Politics

[Corey0372]

Another couple of these short video clips that say much more than their length. China has been very careful what it provides Russia during this war. One thing that seemed useful, if relatively harmless, were several hundred Desert Cross ATVs similar to a Kawasaki Mule or Polaris. It could prove useful as a light supply vehicle. The last couple of weeks, the Russians have been attempting to use them as assault vehicles. They cram them as full as possible with troops and race toward Ukrainian defensive positions - with predictable results.

View attachment 604865

Like the lonely T-34 in the Victory parade, this would seem to point to an increasingly dramatic shortage of armor. The confirmed kill listings on Oryx, the pre-war estimates, and limited new vehicle production capability would make this inevitable. As usual with respect to the Russian art of war, the infantryman pays the price.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/1cowt1i

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/1c9gf4p

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/1bnczgr

Everybody knows the best non-standard light vehicle is the Helmand Davidson!!!!

2nd Battalion guys (pictured below, probably in Herat or Badghis) had a lot of success (and fun) on these things. My company never used motorcycles but we leaned on our Polaris' a lot. But holy $hit I would not want to be riding in a Polaris on the front in Ukraine!!!

Dirtbikes on the other hand could potentially prove to be surprisingly effective with the right rider..... especially if you're trying to outrun/outmaneuver an FPV drone. With that said though, I was in country when the first switchblade got a kill on 3 Taliban guys (on the same motorcycle) who had just buried an IED. Granted they most likely had absolutely zero idea what was coming for them.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Reading the politics thread these days I am reminded of the scale of polarity:
Points of view to opinions to entrenched positions.

And the actions it precipitates:
Disagreement to vehemence to anger to aggression.

It seems that in an election cycle everything gets more scratchy, even on non-political topics, sometimes inexplicably silly.

Having got to a 'mature' age it seems to me that extreme anything comes at the expense of rational thought and sensibility. I sincerely believe that these qualities are absolutes, and when humans move away from them confrontation and trouble are inevitable. What an environment to elect a candidate to lead a hugely powerful nation and even the world! Itself. Sincerely, democracy is too fragile to be entrusted to humans!

 

[Tanks]

Maybe the Finn's are happy, maybe they have not experienced anything different? Speculative, I know.
The USA population is approx 60 times greater. I can't imagine any American taxpayer wanting to give up 50% of their income, in addition to a 25% value added tax on various goods and services.

In CA, NY, NJ etc. combined federal and state taxes are over 50% without accounting for SS and Medicare taxes for the higher tax brackets. Sales tax is much lower though.

As pointed out, their system works for a homogeneous working population.

It is beginning to fail in Sweden which opened its borders to Syrian refugees where they directly went to welfare and put strains on their budget. Same for France etc..

 

[Red Leg]

Everybody knows the best non-standard light vehicle is the Helmand Davidson!!!!

2nd Battalion guys (pictured below, probably in Herat or Badghis) had a lot of success (and fun) on these things. My company never used motorcycles but we leaned on our Polaris' a lot. But holy $hit I would not want to be riding in a Polaris on the front in Ukraine!!!

Dirtbikes on the other hand could potentially prove to be surprisingly effective with the right rider..... especially if you're trying to outrun/outmaneuver an FPV drone. With that said though, I was in country when the first switchblade got a kill on 3 Taliban guys (on the same motorcycle) who had just buried an IED. Granted they most likely had absolutely zero idea what was coming for them.

View attachment 604913

Assaulting into automatic weapons fire or being chased by a drone can't be real good for morale. Also, I am not sure the Russian bikers are enjoying a lot of success either in that environment.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/16400j7

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/1c5nzdv

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/17udf8b

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/179y3f6

 

[Red Leg]

In CA, NY, NJ etc. combined federal and state taxes are over 50% without accounting for SS and Medicare taxes for the higher tax brackets. Sales tax is much lower though.

As pointed out, their system works for a homogeneous working population.

It is beginning to fail in Sweden which opened its borders to Syrian refugees where they directly went to welfare and put strains on their budget. Same for France etc..

Yep, with alternative minimum plus state and local taxes, our accountant pegged us at 52% in Northern Virginia. That of course did not count sales tax.

 

[AimSmall]

Sales tax counts, too. As do the taxes on utilities, phones, properties, vehicles, fuel, even your pets are taxed in a lot of areas.

 

[flying sailor]

I feel certain that our founding fathers would be appalled by the level of taxes that working people pay. I get it, gas taxes-pay for road building and repairs. And so on. What is disturbing is the amount of wasted money for bullshit. Its like a runaway train with no one in the engine cab!

 

[Brent in Az]

In CA, NY, NJ etc. combined federal and state taxes are over 50% without accounting for SS and Medicare taxes for the higher tax brackets. Sales tax is much lower though.

As pointed out, their system works for a homogeneous working population.

It is beginning to fail in Sweden which opened its borders to Syrian refugees where they directly went to welfare and put strains on their budget. Same for France etc..

I don't doubt that. The deep blue states on the opposite coasts have been trending that way for a long time, including a very high cost of living.
My ancestral motherland of Norway is part of that Nordic socioeconomic model, yet Norway ranks much lower then Finland in many of the categories.

 

[PARA45]

Besides the unknown number of illegals we are supporting, let’s not forget the millions living out of the government funded programs. I’m sure we have more illegal immigrants and Welfare parasites than the combined population of the two countries in question.

 

[Brent in Az]

The population of the entire Nordic region is approx 28 million.
Some say that the illegal immigrant population here is approx 20 million?

 

[Brent in Az]

 

[Brent in Az]

An excellent take on Scandinavia vs. The USA

 

[Corey0372]

Assaulting into automatic weapons fire or being chased by a drone can't be real good for morale.

Junger might disagree, however I would not, haha.

The videos of guys getting killed on the bikes is obviously part of the battle, casualties are never going to be 100% avoidable. But I can still see them being effective, especially for the Ukrainians. They're small enough to fit in a trench if you needed to, which is a plus, cheap and easy to ditch if you have to as well. With the right training and employment I think 2-3 man bike elements with Carl Gustavs, SMAW-Ds, and Stingers would be nightmare fuel for the Russians.

 

[Pondoro]

Well..first, we do not do fracking in Norway, we drill for oil & gas on the seabed.. I have been in oil for 30 years now...but we do have very low emissions..we burn off no gas..

Secondly..this blah-blah caracter forgets the benefits..sure taxes are high, but higher education is free..college and university..and health care is free for all no matter your income..

How much does it cost to have your kids in college these days in the US..huh..?

Defence..? The government recently released a $60 billion expence to rebuild our defence..the navy will get the most part of it..

 

[mdwest]

Everybody knows the best non-standard light vehicle is the Helmand Davidson

lol.. one of the first things I did when I arrived in Kabul in 2007 was to buy a 250cc Helmand Davidson… I think it cost me $500.. I sold it to the guy that came in as my replacement about 120 days later for the same amount as I paid for it..

I drove that thing all over the place… every time I pulled up to the gates at Camp Phoenix on jalalabad road the national guard guys working the ECP looked at me like I was insane… “whose this 6’4” white boy riding a hadji bike?????” lol… Phoenix had an awesome DFAC though and a decent library.. and a pretty good gym.. so I went there 4-5 times a week..

I took it to Eggers, up to the top of Kings Tomb Hill, to Kabuls Fried Chicken (KFC), etc etc.. I loved that little piece of crap Chinese bike! lol

 

[Doubleplay]

Its not that you asked a question, but how you asked it. Act like a dickhead, and I'll give you dickhead x 2 in return. That's how I roll

No wonder man, you roll with great class.

 

[Brent in Az]

No wonder man, you roll with great class.

So do you.......

 

[Brent in Az]

Well..first, we do not do fracking in Norway, we drill for oil & gas on the seabed.. I have been in oil for 30 years now...but we do have very low emissions..we burn off no gas..

Secondly..this blah-blah caracter forgets the benefits..sure taxes are high, but higher education is free..college and university..and health care is free for all no matter your income..

How much does it cost to have your kids in college these days in the US..huh..?

Defence..? The government recently released a $60 billion expence to rebuild our defence..the navy will get the most part of it..

Well.....we have somewhat free college education here. Students borrow money to pay for the education, and a Democrat president forgives the debt.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

 

[Brent in Az]

Must be elementary school meme day at the Tundra house. You should invite WAB and Doubleplay over.