“Put me in”. From your knowledge of the US Constitution how would that work - detailed instructions please
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Looking back at the whole of Russian history, it is difficult to recall at least one more or less long period of time when ordinary Russian people lived well. As soon as it seems that everything is in order, another bullshit happens immediately. It seems our way is to permament suffer.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...pU3?li=BBnb7Kz
Russian troops in Ukraine have relied, with surprising frequency, on unsecured communication devices such as smartphones and push-to-talk radios, leaving units vulnerable to targeting, and further underscoring the command-and-control deficiencies that have come to define Moscow’s month-long invasion, observers say.
“We’re seeing them use a lot more unclassified communications because their classified communications capability … for one reason or another, is not as strong as it should be,” a senior U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity under terms set by the Pentagon, told reporters in a recent news briefing.
The Russian military possesses modern equipment capable of secure transmission, but troops on the battlefield have reached for simpler-to-use but less-secure lines because of uneven discipline across the ranks, an apparent lack of planning for conducting a sustained fight over long distances, and Russian attacks on Ukraine’s communication infrastructure that it, too, has relied on, experts say.
Russia behind hack of satellite communication devices in Ukraine at war’s outset, U.S. officials say
A European intelligence official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss NATO’s battlefield assessments, said that since the invasion began in late-February, there have been multiple instances of Russian commanders confiscating their subordinates’ personal phones for fear they would unwittingly give away a unit’s location.
Oh, for fuck sakes. There's reports out there that Russian soldiers had dress uniforms packed instead of food deto their impending liberation ceremony in Kiev. That liberation ceremony in Kiev quite obviously didn't happen, meaning the Russian military has no clue what it's doing.
I really wish NATO would just go in, and help clean this up. Forces are already deployed, it's one week of NATO involment and magically every Russian soldier will be outside of Ukraine.
Fuck Putin and his threats of nuclear war. We've done this before during the cold war, we called Russia's bluff, and we won. I know the Western media loves to paint Putin as some madman with 6000 nukes, but that's bullshit. He's a highly intelligent and calclating individual, and should be treated as such. He's not going to fire off nukes, because he knows full well what happens to Russia if he does that.
Democracy in the world has been getting hammered big time in the past several years. Right here and now is the opportune time to stand up, and send a strong message that democracy is alive and well. Fuck it, NATO should just go in. The Russian military is so weak right now, it probably wouldn't take more more than a week to scatter them all back home to Russia.
From intercepted transmissions and other medium, the Russian military is obviously weakened. How do you think the Russian solders would feel if over their communication channels they heared NATO forces were on the way? I'm pretty confident they would nopt the fuck out of there.
I unfortunately can't find it on Youtube, but CNN did a montage a while back of a bunch of retired generals who one after another said "never agains means never again" basically.
We already said never again back in 1945 (no Generfan, I wasn't alive then either), so what's it going to take to say it again? There's reports out now saying over 45,000 people have been forcibly deported from Mariupol to Russia.
Fuck Putin and his threats of nuclear war. Him being an asshole and constantly threatening the world with nuclear war is nothing more than a show of his weakness and desperation. He's not exactly the only nation with nukes. Hel, the US always has three nuclear submarines roaming the world at all times each armed with a dozen triple tipped Trident nuclear missiles, ready to attack anywhere in the world. It's just the US President doesn't feel the need to go on TV and brag about that shit.
Putin quite obviously isn't going to stop himself as he's already on TV calling for a new world order, so where does this end? What happens when he invades Moldova, Slovakia, or Poland? Just sit by helplessly, because we're scared he might send off a nuke?
Ukraine has been absolutely amazing, and has foght back and defended their homeland far more than anyone in this world thought possible. I think the West owes it to them to stop the bloodshed, because you know as well as I do, if those 30,000 NATO troops currently deployed on the Western border of Ukraine stepped in, this would all be over in the matter of a week.
Fuck Putin and his threats of nuclear war. By not going in, all we're doing is postponing the inevitable. You think Putin will stop his bullshit and threats? Of course not. Again, NATO is 50% of the world's military might, and they're already deployed in force to Ukraine's western border. You know as well as I do, this could be over in a week or two.
"All dressed up and nowhere to go".
You really have to feel sorry for those poor Russian boys.
There they were, all ready to dress in their neatly pressed dress uniforms poised for the Hero's Welcome they would receive while riding on top of their tanks down the main streets in Kiev...taking selfies with their smartphones while hordes of cute teary-eyed Ukrainian girls kissed them on their cheeks. They were all set to break out the wine and start posing for the cheering crowds - as they envisioned thousands of red roses being tossed from the balconies in proper fashion to grace the saviors.
Yes, this Peace-Keeping Liberation Operation would be the memory of a lifetime for the 18 year old Russian soldier who didn't even have any ammunition, let alone know how to use it.
Now ask yourself: Why are all these high-ranking Russian Generals running around in the front lines? I have this mental picture of a furious General yanking the smartphone out of a young soldiers hands while screaming at him historically to pick up his fucking gun and put his helmet on.
No. For them who are still even alive, they need to go back home and tell their friends and families of the atrocities the Russsian government asked them to commit. Putin needs to be removed from power, and the Russian people are the only ones who can accomplish that.
….
Delusional! This will make the West worry!
Quote:
Moscow is developing measures to restrict entry into Russia for nationals of "unfriendly" countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.
"A draft presidential decree is being developed on retaliatory visa measures in response to the unfriendly actions of a number of foreign states," he said in televised remarks.
The state news agency Tass quoted him as saying the measures would "respond to unfriendly actions by the United States and its satellites", including "illegitimate sanctions" and "decisions that infringe on the rights of Russian citizens and legal entities".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/worl...ost_type=share
"You underestimate how many people live here and how little I care for their lives"
Stalin (and Putin)
heh, and sure enough Russia said it's keeping the 500 commercial planes worth $10 billion that were grounded in Russia when airspace was closed. Not going to give them back to the airlines.
Because of course...
"In 2019 some 4.5 billion passengers took 42 million flights worldwide. That is an average of 115,000 commercial flights everyday according to Flight Radar 24".
Google is your friend. :)
Oh, and Russia apparently went and poisoned that one Russian oligarch who was trying to help broker a peace deal. Really FSB?
Yeah, but we stole that from the Russian government. Fair play there.
Still pretty mystified as to why Russia completely leveled Mariupol. Population of ~450k, ~70% Russian speaking. Were all ~315,000 of the Russian speakers secretly Nazis, or something?
From the sounds of things, the city has basically been wiped off the map. What the fuck was the point of that?
Civilian fatalities within whole Ukraine is below 1500 as per UN Human Rights commissar. And yes, Mariupol is key for Ukraine to have control on Donbass region, that why Azov regiment has (had) headquarter there. They still have resistance point in industrial zone within "AzovSteel" manufacturing plant. Yesterday leaders of "Azov" tried to run from it on helicopter, but helicopter was destroyed before they left. Russia wants them alive.
Ukrainian Nazi published in social networks videos how they behave with captured Russian soldiers. German "Bild" published these videos with commentaries about war crimes.
https://youtu.be/L4xbdhQBfjQ
Jeff Monson about situation (in English with Russian subtitles):
https://youtu.be/cJIshDCPNcs
I just love it every time I hear the line" NATO is expanding", or "NATO was not supposed to expand", or "We must stop NATO from expanding", as if voluntary membership in an Alliance such as NATO, whose primary mission is to simply provide a heightened level of security for its members, is somehow a threat to anyone. Am I missing something here? (tongue in cheek)
I just hate it when politicians and news pundits beat around the bush with all these politically correct statements - when all they need to do is speak the truth, e.g., Russia doesn't like it when any European country joins the Alliance because the real estate those countries are sitting on has already been pre-planned (by Putin) to one day belong to the Russian Empire. The Empire that Putin's spent he's life dreaming of rebuilding. It's really just as simple as that.
This has nothing to do with Ukraine, it only has to do with one thing, and one thing only, and that's Putin's plans to invade more neighboring countries across Europe to construct his Empire. Nothing more. Nothing less. You could call this Putin's Continental Construction Project. Well, why don't they just say that?
I'd love to hear a consortium of World Leaders stand shoulder-to-shoulder and explain it to Putin this way:
"You're building a nuclear war machine for the purpose of conquering your neighbors and one day ruling the earth...you can't be trusted as far as we can spit...you've already invaded Crimea...now Ukraine...you've done everything in your power to undermine the Free World for decades both through your political actions and your cynical and underhanded spy rhetoric, and we've had enough. There will be no more negotiations or compromise regarding your invasion of Ukraine. If you stop the bombing and withdraw your troops immediately, we will release your prisoners and give them their smartphones back, and allow the rest of your Generals to live. That's the deal. Up2U"..
The only thing what destroys your rhetoric is: in 1989 it was promised not to expand to the East. And it isn't only voluntary membership, but also members should agree to accept new member. And "old" members gave promise.
Why you wonder now "what is going on?" after broken promise and multiple warnings about "red line"? Somebody expected what Russian balls aren't from steel?
Right now Ukraine and West say words what should be said half of year ago "no Ukraine in NATO at next 20 years", "neutral statut" and so on. Where were these tongues 6 months ago?
Yeah, this whole bs about NATO being too expansionary is pretty lame. Last I checked, it's Russia that keeps invading other nations via their peace keeping missions, whereas NATO hasn't invaded anyone.
NATO is inclusive, not expansionary. Two different things. Nobody is forcing anyone here, and it's actually quite the opposite with countries having to put in about a decade of work to reform and strengthen their countries before being granted membership. Like the President of Albania said, maybe Putin should step back and ask himself why all these countries keep wanting to join NATO instead of Russia?
Ukraine gave to Russia written offers for peace talk. Ukraine agrees to have neutral and non-nuclear status, forbidding for foreign military to visit Ukraine, forbidding military bases in Ukraine, removing from Ukrainian constitution words about NATO, forbidding bio- and chemical weapons.
It is good base for peace talk. Russia will add warranties for Russians citizens of Ukraine, and all it may lead to the end of fights after meeting of Zelenskiy and Putin in a few weeks.
Yeah, and Ukraine also gave up all its nuclear missiles in exchange for a promise from Russia to be never threatened with nuclear war. That didn't work out very well, now did it?
By the way, Matt, ruble already is below 80:
Attachment 12422
Wall Street Journal:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-...ns-11648510735Quote:
Russia Built Parallel Payments System That Escaped Western Sanctions
The domestic-payments system continued to work smoothly after Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. pulled out earlier this month. While the card giants’ exit from Russia was viewed as a significant move by many in the West, the reality on the ground was anything but. Most Russian consumers never lost the ability to use their Mastercard- and Visa-branded cards to pay for things within the country.
And "Russia built" many other "parallel systems" as well. People who are voting for switching off SWIFT will be very surprised, as surprised now people who canceled flying certificates of Russian aircrafts, or people who expecting what Western companies will close domestic business here...
What gives Putin the right to tell Ukraine ANYTHING?
It's their country. Why is that so hard to understand?
Every country on earth has the right to chose who they align themselves with, either as friends and/or allies, or by formal membership in an Alliance such as NATO. Who does Putin think he is trampling around on his neighbors property painting red lines as if he owns the place - and commanding them not to become allies with someone else???
All said, I'm a firm believer in diplomacy, especially when you're dealing with someone as trigger-happy as Putin.
I think a deal could be struck if Putin would agree to "NEVER EXPANDING RUSSIAN TERRITORY BEYOND ITS CURRENT LEGAL BORDERS FOR ANY REASON".
If I were Zelinski, this type of an agreement would suffice, and I would then gladly agree to remain "neutral status" and forego joining NATO.
As far as Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk go - they belong to Ukraine. Separatists (Putin's mercenaries) would have to leave Donetsk, and Luhansk. Any neo-Nazi's hanging around in those areas would be asked to please move to Brazil like all the other Nazi's did after WW II.. Better yet, send them to America. Donald Trump is thinking of running for a second term and will need all the support he can get.
There you have it:
Ukraine remains neutral posing no threat to Russia - Russia remains neutral within the confines of its own borders...and NATO can rest assured that Putin's empire building aspirations have come to a halt.
Everyone's happy...right?
Well, which is it then? I thought the invasion was to get rid of the Nazis? Then sometimes it's because Ukraine wants to join NATO, other times it's because there's lots of Russian speakers in Ukraine that need to be saved, other times it's because Ukraine is actually part of Russia as you don't recognize the 1954 transfer, sometimes it's due to perceived US expansionism, and sometimes it's simply "well, the US did it so why can't we", and the list goes on.
It's as if you guys just keep throwing different reasons at the wall, and hope something sticks.
What gives US the right to tell Libya ANYTHING?
What gives US the right to tell Vietnam ANYTHING?
What gives to NATO and US the right to tell Iraq ANYTHING?
What gives to NATO and US the right to tell Yugoslavia ANYTHING?
It's their country. Why is that so hard to understand?
At least Russia has rights to worry about Russians who are living in Ukraine and were killed one by one by nationalists, and Ukraine has shared border with Russia and laying in Russian zone of safety and economical interests, while Iraq, Libya, Vietnam and Yugoslavia are (were) located even on another continent from US and NATO (3 of them).
Doubled standards? Where was you tongue at times of Yugoslavia, Iraq or Libya???
US and NATO opened Pandora's box when destroyed Yugoslavia. Well, what are you complain about now?
Could you please find words "Iraq" and "Yugoslavia" in dictionaries and repeat your last sentence again after it? Or, maybe "Syria"?
NATO wiped whole country in 1999 from the map of Europa, 5700 fatalities within civilians. Invasion was without any resolution of UN.
I don't know who this guy is, but I found it quite interesting at least:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwPMtmuuVNw
My tongue was in exactly the same place back then as it is right now. If I didn't agree with the actions of my own country I'd protest against those actions just as loudly as I am now about Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
I actively protested against 2 of the wars you referenced in your post, but that's totally irrelevant to the matter at hand.
There hasn't been a war fought in history where both sides haven't lost.
When I see crimes against humanity like the innocent civilian casualties we're seeing in Ukraine right now, like it or not, action has to be taken. I could care less what other countries did to each other in the past, because that has absolutely nothing to do with the solution at hand. And the solution is "saving innocent lives".
I saw a video of a Ukrainian mother carrying her 7 year old daughter who just had her left arm blown off by bomb shrapnel. That's all I care about. Not Yugoslavia, Libya, Vietnam, Iraq, Mars, Neptune, or anywhere else for that matter.
Hello, where is everyone? Moses? Dodger, cdnmatt? Anyone? Is the war over?
I'm here, just swimming in work though.
Plate should clear in a few days, will grab a bottle then, and tell Moses how it is. :)
Ukrainians are getting balsy though... blew up an oil depot on Russian soil this morning. Cool. Had to laugh when Russia responded with, "don't be too agressive now, you might jepordize peace negotiations". Really, Russia?
I think for the most part I'm just patiently waiting for the inevitable second collapse of Russia, and just have my fingers crossed in the meantime that nukes don't fly.
Nice to know you are alive and well. While I know we all wish the war in Ukraine never happened; I enjoyed the discussion, confrontation and the lessons learned of how ten men can look at a problem and one man's beliefs could be so way out of line with the other nine. I know this is what makes the world go round, but I have to say, for me, it's still a very unbelievable situation to observe first-hand. Stay safe, Matt.