Russian Invasion of Ukraine

[The Sisko]

42 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

I'd love to see the math on that, not because I disagree with you on the math part of your post, but as part of the moocher conversation that none of these red states seem to want to admit to, even the big ones Iike Florida and Texas : )

It was just my immediate take from knowing that red states are by and large, moochers compared to blue states. However, looking it up, they're both in the middle of the list but still get back more than they pay in taxes. In fairness to them, most states red and blue, especially with COVID are getting back more than they pay in taxes. However, my point still stands. The rest of the country could get along quite well without them. https://rockinst.org/issue-areas/fiscal-analysis/balance-of-payments-portal/

[Wildbunny]

I believe there's enough threads that already speak about Red and Blue.

Let's keep this one about Yellow and Blue

[DogofWar1]

 

To make a joke on this, this feels like if in 20 years Putin, retired, calls over zoom in support of Taiwan's president during a Chinese invasion.

 

(And yes there are differences between Iraq and Ukraine BUT there are far too many parallels for comfort too)

Edited May 6, 2022 by DogofWar1

[visionary]

 

 

 

 

 

[CousinsCowgirl84]

11 hours ago, DogofWar1 said:

 

To make a joke on this, this feels like if in 20 years Putin, retired, calls over zoom in support of Taiwan's president during a Chinese invasion.

 

(And yes there are differences between Iraq and Ukraine BUT there are far too many parallels for comfort too)

Not nearly enough parallels.  No one is crying over the death of Saddam. He was a war criminal who got what he deserved. 

[88Comrade2000]

2 hours ago, CousinsCowgirl84 said:

Not nearly enough parallels.  No one is crying over the death of Saddam. He was a war criminal who got what he deserved. 

You could say Bush Jr was a war criminal; for things he done in the Iraq.

 

Actually one country did charge him with war crimes and he can’t go to that country because they would arrest him.

[visionary]

 

[Peregrine]

1 hour ago, 88Comrade2000 said:

You could say Bush Jr was a war criminal; for things he done in the Iraq.

 

Actually one country did charge him with war crimes and he can’t go to that country because they would arrest him.

And the others not named Malaysia didnt?  So just like Putin then.  Malaysia is on Russia's side in their attempted genocide of Ukraine, so tell me should anyone care about their view of war crimes?

Please, go peddle your political nonsense somewhere else in a desperate attempt to equate a brutal dictator with a democratically elected and unelected official.

Edited May 6, 2022 by Peregrine

[skinsmarydu]

Shots fired! 

[LD0506]

28 minutes ago, skinsmarydu said:

Shots fired! 

 

 

[visionary]

 

[Wildbunny]

52 minutes ago, Peregrine said:

And the others not named Malaysia didnt?  So just like Putin then.  Malaysia is on Russia's side in their attempted genocide of Ukraine, so tell me should anyone care about their view of war crimes?

Please, go peddle your political nonsense somewhere else in a desperate attempt to equate a brutal dictator with a democratically elected and unelected official.

That's highly arguable. If I kill someone, by law I would be a murderer. It wouldn't matter if I'm convicted of it or not.

 

And the false claims of chemical weapons, lies, prior to the war or Irak part II and everything that went with it are going a long way today in most of the countries not blaming Russia.

At the very least, for many of them US position is quite hypocritical for blaming stuff from others when they are doing things alike.

 

Add to these that they camed from a democratically elected President, which makes it even worse, because well... You guys did vote for him. Twice.

 

Like it or not, that's how you are viewed in many countries. And if by 2024 you elect another MAGA asshole kind of type of President, that'll probably be even worse.

 

If you want to set standards for others, fine. But at the very least live with them as well. Otherwise, it's counter productive.

[Peregrine]

1 hour ago, Wildbunny said:

That's highly arguable. If I kill someone, by law I would be a murderer. It wouldn't matter if I'm convicted of it or not.

 

And the false claims of chemical weapons, lies, prior to the war or Irak part II and everything that went with it are going a long way today in most of the countries not blaming Russia.

At the very least, for many of them US position is quite hypocritical for blaming stuff from others when they are doing things alike.

 

Add to these that they camed from a democratically elected President, which makes it even worse, because well... You guys did vote for him. Twice.

 

Like it or not, that's how you are viewed in many countries. And if by 2024 you elect another MAGA asshole kind of type of President, that'll probably be even worse.

 

If you want to set standards for others, fine. But at the very least live with them as well. Otherwise, it's counter productive.

Who is "you guys"?

And its highly arguable by someone like you, but not to the vast majority of rational people.  They dont think the fact a Russian dictator loving country being the only one to try and accuse someone of war crimes means anything.  They also dont think that an elected president who didnt order troops to murder and rape is the same as a dictator who does.  Thats not how the USA is viewed by most countries, thats just how you view things in your crazy world where you try and equate the two, because one war and another war must be identical in your small-minded ability to only fit things in neat boxes. 

 

And no, if you kill someone, by law, you arent necessarily a murderer.  The fact you dont understand that basic concept would be shocking if it weren't for....yeah.  And im not even getting into the morality of the Iraq war, something I heavily opposed.

 

 

[Wildbunny]

20 minutes ago, Peregrine said:

Who is "you guys"?

And its highly arguable by someone like you, but not to the vast majority of rational people.  They dont think the fact a Russian dictator loving country being the only one to try and accuse someone of war crimes means anything.  They also dont think that an elected president who didnt order troops to murder and rape is the same as a dictator who does.  Thats not how the USA is viewed by most countries, thats just how you view things in your crazy world where you try and equate the two, because one war and another war must be identical in your small-minded ability to only fit things in neat boxes. 

 

And no, if you kill someone, by law, you arent necessarily a murderer.  The fact you dont understand that basic concept would be shocking if it weren't for....yeah.  And im not even getting into the morality of the Iraq war, something I heavily opposed.

 

 

1 - I meant American people as a whole.

2 - Putin, like Xijin Ping have both been elected by their people as well... Just in case you don't know, Russians will have to vote for President in 2024.

3 - You absolutely have no clue if Putin ordered it or not. You're purely speculating here because that fits your narrative. There's no proof of Genocide. Lots of war crimes, probably. But that's it. Happens in every war, because obviously the President cannot control every ****ing soldier on the field.

4 - You're clearly delusional about how US guys are perceived in the whole world, but I guessed that already.

 

I'm out of this.

[China]

Security Service of Ukraine: 11 Russian snipers taken prisoner during special operation

 

The Security Service of Ukraine reports that it has captured 11 of the occupier’s snipers as a result of a special operation in the Kharkiv region.

 

Source: Security Service of Ukraine spokesman Artem Dekhtiarenko

 

Quote: "In the Kharkiv region 11 Russian snipers were taken prisoner during a special operation run by the Security Service of Ukraine. The detainees were part of the so-called "115th Regiment of the DPR" [self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic], which was firing on Ukrainian positions."

 

Regarding other revelations of the Security Service of Ukraine, a spokesman said the following:

 

In the Khmelnytskyi region, the Security Service of Ukraine military counterintelligence neutralised a sabotage and reconnaissance group (SRG) that was planning sabotage in the region. The group consisted of three people who were in touch with their Russian handlers.

 

The sabotage and reconnaissance group (SRG) members had also videotaped missile strikes by the occupying forces on strategically important sites.

 

In the Zhytomyr region, an official of one of the defence facilities of Ukraine was detained. This person had been collecting intelligence for the Russian occupying forces about the number and combat readiness of aircraft belonging to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Putin to send 'doomsday' warning to West at Russia's WW2 victory parade

 

President Vladimir Putin will send a "doomsday" warning to the West when he leads celebrations on Monday marking the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany, brandishing Russia's vast firepower while its forces fight on in Ukraine.

 

Defiant in the face of deep Western isolation since he ordered the invasion of Russia's neighbour, Putin will speak on Red Square before a parade of troops, tanks, rockets and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

 

A fly-past over St Basil's Cathedral will include supersonic fighters, Tu-160 strategic bombers and, for the first time since 2010, the Il-80 "doomsday" command plane, which would carry Russia's top brass in the event of a nuclear war, the Defence Ministry said.

 

In that scenario, the Il-80 is designed to become the roaming command centre for the Russian president. It is packed with technology but specific details are Russian state secrets.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[visionary]

 

[visionary]

 

 

 

[China]

Giant £570 million superyacht 'owned by Vladimir Putin' is seized by Italian authorities as part of sanctions against Russia over invasion of Ukraine

 

A giant superyacht said to be owned by Vladimir Putin was last night set to be seized by Italian authorities after they recommended it be impounded as part of sanctions against Russia.

 

Authorities in Italy said the $700 million The Scheherazade, which is more than 450ft long, and boasts spas, swimming pools and two helicopter pads was connected to a 'significant person' but did not name them.

 

The yacht has been the subject of an investigation by the Italian financial police since the end of March and has been in dock at Marina di Carrara near Pisa since September undergoing a refit.

The late night announcement came after fears grew that The Scheherazde was about to slip away and head to international waters and avoid any possible sanctions.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[FootballZombie]

[RansomthePasserby]

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

On 5/6/2022 at 10:55 AM, Peregrine said:

And the others not named Malaysia didnt?  So just like Putin then.  Malaysia is on Russia's side in their attempted genocide of Ukraine, so tell me should anyone care about their view of war crimes?

Please, go peddle your political nonsense somewhere else in a desperate attempt to equate a brutal dictator with a democratically elected and unelected official.

 

Having lived in Malaysia when I was a teen I took notice of this post.  So I looked into it, appears that Malaysia is kind of doing a Switzerland and being neutral. They did recently block a Russian oil tanker from porting there so to say they are backing Russia in this invasion does not appear accurate.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/malaysia-says-wont-allow-russia-flagged-tanker-sanctioned-by-us-port-2022-03-01/

 

 

[China]

Putin believes he can't "afford to lose" in Ukraine, CIA chief says

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is "convinced" that his forces "doubling down" in their assault on Ukraine will enable them to progress, CIA director Bill Burns said Saturday, per AFP.

 

Between the lines: "He's in a frame of mind in which he doesn't believe he can afford to lose," said Burns, a former U.S. ambassador to Moscow, at the FT Weekend Festival in D.C. ahead of Russia's annual Victory Day on Monday, which analysts warn could mark a pivotal moment in the invasion of Ukraine.

 

Yes, but: "We don't see, as an intelligence community, practical evidence at this point of Russian planning for the deployment or even potential use of tactical nuclear weapons," Burns said, according to AFP.

 

"Given the kind of sabre-rattling that … we've heard from the Russian leadership, we can’t take lightly those possibilities."

 

What to watch: Burns believes that the second phase of the Russian military assault on Ukraine that focuses on the east and south of the country could be "even riskier" than the first eight weeks part of the war, CBS News notes.

 

"Putin has staked a lot on this second phase of what is an incredibly ugly and brutal offensive against the Ukrainians" and was trying "to adapt to some of the lessons from the failures of the first phase," he added.

The big picture: Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said Wednesday that Russian forces were behind schedule in the Donbas and in the south after being met with "stiff Ukrainian resistance" at every turn.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

VPN use skyrockets in Russia during Ukraine invasion

 

Russian citizens are turning to virtual private networks (VPNs) in droves in an effort to bypass state-controlled media reporting on the invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, news reports say.

VPNs – which hide users’ identities and locations – are being downloaded in Russia by the hundreds of thousands a day after Russian authorities launched a crackdown on any media not towing the official line on the war, according to The Washington Post.

 

Millions of Russians are now getting access to information outside of the country with help from VPNs, which could pose problems for the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin as the attack on Ukraine – described as a “special military operation” – nears its third month.

 

More than 1,000 internet sites have been restricted by Russian authorities – including Facebook, Instagram, and BBC News – since the conflict began, according to a survey by a VPN technology tracker.

 

“We didn’t know what was going on around us,” the Post quoted a man named Konstantin as saying. “Many people in Russia simply watch TV and eat whatever the government is feeding them. I wanted to find out what was really happening.”

 

Daily downloads in Russia of the 10 most popular VPNs surged from about 15,000 before the war to 475,000 in March, and continued at a rate of nearly 300,000 a day this week, according to data compiled for the Post by analytics firm Apptopia.

 

Because of the imposition of sanctions, paying for a VPN has become increasingly difficult as credit cards do not work outside Russia any more.

 

Russian officials have sought to curtail VPN use. Alexander Khinshtein, who heads the Russian State Duma’s committee on information policy, said recently nearly two dozen VPN services had been blocked since mid-March.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[DogofWar1]

I suspect that "interest" in the special military operation is being used by youth as short hand for their approval of the war.

 

 

After all, can't safely say you don't support it but CAN safely say you aren't closely following it.