The United States(!) of A
One more for ya. A Russian explanation of the 'special operations' in the Ukraine.
https://www.kp.ru/daily/27368/4550511/
Supafreak wrote:I have no idea if what Tulsi is saying here is true or not . Anyone care to comment ? https://youtube.com/shorts/505uQahvKvg?feature=share
Wow,.interesting Supa.
Always two sides to a story. Seems we're getting fed, dare i say it....a narrative again.
Yeah, not sure that's really necessary from TG, or if it's actually making the point she thinks it is.
Since the Soviet empire broke up, few of the satellite states have achieved political stability, caught in the nexus between NATO and the Russian resurgence and all the meddling that comes with it.
Democracy ain't an on/off switch, it's a delicate balance between many qualities, and Tulsi getting hung up on a word when there's a much greater issue at stake seems besides the point. Feels like she has to weigh in and say something contrary for the sake of it.
ahh. Interesting. Cheers Stu.
Supafreak wrote:I have no idea if what Tulsi is saying here is true or not . Anyone care to comment ? https://youtube.com/shorts/505uQahvKvg?feature=share
Sounds similar to what some Republicans are currently threatening when they get back in power.
while stunet gives a good rundown...
I'd say that's an interesting way to frame it... TG's whole point is unkraine's leader was hardly appointed in a 'democratic' fashion, as we would associate with a 'democracy'
it is all in cunstance's link, and it all goes back to obama, hilary, biden, and even mckain... it's all pretty common knowledge for anyone who followed the dark side of the trump v hilary, and then trump v biden debates... but not so if you were in the anti trump bubble - which is nearly everyone...
I wouldn't say she's being contrarian for the sake of it, it's more she hitched her wagon a long time ago, ...as did / have the establishment dems... which is why we saw / now see them siding up almost excusively with the mckains and the neo-cons - an interesting development to say the least... for anyone who has been paying attention...
agree with stunet, hard to know what she seeks to achieve... as we are well into the territory of selecting 'the lesser of two evils'...
but what I see as the real issue here, is the dems and the establishment trying to cover up a heap of covert shit, a big big heap... ...which is what governments do - or did quite easily - before the internet...
but they have done it to such an extreme extent, with their compliant media and blatant 'misinformation' (irony alert!!) (...see russia, russia, russia, hilary's emails, hunter's laptop etc....) that now, it is truly difficult to choose a 'lesser of two evils'....
especially when 'the good guys' are siding up with the war machine... and have consistently for some time...
which places people like tulsi on the outer - rather than her deliberately choosing a contrarian position...
ukraine is some weird arse shit to say the least. and if you are incapable of taking anything from all those tucker carlson vids... take one thing... his main point... why ukraine?
there's many reasons why ukraine, ...the geography obviously... but there's a hell of a lot more going on...
all the history, all the deals, all the 'memory hole'-d shit...
and all the biden trump ukriane shit... that has dominated the media for about 4 or 5 years... all the while, endeavouring to tell the public essentially nothing....
it's a fucken mess... but yes, democracy is hard...
especially when new to a country, which we have seen time and time again of late
I dont think Tulsi is getting hung up on the word.
I think she's demonstrating that the word 'democracy', the arbitrary word the democratic war machine is using,needs examination.
I thought it'd only be a matter of time before we'd be hearing about Hunters lap top.
I cant figure who's worse,Joe n Hunter or Trump n Don Jr.?
troppo dichotomy wrote:I dont think Tulsi is getting hung up on the word.
I think she's demonstrating that the word 'democracy', the arbitrary word the democratic war machine is using,needs examination.
Really?
Feels to me like she's trying to delegitimise any notion of defending Ukraine. As in, 'they're an authoritarian dictatorship so we shouldn't help them'.
Unless she's got a terribly poor sense of timing, why make such a song and dance about semantics less than 24hrs after the invasion?
stunet wrote:troppo dichotomy wrote:I dont think Tulsi is getting hung up on the word.
I think she's demonstrating that the word 'democracy', the arbitrary word the democratic war machine is using,needs examination.Really?
Feels to me like she's trying to delegitimise any notion of defending Ukraine. As in, 'they're an authoritarian dictatorship so we shouldn't help them'.
Unless she's got a terribly poor sense of timing, why make such a song and dance about semantics less than 24hrs after the invasion?
Spot on mate. And we shouldn't be naive in thinking that this conflict won't expand into other regions. Tulsi demonstrates shallow levels of critical thinking.
When Putin took Crimea the response was soft and it opened an attack corridor from the South. When Putin took Eastern Ukraine through a proxy the response was soft and it opened an attack corridor from the East. When Putin defends the totalitarian regime in Belarus he secures an allegiance for an attack from the North which is basically at the doorstep to Kyiv.
Now, he commands an all-out, coordinated attack from North, East and South. Years of strategy in making.
What's next? Old enemies like Lithuania and Poland?
I think it’s more like she doesn’t think that Ukraine is anything approaching a true democracy. It’s a captured state run by corrupt people in an undemocratic fashion. I’m not in any way up to speed about the domestic situation in Ukraine but TuckerCarlson is saying that the President of Ukraine has put his opposition I in gaol and shut down TV stations to control information. If true, that’s not half way to a democracy. It’s a vassal state of the US corporatocracy.
The US government ( Democrats and Republicans) do not give a fuck about Ukraine. They barely give a fuck about the US.
I assume it’s all about corruption and money. Wake me up when it’s shown to be otherwise. It sure as Christ isn’t about “ freedom”.
Here’s the thing : Has the US ( since about 1950 ) been about policing the world’s freedoms or has it actually been about preserving US domination and , more specifically , the spreading of neoliberalism throughout the globe ? I don’t view their actions with much positivity in regards to human rights. Look at how they interact with Saudi Arabia. Freedom is the lipstick they put on their mission to extract wealth and power from every corner of the globe. Ukraine is no different. If the US looks to care about Ukraine it’s because they’ve got business interests in Ukraine. Whether these interests align with the people of the US or the people of Ukraine is incidental.
TG is rightfully pointing out that the US should not throw its own population under a bus , whether through being involved in war themselves or through the economic cost to everyday US citizens , just to defend the “democracy” of a nation which has nothing to do with the USA , culturally or historically.
Also weighing in is that I trust Tulsi Gabbard and it’s been a long time since I’ve felt confident of saying that about any politician anywhere.
Blowin wrote:I think it’s more like she doesn’t think that Ukraine is anything approaching a true democracy. It’s a captured state run by corrupt people in an undemocratic fashion. I’m not in any way up to speed about the domestic situation in Ukraine but TuckerCarlson is saying that the President of Ukraine has put his opposition I in gaol and shut down TV stations to control information. If true, that’s not half way to a democracy. It’s a vassal state of the US corporatocracy.
The US government ( Democrats and Republicans) do not give a fuck about Ukraine. They barely give a fuck about the US.
I assume it’s all about corruption and money. Wake me up when it’s shown to be otherwise. It sure as Christ isn’t about “ freedom”.
Here’s the thing : Has the US ( since about 1950 ) been about policing the world’s freedoms or has it actually been about preserving US domination and , more specifically , the spreading of neoliberalism throughout the globe ? I don’t view their actions with much positivity in regards to human rights. Look at how they interact with Saudi Arabia. Freedom is the lipstick they put on their mission to extract wealth and power from every corner of the globe. Ukraine is no different. If the US looks to care about Ukraine it’s because they’ve got business interests in Ukraine. Whether these interests align with the people of the US or the people of Ukraine is incidental.
TG is rightfully pointing out that the US should not throw its own population under a bus , whether through being involved in war themselves or through the economic cost to everyday US citizens , just to defend the “democracy” of a nation which has nothing to do with the USA , culturally or historically.
Also weighing in is that I trust Tulsi Gabbard and it’s been a long time since I’ve felt confident of saying that about any politician anywhere.
absolutely all that
but...
is there no value/need to hemming in putin's intentions?
because he clearly has his eyes on more than the 'independent states'
he's already pretty much in kiev
"What's next? Old enemies like Lithuania and Poland?"
Can hardly keep up with the footage here, but one interesting development: it's either true or myth and legend, or somewhere in between; but rumours are wild that there's a Mig 29 Pilot over Kiev who has been downing Russian aircraft, now at Ace status and he's been called 'The Ghost of Kiev'.
I understand in times of stress there's a desire to create superheros too.
The historical parallel for me is 'Faith, Hope and Charity', the 3* Gloster Sea Gladiator biplanes out of RAF Hal Far in the siege of Malta: the legend being those 3 aircraft held off the enemy until support could arrive.
*From memory the planes were made out of components of around 5 or 6.
@Blowin I am actually not questioning Tulsi's intentions. They could be coming from a good place.
I am actually questioning the need for a justification for help based on one being a 'democracy'.
Here's a question; does a state (any state in distress) need to be a democracy to be offered help?
Blowin wrote:I think it’s more like she doesn’t think that Ukraine is anything approaching a true democracy. It’s a captured state run by corrupt people in an undemocratic fashion. I’m not in any way up to speed about the domestic situation in Ukraine but TuckerCarlson is saying that the President of Ukraine has put his opposition I in gaol and shut down TV stations to control information. If true, that’s not half way to a democracy. It’s a vassal state of the US corporatocracy.
The US government ( Democrats and Republicans) do not give a fuck about Ukraine. They barely give a fuck about the US.
I assume it’s all about corruption and money. Wake me up when it’s shown to be otherwise. It sure as Christ isn’t about “ freedom”.
Here’s the thing : Has the US ( since about 1950 ) been about policing the world’s freedoms or has it actually been about preserving US domination and , more specifically , the spreading of neoliberalism throughout the globe ? I don’t view their actions with much positivity in regards to human rights. Look at how they interact with Saudi Arabia. Freedom is the lipstick they put on their mission to extract wealth and power from every corner of the globe. Ukraine is no different. If the US looks to care about Ukraine it’s because they’ve got business interests in Ukraine. Whether these interests align with the people of the US or the people of Ukraine is incidental.
TG is rightfully pointing out that the US should not throw its own population under a bus , whether through being involved in war themselves or through the economic cost to everyday US citizens , just to defend the “democracy” of a nation which has nothing to do with the USA , culturally or historically.
Also weighing in is that I trust Tulsi Gabbard and it’s been a long time since I’ve felt confident of saying that about any politician anywhere.
Well said
flollo wrote:@Blowin I am actually not questioning Tulsi's intentions. They could be coming from a good place.
I am actually questioning the need for a justification for help based on one being a 'democracy'.
Here's a question; does a state (any state in distress) need to be a democracy to be offered help?
That’s the heart of the matter.
flollo wrote:@Blowin I am actually not questioning Tulsi's intentions. They could be coming from a good place.
I am actually questioning the need for a justification for help based on one being a 'democracy'.
Here's a question; does a state (any state in distress) need to be a democracy to be offered help?
If it was up to me then anyone proposing a war should be made to fight Mano a Mano vs their opposite number. Until that day happens then it’s a given that shifty power hungry and corrupt shit bags will be sending others out to do their dirty deeds by proxy.
Why does Biden and the US care about Ukraine when the world is full of alternative armed conflicts they do not give a tinker’s cuss about?
VJ….you got any links to that Mig stuff please mate ?
Hey Blowin its probably the start of world war 3 do you really think Putin is
going to stop there, thats how Hitler started one country to the next country
until its too late. Not to mention they are allies to China big time and China
will start a push as well in the not to distant future. Why only mention USA
all the civil countries of the world have loudly spoken out about Russia and
now finally taken China seriously. You will be begging America to come and
save your sorry arse when China starts knocking on your door.
Humans like you really piss me off.
I am not a communist and do not support Putin's invasion.
Why did he invade?
Was Russia threatened by the neighbours political ideologies?
Could the invasion be Putin's response to having Nato missiles placed on your doorstep and income severed selling pipeline gas to Europe?
Ever since Iraq,we've had some trust issues with our(seppo) government.
When pappa Bush(Texan oil tycoon) went to war it was due to Saddam invading Kuait and mustard gas genocide on the Kurds,fair enough.Nothing to do with oil...?
When baby Bush(George W.)went back for more under the guise "weapons of mass destruction"we the public were told,from credible sources there were ice cream trucks with nukes on em?
Dick Cheney,Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz were drooling and rubbing their hands together behind baby Bush as he delivered the message.
George W. the former college male cheerleader,recovering coke addict,from the exhonerated family that gave us the savings and loans scandal was as reliable as a wet paper bag!
When it became clear there were no weapons of mass destruction then the new mantra became "to install a democracy."
Everybody knew it was about the oil.
In regards to Tulsi it wasn't bad timing,she's playing politics.
Everyone knows its about oil and gas,money and power.
Blowin wrote:VJ….you got any links to that Mig stuff please mate ?
Sure mate, here is the twitter search:
https://twitter.com/hashtag/ghostofkyiv
It's now become meme, so er yeah... maybe it happened. There is footage of what is said to be a Ukranian plane being shot down and going into a block of flats in Kiev as well.
evosurfer wrote:Hey Blowin its probably the start of world war 3 do you really think Putin is
going to stop there, thats how Hitler started one country to the next country
until its too late. Not to mention they are allies to China big time and China
will start a push as well in the not to distant future. Why only mention USA
all the civil countries of the world have loudly spoken out about Russia and
now finally taken China seriously. You will be begging America to come and
save your sorry arse when China starts knocking on your door.
Humans like you really piss me off.
I think China is a genuine threat to the world. I don’t think Russia is a genuine threat to the world. Perhaps it is? I’ve never given it much thought. To me Russia of the last decade has been less a viable threat and more a voodoo spirit invoked by the most hyperbolic US neocon hawks to generate greater military budgets.
Frankly, I always assumed that the US government was a larger threat to world peace than I ever suspected of Russia. And I was right.
Mate, I’m all in with the USA and our Western Democratic solidarity vs the Han Mafia . Unfortunately I think our US allies have had their institutions and culture white anted by the neoliberal/ globalist / cultural Marxist All Stars. The population of the US has been purposefully divided and fractured, as has been levelled at some degree to all Western Anglophone nations.
Still….the death rattle of Western culture is by no means assured.
Never forget that the alliance between Russia and China is not dissimilar to the historic alliance between Germany and Japan except the racist revulsion is reversed. The inscrutable Han cannot tolerate the idea of equity with barbarian Russians. Their alliance is a built on shifting sands.
I don’t know fuck all about Russia or Ukraine but I’ll wager that Putin isn’t the psychopath Hitler the Western media wants him to be. He might take Ukraine to get a buffer between himself and NATO and also to give a big fuck you to the US fuckstiks who threaten his borders.
If China made move to install military on the Southern coast of New Guinea after corrupting it’s government, then you’d assume Australia would try to reclaim the entirety of New Guinea to allow a broom to be run through the shit filling up their parliament. Same same.
I think this time Putin may get some grief at home. The average Russian has no real appetite for this invasion. Mounting deaths being seen on social media will only raise negativity. There is already some protests and graffiti happening…that may sound pretty minor but for Russia it is telling. The Russian Mummas are already getting grumpy that their little sunshine is off to war. A few nationalist will jump up and down but overall…this is a bad thing for Russians, and they know it.
Yep that's the vibe I'm getting across all platforms RK.
Doesn’t sound very dictatory to me.
You know he’s gone full dictator when he declares a state of emergency, starts freezing the bank accounts of the protesters and running them over with horses whilst they peacefully stand their ground.
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/trudeau-canada-freeze-bank-accounts-f...
Rob Lee has some harrowing footage amongst his feed
Pretty ballsy from the Ukrainians. https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/go-fk-yourself-defiant-final-words-...
Roadkill wrote:I think this time Putin may get some grief at home. The average Russian has no real appetite for this invasion. Mounting deaths being seen on social media will only raise negativity. There is already some protests and graffiti happening…that may sound pretty minor but for Russia it is telling. The Russian Mummas are already getting grumpy that their little sunshine is off to war. A few nationalist will jump up and down but overall…this is a bad thing for Russians, and they know it.
The real Russia wants a better life. Protesting in Russia can cost your life. Always admired those who rose above. Pussy riot and other collective activists speak out for many. The suppressive rule hates opposition as it has shown. Gutsy stuff to speak out where dissidence is often crushed. Collective efforts can force change or empower. There has Been some defiant humans I have greatly admired who have voiced the voice of many and suffered the ramifications. All for a want of a greater good. A greater freedom. Makes fweedom protests look Pail in comparison. We have it so easy in the first world. Count your blessings your not getting shelled or imprissoned for your beliefs and you have freedom of voice. Never take it for granted as their are always people struggling to survive. Fuck Putin. What's heavier. A pipe beating or a lifetime in a Russian jail if you make it that far.
Hey Rob Williams…you were doing so well until you stuck your foot in your mouth when trying to diminish the role our own dissidents played during covid.
From little things big things grow bloke.
For the good and bad. Better to nip them in the bud whilst you can.
Having it easy in the first world is not set in stone.
Never forget that Russian media is probably describing the protesters as “ Right wing Nazis “ as we speak. No doubt the Russian media are reporting Trump flags and Confederate flags amongst the crowd of “ cooked anti everything “ protesters.
Sound familiar bloke?
Blowin wrote:Hey Rob Williams…you were doing so well until you stuck your foot in your mouth when trying to diminish the role our own dissidents played during covid.
From little things big things grow bloke.
For the good and bad. Better to nip them in the bud whilst you can.
War zone is non relatable to covid. Sorry. Just what I've seen. One is of medical origin and its fallout and perceived destruction is nothing to a bomb going off. Or ramifications of war. Building aren't removed by covid. People are function ok they have the right to choose what view they take. But to compare warfare to a biological sense is nonsense. Not get vaxed is ok you will enjoy life. Wether you do or you don't. Getting shelled shot tourtured. You don't have a chance. See the difference. I'm not taking your rights. Perspective.
Robwilliams wrote:Blowin wrote:Hey Rob Williams…you were doing so well until you stuck your foot in your mouth when trying to diminish the role our own dissidents played during covid.
From little things big things grow bloke.
For the good and bad. Better to nip them in the bud whilst you can.
War zone is non relatable to covid. Sorry. Just what I've seen.
Russia isn’t a war zone. Not that it matters. The people demanding the government stop acting like cnts in their name is the universal message.
trump... 'putin's puppet'
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=516415096509150&id=100044219...
yeh nah
But but….mean tweets!
german dude just on tv...
to his credit, admitting his own complicitness
'30 years of foriegn policy engaging with russia under the belief that it will bring peace and the spread of liberal democratic influence has been a mistake'
sounds familiar...
Blowin wrote:Robwilliams wrote:Blowin wrote:Hey Rob Williams…you were doing so well until you stuck your foot in your mouth when trying to diminish the role our own dissidents played during covid.
From little things big things grow bloke.
For the good and bad. Better to nip them in the bud whilst you can.
War zone is non relatable to covid. Sorry. Just what I've seen.
Russia isn’t a war zone. Not that it matters. The people demanding the government stop acting like cnts in their name is the universal message.
Totally agree. But rockets are warfare. Just as are bullets nothing peaceful about them and the force they are being used. They are not hunting food are they. If I chose to pop a few rounds towards my neighbour what would he think. Russia is the aggressor. Just as I would be.
flollo wrote:etarip wrote:gragagan wrote:etarip wrote:Ukrainian webcams in Odessa seem quiet:
https://www.webcamtaxi.com/en/ukraine/odessa.htmlWonder why that is…????
They're all very quiet, just people doing their normal daily thing by the looks of it. There's a ton of live-cams all over ukraine, I've been checking as many as I can. I saw people catching a bus, a worker emptying a rubbish bin, people shopping, roads look normal, the port looks quiet.
There are a lot of US and UK news-sites and youtube channels doing "live feeds" of the "invasion". I don't think they can be trusted.
btw on a side note everyone that I could see was masked up stillJust a hint. Look a little broader than US and UK news sites.
This webcam discussion is utter nonsense. I lived in a war for 4 years. My house was within 50-100km from the front line and if there were webcams back then life would look pretty normal. I went to school, shops were open and my family members (if not on the frontline) went to work.
But those webcams would not show coffins coming home, refugees sleeping in your bed, or the guns and hand grenades we kept in our house in case of emergency.
War takes a toll in many different shapes. It's nearly impossible to describe them all.
Fuck man that’s nuts, care to elaborate on your situation? Understand if not.
Roadkill wrote:Pretty ballsy from the Ukrainians. https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/go-fk-yourself-defiant-final-words-...
Fuck that’s full on
Blowin wrote:Hey Rob Williams…you were doing so well until you stuck your foot in your mouth when trying to diminish the role our own dissidents played during covid.
From little things big things grow bloke.
For the good and bad. Better to nip them in the bud whilst you can.
Having it easy in the first world is not set in stone.
Never forget that Russian media is probably describing the protesters as “ Right wing Nazis “ as we speak. No doubt the Russian media are reporting Trump flags and Confederate flags amongst the crowd of “ cooked anti everything “ protesters.
Sound familiar bloke?
The whole vax argument is for the individual to decide. We are lucky we can voice our concerns what ever they may be. I can't compare the two as I see them as totally different. The passion that is displayed is in represention to the different causes. We are alarmed for a right to vax or not and the ramifications we face. But we are not in a situation of imminent war. The threat of death to the odds seems higher in war or conflict zone. . I might be wrong. Protest your freedoms what ever they are forget about what I think. I'd rather be around covid than shelling or the atrocities of war. Having family from a collapsed country failed state has encouraged some of these views I hold of our quality of life in Australia. I'm always for improvement and refinement. Life's very cheap in the third world. Generally we have a good life to be greatfull for in Australia. Worth savouring and protecting. I agree nothing is ever set in stone. But we have it much nicer than many. Just look at my comment in relation to getting your head shot off in ukraine.
. Abc news
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-25/explosions-heard-ukraine-kyiv/100...
Bit different to whatever your covid views are here in Australia.
I get the feeling this is a big wake up for many of the politicians and thinking in the West. After communism collapsed it was assumed that the Western way of life and democracy (ban all donors lol) would spread and people would enjoy their choice and living standards rise, and borders and barriers would go down and we'd all live hunky dory consumerist lives with great pay and no discrimination.
Great power competition looked like it lay dormant, the US was unipolar and celebrated by going off on a series of quixotic, bloody wars.
But now great power competition is back, and it is the authoritarian regimes that are expanding. Deer in the headlights for the open world. It seems that each human saeclum (lifetime, circa 80 years) we have to learn the same themes again.
“The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.”
What you get if you fuck up on a grand scale. negative actions always have consequences. Beware the wolf in sheeps clothing who tells us otherwise. I don't think the the true ideas of democracy have failed just the leaders and the implications of their actions. Absurd really considering the desires of most humans. If you continue to do business with rouge states or people you continue to support these outcomes. The west is happy to ignore the human toll if it is making money. After all it is our true god. We have put it above all else. No matter the cost to humanity. Business as usual. Far removed from the ethical approach of basic democracy. If countries can be bought they can always be sold. What ever the cost. Africa has countries that have had all huge profits of wealth siphoned from them and have remained third world. Some remain highly unstable.
if I put those two posts above together...
it's not democracy that's failing, it is it's terribly compromised leaders that are failing... miserably...
as they jet into former communist and third world dictatorships with suitcases full of cash under the guise of 'spreading democracy'
coupled with... overzealous...
financial deregulation
trade deregulation
hyper globalisation
we get an extreme version of globalised neoliberalism
all good for a 'fly in fly out' strike mission of 'spreading democracy'
but kinda lacking in the bedrocks of any functioning democracy, like;
any form of sustainability
(economic, social, and environmental)
equality
and any real empowerment
...and a heap of other buzzwords that only really come along with long term commitment and sustainable development... of the economic and social variety...
western style democracy ain't that easy
and our corrupt political class are just so... well, corrupted!
(which is different to plain corrupt)
Here’s that word again - tribalism.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-25/russia-ukraine-invasion-borders-p...
Good post at 6.15 last night Blowin….and some of what Stan Grant wrote in Andy m’s was good too….I particularly liked the comment that the west seemed to be “on a journey to anywhere”…. Russia seems to want some of its motherland back without communism and I think they will stop there. China however is a different story, they have a global vision and their new soldier could be a quantum computer with Ai. Our problem in the west is that we have become so “ loose” in our way of life ,pandering to every weird desire from anyone from any minority group and then making it law that our adversaries no longer have any respect for us or our culture……we are fast becoming a Godless fractured tribal dogs breakfast and other cultures don’t want it anymore whereas we used to be desirable.
Defiance from Ukraine, shame the west can't toughen the fuck up and offer more than thoughts.
“Who are you?” she shouted. “We have exercises here,” a Russian soldier replied. “Please go away”.
The woman would not be deterred: “What kind of exercises? Are you Russian?” When he admitted that he was, she began shouting. “So what the fuck are you doing here? You’re occupants, you’re fascists.” The soldier warned her to “not escalate this situation, please”.
She pressed on, offering them sunflower seeds. “Take these and put them in your pockets,” she said, “so at least sunflowers will grow when you all lie down here. You came to my land. Do you understand? You are occupiers. You are enemies”
. https://theintercept.com/2022/02/24/russian-tv-uses-tucker-carlson-tulsi...On a visit to Ukraine, I met a number of everyday Ukrainians who have become good friends over the years. Some are stuck in Kyiv, others trying to get to the Poland border. They’re scared & worried for their families. Please join me in praying for their safety and the… pic.twitter.com/F8ZSl18hUn
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) February 25, 2022
I don’t think this is plying out the way that Russia expected. Tactically or operationally, and I’m not sure that Putin’s strategic calculations were correct.
Ukrainian resolve is hardening, and their military appears to be largely holding. The failed coup de main at Hostomel airport was significant. There’s no sense of a split in political unity in Ukraine.
Western response is largely unified, if underwhelming, there’s still the big stick of SWIFT. Western aid is increasing, especially of the items that make a difference on the battlefield - anti armour weapons in particular. Not sure about surface to air missiles (‘stingers’) though.
Advancing on three axis has the potential to spread defenders, but it appears that it’s also spreading resources and logistics.
This piece by Lawrence Freedman , a noted war historian, is a worthy read. Sober and free from political spin.
https://samf.substack.com/p/a-reckless-gamble?utm_campaign=post&utm_sour...
@etarip , firstly thanks for sharing that substack piece. Do you think putin would have attacked the Ukraine regardless of NATO being on their borders ? I’m wondering if it’s just an excuse and Ukraine’s resources and agriculture land has more to do with it . If Russia does take Ukraine then surely NATO presence will just increase ? I watched an interesting video on the relationship of the two countries dating back to the 9th century. Not entirely sure how accurate it was though . I have no true understanding of what its all about .
Who knows what’s in Putin’s head, but there’s plenty on record that he considers Ukraine as part of Russia. Either an integral or a peripheral component, but subservient either way. I said the other day that this is more social and economic than it is political. I think ‘NATO expansion’ is a convenient domestic message for him, but not the real reason for his actions.
I think he’s overestimated his military capability, and vastly underestimated the capability and will of the Ukrainians. The will being the decisive element. Because that is where wars are won and lost.
That’s going to change the type of war that he’s now committed to. I’m guessing he wanted shock and awe, decisive manoeuvre, and a political victory. It looks like Ukraine is mobilising a popular defence. AK47s to every man, woman and cat, Molotov cocktails from apartment blocks. That’s ugly, expensive and drawn out.
At the risk of cliche, it’s worth going back to Clausewitz:
“No one starts a war--or rather, no one in his senses ought to do so--without first being clear in his mind what he intends to achieve by that war and how he intends to conduct it.”
Just to add to that Etarip, i just read that all men of fighting age are banned from leaving the Ukraine and are being called to fight.
Ukrainians go full Finnish WinterWar @Atamansikka https://t.co/7lht9OzJY7
— toomas ilves, ex-verif (@IlvesToomas) February 25, 2022
Septic Tanks are going to Septic Tank