The Russia-Ukraine War has begun

[Grey Mars]

Yes, but I'd rather Canada absorbed the entire upper Midwest than Canschluss. By upper Midwest I mean Minnesnowta, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois. Maybe Iowa and Northwestern Indiana up to the Michigan border if they behave and Indiana says they're sore-y for giving us Mike Pence.

The problem is most of the progressive bits of Indiana I'm aware of are in the south of the state. You would however get the former murder capital of the world if you took the north, so good for the record books? Also, no one likes Pence. Not even when they elected him.

 

[WolfEyes]

Yes, but I'd rather Canada absorbed the entire upper Midwest than Canschluss. By upper Midwest I mean Minnesnowta, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois. Maybe Iowa and Northwestern Indiana up to the Michigan border if they behave and Indiana says they're sore-y for giving us Mike Pence.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Alaska, Oregon, Washington and California will form a new country.

 

[Casey Pelous]

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Alaska, Oregon, Washington and California will form a new country.

Alaska thought electing Sarah Palin was a dandy idea and went 55%+ for the pending administration. They can't come to our party!

 

[Khamon]

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Alaska, Oregon, Washington and California will form a new country.

Northern California. The southern region will be hard pressed to survive without their draw of water from the Colorado. Now if they can convince Arizona and Nevada to go with them...maybe Utah as well.

 

[Soen Eber]

As a third generation Norwegian I theoretically can claim a "right of return", but with my age, diabetes, not knowing the language, and Norway being so f*ckin' expensive that's not going to be in the cards. Germany would be better, but I doubt they'd extend theirs to third generation. I'm just glad Minnesota takes care of their own. No one is disposable up here.

 

[WolfEyes]

Northern California. The southern region will be hard pressed to survive without their draw of water from the Colorado. Now if they can convince Arizona and Nevada to go with them...maybe Utah as well.

Nah, not Utah. AZ and NV won't be hard to convince. They know which side the bread is buttered on.

 

[WeFlossDaily]

Meanwhile, the battle rages on inside Ukraine for the survial of their nation, language, and right to exist, although the town of Sudzha remains under Ukrainian control. And really, let's be honest. Ukraine didn't invade russia, they are just conducting a special military operation on russian territory, now including HIMARS, Scalp, Storm Shadow, and American-made ATACMS. I hope Biden or Trump will give them TomaHawks in response to the use of meduim range missles that could carry a nuclear payload being used against Dnipro, the fourth largested city in Ukraine.

Recently, there was an attempted military coup thwarted in South Korea. Their parliament appears to have the situation under control, though. Hopefully, South Korea is able to resolve this quickly and get a handle on things. They've pretty much vowed to help Ukraine fight against North Korea and will hopefully be able to reunite their divided country in a good way soon without a full scale war. The Kim regime is currently on shakey ground in my book, with famine threatening to uproot the Kim from power.

Apparently, the French government has collapsed. This would be a bigger problem if the French were doing anything substantial to help Ukraine, but apart from scalp missiles and Macron talking some smack, I haven't seen much of note coming from them. But I haven't really been paying much attention to France. Send the Forgien Legion to Moldova already, since the russians can't re-enforced Transnistria and their is a shitton of weapons laying around that the Ukrainians could probably put to good use. Side note: Moldova is the poorest country in Europe and has also suffered the cold, as their powergrid was build in the soviet days and was constantly disrupted as the russias sought to destroy the will of the Ukrainian ppl by destroying their ability to be stay warm in the winter.

With russia no longer a regional superpower capable of projecting influence, the Syrian rebels have renewed their offensive against the Assad government and gone on capture a least two large cities in the style of a blitzkrieg. This is good for the Kurds, Syrians, and Ukraine. And it is bad for russia, who's base in Syira is now threatened. Without that base, if the rebels can destroy it, will make it that much harder for russia to continue plundering and murdering innocent ppl via Wagner in Africa.

In Georgia, I believe the governor of West Abkhazia agreed to do another vote. But in the Georgian capital, I believe the Georgia Dream party (a puppet of russia) is cracking down on protesters with more extreme measures. I believe Armenia is also fighting to oust a russian puppet government, while Belarus and possible Azerbaijan remain fully under the control of the Kremlin.

Meanwhile, although I haven't heard much on the subject, I am sure there is still some instability happening in Chechen, Dagastan, and nearby oblasts.

Taiwan remains under threat by China.

Israel has gone pretty crazy against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. I have mixed feelinga about how the IDF went about the invasion of Gaza. But I'm glad that they are striking back against Iran, as I consider Iran to be an enemy nation.

Oddly, there are occasional reports of Ukrainian special forces clashing with russian mercenaries in Sudan.

It's hard not to believe we aren't at WW3 yet.

I wish the damn west would get it's act toegther and stomp all this nonsense out of exsistence. But alas, fucking idiot Trump wants to talk about buying Greenland. And from who exactly? Well, Greenland falls under the crown of Denmark. But is it really Denmark's land to sell? The Danska language has been ousted from schools in favor of the only native language of the New World to survive the European conquests of old. so I highly doubt the Greenlanders would be willing to embrace rule by English. Scandivians have a funny way about kicking the English language around and rejecting English ideas, despite using it as a way to communicate between each other. If memopry serves me correctly, an Icelandic coast guard ship attacked a British fishing vessel for violating it's fishing terroity a few years ago and Norway took an island from Great Britian south of a equator in the weridest land grab I've ever heard of, so yeah. Trump can go fuck himself to fucking hell, cause I highly doubt Greenland is interested in joining the American shitshow.

Hopefully, after the collapse of russia, Alaska with become a bit more atonmous.

I could acutally get ranting about how I think the political and international boundaries of the North American continent will be dramitical alterted in the next hundred years, but I doubt anybody cares. Idk. I needed to rant. It drives me a bit mad that nobdoy seems to understand that the world is on fire in RL.

It's like they are blind to it or something. Idk. Like, fuck. I don't know. Slava Ukraini.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

I wish the damn west would get it's act toegther and stomp all this nonsense out of exsistence.

Please enlighten us - how would "stomping this nonsense out of existence" by the west look like? What the IDF is doing right now it exactly this in the context of the local conflicts, and this is by no means whatever a desireable way to do it.

 

[WeFlossDaily]

Please enlighten us - how would "stomping this nonsense out of existence" by the west look like?

Judging from the latter half of your response, you don't require enlightenment. You understand what I am talking about and take issue with my viewpoint. That's fine. I can elaborate

What the IDF is doing right now it exactly this in the context of the local conflicts, and this is by no means whatever a desireable way to do it.

My problem with how the IDF invaded Gaza is that the ruins of Gaza look like the ruins of Maripul and that there was widespread destruction and a careless loss of innoccent life. If you are enraged by the attacks on hospitals in Gaza, you should be equally enraged by the attacks on hospitals in Ukraine, particularly the maternity hospital in Mariupol. Do you remember the picture of the pregant woman on the stretcher? Did you see it? There was also video of it. It was very important to showcasing the russian cruelty carried out against the civillians in Ukraine at the onset of the full-scale invasion. Would you like to know what happened to that woman? If not, too bad, because I'm going to tell you anyway. Her pelvis was shattered and she mostly screamed when concious and begged for death. Her child was born dead and then she also died. So, let me ask you something: If you take issue with what the IDF is doing in Gaza, do you not take issue with what the russians have done throughout Ukraine?

I didn't really answer your question, though. Or, at least, not fairly. The Ukrainian occupation of Sudzha is an example of how a city should be occuppied. There has been a minimal loss of civillivan life there, the city is largely intack, and residents are permitted to evacuate to either russia or Ukraine. The civillians that remain in Sudzha can be seem on video interacting with Ukrainian patrols in a way that appears at ease and comfortable. Or, like, they don't appear to be scared or afraid. They understand that they will be treated fairly, with respect, and dignity by the AFU. How Ukraine occupied Sudzha is the standard of which I would hold an occupining military force seeking to purge the world of evil for the greater benifit of humanity.

My feeling on Israel are mixed, like I said. I applaud anything they do that benifts Ukraine. But I greatly dislike how the IDF handled itself in Gaza. My sympathies lie first with Ukraine, though. This is my personal bias. The overall issue is complicated, and for some of us, there are a few double-thinks involved. Like, Israel hitting a drone factory in Iran means less Saheds for russia to attack civillian targets in Ukraine. Can you see how I might have mixed feeling? That's a godsend for the Ukrainian ppl. Exspecially, now in winter.

On the russian issue, I see alot of red. I'm angrier than shit about the whole thing. My criticizim against the West, is that any single western nation could step forward and say 'nah' enough is enough and railroad russia off the world stage and eliminate their meddlesome presence in multiple countries around the world. But instead of doing so, most of the West, just drip-feeds Ukraine weapons, money, and training, which is great and all, but at the end of the day, Ukrainians fight and die alone for their freedom, which they are required to pay for in blood. It's not fair to them. I wish the world would step in and put a stop to it and make russia leave, force them out, and put and end to the conflict. Yes, my viewpoint is biased and often waxes on being very extreme. I believe that living in a free world is worth paying a steep price.

Idk if this answers your question or not. Sorry, I view everything through the lens of Ukraine, as I consider it the epicenter of the wider conflict that is increasingly begining to look like WW3 to me. I hope you won't consider this reply as overly argumentative or too over the top and I apologize it it comes across as long-winded, verbose, or rambling.

Hmmm . . . How does stomping evil out of exsistance look? Could I answer this in a more direct way? Probably it looks like the Allies storming the beaches of Normandy on D-day. I consider that the greatest moment in human history. I guess that would be my short answer.

 

[Casey Pelous]

... it looks like the Allies storming the beaches of Normandy on D-day. I consider that the greatest moment in human history. I guess that would be my short answer.

While I can certainly appreciate the sentiment, I think the strategic viability of "storming the beaches" (metaphorically) of a major power ended -- or, at least, the end was in sight -- about a year after D-day when the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

 

[WeFlossDaily]

While I can certainly appreciate the sentiment, I think the strategic viability of "storming the beaches" (metaphorically) of a major power ended -- or, at least, the end was in sight -- about a year after D-day when the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

I agree.

 

[detrius]

As a third generation Norwegian I theoretically can claim a "right of return", but with my age, diabetes, not knowing the language, and Norway being so f*ckin' expensive that's not going to be in the cards. Germany would be better, but I doubt they'd extend theirs to third generation. I'm just glad Minnesota takes care of their own. No one is disposable up here.

Norway is a Schengen country.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

Hmmm . . . How does stomping evil out of exsistance look? Could I answer this in a more direct way? Probably it looks like the Allies storming the beaches of Normandy on D-day. I consider that the greatest moment in human history. I guess that would be my short answer.

Well I now do understand your point of view, unfortunately this is not happening because Americas invented nuclear weapons and Russia has lots of it at its disposal.

And despite all smokescreens and whatnot people are dropping in public discussions when discussing the readyness of these weapons when looking at what NATO is doing there is a clear line, and that is to provoke Russia not too much. They want to avoid the use of such weapons at all cost.

And now for Russian lies: yesterday news agency TASS brought the message that Dmitry Muratov, former editor in chief of Novaya Gazeta, has fled from Russia. Novaya Gazeta was one of the view indepedent, private newspapers back in Russia before being shut down.

And this is a tweet of Dmitry from today, reading standing before the HQ of TASS reading todays' newspaper:


BTW here is in Foreign Affairs what a former US ambassador to Russia sees as the best option to end the war: convince Kyiv to trade land for a NATO membership.

How Trump Can End the War in Ukraine

Convince Kyiv to trade land for NATO membership.

www.foreignaffairs.com

 

[WeFlossDaily]

Well I now do understand your point of view

=]
My point of view on the subject is a little extreme, I admit.

And despite all smokescreens and whatnot people are dropping in public discussions when discussing the readyness of these weapons when looking at what NATO is doing there is a clear line, and that is to provoke Russia not too much. They want to avoid the use of such weapons at all cost.

Yes, I understand the caution of NATO and the West. I just disagree with it.

And now for Russian lies:

russian lies are endless, yes. And as the war leads them into chaos, schisms and factions are occurring more frequently. The propaganda is always crazy to the max, though. Interesting bit about TASS. Internal struggles on display, internal chaos in russia, I think.

BTW here is in Foreign Affairs what a former US ambassador to Russia sees as the best option to end the war: convince Kyiv to trade land for a NATO membership.

This is a viable option for Ukraine, but only if it meant immediate accession to NATO, and I believe Zelenskyy said it would require a referrendum of the Ukrainian ppl.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

The thing is that it is not up to Ukraine alone to decide the course of actions. Ukraine heavily depends on money transfer and weapons as well ammunition delivery from the West.

So if Donald Trump should decide that it is negotiation time he simple could cut this support or even stop it. And since America is the biggest supporter without that support a substantial hole would be soon felt everywhere.

So Zelensky can do whatever he wants, if Trump decides something else there will be only little Zelensky can do to change that.

 

[WeFlossDaily]

Fuck Trump and horse he road in on. He is a moronic siloviki sooka blyat who doesn't understand his head from his ass. Cutting the flow of money and weapons to Ukraine just forces the Ukrainians into a corner, which could lead to them choosing to take some extremely drastic measures, the sort of measures I imagine you would like to avoid. Think about it. Or don't. They are always considering all availibe options.

Ukraine Can Go Nuclear — Should it?

Western nations are being naïve if they expect Ukraine to quietly acquiesce to its own eradication. Will Ukraine go nuclear?

cepa.org

Will Ukraine develop its own nuclear weapons?

Amid the looming risk that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump may pull the plug on Washington's support for Ukraine, Kyiv has begun to flirt with the option of nuclear deterrence. The prospect of such a scenario was raised weeks earlier when President Volodymyr Zelensky in October said he had told

kyivindependent.com

Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in 1994. Now it's asking why

It's 30 years since Ukraine agreed to give up its nuclear arsenal. Some now question why they did.

www.bbc.com

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

Well the thing is if this idea becomes a reality military logic will dictate that Russia will try going full throttle and attack all potential construction sites before the first nuclear weapon is finished.

Actually just thinking about this openly is dumb enough.

 

[WeFlossDaily]

russia couldn't go full throttle when Prigozhin marched on moscow, or when the Russia Free Legion began launching cross border raids into Belgorod oblast, or when the AFU invaded and occuppied Kursk oblast. Abkhazia and South Ossetia are returning to Georgia and russia has just been railroaded out of Syria. russia can't go full throttle at jack shit. Or they probably would have by now.

russia also doesn't have much experience firing missles at military targets, as they usually bomb schools, hospitals, daycares, apartment building, power plants, and other civillian targets, sometimes even going so far as to double-tap them.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

A bomb kills the head of Russia’s nuclear defense forces and his assistant in Moscow

Kirillov, who was named the head of Russia’s nuclear defense forces in April 2017, was under sanctions from several countries including the U.K. and Canada for his role in Ukraine.

apnews.com

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

russia also doesn't have much experience firing missles at military targets, as they usually bomb schools, hospitals, daycares, apartment building, power plants, and other civillian targets, sometimes even going so far as to double-tap them.

That's not a good argument: missiles don't care about the targets they are being launched at. So with enough reconnaissance information at hand it is a mere matter of choice.

I am pretty sure that Russia has enough of that information at hand to select between military targets and civil ones, and they choose to prefer civil ones in order to undermine the public morale. Also given the fact that Russia has air superiority and not Ukraine why bother even going after the few targets then in Ukraine, which might be bothersome now and then. They are just not a priority target probably.

A classic choice in modern warfare.