Politics

[1dirthawker]

Control to what end? What is their idea of a utopian world?

Kevin,

quite a few of the liberals i know, think the other side is stupid and that they (the enlightened liberal) knows what is best for the average man/woman. they are the ones that need to set the rules up so that things don't get "out of control."

that is what actually happens in a socialist/communist (different but similar) society, the elites that set the rules live one way (fly private jets, have bodyguards, etc) while the everyman is intended to live their life out dependent on the government (ruled by elites) and to stay in line and do what they are told.

FREEDOM is the one thing that must be sacrificed on the alter of socialism, because, everyone has to have the same whether they work for it or not. if free to excel, some individuals will and that has potential to make others yearn for the same.

it is ironic that many of the leftists think socialism is the utopian world and yet that type of government has NEVER succeeded.

just ramblings on a good question you asked.

 

[bowjijohn]

You wouldn’t want to be an officer in the Russian front line

when your first team comprises criminals, conscripted civilians and poor quality regulars, the chances of getting a 7.62 short in the back of the head must be sky rocketing

 

[Daniel Cary]

Did anyone see the Russian Arrests/Beatings for Putin's call to 300K More Troops?
Creating a Draft of young & middle-aged men by force. If resisted, 10 yrs in Prison for treason.

This is Not what I was looking for, but you get the Idea.
Just Curios?

 

[Daniel Cary]

p.s Really Profound Documentary: A good Watch.

 

[steve white]

Kevin,

quite a few of the liberals i know, think the other side is stupid and that they (the enlightened liberal) knows what is best for the average man/woman. they are the ones that need to set the rules up so that things don't get "out of control."

that is what actually happens in a socialist/communist (different but similar) society, the elites that set the rules live one way (fly private jets, have bodyguards, etc) while the everyman is intended to live their life out dependent on the government (ruled by elites) and to stay in line and do what they are told.

FREEDOM is the one thing that must be sacrificed on the alter of socialism, because, everyone has to have the same whether they work for it or not. if free to excel, some individuals will and that has potential to make others yearn for the same.

it is ironic that many of the leftists think socialism is the utopian world and yet that type of government has NEVER succeeded.

just ramblings on a good question you asked.

Liberals are in control now, and it has surely become obvious that they cannot solve problems if someone had a gun to their head--they have wrecked things in 2 years flat! I have this to say: IF TRUMP PROVED ANYTHING AT ALL, IT IS THAT EVEN A DISLIKED SOMEWHAT UNSOPHISTICATED PERSON WHO HAS BUSINESS ACUMEN AND SOME MEASURE OF COMMON SENSE--PLUS A RESPECT FOR WHAT MADE THIS COUNTRY GREAT IN THE FIRST PLACE, CAN IMPROVE THINGS IN THIS COUNTRY IN A SINGLE TERM!!!!!!!! YES--YES, HE DID HAVE A MAGIC WAND, MR. OBAMA!
And to think, all they had to do was continue successful policies, and they would have taken credit for advancement...grrrrrrr

 

[spike.t]

The greenies etc are not going to like this volcano....and greta turdberg has better go and start her screaming screeching voice giving it a good lecture ....

50 million tons of water vapor from Tonga's eruption could warm Earth for years

The explosive event increased atmospheric water vapor by 5%.

www.space.com

 

[Wheels]

Looks like Sweden and Italy have both rejected the unelected oligarchy of Brussels and Davos. Wonder which country is next.

 

[Major Bonkers]

It is wrong to say that NATO has not provided any tanks to the Ukraine: Poland has supplied some 240 upgraded Soviet-era tanks, amongst a whole other load of artillery: https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/08/a-european-powerhouse-polish-military.html

So have the Czechs: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/czech-republic-sends-tanks-ukraine-czech-tv-reports-2022-04-05/

And the North Macedonians: https://www.reuters.com/world/europ...eive-tanks-planes-north-macedonia-2022-08-06/

And the Slovaks have sent 30 tanks: https://www.forces.net/ukraine/what-zuzana-howitzer-slovakia-sending-ukraine

These are the ones that we know about and all of whom are NATO members. The Romanians are probably supplying arms, including tanks, and are being accused by the Russians of doing so. Nor would I be surprised if the Americans and British were surreptitiously buying up Soviet-era tanks from Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, India, and the khan-ates, refurbishing them in Poland, and shipping them across the border, although I have absolutely no evidence that they are doing so.

Soon the Ukrainian autumn will come, turning the ground into a quagmire, and then the unpleasant winter; and soon also Tsar Dudon's hapless recruits will be dumped into a war with outdated equipment, insufficient training, and dubious logistic support.

 

[Wheels]

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

soon also Tsar Dudon's hapless recruits will be dumped into a war with outdated equipment, insufficient training, and dubious logistic support.

Those poor bastards! I do feel sorry for what is to happen to them.

 

[Red Leg]

It is wrong to say that NATO has not provided any tanks to the Ukraine: Poland has supplied some 240 upgraded Soviet-era tanks, amongst a whole other load of artillery: https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/08/a-european-powerhouse-polish-military.html

So have the Czechs: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/czech-republic-sends-tanks-ukraine-czech-tv-reports-2022-04-05/

And the North Macedonians: https://www.reuters.com/world/europ...eive-tanks-planes-north-macedonia-2022-08-06/

And the Slovaks have sent 30 tanks: https://www.forces.net/ukraine/what-zuzana-howitzer-slovakia-sending-ukraine

These are the ones that we know about and all of whom are NATO members. The Romanians are probably supplying arms, including tanks, and are being accused by the Russians of doing so. Nor would I be surprised if the Americans and British were surreptitiously buying up Soviet-era tanks from Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, India, and the khan-ates, refurbishing them in Poland, and shipping them across the border, although I have absolutely no evidence that they are doing so.

Soon the Ukrainian autumn will come, turning the ground into a quagmire, and then the unpleasant winter; and soon also Tsar Dudon's hapless recruits will be dumped into a war with outdated equipment, insufficient training, and dubious logistic support.

You are correct - they have received Soviet era equipment (some somewhat improved such as the Polish T72's). But the primary provider to date is the Russian Federation. The "second Army in the world" has become the second army in Ukraine. But they have not yet received US or German main battle tanks. I don't believe the Leopard 2's will be forthcoming due to the careful game Germany is playing. Abrams will be more difficult to sustain, but as you note, with the Rasputitsa (fall mud) approaching, and Russia's recent catastrophic experience with a winter offensive, I suspect Ukraine and the US have 6-8 months to put together four to five battalions of former USMC M1A1's (100 are being drawn down out of the corps) and their logistics support structure.

The mobilization is obviously not going entirely well. Putins TV propagandists are even upset and scrambling.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1574491958101393411

 

[CoElkHunter]

Those poor bastards! I do feel sorry for what is to happen to them.

+1.

 

[Woodcarver]

Those poor bastards! I do feel sorry for what is to happen to them.

With his methods to add conscripts, one wonders how fast they will choose to be a POW instead of fighting....

 

[CoElkHunter]

Kevin,

quite a few of the liberals i know, think the other side is stupid and that they (the enlightened liberal) knows what is best for the average man/woman. they are the ones that need to set the rules up so that things don't get "out of control."

that is what actually happens in a socialist/communist (different but similar) society, the elites that set the rules live one way (fly private jets, have bodyguards, etc) while the everyman is intended to live their life out dependent on the government (ruled by elites) and to stay in line and do what they are told.

FREEDOM is the one thing that must be sacrificed on the alter of socialism, because, everyone has to have the same whether they work for it or not. if free to excel, some individuals will and that has potential to make others yearn for the same.

it is ironic that many of the leftists think socialism is the utopian world and yet that type of government has NEVER succeeded.

just ramblings on a good question you asked.

Yes. I find it ironic when a few months ago, members of the "squad" were running their Marxists mouths about how great the Government of Cuba was, and Marco Rubio stated he could make arrangements to have those members move to Cuba. "Crickets" from them after that.

 

[Vashper]

Another "great" interview by Solovyov. The level of paranoid self-delusion is almost impossible to comprehend.

Interesting little fact. Following the first phase of the Karkhiv offensive, the Russian Army officially became the primary provider of main battle tanks to Ukraine (NATO has yet to provide any). According to Oryx, which is a third party analytical group only counting destroyed/ damaged/ or captured equipment for which there is photo or video evidence, Russia has now lost 1192 main battle tanks (the US and UK estimates just north of 2000). 447 were abandoned or captured in working order. These represent their newest and best equipment. Indeed, in recent weeks, Russia has been forced to deploy T64's in theater - equipment that is 50 years old along with some of its very few T-90's of which half a dozen already have been destroyed or abandoned.

The most laughable comment is that 30% of the ground forces are being provided by NATO. Russians simply can't wrap their collective heads around the notion that Ukrainians (Khokhols as Russians derisively call them) are capable of defeating them on the battlefield.

Or perhaps NATO's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine to increase its ready reserve. Clearly really an effort to prepare for an invasion of Mother Russia. Absolute paranoid self-deception.

A bit of truth is that enormous stress is occurring along the Russian empire's Southern and Asian fault lines. One day, someone in the country may awaken to the fact that rather than a vast Western conspiracy, the only cause for this mess was Putin's decision to blunder into Ukraine.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/xo02d1

Bonus clip.

Traffic backup at the Georgian border of Russians leaving. I suppose it could simply be a bad accident.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/xoh97a

RedLeg, you are undoubtedly a military man. If Ukrainian troops had captured 447 modern tanks, then such an armada would simply have demolished the Russian army and its allies. Probably, photos of such masses of tanks would be impressive, but I have not seen them.

In reality, now the Ukrainian offensive mainly uses tanks from the countries of the former Warsaw Pact, mainly Polish T-72. More than 200 of them were delivered to Ukraine, they are modernized and in good condition. From other Eastern European countries, more than 300 tanks of varying degrees of preservation were received (Yugoslavian M84 in particular), BMP-1, self-propelled guns, etc. By the way, these are all NATO countries. Armored personnel carriers, in particular M113s from Western European countries, and similar vehicles are also involved in the attacks.
I must say, it looks like a newsreel from the Vietnam War, when chains of Ukrainian soldiers in Western-style equipment walk across the field accompanied by M113.
Why these hundreds of cars are going to Georgia, I do not know - most likely, most of them are Georgians, there are several hundred thousand of them in Russia. Well, let them go, we have no restrictions on movement yet.

And yes, I also think that 30% of the NATO countries are too much. Perhaps they are somewhere in the department, but why are they at the front? So far, there are only a few of them among the prisoners and killed.
And you're wrong about "neglect." The same Russians are fighting on the opposite side of the front, the Ukrainian dialect is heard on the video as an exception, and the army is generally of the same type. The word "Khokhol" - yes, it is a nickname, it literally means "forelock", there was such a Turkish fashion in those parts in the Middle Ages.

 

[PARA45]

 

[Major Bonkers]

An interesting article on the old Red Army inheritance of the modern Russian army:

https://thecritic.co.uk/what-can-russias-failure-in-afghanistan-teach-us-about-its-war-in-ukraine/

 

[Randy F]

RedLeg, you are undoubtedly a military man. If Ukrainian troops had captured 447 modern tanks, then such an armada would simply have demolished the Russian army and its allies. Probably, photos of such masses of tanks would be impressive, but I have not seen them.

In reality, now the Ukrainian offensive mainly uses tanks from the countries of the former Warsaw Pact, mainly Polish T-72. More than 200 of them were delivered to Ukraine, they are modernized and in good condition. From other Eastern European countries, more than 300 tanks of varying degrees of preservation were received (Yugoslavian M84 in particular), BMP-1, self-propelled guns, etc. By the way, these are all NATO countries. Armored personnel carriers, in particular M113s from Western European countries, and similar vehicles are also involved in the attacks.
I must say, it looks like a newsreel from the Vietnam War, when chains of Ukrainian soldiers in Western-style equipment walk across the field accompanied by M113.
Why these hundreds of cars are going to Georgia, I do not know - most likely, most of them are Georgians, there are several hundred thousand of them in Russia. Well, let them go, we have no restrictions on movement yet.

And yes, I also think that 30% of the NATO countries are too much. Perhaps they are somewhere in the department, but why are they at the front? So far, there are only a few of them among the prisoners and killed.
And you're wrong about "neglect." The same Russians are fighting on the opposite side of the front, the Ukrainian dialect is heard on the video as an exception, and the army is generally of the same type. The word "Khokhol" - yes, it is a nickname, it literally means "forelock", there was such a Turkish fashion in those parts in the Middle Ages.

RedLeg, you are undoubtedly a military man. If Ukrainian troops had captured 447 modern tanks, then such an armada would simply have demolished the Russian army and its allies. Probably, photos of such masses of tanks would be impressive, but I have not seen them.

In reality, now the Ukrainian offensive mainly uses tanks from the countries of the former Warsaw Pact, mainly Polish T-72. More than 200 of them were delivered to Ukraine, they are modernized and in good condition. From other Eastern European countries, more than 300 tanks of varying degrees of preservation were received (Yugoslavian M84 in particular), BMP-1, self-propelled guns, etc. By the way, these are all NATO countries. Armored personnel carriers, in particular M113s from Western European countries, and similar vehicles are also involved in the attacks.
I must say, it looks like a newsreel from the Vietnam War, when chains of Ukrainian soldiers in Western-style equipment walk across the field accompanied by M113.
Why these hundreds of cars are going to Georgia, I do not know - most likely, most of them are Georgians, there are several hundred thousand of them in Russia. Well, let them go, we have no restrictions on movement yet.

And yes, I also think that 30% of the NATO countries are too much. Perhaps they are somewhere in the department, but why are they at the front? So far, there are only a few of them among the prisoners and killed.
And you're wrong about "neglect." The same Russians are fighting on the opposite side of the front, the Ukrainian dialect is heard on the video as an exception, and the army is generally of the same type. The word "Khokhol" - yes, it is a nickname, it literally means "forelock", there was such a Turkish fashion in those parts in the Middle Ages.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

i thought this guy was dead.

 

[Red Leg]

RedLeg, you are undoubtedly a military man. If Ukrainian troops had captured 447 modern tanks, then such an armada would simply have demolished the Russian army and its allies. Probably, photos of such masses of tanks would be impressive, but I have not seen them.

In reality, now the Ukrainian offensive mainly uses tanks from the countries of the former Warsaw Pact, mainly Polish T-72. More than 200 of them were delivered to Ukraine, they are modernized and in good condition. From other Eastern European countries, more than 300 tanks of varying degrees of preservation were received (Yugoslavian M84 in particular), BMP-1, self-propelled guns, etc. By the way, these are all NATO countries. Armored personnel carriers, in particular M113s from Western European countries, and similar vehicles are also involved in the attacks.
I must say, it looks like a newsreel from the Vietnam War, when chains of Ukrainian soldiers in Western-style equipment walk across the field accompanied by M113.
Why these hundreds of cars are going to Georgia, I do not know - most likely, most of them are Georgians, there are several hundred thousand of them in Russia. Well, let them go, we have no restrictions on movement yet.

And yes, I also think that 30% of the NATO countries are too much. Perhaps they are somewhere in the department, but why are they at the front? So far, there are only a few of them among the prisoners and killed.
And you're wrong about "neglect." The same Russians are fighting on the opposite side of the front, the Ukrainian dialect is heard on the video as an exception, and the army is generally of the same type. The word "Khokhol" - yes, it is a nickname, it literally means "forelock", there was such a Turkish fashion in those parts in the Middle Ages.

You can find them yourself, but there are any number of clips of Russian T80's being utilized by the Ukrainian army. Somehow those ungrateful fascists have managed to figure out how to maintain a turbine engine. From whence a T72 originated is somewhat more difficult to determine from a photo or video clip. I again will simply note that Oryx's tallies are considered both conservative and accurate. Perhaps the Federation has merely instituted a lend lease program as an act of goodwill?

113's are indeed rather pathetic - true sixties technology. Most are armed with just a .50 cal mg. They are no match for anything on this battlefield other than a dismount without a RPG. It is why the Bradley became such an important acquisition during the eighties.

There are indeed citizens of NATO countries, to include some Americans serving in Ukraine's International Brigade - shades of the Spanish Civil War. I would also assume we have technical teams in country to thoroughly exploit things like abandoned T-90's, radars, ADA systems, unexploded cruise missiles, and downed aircraft and associated EW pods. While I have no doubt the US is providing strategic and operational level intelligence to Ukraine, I suspect their access to tactical intelligence is extraordinary. Unlike WWII or any of our experiences since them, Ukraine has access to tens of thousands of targeting agents within Russian held territory. Unlike the era when a radio was needed to try and reach his OSS handler, all one now requires is a patriot with a cell phone.

This "mobilization" will be an interesting case study. Napoleon famously noted ""Morale is to material as is the ratio of three to one." He proved it in spades at places like Austerlitz and as the Grand Army tried to retreat from Russia. I think you will be forced to agree that Ukraine's morale - their commitment to their independence - has seemed far more compelling than the Russian soldier's willingness to take it. I think Russian the VDV and Naval infantry were indeed fine troops - by anyone's standard. But those formations were largely destroyed at places like Hostomel and Mariupol early in the war. One can't blame those soldiers, but one can surely question the competence of leaders who sent them unsupported into Kyiv and such elite troops into the meat grinder that was Mariupol.

What do you seriously think will happen when this poorly trained and equipped wave of troops hit the battlefield as winter closes over the steppe? New formations are already deploying with armor used by those young men's fathers and in some cases grandfathers. The morale, weapons technology, logistics gap will will only continue to grow so as long as this conflict lasts. What does Putin believe this will gain him? Do you still truly feel the Russian Army is still capable of defeating Ukraine in a conventional conflict on the battlefield? My professional judgement is that opportunity was lost by the end of March.

No nation within NATO will recognize an annexation. I hope your dictator doesn't become so desperate as to launch a low yield nuclear weapon at one or more of the staging areas in western Ukraine. I am confident that NATO response would be devastating. It almost certainly would not initially be nuclear, but I have no doubt it would be kinetic and aimed at every military target in Crimea and within range of the Ukrainian battlefield. Bluster aside, Russia can not effectively intercept either B2's or F35's which would be launching JDAMS of incredible accuracy. What then? Attempted Russian strategic nuclear retaliation to end the civilized world?

The smartest move would be to withdraw and declare success in teaching a "lesson" to the Ukrainians about respecting their neighbors and the Russian speaking population of the East. I suspect that would sell in Russia, particularly as the actual casualty levels become more apparent. Indeed, I would assume NATO and the US would go to great lengths to remain largely silent about such claims.

It will take Russia at least a decade to recover militarily from this debacle - perhaps much longer depending upon sanctions. The fault lines along the Caucasus are indeed beginning to tremble. That strikes me as a far more existential threat to the empire than a paranoid fear of NATO military aggression.