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re: #291 GlutenFreeJesus
The China Foreign Defense Ministry just issued a statement saying Ukraine’s territory and sovereignty should be respected and Russia should resolve this situation diplomatically and engage in talks with Ukraine as soon as possible. This is a big deal.
— Andrew Wortman 🏳️🌈🇺🇦🇺🇸 (@AmoneyResists) February 25, 2022
Eh that’s just China playing both sides. It means nothing IMO. No doubt there’s a *wink wink* to Putin.
That’s China wanting its “territorial integrity” to be respected, including several places which the People’s Republic of China has _never_ controlled, like Taiwan.
oh, pull my other finger…
Russian Ambassador: Russian troops are not bombing Ukrainian cities pic.twitter.com/Ay0inHHjPK
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 25, 2022
re: #3 Backwoods_Sleuth
oh, pull my other finger…
[Embedded content]
May he rue the day he tried to lie to the world.
Maybe Putin will blame his American collaborators for deserting him in his hour of need; and send over a consignment of polonium as a token of his displeasure.
— Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) February 25, 2022
re: #3 Backwoods_Sleuth
oh, pull my other finger…
[Embedded content]
Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf sure looks different these days. Must be the wonders of plastic surgery.
Quoting Zelenskyy’s comments from here. Reminding that Russia promised no attacks.https://t.co/xdVu0gdoYC
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) February 25, 2022
Ukraine ambassador asks for a moment of silence to pray or meditate for peace.
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) February 25, 2022
“And I invite Russian Ambassador to pray for salvation.”
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) February 25, 2022
On the other hand, military officials are asking to post photos of Russian equipment, markings, and troop movements. This is documenting war. https://t.co/7fTzjkpfyf
— Jane Lytvynenko (@JaneLytv) February 25, 2022
re: #6 Backwoods_Sleuth
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That was the gist of Kennan’s “Long Telegram” at the start of the Cold War: Russians have an insecurity complex and always project out; but if a formidable power stands up, they will back down.
Of course, there’s more at play here. In fact, 20 years of drained blood in Afghanistan and quite a bit in our worst recent sin, Iraq.
The U.S. State Department blasted Vladimir Putin as troops continue to bear down on Ukraine’s capital.
“Moscow is resorting to outright lies in an effort to weaken the resolve of Ukraine’s military and of its people,” said spokesman Ned Price. https://t.co/YPmxsMHtcG pic.twitter.com/CKtrqY7c3k— The Associated Press (@AP) February 25, 2022
The district attorney is claiming that there are 25 people (lawyers/paralegals/”researchers.” working on the case and they have a new boss (her experience is defending white-collar criminals. I think this is great experience, but Mr. K is not sure.
NY Prosecutor Hoffinger Takes over Trump Case After Veteran Prosecutors Resign.
Zelensky: “This will not mean your military confrontation with Russia. This will mean that you have stopped the war, and your descendants will remember you as heroes. For our part, we will continue to defend our own land, we will not give up and we will destroy our enemies.”
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) February 25, 2022
Apparently, thousands of Romanians have been waiting in their personal vehicles to pick up #refugees at one of the NE borders with #Ukraine.
I’m not often elated at news from back home, but this makes my heart swell. #StandWithUkriane #standwithrefugees pic.twitter.com/pvc4vNvNu7— Alexandra Friedman (@AM_Friedman) February 25, 2022
🚨🚨🚨House Introduces Tax Bill that Would Devastate Kentucky’s Budget for a Giveaway to the Wealthy #kyga22 https://t.co/CH4EtI3K9u
— Jason Bailey (@jbaileyky) February 25, 2022
The House introduced HB 8 today - a tax bill that would begin aggressively cutting Kentucky’s income tax rate and eventually completely eliminate it, devastating funding for Kentucky’s schools, health, human services, infrastructure and other needs. HB 8 would give away the revenue in a tax cut skewed heavily to the rich. The bill includes a few modest revenue raisers that will come nowhere close to offsetting the lost revenue from the eliminated income tax, which funds 40% of Kentucky’s budget.
good fucking grief
I don’t know enough to know whether it’s feasible, but is it possible to cut Russia off from the broader internet? Block Russian IP addresses from accessing the root DNS servers, maybe?
Still LOLing that Glenn thought “But Ukraine elected a colorful figure!” is a compelling justification/explanation for Putin’s invasion that is unfairly being denied a platform in American media. @GlemGreenwald has the eternally toughest job on this site
— Scott Lemieux (@LemieuxLGM) February 25, 2022
#BREAKING UN chief says Russian soldiers ‘need to return to their barracks’ pic.twitter.com/7XKoUmK17g
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 26, 2022
re: #15 Backwoods_Sleuth
good fucking grief
Someone needs to remind the people of Kentucky what a disaster a similar push by the other K state, Kansas, endured only ten years ago.
re: #19 austin_blue
Someone needs to remind the people of Kentucky what a disaster a similar push by the other K state, Kansas, endured only ten years ago.
that’s where they got the idea, this started when Bevin was governor.
A delegation of Algonquin Elders and community members conducted a cleansing ceremony at the intersection of Wellington and Metcalfe today. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/ivY2FPY3tC
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) February 25, 2022
This ceremony follows breaches of ancestral protocols to return peace, harmony and healing to the National Capital Region, the traditional Anishinabeg ancestral lands. (2/2)
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) February 25, 2022
“It takes a special kind of a son of a bitch to see innocent people fleeing their homes and think, ‘How can I make this about me?’ but nobody does that better than Donald Trump.” - @JimmyKimmel #WeStandWithUkrainehttps://t.co/VJUJ8zRy1e
— Democratic Coalition (@TheDemCoalition) February 25, 2022
re: #18 Backwoods_Sleuth
So Russia couldn’t find one country on the Security Council to be on their side?
The 3 ultra-liberal hippie countries of China, India and the UAE abstain?
The myth of Putin being a stable genius has always been a myth and it should be gone now. C’mon Russia, take your country back.
re: #16 Sinistershade
I don’t know enough to know whether it’s feasible, but is it possible to cut Russia off from the broader internet? Block Russian IP addresses from accessing the root DNS servers, maybe?
I think you probably could, but you would probably need to track down a whole shitpot of dark web mirror sites.
And the UN needs to tell NATO, or NATO should tell Russia that Ukranian airspace is now shut down and that if the Russians don’t pull back their vehicles, we are going to release the use of JSOW anti-armor/vehicle bomblets.
People of the World…Like you, I am distraught watching Ukraine under attack. We must come together as a force for good! @WCKitchen is on Poland border delivering meals tonight—Romania soon. In addition to your donations…I am committing support from the Bezos award to Ukraine.🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/ws0EFl8zLd
— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) February 25, 2022
re: #23 b.d
So Russia couldn’t find one country on the Security Council to be on their side?
The 3 ultra-liberal hippie countries of China, India and the UAE abstain?
The myth of Putin being a stable genius has always been a myth and it should be gone now. C’mon Russia, take your country back.
And another thing about Putin which is totally jacked!
What kind of right handed freak wears their watch on their right arm? Your watch goes on your opposite arm!!
I am right handed and the only reason I even have a left arm is because that is the way my shirts come and I need a place to put my watch!
re: #20 Backwoods_Sleuth
that’s where they got the idea, this started when Bevin was governor.
But it cannot work. It’s beyond stupid, it’s willfully stupid.
A “mainstream” nominee like Merrick Garland? https://t.co/cbWDIN2Ijn
— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) February 25, 2022
I just talked with a real friend of Ukraine - President of Poland @AndrzejDuda. I am personally grateful to him, to the Polish people, for their effective concrete help in such a difficult time. Together 🇺🇦 🇵🇱 stronger. Thank you
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 26, 2022
re: #28 austin_blue
But it cannot work. It’s beyond stupid, it’s willfully stupid.
“Willfully stupid” is pretty much the definition of Republican these days.
re: #30 Backwoods_Sleuth
they do not care
Oh, Dog, don’t I know it. Same here in Texas. This is what you get when you don’t vote every time, every chance you get.
Stupid government, paid for by rich white people.
Kazakhstan, one of Russia’s closest allies and a southern neighbor, is denying a request for its troops to join the offensive in Ukraine, officials say. https://t.co/NamEMPAjkm
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 26, 2022
re: #20 Backwoods_Sleuth
And now they have a democratic governor.
re: #36 prairiefire
And now they have a democratic governor.
I know, but our General Assembly is heavily GOP
NEW: David Shafer, one of the GA Rs who served as a fake elector on behalf of Trump after the 2020 election, told the 1/6 committee today that the Trump campaign directed the GA GOP in 2020 to put forward an alternate slate of electors after Donald Trump lost the state.
— Annie Grayer (@AnnieGrayerCNN) February 25, 2022
Putin threatening nukes is a good reminder that Putin must be stopped.
. The legit govt of Ukraine has a right to defend their skies with help. Full stop https://t.co/eRjw3clCbL — Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) February 26, 2022
re: #39 Backwoods_Sleuth
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Mike continues to suffer the long-term effects of Maxine Waters using dark magic to rip his soul from his body.
//
re: #39 Backwoods_Sleuth
Michael Tracey is a seditious motherfucker and needs to be the first up on the wall with his head on a spike.
He’s a useful idiot and, at best, a paid Russian shill.
re: #40 Targetpractice
Tracey never had the intellectual equipment to play with the farm leagues….
re: #39 Backwoods_Sleuth
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“We’ve replaced the coffee in Michael Tracey’s pantry with Maxine Waters wielding a rolling pin. Let’s see if he can tell the difference.”
re: #41 austin_blue
Michael Tracey is a seditious motherfucker and needs to be the first up on the wall with his head on a spike.
He’s a useful idiot and, at best, a paid Russian shill.
A bush-league Scum Scumwald.
This is a war Putin created, and he and his cronies are responsible. #StopTheLies #UnitedWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/PS2vs4WbBi
— Department of State (@StateDept) February 26, 2022
It’s always difficult to know how much of this is propaganda, fog of war, etc., but Zelenskyy seems to be rising to the occasion and showing a lot more bravery than I expected, tbh. Apparently he and the rest of the government have been threatened with death by hanging when Russian forces enter the city.
A devastatingly effective, fair and fact based interview by an Irish journalist with Russian’s ambassador to Ireland. “Why should our government entertain your presence here when you’re acting as an apologist for slaughter.” pic.twitter.com/nKa3m7MoAh
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) February 26, 2022
Vaxman is recuperating from a rough bout of Covid. Without the vaccine, he’d probably be dead. sorryantivaxxer.com
Let’s make it simple for Mike and the rest of the class: By imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, Putin would be stuck with two equally unpleasant choices. He can knowingly violate said zone to keep flying Russian aircraft into the country, at which point he will be responsible for any declaration of war when they’re shot down. OR he can fire on NATO aircraft enforcing the zone and be responsible for starting a war.
If you believe Putin such a loon that he would willingly start a war with the whole of NATO just to have an excuse to use nukes, then there’s no threat or action we could have taken to deter him and all the talk about how Biden “did nothing” to prevent this war is BS.
re: #29 Backwoods_Sleuth
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Does Ronna The Imbecile have any idea how stupid and trite these inane tweets sound?
I really doubt any actual “radical leftists” could even identify who Ketanji Brown Jackson is - or would probably assume she is a contestant on America’s Got Talent…..
❗️Heavy battles are reported in #Kyiv, Vasilkov and from the thermal power plant in #Troyeshchyna
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) February 26, 2022
#ukrainebreakingnews
The Security Service of #Ukraine SBU in #Troyeshchyna, #Kyiv detain and disarm Russian saboteurs.#Kiev pic.twitter.com/tSkmw2fDL6— Ukraine Breaking News (@Ukrbreakingnews) February 25, 2022
re: #51 Jay C
Does Ronna The Imbecile have any idea how stupid and trite these inane tweets sound?
I really doubt any actual “radical leftists” could even identify who Ketanji Brown Jackson is - or would probably assume she is a contestant on America’s Got Talent…..
It’s because it’s all bad faith bullshit, which is all the GQP engages in anymore. They put up Childs because they knew she’d be divisive to Dem voters, especially when they could parade her around as the “bipartisan” choice. They’re not even bothering to actually name any decisions or opinions that mark Jackson as “radical,” it’s just assumed she is because she wasn’t their choice.
re: #54 Targetpractice
It’s because it’s all bad faith bullshit, which is all the GQP engages in anymore. They put up Childs because they knew she’d be divisive to Dem voters, especially when they could parade her around as the “bipartisan” choice. They’re not even bothering to actually name any decisions or opinions that mark Jackson as “radical,” it’s just assumed she is because she wasn’t their choice.
Clyburn wanted Biden to nominate Childs.
re: #54 Targetpractice
It’s because it’s all bad faith bullshit, which is all the GQP engages in anymore. They put up Childs because they knew she’d be divisive to Dem voters, especially when they could parade her around as the “bipartisan” choice. They’re not even bothering to actually name any decisions or opinions that mark Jackson as “radical,” it’s just assumed she is because she wasn’t their choice.
If Biden had nominated Childs, Republicans would have pivoted to opposing her.
As you say, everything from the traitors in the GOP is in bad faith.
Well, those ‘Freedom Truckers’ sure picked a bad week to try and get attention for being victims of tyranny.
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 26, 2022
re: #55 Belafon
Clyburn wanted Biden to nominate Childs.
And the GQP rallied around that pick when it became obvious that the Dems weren’t splintering on Biden’s promise to nominate a black female judge and running against the nomination of a black woman to the SCOTUS bench was not a winning idea.
So Russia hasn’t been able to find a single ally against Ukraine, huh?
Shame.
/
Extremely hard combat near the Kyiv Zoo now pic.twitter.com/8OTokRe1zu
— Illia Ponomarenko (@IAPonomarenko) February 26, 2022
re: #59 Eclectic Cyborg
So Russia hasn’t been able to find a single ally against Ukraine, huh?
Shame.
/
They’ve found none willing to join them in being pariah states by joining the fighting, but they’ve managed to quell some into either backing away from the table altogether or allowing them use their territories as staging grounds. They’d be having a hell of a time bum-rushing Kyiv if Belarus wasn’t a willing accomplice.
Yet another Russian Ilyushin Il-76 has been downed near Bila Tserkva, Ukraine’s State Agency for Special Communications says.
The Battle of Vasylkiv Airfield rages high.— Illia Ponomarenko (@IAPonomarenko) February 26, 2022
Kazakhstan also said it is not recognizing the Russia-created breakaway republics upheld by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin as a pretext for its aggression in Ukraine.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 26, 2022
re: #60 Backwoods_Sleuth
Near the zoo. Poor animals. They can’t escape. And yes I feel more for the people, but I can’t help hurting for the animals, too.
Just wait till you guys google “Virginia Thomas” https://t.co/43eg6l0wio
— Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) February 26, 2022
CLed (pbuh) From downstairs.
re: #274 Yeah Sure WhatEVs
Did you take Minnie with you when you went to Canada?
Yep. She traveled really well and the air crew complimented her on being such a good. dog.
@GBHNews UPDATE- BREAKING:
MIT has just severed ties with the controversial Russian technology center Skolkovo and the MIT-Skoltech . @GBHNewsCIR exclusive story: https://t.co/ofto5hkBWb— Phillip W.d. Martin (@phillipWGBH) February 26, 2022
re: #66 Michele: Out of the closet, Into the fire
re: #274 Yeah Sure WhatEVs
Did you take Minnie with you when you went to Canada?
Yep. She traveled really well and the air crew complimented her on being such a good. dog.
Good. You have to properly acclimatize her to Canada. She’ll be barking Eh? like a champ soon! 😂
MSNBC pundits think KBJ is a shoe-in for the Supreme Court position. Look at her record, her expertise, her education, they say!
The Republican Party enters the chat.
re: #69 Charles Johnson
I bet she doesn’t sputter and cry about beer in her hearing.
re: #59 Eclectic Cyborg
So Russia hasn’t been able to find a single ally against Ukraine, huh?
Shame.
/
Well almost. There is Trump and a chunk of the GOP.///
re: #70 jaunte
I bet she doesn’t sputter and cry about beer in her hearing.
I don’t know, that might net her a few Republican votes.
///
re: #65 Backwoods_Sleuth
[Embedded content]
OFFS, the idea of finding a judge in this country that is not registered with any party, has never voted in their lives, and has never donated to a political candidate is fucking ridiculous. What party is Judge Childs registered with and who has she donated to and voted for?
re: #74 Targetpractice
Maybe she can promise never to sleep with anyone who funds an insurrection against the legitimately elected government.
re: #70 jaunte
I bet she doesn’t sputter and cry about beer in her hearing.
Nah. That’s reserved for privileged white, oft-drunk sexual predators.
The scrapping sound you hear is the GQP digging through the bottom of the barrel. They’ve known for weeks that she was on the potential short list for the nomination, yet the best they can come out of the gate with is “She’s a Democrat.” No controversial rulings, no shocking opinions, not even a parking ticket she failed to pay, just “She’s a Democrat.”
Good Zod, this is gonna be an utter shitshow.
I used to think he was one of the better MSM journalists, but Richard Engel seriously pissed me off with his stupid hyperbolic coverage of the end of the endless war in Afghanistan.
re: #77 Targetpractice
Maybe this SCOTUS pick is a stroke of genius. It’s hard to characterize a kept promise as a bad thing, and given her credentials? This is likely to get the GOP to make themselves look even more awful. Exposes the misogyny and racism in the right-wing critics. Once again it’s on us as voters to make this clear to all the Senators that Biden has as much room to choose within his ideology as Donald Trump had, and Obama got cheated out of.
re: #78 Charles Johnson
I used to think he was one of the better MSM journalists, but Richard Engel seriously pissed me off with his stupid hyperbolic coverage of the end of the endless war in Afghanistan.
If you invade and occupy a country for 20 years, and it collapses from within when you withdraw, YOU NEVER WON.
re: #77 Targetpractice
There is definitely going to be some tortured concern over her being exactly who she is.
re: #81 BlueSpotinAL
We truly suck at nation-building.
re: #83 Rightwingconspirator
We truly suck at nation-building.
To be fair, nation-building is terribly difficult. India might be the one known success story (by any occupier or colonial power), and even that one is probably debatable.
re: #80 retired cynic
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Face pressed against a cold window: beautiful lyrical depression; anxiety swallowed as brain banks memory for future beautiful depression.
re: #78 Charles Johnson
I used to think he was one of the better MSM journalists, but Richard Engel seriously pissed me off with his stupid hyperbolic coverage of the end of the endless war in Afghanistan.
I gave up on Engel’s latest book about half way though.
His job is a job for no man, I thank him for it and the information he has given. Few people in that job live long enough to have his own personhood become part of the story but he has. His contacts, acquaintances, sources and experiences have jaded him.
I see a bit of the T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia) bias in his reporting, he is no longer a neutral reporter. Not sure if anyone could be objective after what he has been through.
re: #84 EPR-radar
India? Sounds about right.
The rebuilding after WW2 was hard because of scale, but easy in the sense all were up and running nations on their own before the war. In the middle east, it’s almost a perfect reversal. Scale? Afghanistan compared to Europe and Japan. Nationhood? These places were (are?) post-colonial, post WW1 constructs by the west, against the wishes of the occupants.
This was just auctioned off at the Ronald Reagan dinner at CPAC for $12,500.
I am not making this up. pic.twitter.com/pOkCQTNSMa— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) February 26, 2022
Tax the stupid rich.
Divorced parents. Mom knew better, dad’s a dumbass, and they let their 13-year-old make her own decision on getting vaccinated.
Family Thought Unvaxxed 13-Year-Old Beat COVID-Then She Died (The Daily Beast)
re: #87 Rightwingconspirator
India? Sounds about right.
The rebuilding after WW2 was hard because of scale, but easy in the sense all were up and running nations on their own before the war. In the middle east, it’s almost a perfect reversal. Scale? Afghanistan compared to Europe and Japan. Nationhood? These places were (are?) post-colonial, post WW1 constructs by the west, against the wishes of the occupants.
Nation building in Europe after WWII doesn’t even count, IMO. There’s all the difference in the world between building something that was never there before vs. rebuilding.
The British in India were there for almost two centuries, first as the East India company and then as the British Raj. That’s the kind of time scale the US simply can’t deal with.
re: #51 Jay C
Does Ronna The Imbecile have any idea how stupid and trite these inane tweets sound?
I really doubt any actual “radical leftists” could even identify who Ketanji Brown Jackson is - or would probably assume she is a contestant on America’s Got Talent…..
She assumes there must be some left-wing analog-equivalents to Leonard Leo and the Federalist Society. Which, sadly, there is not.
Peoples whose lives and careers are ruled by hierarchal structures just can’t fathom the idea of another group of people who just happen to have similar enough beliefs and goals are similar enough to not need to coordinate in any way, they don’t get or give orders, they just like and want enough of the same things to look that way.
re: #88 jaunte
[Embedded content]
Tax the stupid rich.
This was just auctioned off at the Ronald Reagan dinner at CPAC for $12,500.
I am not making this up. pic.twitter.com/pOkCQTNSMa— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) February 26, 2022
The poster or the girl?
re: #91 EPR-radar
Nation building in Europe after WWII doesn’t even count, IMO. There’s all the difference in the world between building something that was never there before vs. rebuilding.
The British in India were there for almost two centuries, first as the East India company and then as the British Raj. That’s the kind of time scale the US simply can’t deal with.
y’all really need to thank me for deleting my 3 or 4 paragraph response on my take of European colonialism in Asia.
you’re welcome!
re: #94 Dangerman
The poster or the girl?
So the only folks left on the planet right now supporting Russia are Greenwald, Belarus and CPAC?
re: #95 b.d
y’all really need to thank me for deleting my 3 or 4 paragraph response on my take of European colonialism in Asia.
you’re welcome!
Actually, I’d be up for reading that. There’s a reason I didn’t say anything definitive about the British in India — it’s complicated, and I’d like to know more about it than I do.
re: #96 b.d
So the only folks left on the planet right now supporting Russia are Greenwald, Belarus and CPAC?
There’s also most of the GOP, unless you are including that in CPAC.
I wonder if the WH thinking about SCOTUS pick was, ‘let’s go with our first pick, Ketanji Brown Jackson, even though those hypocrites may reject her, and then we can give Clyburn what he wants and Lindsay can’t say shit.’ Anyway I hope KBJ gets the seat.
re: #97 JC1
Trump probably paid
someonemelania to buy it.
re: #96 b.d
So the only folks left on the planet right now supporting Russia are Greenwald, Belarus and CPAC?
And Cuba. Don’t forget Cuba.
re: #100 Barefoot Grin
I wonder if the WH thinking about SCOTUS pick was, ‘let’s go with our first pick, Ketanji Brown Jackson, even though those hypocrites may reject her, and then we can give Clyburn what he wants and Lindsay can’t say shit.’ Anyway I hope KBJ gets the seat.
She’s going to get the seat.
Some Russians are going to have a HOT time in old Kyiv tonight!
A group of chemistry students from Kyiv’s top technical university started to mass produce Molotov’s cocktails for Territorial Defence Forces of the city.
Gotta respect their professionalism.— Evgen Vorobiov 🇺🇦 (@vorobyov) February 25, 2022
re: #100 Barefoot Grin
I wonder if the WH thinking about SCOTUS pick was, ‘let’s go with our first pick, Ketanji Brown Jackson, even though those hypocrites may reject her, and then we can give Clyburn what he wants and Lindsay can’t say shit.’ Anyway I hope KBJ gets the seat.
Michelle Childs is already in the pipeline for a seat on the DC Appellate Court (she’s been working in District Court for 10 years). She’s 55 years old. There’s still a chance for her at another Supreme seat later; and if not, the 11th District Appeals Court is itself a pretty big deal.
Internet is finally back up after being down all day yesterday and today, so I was finally able to scratch my wordle itch:
Wordle 251 3/6
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
I thought I was hosed after the first two attempts but with only one vowel left and the last letter locked in, I was able to puzzle this one out :)
re: #102 Florida Panhandler
And Cuba. Don’t forget Cuba.
And..um..Belorussia! The White Russians, who fought the Red Russians to a standstill until 1919, and then the Poles kept the Bolsheviks from taking Germany.
This pissed off both the Germans (why? I dunno) and the Russians to the point where they decided to partition Poland.
This video of a lone man trying to stop a Russian column in pretty remarkable https://t.co/YS9irIqcRf
— Simon Ostrovsky (@SimonOstrovsky) February 25, 2022
re: #104 Sherlock Hound
Some Russians are going to have a HOT time in old Kyiv tonight!
Also probably thermite for removing armored vehicles from the battlefield as well. Abandoned or otherwise not properly protected.
#TheSimpsons #Simpsons #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/aWvgTUGJKP
— The Simpsons (@TheSimpsons) February 26, 2022
re: #55 Belafon
Clyburn wanted Biden to nominate Childs.
And yet, he seems OK with Biden’s choice:
Today is a historic day. Ketanji Brown Jackson is an outstanding judge and I applaud @POTUS for nominating her to become the first African American woman on the SCOTUS. I congratulate Judge Jackson and offer my full support during the confirmation process.https://t.co/AKE8wE2lEf
— James E. Clyburn (@WhipClyburn) February 25, 2022
re: #111 BeachDem
And yet, he seems OK with Biden’s choice:
I’m psyched to have a former public defender on SCOTUS. Way too many hard on crime jackasses on the bench.
Occasional gunfire breaking out within earshot of Maiden Square.
re: #112 JC1
I’m psyched to have a former public defender on SCOTUS. Way too many hard on crime jackasses on the bench.
What’s wrong with being hard on crime?
Do you think that being soft on crime is a liberal meme?
Criming is bad, whether it’s an armed robbery or a family of grifters like the Trumps.
re: #98 EPR-radar
Actually, I’d be up for reading that. There’s a reason I didn’t say anything definitive about the British in India — it’s complicated, and I’d like to know more about it than I do.
Two books I read “Forgotten Armies” and “Forgotten Wars” cover the events from 1941 until about 1960 in the arc of Southeast Asia from India through Burma and Malaya* in terms of European colonialism collapsing as the Japanese steamroll in and then eventually get thrown back out - leaving a bunch of ethnic groups with some very definite ideas about independence and self-determination.
Everything in that area is complicated.
* - Including some chapters that talk about events in Indonesia, China, and Vietnam and how they tie in to the general run of things.
re: #114 austin_blue
What’s wrong with being hard on crime?
Do you think that being soft on crime is a liberal meme?
Criming is bad, whether it’s an armed robbery or a family of grifters like the Trumps.
“Hard on crime” tends to be an obscenity from GOP judges. E.g., Scalia’s “evidence of innocence can be ignored in a death penalty case” ruling.
And with this video in my heart, I’m going to bed. I’m exhausted and am finally letting myself feel it. I’ll be back tomorrow for these amazing people. Слава Україні! https://t.co/RozbTJyy66
— Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon (@ksvarnon) February 26, 2022
Mike Pompeo says the Trump administration was ‘pretty competent’ compared to Biden: ‘I remember we were the barbarians, we were the rubes’
Well he got the remember part right
re: #117 EPR-radar
“Hard on crime” tends to be an obscenity from GOP judges. E.g., Scalia’s “evidence of innocence can be ignored in a death penalty case” ruling.
“We will be nominating very pro-crime judges.” - Fuckface von Clownstick Sept. 2020
re: #114 austin_blue
What’s wrong with being hard on crime?
Do you think that being soft on crime is a liberal meme?
Criming is bad, whether it’s an armed robbery or a family of grifters like the Trumps.
A public defender understands when a law is being applied unequally.
re: #117 EPR-radar
“Hard on crime” tends to be an obscenity from GOP judges. E.g., Scalia’s “evidence of innocence can be ignored in a death penalty case” ruling.
I don’t like Liberals being labelled “soft on crime” being a Republican meme.
It’s a bullshit argument that needs to be attacked at every opportunity. We need to argue that being *fair* on prosecutions should be the norm.
No Justice, no Freedom.
My heart goes out to to the families of dead paratroopers. Such an absolute waste of lives.
I also understand the hand that fired the missile that took their transports down.
May a 9mm slug meet the roof of Vladimir’s mouth sooner than later.
A caregiver who helped my mother and then my uncle is from Ukraine. My sister reached out to her today to ask whether she still had family there. Her sister is still in Ukraine and the family was moving to the countryside to escape attacks. We are hoping that all goes well for them. Despite all predictions to the contrary, may this nightmare end soon with an overwhelming defeat for Putin and his army.
On a lighter note — wordle
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
You did the right thing. Absolutely no doubt.
— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) February 26, 2022
If you’re one of the people trying to help Holocaust denier Chuck C. Johnson rehabilitate his justifiably horrible image, fuck you.
— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) February 26, 2022
omg he’s calling the authorities lol
— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) February 26, 2022
Republican Members of Congress at an event tonight where there were *cheers* for Russia and Putin. https://t.co/9rY4C5E29Q
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) February 26, 2022
More to the point, if Democrats do not run ads saying that a vote for a Republican is a vote to empower MTG, then they are engaged in political malpractice. https://t.co/Fpz5Z3g2jt
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) February 26, 2022
“Russia is the future of Aryan imperialism.” And this article is a very long compilation of quotes from extremists in America who are all in favor
https://t.co/mXxCCjReN0— Steve Inskeep (@NPRinskeep) February 26, 2022
re: #125 Charles Johnson
wut?
re: #125 Charles Johnson
Not knowing what those initials mean? Are you in trouble for mistaken identity again?
Facebook just banned Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on Meta platforms anywhere in the world
— Stephanie Ruhle (@SRuhle) February 26, 2022
re: #130 b.d
Not knowing what those initials mean? Are you in trouble for mistaken identity again?
All I was able to get out of that is there’s some drama between this Zev guy and the woman that runs the “Mueller, She Wrote” podcast, and so Kimberley Johnson bailed out. Not sure what Rage Furby has to do with it.
re: #133 Jack Burton in Mactified Forshion
All I was able to get out of that is there’s some drama between this Zev guy and the woman that runs the “Mueller, She Wrote” podcast, and so Kimberley Johnson bailed out. Not sure what Rage Furby has to do with it.
Kimberley didn’t bring up this drama on today’s After Party, I’m confused but will throw this entire thought train conversation into the airlock…..
re: #123 Dave In Austin
My heart goes out to to the families of dead paratroopers. Such an absolute waste of lives.
I also understand the hand that fired the missile that took their transports down.
May a 9mm slug meet the roof of Vladimir’s mouth sooner than later.
May his underlings hand him a gun he can eat anytime. On live TV.
Translated video from a Ukrainian soldier with a message to Russia#Ukraine pic.twitter.com/47l5ubv5io
— Ukraine Updates (@WW3updated) February 25, 2022
re: #104 Sherlock Hound
Some Russians are going to have a HOT time in old Kyiv tonight!
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The Finns mass produced Molotov cocktails during the Winter War of 1939-40:
Molotov cocktails were eventually mass-produced by the Alko corporation at its Rajamäki distillery, bundled with matches to light them. Production totalled 450,000 during the Winter War. The original recipe of the Molotov cocktail was a mixture of ethanol, tar and gasoline in a 750 millilitres (0.79 US qt) bottle. The bottle had two long pyrotechnic storm matches attached to either side. Before use, one or both of the matches was lit; when the bottle broke on impact, the mixture ignited. The storm matches were found to be safer to use than a burning rag on the mouth of the bottle.
This what staving off a Russian invasion with motorcycle helmets and Molotov cocktails looks like https://t.co/z2mzaR6rJx
— Thomas Grove (@tggrove) February 26, 2022
re: #140 jaunte
Too bad.
Old video, euromaidan riots on 2014
— Kylo Rey (@KylooREY) February 26, 2022
After a week of silence, my Trumpster FB friend made her appearance. My guess is that she wasn’t totally pleased with the conflicting messages that the GOP was trying to sell about Ukraine, but now she’s good with the standard new message “Putin didn’t dare do anything while Trump was President but he saw weakness with Biden, who is totally incompetent”, ignoring the fact that her heroes TuckyoRose and the Donald himself have effusively praised Putin and his brilliance.
Why do you want dirty Canadian asphalt slurry shipped over fragile American aquifers to be shipped to China thru the Port of Houston?
Seems you haven’t done that research you Fascists always talk about.— Ivanka’s in Handcuffs (@DaveoutofAustin) February 26, 2022
Vladimir is releasing the Chechens……
This won’t be good at all 10000 Chechens.
re: #125 Charles Johnson
If you are arrested for not doing a podcast do you still have “the right to remain silent?”
re: #144 Dave In Austin
Vladimir is releasing the Chechens……
This won’t be good at all 10000 Chechens.
May they meet with Allah soon.
re: #114 austin_blue
What’s wrong with being hard on crime?
Do you think that being soft on crime is a liberal meme?
Criming is bad, whether it’s an armed robbery or a family of grifters like the Trumps.
Hard on crime leads to things like qualified immunity and so many laws that they can’t all be enforced, so there’s discretion to go after people you don’t like. The supreme court has found civil asset forfeiture without due process to be legit, despite it being clearly unconstitutional due to the 5th amendment. We incarcerate a larger percentage of our population than any other nation in the world, including those beacons of freedom Russia, China, and Iran.
Clever Hans effect of a dog barking is enough to throw out the 4th amendment according to SCOTUS. The people need an advocate on the court.
So you’ve got CPAC and then a few blocks away AFPAC, which is two-drinks-more-honest CPAC https://t.co/HilVMCzUhB
— StandWithUkraineHat (@Popehat) February 26, 2022
A Starbucks in Mesa, AZ (Power @ Baseline) voted to unionize. It wasn’t even close (25-3). This union vote was held last week but was held up in the counting for some reason or another.
BREAKING: Starbucks workers in Mesa, AZ have WON their union election 25-3.
The Power & Baseline store becomes the 3rd unionized Starbucks in the country. The team watched the votes come in together.
Starbucks workers have now filed to unionize in 107 stores in 26 states. pic.twitter.com/6mnN0YGCTl— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) February 25, 2022
As a longtime (20 year) resident of Mesa, I can’t emphasize how important this is. Mesa used to be redder than red and dominated by one religion; it has changed a lot in the last two decades. I’d love to go and buy something to congratulate the new union local but dammit, my stomach won’t tolerate anything sold at Starbucks at the moment.
re: #150 mmmirele
A Starbucks in Mesa, AZ (Power @ Baseline) voted to unionize. It wasn’t even close (25-3). This union vote was held last week but was held up in the counting for some reason or another.
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As a longtime (20 year) resident of Mesa, I can’t emphasize how important this is. Mesa used to be redder than red and dominated by one religion; it has changed a lot in the last two decades. I’d love to go and buy something to congratulate the new union local but dammit, my stomach won’t tolerate anything sold at Starbucks at the moment.
I hate Staryucks coffee. But if I were near one of these union stores, I’d go get a cuppa tea from them just to say “congratulations!”.
re: #150 mmmirele
I don’t like Starbucks, and that site is about 20 miles out of my way. But, I’m going there on Monday….
From this afternoon. Kwasi Karteng is the UK Business Cabinet Secretary.
Breaking:
- @KwasiKwarteng summoned BP chief Bernard Looney this afternoon to explain why it owns a 20% stake in Rosneft, which provides fuel to Russia army
- Kwarteng also “uneasy” about the fact that Looney sits alongside Putin on the Russian Geographical Society board— Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) February 25, 2022
#Ukraine’s president @ZelenskyyUa is in his military tent drinking coffee with his men, he personally coordinated the defence of #kyiv.#UkraineRussia #Putin #UkraineInvasion pic.twitter.com/3H00tVd6Hq
— Ukraine NEWS (@News4Ukraine) February 26, 2022
re: #62 Backwoods_Sleuth
Two US officials confirmed that Ukraine shot down a second Il-76 transport aircraft tonight. If true, this would be a really significant mistake for the Russian military, and possibly the worst loss of life for the Russian Airborne Forces since the 2nd Chechen War. https://t.co/6z2UtWKsDL
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) February 26, 2022
Keep in mind that some Il-76 would be mostly carrying airborne armored vehicles and others would be full of paratroopers. Not clear what these Il-76 transport aircraft were carrying. 2/
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) February 26, 2022
re: #154 jaunte
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Good grief, that is one hell of a brave man. I do hope his family has been sent to safety.
re: #153 ckkatz
From this afternoon. Kwasi Karteng is the UK Business Cabinet Secretary.
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Nothing good has ever come from BP. The 1953 overthrow of the Iranian government was inspired by BP hostility against Iranian plans to investigate company documents to see if they were paying their appropriate royalties to the government. In 2010, BP never paid the true cost for the Deepwater Horizon disaster that they caused. This company is totally amoral and has no concern for the planet or people, but only their bottom line. These multinational corporations have no loyalty to their home country — they are the corporate version of oligarchs, arrogant and above the law.
re: #158 Belafon
It hurts Russia’s plan either way.
As a veteran I mourn for those who died. Beyond that? Anything that hurts the Imperial Russian Army’s advance is a good thing.
re: #155 ckkatz
Zelensky is a badass. I hope he lives, and if he dies that he takes some Russians with him.
re: #161 No Malarkey!
Zelensky is a badass. I hope he lives, and if he dies that he takes some Russians with him.
May the Japanese ambassador be with him with that katana!
It’s now daybreak in Ukraine:
⚡️President Volodymyr Zelensky is personally heading the defense of Kyiv.
He is in the capital, according to state-run Dom TV channel.— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 26, 2022
⚡️Security Council Secretary Danilov: “We are stopping the horde as best as we can, the situation in Kyiv is under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and our citizens.”
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 26, 2022
An attack on a military unit in Kyiv repelled by Ukraine’s military.
Russian invading forces attacked a military unit on Kyiv’s left bank overnight, but Ukraine’s forces were able to successfully fight it off, according to the Land forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 26, 2022
As local press says, a Ukrainian air strike Friday night made Russian forces back off Kherson and retreat to the other bank of the Dnipro River. The city is still under Ukrainian control. https://t.co/zSFWNu79Rr
— Illia Ponomarenko (@IAPonomarenko) February 26, 2022
Russian attack in the Peremohy (“victory”) Avenue in Kyiv has been repelled, the military say. pic.twitter.com/oACVjfNOip
— Illia Ponomarenko (@IAPonomarenko) February 26, 2022
Not only about the NYT, but the part about eating dog:
By cutting out the stuff about Putin not calling him racist or cancelling him for speech– and also, the stuff about “causing a pandemic” and eating dogs (!), they made TC sound like he’s purely concerned with blue collar workers, a populist v war-monger elites. Stop doing his PR!
— Emily Nussbaum (@emilynussbaum) February 24, 2022
Zelensky posts a video from his Instagram showing that he’s alive this morning, after a night of heavy Russian attacks in Kyiv (via @MarkaMatsu) https://t.co/37Y0CZlX96 pic.twitter.com/ojnhxwVyp7
— Populism Updates (@PopulismUpdates) February 26, 2022
re: #154 jaunte
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He has to stay.
Ukraine’s biggest advantage in this fight is the fierce determination and badassery of his citizens, plus Russian troops’ low morale. If Zelensky were to skip out, that would be reversed instantly.
Real galaxy brain move to sign up for a war and then say you were only for it because you thought it would be easy
— James Celis Jones 🇺🇦 (@Illustrious8) February 26, 2022
re: #166 jaunte
Imagine if America was being invaded and President Steve Carell was yelling “come and take it” from the steps of the White House
— Populism Updates (@PopulismUpdates) February 26, 2022
This has nothing to do with anything important, but I just ordered a 2 TB external USB hard drive (yeah, spinning rust because it’s vastly cheaper than an SSD) for less than $30.
That makes me remember the XT I bought at a pawn shop with Hercules graphics, the whole 640kb ram and a 10MB full height 5.25” hard drive. $250 at the time which was stupid cheap. I ran Minix (on it and learned to love Unix on that machine.
Yeah, Minix. Linus’ famous post on September 17, 1991 happened while I was still using this machine with no memory protection to pretend to run a multi-tasking OS :)
So it goes.
I just though I’d chuckle about it here.
Trump is just a symptom:
Do you feel the U.S. should increase its commitment to NATO, keep its commitment what it is now, decrease its commitment but still remain in NATO, or withdraw from NATO entirely?
REPUBLICANS
Increase 9%
Keep as is 37%
Decrease 28%
Withdraw 22%
(Gallup Poll, 2/1-17/22)
Do you feel the U.S. should increase its commitment to NATO, keep its commitment what it is now, decrease its commitment but still remain in NATO, or withdraw from NATO entirely?
DEMOCRATS
Increase 28%
Keep as is 53%
Decrease 7%
Withdraw 6%
(Gallup Poll, 2/1-17/22)
trending ukrainian joke: nato is free to apply for ukraine membership 😂
— maksym.eristavi 🏳️🌈 (@MaximEristavi) February 25, 2022
Thoughts on current state of Ukrainian battles
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re: #168 Belafon
Oleg Smolin, another communist MP who voted to recognize the separatists, also says Russia’s war in Ukraine isn’t what he signed up for. He apparently thought it would be like Crimea or Abkhazia, when Russian troops went in with minimal to no casualties
The fact that Smolin is willing to speak out suggests that perhaps Putin’s position is becoming increasingly tenuous. It’s not as though Smolin had real freedom to vote otherwise. If Smolin does not soon have an unfortunate accident with a window, this may mean that Putin is the one in real peril. I know that is a very unlikely ultimate turn of events, but it would be so joyful to witness Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people emerge the victors and Putin deposed.
I have gotten less religious over the years since covid started. But, oh, Lord, if you are out there? We are left to pray that there are many more like Stanislav Petrov in the Imperial (I use that phrase intentionally) Russian military.
Amen.
Russian losses are mounting, Kazakhstan told Putin to go pound sand (literally calling the ongoing invasion of Ukraine “Putin’s War”), China is looking increasingly reticent, and Putin is seeing political support starting to waver among his allies (for instance, Duma MP Smolin, and I have little doubt there are others).
Kyiv still stands, though their situation is perilous.
re: #166 jaunte
In a real way Zelensky reminds me that on 27 June 1743, King George II commanded the British Army against the French at Dettingen. It was the last time a reigning British monarch would personally lead troops into battle. I do not know of a monarch doing the same since then.
This is like that. An elected leader actually leading at the front line.
One interesting thing. Russia has avoided night fighting. I asked a Western official about it today. “Russian mil equipment for the ground forces is not particularly well equipped for fighting at night & it’s not something that they’ve done a lot of on on recent operations.” https://t.co/gyDyC1xif5
— Shashank Joshi (@shashj) February 25, 2022
That is an impressive promise. Even if Russia occupies Ukraine, keeping Zelensky alive in the French embassy, free to broadcast, will be a serious thorn in Russia’s side. https://t.co/xmIF7xAfmi
— Jean-Marc Liotier (@liotier) February 25, 2022
This is from a Communist Party of the Russian Federation MP:
⚡️The war must end immediately, said Mikhail #Matveev, a member of the #KPRF faction:
“When I voted for the recognition of the #DNR/#LNR, I voted for peace, not for war. I wanted #Russia to become a shield so that #Donbas would not be bombed, not for #Kyiv to be bombed.” pic.twitter.com/VRj3KstLVY— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) February 26, 2022
If I were Putin, I’d be starting to flopsweat.
The Ukrainian pushback is good, but sooner or later the Russians are going to resort to more desperate tactics…
re: #3 Backwoods_Sleuth
Sounds like he attended the Baghdad Bob School of Diplomacy.
A new day on the diplomatic frontline began with a conversation with @EmmanuelMacron. Weapons and equipment from our partners are on the way to Ukraine. The anti-war coalition is working!
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 26, 2022
Zelensky is smart. He’s saying Russia is trying to take kyiv tonight so that in the AM he can say they failed.
I think the Russians may take kyiv or parts of it. think BEURUT. I do believe that sooner rather than latter they are going to get bogged down bigtime.
this i far from over
re: #180 ckkatz
[Embedded content]
That’s … interesting. We concentrated on night actions when I was active duty in 82 - 85 because the Bear was supposed to be so good at it. The whole reason our thermal sights were so important was that it gave us a tiny edge on the Soviets. I was in a M60A3 unit. Our thermal sight was far superior to the one in the M1 (lots of extra room in a huge turret made a serious difference) and as a result we were trained that our purpose was to kill 5 at least, 10 at best, Soviet tanks before we died. It was assumed we would - between the NBC attacks and the overwhelming forces - but that we could still make a real defense by how many we took to hell as an honor guard.
That idea never got tested but, oh, god, I want the money for a ticket to where ever I could pick up a rifle and die fighting.
After one of my @CNN appearances, one of the anchors asked me off-air why I had confidence in Ukraine’s army to push back agains the illegal Russian military onslaught.
I used a bit of “battlefield math” to explain my rationale. 1/16— Mark Hertling (@MarkHertling) February 25, 2022
Slightly “old”, but analysis from the ex-commander of USAREUR. Essentially, UKR fucked up its counterintelligence and let little green men run around committing sabotage and espionage, but RU forces have underperformed significantly. They’re not executing their tactics properly, they’re mostly green, training historically sucks with structural weaknesses that have never been fixed. Morale is a problem, UKR forces have improved significantly in the last seven years, and an interesting perspective: RU forces have trained to fight NATO forces, and UKR forces have been trained to fight RU, which makes a difference.
I’m absolutely amazed by what a colossal clusterfuck this has been for the Russians so far. Like this was the worst planned and executed military operation by a major power I have ever seen. And they were training at the border for this shit for months. This is like Bay of Pigs level of stupid.
Russia may eventually take the country but the cost… Jesus Fucking Christ.
re: #187 William Lewis
That’s … interesting. We concentrated on night actions when I was active duty in 82 - 85 because the Bear was supposed to be so good at it. The whole reason our thermal sights were so important was that it gave us a tiny edge on the Soviets. I was in a M60A3 unit. Our thermal sight was far superior to the one in the M1 (lots of extra room in a huge turret made a serious difference) and as a result we were trained that our purpose was to kill 5 at least, 10 at best, Soviet tanks before we died. It was assumed we would - between the NBC attacks and the overwhelming forces - but that we could still make a real defense by how many we took to hell as an honor guard.
That idea never got tested but, oh, god, I want the money for a ticket to where ever I could pick up a rifle and die fighting.
I remember those days. Dig in behind the Fulda Gap and shoot at the oncoming hordes until crushed by their tank treads.
And yes, nothing like operating 24/7 and then randomly falling asleep. There were nights during maneuvers here in the US, that I fell asleep behind a 155mm canon that was doing night firing. Beyond getting woken up for a few seconds each time the gun fired, I actually slept pretty well.
Tbh, I not into dying yet. There is still so much in this world that I want to see.
And I am very deeply grateful that the world was able to resolve the NATO/Warsaw Pact mess without mass slaughter. At least until that sob Putin, and his pet, tfg, appeared.
re: #182 Dr Lizardo
This is from a Communist Party of the Russian Federation MP:
[Embedded content]
If I were Putin, I’d be starting to flopsweat.
So now 2 members of the CP have publicly stated that they oppose the current military action of Russian forces in Ukraine. Either this reflects an ongoing battle between remaining communists and the current oligarchy or there is a serious problem with the Russian advances into Ukraine.
re: #188 ericblair
[Embedded content]
Slightly “old”, but analysis from the ex-commander of USAREUR. Essentially, UKR fucked up its counterintelligence and let little green men run around committing sabotage and espionage, but RU forces have underperformed significantly. They’re not executing their tactics properly, they’re mostly green, training historically sucks with structural weaknesses that have never been fixed. Morale is a problem, UKR forces have improved significantly in the last seven years, and an interesting perspective: RU forces have trained to fight NATO forces, and UKR forces have been trained to fight RU, which makes a difference.
Yes, an interesting analysis by a seasoned military commander.
What I wonder about is how the Ukrainians would be doing right now if they had not been continually knee-capped for four years by tfg. The Biden Administration has only been around to support them for a year. What a sad waste.
Here’s the thing about urban warfare (Kyiv). As an assaulter, if you don’t have the logistics… you’re toast. One apartment building with locked doors is going to require an entire companies worth of ammo and breaching supplies. If the Russians can’t resupply it’s a UK win. Huge
— Dan Barkhuff vfrl.org (@DBarkhuff) February 25, 2022
Other reports of Russian troops scavenging and looting for food, so likely that the first wave are low on supplies. The older reports of RU troops in Belarus selling their supplies to locals probably didn’t help matters here.
re: #191 Hecuba’s daughter
So now 2 members of the CP have publicly stated that they oppose the current military action of Russian forces in Ukraine. Either this reflects an ongoing battle between remaining communists and the current oligarchy or there is a serious problem with the Russian advances into Ukraine.
Putin fucked over the Commies in the last Duma election but good, and there’s a lot of animosity now between Putin’s minions and the KPRF. My personal opinion is that if and when Putin goes down, it will be the younger faction of the Communist Party and allies who do the deed. Not that they’re exactly Coke-commercial sweetness and light, but it is what it is.
Oh motherfuck, this is an opinion that could blow the whole thing wide open:
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says that cyberattacks could trigger Article 5 of the organization’s charter, the so-called “commitment clause” that considers an attack on any NATO ally an attack on all.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 25, 2022
re: #195 William Lewis
Oh motherfuck, this is an opinion that could blow the whole thing wide open:
[Embedded content]
I think that after the Colonial Pipeline attack, Biden told Putin multiple times that Russian cyber-attacks against US infrastructure is a redline. He has publicly stated that the US reserves the right to respond to cyber-attacks both by our own cyber-attacks and explicitly added “Or kinetically”.
Putin has, so far, it seems, not tested that redline too much.
It sounds like the rest of NATO is joining that line. Now that they trust the US president to have their backs.
The #Anonymous collective has leaked the database of the Russian Ministry of Defense website. #Ukraine
— Anonymous (@YourAnonOne) February 25, 2022
Interesting, but I can’t vouch for any of this, and if you chase this down and download files I’d use a burner laptop.
re: #194 ericblair
Putin fucked over the Commies in the last Duma election but good, and there’s a lot of animosity now between Putin’s minions and the KPRF. My personal opinion is that if and when Putin goes down, it will be the younger faction of the Communist Party and allies who do the deed. Not that they’re exactly Coke-commercial sweetness and light, but it is what it is.
So the Communist support for this venture was similar to Democratic support for the 2003 Iraq invasion — unenthusiastic but feeling they had to go along because the President would attack them of not being supportive of the nation for an essential military action. And the first sign that things may be going south, they feel they are now empowered to express their true opinions. So not necessarily a true bellwether.
re: #323 jaunte
CNN reported that “The Biden administration believes that Russia will threaten to kill the families of Ukrainian soldiers if they do not surrender, a US official said”. Not that it has. Accuracy matters, especially now.
re: #199 Nyet
CNN reported that “The Biden administration believes that Russia will threaten to kill the families of Ukrainian soldiers if they do not surrender, a US official said”. Not that it has. Accuracy matters, especially now.
True insofar as it goes.
The reality is that the imperial Russian military will follow its orders.
I look forward to them being sent to hell. Repeatedly.
I understand where you are coming from, Sergi, but those of us who are ready to fight and die must be willing to go to Eastern Europe. I am looking for an airline ticket and trying to decide how to tell my GF why I am, essentially, committing suicide.
‘Because it’s the right thing to do” is a hard bit to deal with.
re: #195 William Lewis
Oh motherfuck, this is an opinion that could blow the whole thing wide open:
[Embedded content]
I suspect that there is another reason for doing this now. Basically NATO is reminding Putin that his army is tied down in Ukraine for the foreseeable future. And, not so gently reminding him that he is highly vulnerable to any action that NATO might want to take.
So a not so gentle reminder that it would be a _very_ bad idea to play cyber-games right now. (And for the foreseeable future.) And that he needs to be a very good boy right now.
Yes, he could go nuclear. But basically he would have had to start the entire issue with a cyber attack and then fail to game it through.
re: #200 William Lewis
True insofar as it goes.
The reality is that the imperial Russian military will follow its orders.
I look forward to them being sent to hell. Repeatedly.
I understand where you are coming from, Sergi, but those of us who are ready to fight and die must be willing to go to Eastern Europe. I am looking for an airline ticket and trying to decide how to tell my GF why I am, essentially, committing suicide.
‘Because it’s the right thing to do” is a hard bit to deal with.
Just my $0.02, but…
You might want to instead find a refugee organization to help. So you can help the living and aid the helpless.
I suspect that your knowledge and experience in running a hotel would be much more helpful to the world doing that than trying to compete with an 18 year old in AK-74 carrying.
re: #202 ckkatz
Point taken. And yeah, it’s correct. Doesn’t change the urge but it does re-direct it :)
I know in the DC area that there were a number of organizations trying to resettle Afghan refugees.
I suspect that there will be such organizations set up in the US to help Ukrainian refugees as well.
Probably including in Memphis. And who knows, maybe your ladyfriend might be interested in also volunteering.
And there can be something really wonderful helping a lost traumatized family of refugees get back on their feet.
Heckuva job, Brownie Pootie….
S&P cuts Russia’s rating to junk, Moody’s issues junk warning
Not sure if this has been posted here yet but:
For a moment, just contemplate the difference in moral character between the two men on the so-called “perfect” phone call.
— George Conway 🇺🇦 (@gtconway3d) February 25, 2022
re: #205 Dr Lizardo
Heckuva job,
BrowniePootie….
On hearing this kind of news, I automatically wonder how Russian crypto-currency is going to fit in.
Seems like The Netherlands is supplying Ukraine with Stingers:
The Netherlands supports Ukraine in the war against Russia by supplying the country with two hundred so-called Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. That was stated in a letter to parliament published on Saturday .
Some of the goods have already been shipped, the rest will be shipped as soon as possible, but the Netherlands is “just like other countries with “logistical challenges”, write ministers Hoekstra (Foreign Affairs) and Ollongren (Defence).
A Stinger is a portable defense system, recognizable by the large tube that the user carries on his shoulder.
The Netherlands had already promised Ukraine defense equipment such as ammunition, helmets and fencing vests last week. After Russia’s invasion on Wednesday and Thursday night, Ukraine came with new requests, ministers said, where this delivery came from. “A careful assessment against the arms export criteria has taken place for this request, but shortened in view of the exceptional circumstances. The House will be informed about this in the short term.”
The Netherlands had already promised this to Ukraine (and part is already underway): 3,000 battle helmets 2,000 shard vests with associated armor plates, various defensive weapons, such as metal detectors and weapon location radars 100 sniper rifles with 30,000 pieces of associated ammunition
Source (in Dutch): nu.nl
Japan is considering imposing economic sanctions on Belarus, in line with the United States, for its support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, two government officials with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Saturday.It was not immediately clear which individuals or entities would be targeted by such sanctions. The officials told Reuters Tokyo will coordinate with other members of the Group of Seven industrial powers.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman declined comment. The office of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida could not immediately be reached for comment.
The U.S. sanctions over Thursday’s invasion include 24 Belarusian individuals and entities, the U.S. Treasury Department said.
Japan has announced sanctions on Russia over the invasion, with Kishida terming Moscow’s moves an unacceptable violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and international law.
The driver rolls up on the Russians, Russians say they are out of gas. The driver offers to tow them back to Russia.
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) February 26, 2022
Multiple videos on social media of Russian military out of fuel, food and stuck on highways pic.twitter.com/UTKLmTJf38
— Liveuamap (@Liveuamap) February 26, 2022
JFC, the Russian government has gone utterly insane if they’re even entertaining this idea….
The government can seize people’s deposits if the West blocks all foreign funds. This opinion was expressed in a conversation with news.ru by State Duma deputy from the Communist Party Nikolai Arefiev, commenting on the warning of economist Mikhail Khazin about the danger of confiscation of savings. Khazin said that the savings of Russians could be confiscated in a new economic crisis.
Arefiev explained that Russia has $640 billion of gold and foreign exchange reserves located abroad; in addition, 14 trillion rubles of the National Wealth Fund (NWF) and the capital of oligarchs, estimated at $470 billion, are stored there. He recalled that sanctions against Russia may include disconnection from SWIFT and a ban on currency exchange. The EU has also filed a lawsuit seeking to fine Russia $290 billion for implementing import substitution.
“If all funds that are abroad are blocked, then the government will have no other choice but to seize all the deposits of the population - there are about 60 trillion rubles - in order to get out of the situation ” - Arefyev said.
Answering the question whether it would be possible to return this money, the deputy recalled the return of Soviet deposits that “burned out” in 1990. They were used to finance the deficit of the perestroika state budget with the payment of interest, which was many times lower than the inflation rate.
“Five generations will pass until the state pays off, by that time inflation will gobble up all this” , summed up Arefiev.
Earlier, economist Alexei Zubets said that Russians do not invest in dollars and euros due to low interest rates in banks. In addition, the choice is influenced by the lack of financial literacy of the population. According to the economist, only 15% of Russians know how the dollar differs from the euro and from the British pound sterling.
Source, in Russian: news.ru
re: #211 Dr Lizardo
It’s a Duma deputy, a Communist to boot, so it’s not evidence this idea is being entertained by the government.
re: #212 ckkatz
Cool! A bank run should shut down the economy really quickly.
No shit. We had a mini bank run here in Czech Republic yesterday; clients of Sberbank frantically closing their accounts, trying to withdraw their money and transferring to other banks in anticipation of Sberbank getting their banking license pulled here.
Sberbank had to shut down all their locations when they literally ran out of money. No word yet on when, or if, they’ll reopen their branches.
Looks like the Russians have decided to see if they can cause some problems in the Balkans. That should po a bunch of Western diplomats. They may speak softly, but they have _long_ memories.
In the middle of war in Ukraine, Russia is sending Nikolai Patrushev, the Secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council to meet with the President of Serbia on Monday.
— Ivana Stradner (@ivanastradner) February 25, 2022
If Putin succeeds in his war against Ukraine, he’ll have a tough decision to make: Balkans? Or Baltics? https://t.co/URHml6d5NY
— Clifford D. May (@CliffordDMay) February 25, 2022
re: #213 Nyet
It’s a Duma deputy, a Communist to boot, so it’s not evidence this idea is being entertained by the government.
Fair enough. I’d think that a move like that could easily provoke major civil unrest.
re: #216 Dr Lizardo
Fair enough. I’d think that a move like that could easily provoke major civil unrest.
Seems to me that account holders would really want to be early and beat the rush. No matter who brought up the idea.
Kyiv, our splendid, peaceful city, survived another night under attacks by Russian ground forces, missiles. One of them has hit a residential apartment in Kyiv. I demand the world: fully isolate Russia, expel ambassadors, oil embargo, ruin its economy. Stop Russian war criminals! pic.twitter.com/c3ia46Ctjq
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 26, 2022
Grim reading from one of Europe’s leading security policy thinkers. https://t.co/0XwsXIJ93u
— toomas hendrik ilves (@IlvesToomas) February 25, 2022
Time for me to head to bed. Peace to all and sweet lizard dreams!
And, the requisite Dad joke of the night:
When I moved into my igloo, my friends threw me a house warming party.
Now I’m homeless.
re: #198 Hecuba’s daughter
So the Communist support for this venture was similar to Democratic support for the 2003 Iraq invasion — unenthusiastic but feeling they had to go along because the President would attack them of not being supportive of the nation for an essential military action. And the first sign that things may be going south, they feel they are now empowered to express their true opinions. So not necessarily a true bellwether.
I’m not sure what the difference is. Of course, if Putin’s war goes as he planned, they will shut up and say that they supported it all along. If it doesn’t, then Putin is vulnerable. It was pretty obvious in the Russian Security Council meeting that much of the council was being dragged into this, and Putin found it necessary to make them publicly support it.
I agree with the analysts that say, politically, Putin has two weeks to win the war and pacify Ukraine. So far, it’s not going as well as he planned.
And now, a bit of levity, from New Zealand….
Those protesting at Parliament are increasingly reporting symptoms of illness and linking it to a conspiracy theory that the Government is making them sick with a radiation weapon.
The theory has gained so much traction in the protest crowd that one of the leading organisers, Leighton Baker, posted a social media video trying to debunk it even as some believers began wearing tinfoil hats for protection.
Baker told the Herald he posted the video to assure people they were not suffering ill-effects as a result of a radiation weapon.
Instead, he said it was the consequence of people camping around Parliament and “just the constant bombardment surrounded by cell phones, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth” at a higher rate than that to which they were accustomed.
Baker, who was New Conservatives leader from 2017 to 2020, said he believed the symptoms people were reporting would not be Covid-19 symptoms, although accepted the disease and the virus that carried it might be present among protesters.
LOL these folks really are pants-on-head crazy.
We ran out of foil this evening. You’ll need it tomorrow before the government EMR (Electro-Magentic Radiation) attacks that the MSM is not reporting. If you donate to @NzFubar we will distribute more foil from the First Aid tent #EndTheMandatesNow #convoynz2022 #Convoy2022NZ pic.twitter.com/2wq3Ow9gao
— DefendFreedomInNZ (@defend_nz) February 25, 2022
#Convoy2022nz #convoynz2022 Jae Ratana serving a notice letting Wellington cathedral know he and his mates intend to search the place for LRAD and radiation weapons they believe are causing covid like symptoms and bad moods. #Heahea pic.twitter.com/waECj8r7ql
— Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara (@Te_Taipo) February 25, 2022
Multiple videos on social media of Russian military out of fuel, food and stuck on highways pic.twitter.com/UTKLmTJf38
— Liveuamap (@Liveuamap) February 26, 2022
— ❄️🌲𝘑𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘚. ⛄❄️😷 🇺🇲🇺🇦 (@Nullis_sum) February 26, 2022
re: #223 Dr Lizardo
I’ve heard Putinist propaganda can now be punished in the CR, true?
re: #62 Backwoods_Sleuth
Yet another Russian Ilyushin Il-76 has been downed near Bila Tserkva, Ukraine’s State Agency for Special Communications says.
Russians taking advice from retired Air Force General Axl Rostov: “Use Your Ilyushin”
re: #226 Nyet
I’ve heard Putinist propaganda can now be punished in the CR, true?
Yep. Several pro-Kremlin websites were taken offline yesterday by order of the Minister of the Interior.
The local Putinista fifth-columnists are helplessly screaming in impotent rage.
There’s news that a Russian cargo vessel has been intercepted in the English Channel. If someone here understand French, I’d love to know the details.
NOW - Russian cargo vessel intercepted in the English Channel.pic.twitter.com/nfGkhXibCR
re: #163 William Lewis
May the Japanese ambassador be with him with that katana!
and hacky-slashy with his wakizashi
Russian losses now, according to 🇺🇦Ukraine’s military.
14 airplanes
8 helicopters
102 tanks
536 armored cars,
15 artillery pieces,
1 BUK-1 system,
3,500 killed, nearly 200 taken prisoner— Illia Ponomarenko (@IAPonomarenko) February 26, 2022
If this is remotely accurate, things aren’t going well for RU at all.
LOLOL looks like the Putin clique is going all in on not only torpedoing Russia’s economy, but sending it down to the ocean floor to rest alongside the RMS Titanic.
BREAKING: Russia has said it will respond to the seizure of Russian money by seizing the funds of foreigners in Russia.
Moscow won’t rule out nationalising the assets of companies registered in the US, EU and other “unfriendly jurisdictions” — SKY
pic.twitter.com/ufQIfLPkyn— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) February 26, 2022
re: #231 ericblair
If this is remotely accurate, things aren’t going well for RU at all.
They are not going well regardless, their Blitzkrieg failed.
A decision to cut Russia off from the global SWIFT payment system will be taken in a matter of days, the governor of a central bank within the euro zone told Reuters on Saturday.“SWIFT is just a matter of time, very short time, days,” the central bank governor, who asked not to be named, said.
“Is it sufficient? No. Is it necessary? Absolutely. Sanctions only make sense if there are costs for both sides and this will be costly,” the central banker added.
Waking up to a Ukraine still in the fight. I was worried as I went to bed.
It looks like the Putin invasion is not going so well. Good.
Malcolm Nance’s feed is a good one to keep up with.
Thank you to the LGF over-nighters for all the great updates.
“This Russian shit is more dilapidated than our own equipment”, Ukrainian soldiers make fun of captured Russian trophy. pic.twitter.com/WAiOoiwqrf
— Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) February 26, 2022
re: #235 Ming5000
There are a lot of comments that the initial wave were lighter, faster units. Quick assaults to seize key targets.
I assume waiting for the initial forces to eat majority of javelins … just in case.
Russia never cared about people looses, they are just sending the meat to front lines in old tanks.— StainGuy (@fuckilovestain) February 26, 2022
re: #218 Dread Pirate Ron
The impact video shows the rocket munition coming from the northwest, probably intended to hit the Zhulyany airport to the south pic.twitter.com/8dxPJ9jSPO
— CIT (en) (@CITeam_en) February 26, 2022
Footage from the interior of the building in Kyiv. Damaged badly https://t.co/47HbRBJnNH pic.twitter.com/pDsbKLeDQS via @ragipsoylu
— Liveuamap (@Liveuamap) February 26, 2022
Ukraine is badass.
Edit, this is potentially the third transport.
— Linda Gray (@L2610) February 26, 2022
Here we go - found some news on that Russian ship seized earlier today….
Reuters said that French authorities believed it could be linked to a company suspected of violating trade sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine.
The BBC has reported French officials saying: “A 127 meters long Russia cargo ship called the ‘Baltic Leader’ transporting cars has been intercepted overnight by the French Navy in the Channel and escorted to the Port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer in northern France,” the official said.
“It has been taken to the French port after a request by the French government because it is suspected of belonging to a company targeted by EU sanctions against Moscow. French boarder forces are currently investigating the cargo ship. Crew aboard the ‘Baltic Leader’ has been cooperating with French authorities.”
The ship was taken early on Saturday. The Russian embassy is seeking a formal explanation.
Dmitry Medvedev – who you may remember from being Russia’s great liberal hope when he pretended to be president – says that Russia should respond to western sanctions by bringing back the death penalty for “particularly serious crimes”https://t.co/OrRiV9YkH7
— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 26, 2022
Medvedev: “Sanctione could be a good reason to revisit our relations once and for all with the countries that did them – including for strategic stability talks… And we don’t really need diplomatic relations either. Time to padlock the embassies.”
— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 26, 2022
Seems like the Russian ruling class has gone totally off the rails.
— Mateusz Klich (@Cli5hy) February 26, 2022
re: #201 ckkatz
I suspect that there is another reason for doing this now. Basically NATO is reminding Putin that his army is tied down in Ukraine for the foreseeable future. And, not so gently reminding him that he is highly vulnerable to any action that NATO might want to take.
So a not so gentle reminder that it would be a _very_ bad idea to play cyber-games right now. (And for the foreseeable future.) And that he needs to be a very good boy right now.
Yes, he could go nuclear. But basically he would have had to start the entire issue with a cyber attack and then fail to game it through.
France intentionally built its silos so that prevailing winds would push the fallout to Russia. I’d guess other nations did as well. And Putin, as crazy as he may be, knows there are nuclear subs currently 30 minutes away from St Pete and Moscow via a missile or 4.
re: #240 Dr Lizardo
[Embedded content]
Seems like the Russian ruling class has gone totally off the rails.
Never go full North Korea.
re: #243 Ming5000
Never go full North Korea.
Indeed. Looks to me like the Russian ruling elite has pretty much shit the bed.
re: #218 Dread Pirate Ron
We’d love to do that, but the Germans decided to mothball their reactors and rely almost exclusively on Russian natural gas. That’s the elephant in the room.
Looks like Putin’s cabana boy in Budapest has thrown in the towel:
Poland’s PM @morawieckim: Today I spoke again with Hungarian PM Viktor Orban. He once again reassured me of his support for far-reaching sanctions on Russia, including cutting off from SWIFT https://t.co/wdR1qxIlyS via @KarolDarmoros #Russia
— Liveuamap (@Liveuamap) February 26, 2022
re: #245 steve_davis
We’d love to do that, but the Germans decided to mothball their reactors and rely almost exclusively on Russian natural gas. That’s the elephant in the room.
Between that and Nordstream 2, Merkel has a lot to answer for.
A Florida jury on Friday acquitted a retired police SWAT commander of murder for fatally shooting a fellow moviegoer during an argument over cellphone use. https://t.co/LJJgl70DkB
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 26, 2022
I just saw this as a quote. I couldn’t locate an original author.
“When you play Russian roulette, you feel like God is on your side until the shot rings out.”
re: #248 FormerDirtDart 🍕🐀 No Capt’n 😷 Trips
I watched this case in Court TV. Honestly, both those guys involved were privileged assholes. It’s a shame one had to die, but whatever. The murderer won’t be much longer for this world anyway.
re: #231 ericblair
[Embedded content]
If this is remotely accurate, things aren’t going well for RU at all.
I want to believe this but I’m having a hard time with it. That said, even at 1/10th that kill rate though for 2 days this is bad. I’m still of the opinion “this is an embarrassing clusterfuck of extraordinary magnitude” for the Russians regardless.
re: #250 GlutenFreeJesus
I watched this case in Court TV. Honestly, both those guys involved were privileged assholes. It’s a shame one had to die, but whatever. The murderer won’t be much longer for this world anyway.
Reading the attached story supports your assessment. Yuck on both of them.
re: #238 Ming5000
Ukraine is badass.
Edit, this is potentially the third transport.[Embedded content]
If it’s 3 IL-76s and they were full of personnel rather than equipment, and didn’t already drop them. That’s like 300-600 dead right there.
Here’s something: Communist Party member & State Duma deputy Mikhail Matveyev calls for an immediate end to Russia’s war w/ Ukraine. “I voted to recognize the DNR/LNR for peace, not for war. For Russia to become a shield, so they wouldn’t bomb the Donbas—not so [we’d] bomb Kyiv.” pic.twitter.com/ekJVE7NSVo
— Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) February 26, 2022
re: #254 Dangerman
I don’t expect anything to come of this (yet). It’s the equivalent to “The Squad” bitching about something Clownstick did in 2017.
I am hesitant to even believe pro-Ukrainian battle reports. But I do have a feeling both sides are suffering significant losses. It’s going to get progressively worse for Ukraine. But they are going to make it hurt. A lot. Putin will just keep sending bodies until he gets what he wants.
re: #49 Targetpractice
Let’s make it simple for Mike and the rest of the class: By imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, Putin would be stuck with two equally unpleasant choices. He can knowingly violate said zone to keep flying Russian aircraft into the country, at which point he will be responsible for any declaration of war when they’re shot down. OR he can fire on NATO aircraft enforcing the zone and be responsible for starting a war.
If you believe Putin such a loon that he would willingly start a war with the whole of NATO just to have an excuse to use nukes, then there’s no threat or action we could have taken to deter him and all the talk about how Biden “did nothing” to prevent this war is BS.
I no longer trust Putin to be a rational actor after he took the reckless action of starting an all-out war with Ukraine. If he thinks he, personally, is going down, he may decide to take the whole world with him.
The courage here. Must watch. pic.twitter.com/9cmok8E6AT
— ALT-immigration Puck Futin (@ALT_uscis) February 26, 2022
UK Defense Ministry:
“Russian forces have continued their advance on Kyiv with the bulk of their forces now 30 km from the centre of the city.”https://t.co/ca51OE39MQ— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) February 26, 2022
Latest from UK Defense Ministry:
“Ukrainian Armed Force continue to put up staunch resistance across the country.
Russian casualties are likely to be heavy and greater than anticipated or acknowledged by the Kremlin.”https://t.co/qpIdwttlk9— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) February 26, 2022
Ukraine says 6 civilians were injured when Russian rocket fire tore into this apartment building in southwestern Kyiv. https://t.co/Qop69kTbdw pic.twitter.com/39ozLiRx5K
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) February 26, 2022
JFC
Another example of my elected official trying to score cheap political points at a time when so many people are suffering. It’s just a game to the mass-hole, he doesn’t give a damn about anyone but himself. https://t.co/DIokdFGoT7
— Patrick Rottinghaus (@Rottinghaus_P) February 26, 2022
⚠️ Confirmed: Live metrics show that Twitter has been restricted on multiple providers in #Russia as of 9:00 a.m. UTC; the incident comes as the government clashes with social media platforms over policy in relation to the #Ukraine conflict 📉
📰 Report: https://t.co/ihPX8fb86s pic.twitter.com/nGrcHzjIXd— NetBlocks (@netblocks) February 26, 2022
re: #258 No Malarkey!
I no longer trust Putin to be a rational actor after he took the reckless action of starting an all-out war with Ukraine. If he thinks he, personally, is going down, he may decide to take the whole world with him.
So, the alternative is we allow the world to be blackmailed and do whatever the crazy man says? That’s not a good option.
re: #260 Backwoods_Sleuth
JFC
Why don’t you crawl to Moscow and lick your master’s boot, you contemptible piece of filth?
— aagcobb (@aagcobb1) February 26, 2022
re: #260 Backwoods_Sleuth
JFC
People are dying because a friend of the leader of Massie’s party is a psychopath, and Massie is derping about Hunter Biden. He thinks his voters are complete idiots and sociopaths.
— Jeff Flanagan (@JeffMFlanagan) February 26, 2022
re: #232 Dr Lizardo
LOLOL looks like the Putin clique is going all in on not only torpedoing Russia’s economy, but sending it down to the ocean floor to rest alongside the RMS Titanic.
[Embedded content]
I think my childhood friend who got thrown in jail with his wife for fraud against one of the big Russian banks already lost all his assets, so he’s not getting out any time soon.
re: #183 Eclectic Cyborg
The Ukrainian pushback is good, but sooner or later the Russians are going to resort to more desperate tactics…
Kind of like when we got really desperate in Vietnam. And it didn’t change the outcome against a more determined foe.
re: #262 Dr Lizardo
So, the alternative is we allow the world to be blackmailed and do whatever the crazy man says? That’s not a good option.
No, the alternative is that we do absolutely everything we can to assist the people of Ukraine and punish Russia short of getting NATO into a shooting war. Putin apparently thought he could blitzkreig Ukraine, install a puppet and it would all be over in a matter of days. Instead, he’s likely mired himself in a war he can’t win, that may well result in his overthrow as the cost of fighting an insurgency while most of the world turns the screws on Russia becomes too great to bear. What Ukraine is suffering is awful, but when the crazy man has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, we have to act prudently. The fate of the entire world, not just Ukraine, hangs in the balance if we misjudge how crazy Putin actually is.
re: #210 ckkatz
2) Driver: You are headed to Kyiv
Soldiers: And what are they talking about in the news?
Driver: Right now our side is prevailing/holding strong, your guys are surrendering, because they don’t know where the hell they are going either. I have been asking the whole convoy,…— Pharmat (@YerstanBorz) February 26, 2022
re: #182 Dr Lizardo
The war must end immediately, said Mikhail Matveev, a member of the KPRF faction:
“When I voted for the recognition of the DNR/LNR, I voted for peace, not for war. I wanted Russia to become a shield so that #Donbas would not be bombed, not for Kyiv to be bombed.”
He fucking must have read or heard Putin’s Speech on how he recognizes the status of Ukraine.
That is like a Hitler Supporter saying they’re surprised that Hitler invaded Poland and Russia, he thought that the Führer would stop at the Sudetenland even after having read Mein Kampf.
re: #269 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
He fucking must have read or heard Putin’s Speech on how he recognizes the status of Ukraine.
That is like a Hitler Supporter saying they’re surprised that Hitler invaded Poland and Russia, he thought that the Führer would stop at the Sudetenland even after having read Mein Kampf.
Could be that he senses the war is only going to become increasingly unpopular, and he’s getting ahead of the curve.
re: #245 steve_davis
We’d love to do that, but the Germans decided to mothball their reactors and rely almost exclusively on Russian natural gas. That’s the elephant in the room.
At least winter is almost over.
re: #251 Jack Burton in Mactified Forshion
I want to believe this but I’m having a hard time with it. That said, even at 1/10th that kill rate though for 2 days this is bad. I’m still of the opinion “this is an embarrassing clusterfuck of extraordinary magnitude” for the Russians regardless.
The 2 downed transport planes could have easily had 300 people on board.
re: #246 Dr Lizardo
Looks like Putin’s cabana boy in Budapest has thrown in the towel:
They still remember 1956…another border “adjustment” under Stalin involved giving Ukraine a chunk of Trans-Carpathian Slovakia, resulting in the USSR having direct border with Hungary. Why? So the USSR could march directly into Hungary without having to pass through Czechoslovakian territory…
re: #258 No Malarkey!
I no longer trust Putin to be a rational actor after he took the reckless action of starting an all-out war with Ukraine. If he thinks he, personally, is going down, he may decide to take the whole world with him.
He is fucking rational; granted, it is just that he is so cold, calculating and unconcerned about human suffering that he appears insane to most normal people. He is playing a long game here. This move is only the first. I am sure he has has considered contingencies for nearly any situation that might arise.
Let’s wait for some third-party confirmation on this one, but if it’s true, this is a big fuckin’ deal….
I thank my friend Mr. President of 🇹🇷 @RTErdogan and the people of 🇹🇷 for their strong support. The ban on the passage of 🇷🇺 warships to the Black Sea and significant military and humanitarian support for 🇺🇦 are extremely important today. The people of 🇺🇦 will never forget that!
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 26, 2022
re: #270 Dr Lizardo
Could be that he senses the war is only going to become increasingly unpopular, and he’s getting ahead of the curve.
Russians would have broadly accepted a war that involved annexing the border “breakaway republics”. But Putin decided to go va banque over it.
Gotta run to the airport, so I used that as inspiration for my first word. Made it easy.
Wordle 252 3/6
🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
re: #274 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
He is fucking rational; granted, it is just that he is so cold, calculating and unconcerned about human suffering that he appears insane to most normal people. He is playing a long game here. This move is only the first. I am sure he has has considered contingencies for nearly any situation that might arise.
With all due respect, I think you are over estimating Putin. He has pushed everything he’s got into Ukraine, he is losing, and Russia is becoming more and more isolated by the day. This reminds me of the people who claimed Trump was playing three dimensional chess when all he was actually doing was watching Fox News, tweeting, and playing golf.
re: #278 No Malarkey!
With all due respect, I think you are over estimating Putin. He has pushed everything he’s got into Ukraine, he is losing, and Russia is becoming more and more isolated by the day. This reminds me of the people who claimed Trump was playing three dimensional chess when all he was actually doing was watching Fox News, tweeting, and playing golf.
He has long been planning to reunite the Russian Empire. To do that, he needed the core states of Belarus (which he has already de facto occupied), and Ukraine.
He still has some cards up his sleeve. I did not mean to infer that he is going to succeed, but I think we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg here.
re: #222 Nyet
Meanwhile, the far-far-left.
It’s great to see you and know you’re well.
Reading this thread, I’m learning just how little I know about Russian politics (even less than I understand the multitude of political parties in Israel), but who’s this guy on Facebook and is his a name I should have seen in the past?
There might have been a miscommunication between the Ukrainian President and the Turkish President.
TURKISH PRESIDENT ERDOGAN, IN CALL WITH UKRAINE’S ZELENSKIY, SAYS TURKEY MAKING EFFORTS FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE - TURKISH PRESIDENCY
— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) February 26, 2022
There’s expert opinion that Turkey, under the Montreaux Convention, cannot close the Bosphrous unless they themselves are in a state of war - which they’re currently not.
re: #165 Belafon
Not only about the NYT, but the part about eating dog:
Meet the new NYT, already assuming a future here under a coming right wing dictatorship, carefully parsing its content to make their new masters appear somewhat sane and rational.
re: #280 Yeah Sure WhatEVs
It’s great to see you and know you’re well.
Reading this thread, I’m learning just how little I know about Russian politics (even less than I understand the multitude of political parties in Israel), but who’s this guy on Facebook and is his a name I should have seen in the past?
Just like the fucking Putinverstehers over at moonofalabama who are doubling down on why this is all the fault of NATO, Biden and the Zionist/Nazi Ukrainian government.
re: #282 Florida Panhandler
Meet the new NYT, already assuming a future here under a coming right wing dictatorship, carefully parsing its content to make their new masters appear somewhat sane and rational.
They for one welcome our new Russian Orthodox overlords…
re: #274 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
He is fucking rational; granted, it is just that he is so cold, calculating and unconcerned about human suffering that he appears insane to most normal people. He is playing a long game here. This move is only the first. I am sure he has has considered contingencies for nearly any situation that might arise.
well, he apparently didn’t consider what would happen if Kyiv stood for more than a day, so don’t assume you’ve got a brainiac at work here.
re: #280 Yeah Sure WhatEVs
It’s great to see you and know you’re well.
Reading this thread, I’m learning just how little I know about Russian politics (even less than I understand the multitude of political parties in Israel), but who’s this guy on Facebook and is his a name I should have seen in the past?
From what I can find doing a quick Google search, Greg Butterfield is a communist who writes articles.
LOL, suck it, Belarus….
I have cancelled the visas of the Belarusian Men’s Basketball Team who were due to play in Newcastle tomorrow night.
The UK will not welcome the national sports teams of those countries who are complicit in Putin’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of #Ukraine.— Priti Patel (@pritipatel) February 26, 2022
re: #281 Dr Lizardo
There might have been a miscommunication between the Ukrainian President and the Turkish President.
There’s expert opinion that Turkey, under the Montreaux Convention, cannot close the Bosphrous unless they themselves are in a state of war - which they’re currently not.
Considering that Putin is basically using international agreements to wipe his ass at present, Erdogan may feel he’s got some latitude here to press Russia to reach some sort of diplomatic agreement. Assuming Vlad isn’t committed to launching WWIII, his options to retaliate in the immediate term against Turkey are limited.
re: #288 Targetpractice
Considering that Putin is basically using international agreements to wipe his ass at present, Erdogan may feel he’s got some latitude here to press Russia to reach some sort of diplomatic agreement. Assuming Vlad isn’t committed to launching WWIII, his options to retaliate in the immediate term against Turkey are limited.
Good point. I did some quick Google Fu, and saw this:
Article 19 of the 1936 Montreux Convention signed by Turkey, the UK, the Soviet Union et alia:
In time of war, Turkey not being belligerent, warships shall enjoy complete freedom of transit and navigation through the Straits under the same conditions as those laid down in Articles 10 to 18.
Only if Turkey is belligerent or if Russia violates one of the conditions may they close the straits. Article 20:
In time of war, Turkey being belligerent, the provisions of Articles 10 to 18 shall not be applicable; the passage of warships shall be left entirely to the discretion of the Turkish Government.
Joe Arpaio tells the crowd at AFPAC that he has been named the biggest racist in the country. The crowd erupts in applause.
“What are you clapping for?” he asks the crowd. “I’m not!”
The crowd then cheers again when he says he’s been accused of racial profiling.— Jared Holt (@jaredlholt) February 26, 2022
re: #290 No Malarkey!
Joe Arpaio tells the crowd at AFPAC that he has been named the biggest racist in the country. The crowd erupts in applause.
“What are you clapping for?” he asks the crowd. “I’m not!”
The crowd then cheers again when he says he’s been accused of racial profiling.
Their pointy hood keeps slipping off their pointed heads…
re: #275 Dr Lizardo
Let’s wait for some third-party confirmation on this one, but if it’s true, this is a big fuckin’ deal….
[Embedded content]
When life starts to get me down, I think of the hell it must be for Erdogan everytime he has to contact tech support out of India. “Can I just have you confirm your name, Sir?” “Yes, I am Erdogan.” “I’m sorry, sir, that is not correct. Can I have the last four digits of your social?” “I don’t have a social. I am the president of Turkey.” “Oh, sir, now you are having me on. Would you spell your last name for me?” “e…r…d…o…g…a…n” “You can’t pull that on me, sir. I was not born yesterday. Erdogan is clearly not Erdowan.” “It is pronounced Erdowan, you imbecile!” “And where exactly is that w coming from?” “The ‘g’ goddamnit. Look, you should see how we conjugate verbs. Now just explain to me how to restore Windows 10 once my system has automatically updated to Windows 11.”
re: #222 Nyet
Meanwhile, the far-far-left.
Reported. But it’s faceplant so it will probably go nowhere.
re: #289 Dr Lizardo
Good point. I did some quick Google Fu, and saw this:
Russia isn’t a signatory to that treaty, since it didn’t exist in 1936, unless its been updated since 1991. If not, it seems to me that the UK could release Turkey from its obligation to keep the straits open.
re: #294 No Malarkey!
Russia isn’t a signatory to that treaty, since it didn’t exist in 1936, unless its been updated since 1991. If not, it seems to me that the UK could release Turkey from its obligation to keep the straits open.
Maybe (and I’m spitballing here) Erdogan told Zelenskiy that he’d look into shutting down the Straits on his behalf, but of course, one needs to make sure all the t’s are crossed and all the i’s are dotted. If Turkey were to take such a step, it has to be on solid grounds.
re: #264 Punish Domestic Terrorists
Well…
Living in his district I can tell you that many of his voters are complete idiots. Psychopaths? Perhaps a few.
re: #16 Sinistershade
I don’t know enough to know whether it’s feasible, but is it possible to cut Russia off from the broader internet? Block Russian IP addresses from accessing the root DNS servers, maybe?
Yes, there are a few ways to do it, the most harsh would be to black hole packets from all border gateways in Russia.
A surprise this morning:
Wordle 252 2/6
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Only my second two-guesser (out of 43) and I feel like the first one didn’t count because I used a clue Charles had posted on LGF.
Volodymyr Zelensky should clarify his statement on Turkey blocking Russian warships
It is being widely reported as a done deal in major Western media outlets, but Turkish sources, including officials, are strenuously denying it— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) February 26, 2022
re: #301 Dr Lizardo
Disinformation is a weapon of war…
re: #219 ckkatz
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I am an optimist, but I have never doubted that there are evil men. Where my optimism doesn’t always match reality is that I think good people will do something.
Right now, though, because of Biden, NATO will do something.
re: #263 No Malarkey!
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How much of the additional $6.4 billion Biden wants to send to Ukraine will make it back to Hunter Biden and the Clinton Foundation ? https://t.co/SpgVSz6sUn
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) February 26, 2022
Zero. Next question.
Or should we discuss the ppp loans with NO oversight
re: #222 Nyet
Meanwhile, the far-far-left.
A CEO on the far-far-left is most definitely just the right.
This could’ve been the source of the misunderstanding regarding the Bosphrous:
Speaking in Kazakhstan, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey was studying Kyiv’s request but said Russia had the right under the Convention to return ships to their home base, in this case the Black Sea.
So even if Turkey decided after a legal process to accept Ukraine’s request and close the straits to Russian warships, he said, they would only be prevented from travelling in the other direction, away from their home base into the Mediterranean.
“If countries involved in the war make a request to return their vessels to their bases, that needs to be allowed,” the Hurriyet daily quoted Cavusoglu as saying.
re: #236 Ming5000
There are a lot of comments that the initial wave were lighter, faster units. Quick assaults to seize key targets.
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My suspicion is that the initial bombardment was meant to destroy or at least disrupt Ukrainian SAM and AAA sites long enough to land airborne troops and start shipping in troops via transport planes, tying up enough of the defenses to allow the frontline heavy armor and mechanized infantry to punch through to link-up. But the failure to neutralize Ukrainian AA and seize airfields deep in the backlines has caused that whole plan to go tits-up.
re: #236 Ming5000
There are a lot of comments that the initial wave were lighter, faster units. Quick assaults to seize key targets.
[Embedded content]
This only works, though, if they can cripple Ukraine’s ability to receive equipment from other countries, which they haven’t.
re: #247 ericblair
Between that and Nordstream 2, Merkel has a lot to answer for.
I believe the idea was that no nation with heavy economic ties, would launch a war.
re: #311 Belafon
I believe the idea was that no nation with heavy economic ties, would launch a war.
I remember when Capitalism would solve everything and mean no more war. That seems to be going as well as the notion of Trickle Down Theory.
re: #279 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
I did not mean to infer that he is going to succeed,
Imply?
Pffffft.
Wordle 252 5/6
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🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
So long as Russia cannot knock out Ukrainian AA, they can’t establish control over Ukrainian airspace. And so long as they cannot do that, any efforts to truck troops in with transport planes is suicidal. Likewise it’s going to be damn near impossible to set up a reliable supply route without tying troops and AFVs to protect it. Which is probably why we’ve seen reports of units foraging/looting or running out of fuel.
re: #260 Backwoods_Sleuth
— Sage Petoskey (@sagepetoskey) February 26, 2022
1/I am going to try to explain the irrational Russian Armed Forces behavior towards strategy, common thought, or even the chances repatriated SSO that are now POW try to murder a bunch of men with stars.
— Stanimir Dobrev (@delfoo) February 26, 2022
Interesting thread from someone who knows their Russian armor. Essentially, the RU army is very likely to have serious logistics problems, and their readiness and deployment is not what they need it to be. The RU military is (shocker) pretty corrupt, and supplies and manpower that are there on paper aren’t there in reality, so they’ve been shoving noobs into vehicles and sending them as fast as they can to their targets. However, the force structure they’re using allows them to get split into ineffective pieces that can’t communicate.
Oh yeah, and basic racism. The powers-that-be figured that Ukrainians are a bunch of jumped-up hicks who would knuckle under immediately, happy to be back under the boot of their true and proper masters. Nope.
More, possibly true, information on the Putin miscalculation:
THREAD 1/7 Intel from a Ukrainian officer about a meeting in Putin’s lair in Urals. Oligarchs convened there so no one would flee. Putin is furious, he thought that the whole war would be easy and everything would be done in 1-4 days. @EPPGroup @general_ben @edwardlucas @politico pic.twitter.com/8AoelUDWM9
— Riho Terras (@RihoTerras) February 26, 2022
Polish PM Morawiecki has been very blunt in his meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Warsaw calls on Berlin to awaken its conscience and to finally introduce tougher sanctions on Moscow.
🇵🇱🇩🇪🇷🇺 pic.twitter.com/gIKkPzZEWL— Visegrád 24 🇨🇿🇭🇺🇵🇱🇸🇰 (@visegrad24) February 26, 2022
re: #309 Sherlock Hound
Apparently, the boat was a 127-meter cargo ship, the “Baltic Leader” with a load of vehicles from St. Petersburg on its way to Rouen. The ship’s master is said to be cooperating. The ship was intercepted by customs at Calais.
More detail from BFM TV (in French): bfmtv.com
Does Russia make vehicles that they export? Hubs, who speaks French, says they’re probably stolen vehicles. Someone in Russia needs some cash.
Russia has fired over 250 mostly short-range ballistic missiles into Ukraine since start of invasion, Russian forces have so far failed to capture any major cities: U.S. official
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) February 26, 2022
re: #312 Florida Panhandler
I remember when Capitalism would solve everything and mean no more war. That seems to be going as well as the notion of Trickle Down Theory.
Remember the 1990s, when history was supposed to be ending?
re: #322 No Malarkey!
Remember the 1990s, when history was supposed to be ending?
Fukuyima, out of MIT History Dept, IIRC.
re: #323 Decatur Deb
re: #322 No Malarkey!
It is easy to misinterpret the title of the book.
The primary thesis of Fukuyama was, IIRC, that ideologically only one basic idea in societal governance is standing victorious: a (liberal) democracy. I.e., the fall of the USSR showed that indeed one cannot rule form the top when people have a taste of democracy.
re: #318 Ming5000
More, possibly true, information on the Putin miscalculation:
[Embedded content]
If there’s any truth to this, then things have truly gone to shit for Vlad. He expected a quick, relatively bloodless war that would provide a boost for morale at home while helping him undo the Euromaiden revolution and returning Ukraine into the fold. Instead, it’s turning into a long slog that he can neither afford nor is politically viable. Every tank, plane, and artillery piece lost is one that cannot easily be replaced. And that the sanctions are working to hurt him war economy by cutting him off from vital resources.
re: #326 Targetpractice
In war the first casualty is the truth, a sage may have once stated.
re: #320 Yeah Sure WhatEVs
Does Russia make vehicles that they export? Hubs, who speaks French, says they’re probably stolen vehicles. Someone in Russia needs some cash.
Lada Niva 4x4s are a big hit in Western Europe. I would consider getting one if I needed such a vehicle.
re: #320 Yeah Sure WhatEVs
Does Russia make vehicles that they export? Hubs, who speaks French, says they’re probably stolen vehicles. Someone in Russia needs some cash.
Reading above, it also sounds like they need parts and materials.
Also, if that Ukrainian intel is true, then it explains why we’re seeing a lot of green, poorly equipped troops who had no clue who or why they were fighting: Sheer arrogance. As in Vlad and the oligarchs thought that the whole thing would be over so quick that things like supply lines would be unnecessary to plan for because the fighting would already be over before the troops started running low. Instead, they overextended and now are paying for it.
all fog of war. we are still in the opening stages. Vlad would not have rolled the dice like this without contingencies for all possible outcomes.
he is a sick fucker, but never underestimate the power of a schnook
re: #330 Targetpractice
I have no idea as to the veracity of the Ukrainian intel report - it could be psyops - but I’m about 95% certain that Putin and his Army brass thought this was going to another Crimean cakewalk.
They’d just roll on in, Zelenskiy would instantly shit himself and promptly surrender, and that the Ukrainian Army was little more than a disorganized rabble of bumpkins that just fell off the turnip truck.
re: #332 Dr Lizardo
I have no idea as to the veracity of the Ukrainian intel report - it could be psyops - but I’m about 95% certain that Putin and his Army brass thought this was going to another Crimean cakewalk.
They’d just roll on in, Zelenskiy would instantly shit himself and promptly surrender, and that the Ukrainian Army was little more than a disorganized rabble of bumpkins that just fell off the turnip truck.
Even splitting the difference between Russian and Ukraine reports doesn’t help Russia.
re: #331 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
all fog of war. we are still in the opening stages. Vlad would not have rolled the dice like this without contingencies for all possible outcomes.
he is a sick fucker, but never underestimate the power of a schnook
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re: #322 No Malarkey!
Concur. It is hard to know how this will roll out over the next few days. Perhaps the Russians will remain entrenched in the small regions they originally took, or maybe the Russian troops (now conscripts) will abandon their posts.
Putin can always up the ante. Start something somewhere else, to keep the US and allies occupied with some other crisis.
I doubt Putin would go all in with the NBC total-warfare route. But mad-men (who, thanks to the Russian Orthodox church/hierarchy, think they are chose of god to save whatever) might do.
≈
(reload that last comment of mine)
re: #324 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
Holmes infers. Watson implies.
(Also you can’t “mean to infer”, you either infer or you don’t)
re: #331 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
all fog of war. we are still in the opening stages. Vlad would not have rolled the dice like this without contingencies for all possible outcomes.
I don’t know why you think this. Dictators become lazier, more detached, and stuck in their own fantasy worlds. Basically because they can, and because everyone around him knows that they have to please the boss by telling him what he wants to hear. It makes them more dangerous, because they can’t rationally analyze risk anymore, but it also makes them more vulnerable as cold hard reality doesn’t care about their lies and delusions.
Looks like Cyprus is now onboard with the SWIFT action against Russia.
We did it. Cyprus confirmed it will not block the decision to ban Russia from SWIFT. Ukrainian diplomacy keeps working 24/7 to achieve important decisions and protect Ukraine from Russian invaders.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 26, 2022
I can sympathize with Cyprus’ POV - their banks are stuffed to the rafters with ill-gotten Russian dough and there’s probably a metric fuckton of loans they’ve got on their books to Kremlin-linked oligarchs. Sanctions like that could utterly devastate their banking sector and as we all knows, shit rolls downhill, leaving the average accountholder picking up the pieces.
re: #331 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
all fog of war. we are still in the opening stages. Vlad would not have rolled the dice like this without contingencies for all possible outcomes.
he is a sick fucker, but never underestimate the power of a schnook
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Sure he would have, we certainly were willing to when our leaders told us that “winning” in Iraq was a few days of fighting and a few weeks/months of occupation before we wrapped things up and brought the troops home. “Home by Christmas” was the promise again and again, year after year, as we sank deeper and deeper into a quagmire.
re: #330 Targetpractice
Also, if that Ukrainian intel is true, then it explains why we’re seeing a lot of green, poorly equipped troops who had no clue who or why they were fighting: Sheer arrogance. As in Vlad and the oligarchs thought that the whole thing would be over so quick that things like supply lines would be unnecessary to plan for because the fighting would already be over before the troops started running low. Instead, they overextended and now are paying for it.
Plus Putin wasn’t aware of the extent to which corruption has rotted out the army.
re: #343 No Malarkey!
Plus Putin wasn’t aware of the extent to which corruption has rotted out the army.
I imagine that the brass were giving him wildly optimistic estimates of troop readiness, supply stockpiles, and resupply timelines. 3-4 month wait times on anything more complicated than AKs and rifle ammunition in the event of foreign sanctions was probably nowhere in those reports.
This has got to be driving real Western Russian military analysts nuts. Where are the massive cyber attacks, where are all the communications jammers, why is the electricity and water still on in the cities, why are the fucking cellular phones still working? RU should not only be able to knock out the communications networks, they should be able to hijack the whole cell system.
Russia still doesn’t have air superiority, which they absolutely need. Ukraine seems to be able to communicate and maneuver within their area of control basically at will after days of this assault, and all the major cities are still in government hands.
re: #318 Ming5000
More, possibly true, information on the Putin miscalculation:
[Embedded content]
To be objective about, this analysis might well have been proved correct: the Russians might well have had this “war” over in few days had they followed a more cautious and incremental plan - avoiding actual fighting when and if possible:
1. Move masses of troops to the borders for “exercises”
2. Recognize the “independence” of the Donbas “republics”
3. Move some of those troop masses into the “republics” in the presence of cheering crowds grateful for their “liberation” and reunion with Mother Russia
4. Move some of those “liberators” out to the new “border” regions, and open a major media campaign to convince the Ukrainians (and the world) to recognize the new “republics” and vacate the areas they are “occupying”
5. Open a major worldwide media campaign to convince anyone who tunes in that the Ukrainians are completely at fault - that Putin was only acting in the interests of oppressed and victimized Russians, and
that “justice” has now been served [for now].
Personally, horrific as the concept is, I have a feeling that Vlad would have basically completely gotten away with his plan under this scenario: especially Point 5: there was (pre-invasion)considered little to no upside in Western countries to resisting Russian military aggression in what could plausibly be regarded as “Russia” (actual borders notwithstanding for the moment); and there are plenty of pro-Putin apologists out there quite willing to swallow the Kremlin line, and pressure their governments to stand off. As long as there wasn’t the prospect of an actual shooting war, I think the scenario of appeasing, rather than fighting, Russian aggression was by far the more-attractive one.
But then he had to go and blow it by opting for a full-bore military conquest: that “actual shooting war” that tends to change everybody’s outlook.
re: #343 No Malarkey!
Plus Putin wasn’t aware of the extent to which corruption has rotted out the army.
In the beginning was the Plan.
And then came the Assumptions.
And the Assumptions were without form.
And darkness was upon the face of the Workers.
And they spoke among themselves, saying, “It is a crock of shit, and it stinketh.”
And the workers went unto their Supervisors and said, “It is a pail of dung, and none may abide the odour thereof.”
And the Supervisors went unto their Managers, saying, “It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide by it.”
And the Managers went unto their Directors, saying, “It is a vessel of fertiliser, and none may abide its strength.”
And the Directors spoke amongst themselves, saying one to another, “It contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong.”
And the Directors then went onto the Vice Presidents, saying unto them, “It promotes growth and is very powerful.”
And the Vice Presidents went unto the President, saying unto him, “This new plan will actively promote the growth and vigour of the company; with powerful effects.”
And the President looked upon the Plan, and saw that it was good.
And the Plan became Policy.
This is How Shit Happens.
re: #342 Targetpractice
Sure he would have, we certainly were willing to when our leaders told us that “winning” in Iraq was a few days of fighting and a few weeks/months of occupation before we wrapped things up and brought the troops home. “Home by Christmas” was the promise again and again, year after year, as we sank deeper and deeper into a quagmire.
Bingo. Hubris is a dangerous thing. If Cheney and Rumsfeld could ignore reality to live in a fantasy world, so can Putin. Only thing is that Russia doesn’t have the limitless resources to prop up the fantasy world for years like the U.S. does. If Biden hadn’t had the guts to bite the bullet and get out of Afghanistan, we could’ve kept propping up Kabul for decades to come pretending we were building a democracy in Afghanistan. Russia doesn’t have that luxury in Ukraine.
re: #345 ericblair
This has got to be driving real Western Russian military analysts nuts. Where are the massive cyber attacks, where are all the communications jammers, why is the electricity and water still on in the cities, why are the fucking cellular phones still working? RU should not only be able to knock out the communications networks, they should be able to hijack the whole cell system.
Russia still doesn’t have air superiority, which they absolutely need. Ukraine seems to be able to communicate and maneuver within their area of control basically at will after days of this assault, and all the major cities are still in government hands.
I was talking about this to a student of mine yesterday; it’s possible that Russia’s electronic warfare capabilities may not be anywhere close to what we’ve been led to believe. It could be smoke and mirrors, little more than vaporware.
Always easier to green light a war when it looks like it either won’t happen or it will a quick and bloodless affair. Union generals were sure that a devastating loss at Bull Run would have the Confederates in a retreat and the war would be over by Christmas. Imperial Germany violating Belgian sovereignty because they believed they could march on Paris in a matter of days. Nazi Germany thought that the war would basically be over once France surrendered. And so on and so forth.
re: #349 Dr Lizardo
I was talking about this to a student of mine yesterday; it’s possible that Russia’s electronic warfare capabilities may not be anywhere close to what we’ve been led to believe. It could be smoke and mirrors, little more than vaporware.
Defense analysts massively overestimating Russian technological prowess? The hell you say!
///////
re: #339 Kilroy was here
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Over 400,000 views in one hour. The world stands with Ukraine. #DefeatPutin pic.twitter.com/7jGiTNzL1U
re: #342 Targetpractice
For the Iraq fuckup the state department actually worked out how it could be done. Only for Cheney, Rumsfeld and co to tear up the plans and decide to wing it.*
I doubt that any structure in the Russian regime even tried.
(* We have no idea whether the State plans would have worked, but at least they tried).
Edit “we have no”, not “why have no”.
re: #351 Targetpractice
Defense analysts massively overestimating Russian technological prowess? The hell you say!
///////
The problem with preparing for the worst is some people figure out a way to make money off of it.
re: #264 Punish Domestic Terrorists
People are dying because a friend of the leader of Massie’s party is a psychopath, and Massie is derping about Hunter Biden. He thinks his voters are complete idiots and sociopaths.
He’s right. His voters are complete idiots and sociopaths. Our nation remains in mortal peril because too many Americans share this view. And they all say in unison that this would not have happened under Trump because Trump was a strong leader whom Putin feared and respected.
President Biden has authorized an additional $350 million of military equipment to be sent to Ukraine. #StandWithUkraine 💛💙
— Amy Siskind 🏳️🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) February 26, 2022
Thread. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was fueled by Trump’s corruption and betrayal of American democracy and the many cowardly Republicans who just played along https://t.co/LwlwwbRHQ5
— Mark Follman (@markfollman) February 26, 2022
re: #351 Targetpractice
Defense analysts massively overestimating Russian technological prowess? The hell you say!
///////
They do have the capability. Western analysts know what they have, what their capabilities are, (roughly) how many they have and where they’re stationed. The invasion isn’t using them.
And, of course,
2nd Amendment gun nuts are watchin’ Ukrainian citizens bearin’ arms against a tyrannical government and guess what? They’re cheerin’ for the tyrannical government.
— Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) February 26, 2022
Not only is Putin losing support of allies in Europe and Asia, he’s losing support of allies here:
Sen. Ron Johnson spent July 4, 2018, in Russia. Ahead of the 2020 election, he used his perch as chairman of the Homeland Security committee to investigate Hunter Biden’s “dealings with Ukraine,” and a Russian agent claims he gave Johnson that information. 👇👇👇 https://t.co/IcImKpbG7s
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) February 26, 2022
re: #329 Belafon
Reading above, it also sounds like they need parts and materials.
Yeah. Russia is learning about the need for top notch logistics… something they do not have.
re: #203 William Lewis
If you’re determined to help, see if World Central Kitchen could use some feet on the ground. They’re in Poland now serving meals to refugees. There may be other places where they are getting food to those in need because of this madness.
re: #338 ericblair
It makes them more dangerous, because they can’t rationally analyze risk anymore, but it also makes them more vulnerable as cold hard reality doesn’t care about their lies and delusions.
They don’t care about human lives or human suffering, even among their own people. Putin has a larger geopolitical plan that he obviously wishes to achieve sooner than later. I guess he decided that he needed to bring Ukraine into the fold with Mother Russia before bringing the other breakaway republics back heim ins Reich
Look at his relationship with the Orthodox church: Think this fucker cares about religious or moral values? Hell no, he needs a vehicle to appeal to the Russians living in the former Soviet republics, who he is going to cynically exploit as his own Sudetendeutsch to claim a reason to intervene just as he did in Ukraine.
There are over a million of them in the Baltic states, and seven million in Kazahstan and other Central Asian republics.
re: #310 Belafon
This only works, though, if they can cripple Ukraine’s ability to receive equipment from other countries, which they haven’t.
One of those moments when I would love to be a multi-billionare, with the ability to fund a private army/air force. (Line of Ugandan mercs working their way through customs) “Business or pleasure?” “Business. But my avocation is, coincidentally, my vocation, so a good deal of pleasure as well.”
re: #358 ericblair
They do have the capability. Western analysts know what they have, what their capabilities are, (roughly) how many they have and where they’re stationed. The invasion isn’t using them.
If that is so, ….
Why?
re: #331 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
all fog of war. we are still in the opening stages. Vlad would not have rolled the dice like this without contingencies for all possible outcomes.
he is a sick fucker, but never underestimate the power of a schnook
[Embedded content]
We’ll obviously have to see how this plays out but as of this moment, I think, you’re giving him way too much credit.
re: #213 Nyet
It’s a Duma deputy, a Communist to boot, so it’s not evidence this idea is being entertained by the government.
Still. A rumor like that making the rounds along the lines that the government *was* seriously considering it could trigger a run on the various Russian banks. And I’d expect also lead to some other complications as people stop spending money in order to keep some available and/or start hording basic supplies.
Ukrainians fought. They showed they will fight. They showed us all in the first 24 hours that we must support them. Now, the pipeline is open. A mountain of steel is heading to Ukraine. 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/4ksuUPaPFa
— Molly McKew (@MollyMcKew) February 26, 2022
Mountain of steel. https://t.co/ORTOAsGwA8
— Molly McKew (@MollyMcKew) February 26, 2022
This last one is the really interesting one.
re: #365 John Hughes
If that is so, ….
Why?
A good possibility is the statements by various NATO nations that cyberattacks on them will be viewed as acts of war. And that cyberwarfare game plans for a Ukrainian offensive assumed they would either knock out servers that Ukrainian web traffic flowed through or are encountering firewalls at such that are preventing them from getting to the targets within the country they’re assigned to.
Shout out to the Federated States of Micronesia:
The tiny Federated States of Micronesia severed diplomatic ties with nuclear power Russia on Friday over the “unambiguously villainous” invasion of Ukraine, warning relations would only be reopened if Moscow displayed a “love” of humanity.
Leaders of the Pacific archipelago — which has a population of just over 100,000 people — said it was acting in solidarity with Ukraine, which has already suspended diplomatic relations and called on others to do the same.
Ties between FSM and Russia were formally established in 1999, but Moscow has no embassy there and state-to-state contacts are limited.
“Diplomatic relations between our two countries have been severed,” President David Panuelo said expressing solidarity with Kyiv.
“Ukraine has been violently and unjustifiably invaded by the Russian Federation,” he said.
“While it may be little comfort, the people and government of the FSM supports your sovereignty, and supports your right to exist.”
re: #349 Dr Lizardo
I was talking about this to a student of mine yesterday; it’s possible that Russia’s electronic warfare capabilities may not be anywhere close to what we’ve been led to believe. It could be smoke and mirrors, little more than vaporware.
it is possible that C3I is so bad on the Russian side that they’re intentionally leaving the cell towers and internet providers up because they’re relying on them to get messages to the home bases.
Kremlin says Putin halted Russian attacks to allow talks, blames Kyiv for collapsed negotiation effort
MOSCOW — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops to halt their advance Friday afternoon to allow for talks on Ukraine’s accepting neutral status but reversed his decision, blaming the Ukrainians for refusing to negotiate.
He said Russian troops resumed their advance after the lack of agreement from Ukraine.
—- Nice excuse for failing to advance..
re: #360 Yeah Sure WhatEVs
Yeah. Russia is learning about the need for top notch logistics… something they do not have.
The US won the 2nd world war with the forklift and the wooden cargo pallet.
re: #368 Belafon
Maybe the German government finally shook off their naïve illusion that diplomacy was still possible with Vladimir Putin.
re: #360 Yeah Sure WhatEVs
Yeah. Russia is learning about the need for top notch logistics… something they do not have.
“Amateurs talk about strategy and tactics. Professionals talk about logistics and sustainability in warfare.”
re: #349 Dr Lizardo
I was talking about this to a student of mine yesterday; it’s possible that Russia’s electronic warfare capabilities may not be anywhere close to what we’ve been led to believe. It could be smoke and mirrors, little more than vaporware.
Very good at the level of individual hackers in high-rises in Smolensk, Pskov and Vitebsk, but not as a coordinated, centralized agency
re: #235 Ming5000
Waking up to a Ukraine still in the fight. I was worried as I went to bed.
It looks like the Putin invasion is not going so well. Good.
Malcolm Nance’s feed is a good one to keep up with.
Thank you to the LGF over-nighters for all the great updates.[Embedded content]
I’ve seen gear that sat as a “gate guard” for a decade or two in better condition. I’d have been given an Article 15 at minimum if my tank was in that shitty of condition.
re: #372 Kilroy was here
Kremlin says Putin halted Russian attacks to allow talks, blames Kyiv for collapsed negotiation effort
MOSCOW — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops to halt their advance Friday afternoon to allow for talks on Ukraine’s accepting neutral status but reversed his decision, blaming the Ukrainians for refusing to negotiate.
He said Russian troops resumed their advance after the lack of agreement from Ukraine.
—- Nice excuse for failing to advance..
“Negotiation” = Offer to accept surrender and naming of terms, the likely response to which was “NUTS!”
re: #375 Targetpractice
“Amateurs talk about strategy and tactics. Professionals talk about logistics and sustainability in warfare.”
I’m part of CERT, and we study incident response, for setting up in case of a large disaster. There are four five components: Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration. Half of the organization is about making sure it has the resources to respond and they are properly distributed.
re: #369 Targetpractice
And that cyberwarfare game plans for a Ukrainian offensive assumed they would either knock out servers that Ukrainian web traffic flowed through or are encountering firewalls at such that are preventing them from getting to the targets within the country they’re assigned to.
but that’s just a way of saying they don’t have the capacity that people thought they had.
re: #356 Belafon
President Biden has authorized an additional $350 million of military equipment to be sent to Ukraine.
“But first you have to drop your investigation of Hunter!”
re: #370 Dr Lizardo
Who, apart from Ukraine, are coming out as heroes in this? So far Kenya and Micronesia.
re: #376 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
Very good at the level of individual hackers in a high-rise in Smolensk, but not as a co-ordinated, centralized agency
And I’d presume that a bunch of internet shitposters are likely not going to be too good at designing and employing highly sophisticated battlefield-friendly EW measures.
re: #382 John Hughes
Who, apart from Ukraine, are coming out as heroes in this? So far Kenya and Micronesia.
It’s always the ones you least expect, ain’t it?
re: #377 William Lewis
I’ve seen gear that sat as a “gate guard” for a decade or two in better condition. I’d have been given an Article 15 at minimum if my tank was in that shitty of condition.
Hadn’t watched the clip til now, but that looks like something that just got pulled from storage and not something that’s seen active use and regular maintenance. This is looking more and more like if we’d fought the War in Iraq not with our regular Army units but had called up the National Guard to lead the assault.
re: #235 Ming5000
Good. I’m glad their maintenance sucks so bad. 20 years of corruption under Putin is paying off
re: #253 Jack Burton in Mactified Forshion
If it’s 3 IL-76s and they were full of personnel rather than equipment, and didn’t already drop them. That’s like 300-600 dead right there.
And it’s not like the VDV equipment (BMDs, etc.) is available in large quantities. Lots of older BMD-1 and BMD-2 in storage, but active service units are probably < 1000 including the specialist variants. And I expect an IL-76 carrying a deck load of those is also probably carrying their crews and/or additional support personnel and spare parts. Fewer lives lost as compared to a full load of paratroopers, but still a loss of trained specialists that are not conscripts and uncommon equipment.
re: #371 steve_davis
it is possible that C3I is so bad on the Russian side that they’re intentionally leaving the cell towers and internet providers up because they’re relying on them to get messages to the home bases.
That would be suicidal.
Even if you encrypt the payloads just revealing the metadata would be like walking into the OK corral naked and unarmed.
#Russian state television channels are hacked to play #Ukraine national anthem.#Turpo pic.twitter.com/5d8DN81Gfi
— Antti Eskelinen (@eskelinen_antti) February 26, 2022
re: #374 Dr Lizardo
Maybe the German government finally shook off their naïve illusion that diplomacy was still possible with Vladimir Putin.
Shifting borders a bit? Well, they went along with that before and probably would have again, but denying the independence and historical justification for the existence of an entire nation before invading? That is just going too far.
re: #389 Dr Lizardo
[Embedded content]
Yeah, it’s hard to argue the war is going your way when your own national TV stations are being hacked in real time.
re: #286 No Malarkey!
From what I can find doing a quick Google search, Greg Butterfield is a communist who writes articles.
While Trump was still in office, I had an exchange on FB with someone who revealed that he was a communist. Certainly appears that most who describe themselves as such are in the “tank” for Putin, no matter what crimes he commits. The rare exception is the Socialist Workers party, which condemns the West and Putin equally. But then they were Trotskyists and not Stalinists.
Liquor stores in Canada, US refusing to sell Russian vodka
In addition to official government sanctions, bars and liquor stores across the U.S. and Canada are attempting to economically hurt Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine by refusing to sell Russian vodka and other Russian liquor.
thehill.com
Ouch…
Also:
When you say “a lawyer defended a client’s liberty, and forced the state to prove their case” what you are really saying is “that lawyer has a commitment to the rule of law.”— Mike Dunford (@questauthority) February 26, 2022
re: #393 Kilroy was here
Moskovskaya is my preferred brand…
Germany has authorized the Netherlands to send Ukraine 400 rocket-propelled grenade launchers to aid in the fight against Russian invaders, according to two EU officials — marking an abrupt shift in Berlin’s military policy amid pressure from EU and NATO allies.Until Saturday, Germany had clung to a longstanding practice of not permitting lethal weapons that it controlled to be transferred into a conflict zone.
That stance bewildered some European officials, even more so after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion and launched missile strikes on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.
Germany’s shift comes as numerous Western allies are mobilizing to send Ukraine more guns, ammunition and even anti-aircraft defense systems as Russian forces bear down on major Ukrainian cities. The reversal could mean a rapid increase in European military assistance for Ukraine, as large portions of the Continent’s weapons and ammunition are at least in part German-manufactured, giving Berlin legal control over their transfer.
Before Saturday’s turnaround, senior Ukrainian officials had been complaining bitterly for weeks about Germany’s refusal to allow arms shipments to bolster Ukraine’s defenses.
re: #393 Kilroy was here
Liquor stores in Canada, US refusing to sell Russian vodka
In addition to official government sanctions, bars and liquor stores across the U.S. and Canada are attempting to economically hurt Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine by refusing to sell Russian vodka and other Russian liquor.
thehill.comOuch…
It’s happening here, too; Czech bars are boycotting Russian vodka.
re: #393 Kilroy was here
Liquor stores in Canada, US refusing to sell Russian vodka
In addition to official government sanctions, bars and liquor stores across the U.S. and Canada are attempting to economically hurt Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine by refusing to sell Russian vodka and other Russian liquor.
thehill.comOuch…
Here’s a great idea: stage a big public rally, and then (a la 18th-Amendment-style) pour large quantities of Russian vodka down the drain, and collect the empties to send to Ukraine for use as Molotov cocktails…
re: #393 Kilroy was here
So if they aren’t selling it what are they going to do with it? Could I have it for free?
Fine, sell existing stocks and donate proceeds to Ukraine relief, but obviously cancel all outstanding orders. Besides, with the banking, import and finance world coming down like a twelve-ton block of frozen borscht on Russia, they are not going to be moving many more goods abroad any time soon.
re: #394 Dopamine Fish
John Adams defended the British soldiers charged in the Boston Massacre. Everyone is entitled to a defense at trial.
— aagcobb (@aagcobb1) February 26, 2022
re: #401 No Malarkey!
They fucking well know that, it just makes good press to paint her as a “terrorist sympathizer”.
YouTuber, Rick Beato, this week put out what may be his finest interview, this time of jazz guitarist legend Al DiMeola. During it, Al plays a rendition of The Beatles Norwegian Wood that shows his genius. Very much worth the time if you’re a fan.
Fucker Carlson launches a racist attack on Ketanji Brown. news.yahoo.com
re: #394 Dopamine Fish
[Embedded content]
This is 2022, not 2012, screaming “TERRORISM! BOOGA BOOGA!” is not the winner they think it is.
Zelensky drinking coffee and chatting with his fellow Kyiv defenders this morning.
Imagine what a moral boost it must be for these troops to have the freakin’ president literally fighting next to you.
What a badass. pic.twitter.com/PQPTkoC5bX— Nick Knudsen (@NickKnudsenUS) February 26, 2022
Less than an hour ago they already announced, with evidence, that they had taken prisoner a tank battalion commander from the same brigade.. pic.twitter.com/xxulI9UTUB
— Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) February 26, 2022
re: #405 Targetpractice
This is 2022, not 2012, screaming “TERRORISM! BOOGA BOOGA!” is not the winner they think it is.
She will be confirmed; the only question is if any Republicans other than possibly Murkowski, Romney or Collins will vote to confirm her.
re: #406 No Malarkey!
[Embedded content]
He could have left the country or hidden out in a bunker, but he’s instead sitting with his men, fighting alongside them, knowing that the Russians have a bounty on his head.
Balls of steel.
re: #400 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
Fine, sell existing stocks and donate proceeds to Ukraine relief, but obviously cancel all outstanding orders. Besides, with the banking, import and finance world coming down like a twelve-ton block of frozen borscht on Russia, they are not going to be moving many more goods abroad any time soon.
Now that made me genuinely laugh out loud.
re: #409 Targetpractice
He could have left the country or hidden out in a bunker, but he’s instead sitting with his men, fighting alongside them, knowing that the Russians have a bounty on his head.
Balls of steel.
Trump would be on a leash held by Putin saying “My name is Reek” by now.
re: #410 Dr Lizardo
Now that made me genuinely laugh out loud.
thank you, I put some thought into that one
re: #407 Dr Lizardo
[Embedded content]
35th Guards Rifle Division historically fought in the battles to relieve Stalingrad and eventually participated in the liberation of Ukraine. If this report is accurate, that is a serious bit of historical irony.
re: #413 Targetpractice
35th Guards Rifle Division historically fought in the battles to relieve Stalingrad and eventually participated in the liberation of Ukraine. If this report is accurate, that is a serious bit of historical irony.
sounds like they were most intentionally sent there to gain propaganda points for back home
re: #314 Yeah Sure WhatEVs
wordle clue — so those who haven’t done it, do not read further
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
re: #296 The Squire of Logos
Well…
Living in his district I can tell you that many of his voters are complete idiots. Psychopaths? Perhaps a few.
c3RRL00wNHVhbXZJNGpOUDRqd1h2TENuWkxIeWhIQXdzdVo1OTNiOE9VOFM0RlZpOXI0bGhtZnNreWVVZWxlZWlwMzlJY3I5SHd3UkFyaEVleHNoM2c9PTo67ICs6cU6J/xNnQc6DVmptA==
Russia has not been able to achieve air superiority over Ukraine in part because Russian missiles have hit old air defense sites, indicating flawed intelligence. @helenecooper @EricSchmittNYT https://t.co/8ZuyNw1QK7
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) February 26, 2022
re: #406 No Malarkey!
I can totally imagine Trump doing this.
re: #409 Targetpractice
Martin Sheen could have done the same.
re: #417 Backwoods_Sleuth
[Embedded content]
aUtEMnlEOEc5dzlOMGI4Qnh1SUZhN1JCTUlPYjd6S1BuRkxhcVVjYUgvdnEwZE05c0xuUGJRZXZJSTNKZ1dZNVczQlNXTVNoZFNNOVNRUllvOGljbE03SDhiVGdYcDZsbEdkZUQvOHN1TDg9OjqLq6os3NFn7B0dSUy7cWv7
re: #419 John Hughes
I can totally imagine Trump doing this.
and then blabbing about the amphibious operation planned for the next day…
This should be the biggest domestic political story in America right now. Perhaps the most famous Republican Congresswoman in America speaking at a conference of open Putin and Hitler admirers and Holocaust deniers. How can there be no political costs or consequences to this? https://t.co/RxJroeY4Jv
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) February 26, 2022
“We’ve got to accelerate delivery of capabilities to the Ukrainians,” said ret. Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, former head of U.S. Army Europe. “We’ve got to have something that looks like a Berlin airlift.” https://t.co/hlDMOGkeGy via @nbcnews
— Dan De Luce (@dandeluce) February 26, 2022
If we could pull off that logistics stunt, Putin will be soiling himself.
re: #425 Dr Lizardo
[Embedded content]
If we could pull off that logistics stunt, Putin will be soiling himself.
One mile from the Ukraine border in NATO countries, and say they’re not directly from the US.
re: #342 Targetpractice
Sure he would have, we certainly were willing to when our leaders told us that “winning” in Iraq was a few days of fighting and a few weeks/months of occupation before we wrapped things up and brought the troops home. “Home by Christmas” was the promise again and again, year after year, as we sank deeper and deeper into a quagmire.
The initial conflict was just a few days. It was the total incompetence of those assigned to handle the nation-building that led to disaster.
re: #427 Hecuba’s daughter
The initial conflict was just a few days. It was the total incompetence of those assigned to handle the nation-building that led to disaster.
Yes, we suffered few major setbacks in the course of the actual occupation and defeat of Iraqi forces.
Better day today.
Wordle 252 3/6
🟩⬛⬛⬛⬛
🟨🟨⬛⬛🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
re: #426 Belafon
One mile from the Ukraine border in NATO countries, and say they’re not directly from the US.
Yep. Send it all to Poland and Slovakia and do the old Lend Lease trick. Hell, could even use Mošnov Airport not far from here in Ostrava. Its runway is big enough to accommodate the Antonov An-225 (however, there are rumors that beast may have been destroyed). In any event, Mošnov Airport has perhaps the longest runway in Central Europe. Even B-52s can land there with no problem.
re: #358 ericblair
Massie is swinging in the direction of using the Ukrainian situation to cheerlead for the 2nd Amendment, while saying let Ukraine fend for itself:
More folks are beginning to appreciate the importance of an armed citizenry and the folly of global-climate-change driven energy policies.
And if they don’t, then they don’t need to be giving advice on Ukraine.— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) February 25, 2022
Two weeks ago, I predicted success for Ukraine, in the event of a Russian invasion, would hinge on whether Ukrainian civilians were willing to shoot Russian soldiers. Now we hear reports Ukrainian police are giving guns to civilians. @freethepeople @mkibbe pic.twitter.com/Qa5qhGgakc
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) February 25, 2022
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
do you appreciate it now?— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) February 26, 2022
re: #426 Belafon
One mile from the Ukraine border in NATO countries, and say they’re not directly from the US.
And now you see why Putin did not want any NATO near his borders…
This makes me happy. Census and redistricting causes Fred Keller to lose seat.
Trump ass kisser, Corbet waterboy and useless plant life has to go run outside of his old district and will be beaten. Fade back to nothing you piece of rotting offal.
re: #431 Backwoods_Sleuth
Massie is swinging in the direction of using the Ukrainian situation to cheerlead for the 2nd Amendment, while saying let Ukraine fend for itself:
So we could just let the Chinese invade America and count on armed militias to fend them off and send them packing?
re: #335 Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus
Concur. It is hard to know how this will roll out over the next few days. Perhaps the Russians will remain entrenched in the small regions they originally took, or maybe the Russian troops (now conscripts) will abandon their posts.
Putin can always up the ante. Start something somewhere else, to keep the US and allies occupied with some other crisis.
I doubt Putin would go all in with the NBC total-warfare route. But mad-men (who, thanks to the Russian Orthodox church/hierarchy, think they are chose of god to save whatever) might do.
≈
How is he gonna start something somewhere else? He can’t even resupply his main theater of operations.
Some lowlights from the Nazi rally attended by the likes of MTG, Gosar and other Republicans.
Three current GOP elected officials— Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar in Congress, and AZ State Senator Wendy Rogers— have now embraced the leader of the contemporary white nationalist movement in the U.S. and an explicit, unapologetic antisemite.
— Ben Lorber (@BenLorber8) February 26, 2022
Another mystery speaker announced tonight is hard-right Idaho Lieutenant Governor Janice McGeachin, whose current insurgent campaign for Idaho Governor against an establishment Republican has been endorsed by Trump https://t.co/qVM286ZiSn
— Ben Lorber (@BenLorber8) February 26, 2022
Longtime white nationalist leader Vince James lauding the “historic American nation” and the “founding stock” of the country— common white nationalist buzzwords for white people. The groyper chat room erupts with cheers of “White Lives Matter”. MTG and Gosar are in the audience pic.twitter.com/QkBwhcpUuc
— Ben Lorber (@BenLorber8) February 26, 2022
Here’s Vince James calling out the “Israel lobby”, as the crowd boos and the groyper chat immediately recognizes it as an antisemitic conspiracy theory, applauding that Vince “named them” (the Jews). Paul Gosar and Marjorie Taylor Greene are in the audience pic.twitter.com/6wHQlH9Tln
— Ben Lorber (@BenLorber8) February 26, 2022
(To be clear, I’m deeply critical of Israel’s oppression of Palestinians, & it isn’t antisemitic to name that. But this is a different, America First anti-Israel narrative that is inherently antisemitic, & it’s astounding that GOP electeds are in the audience for this tonight.)
— Ben Lorber (@BenLorber8) February 26, 2022
Far-right online pundit Stew Peters’ speech was full of virulent, aggressive and violent homophobia, this was the least of it. Hilarious description by Amanda https://t.co/pOvgE1gQB2
— Ben Lorber (@BenLorber8) February 26, 2022
re: #432 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
And now you see why Putin did not want any NATO near his borders…
I mean, yeah, supporting Russians who might want to overthrow Putin would be a gray area.
re: #427 Hecuba’s daughter
The initial conflict was just a few days. It was the total incompetence of those assigned to handle the nation-building that led to disaster.
The initial conflict led to disaster. We broke Iraq, and the consequences of doing so were baked in. The notion that we could’ve somehow turned Iraq into a liberal democracy is sheer fantasy.
re: #388 John Hughes
That would be suicidal.
Even if you encrypt the payloads just revealing the metadata would be like walking into the OK corral naked and unarmed.
I agree, but I’m just considering, the US walked into a situation in Grenada where somebody had to call home base on a pay phone because the ground forces couldn’t speak directly to the ships to call in strikes. It would not surprise me if the Russians turned out to be vastly more incompetent.
re: #345 ericblair
This has got to be driving real Western Russian military analysts nuts. Where are the massive cyber attacks, where are all the communications jammers, why is the electricity and water still on in the cities, why are the fucking cellular phones still working? RU should not only be able to knock out the communications networks, they should be able to hijack the whole cell system.
Russia still doesn’t have air superiority, which they absolutely need. Ukraine seems to be able to communicate and maneuver within their area of control basically at will after days of this assault, and all the major cities are still in government hands.
I’m curious what the Chinese analysts are learning from this fiasco because, while they have more manpower, their equipment is not on a par with the Russians. It may be a good thing that they’re getting a reminder of the political and military costs of trying to force a breakaway back into the fold… ;)
re: #348 No Malarkey!
Bingo. Hubris is a dangerous thing. If Cheney and Rumsfeld could ignore reality to live in a fantasy world, so can Putin. Only thing is that Russia doesn’t have the limitless resources to prop up the fantasy world for years like the U.S. does. If Biden hadn’t had the guts to bite the bullet and get out of Afghanistan, we could’ve kept propping up Kabul for decades to come pretending we were building a democracy in Afghanistan. Russia doesn’t have that luxury in Ukraine.
Back in the ’80s, when Russia and the US were in a battle to build a “Star Wars defense”, there was some right wing economist (don’t recall who) who said that the countries were in a race to see who could be bankrupted first by the enormous costs of this folly, and the Russians won. Russia has, to this day, never figured out how to construct a successful economy.
re: #438 No Malarkey!
The initial conflict led to disaster. We broke Iraq, and the consequences of doing so were baked in. The notion that we could’ve somehow turned Iraq into a liberal democracy is sheer fantasy.
We sent the Army. They break things. If you want to build things, send the Peace Corps.
re: #439 steve_davis
I agree, but I’m just considering, the US walked into a situation in Grenada where somebody had to call home base on a pay phone because the ground forces couldn’t speak directly to the ships to call in strikes. It would not surprise me if the Russians turned out to be vastly more incompetent.
so the movie with Clint Eastwood was accurate?
re: #431 Backwoods_Sleuth
Massie is swinging in the direction of using the Ukrainian situation to cheerlead for the 2nd Amendment, while saying let Ukraine fend for itself:
[Embedded content]
Let’s be realistic, Ukraine is still in this fight largely because the Russians are fighting with one hand behind their back. Anybody who’s seen or read about what they’d done in Chechnya would know that if Vlad wasn’t forced to maintain the fiction that this is a fight against the government and military of Ukraine, he could have leveled Kyiv and planted a flag atop the rubble. Those rifles being handed out aren’t so much about keeping the Russians out as they are making them pay for every square kilometer of the city they take with buckets of blood.
NEWS: US is eyeing sanctions on Russia’s central bank, I’m told, a move that would target much of the $643b reserves Putin has amassed
A final decision hasn’t been made but admin aims to make each move in conjunction with allies across Europe for maximum impact— Saleha Mohsin (@SalehaMohsin) February 26, 2022
re: #443 I Would Prefer Not To
so the movie with Clint Eastwood was accurate?
The real phone link was simplified for the movie. Lessons on interoperability were learned.
A priceless exchange of a brave Ukrainian citizen with Russian army stuck out of fuel. ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
[Thanks to my Ukrainian friend for transcription and translation] pic.twitter.com/Rar3WRXEwD— Ali 🇺🇦🕊 (@aliostad) February 26, 2022
re: #422 The Squire of Logos
[Embedded content]
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
re: #439 steve_davis
I agree, but I’m just considering, the US walked into a situation in Grenada where somebody had to call home base on a pay phone because the ground forces couldn’t speak directly to the ships to call in strikes. It would not surprise me if the Russians turned out to be vastly more incompetent.
Well, that was then. I doubt Grenada had any serious sigint. These days any cellphone company or ISP could see what was going on.
re: #416 Hecuba’s daughter
ZXRtbkc4WFIvNDNZNnhsUTUvOHJGbG1IQkpuTEYxV2lvcWx1dzJUVVBWWXlUQWtzdzVid2FmNHlOU1o0Nkk4WXFxb0N3czhVNzJGeXZBUEtkRkpTRFNoUS8yVjdjQXc5cVU2RzFuYk9LWUtmcEk2TzJEYjBuMnEyU0RIYU1Yb3hiZ3F2RTZhc0ozK1MxejBQTWI4OXpoNDRVd1pVTWk0UVlvOGs3Tk1uRk1UZjNtVXlkQStqNlBMV0p0ZDhqRGF0OGcwZ1NMdzl0USttL0VML2ordlYwbDlFVkRPUWNJd0dBblBGeW4wS1RKUT06OqzGWst3+dGzh7/55EhIBNc=
re: #447 Decatur Deb
The real phone link was simplified for the movie. Lessons on interoperability were learned.
Heartbreak Ridge was the film for those of you asking. I love it. Don’t ask why. I just do. Eastwood is fantastic.
re: #260 Backwoods_Sleuth
JFC
[Embedded content]
Thomas Massie
@RepThomasMassie
* 12h
How much of the additional $6.4 billion Biden wants to send to Ukraine will make it back to Hunter Biden and the Clinton Foundation ? twitter.com…
What’s “Go fuck yourself” in Ukrainian”?
re: #445 Dr Lizardo
Blacklisting Russia’s central bank would be without precedent for an economy this size
The move would be “devastating” for Russia, per @tashecon “We would see the ruble crash.”— Saleha Mohsin (@SalehaMohsin) February 26, 2022
re: #453 garzooma
What’s “Go fuck yourself” in Ukrainian”?
Ask the guys on snake Island.
(Although they may have been speaking Russian).
LOL someone at TASS isn’t getting their Christmas bonus this year…
🇷🇺 Tass reported the numbers of equipment they lost and servicemen who were killed or taken hostage during the invasion in #Ukraine. But then quickly deleted it. According to that information,more than 3,500 soldiers were killed or captured. Russians need to know what’s happening pic.twitter.com/dSfq2SnJCR
— Hanna Liubakova (@HannaLiubakova) February 26, 2022
Translation:
14 aircraft (13 attackers (SU-25 and other CAS) and 1 IL-76)
8 helicopters
102 tanks
536 armored cars and APCs
15 artillery pieces
1 Buk air defense system
3500 soldiers (dead, captured, wounded)
re: #454 No Malarkey!
Russia would become an economic basket case overnight.
re: #456 Dr Lizardo
TASS just quoting Ukrainian MOD?
re: #351 Targetpractice
Defense analysts massively overestimating Russian technological prowess? The hell you say!
///////
As a former tanker who got told how magical the T-64 & T-72 were compared to our M-60A3 & first gen M1s, I watched the images of T-80’s getting shredded in Chechnya with interest. The Russians have _never_ been as strong as the Military-Industrial complex wished us to believe.
re: #456 Dr Lizardo
LOL someone at TASS isn’t getting their Christmas bonus this year…
Translation:
14 aircraft (13 attackers (SU-25 and other CAS) and 1 IL-76)
8 helicopters
102 tanks
536 armored cars and APCs
15 artillery pieces
1 Buk air defense system
3500 soldiers (dead, captured, wounded)
That list reads so close to some UKR numbers that it might be a quote of them.
re: #458 John Hughes
TASS just quoting Ukrainian MOD?
That’s kinda what it looks like. Someone fucked up.
re: #441 Hecuba’s daughter
Back in the ’80s, when Russia and the US were in a battle to build a “Star Wars defense”, there was some right wing economist (don’t recall who) who said that the countries were in a race to see who could be bankrupted first by the enormous costs of this folly, and the Russians won. Russia has, to this day, never figured out how to construct a successful economy.
They still rely on selling off natural resources (mostly oil) to subsidize an otherwise deficit-generating consumer economy. Nobody has any interest in investing in Russia as the legal and regulatory climate is so unstable (i.e., corrupt) and unpredictable (i.e., corrupt).
Even Capitalists like their five-year plans…or at least to have some general idea of what things are going to look like five years down the road.
re: #459 William Lewis
As a former tanker who got told how magical the T-64 & T-72 were compared to our M-60A3 & first gen M1s, I watched the images of T-80’s getting shredded in Chechnya with interest. The Russians have _never_ been as strong as the Military-Industrial complex wished us to believe.
But we have to justify giving a blank check to the Pentagon every year somehow. Though now its mostly the Chinese being depicted as ten feet tall.
re: #444 Targetpractice
Let’s be realistic, Ukraine is still in this fight largely because the Russians are fighting with one hand behind their back.
We are still in the opening stages. Vlad certainly has a lot more tricks up his sleeve.
re: #462 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
They still rely on selling off natural recourses to subsidize an otherwise deficit-generating consumer economy. Nobody has any interest in investing in Russia as the legal and regulatory climate is so unstable (i.e., corrupt) and unpredictable (i.e., corrupt).
Even Capitalists like their five-year plans…or at least to have some general idea of what things are going to look like five years down the road.
Running a legitimate business requires some assurances that contracts can be enforced in courts, and criminals won’t be allowed to steal everything that isn’t nailed down.
re: #463 No Malarkey!
But we have to justify giving a blank check to the Pentagon every year somehow. Though now its mostly the Chinese being depicted as ten feet tall.
It’s not that they’re tall, there are just so fucking many of them.
Once caught Dick Gregory at the Village Gate: “The Chinese don’t need nukes—they’ll all just climb up on stools and jump off all at once.”
re: #464 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
We are still in the opening stages. Vlad certainly has a lot more tricks up his sleeve.
“Tricks” in Russian battle strategy tends to be just dispensing with caution/precision and going straight to hammering the enemy into submission with brute force.
re: #465 No Malarkey!
Running a legitimate business requires some assurances that contracts can be enforced in courts, and criminals won’t be allowed to steal everything that isn’t nailed down.
It also helps to have some assurance that laws and regulations will not be changed overnight. Something like that happened in the early 90’s. A retroactive sales tax was imposed and authorities simply withdrew the amounts from bank accounts.
According to a senior defense official, the US has indications that the Russians are increasingly frustrated by their lack of progress particularly in the north around Kyiv and Kharkiv. “The frustration seems to be predominantly from a stiff Ukrainian resistance.” @ckubeNBC
— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) February 26, 2022
re: #466 Decatur Deb
It’s not that they’re tall, there are just so fucking many of them.
Once caught Dick Gregory at the Village Gate: “The Chinese don’t need nukes—they’ll all just climb up on stools and jump off all at once.”
I’m watching the Dick Gregory documentary on Prime (until 2/28). Fantastic and heartbreaking doc. So impressed you saw him live at the gate. you are my new hero. (many updings to come).
re: #464 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
We are still in the opening stages. Vlad certainly has a lot more tricks up his sleeve.
But if not, then Russia would be revealed as “a colossus with feet of clay” (I believe that’s the old saying) or in more modern parlance, a paper tiger. That would be strategically disastrous for Putin - and most likely, he wouldn’t survive the outcome of such a fiasco.
re: #469 No Malarkey!
Longer this goes on without significant progress, the harder it becomes to withdraw (whether to status quo antebellum or to the borders of the new “republics”) without it being viewed as a massive loss.
re: #466 Decatur Deb
It’s not that [the Chinese are] tall, there are just so fucking many of them.
When it comes to Taiwan, they could lose six or ten million soldiers in an invasion and that would actually benefit their demographic imbalance.
re: #464 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
We are still in the opening stages. Vlad certainly has a lot more tricks up his sleeve.
Thermobaric bombs, which would bring NATO into the fight because there’s no way Europeans are going to idly watch thousands of civilians being killed without deciding enough is enough.
re: #466 Decatur Deb
It’s not that they’re tall, there are just so fucking many of them.
Once caught Dick Gregory at the Village Gate: “The Chinese don’t need nukes—they’ll all just climb up on stools and jump off all at once.”
Viktor Belenko (Defecting Mig-25 Pilot) (Can’t find the exact quote…)
“We could kill a million Chinese a day and still have three years work ahead of us… “
re: #464 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
We are still in the opening stages. Vlad certainly has a lot more tricks up his sleeve.
Do they involve gas for tanks?
re: #474 steve_davis
Thermobaric bombs, which would bring NATO into the fight because there’s no way Europeans are going to idly watch thousands of civilians being killed without deciding enough is enough.
This is all a feint: his real target is Alaska.
re: #463 No Malarkey!
But we have to justify giving a blank check to the Pentagon every year somehow. Though now its mostly the Chinese being depicted as ten feet tall.
Especially their SOOOPER stealth fighters, hah!
The Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. is accusing Russians of war crimes.
Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova: Russia has committed war crimes, taken civilians hostage, and attacked an orphanage with 50 children inside. @NBCNews— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 26, 2022
re: #476 Belafon
Does they involve gas for tanks?
My keyboard does not thank you for the spit take I had after reading that..
re: #474 steve_davis
Thermobaric bombs, which would bring NATO into the fight because there’s no way Europeans are going to idly watch thousands of civilians being killed without deciding enough is enough.
Yeah, it’s not that Russia doesn’t have larger and less-discriminate weapons in its arsenal, it’s just limited in what it can use without bringing the NATO team off their bench and into the fight. The moment he starts deliberately targeting civilians, sanctions give way to marching troops in to put a stop to the fighting.
re: #466 Decatur Deb
It’s not that they’re tall, there are just so fucking many of them.
Once caught Dick Gregory at the Village Gate: “The Chinese don’t need nukes—they’ll all just climb up on stools and jump off all at once.”
One real danger of their manpower numbers is that they’re so demographically screwed by the old one child policy that losing SEVERAL million young men would help the Chinese government.
Putin picked the wrong country to invade.
These people are making boxes and boxes of molotov cocktails as they wait for the Russians.
Never underestimate people defending their homes and fighting for their lives. pic.twitter.com/RST6Af4tzj— Ted Corcoran (RedTRaccoon) (@RedTRaccoon) February 26, 2022
Whoa, shit is getting real: Putin lost Ron Johnson.
Sure hope nobody keeps the recordings of Trump and Pompeo praising Putin handy down the road.
re: #484 bratwurst
Whoa, shit is getting real: Putin lost Ron Johnson.
Sure hope nobody keeps the recordings of Trump and Pompeo praising Putin handy down the road.
Just note the Republicans who remain silent on Putin and you will know how extensive his cache of kompromat is.
re: #483 No Malarkey!
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The brass are looking at these images of Ukrainian civilians being given rifles and petrol bombs and feeling that ulcer in their guts growing larger and larger. Even if they can somehow succeed in taking the country, the occupation that results is going to be an absolute fucking nightmare.
re: #484 bratwurst
Whoa, shit is getting real: Putin lost Ron Johnson.
Sure hope nobody keeps the recordings of Trump and Pompeo praising Putin handy down the road.
Moscow Ron still supports Putin in his black and evil heart, but he’s also in a major fight to stay in the Senate. I have no doubt that his FSB handlers authorized this statement.
!!! Ukraine’s Interior ministry asked residents to take down street signs in order to confuse oncoming Russian troops. The state road-signs agency went one step further. (Roughly: all directions are to “go fuck yourselves”) pic.twitter.com/8xVjceqRfx
— Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) February 26, 2022
re: #442 Decatur Deb
We sent the Army. They break things. If you want to build things, send the Peace Corps.
Marines make terrible policemen.
The total non-helpfulness of America’s Gulf “allies” during this crisis is worth keeping in mind.
Benefits of US support flow personally to various American individuals who make money off the arrangement, but there’s nothing in it for the average person.— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) February 26, 2022
re: #490 austin_blue
Marines make terrible policemen.
“There’s a reason you separate military and the police. One fights the enemies of the state, the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people.”
Large Russian support column destroyed. According to the report, …was heading to Kharkiv. By underestimating, UAF and moving fast, the Russian armed forces have left there support vulnerable to devastating attacks. pic.twitter.com/p36Y5Lz9NW
— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) February 26, 2022
re: #493 Dr Lizardo
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We ran into the same problem in Iraq, as while the armored and mechanized infantry units could haul ass to their targets, the supply convoys that followed were limited by the speed of their slowest vehicles and generally forced to rely upon armed drivers to protect the units.
re: #493 Dr Lizardo
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Destroying that column is almost better than destroying 100 tanks because without mechanics, parts and food those tanks will be useless soon enough.
re: #493 Dr Lizardo
Let’s see more of that. Starve them of fuel, ammo and food.
You knowingly promoted Russian disinformation from known Russian assets in Ukraine to help Trump’s re-election in 2020, even though you knew it was all bogus. You spent the Fourth of July in Russia. You can try to whitewash your actions, but we remember. https://t.co/DL7OUytL8o
— Daniel Goldman (@danielsgoldman) February 26, 2022
Hmmm. https://t.co/qU0uJqYG8C
— Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) February 26, 2022
Jorj obviously does know Stonekettle’s resume.
re: #495 William Lewis
Destroying that column is almost better than destroying 100 tanks because without mechanics, parts and food those tanks will be useless soon enough.
And even if the tanks don’t grind to a halt, the soldiers will when the food and water start running into supply issues. “An army marches on its stomach” is as true today as it ever was.
re: #499 Targetpractice
And even if the tanks don’t grind to a halt, the soldiers will when the food and water start running into supply issues. “An army marches on its stomach” is as true today as it ever was.
Always has been. Take out an adversary’s supply lines, and that’s pretty much game over, especially if that adversary ends up stranded far from home.
re: #499 Targetpractice
And even if the tanks don’t grind to a halt, the soldiers will when the food and water start running into supply issues. “An army marches on its stomach” is as true today as it ever was.
If the food is good enough, the grunts will stop complaining about the incoming fire.
⚡️Ukrzaliznytsia: All rail links to Russia destroyed.
The state rail service announced that all railway tracks from Russia to Ukraine have been blown up by Ukraine’s armed forces.— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 26, 2022
Why that’s important:
Russian army logistics forces are not designed for a large-scale ground offensive far from their railroads. Inside maneuver units, Russian sustainment units are a size lower than their Western counterparts. Only brigades have an equivalent logistics capability, but it’s not an exact comparison. Russian formations have only three-quarters the number of combat vehicles as their U.S. counterparts but almost three times as much artillery. On paper (not all brigades have a full number of battalions), Russian brigades have two artillery battalions, a rocket battalion, and two air defense battalions per brigade as opposed to one artillery battalion and an attached air defense company per U.S. brigade. As a result of extra artillery and air defense battalions, the Russian logistics requirements are much larger than their U.S. counterparts.
Many thanks to everyone here for providing current information on Ukraine.
⚡️Russian Ministry of Defense: when Ukrainian boats attacked Russian ships near Zmeiny Island, US strategic drones RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-9A Ripper were loitering over the provocation area.
A high probability US drones directed Ukrainian boats at the ships of the Russian fleet— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) February 26, 2022
re: #504 Dr Lizardo
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They’re trying to draw us into the fighting or create an excuse to accuse us of being involved.
re: #505 Targetpractice
They’re trying to draw us into the fighting or create an excuse to accuse us of being involved.
Most likely the latter. They’re still trying to set up the propaganda that “the West provoked us into this war, it’s all their fault.”
Update: Vadim Denisenko, adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine “Disturbing news from the Zaporizhzhya NPP, from Energodar. At this moment, Russian troops are approaching Energodar and begin to deploy Grads aimed at Energodar and the Zaporizhzhya NPP.”
— EndGameWW3 (@EndGameWW3) February 26, 2022
BREAKING-Russian troops are approaching Zaporizhzhiya nuclear power plant, adviser to ukraine’s interior minister says.
It is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.
Here’s some info on it: https://t.co/j5tfBoetar— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) February 26, 2022
re: #505 Targetpractice
re: #506 Dopamine Fish
Most likely the latter. They’re still trying to set up the propaganda that “the West provoked us into this war, it’s all their fault.”
And also setting up an alibi if this all ends in a clusterfuck for them. “What could we do? The Americans/NATO were giving the Ukrainians an unfair advantage - we would’ve crushed them in 48 hours if the Americans hadn’t helped them out.”
PARIS, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Discussions among European Union members about excluding Russia from the SWIFT international payment system are close to reaching a successful conclusion, a French presidential official said on Saturday.
— Hümeyra Pamuk (@humeyra_pamuk) February 26, 2022
She’s lying. https://t.co/2BN5C0TBBT
— aagcobb (@aagcobb1) February 26, 2022
re: #507 Teukka
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Also, nuclear power plants are 🟠🟠🟠 (international sign for facilities containing dangerous forces). It is a WAR CRIME TO TARGET THEM!
— Teo 😷🧼↔️🌡🤬💉 (@Teukka1972) February 26, 2022
re: #505 Targetpractice
They’re trying to draw us into the fighting or create an excuse to accuse us of being involved.
I can’t imagine they want to fight NATO when they can’t even beat Ukraine. It’s propaganda
re: #501 Dopamine Fish
If the food is good enough, the grunts will stop complaining about the incoming fire.
Which is why the colonel my dad was trying to sweet talk into letting him transfer to another MOS absolutely refused to let him do it, because my dad cooked the guy an excellent meal as part of buttering him up. “In fact, you’re going to teach my cook what you did to make those canned briskets palatable.” Dad was stationed up on the DMZ in Korea after the armistice and while it was not a hot war, there was still a lot of shooting going on.
ETA re SWIFT: I think I’m going to be glad that I’m out on leave during this.
Just occurred to me what this is: It’s Putin’s Falklands War. It’s a regime that was already looking jittery and facing pressure getting into what it figured would be a swift war with an easy victory that is instead becoming an utter mess.
re: #513 No Malarkey!
I can’t imagine they want to fight NATO when they can’t even beat Ukraine. It’s propaganda
It’d be a curbstomping. A bloody one, to be sure.
Putin may well have screwed the pooch on this one - he’s inadvertently revealed that Russia is nowhere near as strong as they are so fond of boasting. And if Ukraine somehow manages to pull off a David versus Goliath victory (or at least fight the Russians to a standstill), Russia will become an international laughing stock in addition to becoming an international pariah. Not a good look.
re: #506 Dopamine Fish
Most likely the latter. They’re still trying to set up the propaganda that “the West provoked us into this war, it’s all their fault.”
We can applaud the bravery of the Ukraine population, but unless Russia removes its forces and the legitimate government is allowed to govern, it is premature to believe that justice will prevail. We can hope but Putin has no real constraints on his authority and the brutality he is willing to inflict to achieve victory. So far there have been impediments to his success — but if it takes 2 weeks or 3 weeks, it’s still a brief battle and no real hindrance to his ultimately achieving his goals.
re: #462 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))
Even Capitalists like their five-year plans…or at least to have some general idea of what things are going to look like five years down the road.
Paging Arthur Jensesn….
The largest demonstration in the modern history of Estonia took place in support of Ukraine. I am grateful to the Estonian people and @AlarKaris for their solidarity in these difficult times. Mr. President, our vyshyvanka suits you. pic.twitter.com/giMvr5d6HW
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 26, 2022
BOOM! Poland and Sweden are refusing to play Russia in the World Cup playoffs next month in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “No more words, time to act!” said the Polish soccer federation president. ⚽️
— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) February 26, 2022
Maria Butina didn’t talk like that when she was fucking her way through the NRA. https://t.co/wh0AWrxC2e
— Harry Turtledove (@HNTurtledove) February 26, 2022
re: #356 Belafon
That will buy some knee pads.
re: #522 Backwoods_Sleuth
Well-regulated militias.
Not to mention the distinction between an emergency situation, literally Martial Law and the normal day-to-day struggle of American (sub)urban combat.
re: #522 Backwoods_Sleuth
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MAGAts find themselves with a dilemma, want to believe Ukraine’s actions prove their BS about “well-armed militias” being capable of bringing down tyrannical governments, but also want to cheer Russians who are claiming giving out rifles will lead to children getting killed.
re: #525 Targetpractice
MAGAts find themselves with a dilemma, want to believe Ukraine’s actions prove their BS about “well-armed militias” being capable of bringing down tyrannical governments, but also want to cheer Russians who are claiming giving out rifles will lead to children getting killed.
The MAGAts are capable of mental gymnastics that would make Nadia Comăneci look like Mr. Bean.
#BREAKING 🇺🇦⚡️🇷🇺 Sign on highway to Kyiv says “Russian ship - Go F*ck Yourself” referring to the Ukrainians protecting Snake Island pic.twitter.com/kqjtLpk0eR
— Breaking News Now (@BreakingNews_n) February 26, 2022
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Tweet says they will supply 1000 anti-tank missiles and 500 stinger missiles to assist in Ukraine’s war effort.
Der russische Überfall markiert eine Zeitenwende. Es ist unsere Pflicht, die Ukraine nach Kräften zu unterstützen bei der Verteidigung gegen die Invasionsarmee von #Putin. Deshalb liefern wir 1000 Panzerabwehrwaffen und 500 Stinger-Raketen an unsere Freunde in der #Ukraine.
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) February 26, 2022
Kyiv is under attack.
Meanwhile, my cousin’s son managed to score the number of a cute girl in the neighborhood bomb shelter.
Sums up our family very well.
Glory to Ukraine.— Natalia Antonova 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@NataliaAntonova) February 26, 2022
How fortunate for us that we now have a way of ferrying astronauts (and cosmonauts) from the ISS…
re: #530 Captain Magic
How fortunate for us that we now have a way of ferrying astronauts (and cosmonauts) from the ISS…
The film “2010” comes to mind. There’s no deus ex machina at the end, though.
⚡️The Citizens’ Initiative for Finland’s Membership in #NATO has passed the necessary threshold of 50,000 signatures and has been submitted to parliament for consideration.
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) February 26, 2022
re: #500 Dr Lizardo
Always has been. Take out an adversary’s supply lines, and that’s pretty much game over, especially if that adversary ends up stranded far from home.
I’m starting to wonder if the US announcing the invasion date as the 16th(?) was a brilliant move. If it actually was that date, and Putin delayed it just to make sure everyone knew the US was WRONG, it means that the RU forces sat on their asses in attack positions way longer than anticipated, consuming far more supplies than anticipated. Attack goes late, RU forces start running out of everything in a couple of days, and shit logistics chains mean they’re stuck there starving.
re: #466 Decatur Deb
It’s not that they’re tall, there are just so fucking many of them.
Once caught Dick Gregory at the Village Gate: “The Chinese don’t need nukes—they’ll all just climb up on stools and jump off all at once.”
I remember a grade school teacher I had in the mid to late ’50s said (paraphrased) that if the Chinese were to march four abreast past a machine gun you could kill all of them but they would not run out of Chinese. I forget the actual wording but that seemed to to be pretty bloodthirsty, even to eight year-old me.
And now I’m hearing “cows with guns” playing in my head because of the visuals.
re: #533 ericblair
I’m starting to wonder if the US announcing the invasion date as the 16th(?) was a brilliant move. If it actually was that date, and Putin delayed it just to make sure everyone knew the US was WRONG, it means that the RU forces sat on their asses in attack positions way longer than anticipated, consuming far more supplies than anticipated. Attack goes late, RU forces start running out of everything in a couple of days, and shit logistics chains mean they’re stuck there starving.
Could be. Force your adversary to consume more of their resources. And I’d imagine that the Russian military’s supply and logistics issues are well-known to American military planners.
In #Kharkiv, the National Guard of Ukraine captured enemy reconnaissance groups trying to enter the territory of one of the military units#StopWar #StopRussia #StopRussianAggression #Ukraine https://t.co/gHwwRtloWW
— ANTONOV Company 🇺🇦 (@AntonovCompany) February 26, 2022
re: #517 Hecuba’s daughter
We can applaud the bravery of the Ukraine population, but unless Russia removes its forces and the legitimate government is allowed to govern, it is premature to believe that justice will prevail. We can hope but Putin has no real constraints on his authority and the brutality he is willing to inflict to achieve victory. So far there have been impediments to his success — but if it takes 2 weeks or 3 weeks, it’s still a brief battle and no real hindrance to his ultimately achieving his goals.
it’s costing him 20 billion dollars a day to run this thing. They’ll be broke in 3 weeks. And they’ve purportedly lost 3,000 soldiers so far. If they lose 3,000 soldiers a week, that’s going to be brutal. That’s WWII numbers.
re: #528 Dr Lizardo
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Tweet says they will supply 1000 anti-tank missiles and 500 stinger missiles to assist in Ukraine’s war effort.
[Embedded content]
Only thing that would carry more weight at this moment would be a pledge to continue to support Ukraine even if the government falls. The prospect of a prolonged and bloody occupation is not one that anybody in the top of the Russian government can be looking forward to. This isn’t Chechnya, they can’t shell the populace into submission.
re: #533 ericblair
I’m starting to wonder if the US announcing the invasion date as the 16th(?) was a brilliant move. If it actually was that date, and Putin delayed it just to make sure everyone knew the US was WRONG…
I really wonder if he did not delay it until the Olympics were over so as not to annoy Xi…
re: #539 Targetpractice
Only thing that would carry more weight at this moment would be a pledge to continue to support Ukraine even if the government falls. The prospect of a prolonged and bloody occupation is not one that anybody in the top of the Russian government can be looking forward to. This isn’t Chechnya, they can’t shell the populace into submission.
I agree. That needs to be made perfectly clear to Putin and the Russian government.
re: #533 ericblair
I’m starting to wonder if the US announcing the invasion date as the 16th(?) was a brilliant move. If it actually was that date, and Putin delayed it just to make sure everyone knew the US was WRONG, it means that the RU forces sat on their asses in attack positions way longer than anticipated, consuming far more supplies than anticipated. Attack goes late, RU forces start running out of everything in a couple of days, and shit logistics chains mean they’re stuck there starving.
It probably wasn’t the only concern; at that level, you’re considering moves that have multiple objectives, some more probable than others.
But I have no doubt that was at least one reason why they announced the date.
re: #526 Dr Lizardo
The MAGAts are capable of mental gymnastics that would make Nadia Comăneci look like Mr. Bean.
Technical term: doublethink.
re: #528 Dr Lizardo
Some things really DO “sound better in the original German”. I mean, an “anti-tank missile” is just a missile, but a “Panzerabwehrwaffen” sound so much more sinister…..
re: #542 A Cranky One
I can haz new thread please?
I’m so old, I remember the few times way back in the Before Times, when we had threads get up towards (and sometimes past) 1000 posts. Threads grinding to a halt because of the load times. And that was back in the days of just plain text, no embedded tweets, Youtube links, or pics/gifs.
She did Nazi this coming.
“How was I supposed to know that the Nazi would say nice things about Hitler.”
- MTG
I talked about God and Liberty.I’m also not going to turn down the opportunity to speak to 1,200 young America First patriots because of a few off-color remarks by another speaker, even if I find those remarks unsavory.(2/3)
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) February 26, 2022
stpaulbear, I don’t know why you think I’m dropping spoilers. My pre-Wordle remarks are just whimsical references to my time zone, it being tomorrow here, and time travel. Anyway, none of that today.
Wordle 253 3/6
🟨⬛⬛🟨⬛
🟩⬛⬛🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
P.S. Otto-corrupt does not know what to do with “stpaulbear”: on the second attempt it came up with “stapling ear”.
re: #547 gocart mozart
She did Nazi this coming.
“How was I supposed to know that the Nazi would say nice things about Hitler.”
- MTG[Embedded content]
OMFG, that’s all they ever do, attack Dems for any association whatsoever with “radicals.” Only a single Dem has ever uttered the words “Defund the police,” yet the entire party has been slandered as supporting such because of their support for BLM.
It would be nice if current events lead to a Belarus revolt.
Important: Belarus’s dictator Lukashenko is sitting in a seat that is not his. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech to Belarusians is brave. https://t.co/f87h1ZKFdl
— Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon (@ksvarnon) February 26, 2022
pronouns forced Putin to invade
the takes just get hotter and hotter https://t.co/kjBjo7bFvi— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) February 26, 2022
Rightwingers keep boiling their bigoted “thought” down into single words.
I’ll never get over how the 23 year old leader of this fascist movement has the affect of a 50 year old district manager for a chain of car part stores. https://t.co/qDVvEO43Je
— Schooley (@Rschooley) February 26, 2022
re: #551 jaunte
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Rightwingers keep boiling their bigoted “thought” down into single words.
Yeah, it totally makes sense if you just ignore the various invasions and coups that the Soviets engaged in during the 50s and 60s with little more than some angry words from the West.
@Snowden still hasn’t tweeted since Feb 21st. His last retweet was on Feb 22.
re: #551 jaunte
Rightwingers keep boiling their bigoted “thought” down into single words.
The brittle angry right-wing authoritarians who call themselves “Conservatives” are completely deranged over people being respectful, and many of them support Putin, but we’re not letting them divide the West.
— Jeff Flanagan (@JeffMFlanagan) February 26, 2022
Criminal Voter Registration Fraud Underway In Florida Over Party Affiliations Changed By GOP Canvassers - https://t.co/no5FsGNRjq pic.twitter.com/DhAa9qx8E5
— JoeMyGod (@JoeMyGod) February 26, 2022
Turkey To Block Passage Of Russian Warships In Black Sea; Moscow Disputes Access Claims
NATO member Turkey on Saturday said that it is considering blocking the access of the Russian warships in crucial straits between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea after Ukraine called on Turkey to block Russian vessels. “I am calling out to the Turkish administration, help Ukraine. We are making a request for the Dardanelles Strait to be closed. We ask for sanctions to be imposed on Russia,” said ambassador Vasyl Bodnar in a tweet from the Ukrainian embassy official in Ankara.
Turkey issued the first official clarification since Zelenskyy’s appeal, stating that Turkey has agreed to cut off the waterways to Moscow’s warships in one of the crucial moves with respect to Russia’s maritime warfare capabilities. Russia, in its fierce response to Turkey, disputed a claim over Black Sea access via the Interfax news agency, that no official notification of the closure was sent to Moscow. Under Montreux convention, asserted Russia, war vessels sailing in Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits will be allowed to return to port. “If Turkey did go ahead and ban warships from the strait, it would break the convention,” warned Russia via its state-affiliated Interfax agency.
The Russian failed to note that said treaty gives Turkey authorization to close access in time of war.
The Russia-Ukraine war so far has had both heroic and horrific episodes.
This is perhaps the strangest of them: the story of how a Russian riot police convoy went to conquer Kyiv on its own. pic.twitter.com/mWYWjIKkwj— CIT (en) (@CITeam_en) February 26, 2022
Now that’s scary. I hope Ukrainian forces can destroy it before it’s inevitably used on the populace. https://t.co/fjOqgCJEcy
— Jack_ryan 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@terror_studies) February 26, 2022
Fires 24 thermobaric rockets.
re: #551 jaunte
Rightwingers keep boiling their bigoted “thought” down into single words.
Beware of the power of the Trans bloc and our pronouns. We WILL take over the world! BWAHAHAHA!
///
Can someone with more knowledge of the UN Charter and its intricacies explain if this is actually possible?
#BREAKING Ukraine’s Zelensky asks UN to strip Russia of its Security Council vote pic.twitter.com/uCIn6oUtdH
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 26, 2022
re: #557 Dread Pirate Ron
In email responses to the Herald’s findings, Helen Aguirre Ferré, executive director of the Republican Party of Florida, said that the party “follows all applicable laws relating to voter registration” and that it is the party’s protocol to “review every concern with our [voter registration] vendors promptly.”
She added: “Let’s be honest, it is suspect that these reports surfaced immediately after Florida Republicans overtook Democrats in voter registration in record numbers.” She declined to speak with reporters.
Vote suppression in action.
re: #557 Dread Pirate Ron
When Wife and I worked voter registration for Obama in the Panhandle, we were under very strict rules for control of serialized registration forms. The week we trained in Crestview, a local GOP contractor was caught tossing Dem registrations in a dumpster.
Speaking of which, we leave in an hour to (wo)man a table at a local church Mardi Gras block party. League of Woman Voters this time.
re: #556 Punish Domestic Terrorists
Well, this Konstantin Kisin is certainly wrong about one thing: thanks to Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, “The West” is certainly no longer “divided and distracted” : personally, I can think of few international crises that have caused “The West”* to become more united and highly-focused. Focused on fighting Putin’s aggression, and, optimally, halting and reversing it.
*And not just the “West”, outside of the thoroughly Russified Belarus, most Eastern European governments seem rather less-than-thrilled at the reality of a major Russian military offensive in their neighborhood.
re: #441 Hecuba’s daughter
Back in the ’80s, when Russia and the US were in a battle to build a “Star Wars defense”, there was some right wing economist (don’t recall who) who said that the countries were in a race to see who could be bankrupted first by the enormous costs of this folly, and the Russians won. Russia has, to this day, never figured out how to construct a successful economy.
‘This was a chief complaint of those who wanted to stage a sort of Marshall Plan to Russia in the early 1990s. But the arrogance of the Fukuyama types instead determined that they should learn from the market all by themselves—a shock to the system approach. And thus began the great theft of the nation’s wealth by those who would become oligarchs.
re: #555 Smith25’s Liberal Thighs
Motherland Mother - saw it in Kyiv while it was still part of the Soviet Union
re: #317 ericblair
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Interesting thread from someone who knows their Russian armor. Essentially, the RU army is very likely to have serious logistics problems, and their readiness and deployment is not what they need it to be. The RU military is (shocker) pretty corrupt, and supplies and manpower that are there on paper aren’t there in reality, so they’ve been shoving noobs into vehicles and sending them as fast as they can to their targets. However, the force structure they’re using allows them to get split into ineffective pieces that can’t communicate.
Oh yeah, and basic racism. The powers-that-be figured that Ukrainians are a bunch of jumped-up hicks who would knuckle under immediately, happy to be back under the boot of their true and proper masters. Nope.
Excellent thread! Thanks for posting it.
An Appeal to Heaven An ancient political phrase and a historic flag of the United States has entered the discourse as a flag of Christian Nationalism, insurrection, and the question of Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito's objectivity to rule on cases. So ...
Anymouse 🌹🏡😷
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teleskiguy
Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory Just Captured Ominous Signals About the Planet’s Health Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory just captured an ominous sign about the pace of global warming. Atmospheric levels of planet-warming carbon dioxide aren’t just on their way to yet another record high this year - they’re rising faster than ever, ... Cheechako
The Good Liars at the Schnecksville Trump Rally [VIDEO] New theories, great tunes and SHOCKING breaking news. SUPPORT US: http://Herohero.co/thegoodliars SEE THE GOOD LIARS LIVE!WASHINGTON D.C. MAY 23RD: https://www.unionstage.com/shows/good-liars-fix-america/NASHVILLE, TN JUNE 6TH: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/42992972/the-good-liars-nashville-the-lab-at-zaniesSAN FRANCISCO, CA JUNE 25TH: https://www.livenation.com/event/G5vYZbavGvggG/the-good-liars SUBSCRIBE TO OUR AUDIO PODCAST:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-good-liars-tell-the-truth/id1731178442Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mgfiwzr32907N4y68eFOCJoin this channel ... teleskiguy
Trump’s “Stolen Election” Lie Based on Evidence From Pervy Bathroom Cam-Spy OK, this really takes the cake. If you have relatives that still cling to the “election was stolen, dadgum, I jes’ KNOW IT … This should be a slight remedy to the stubborn madness Thanks to online anonymity, the ...
Khal Wimpo (free internal organs upon request!)
Best of April 2024 Nothing new here but these are a look back at the a few good images from the past month. Despite the weather, I was quite pleased with several of them. These were taken with older lenses (made from the ...
William Lewis
Ranked-Choice Voting Has Challenged the Status Quo. Its Popularity Will Be Tested in November. JUNEAU — Alaska’s new election system — with open primaries and ranked voting — has been a model for those in other states who are frustrated by political polarization and a sense that voters lack real choice at the ... Cheechako
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