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| bartist |
 Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2022 10:58 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6944
Location: Black Hills
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Holy shit! Just checked the news this a.m. My wife's family has roots in Ukraine, so we've been watching the situation pretty closely for a while now. I felt from the start that this was where Vlad was going, and that sanctions would not dissuade him. But we kept hoping -- maybe rain enough financial shit on his oligarch buddies - but that's really hard to do in a world of offshore accounts and shell companies, etc. Bastards.
Edit: fixed a politically nasty "the" |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2022 1:59 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12890
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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| I'm worried that he may go after the Baltic States too. They're members of NATO and that could start a world war. |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2022 4:03 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6944
Location: Black Hills
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| I think Putin realizes his regime would not weather that many men coming home in body bags. Or the financial ruin of waging on two fronts, along with the sanctions. He wants other nations to think he's unhinged, because some are more likely to back down from a crazy man with nukes, but I doubt he's really crazy. But yeah, the Baltics would have a legitimate concern if he successfully annexes Ukraine, that he might try something in a few years. Or try to undermine their governments from within and quietly set up puppet regimes. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2022 1:38 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12890
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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| Russia's was trying to interrupt internet service in the Baltic States some years ago and I wouldn't be surprised if they still are. At least one of the Baltic States has nationwide free WiFi, and Russia would not like that leaking over the border. |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2022 4:47 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
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Location: Black Hills
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https://twitter.com/christogrozev/status/1497570787557097476?s=20&t=OiOQpwFS3bBuDVqkvvuNcg
Loving the Ukraine attitude here.
And of course Zelensky going out on the streets and doing a selfie video while shelling is going on. And refusing to leave Kyiv. He is doing a good job of projecting courage and grace under fire.
Given some of Vlad's Baltic threats, veiled or otherwise, I imagine Sweden and Finland are debating if it might be time to join NATO. Of course, most there may feel neutrality is the best protection from missiles and such. But the current level of aggression may be calling that whole neutrality concept into question. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 12:45 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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| I love Finland. They declared independence from Russia. |
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Lost in my own private I dunno. |
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2022 1:03 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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| The Republicans are struggling to beat up Biden but can't really offer anything but general "weak" criticism. And if Trump were President, he'd say "Ukraine's not our problem." |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2022 4:05 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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| First it was Trump. Then COVID. Then the Republicans. Now a War. We are besieged. |
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Lost in my own private I dunno. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2022 6:46 am |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12890
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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| Beware the Ides of March! |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2022 8:15 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6944
Location: Black Hills
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Attacked by an ide, brief struggle, survived. Thank you for the heightened state of awareness.
Beware the intoxicated people of March who think one quarter or less Irish ancestry still allows you to proclaim yourself Irish! |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2022 8:18 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12890
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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| I put on green (my mother's family were probably Irish), but I suspect orange would have been appropriate. I was working at home anyway. |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2022 11:13 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12890
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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| I'm appalled that the Oscars have cut back on some of the categories for presentation, especially animated short, since it wasn't that many years ago that I thought the best film was the winner for Animated short (Hair Love). "The Danish Poet' was also better than a lot of Best Picture winners. (Actually even better than "Hair Love" but not necessarily the best film of the year.) |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2022 5:23 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9008
Location: Shanghai
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Ukraine is being destroyed, but the Ukrainians are dismantling the Russian military machine.
5 or 6 Russian generals (out of 20 in the field) have been killed. Hell, the Ukrainians even captured the dead body of Maj. Gen. Oleg Mityayev and put his corpse on TV.
Quote: "among the Russian military’s most seasoned commanders. Mityayev had led Russia’s largest foreign military base in Tajikistan and was second in command of Russia’s forces in Syria. He lasted less than three weeks in Ukraine. After he was killed in battle, either Russian forces left his body behind, or it was captured by the far-right Azov Battalion, which posted a photo of the bloody corpse on Telegram with the caption, “Glory to Ukraine.”
experts say that Russia has suffered a damaging death toll among its military leaders on the ground in Ukraine, which could soon erode Russia’s military effectiveness.
The deaths reflect operational security failures as well as the challenges of the Russian military’s top-heavy command structure in the face of a much nimbler Ukrainian fighting force.
Reports that Russian troops are running low on food, supplies and missiles.
Not to mention morale. The saying during the old days was that Soviet Union was held together by baling wire ... and cheap baling wire at that. Russia hasn't changed much, except discipline is way down. All the wealth has been corruptly skimmed off and a shell of a state remains. Incompetence and shortcuts and low funding are the norm.
Recriminations reaching the Kremlin and Putin's inner circle.
Defense Minister Shoigu hasn't been seen in 10 days. Claims of heart trouble, meaning he either decided to bail by feigning ill health, or more likely was pushed aside by Putin. Some other FSB fellas forced out and/or placed under house arrest. Support for the Ukraine War has to be nearly non-existent at this point among Russians from top to bottom.
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Biden Admin did a masterful job by consistently leaking Putin's plans before they were executed, unsettling Putin, making him more paranoid knowing that top secret meetings are being accessed by US intelligence.
Biden has also unified NATO, deployed tough sanctions, and keeps arming Ukraine.
Definitely an opportunity to dethrone Putin. Maybe if Russia implodes enough, Chechen warlord Kadyrov can be eliminated, and at the far outside perhaps Georgia can even reclaim South Ossetia. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 1:05 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6944
Location: Black Hills
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You are missed at Elba's politics forum. See my comments on Russian incompetence there today.
Biden is doing a good job, trying to assist Russia's failure without provoking them to some desperate reach for a tactical nuke. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 1:05 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6944
Location: Black Hills
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| [dup. post] |
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