Ukraine
-
@mike amos said:
Mike is correct in his assessment that the west failed the people of Russia and the USSR collapse caused the deaths of many people both through direct and indirect means. I am talking of people dying through hunger and malnutrition
The military were not being paid and soviet era nuclear submarines and weapons were simply dumped on beaches and in deep water north of their coast, i9n some areas within the protected zone.
Aircrew were taking aircraft and spares and just leaving. Most of the charity deliveries to Africa especially but across the world, were delivered by aircraft being flown by crews who had not been discharged from military service but abandoned. We COULD have done a lot to help given we were cutting our military costs by orders of magnitude. The British army reduced tank regiments by half in a very short space of time.
Let's be open and honest here, people in leadership positions over decades made decisions that led us to this point. It could still be put to Russia that we stop and put our heads together and have a big organisation that covers everyone. No doubt the PRC would refuse because their from of socialism does not allow for it to change direction. The treatment of the uigar people demonstrates this very well as did the Tianemin square massacre of their own people.
Russians left to the devices of the pary have a distrust of us in the west, they have had too many occasions when they got a thorough kicking to easily forget.
Let's talk to the Russians and offer an alternative to placating the PRC to avoid an incursion into Siberia. They have long lusted after the resources and if they see a weakness they will in there like a rat up a drainpipe.
You are right Mike. Its one big game of chess! The Ukrainian president is calling for mass marches by the people of the West to protest against Russia. While I would attend such a local march I would also make sure that my placard read, 'Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right!'.
Apart from the terrible bloodshed in the Ukraine the most worrying thing for me the the Doomsday Clock setting which presently running at 100 seconds to midnight! The general population don't seem to be that worried about this situation. All it would take is a small slip and humanity is done for.
https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/timeline/I still reluctantly remain neutral on the Ukrainian situation simply because taking any particular side leaves no room for negotiation and it will be through negotiation that this mess will be settled peacefully. While I feel totally helpless with regard to what I can do personally with the exception of voicing a possible unpopular viewpoint, I will remain hopeful that wise men will prevail and we will see better days ahead. The world needs Direct Democracy, it will be the best ongoing political solution for the current challenges the World faces.
-
This video shows Putin's current mind set quite well also his overall future plans to keep Russia afloat. It's quite detailed with surprising (to many) emphasis on boosted child care, Russian children only! He needs to seriously think about the Ukrainian children also.
'Vladimir Putin Address on Socioeconomic Strategy for Russia - 16 March 2022 - English Subtitles'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FyFkAyqn4QIn this video Yanis Varoufakis outlines a 'Golden Bridge' strategy that the West should be looking towards.
Yanis Varoufakis: The West Is "Playing with Fire" If It Pushes Regime Change in Nuclear-Armed Russia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su4czYxGYxoA 'Golden Bridge' strategy makes great sense but I doubt we will see one being put in place by the West as there seems to be no efforts towards negotiation only the West's Military Industrial Complex is laughing all the way to the bank at the moment quite oblivious to the fact that banks are not nuke proof!
-
Long story short..........Genius
-
.... and is that a 'brown envelope' behind the fingers?
-
Is it a real or fake image?
-
@majid said:
Is it a real or fake image?
I have no idea, am thinking fake but it still works for me
(edited) here you go: https://srilanka.factcrescendo.com/english/a-picture-showing-pre-zelensky-expressing-v-gesture-above-pre-putin-altered/
-
How wrong was the poo-tin estimation, it was amazing to me.
This is an indicator of their system's failure. -
@majid said:
:roflmao:
How wrong was the poo-tin estimation, it was amazing to me.
This is an indicator of their system's failure.Very
-
Although it is a fierce and atrocious war, but smashed the fake guise of Russian power... regardless of result...
-
@majid said:
Although it is a fierce and atrocious war, but smashed the fake guise of Russian power... regardless of result...
I agree Majid. It seems that Russia's military is not as powerful as we have been lead to believe. However, when a rat is cornered it becomes very dangerous and unpredictable.
It also looks like the media is calling/pressing for direct USA intervention with 'boots on the ground'! Hopefully Biden will hold his stance and not risk nuclear armageddon.
I think Biden's spokeswoman when asked by a journalist, 'Why isn't the USA putting boots on the ground', she should offer the journalist a free ticket to the Ukraine so he/she can directly take up the fight they are calling for. I also notice that its mostly female journalists that are pushing this agenda! I find that very alarming.
-
@mike lucey said:
It seems that Russia's military is not as powerful as we have been lead to believe.
Paraphrased:
"Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak."
"The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom our real intent."
"Great results can be achieved with small forces."- Sun Tzu.
-
@juju said:
@mike lucey said:
It seems that Russia's military is not as powerful as we have been lead to believe.
Paraphrased:
"Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak."
"The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom our real intent."
"Great results can be achieved with small forces."- Sun Tzu.
"Great results can be achieved with small forces." Maybe so but not without generals. I'd imagine Sun Tzu could only agree with that seeing as he was a general himself.
List of Russian generals killed during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Russian_generals_killed_during_the_2022_invasion_of_Ukraine
The figure could be as high as seven if some reports are to be believed. Then again, it's not possible to have these reports fully verified.
My worry is that if Russia are not reaching their intended goals/targets with conventional tactics/weaponry they may resort to more drastic measures!
Hopefully sense will prevail soon on all sides and a compromise is reached.
-
I wish for an internal collapse... The overall system might not be stable anymore...Corruption, mismanagement, misunderstanding of their relation to reality and world...I guess this will reveal the Russian people.
-
I hope that the "war criminal" charge is tight, and strong enough evidence is provided that will stack up in the International court. The Indonesian leader Joko Widodo invited poo tin (I am not above childish name calling) to the G20 talk-fest in Indonesia this year. If poo tin is charged. That will cut him off and he will be Isolated to Russia. I dont think even Xi would be able to assist.Then if he is overthrown the world may have access to poo tin. Seeing him ander arrest would be very satisfying
-
@majid said:
I wish for an internal collapse... The overall system might not be stable anymore...Corruption, mismanagement, misunderstanding of their relation to reality and world...I guess this will reveal the Russian people.
I would hope for the same Majid. When we think about it, ordinary Russians have never known any kind of genuine democracy, if such a thing truly exists. It looks to me that they went from being governed by a Tzar to a politburo to Lenin and then so called 'strong arm' leaders.
Listening to what looks to be ordinary Russian interviewees on 1420 I get a sad feeling that they are very much afraid to criticise current rulers. Hopefully, the well informed young generation will be brave enough to fight for and win true democracy.
-
@l i am said:
I hope that the "war criminal" charge is tight, and strong enough evidence is provided that will stack up in the International court. The Indonesian leader Joko Widodo invited poo tin (I am not above childish name calling) to the G20 talk-fest in Indonesia this year. If poo tin is charged. That will cut him off and he will be Isolated to Russia. I don't think even Xi would be able to assist.Then if he is overthrown the world may have access to poo tin. Seeing him under arrest would be very satisfying
I can see where you are coming from but if Putin is charged with war crimes etc etc, should not the same apply to the Western Leaders that devastated a list of countries with no UN consensus or genuine provable reasons or evidence for the action taken. I will never forget the small vial of white powder being waved around at the UN!
-
A nonfunctioning system fails, sooner or later. The same story will be applicable in Russia and similar regimes... The volume of wrong estimations, deceived by the media ... to me is an indicator of plausible domino effect collapse. An economical collapse that will spread to other systems...
-
If Putin is pushed into a corner with his supporters, that is when the big red button becomes enticing.
If those in Russia can see a way out they will possibly take it but I see the best real world outcome being Putin and a few others going into retirement in one of the few nations that support, or at least understand him.
If Putin and his crowd are pushed too tightly into that box he is surrounded by, there is the real possibility that Russian nuclear weapons get launched at those he feels have isolated him and his plans for Russia.
Not likely to see him or his commanders in the Hague prison anytime let alone soon.
-
I see various polls here in Ireland that indicates a lowering of concern with regard to what is happening in Ukraine, very very sad! If seems the general population is more interested about the people slapping and being slapped at the Oscars..... even more sad by far!
Germany started two World Wars! I'm not 100% sure about WW1 but definitely WW2. Now Germany leads the EU! I still think that the Western powers and particularly the Industrial Military Complex / Globalists need an 'enemy' and Russia has filled this role for a long time with China in second place.
In 1991 the EU and the Western Powers had a chance to bring the RF into the flock and do business but they would not even give it any serious though. We are now seeing the consequences of this ill conceived action.
I don't think we will be seeing nukes flying around as it would take a total lunatic to press the red button and Putin is definitely not a lunatic. He may be many unsavoury things but he knows it would be the end for humanity.
The EU needs to talk to the FR about joining the EU in some form or fashion as this would be the best way to secure peace in Europe. If Russia was part of the EU why should NATO continue to exist? Instead, nations could further develop the UN and give it some real teeth so that it would not be the toothless wonder it is today. The first step should be to relocate the UN HQ to a 'more middle of the road' country.
-
I hope clearer heads prevail, among the Putin supporters and senior military at least. Will that happen, no idea. The UN has plenty of teeth to deal with transgressors but will not use them, they hide hbehind votes that include the accused nation and allow one vote or one abstention to prevent having to actually DO anything. No way that organisation is worth any more than the knee's ups they have drinking and eating fine vittles and doing SFA. Time for a redo from start.
Not much time for the eu either. How can any organisation not be a country or state yet have a 'national' flag and anthem? After being chased away from the table before when he was on bended knee's, Putin will not grovel at the eu table and there would have to be a completely new organisation which limits itself to being trading agreements and not much else. Far too much eu nationalism fmt.
Perhaps even scrap nato and bring in something more global, something that brings a proper responsibility to the larger and better off nations to protect the poorer and less influential nations. We could do a lot more good like that and also clean the place up. We are as a species leaving the place in a right tip state and it has to stop.
We pride ourselves as being the smartest species on the planet and yet we foul up at every hurdle. When are we going to wise up? I pointed out the fact of a european war a long time ago when I was first thinking which way to jump in brexit. I knew we would be where we are and these guys are paid to be smart. Why did I not do more? I went to Op Granby as a volunteer from civvy street and am not fit enough to go to Ukraine. I am SO annoyed with all this. Quite apart from those who want to drive our advancement in directions that suit their friends and push money their way when we should be looking at facts and potential in MANY directions rather than one.
Don't mind me folks, I just believe we are better and should be better still. I shall climb off my soap box now and leave you in peace.
Advertisement