War

It's about time the world cut itself off from Russia. In everything. Including doing business with the outside world. It would cripple them worse than North Korea. They need us a hell of a lot more than we need them. Yes, ordinary civilians pay the price but it would also ruin Putins legacy as Russians blame him for their downfall

Then apply the same to anyone who assists them. Like Belarus

The free world should stop relying on authoritarian arseholes. Time for a pivot. We don't need Russian oil and gas. It might be convenient - but look where the money ultimately goes.

It's about time the world cut itself off from Russia. In everything. Including doing business with the outside world. It would cripple them worse than North Korea. They need us a hell of a lot more than we need them. Yes, ordinary civilians pay the price but it would also ruin Putins legacy as Russians blame him for their downfall

Then apply the same to anyone who assists them. Like Belarus

When has that ever worked?

We don't need Russian oil and gas.

Maybe Australia doesn't, Europe was already getting wrecked by the energy crisis before this even happened.

Okay, JJA. You were tone policing and not strawmanning. Glad to see you branching out!

Since reading between the lines is now somehow a bad thing, I'll take your comment literally and thank you for the compliment.

Quote from: Space Cowgirl on February 24, 2022, 02:32:34 PM

Okay, JJA. You were tone policing and not strawmanning. Glad to see you branching out!

Since reading between the lines is now somehow a bad thing, I'll take your comment literally and thank you for the compliment.

Since making up new meanings for phrases is now somehow a good thing, I will take your thank you as a declaration of war.

Quote from: Pezevenk on February 24, 2022, 02:11:44 PM

I heard the Ukrainian army hit back in Sumy and took back some bridges and an airport.

I just hope Putin pulls back after deciding he's hurt Ukraine enough and feels he can withdraw without losing face. If he is out to annex the entire country permanently then a whole lot more people are going to die and nothing anyone does is going to save them.

I just read Putin is going to confiscate money from ordinary citizens to pay for the war.  Maybe he can use it to rebuild Ukraine's airports after he finished bombing them all.

I think withdrawing now would lose a lot of face for putin. It would look like he just got beat by Ukraine.

Quote from: JJA on February 24, 2022, 02:46:55 PM

Quote from: Space Cowgirl on February 24, 2022, 02:32:34 PM

Okay, JJA. You were tone policing and not strawmanning. Glad to see you branching out!

Since reading between the lines is now somehow a bad thing, I'll take your comment literally and thank you for the compliment.

Since making up new meanings for phrases is now somehow a good thing, I will take your thank you as a declaration of war.

I send all my refugees to boydster.

Uh oh, US drone over the black sea. I can see how this might get messy.

Global Hawks.  They usually don't carry ordnance.  It's most likely just there to watch.  Which is fine by me.  If Russia blow up a drone then it's just equipment.

It's about time the world cut itself off from Russia. In everything. Including doing business with the outside world. It would cripple them worse than North Korea. They need us a hell of a lot more than we need them. Yes, ordinary civilians pay the price but it would also ruin Putins legacy as Russians blame him for their downfall

Then apply the same to anyone who assists them. Like Belarus

The free world should stop relying on authoritarian arseholes. Time for a pivot. We don't need Russian oil and gas. It might be convenient - but look where the money ultimately goes.

I'm with Pez.  it won't work.
What'll happen is they'll blame WAshington and the EU and guess what?  No one will be around to tell people otherwise.

So suddenly you have a bunch of angry, starving, poor people willing to die to get a better life.  And that better life means killing the people who screwed them over in the first place.

https://twitter.com/atanessi/status/1496925313187602442?s=20&t=4ndolmDOztTwxGoMBAqWgw

Today, I asked a Russian diplomat how he was doing.

"I don't know how to respond to this question," he texted back. "I am disgusted with myself, I am sick with myself. I am ashamed that we all partially let this happen... We all lied... How can there be forgiveness for us?"

Grigor Artanesian is a Russian BBC journalist (just so you won't think it's a rando on Twitter).

It's admirable, along with the Russian protesters.  But it doesn't matter.  It's not like Putin can be voted out.  He can always throw protesters into a gulag somewhere.  About the only thing that could really stop him is if some Russian oligarchs decided this is too expensive and have him assassinated. 

Last I saw there have already been about 1,000 protesters arrested. The one that threw the Molotov cocktail has been released already, I don't know about the others. 

I mean this does not appear to be super smart. Maybe Putin knows something we don't but honestly I don't understand how this benefits them somehow. A lot of Russian people are kinda pissed, and they're gonna get more pissed. The oligarchs will probably get pissed as well because this is gonna be expensive as fuck.

I mean this does not appear to be super smart. Maybe Putin knows something we don't but honestly I don't understand how this benefits them somehow. A lot of Russian people are kinda pissed, and they're gonna get more pissed. The oligarchs will probably get pissed as well because this is gonna be expensive as fuck.

Some Russians are pissed.  I saw on tv, can't remember which program, that a lot of Russians are euphoric over this invasion.  Since there's so much misinformation in Russia it's hard to say how much support there is for this.

Last I saw there have already been about 1,000 protesters arrested. The one that threw the Molotov cocktail has been released already, I don't know about the others.

That's very progressive of them.  In the past those protesters would just disappear.

Maybe Putin is really just a big softie! lol (sorry I know it's not funny)

Quote from: Masalang the Torpedo on February 24, 2022, 02:38:24 PM

It's about time the world cut itself off from Russia. In everything. Including doing business with the outside world. It would cripple them worse than North Korea. They need us a hell of a lot more than we need them. Yes, ordinary civilians pay the price but it would also ruin Putins legacy as Russians blame him for their downfall

Then apply the same to anyone who assists them. Like Belarus

The free world should stop relying on authoritarian arseholes. Time for a pivot. We don't need Russian oil and gas. It might be convenient - but look where the money ultimately goes.

I'm with Pez.  it won't work.
What'll happen is they'll blame WAshington and the EU and guess what?  No one will be around to tell people otherwise.

So suddenly you have a bunch of angry, starving, poor people willing to die to get a better life.  And that better life means killing the people who screwed them over in the first place.

Well what economies or war machines depend on russia?

Iran?
Afghanistan? (Shifting to china)
Venezula?
Cuba?
Vietnam?
Pakistan?
Germany!?

Iiiimperialsim.

Quote from: Pezevenk on February 24, 2022, 03:13:28 PM

I mean this does not appear to be super smart. Maybe Putin knows something we don't but honestly I don't understand how this benefits them somehow. A lot of Russian people are kinda pissed, and they're gonna get more pissed. The oligarchs will probably get pissed as well because this is gonna be expensive as fuck.

Some Russians are pissed.  I saw on tv, can't remember which program, that a lot of Russians are euphoric over this invasion.  Since there's so much misinformation in Russia it's hard to say how much support there is for this.

Obviously there is also people who are euphoric. But it depends on the region and how nationalist they are. The poorer regions aren't gonna give much of a fuck in a while.

Quote from: Pezevenk on February 24, 2022, 03:13:28 PM

I mean this does not appear to be super smart. Maybe Putin knows something we don't but honestly I don't understand how this benefits them somehow. A lot of Russian people are kinda pissed, and they're gonna get more pissed. The oligarchs will probably get pissed as well because this is gonna be expensive as fuck.

Some Russians are pissed.  I saw on tv, can't remember which program, that a lot of Russians are euphoric over this invasion.  Since there's so much misinformation in Russia it's hard to say how much support there is for this.

Also, what I was seeing on RT was a general climate of "it's not our fault, but it's sad". Even they're not really doing the "whoo we're liberating them and it's awesome" thing.

Here's a question worth pondering,  since a state of war now exists between Ukraine and Russia,  what's to stop the Ukrainians launching an attack of some sort on Russia?

I imagine a Ukrainian special forces missions to sabotage Russian infrastructure like power distribution, gas pipelines,  Russian airfields and aircraft.  All these must now be legitimate targets.

Of course they could always hire a few B2 bombers for the weekend.  Just to take them for a spin around the block you understand...

https://twitter.com/justinbaragona/status/1496990258176610304?s=20&t=4ndolmDOztTwxGoMBAqWgw

The Associated Press has deleted that tweet advertising the NFT offer of "migrants drifting in an overcrowded boat in the Mediterranean" that sparked overwhelming backlash.

I've reached out to the AP for comment on the tweet and the understandable outrage it caused.

Here you can see an archive of the AP's deleted tweet https://archive.fo/qRl82

Who the fuck thought this was a good idea?


EDIT: I'm so outraged I don't even know where they are. lol I will calm down.

Good points made by Ukraine in the UN,  that The Russian Federation illegitimately inherited the Soviet Unions seat on the security council, and questions whether the Russian Federation was ever formally admitted to the UN in the first place.

I expect that moves to expel Russia from the UN will be coming in due course.   I doubt Putin could care less, until it affects him personally.

 

Good points made by Ukraine in the UN,  that The Russian Federation illegitimately inherited the Soviet Unions seat on the security council, and questions whether the Russian Federation was ever formally admitted to the UN in the first place.

I expect that moves to expel Russia from the UN will be coming in due course.   I doubt Putin could care less, until it affects him personally.

 

I saw that exact same comment making the rounds on reddit earlier, they said the seat was for a representative from the USSR, and since there is no USSR there is no reason Russia should be entitled to that seat. It would be really interesting if Ukraine contested the seat and ended up winning it for themselves. Can't really imagine a reality where that plays out, but I can dream.

Anonymous is bragging about taking down Russian isps, and Russia Today.

I wonder if this will slow down the Russian bots.

I mean this does not appear to be super smart. Maybe Putin knows something we don't but honestly I don't understand how this benefits them somehow. A lot of Russian people are kinda pissed, and they're gonna get more pissed. The oligarchs will probably get pissed as well because this is gonna be expensive as fuck.

From what I hear, some are saying that Putin is trying to rebuild the Russian Empire of old.

He must have watched The Great!

I don't know what he's trying to do.  If he is trying to rebuild Russia then it seems profoundly selfish.  It's guaranteed to impoverish his country in exchange for boosting his ego.

Putin is not doing anything that America didn't do in Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Lybia. I do not know why its so hard for you guys to see this? When U.S. attacks other countries the countries I mentioned, what did U.S. say? They said they are not killing civilians, they are only going after military targets, this is the same thing Putin says. Most likely of course Putin is killing civilians but so did Clinton, Bush and Obama. Civilians will always die during the war, it's unavoidable. If you look at this situation in Ukraine closely then you will see that Putin is following Clinton's model in Yugoslavia to a tee. Remember when Clinton claimed that Serbian president Milosovic is involved in ethnic cleansing, so Clinton and NATO created 7 or so other countries in the Balkans to solve the ethnic cleansing problem right? Well Putin also says that current Ukrainian government is involved in ethnic cleansing and the only way to solve this is to divide Ukraine, thus creating the two nations of Donetsk and Lugansk. This is nothing new folks.

If America wants to be the world leader they claim to be, then America must lead by example of peace and justice, instead America invades other countries, totally changes old borders, doing whatever the fuck they want and now have the nerve to blame and accuse Putin of exactly the same things America have done dozens of times in the past.

The interwebs are going nuts about the "Ghost of Kiev" a Ukrainian Mig pilot who is rumored to have downed 6 Russian aircraft in air-to-air combat the first day.

https://meaww.com/ghost-of-kyiv-who-is-ukrainian-ace-pilot-downs-6-russian-jets-internet-reactions-563015

Quote from: Pezevenk on February 24, 2022, 03:13:28 PM

I mean this does not appear to be super smart. Maybe Putin knows something we don't but honestly I don't understand how this benefits them somehow. A lot of Russian people are kinda pissed, and they're gonna get more pissed. The oligarchs will probably get pissed as well because this is gonna be expensive as fuck.

From what I hear, some are saying that Putin is trying to rebuild the Russian Empire of old.

Dude, maybe he wants to do that. How is he gonna do it like that?

JJA, I get a little frustrated arguing with pez sometimes, but I then again I get frustrated with you too (and I suspect people feel that way with me).  We're all a bunch of know-alls 

However I get that you're both arguing with good faith, so it's all good.

Anyway, my brother is now enjoying a nice meal and beer with his family in the Moldovan capital (yeah, I had to look it up). 

He's my younger brother, but I've reached the point where I have to admit he's the cool one.  I've been stressed to fuck and  he just took off with his wife, daughter, two bags and $30k in his pocket and moonwalked out of a war zone.  All the time sounding cheery and even doing telephone interviews with journalists. 

Glad your brother and his family are safe. He sounds badass.