Ukraine

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Originally Posted by rod9301

I'm conflicted about helping the Ukrainian government. On one hand, Ukraine was unjustly attacked.
But on the other hand, we are helping one of the most corrupt governments

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Huh? You really feel that the Ukraine government comes anywhere close to the corrupt fucking Russians under Putin? There are many corrupt countries in the world, as most politicians are POS, but the USA, China and Russia seem to take the cake for invading other countries, cuz well they can get away with it, as in who is going to stop them?
I have always been ok with the Russian people, but Putin has to go. I pray his own people pull a Mussolini on him, but I am getting tired of holding my breath over that.

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Originally Posted by glademaster

It's my opinion. However, given how Ukranian forces seem to be holding up at the moment, why would Zelensky have agreed to talk with Russia "without preconditions" seemingly out of the blue today?

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IMO, despite the optimism surrounding the Ukrainians not rolling over, they are in no position to resist for long.

They don’t have the support systems or the experience. Russia may be stretched by their incursion. But they are next door. Reinforcement & supply isn’t that far away, even if it isn’t timely.

Zelensky is likely desperate to get some kind of cease fire. Every day this goes on, it gets worse for Ukraine. It’s not great for Russia, but Putin has far more volume of resources to throw at this. And they are basically just sitting around waiting to be called in. Vlad has avoided just obliterating the people thus far, but that’s likely his Phase II to threaten Ukraine into submission (& follow thru if bluff gets called)

Putin wants Zelensky to roll over. Ukraine hasn’t folded as expected, tho. So, Zelensky has some negotiating power.

International sanctions have brought some pressure, but who knows if Vlad even gives a shit at this point to the economic pain.

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Originally Posted by ill-advised strategy

I am the walrus

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kew kew kachoo

Ohh, I'm sorry, the correct response was "shut up Donny!"
or we would have accepted "you're out of your element"

Expert, texpert choking smokers
Don't you think the joker laughs at you (ho ho ho, hee hee hee, hah hah hah)
See how they smile like pigs in a sty, see how they snide
I'm crying

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Originally Posted by liv2ski

Huh? You really feel that the Ukraine government comes anywhere close to the corrupt fucking Russians under Putin? There are many corrupt countries in the world, as most politicians are POS, but the USA, China and Russia seem to take the cake for invading other countries, cuz well they can get away with it, as in who is going to stop them?
I have always been ok with the Russian people, but Putin has to go. I pray his own people pull a Mussolini on him, but I am getting tired of holding my breath over that.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_in_Ukraine

"Corruption is widespread in Ukrainian society.[1][2] In 2012 Ernst & Young put Ukraine among the three most-corrupt nations of the world—alongside Colombia and Brazil.[3] In 2015 The Guardian called Ukraine "the most corrupt nation in Europe".[4] According to a poll conducted by Ernst & Young in 2017, experts considered Ukraine to be the ninth-most corrupt nation in the world.[5] According to the Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, Ukraine ranked 117th out of 180 countries in 2020, ranking the second lowest in Europe, after Russia.[6]"

So, second place to Russia.

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Originally Posted by liv2ski

Huh? You really feel that the Ukraine government comes anywhere close to the corrupt fucking Russians under Putin? There are many corrupt countries in the world, as most politicians are POS, but the USA, China and Russia seem to take the cake for invading other countries, cuz well they can get away with it, as in who is going to stop them?
I have always been ok with the Russian people, but Putin has to go. I pray his own people pull a Mussolini on him, but I am getting tired of holding my breath over that.

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Of course Russia is corrupt.

But i was talking about Ukraine.

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Ukraine's corruption is in no part due to its historic close ties to Russia. In recent years, and now more than ever, Ukraine wants to join the European union. So another way to think about this war is Russia's desire to keep Ukraine as a corrupt vassal state versus Ukraine's desire to become more democratic, more free, more pluralistic, and a lot less corrupt.

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Originally Posted by Summit

Gotta choose!

1. A democratically elected but corrupt government working on reforms
2. Foreign military invasion to install the authoritarian puppet of a brutal dictator

gosh... super conflicted... Putler is glad you are conflicted

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^^ This. Of course anyone paying attention knows of the deep corruption in Ukraine. Depending on what Corruption Index you look at or expert you ask, it’s comparable to Russia.

But nations are not static entities. Zelensky got elected mostly because he represents a potential alternative to the usual corruption. Should we shit on the dreams and hopes of Ukrainian voters who are doing what they can to vote for change? No one is naive enough to think it’ll magically change overnight, BUT any student of history knows that the social contract of law and non-corruption is strengthened by democratic norms and a healthy sense of national pride. This war appears to be strengthening the sense of nationhood and common purpose in Ukraine.

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Originally Posted by 406

Hopefully. Interesting read on wiki, Putin has more options than I realized:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia...ss_destruction

Not clear to me if "high alert" is fueling the liquid fueled rockets or are they few steps from that? All the articles I clicked don't have details.

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All Russian Strategic Rocket Forces are solid propellant or storable liquid propellant, so no last minute loading of cryo-fuels like during (some of) the Cold War. I think only a few Chinese ICBMs require propellant loading and maybe some NK. Any Russian nuclear missile can fire within a minute or few minutes of receiving the order.

"High alert" is probably bluster, but it could mean one or several of the following actions:
*Dispersal of Topol-M (truck based) ICBMs from their bases and potentially erecting the launcher
*Moving forward and dispersing tactical mobile cruise/ballistic missile launchers (such as into Belarus)
*Increased deployment and readiness of Russian ABM capable SAMs
*Sortieing ballistic missile subs from port
*Sortieing surface ships and attack subs from port (these all have nuclear missiles and torpedoes)
*Placing Long Range Aviation on ground alert (nuclear bombers and tankers loaded, fueled, and on pads at the end of the runways with crews ready to jump in)
*Moving strike aircraft and nuclear bombs/missiles to forward bases (such as Belarus and Kaliningrad)
*Placing NC3 aircraft on airborne alert rotations

The above actions may accomplish one or more the following:
*Ensure the survivability of the Russian nuclear deterrent and command/control
*Speed the ability to initiate a tactical or strategic first strike
*Enhance the ability to intercept or destroy NATO nuclear forces

Any of those actions are expensive and politically fraught.

I thought this was interesting

I have never seen this station before

12 min from the tv
https://youtu.be/oEFY-qSn2X8

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Originally Posted by liv2ski

Huh? You really feel that the Ukraine government comes anywhere close to the corrupt fucking Russians under Putin? There are many corrupt countries in the world, as most politicians are POS, but the USA, China and Russia seem to take the cake for invading other countries, cuz well they can get away with it, as in who is going to stop them?
I have always been ok with the Russian people, but Putin has to go. I pray his own people pull a Mussolini on him, but I am getting tired of holding my breath over that.

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Pssst

You’re being trolled


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Originally Posted by MTT

I thought this was interesting

I have never seen this station before

12 min from the tv
https://youtu.be/oEFY-qSn2X8

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I watch WION from time to time as part of my keeping to different world news sources. I enjoy her very much. She is extremely well spoken and offers quality, to-the-point analysis and critique, particularly calling out bullshit. She is a good interviewer too and has good guests. She also goes off the deep end sometimes. WION is absolutely not pro-American. WION is pro-India and solidly anti-PRC.

That was a very good segment worth the watch.

Two things to keep in mind in response to Putin's posturing in the video above:
1 - Russia has never been under threat from NATO
2 - Ukraine has never been a threat to Russia

Here is the correct video

https://youtu.be/oAHzr1jROfg

Yea it just popped up while I was making coffee

I started hearing points that rang true. I restarted it and really listened

Went hum. Nothing I had not heard but well articulated

lol @ corrupt government. The idiots in the US House of Representatives were apoplectic over the idea that they could be prohibited from inside trading.

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Originally Posted by Cono Este

Let’s see if you guys can stomach the pictures of dead civilians?

Or is that what you want?

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Comrade Este at his finest. Always ready with a concerned accusation.

Yet feels like Ukraine invasion is justified because of neo-nazis. Probably should share that opinion with your friend in Ukraine. Let him know that Putin is on a white Christian crusade and they should just roll over.

Onward Christian soldiers!

Putin assassination question:
Do you guys think that without Putin himself, this whole thing stands down? Or are there charismatic followers of his who would step up?

Nope

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Originally Posted by ill-advised strategy

Putin assassination question:
Do you guys think that without Putin himself, this whole thing stands down? Or are there charismatic followers of his who would step up?

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I don’t have any idea. But have to say his fans are getting some unwanted attention inside and outside Russia

I know how some of you feel about Fox. But this is an interesting breakdown of the banking system. Larry Kudlow brings up JP Morgan
https://youtu.be/GUNvTJ3eriI

Conventional wisdom is likely replacements for Putin are similar or worse. Vladimir Medinsky holds Christian White Nationalist views that seem part of the reason for the invasion.

Yeah, that figures

Anonymous FTMFW!

The entire Moscow exchange is offline.

They halted all trades within. Even there main portal is completely offline. Probably also targeted by Anonymous in their effort to DDOS all state websites.
https://www.moex.com/en/

We are witnissing the greatest downfall in the history of the russian economy. They just don't know it yet.

People in Moscow are running for the bank. They placed a maximum withdrawel of $20 to not loose solvency. The russian population is starting to see what's happening.

Putin played stupid games and won stupid prizes.

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Originally Posted by MTT

I don’t have any idea. But have to say his fans are getting some unwanted attention inside and outside Russia

I know how some of you feel about Fox. But this is an interesting breakdown of the banking system. Larry Kudlow brings up JP Morgan
https://youtu.be/GUNvTJ3eriI

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Kudlow is not an economist, but, he plays one on TV.

Scratch the surface just a little, and I'll bet you find out he's sitting on a lot of energy money, speaking of corruption.