Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The lack of education here boggles the mind. We should be making an ally out of Russia. Should have done it in the 90s. Instead we are pushing them into the arms of China, who is the only valid competitor to the U S.
And that conflict is existential to us. Russia is weak and Ukulele is not important to us strategically. Sadly you have people that think this is 1960s and not 2023.

You really think Russia wants to ally with the West? We provided them with enormous financial and political support after the fall of the USSR, but their resentment never left. Russia is a paranoid, ethnocentric culture that will simply have to be contained and managed for succeeding generations.

You never heard of Nordstream? You didn't know Putin is a Germanophile?

I wouldn't call him a Germanophile. He has some nostalgia for when he was stationed in Germany with the KGB. That's about it.

Its not talked about much for obvious reasons, but rumors are his kids spent a good chunk of their lives in Germany at his urging.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP. A couple of points.

Russian history is difficult to use in effective propaganda, so Russians use WWII like a safety blanket. It's comforting propaganda for them, since it's the last time the Soviets did anything remotely "righteous". Same way the "Nazi" label works because SVR likely recruits ultra-right nationalists. Russian's can't say much before WWII, because Stalin's ethnic purges and holodomor would work against annexation of Crimea, invasion of Ukraine, etc.

I think Putin is just using soldiers to grind as sausage to deflect physical military opposition at home. Population is plummeting, and it's just a matter of time before Russia disintegrates into smaller chunks (they won't be able to hold current territory without population increases).

Someone should have gifted Putin a copy of Civilization IV with a sticky that says "Cultural Victory - it's a thing."

They have all of this culture around WWII and "WE fought the Nazis" when in fact millions of the Soviet troops that fought the Nazis and pushed all the way to Berlin where they drove Hitler to hide in a bunker and eat a bullet were in fact UKRAINIANS. Which makes it completely sick that they've now reinvented the Ukrainians to be the Nazis. Especially when their own home grown Russians keep being found adorned with Nazi symbols.

Because the Ukrainians were so good to the Jews and the Azov Battalion doesn’t exist
/s

You don't understand that things change over time? Again, Zelenskyy, a Jew, was elected with a popular majority, he got 73% of the total votes. A "Nazi" state wouldn't elect a Jew to its highest office with 73% of the vote. Has Russia elected a Jew to its highest office?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The lack of education here boggles the mind. We should be making an ally out of Russia. Should have done it in the 90s. Instead we are pushing them into the arms of China, who is the only valid competitor to the U S.
And that conflict is existential to us. Russia is weak and Ukulele is not important to us strategically. Sadly you have people that think this is 1960s and not 2023.

You really think Russia wants to ally with the West? We provided them with enormous financial and political support after the fall of the USSR, but their resentment never left. Russia is a paranoid, ethnocentric culture that will simply have to be contained and managed for succeeding generations.

You never heard of Nordstream? You didn't know Putin is a Germanophile?

I wouldn't call him a Germanophile. He has some nostalgia for when he was stationed in Germany with the KGB. That's about it.

Anonymous wrote:About 6 months into the war; as Russia stalled - I recalled a Ukrainian officer stating that only after Ukraine marched on Moscow would this war be over. Seemed far fetched at the time.

But if you look at history, Russia has been invaded 3 times (Mongols, Napoleon and Hitler) in a major way. Sure Sweden and a few others took their shot but was not much.

As I rewind current history in my armchair quarterback luxury; Ukraine knows that they have one option, and they do not come out the good guy in anyones myopic view of current events.

1) Horde all western weapons, ask for more
2) Lie to their Western supporters as needed to support defense and economy and liberation of their country
3) Prepare for offense with no Western support
4) Occupy Russian western territory at high cost
5) Cede Russian territory to Russia; endure Russia's celebration of repelling NATO invasion
6) Eastern Ukiraine/Crimea become a DMZ

Ukraine will take a serious PR hit and be condemned for crossing the border and using western "defensive" weapons in Russia; but in reality that is their best play other than surrendering their land to Russia.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The lack of education here boggles the mind. We should be making an ally out of Russia. Should have done it in the 90s. Instead we are pushing them into the arms of China, who is the only valid competitor to the U S.
And that conflict is existential to us. Russia is weak and Ukulele is not important to us strategically. Sadly you have people that think this is 1960s and not 2023.

You really think Russia wants to ally with the West? We provided them with enormous financial and political support after the fall of the USSR, but their resentment never left. Russia is a paranoid, ethnocentric culture that will simply have to be contained and managed for succeeding generations.

You never heard of Nordstream? You didn't know Putin is a Germanophile?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP. A couple of points.

Russian history is difficult to use in effective propaganda, so Russians use WWII like a safety blanket. It's comforting propaganda for them, since it's the last time the Soviets did anything remotely "righteous". Same way the "Nazi" label works because SVR likely recruits ultra-right nationalists. Russian's can't say much before WWII, because Stalin's ethnic purges and holodomor would work against annexation of Crimea, invasion of Ukraine, etc.

I think Putin is just using soldiers to grind as sausage to deflect physical military opposition at home. Population is plummeting, and it's just a matter of time before Russia disintegrates into smaller chunks (they won't be able to hold current territory without population increases).

Someone should have gifted Putin a copy of Civilization IV with a sticky that says "Cultural Victory - it's a thing."

They have all of this culture around WWII and "WE fought the Nazis" when in fact millions of the Soviet troops that fought the Nazis and pushed all the way to Berlin where they drove Hitler to hide in a bunker and eat a bullet were in fact UKRAINIANS. Which makes it completely sick that they've now reinvented the Ukrainians to be the Nazis. Especially when their own home grown Russians keep being found adorned with Nazi symbols.

Because the Ukrainians were so good to the Jews and the Azov Battalion doesn’t exist
/s

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The lack of education here boggles the mind. We should be making an ally out of Russia. Should have done it in the 90s. Instead we are pushing them into the arms of China, who is the only valid competitor to the U S.
And that conflict is existential to us. Russia is weak and Ukulele is not important to us strategically. Sadly you have people that think this is 1960s and not 2023.

You really think Russia wants to ally with the West? We provided them with enormous financial and political support after the fall of the USSR, but their resentment never left. Russia is a paranoid, ethnocentric culture that will simply have to be contained and managed for succeeding generations.

Anonymous wrote:The lack of education here boggles the mind. We should be making an ally out of Russia. Should have done it in the 90s. Instead we are pushing them into the arms of China, who is the only valid competitor to the U S.
And that conflict is existential to us. Russia is weak and Ukulele is not important to us strategically. Sadly you have people that think this is 1960s and not 2023.

Anonymous wrote:The lack of education here boggles the mind. We should be making an ally out of Russia. Should have done it in the 90s. Instead we are pushing them into the arms of China, who is the only valid competitor to the U S.
And that conflict is existential to us. Russia is weak and Ukulele is not important to us strategically. Sadly you have people that think this is 1960s and not 2023.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Russia is slowly realizing that they exist because the west allows them to.

The west is focused on the real war to come with China.

Russia is just another Iran with better alcohol.

There’s no reason for war with China. They aren’t planning to invade the US. Please stop Sabre rattling.

Last time I checked Taiwan was the land of the rejects of China. Taiwan was its own outcast island that America helped out; became phenomenally successful and now China wants its outcasts and their technology back.

There is a thing called a friend in this world; and America has been a solid friend to Taiwan- in bad times and good.

If Taiwan wants America to back it up against the country that rejected them seems like the right thing to do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP. A couple of points.

Russian history is difficult to use in effective propaganda, so Russians use WWII like a safety blanket. It's comforting propaganda for them, since it's the last time the Soviets did anything remotely "righteous". Same way the "Nazi" label works because SVR likely recruits ultra-right nationalists. Russian's can't say much before WWII, because Stalin's ethnic purges and holodomor would work against annexation of Crimea, invasion of Ukraine, etc.

I think Putin is just using soldiers to grind as sausage to deflect physical military opposition at home. Population is plummeting, and it's just a matter of time before Russia disintegrates into smaller chunks (they won't be able to hold current territory without population increases).

Someone should have gifted Putin a copy of Civilization IV with a sticky that says "Cultural Victory - it's a thing."

They have all of this culture around WWII and "WE fought the Nazis" when in fact millions of the Soviet troops that fought the Nazis and pushed all the way to Berlin where they drove Hitler to hide in a bunker and eat a bullet were in fact UKRAINIANS. Which makes it completely sick that they've now reinvented the Ukrainians to be the Nazis. Especially when their own home grown Russians keep being found adorned with Nazi symbols.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an easy win-win here, and that is let the Russian populated parts go to Russia. Then they can have a clean break from Russia and go their own way. They will never be able to effectively govern these parts anyway.

Russia had those parts and still invaded the entire country anyway.

Russia did not invade the entire country. Russia never meant to invade all of Ukraine. Russian generals are not idiots who think you can invade all of Ukraine with 180K soldiers.

But apparently they ARE idiots because they are getting their @sses kicked by some random satellite country.

LOL yes let's pretend a random satellite country isn't getting billions of dollars in cash and weapons nonstop. And with all that, the war is heading for a stalemate.

Stalemate essentially means the continued destruction of Ukraine.

I hope this ends soon.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the narrative is shifting and soon it will be acceptable for Ukraine to bomb Russia. Everyone will pretend it was totally their own initiative and won’t condemn them (or maybe only formally)

They certainly have the international legal right to bomb airbases where Russians stage attacks.

This is why we should provide ATACMS. But with the proviso that if they hit anything other than a legitimate military target we will cut them off.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the narrative is shifting and soon it will be acceptable for Ukraine to bomb Russia. Everyone will pretend it was totally their own initiative and won’t condemn them (or maybe only formally)

They certainly have the international legal right to bomb airbases where Russians stage attacks.