Y Later

MFS62 Mar 11 2022 03:14 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Either the pee tapes DO exist, or the guy is a fucking moron. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/donald-trump-sean-hannity-refuses-condemn-putin-1319948/ Even Sean Hannity can't get tRump to say anything bad about Putin. Putin must have something on him or has offered him a place to run when he's convicted. Later

Double Switch Mar 11 2022 03:16 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

"Putin must have something on him AND has offered him a place to run when he's convicted." I'd say both.

Willets Point Mar 11 2022 03:21 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Honestly, for Trump and his fellow Insurrectionists, I think they just really admire Putin because he's the type of authoritarian leader who hates LGBTQ people, Muslims, and immigrants as much as they do. He's the model of what they want for the USA. No compromat is necessary, they do this voluntarily. In Trump's case I expect he also has financial interests tied up with Russian oligarchs too.

Edgy MD Mar 11 2022 03:34 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I just think his absolute power and authoritarian rule is appealing. Small bullies want more than anything for the bigger bully to like them.

The Hot Corner Mar 11 2022 08:09 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

=MFS62 post_id=86856 time=1647036875 user_id=60] Either the pee tapes DO exist, or the guy is a fucking moron. Even Sean Hannity can't get tRump to say anything bad about Putin. Putin must have something on him or has offered him a place to run when he's convicted.

I will go with clueless, self absorbed, moron.

Lefty Specialist Mar 12 2022 07:10 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Pee tapes are kind of pointless by now. Even if one existed and was broadcast on CNN, they'd just say it was doctored up, call it fake news and move on. I think Putin has something deeper and darker on Trump than that. Or he has the ability to take him down in some other way that we don't know about. Just about the only person he cares about beside himself is Ivanka. His other kids he could care less, but she's special to him. I wonder if Putin has his hooks in her in some way. Mad speculation, but his fawning behavior around Putin defies rational explanation.

Edgy MD Mar 13 2022 10:21 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I think it's probably as simple as Putin having the indirect authority to call in his debt.

Lefty Specialist Mar 15 2022 06:32 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

At least 15 years in jail for this, and quite possibly a very painful death in a gulag. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FN13Zv8XEAMQ4jz?format=jpg&name=small>

Lefty Specialist Mar 26 2022 06:55 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

So we're a month in. Ukraine is getting pummeled in many cities, but the Russians are pretty much stalled. Putin will never be able to take Ukraine. He didn't have enough troops and expected a lightning shock and awe campaign where the government capitulated in a few days. They brought dress uniforms but not enough food and warm clothes. The incompetence of Russia's military surprised everybody (not least of all Putin). But the staunch defense of the Ukrainians is off the charts, which is why the West was able to impose sanctions and make them stick. Had they collapsed in a day or two, there would have been a lot of tut-tutting, but it would have been business as usual for Russian gas and oligarch yachts. Amazing things are happening. Greece and Turkey are working together (with France) on a humanitarian rescue mission. NATO is electrified and more united than it's been since the Cold War. There are rumblings in the former Soviet republics. China, which should have been running to aid the Russians, is holding back and is maybe thinking that taking Taiwan might not be that easy after all. The problem now is that Russia needs an off-ramp. It can't 'win' in the conventional sense, by taking control and installing a friendly puppet government. That ship has sailed. And Ukrainians will hate Russians for generations after this, so giving the invader any Ukrainian territory as a reward to go away seems a non-starter. But in the meantime, civilians are getting pounded mercilessly, and 4 million mostly women and children are refugees in Eastern Europe. Even if they went back, in many cases there's nothing to go back to. Ukraine will need Marshall Plan-level investment when this is over. But in order for it to be over, Vladimir needs something to show his people. Not sure how this ends in a face-saving (and possibly coup-preventing) way for him. His domestic propaganda machine is really good, but cracks are going to start to show at some point. The worry is that he might be desperate enough to go nuclear, at which point it's game over (for him and us). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FOr3HPRWYAk0u8f?format=jpg&name=small>

Edgy MD Mar 26 2022 08:02 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I like how they switch phones, seats and jackets in between lines, but you can see Zelenskyy's chair from frame three in the background of frame one, like he's hopping around the table.

Frayed Knot Mar 26 2022 01:19 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Lefty Specialist wrote: ... And Ukrainians will hate Russians for generations after this ... Of course they always pretty much did -- Ukrainians didn't like being under the thumb of Russian Tsars or being subservient to the Russians under its forced inclusion in the U.S.S.R.; they certainly didn't like being on the business end of Stalin's starvation tactics, especially seeing as how Ukraine was long the USSR's bread basket; and they sure didn't finally get their independence only to see some Russian thug try and take it away again -- but, yeah, this whole thing will certainly kick that long simmer into a full blown boil. I had a WWII history professor (a child in occupied Norway during the war) who opined that had Hitler treated the Ukraines better on his way into the USSR that they had enough built up resentment to maybe join up with the Germans on their march eastward. Instead, he treated them like the inferior class of Slavs that he knew them to be so they went with the 'Devil you know' philosophy and gave Hitler's army stiffer resistance than had he played his cards differently ... and That might have changed a whole buncha shit. And while the stories we're hearing out of there might be scattered and anecdotal, there are certainly enough of them to make it seem like the typical Russian soldier doesn't have his heart in this: surrendering freely; shooting themselves in the foot; running over their own commanding officer with a tank!!; etc. The other side, meanwhile, fighting for their homeland and never big fans of their neighbors to start with, is much more engaged. So while superior numbers and weapons always matter, that other stuff matters too ... A LOT. Frederick Forsythe, best know for DAY OF THE JACKAL and ODESSA FILE, centered one of his novels, THE DEVIL'S ALTERNATIVE, around a Ukrainian freedom fighter at a time (late 1970s) when much of the west treated the USSR almost like it was a mono-culture from western Europe to the Pacific. Been a long time since I read it but Forsythe (much better than Ludlum IMO) was great at all that international intrigue stuff and I remember being very engaged with it at the time.

MFS62 Mar 26 2022 02:00 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I think I like this guy: https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-us-army-vet-thinks-of-tucker-carlson-when-preparing-for-battle-2022-3 A US Army veteran who has volunteered to fight against Russia in Ukraine said that he prepares for battle by thinking about Tucker Carlson ... "When I need to amp myself up for battle, I just think about the most punchable face on the planet … Tucker Carlson," James Vasquez tweeted last week. Later

Edgy MD Mar 26 2022 03:15 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I'd really like our president to stop sticking his foot in his mouth for a day or two.

Willets Point Mar 26 2022 03:23 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Edgy MD wrote: I'd really like our president to stop sticking his foot in his mouth for a day or two. I feel like this comment was transplanted here from sometime between January 20, 2017 and January 20, 2021.

Edgy MD Mar 26 2022 04:02 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I would agree. We got rid of our intensely self-interested president, who said stupid stuff in his ill will. It was one of the greatest gifts this country ever gave to itself. I celebrate having a president who is really trying to do his job, but he can say some foolish things also. He did it often enough when he was a vice president. Him making what may be the most important overseas trip by a president in decades (since Nixon in China?) with his (seemingly highly competent) spokesperson being back in the US has really left him off the leash and making some clunkers. He's the compromise candidate, and was the best chance to build a broad enough coalition to turn the nation away from President Trump. I get that and I celebrate it. But I really hope his party is working really hard on identifying and nurturing a younger, more vigorous class of leadership.

kcmets Mar 26 2022 07:06 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Amen

Lefty Specialist Mar 27 2022 06:15 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I'm not so sure this was a flub. Of course they'll deny that's what he meant and the spokespeople will 'walk it back'. But he put the idea out there. It's an old political trick. Joe isn't senile, but as you noted he can sometimes say things you might wish he wouldn't. Remember he called Putin a war criminal just a few days ago, which is an extremely loaded term in its own right.

MFS62 Mar 27 2022 06:51 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Edgy MD wrote: We got rid of our intensely self-interested president, who said stupid stuff in his ill will. It was one of the greatest gifts this country ever gave to itself. I celebrate having a president who is really trying to do his job, but he can say some foolish things also. He did it often enough when he was a vice president. Him making what may be the most important overseas trip by a president in decades (since Nixon in China?) with his (seemingly highly competent) spokesperson being back in the US has really left him off the leash and making some clunkers. He's the compromise candidate, and was the best chance to build a broad enough coalition to turn the nation away from President Trump. I get that and I celebrate it. But I really hope his party is working really hard on identifying and nurturing a younger, more vigorous class of leadership. The stuff that other guy did was more than just stupid when it came to Ukraine: https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/26/politics/trump-putin-ukraine/index.html?fbclid=IwAR00HlZqmnRxMc6sWbfoJT2vPIDyh95oeKhtXcTBs54Uba08EWnmkbuhTfs Experts say Trump's actions weakened Ukraine, divided NATO, emboldened Putin and helped get us to where we are today. And even with Trump no longer in office, his impact lives on in the form of Putin-friendly commentary in conservative media and from some Republican lawmakers. "One of the key reasons Putin probably felt comfortable launching the invasion of Ukraine was the extent to which the West has been weakened and destabilized, and democracy undermined, and political divisions sown, in the five years since he attacked our election in 2016," said Garrett Graff, a historian and journalist with expertise in national security and Cold War issues. Later

Edgy MD Mar 27 2022 07:59 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

What the-other-guy-did was worse than anything. I would ask that a frank look at our president's messaging in the face of brinkmanship not be confused through whataboutism with an endorsement of President Trump. The rejection of him in my preface could not have been clearer. But here is where we are now.

Lefty Specialist Mar 27 2022 09:38 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Let's not forget that the guy was impeached for basically extorting Ukraine, holding up defensive supplies so he could manufacture dirt on Biden. Which is why the 'I could do this better' argument is so laughable. Yes, Putin thought his boy Trump had done a good enough job weakening and dividing the West that he could crush Ukraine without consequences. But Biden's team saw this coming and prepared for it. Those sanctions didn't happen overnight; they were the result of a lot of hard work done in advance. Sharing intel that would normally have been kept secret, even from our allies, was also a part of it. Putin was able to survive the sanctions put on him in the wake of Crimea, and he thought things would be a little stiffer this time, but survivable if he waited them out. He didn't count on the willingness of a unified Europe being willing to cut his central bank off from the international finance system. Russia had stockpiled an enormous war chest of foreign currency in that bank, ready to use when regular sanctions hit. But sanctioning the central bank itself made those funds worthless, because they can't transact with anyone else. It's as if you were retired and somebody made your retirement savings disappear in a blink. This is why Russia is suddenly staring default in the face. That didn't happen on its own, and Biden's team doesn't get enough credit for it.

Edgy MD Mar 27 2022 11:08 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Lefty Specialist wrote: Let's not forget that the guy was impeached for basically extorting Ukraine, holding up defensive supplies so he could manufacture dirt on Biden. In no way would I forget it. Ever. Yo prometo.

Willets Point Mar 27 2022 12:15 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I'm the last person you'd expect to defend Joe Biden, but saying things out of line seems to be the least of his problems. If anything, he plays it too safe, trying not to offend, exhorting bipartisanship when he should be using his bully pulpit to rage against his insurrectionist opposition and complacent members of his own party in order to push policy that will improve the general welfare of the majority of people in American and abroad.

Edgy MD Mar 27 2022 02:17 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Sure, and I'm going to have policy disagreements with every president. Messaging mistakes in military (even nuclear) brinkmanship, though, is an own goal. But what you describe certainly fits into my notion that we should be looking for a younger, more vigorous leader, though. He's a recovering stammerer and an elderly fellow, and self-expression was never his strength (or else he may have been president a long time ago), but that doesn't mean I have to like it. This is a scary war for most of the world, and the right words or the wrong ones can escalate or de-escalate hostilities.

ashie62 Mar 28 2022 05:46 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Joe Biden going off script to allude to regime change. He went off script and state had to walk it back. Joe needs to be removed....soon.

Edgy MD Mar 28 2022 08:40 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Well, I certainly wasn't looking to go there.

MFS62 Mar 29 2022 11:45 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I'm getting nervous about Russian troops backing away from some cities in Ukraine. I'm not sure they're on the run as much as I fear they're clearing out because Putin may start using chemical or biological weapons and they're getting out of harm's way. I hope I'm wrong. Later

metsmarathon Mar 29 2022 11:50 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

ugh. that was my fear as well. i hope you're wrong, too.

Willets Point Mar 29 2022 12:11 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I've read that the Russians have a strategy of digging in on the outskirts of cities in order to carry out constant artillery attacks on the city. Occupying a city is hard because there's a large concentration of people to pacify and the troops become the target of resistance movements. By stopping just outside the city the Russian strategy is to demoralize the people with a constant barrage of artillery while providing no targets for a resistance movement to coalesce around. Hopefully, it fails.

Edgy MD Mar 29 2022 12:19 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Yeah, that's my guess. An external siege. A chemical or biological attack against a civilian population would be a tough sell even in media-controlled Russia, while simultaneously claiming to be de-Nazifying a country. When the Soviet regime fell in Russia, the Red Army didn't do much to stop it from falling. I know despots like to think of themselves as untouchable right up until they are not, but such a maneuver will tend to further destabilize his rule. Also, the victims of a biological weapon will not only be Ukranian patriots. It will be the ethno-Russians he's allegedly trying to liberate, as well as Russian soldiers, and will quickly spread into Russia itself. It strikes me that arms reductions are one thing the US has to trade here. That may have some appeal, because, if Russia pulls out, no matter what face President Putin may somehow save, one has to think Ukraine will be bending over backwards to gain NATO membership ASAP, and the NATO defensive perimeter would quickly expand to cover Ukrain's internal borders shortly after.

Edgy MD Apr 14 2022 04:10 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

The Snake Island confrontation seemed like an impressively defiant but tragic story, when the garrison defending the island radioed "Russian warship, go fuck yourself," and no further signals were heard. Amazingly, seven weeks later, the members of the Ukrainian Garrison not only turn out to have survived, but have been repatriated following a prisoner exchange. And the warship, the Russian flagship of the Black Sea, is now sitting on the floor of that same Black Sea. I hesitate to glean any meaning in the face of war's ugly futility, but what a turn of events.

Lefty Specialist Apr 14 2022 04:58 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Ukraine two days ago issued a stamp with a Ukrainian soldier flipping the bird at that very ship. Almost like they knew this was coming. https://c.ndtvimg.com/2022-03/flauiqrg_ukraine-new-stamp-snake-island-postage-stamp_625x300_15_March_22.jpg> This might be the next stamp they issue: https://theboardwalkgamesdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/you-sunk-my-battleship.jpg>

MFS62 Jun 01 2022 05:10 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

"Buy Me a Fighter Jet" is a go fund me page set up to buy aircraft for Ukraine. https://www.yahoo.com/news/ukrainians-still-trying-buy-fighter-220900669.html Later

Edgy MD Aug 24 2022 08:47 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

A terrific piece from The Washington Post about the early days of the invasion and the unlikely job the Ukrainians did holding Kyiv. As the day went on, Arestovych became convinced the Ukrainian military would not be able to defend the capital and told the president as much. “People who understood military things went up to him and said, ‘We're not going to hold,' ” Arestovych said. Zelensky eventually erupted. He was staying. “This is the last time I am going to hear this,” Arestovych recalled him saying. “I don't want to hear it again.” Zelensky told Danilov to stop annoying him with constant warnings about threats to his life, asking the National Security and Defense Council chief whether he had anything else to say — anything more important. “Listen, I am a living person. I don't want to die, like any other person,” Zelensky said. “But I definitely know that if I think about that, then I'm already dead.” Zelensky suspected that some of his foreign interlocutors simply wanted the conflict to end as quickly as possible, with his administration effectively surrendering to Russia. “Of all those who called me, there was no one who believed we would survive. Not because they didn't believe in Ukraine, but because of this demonization of the leader of the Russian Federation — his power, his philosophy, the way he advertised the might of the Russian army. And so [they thought], with all due respect to the Ukrainians: They won't bring it, they'll be finished off in two or three days, maybe five, and then it will all end.”

Lefty Specialist Aug 25 2022 03:46 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

It's a series, with three parts so far. Cracking good read.

Edgy MD Sep 11 2022 09:45 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

So, I went and re-read this thread, and I want to salute Lefty on this bold and dramatic reversal. Lefty Specialist wrote: Ukraine will inevitably fall, but so far it's not going as smoothly as the Russians (and everybody else) expected. Even once they get control, it's going to be a bumpy ride. Lefty Specialist wrote: So we're a month in. Ukraine is getting pummeled in many cities, but the Russians are pretty much stalled. Putin will never be able to take Ukraine.

Edgy MD Sep 13 2022 09:35 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

The routing of Russian troops from the area around Kharkiv not only really exposes a Russian military that couldn't defend a force close to their own border, but apparently has also proven expensive, as reports have them leaving behind "at least 338 fighter jets or tanks or trucks." Not that I expect anyone is in a hurry to climb into any Russian tanks, which appear to be death traps whether or not they've been booby trapped.

Edgy MD Oct 01 2022 10:03 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

How about Ukraine liberating Lyman one day after Russia's annexation, a rule that President Putin had declared to be "forever"? This would all be a wonderfully impressive display of the human spirit, but the deaths are still real as is the threat of a nuclear endgame.

MFS62 Oct 03 2022 05:16 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Hunting the Red October? (I know. It's a reprint of a FOX story, but ...) https://www.yahoo.com/news/russian-nuclear-submarine-armed-apos-172414665.html A top-of-the-line Russian nuclear-powered submarine has gone missing from its harbor in the Arctic along with its rumored "doomsday weapon," according to multiple reports. NATO has reportedly warned members that Russia's Belgorod submarine no longer appeared to be operating out of its White Sea base, where it has been active since July. Officials warned that Russia may plan to test Belgorod's "Poseidon" weapons system, a drone equipped with a nuclear bomb that Russia has claimed is capable of creating a "radioactive tsunami," according to Italian media. The drone can be deployed from the submarine at any time and detonated at a depth of 1 kilometer near a coastal city. Russian state media has claimed the device can create a 1,600-ft. wave that smashes into the coast and irradiates it. Scary if true. Later

Lefty Specialist Oct 05 2022 01:31 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Edgy MD wrote: So, I went and re-read this thread, and I want to salute Lefty on this bold and dramatic reversal. Lefty Specialist wrote: Ukraine will inevitably fall, but so far it's not going as smoothly as the Russians (and everybody else) expected. Even once they get control, it's going to be a bumpy ride. Lefty Specialist wrote: So we're a month in. Ukraine is getting pummeled in many cities, but the Russians are pretty much stalled. Putin will never be able to take Ukraine. Like most people I assumed that Russia had the second-best military in the world. Turns out they only had the second-best military in Ukraine. The recipe was simple: shock and awe, march into Kyiv (an hour's drive from the border) and install a puppet government. It's like having the US Army in Manhattan and being unable to take Trenton, like, ever. They had one job. Once they failed at that the main goal was lost. And I don't think I was the only one surprised by that, as well as the spectacular corruption and incompetence of the Russian military (Yeah, I know that getting to Trenton probably takes longer than an hour in rush-hour traffic.)

Edgy MD Dec 07 2022 09:57 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and "The Spirit of Ukraine" have been named Time's persons of the year. Apart from figuring out how to word the second half of that, I imagine it was one of the shortest editorial meetings they've ever had.

MFS62 Dec 07 2022 10:31 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

My second place vote would have gone to Liz Cheney. Later

kcmets Dec 07 2022 10:47 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

There were whispers earlier in the week it would be Putin. That would really have sucked donkey tail.

Marshmallowmilkshake Dec 07 2022 10:59 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

=kcmets post_id=114203 time=1670435266 user_id=53] There were whispers earlier in the week it would be Putin. That would really have sucked donkey tail.

Remember, these days more than ever, the purpose of these special issues is to sell magazines. Ain't nobody buying a Putin Man of the Year magazine cover.

Ceetar Dec 07 2022 11:03 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

all the other finalists were outright evil right? Not that that stops 'em, whatever gets attention/sales.

Edgy MD Dec 07 2022 11:11 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Well, they've been clear since forever that "of the year" is not a moral triumph, and they've long given the moniker to unvarnished scoundrels. But, no, not all the other finalists were outright evil.

Ceetar Dec 07 2022 11:13 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I don't know, I've never read it. It's just this weird legacy thing we talk about for a day or so every year. It's weird. But beyond morals, seems bad to purposely put evil people on the cover in what's basically treated as an award.

Marshmallowmilkshake Dec 07 2022 11:42 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Edgy MD wrote: Well, they've been clear since forever that "of the year" is not a moral triumph, and they've long given the moniker to unvarnished scoundrels. But, no, not all the other finalists were outright evil. Back in the day, for sure. Ayatollah Khomeini, in 1979, might be the last over-top-scoundrel. They were selling a lot more issues back then.:)

batmagadanleadoff Dec 07 2022 12:07 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Dec 07 2022 12:08 PM

Because of course, Donald Trump, 2016's winner, isn't a scumbag scoundrel. No - he's a nice guy, which you even posted on this forum. Adolf Hitler also was a TIme Man of the Year which I take as more evidence of Trump and Hitler's similarities.

TransMonk Dec 07 2022 12:07 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=114219 time=1670440025 user_id=68] Adolf Hitler also was a TIme Man of the Year

JACK LEMMON: Not twice!

batmagadanleadoff Dec 07 2022 12:15 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

=TransMonk post_id=114220 time=1670440070 user_id=71] =batmagadanleadoff post_id=114219 time=1670440025 user_id=68] Adolf Hitler also was a TIme Man of the Year

JACK LEMMON: Not twice!


Ba-da-bum.

metirish Dec 21 2022 05:51 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

President Zelensky giving a powerful speech right now to Congress

Lefty Specialist Dec 23 2022 08:57 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Zelensky has pretty big stones. A day earlier, he was in Bakhmut, where the heaviest fighting has been going on for months. Then slipped out of the country to come to DC. He must be a security team's nightmare. It's fortunate that they included $45 billion for Ukraine in the omnibus bill, because Republicans won't want to give any more. What they don't understand is that we are destroying the Russian armed forces for pennies on the dollar, using zero American troops, and burning off our (and our allies') old excess military equipment. Zelensky's timing was perfectly executed. As a bonus, the EU is really getting serious about renewable energy rather than Russian gas. And Putin should stay away from tall windows for a while, because this is all on him. If they lose (depending on what is defined as 'losing'), his hold on power will be tenuous. Certainly not what he had in mind when he launched this with dreams of a military parade in Kiev a week later. Still a long way to go here. Russia still occupies a lot of Ukranian territory and there's the Crimea question. If Ukraine pushes for that it could be a lot uglier than it is now, if that's possible.

MFS62 Dec 23 2022 12:27 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Dec 23 2022 12:49 PM

Matt pedophile Gaetz and Lauren Boebert didn't stand up for Zelinsky, and didn't pay attention to his speech (looked at their phones). Later

Edgy MD Dec 23 2022 12:29 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

He's certainly been explicit that they intend to fight for Crimea.

Lefty Specialist Dec 23 2022 02:05 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Edgy MD wrote: He's certainly been explicit that they intend to fight for Crimea. Well, he has to say that. But Realpolitik may intervene; Crimea would present enormous logistical problems and the population is a lot more Russian-leaning than Ukraine proper, one of the reasons it was so easy to conquer in 2014. The Russian Black Sea fleet is also based there, so there's plenty of firepower on site. There's been no popular uprising by the locals in the 8 years since the takeover, unlike the Donbas. Zelinsky would like to take back Crimea, but he might want to push the Russians out of his east and south first, then evaluate things from there. He's going to have a shattered country to rebuild, for one thing. One intersting thing- this year, many Ukranians will be celebrating Christmas on December 25th, not the Orthodox Christmas on January 7th. It's one way they want to show that they're more European. Whatever happens, their trajectory will be aimed firmly westward from now on.

Edgy MD Mar 22 2023 08:36 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Amazing that, with President Putin reaching out to President Xi to lend credibility to his regime, maybe ultimately weapons as well, and to secure China as a stable energy market in face of Western boycotts, Putin's attempt to expand Russian dominance has instead led to expanded Chinese dominance, and positioned Russia as a supplicant.

nymr83 Mar 22 2023 03:20 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Edgy MD wrote: Amazing that, with President Putin reaching out to President Xi to lend credibility to his regime, maybe ultimately weapons as well, and to secure China as a stable energy market in face of Western boycotts, Putin's attempt to expand Russian dominance has instead led to expanded Chinese dominance, and positioned Russia as a supplicant. Just as China intended. Putin is trying to revive a vile communist dictatorship but he is instead propping up another one.

Edgy MD Mar 22 2023 03:43 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Well, I agree with the late Senator McCain. I don't think he wants to revive the USSR, but rather the pre-Soviet Russian empire.

nymr83 Apr 03 2023 07:11 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

After their success turning a celebrity into an arms dealer, the Russians have now decided to raise their game and take an American journalist hostage. I wonder what Biden will give up this time.

kcmets Apr 03 2023 07:16 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Finland officially joining NATO in the next few days.

Lefty Specialist Apr 08 2023 08:08 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

...and Sweden in the on-deck circle. Good job, Vlad.

metirish Jun 24 2023 07:58 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Some interesting stuff happening in Russia right now Wagner has gone rogue, surely this is the time for NATO to go all in with whatever Ukraine wants to finish this

Edgy MD Jun 24 2023 08:23 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I didn't see the Wagner Group turning on Russia. That's a heckuva plot turn.

Lefty Specialist Jun 24 2023 10:51 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Yeah, this is intriguing. First of all, Wagner has somewhere between 25-50,000 troops at its disposal. The question is, how hard do the Russians they encounter fight against them. They conquered Rostov-on-Don, a city of 1.1 million people, without firing a shot. Putin's Russians are blockading the highways south of Moscow. Police literally stopped drivers near a bridge, took their car keys and left their cars there as a blockade. This is crazy stuff, but there's no one to root for here. Prigozhin is an absolute monster, and Putin is, well, Putin. Don't see how this insurrection can be successful. Even with 90% of active troops in Ukraine, it's not easy to conquer Russia. Prigo is already wanted for arrest and I would figure he'll accidentally fall out of a window before his arraignment. Fascinating stuff and I hope Ukraine takes advantage of the chaos.

Lefty Specialist Jun 24 2023 11:58 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

And just like that, apparently it's over. This is all very strange. I'd recommend all participants stay away from windows in tall buildings, though.

TransMonk Jun 24 2023 01:01 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Lefty Specialist wrote: ...but there's no one to root for here. Yup. I have talked to Ukrainians who use the word "terrorists" when referring to Wagner. However, if there is more fighting in Russia it will hopefully ease the burden in Ukraine.

Edgy MD Jul 11 2023 08:35 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

I don't know who is responsible for flipping Turkey's vote on Sweden joining NATO, but what a turn of events. I imagine details will be reported eventually, but I'm curious which NATO country brokered it and whether they used a promise or a threat.

kcmets Jul 11 2023 10:13 AM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Seems the UN Guy brought them to their senses?

Lefty Specialist Jul 11 2023 01:44 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Edgy MD wrote: I don't know who is responsible for flipping Turkey's vote on Sweden joining NATO, but what a turn of events. I imagine details will be reported eventually, but I'm curious which NATO country brokered it and whether they used a promise or a threat. I think a generous application of American F-16's did the trick.

Lefty Specialist Jul 11 2023 01:48 PM Re: Russia, Ukraine and NATO 2022

Ukraine is kvetching that they want to be in NATO ASAP. Understandable, but they need to expel the Russians from their territory first; other wise, ya know, World War III. I'm betting that NATO membership will follow shortly after they kick Putin's ass.