Politics

[rigbymauser]

Time is not on Ukraine’s side

When it comes to the war in Ukraine, about the only thing that’s certain right now is that the fighting and destruction will continue. Vladimir Putin remains fully committed to bringing all of Ukra…

www.almendron.com

Very insightful article by Condoleezza Rice in the Post. Regrettably, I think she is essentially correct.

With a great deal of fanfare, we and the French have decided to provide the Ukrainians with "tanks."

Well not exactly. We are providing them 45 M2 Bradleys which are an armored fighting vehicle (AFV) designed to move and support infantry on the battlefield in conjunction with tanks. 45 such armored AFVs is the strength of a single mechanized infantry battalion. The Brad carries a TOW launcher, but it really is not designed to go toe to toe with main battle tanks (MBT). The French are providing them a wheeled reconnaissance vehicle with a 105mm medium velocity gun. It will kill a BTR or BMP, but will have real difficulty penetrating the frontal armor of a T72. In short, this is nothing but some sort of demonstration or message.

From excess stocks alone, we could easily provide them with two brigade equivalents of Bradleys (360). And the Germans and other NATO allies could easily do the same with Leopard 2 tanks. That would give Ukraine the striking power to achieve the sort of breakthroughs that would defeat Russian forces in Ukraine.

I am more convinced each day that Jake Sullivan is totally out of his depth.

Russia and their leadership will continue until selfdestruction. Its more or less the mindset of the Devil. "If I am going down I am gonna take somebody with me". The selfdestructive mindset at full blaze.

 

[RTG]

Russia and their leadership will continue until selfdestruction. Its more or less the mindset of the Devil. "If I am going down I am gonna take somebody with me". The selfdestructive mindset at full blaze.

Let's hope not completely. A suicidal person with a nuke is a crappy picture.

 

[rigbymauser]

Let's hope not completely. A suicidal person with a nuke is a crappy picture.

Yep.
Just imagine being in a fistfight and your opponent draws a knife, well knowing he could end up with a deathsentence or livetime prison by killing you. You can tell this person can`t see much further down the road because he is a lowlife anyway and hasn`t really much to lose. His shitty life is shit anyway whether outside prison or inside prison.
You know now you have a crucial seconds to make any decision that may alter the course of life.
Putin has already altered a lot as far as the political situation here in Europe and Putin can only go down(he knows it). His life will not end with a happy retirement plan looking a sunsets sitting in a beachbar.

 

[fourfive8]

Hah! Traitorous Kinzinger was first to sign with CNN. I guess he beat Liz to the job. No real guess where she’ll end up…. The View? MSLSD?

Just sitting here in Dallas airport people watching… lots of coming and going. No, didn’t go to DSC, not my thing, but easy to spot some of the attendees heading home.

 

[Red Leg]

Perfect. Then what were Liz Cheney's ideas? As far as I could tell, she never had any, yet became number 3 in the house GOP. This was due to family connections only. She never grew our tent.

We'll grow the tent if we lead the way by clearing out our corrupt lifelong politicians that most of America resents and mistrusts.

What I find so head scratching is this common refrain of "clearing out" what you and others perceive as lifelong corrupt politicians. A noble endeavor I would presume in some cases, though certainly not all long serving politicians are corrupt.

But exactly how do you propose to to that? I am being serious. How do you accomplish that goal? Remember each of these men and women in our party who fail to meet your standards were elected - often by large majorities - by other Republicans. Others narrowly defeated very liberal Democrats in districts that are at best a very blue shade of purple. Hardly the likely successful campaign environment for a Freedom Caucus member.

Let me provide an example. Lindsey Graham, for reasons I have never understood, has often been a target of the more purist members of my party. In 2020, he was elected with a 10% margin by the citizens of South Carolina. In other words, Graham isn't going anywhere, and he wields a lot of power in the senate. I would argue that the conservative wing of the party would be far wiser to work with politicians like Graham to achieve some of what they want rather than oppose him and achieve none of what they want.

In my experience, the politician "that most of America resents and mistrusts" is anyone but their own.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Yep.
Just imagine being in a fistfight and your opponent draws a knife, well knowing he could end up with a deathsentence or livetime prison by killing you. You can tell this person can`t see much further down the road because he is a lowlife anyway and hasn`t really much to lose. His shitty life is shit anyway whether outside prison or inside prison.
You know now you have a crucial seconds to make any decision that may alter the course of life.
Putin has already altered a lot as far as the political situation here in Europe and Putin can only go down(he knows it). His life will not end with a happy retirement plan looking a sunsets sitting in a beachbar.

The calculation of when this conflict must be brought to an end surely hinges upon Putin's state of mind and just how far he can be pushed. Clearly the power's that be know more than we do because there is little or no talk of peace negotiations on the Ukraine side and weapon supplies are being accelerated. Brinkmanship is a dangerous game, I hope they have it right.
What Russia fears is NATO, what Russia really needs now is not Ukraine, but NATO guarantees.

 

[Newboomer]

What I find so head scratching is this common refrain of "clearing out" what you and others perceive as lifelong corrupt politicians. A noble endeavor I would presume in some cases, though certainly not all long serving politicians are corrupt.

But exactly how do you propose to to that? I am being serious. How do you accomplish that goal? Remember each of these men and women in our party who fail to meet your standards were elected - often by large majorities - by other Republicans. Others narrowly defeated very liberal Democrats in districts that are at best a very blue shade of purple. Hardly the likely successful campaign environment for a Freedom Caucus member.

Let me provide an example. Lindsey Graham, for reasons I have never understood, has often been a target of the more purist members of my party. In 2020, he was elected with a 10% margin by the citizens of South Carolina. In other words, Graham isn't going anywhere, and he wields a lot of power in the senate. I would argue that the conservative wing of the party would be far wiser to work with politicians like Graham to achieve some of what they want rather than oppose him and achieve none of what they want.

In my experience, the politician "that most of America resents and mistrusts" is anyone but their own.

Sad but true. Everyone whines about corrupt politicians but they keep voting for the same ones over and over. If you want to change the system, change your vote. That's what elections are for.

 

[Foxi]

The calculation of when this conflict must be brought to an end surely hinges upon Putin's state of mind and just how far he can be pushed. Clearly the power's that be know more than we do because there is little or no talk of peace negotiations on the Ukraine side and weapon supplies are being accelerated. Brinkmanship is a dangerous game, I hope they have it right.
What Russia fears is NATO, what Russia really needs now is not Ukraine, but NATO guarantees.

but NATO guarantees.

What do you think they should look like ?

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

but NATO guarantees.

What do you think they should look like ?

No first strike against Russia ever.

 

[Red Leg]

No first strike against Russia ever.

I am confident that the US will never rule out first strike with nuclear weapons - against Russia, China, or anyone. Russian mobile, mirved, land based ICBMs (a capability the US has never developed) give them the potential for a first nuclear strike capable of destroying much of our land-based deterrent. The US will always reserve the right to primitively destroy those launchers were they to start rolling to launch positions. What "NATO" would think about that would be irrelevant from a US national interest perspective at that point.

 

[Red Leg]

I am confident that the US will never rule out first strike with nuclear weapons - against Russia, China, or anyone. Russian mobile, mirved, land based ICBMs (a capability the US has never developed) give them the potential for a first nuclear strike capable of destroying much of our land-based deterrent. The US will always reserve the right to primitively destroy those launchers were they to start rolling to launch positions. What "NATO" would think about that would be irrelevant from a US national interest perspective at that point.

Got to love spell correct. “Preemptively” not primitively.

 

[PARA45]

I thought you meant "primitively" by sending the Air Force after those missiles.

 

[PARA45]

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

View attachment 510198

They Border Agents were probably making fun of him and he didn't get it!

 

[Doug3006]

It’s reported that the area of El Paso where he appeared had been “sanitized” and the masses of immigrants had been removed. Who’s fooling who? How can he possibly believe this kind of stage management will work?

 

[CoElkHunter]

Yep.
Just imagine being in a fistfight and your opponent draws a knife, well knowing he could end up with a deathsentence or livetime prison by killing you. You can tell this person can`t see much further down the road because he is a lowlife anyway and hasn`t really much to lose. His shitty life is shit anyway whether outside prison or inside prison.
You know now you have a crucial seconds to make any decision that may alter the course of life.
Putin has already altered a lot as far as the political situation here in Europe and Putin can only go down(he knows it). His life will not end with a happy retirement plan looking a sunsets sitting in a beachbar.

Well, Putin may still be able to enjoy sunsets from his prison cell window after being convicted of war crimes? Maybe he'll be able to see a beach from his cell window? So, it could be worse for him? LOL

 

[Ray B]

I am confident that the US will never rule out first strike with nuclear weapons -

Would it be considered a First Strike if immediately prior to launch Milktoast Milley calls up the intended target and gives them the news?

 

[Newboomer]

It’s reported that the area of El Paso where he appeared had been “sanitized” and the masses of immigrants had been removed. Who’s fooling who? How can he possibly believe this kind of stage management will work?

He has no clue what's happening or how to manage it. Probably didn't even know where he was.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

It’s reported that the area of El Paso where he appeared had been “sanitized” and the masses of immigrants had been removed. Who’s fooling who? How can he possibly believe this kind of stage management will work?

This is the kind of stunt they pull in despot countries, this whole Biden administration is an utter joke. This must be put out there on bill boards and media to exemplify the lie this man lives. It is disgraceful.

 

[Ray B]

this whole Biden administration is an utter joke. This must be put out there on bill boards and media to exemplify the lie this man lives.

My wife and I have acquaintances that are Democrats. Some were previously friends but stopped talking to us (or even sending Christmas cards) when they learned we had voted for Trump. I'm not sure what it would take for them to see just how bad the Democrat policies and their corrupt and overwhelmed politicians are submerging the country. At the moment they appear so set in their beliefs that nothing could shake them loose.