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Posted (edited)
6 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

G7GCsNoXYAA1518?format=png&name=small

 

5 hours ago, Parliament said:

Even by Russian standards, that may not be sustainable.

Putin Signs Law Raising Russia’s Value-Added Tax to 22%

"President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a major tax overhaul that will raise Russia’s value-added tax to 22% from 20% next year, a move aimed at closing the fiscal gap created by soaring military expenditures and falling oil and gas revenues amid Western sanctions.

More small businesses will also be swept into the tax system under additional changes. The annual revenue threshold for companies required to pay VAT will drop from 60 million rubles ($732,000) to 10 million rubles ($122,000).

Businesses have indicated in surveys that they plan to pass the tax hike directly onto consumers, who have already been strained in recent years by surging inflation linked to war spending.

Economists, including those at the Financial Ministry, have said they anticipate a modest rise in inflation as the VAT hike takes effect starting next year.

VAT is one of the government’s most important revenue sources, generating 11.5 trillion rubles ($148 billion) from January through October, or more than 38% of total federal revenue.

Under the changes, select food products, medicines and children’s goods will continue to be taxed at a reduced 10% rate. But certain milk-based products made with milk-fat substitutes, such as processed cheeses and spreads, will now be taxed at the full 22% rate.

Russia last raised VAT in 2019, when it increased the rate to 20% from 18%."

I have no understanding of Russia economics and their income and taxes, but dropping the threshold for taxing small business' from $732,000 to $122,000 seems like that puts a lot of mom & pop type business under an onerous burden, much worse than whey have seen the past 3 years.  Selling gold reserves and crippling small business' already struggling while cutting basic services to the general populace does not seem like a recipe for success. 

I have seen a lot of stories that virtually every sector of the Russian economy has been affected to the point that workers are not getting paid, are being furloughed and have no reason to work because of non-existent supply chains.  There were rumors that unpaid shipbuilding workers may have sabotaged a new ice breaker/tug boat in St. Petersburg that was critical for moving large ships through the frozen water of the Baltic.

The Russian economy ...

 

 

Edited by PTINS
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Posted

Like seriously

1. Russia is on the verge of bankruptcy

2. Arms production and procurement is a decade long buildup before you fire a shot, not something you try 4 years into a war you are no longer capable of winning.

3. Fuckers think the Nazis had a sensible economic approach and offer a path out of this tailspin. 
 

My feelings are that Ukraine is going to get every bit of financial assistance and every piece of hardware the could ever want after the 120th congress is sworn in January 2027. That's if Russia hasn't collapsed by then.

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Posted

I am waiting for the day when NATO gets tired of dealing with our country's fkd up politics and decides to kick our sorry ass as well as Russia's.  It is getting closer by the minute.

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Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, AnTiM said:

I am waiting for the day when NATO gets tired of dealing with our country's fkd up politics and decides to kick our sorry ass as well as Russia's.  It is getting closer by the minute.

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First off, absolutely the Europeans want to shoot tfg on a rocket into the sun.  But the practical realities are that Europe can see a long game in a way that, as clearly evidenced by the last election, Americans cannot.  They know that this too shall pass.  They just have to bear it for a while.   They further know that there is no way they could invade the US.  Not even with Canada and Mexico's help.  It would take something on the level of Hitler's invasion of Russia, except the first step would be moving all those troops/ships/planes across the Atlantic without the US doing anything.  Logistically, are you kidding?  No way.  In short, no one with a brain is coming to save us from ourselves.  It's a nice daydream though.  

 

Edited by Chad Fuck
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Posted
2 minutes ago, Chad Fuck said:

giphy.gif

First off, absolutely the Europeans want to shoot tfg on a rocket into the sun.  But the practical realities are that Europe can see a long game in a way that, as clearly evidenced by the last election, Americans cannot.  They know that this too shall pass.  They just have to bear it for a while.   They further know that there is no way they could invade the US.  Not even with Canada and Mexico's help.  It would take something on the level of Hitler's invasion of Russia, except the first step would be moving all those troops/ships/planes across the Atlantic without the US doing anything.  Logistically, are you kidding?  No way.  In short, no one with a brain is coming to save us from ourselves.  It's a nice daydream though.  

 

Talked to the boy last night (international relations major, senior year). His senior capstone is going to be on the past decade of shifting American engagement with NATO, and the cascading effects of same (increased european engagement, emboldened Russia, etc.).  I'll be curious to read what he ends up with.  I'm sure it will be rather depressing in the near term, but maybe some glimmers of hope in there.

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Posted

 

Quote

Both the Ukrainians and the Russians will hate this plan. For Ukraine, the plan bans NATO membership, cuts the military in half, establishes weapons restrictions, and cedes key regions like Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk. For Russia, the plan accepts Ukrainian independence, freezes military ambitions in Europe, affirms the post-Cold War security order, and directs frozen assets towards Ukraine and the US.

 

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Posted

 

 

Russia deployed its full hybrid warfare toolkit against Moldova in 2025 - energy blackmail, election interference, separatist proxies, even "denazification" rhetoric echoing Ukraine invasion pretexts.

It failed. Pro-European forces won parliamentary elections with 50%+ despite Kremlin-funded disinformation and vote-buying schemes.

Chisinau severed all Russian gas imports after Gazprom's cutoff, diversifying to the EU and Azerbaijan instead.

A new military strategy explicitly names Russia as the primary threat and mandates NATO-standard rearmament.

The pro-Russian Gagauzia leader sits in jail while Transnistria's gas-starved economy teeters toward reintegration talks.

What remains of Russian influence? A bankrupt Transnistrian enclave and a few thousand demoralized troops Moscow cannot sustain.

Thirty-three years after independence, Moldova is finally escaping Moscow's orbit. Not through war, but through the systematic dismantling of every lever Russia once possessed.

Frontline report: Moldova escapes Moscow's orbit through slow strangulation of Russian influence - Euromaidan Press

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Posted

I hope somebody in our military is paying a lot of extremely close attention. I know there are units and groups studying drone warfare, and out there working to train our troops to counter them (we will see them when/if we invade Venezuela).

 

The Rock Applause GIF

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Posted

I watched so many videos and podcasts about Ukraine that I can’t remember which one I saw this one on, but it was showing Russian meat troops that were not given body armor or even helmets to help them in their meat assaults. 

Essentially, Russia is so broke and so out of equipment that the people they trick into signing contracts find themselves in Ukraine within two weeks without helmets, body armor, medical kits, sleeping bags, or any basic essentials of being in combat.  

I would guess that the Russian mind in their military officer corp would realize that things are likely coming to an end soon.  Unlike Dick Winters in Band of Brothers who told his men to get a good nights sleep and report to him in the morning that they had crossed the river to search for prisoners but failed to find any - because the unit was going off-line the next day and to kill a lot of them for a stupid ego mission was something to avoid, Russian officers will send the meat into the grinder without hesitation.  Unlike Winters, they are probably stealing the equipment or the money for the equipment because they know the war will end quicker than later - and any grifting that has to be done needs to be done now while the grifting is still possible. 

As winter approaches you have to believe that Russian troops will not have winter gear or any way not to freeze to death or lose fingers and toes for the next three or four months. If they can’t afford to give them helmets, or even the vests stuffed with plywood instead of armor plate, I see zero chance of Russian troops being able to get through the winter without significant losses and injury due to the severe lack of supply.    Even a year ago I remember seeing videos were Russian troops complained that their officers made them purchase their equipment, and if the family didn’t spring for it they were screwed.

OTOH, I’m sure Ukraine’s NATO allies are rummaging through their older winter kit and shipping it all to Ukraine. I would bet that the site picture on a modern thermal site looking at a Russian trying to stay alive in -20 weather is an image that pops out.

 

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Posted
6 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

Russian dressing sucks. 

Not on a Reuben it doesn't.  That's literally the only way I ever eat it, but it has its place.

Now a Russian UN-dressing, on the other hand....that has its place (1) on OnlyFans (2) as a chief revenue source of what is left of the Russian economy.

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Posted
6 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Not on a Reuben it doesn't.  That's literally the only way I ever eat it, but it has its place.

Now a Russian UN-dressing, on the other hand....that has its place (1) on OnlyFans (2) as a chief revenue source of what is left of the Russian economy.

reuben is thousand island. 

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Posted
1 hour ago, InkaUtexas said:

That ain't no Reuben Counselor. That is some ruskie made up crap that probably has radioactive waste (hence the color) in it. 

:)

 

 

I feel like these guys are the experts

 

IMG_1212.thumb.png.cc1209214c185e14d6ec3d5cc51182ce.png

 

I haven’t had one in 25 years and I swear it was under 10 bucks. I wonder if it’s still enough for three people 

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Posted
4 hours ago, Sawbonz said:

I feel like these guys are the experts

 

IMG_1212.thumb.png.cc1209214c185e14d6ec3d5cc51182ce.png

 

I haven’t had one in 25 years and I swear it was under 10 bucks. I wonder if it’s still enough for three people 

As of about 5 years ago the far superior but $30 dollar Sarge's Reuben was plenty for 2 fat people. 

Posted

Season 4 Wow GIF by The Office
 

In a rare case of admitting that the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was based on wrong data, Russian colonel general Chirkin commented as follows:

„There was an underestimation of the enemy and overestimation of their (Ukrainian) troops. Everyone began to say that the war would end in three days.

(…)

Before the invasion began, the Russian leadership received reports that 70% of Ukrainians were for Russia and 30% against. It turned out the opposite, 30% for and 70% against."

 

 

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Posted

 

Kushner and Witkoff spontaneously enter Putin’s war game — Politico. 

Putin used a mix of charm, calculated delays, and overt threats to show the American envoys Russia’s position on peace with Ukraine, the outlet writes. 

Witkoff and Kushner enjoyed a walk around Moscow and lunch at an elite restaurant on Tuesday — the Russian president made them wait several hours before the meeting in the Kremlin. 

While the Americans killed time, Putin spoke to the press at an investment forum, accusing Europe of derailing the peace process and hinting at future escalation. 

As expected by those familiar with Putin’s habit of keeping foreign guests waiting, Tuesday’s talks began almost three hours later than the time announced by his press secretary — 5:00 p.m. In video released by the Kremlin, Putin greets Witkoff and Kushner and asks if they like Moscow; Witkoff replies, “It’s a wonderful city.” The meeting ended after midnight local time. 

In a post on X, Putin’s foreign policy adviser Dmitriev, who attended the talks, called the meeting “productive.” Putin’s aide Ushakov, also present, described the conversation as “useful, constructive, and very substantive,” but added that “a lot of work lies ahead.” 

Putin pointed to “destructive actions by the European side.” This may mean he will try to blame any failure of peace talks on the EU, which was conspicuously excluded from the meeting.

In the days leading up to the Moscow talks, Putin showed no signs of backing down from his demand for Ukraine’s de facto capitulation, condemning Zelenskyy as an “illegitimate” leader with whom he supposedly cannot reach a deal.

In fact, neither the earlier talks in Istanbul, nor the August summit in Alaska between Trump and Putin, nor Witkoff’s five previous visits to Moscow have led to any softening of the Kremlin’s position or its belligerent rhetoric.

———

Are we just going to ignore the fact that Putin jails and kills his political opponents and that he’s basically been a dictator for over 20 years?

We need to stop trying to make a peace deal until Moscow wants to.  This is ridiculous.

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Posted

A good update:

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-3-2025/

 

Key Takeaways

  1. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s theory of victory and negotiating tactics assume that Russia can outlast the West and Ukraine in a war of attrition.
  2. Kremlin officials continued to refuse to publicly discuss the outcomes of the December 2 US-Russia meeting, as ISW previously forecasted.
  3. The Kremlin is reigniting narratives that Odesa City is a Russian city.
  4. Russian forces achieved the tactical breakthrough northeast and east of Hulyaipole in mid-November 2025, likely in part by concentrating and committing a force grouping comparable in size to the one operating in the Pokrovsk-Dobropillya direction.
  5. The 5th CAA’s tactical breakthrough north and northeast of Hulyaipole could enable Russian forces to achieve operational successes in both the Hulyaipole and Orikhiv directions. Russia’s ability to exploit such a breakthrough, however, largely depends on Ukrainian resistance and denial of Russian river crossings.
  6. High ranking Kremlin officials continue to set conditions to justify potential future Russian aggression against Moldova and the Baltics.
  7. The Kremlin is attempting to mobilize Russian and Belarusian civil societies, including Belarusian organizations and the Russian Orthodox Church, to garner support for the war in Ukraine and influence campaigns globally.
  8. Ukraine’s European allies continue to provide military aid and support to Ukraine.
  9. Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Vovchansk, Pokrovsk, Novopavlivka, and in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area. Russian forces recently advanced near Siversk and Pokrovsk.

 

 

 

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Posted
5 hours ago, Bevo said:
  • High ranking Kremlin officials continue to set conditions to justify potential future Russian aggression against Moldova and the Baltics.

Yeah, it's weird as shit to see them talking about Moldova and the Baltics when they are almost 4 years into a 3-day tour.

5 hours ago, Bevo said:
  • The Kremlin is attempting to mobilize Russian and Belarusian civil societies, including Belarusian organizations and the Russian Orthodox Church, to garner support for the war in Ukraine and influence campaigns globally.

If anything, I'd think they would be using them to clamp down on the civilian population, because there has to be a lot of unrest coming when all of the new taxes, etc. kick in, not to mention Ukraine's ongoing campaign of fucking up their oil and gas infrastructure.

Posted (edited)

So yeah, I love this, I used to do this with a couple of different flight simulators in my younger years, except instead of unmanned drones, it was me in an F-16 or F-15.

Or in the case of Battlefield 1942 (BF1942 for lyfe) it was me in a Spitfire of P-51 hitting a Japanese or German airplane.  Or me in an American Jeep hauling ass into a German airfield and hitting a bomber with multiple players in it.

 

Edited by atomheartbevo
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Posted
19 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Or me in an American Jeep hauling ass into a German airfield and hitting a bomber with multiple players in it.

covering a jeep in mines/C4 charges and ghost riding it into a bunch of enemies is PEAK Battlefield

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