Politics

[Sabattiboy]

Serious cyber attacks will be next

You know, it seems strange that the more risk there is on being connected to the Internet the more companies and our governments make sure to put everything on it and insist we have to use it that way.

 

[lwaters]

What's the deal with Isreal? Exactly whose side are they on?

 

[Paul Raley]

Irrespective of the so called reasons why this conflict is happening the reality is that it is another unnecessary war caused by politicians that have no regard for the lives of innocent civilIans and soldiers who are all just expendable pawns in this sick game of politics . Just another sad situation !

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

This is from Friday, Feb 25. Larry Kudlow and General Jack Keane. Put on your pinstripe suit and watch.

 

[Red Leg]

This is from Friday, Feb 25. Larry Kudlow and General Jack Keane. Put on your pinstripe suit and watch.

Worked closely with him (thru 911) daily for nearly two years in the building. One of the finest, brightest men to ever wear a uniform.

 

[Red Leg]

Irrespective of the so called reasons why this conflict is happening the reality is that it is another unnecessary war caused by politicians that have no regard for the lives of innocent civilIans and soldiers who are all just expendable pawns in this sick game of politics . Just another sad situation !

Of course.

“War is nothing but a continuation of politics with the admixture of other means.”
Carl von Clausewitz - 1780-1831

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

@Red Leg : General Keane's comments on Lithuanian (around 11:00 on the video) are quite concerning.

 

[Wheels]

Wonder if Vindman is the key to Ukraine's success.

 

[Red Leg]

@Red Leg : General Keane's comments on Lithuanian (around 11:00 on the video) are quite concerning.

I am sure I am not telling you anything you don't already know.

Kaliningrad (or Konigsberg as it was known until 1946) was the capital of East Prussia. The city was founded in the middle ages by the Teutonic Knights. At the end of the war, Soviet forces had taken it, and a decision was made to depopulate East Prussia of its German population. It was then incorporated into the Soviet Union. The Soviets turned it into an armed camp and it has been maintained as such by Russia since the end of the Cold War. Ostensively, the Russians claim it is there to blunt a NATO attack into Russia (he shakes his head). We have always viewed it as a likely Russian staging area for military action against the Baltic States. It was the home of the Baltic fleet, and solved a centuries old Russian territorial aspiration for an ice free Baltic port.

The Ukraine is the size of Texas, Lithuania is about the size of West Virginia and geographically indefensible. It is why we need a Brigade Combat Team rotating through the country on a permanent basis until Russia is ready to reenter the community of nations.

 

[Wheels]

There is a tremendous amount of disinformation and psyops in this war. It is hard to believe anything that is said or shown. Even on the major networks.

 

[Wheels]

Kaliningrad (or Konigsberg as it was known until 1946) was the capital of East Prussia.

All this time I thought the Konigsberg was in Tanganyika.

 

[Red Leg]

All this time I thought the Konigsberg was in Tanganyika.

Both are gone with the wind.

 

[Wheels]

Both are gone with the wind.

So True.

 

[Red Leg]

Couple of other thoughts. I question what Russia's operational reserves of money and munitions, look like to sustain this level of conflict. Modern cruise and intermediate range missiles are expensive and can't be stamped out of a reloading press. I have no access to numbers, but assuming the count of 150-200 launches is correct, I would not be surprised if Russian operational forces haven't expended three-quarters of those available. They probably have a bunch of Scuds, Frogs, and their ilk in storage somewhere, but they would be lucky to hit Kiev with them, much less a specific target.

Fighters and attack helicopters are difficult to maintain. In combat operations, they devour parts, fuel, and man hours at incredible rates. I suspect their availability rates are already collapsing. Plus as we saw last night, the Ukrainians are still able to engage low flying aircraft (probably with Stingers).

Assuming Putin was counting on 3-4 day decapitation exercise with a week of clean-up, the mathematics may suddenly be starting to look unsustainable. Not counting replacement costs, an operation of this size and complexity has to be running what? 1 - 1.5 billion a day? How long can Putin and Russia sustain that level of expenditure before the pragmatists step in?

 

[Tbitty]

The Union of Concerned Scientists says "In the US, the President can order the launch of nuclear weapons without consulting anyone. And US policy allows first use of nuclear weapons in a non nuclear conflict.....". They also worry that many of the World's 13,890 nuclear weapons are much less stringently controlled than those in the USA. I think an incorrect or hasty decision is a real possibility.....FWB

This particular "president" has a known tendency to lash out and inability to control his anger. One bad reaction to being insulted for his incompetence, low intelligence, or lack of balls to stop anyone and he may make that hasty decision.

Of course, he also thinks those dictators are his friends or can be persuaded to stop by sending them to a world leader equivalent of a time-out. He feints strength when everyone knows he's a coward and weak; it is likely that it would take someone else to actually "pull the trigger" on a nuke.

 

[spike.t]

Can you get the video of the guy offering to tow the tank back to Russia

It's on the BBC news app....but its on the whole scrolling page ...so hard to do...why I did screenshot...

 

[spike.t]

Interesting thoughts on how this will cause china's leadership some problems...

BBC News - The Ukraine crisis is a major challenge for China

The Ukraine crisis is a major challenge for China

President Xi Jinping has some big choices to make in terms of how his country will deal with the conflict.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Doug3006]

This particular "president" has a known tendency to lash out and inability to control his anger. One bad reaction to being insulted for his incompetence, low intelligence, or lack of balls to stop anyone and he may make that hasty decision.

Of course, he also thinks those dictators are his friends or can be persuaded to stop by sending them to a world leader equivalent of a time-out. He feints strength when everyone knows he's a coward and weak; it is likely that it would take someone else to actually "pull the trigger" on a nuke.

Since we invented the first nuclear weapons and used 2 to bring about the end of WWII the US has been involved in a “police action” in Korea, the Vietnam War, Desert Shield & Desert Storm, and the global war on terror. Plus more crises and conflicts than you can shake a stick at. Cuban Missile Crisis for example. We haven’t used nukes or even come very close to it. The Union of Concerned Scientists should be more concerned about the Ayatollahs and their nuclear program than US war fighting policies.

 

[Red Leg]

This particular "president" has a known tendency to lash out and inability to control his anger. One bad reaction to being insulted for his incompetence, low intelligence, or lack of balls to stop anyone and he may make that hasty decision.

Of course, he also thinks those dictators are his friends or can be persuaded to stop by sending them to a world leader equivalent of a time-out. He feints strength when everyone knows he's a coward and weak; it is likely that it would take someone else to actually "pull the trigger" on a nuke.

Release authority is fortunately a bit more complex.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Watch for an outcome where a shattered Ukrainian government agrees to a truce that guts the country. In corporate terms, an asset purchase rather than buying the company.

Then, by the way, Russia will control certain raw materials for the making of semi-conductors and natural gas to Europe. Not a bad acquisition. Certainly not a bad foundation for an empire. The West has grossly misunderstood this I think.

Unfortunately, I can see this happening very easily. With an enhanced stranglehold on pillaged Ukranian natural resources, raw materials and agricultural products, the FREE Democracies of the world, would now have an economically emboldened Russia in the West and a belligerent China on the east eyeing their dominance of the South China sea trade route, countries in SE Asia and Taiwan. It won't happen overnight, but it may happen soon without the West waking up and having a plan to counter it TOGETHER. Europe buried their heads in the sand when Hitler was building his army. We in the US, buried our heads in the sand while watching Hitler take over Europe and the Japanese taking over everything in the Pacific. It's always "somebody else's" problem, until it's not. We almost lost WW2 due to complacency and our isolationist policy. I'm not advocating the US or NATO get involved militarily in Ukraine at this point. But, make no mistake about it, as long as Putin and Xi Jinping are in power, we will continue to face on onslaught of violations of International Law until countries have decided they've had enough and isolate Russia and China through massive economic sanctions. Much easier to accomplish against Russia then China though?