Ukraine…..does he or doesn’t he?

[astonmartin708]

If the world can navigate this fiasco to its end, I would really appreciate it if we could have 5-10 years of semi-normalcy. I'm so done with Terrorist Attacks, Economic Collapses, Reality TV Stars becoming trusted political icons, Pandemics, Massive generation defining military conflicts. I suppose next we'll have some droughts / famines....maybe some massive earthquakes. What comes after that? Yellowstone blows up? Alien Invasion? Revelation?

Count me out man.

 

[astonmartin708]

Quick question: will the RNC still accept bribes in Rubles going forward? Or are they moving to the gold standard?

 

[lawpoke87]

Canada just cut off oil imports from Russia.

 

[noble cane]

Some of the video / aerial photos of Russian convoys are almost unbelievable. Hundreds of vehicles bumper to bumper for miles. It’s no wonder they’ve lost so many in a such a small amount of time

Putin commited the cardinal sin of Eastern European war... he waited for the ground to thaw and the rains to come...

 

[astonmartin708]

Canada just cut off oil imports from Russia.

How much do they import?

 

[lawpoke87]

How much do they import?

No clue but knowing Trudeau I could see this as a meaningless gesture once I thought about it

 

[drboobay]

Putin Accidentally Revitalized the West’s Liberal Order

The Russian president thought he sensed an opportunity to take advantage of a disunited West. He has been proved wrong.

www.theatlantic.com

 

[URedskin54]

 

[astonmartin708]

Even if he takes Kyiv, his economy is royally screwed for years to come. He decided he would like to become North Korea.

 

[URedskin54]

6%

Looks like the republicans who are Russia friendly are basically Tucker Carlson and 3 Twitter bots.

 

[Weatherdemon]

Here is what some were looking for in terms of what hackers are doing to Russia:

https://twitter.com/againstthewest_?s=21

 

[Weatherdemon]

Here is what groups are working for who.
Conti hit some Tulsa companies recently.

 

[astonmartin708]

I can't believe some of the atrocities I am seeing against non-combatants. It makes the accusations against the US in Vietnam look like nothing.

 

[astonmartin708]

I can't believe some of the atrocities I am seeing against non-combatants. It makes the accusations against the US in Vietnam look like nothing.

 

[URedskin54]

I can't believe some of the atrocities I am seeing against non-combatants. It makes the accusations against the US in Vietnam look like nothing.

Any links? I saw an armored vehicle run over a civilian vehicle, but other than that from what I’ve seen I would say the Russian troops have been kinder than we would be in an invasion, to the point where they’re actually hindering themselves. For example, you don’t allow 20 people standing in the middle of the road to stop your convoy so you can get hit by a javelin. I’ve seen multiple examples of that.

 

[astonmartin708]

Any links? I saw an armored vehicle run over a civilian vehicle, but other than that from what I’ve seen I would say the Russian troops have been kinder than we would be in an invasion, to the point where they’re actually hindering themselves. For example, you don’t allow 20 people standing in the middle of the road to stop your convoy so you can get hit by a javelin. I’ve seen multiple examples of that.

I refuse to post them here because of their graphic nature. I saw a little old disabled couple in their car. Which was completely torn apart on one side. Looked like a tank round plus bullets had hit. They had stopped at a stop sign.

Also saw one where a son and father were shot up by small arms fire in their car (their is video from the son during the event) The son watched his father die and then perished himself. They had their two dogs with them. One dog bled out in the car while the other course over their bodies after the Russians tossed them into the roadside ditch. (There was follow up video seeing the aftermath)

Few instances of rape known of so far, but I expect we will hear about those years after.

 

[URedskin54]

First two could be normal given what ROE would be like during an invasion. Lots of innocents are going to get their cars shot up. No way for me to make any kind of judgement without seeing video. There will always be random bad people doing bad things no matter the country though.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

Testimonial displays of violence in a war doesn't usually show much unless their is a repetitive pattern.

 

[watu05]

The past is prologue..Putin in 2007

My Dinner With Vladimir

Opinion: It was a jarring, sometimes surreal experience that offered insight into his personality.

www.politico.com

 

[astonmartin708]

First two could be normal given what ROE would be like during an invasion. Lots of innocents are going to get their cars shot up. No way for me to make any kind of judgement without seeing video. There will always be random bad people doing bad things no matter the country though.

I’m aware that cars will be destroyed, but not typically in a one off manner when they’re not behaving erratically and they’re filled with an elderly couple. You can’t just shoot any and every car you see, or if you are operating under that strategy then you need to tell civilians not to drive. That’s why the US dropped pamphlets in Germany. At least it gives you plausible deniability that you tried to avoid civilian casualties.

 

[lawpoke87]

The magnitude of the humanitarian disaster in Ukraine will soon come to light. Kyiv is almost surrounded. No supplies going in or out. People aren’t used to seeing what we’re about to witness up close and in real time when the Russian forces attempt to take the city. Prayers for all those brave souls. The carnage will likely be off the charts.

 

[lawpoke87]

Surprised to see more Dems wanting to go to war than Pubs. Assume because we have a Dem Pres?

 

[drboobay]

Surprised to see more Dems wanting to go to war than Pubs. Assume because we have a Dem Pres?

View embedded media

Those numbers are actually surprisingly similar across parties.

 

[URedskin54]

A couple different takes on what’s happened so far

 

[URedskin54]

The magnitude of the humanitarian disaster in Ukraine will soon come to light. Kyiv is almost surrounded. No supplies going in or out. People aren’t used to seeing what we’re about to witness up close and in real time when the Russian forces attempt to take the city. Prayers for all those brave souls. The carnage will likely be off the charts.

I don’t know if theyre willing to completely level Kyiv but there’s probably going to be several major cities where there’s nothing left

 

[astonmartin708]

Those numbers are actually surprisingly similar across parties.

Agreed. With how ready the Republicans were to go into Iraq I’m curious why they don’t want to support an actual ally in their time of need.

 

[lawpoke87]

Agreed. With how ready the Republicans were to go into Iraq I’m curious why they don’t want to support an actual ally in their time of need.

Assume for the same reason the US and NATO are refusing to get directly involved. The risk of WWIII. A risk which wasn’t present in Iraq.

 

[lawpoke87]

Our media with a compelling story of the war within the war 😂

 

[URedskin54]

The national mood in 2003 was obviously different and for obvious reasons. There’s a reason why you had pro invade Iraq articles running in the New York Times

 

[astonmartin708]

Assume for the same reason the US and NATO are refusing to get directly involved. The risk of WWIII. A risk which wasn’t present in Iraq.

Understood. And that’s why I’m on the no-war side… although I think if we pushed a no-fly zone it might force Putin’s hand… though it’s a very serious gamble.

 

[lawpoke87]

Understood. And that’s why I’m on the no-war side… although I think if we pushed a no-fly zone it might force Putin’s hand… though it’s a very serious gamble.

If we don’t I think the Russian take over of Ukraine is inevitable. Just too much armor along with control of the skies. Russia is going to bomb the larger cities into dust and then occupy what’s left imo. It will be a costly occupation for Putin. Something he has to know. One would think there will be some type of peace agreement worked out where Russia likely remain in possession of those eastern areas. Not sure how many lives and sanctions Putin is will to absorb longterm. Think he will eventually be looking for an “out”. The question is….how long ?

 

[lawpoke87]

 

[watu05]

Hard to see Putin backing off of Ukraine given how long, how close, and how committed he is to regaining it. Manafort got Putin's pro-Russia candidate Yanukovych elected as President of Ukraine. Yanukovych then cancelled the Ukraine's agreement to join the EU which led to riots and his being ousted. He then fled to Russia while Manafort went to the US (to work for another Putin candidate?)

 

[lawpoke87]

I certainly wouldn’t consider Yanukovich a pro Russian candidate. In fact there is plenty of evidence to suggest he was anti Putin early on in his political career. He ultimately made a decision to cozy up to Russia due to a number of reasons. The primary one being money. Here’s a in depth story if anyone is interested

Special Report: Why Ukraine spurned the EU and embraced Russia

On September 4, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich called a meeting of his political party for the first time in three years, summoning members to an old Soviet-era cinema called Zoryany in Kiev.

mobile.reuters.com

 

[cmullinsTU]

Kamala channels her inner John Klein:

 

[watu05]

Report: An “Increasingly Frustrated” Putin, a Madman With Nuclear Weapons, Is Lashing Out at His Inner Circle

Experts fear he may see “doubling down on violence” as his only option.

www.vanityfair.com

Let Ukraine resistance and internal pressures work. Putin is seriously crazy person, not a genius.

 

[cmullinsTU]

Report: An “Increasingly Frustrated” Putin, a Madman With Nuclear Weapons, Is Lashing Out at His Inner Circle

Experts fear he may see “doubling down on violence” as his only option.

www.vanityfair.com

Let Ukraine resistance and internal pressures work. Putin is seriously crazy person, not a genius.

I agree he’s crazy. While reading that piece it makes me wonder if, the sanctions and the world uniting against Russia, someone within Russia’s government and/or the KGB will end up assassinating him and stopping the war. I don’t really see an out for him or Russia at this point.

 

[drboobay]

I agree he’s crazy. While reading that piece it makes me wonder if, the sanctions and the world uniting against Russia, someone within Russia’s government and/or the KGB will end up assassinating him and stopping the war. I don’t really see an out for him or Russia at this point.

That would be ideal.

 

[astonmartin708]

Thought I would post a podcast with some perspective on this geopolitical event, how it relates to historical comparatives and its possible ramifications which I would echo in sentiment…



Carlin puts out his common sense episodes much less frequently than he used to, now focusing on his history podcast… but this has been a pet issue for him for decades. Valuable insight for anyone.

 

[URedskin54]

Big numbers. More than the US lost in either Afghanistan or Iraq in the entirety of the wars. Roughly 2400 allied troops died on D-day