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Posted (edited)
10 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Smart dude, huh?  Too bad we didn’t heed his insight and prescience. We fumbled the bag. But hey, the last couple years have a super high cost effectiveness ratio if you discount Ukrainian lives to zero in your model. Ghouls. 

https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/05/opinion/a-fateful-error.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/02/opinion/foreign-affairs-now-a-word-from-x.html

 

 


 

What we should do is stop helping them protect themselves. That will surely keep them safer amiright?

Edited by hobbes2702
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Posted
18 hours ago, Irwin F Fletcher said:

And I'm sure Russia won't interfere in Ukraine's election and prop up one of Putin's thugs.

I see another job opportunity for Paul Manafort. 

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Posted

So as an old dude, I take solace in bombarding my knee jerk Trumpy federal congressional reps with emails/calls on vm about every other day.  Going to try to join the next protest (blue and yellow flags on overpasses type stuff) next chance I get. 

Any recommended charities that any of you recommend?

This is game of thrones type treachery.  Sickening.

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Posted
7 minutes ago, The Original Greaser Bob said:

So as an old dude, I take solace in bombarding my knee jerk Trumpy federal congressional reps with emails/calls on vm about every other day.  Going to try to join the next protest (blue and yellow flags on overpasses type stuff) next chance I get. 

Any recommended charities that any of you recommend?

This is game of thrones type treachery.  Sickening.and “A Gift for Putin.”  Buy them guns. 

Unite with Ukraine and”A Giftt For Putin”

 

https://unitewithukraine.com/heroes

https://www.weaponstoukraine.com/
 

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Posted
6 hours ago, The Original Greaser Bob said:

So as an old dude, I take solace in bombarding my knee jerk Trumpy federal congressional reps with emails/calls on vm about every other day.  Going to try to join the next protest (blue and yellow flags on overpasses type stuff) next chance I get. 

Any recommended charities that any of you recommend?

This is game of thrones type treachery.  Sickening.

Also, check out a group called MOAS. They are running medical groups from the front straight back. They lost/are losing part of their funding due to some things in DC.

CEO is an interesting dude. Done a lot of cool shit.

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Posted
20 hours ago, InkaUtexas said:

Also, check out a group called MOAS. They are running medical groups from the front straight back. They lost/are losing part of their funding due to some things in DC.

CEO is an interesting dude. Done a lot of cool shit.

Inks you can maybe change your avatar back?

Posted
12 minutes ago, Parliament said:

Inks you can maybe change your avatar back?

Nah, this one is a bit more relevant to other situations.

Shit, the scrambles are real.

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Posted

Hold on to your hats when I say this, and I say it in a way that "a broken clock can be wrong twice a day" sort of way, but it actually may be true that Trump is the reason for as good as it can get ceasefire and potentially some sort of end. Bear with me...

From Ukraine's POV on needing Trump:

  • Zelensky (via Kiev) wants to reconcile with USA from that embarrasing meeting
  • Zelensky seems to suggest that the costs of any imperfect ceasefire are currently outweighed by the benefits
  • Those benefits are getting him back in the game and having a seat at the table for any peace negotiation
  • Keeping his job (approvals for now and then later)
  • Fixing the relationship with Trump as it's argued and written that he (USA) still holds sure defeat and/or the closest thing that can be described as victory for Ukraine, in his hands
  • You see that with the reeastablishment of intelligence and money

From Russia's POV on needing Trump:

  • Putin wants to continue the thawing (detente) of relations with USA more broadly in an established way so needs to look cooperative to Trump/DC
  • Russia needs narrative cover for why the cease-fire
  • Russia needs narrative cover for why a peace agreement
  • Putin needs ego cover
  • Putin knows this can't go on forever and Trump is as friendly as he could have ever hoped for and will ever get in Washington

It's weird to think that being an abrasive leader has, for different and same reasons, gotten to this point.

Posted
10 minutes ago, Vegas64 said:

Hold on to your hats when I say this, and I say it in a way that "a broken clock can be wrong twice a day" sort of way, but it actually may be true that Trump is the reason for as good as it can get ceasefire and potentially some sort of end. Bear with me...

From Ukraine's POV on needing Trump:

  • Zelensky (via Kiev) wants to reconcile with USA from that embarrasing meeting
  • Zelensky seems to suggest that the costs of any imperfect ceasefire are currently outweighed by the benefits
  • Those benefits are getting him back in the game and having a seat at the table for any peace negotiation
  • Keeping his job (approvals for now and then later)
  • Fixing the relationship with Trump as it's argued and written that he (USA) still holds sure defeat and/or the closest thing that can be described as victory for Ukraine, in his hands
  • You see that with the reeastablishment of intelligence and money

From Russia's POV on needing Trump:

  • Putin wants to continue the thawing (detente) of relations with USA more broadly in an established way so needs to look cooperative to Trump/DC
  • Russia needs narrative cover for why the cease-fire
  • Russia needs narrative cover for why a peace agreement
  • Putin needs ego cover
  • Putin knows this can't go on forever and Trump is as friendly as he could have ever hoped for and will ever get in Washington

It's weird to think that being an abrasive leader has, for different and same reasons, gotten to this point.

Get this bullshit propaganda disguised as JAQing off out of here.

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Posted
12 minutes ago, Vegas64 said:

Hold on to your hats when I say this, and I say it in a way that "a broken clock can be wrong twice a day" sort of way, but it actually may be true that Trump is the reason for as good as it can get ceasefire and potentially some sort of end. Bear with me...

From Ukraine's POV on needing Trump:

  • Zelensky (via Kiev) wants to reconcile with USA from that embarrasing meeting
  • Zelensky seems to suggest that the costs of any imperfect ceasefire are currently outweighed by the benefits
  • Those benefits are getting him back in the game and having a seat at the table for any peace negotiation
  • Keeping his job (approvals for now and then later)
  • Fixing the relationship with Trump as it's argued and written that he (USA) still holds sure defeat and/or the closest thing that can be described as victory for Ukraine, in his hands
  • You see that with the reeastablishment of intelligence and money

From Russia's POV on needing Trump:

  • Putin wants to continue the thawing (detente) of relations with USA more broadly in an established way so needs to look cooperative to Trump/DC
  • Russia needs narrative cover for why the cease-fire
  • Russia needs narrative cover for why a peace agreement
  • Putin needs ego cover
  • Putin knows this can't go on forever and Trump is as friendly as he could have ever hoped for and will ever get in Washington

It's weird to think that being an abrasive leader has, for different and same reasons, gotten to this point.

Your reading on both leaders is dead wrong.

Zelensky isn't pursuing a resolution to get approval ratings and "keep his job."  It's not about him holding on to power.

And Putin isn't going to cash in his chips now.  He has a 100% owned asset in the White House.  He KNOWS he can get better terms out of Trump, because Trump is a TERRIBLE negotiator when someone else at the table has actual strategy and power.  Putin is holding out for.....everything he wants, and nothing less than that.  And Trump will find a way to cave and give it to him.  And Putin KNOWS that.  Why would he cash in now?

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Posted
1 hour ago, Vegas64 said:

Hold on to your hats when I say this, and I say it in a way that "a broken clock can be wrong twice a day" sort of way, but it actually may be true that Trump is the reason for as good as it can get ceasefire and potentially some sort of end. Bear with me...

From Ukraine's POV on needing Trump:

  • Zelensky (via Kiev) wants to reconcile with USA from that embarrasing meeting
  • Zelensky seems to suggest that the costs of any imperfect ceasefire are currently outweighed by the benefits
  • Those benefits are getting him back in the game and having a seat at the table for any peace negotiation
  • Keeping his job (approvals for now and then later)
  • Fixing the relationship with Trump as it's argued and written that he (USA) still holds sure defeat and/or the closest thing that can be described as victory for Ukraine, in his hands
  • You see that with the reeastablishment of intelligence and money

From Russia's POV on needing Trump:

  • Putin wants to continue the thawing (detente) of relations with USA more broadly in an established way so needs to look cooperative to Trump/DC
  • Russia needs narrative cover for why the cease-fire
  • Russia needs narrative cover for why a peace agreement
  • Putin needs ego cover
  • Putin knows this can't go on forever and Trump is as friendly as he could have ever hoped for and will ever get in Washington

It's weird to think that being an abrasive leader has, for different and same reasons, gotten to this point.

Everything you ever write is wrong. 

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Posted

Today Putin put on fatigues and went to Kursk where he promised to do war crimes against Ukrainians there. Let’s tap the brakes a bit on Trump getting an amazing ceasefire. 

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Posted
3 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Your reading on both leaders is dead wrong.

Zelensky isn't pursuing a resolution to get approval ratings and "keep his job."  It's not about him holding on to power.

And Putin isn't going to cash in his chips now.  He has a 100% owned asset in the White House.  He KNOWS he can get better terms out of Trump, because Trump is a TERRIBLE negotiator when someone else at the table has actual strategy and power.  Putin is holding out for.....everything he wants, and nothing less than that.  And Trump will find a way to cave and give it to him.  And Putin KNOWS that.  Why would he cash in now?

I’m happy to be wrong in this situation as you and others have pointed out.

Posted

Putin slows down he doesn’t stop. He’s played every president until possibly Biden and now he’s back at it with Trump 2.0. Obama, Bush, Clinton, all got played. If he can pause and take more later he absolutely will and any ceasefire will be with that goal in mind.

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Posted

I am pretty much aligned with Tim Snyder on this. I would add that Russia absolutely will try to also extract concessions on NATO force posture in the Baltics and Central Europe. 

 

image.thumb.png.ae2f6143b0f5219bf46e4436bfd0dbf1.png

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Posted

This is WILD to me. Europe really outsourced their way into this trouble and now faces a huge mountain to bring capabilities back "in house". This is like paying for a body guard to protect your little bother from the bully beating them up but then you are paying for the costs to keep the bully beating up your brother.

Insane. Bad optics. Sad state of affairs. You name it.

Quote

While the EU has reduced its reliance on Russian energy since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, a report last month by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air found that the EU bought ~$24B in Russian oil and gas last year. By way of comparison, the Kiel Institute lists EU financial aid to Ukraine last year at ~$20B.

https://energyandcleanair.org/publication/eu-imports-of-russian-fossil-fuels-in-third-year-of-invasion-surpass-financial-aid-sent-to-ukraine/

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Posted
7 minutes ago, Vegas64 said:

This is WILD to me. Europe really outsourced their way into this trouble and now faces a huge mountain to bring capabilities back "in house". This is like paying for a body guard to protect your little bother from the bully beating them up but then you are paying for the costs to keep the bully beating up your brother.

Insane. Bad optics. Sad state of affairs. You name it.

https://energyandcleanair.org/publication/eu-imports-of-russian-fossil-fuels-in-third-year-of-invasion-surpass-financial-aid-sent-to-ukraine/

No argument on any of that point.  Europe whistled past the graveyard hoping their greatest threat....wouldn't be their greatest threat.  Although it also helps that Russia fully bought and paid for some key European leadership...Gerhard Schroder's deep "personal friendship" with Putin (I mean....pay me $1 million a year like Putin paid Gerhard, and hell.....I could be a friend to you, too) helps a lot, for example.

Russia does not have lots of cards.  But they brilliantly played the ones they had (corruptible European leaders, naive Euro people, and a near-endless supply of cheap gas).  Until they fucked up and went a bridge too far in Ukraine.  That said, had the invasion gone as planned (and Ukraine and its government fell in a week).....it all would have kept working.

 

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Posted
1 hour ago, Vegas64 said:

This is WILD to me. Europe really outsourced their way into this trouble and now faces a huge mountain to bring capabilities back "in house". This is like paying for a body guard to protect your little bother from the bully beating them up but then you are paying for the costs to keep the bully beating up your brother.

Insane. Bad optics. Sad state of affairs. You name it.

https://energyandcleanair.org/publication/eu-imports-of-russian-fossil-fuels-in-third-year-of-invasion-surpass-financial-aid-sent-to-ukraine/

Are you retarded?

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Posted
3 minutes ago, Doc Sam Beckett said:

That's animal/tobacco. I like him a lot more when he's not doing the donkey vape routine 

Ah it makes sense now. And the answer is yes

Posted
14 hours ago, Doc Sam Beckett said:

That's animal/tobacco. I like him a lot more when he's not doing the donkey vape routine 

Oh come on. Don’t put that evil on me Ricky Bobby just because you don’t like the comment. I’m not saying Europe should not buy Russian fuel and let their citizens freeze to death. I’m saying what brisket said— it was wildly irresponsible in hindsight. Hindsight to be fair that’s 20/20.

Posted
13 hours ago, Vegas64 said:

Oh come on. Don’t put that evil on me Ricky Bobby just because you don’t like the comment. I’m not saying Europe should not buy Russian fuel and let their citizens freeze to death. I’m saying what brisket said— it was wildly irresponsible in hindsight. Hindsight to be fair that’s 20/20.

Hi Chrispy!

Posted
11 hours ago, DDD Dad said:

 

IMG_9329.gif

Look kemosabe, much like the lunatic on the corner screaming the end is near, believe whatever you want, while everyone ignores your craziness.

Posted

Limited ceasefire deal agreed to in principal.  Sort of.  Emphasis seems to be on a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure.  I think this means Ukrainian attacks on Russia's oil infrastructure must have had good effect.  More to gain for Russia with this focus, I'll bet.

Secondly, I saw elsewhere the Russian language release contained additional Ukrainian concessions not mentioned in the US release.  Namely, a halt to foreign aid to and intelligence gathering for Ukraine.

Seems "win-win", for Putin-Russia.  Not so much Ukraine.

 

Posted

I’m sure Ukraine is thrilled to have their future being decided by the country that invaded them, and an ally of the country that invaded them.

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