War in Eastern Europe, what's it good for ....

[fifth_column]

Fringe benefits:

https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-corruption-476d673cc64a4b005c7ee8ed5f5d5361

Employees from a Ukrainian arms firm conspired with defense ministry officials to embezzle almost $40 million earmarked to buy 100,000 mortar shells for the war with Russia, Ukraine’s security service reported.

I'm sure 40 mil is just a drop in the bucket. I can only imagine how many opportunities for graft are presented by the billions we've been providing.

[MechAg94]

US Congress Dysfunction: Blocking Aid to Ukraine || Peter Zeihan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge6ZJ3ngO00

I kind of laugh a bit about this.  This is not anywhere close to the first time a minority has held Congress hostage.  Been done lots of times.  Acting like this is terrible this time is silly.  I would also ask if the leadership or Dems are making any effort at all to negotiate. 

On the Ukraine, I really doubt they will lose the war solely because we haven't passed another aid package.  Given the previous post, it sure seems some people in the Ukraine aren't too worried.

[sumpnz]

US Congress Dysfunction: Blocking Aid to Ukraine || Peter Zeihan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge6ZJ3ngO00

I kind of laugh a bit about this.  This is not anywhere close to the first time a minority has held Congress hostage.  Been done lots of times.  Acting like this is terrible this time is silly.  I would also ask if the leadership or Dems are making any effort at all to negotiate. 

On the Ukraine, I really doubt they will lose the war solely because we haven't passed another aid package.  Given the previous post, it sure seems some people in the Ukraine aren't too worried.

PZ is great for analyzing demographics and macroeconomic effects on geopolitics.   He confuses the with authoritative analysis on domestic politics. He lets his partisan slip show anytime he discusses the 2024 POTUS election, claiming that its been obvious for a year and a half that Biden will win a massive landslide. I'll grant that the democrats will try to manufacture exactly that.

[Angel Eyes]

(going here for lack of a better place)

Tucker Carlson either has interviewed or is about to interview Vladimir Putin, and the Left are up in arms about it.

Currently circulating on X is a claim that Zelenskyy has put Carlson on a kill list, with this image as "proof":



I don't read Cyrillic and I have no idea if the above is genuine.

[cordex]

Name: Tucker Carlson
Date of Birth: 16.05.1969
Country: USA
Phone: ? ? ?

Russian propagandist. Accomplice of Russian military criminals and occupiers. Undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Blogger. American conservative political commentator. He conducted a political talk show on Fox News called "Evening with Tucker Carlson". In his show, he criticized President Vladimir Zelensky.

Place of birth: USA, San Francisco
Website: tuckercarlson.com

[Ben]

If the stories of anti-Ukraine "vengeance" are even partially accurate, I worry for Tucker.

As for the American commies upset about it, I guess they were okie dokie with Barbara Walters, Oliver Stone, and other lefties doing the same thing?

Personally, I'll be interested in watching it to get another perspective on what's happening in the region. Russell Brand has a couple of good videos out about it.

[MechAg94]

The US is not at war with Russia are we?

[Ron]

The US is not at war with Russia are we?

Very much so methinks.
The failure of our Ukrainian proxy may or may not convince TPTB to deescalate the hot side.
The economic and cyber side will continue.

[WLJ]

[WLJ]

[Blakenzy]

Musk disrespected dear Leader, put him on the kill list!

To be fair they did kill Gonzalo Lira, so the hit on Carlson is policy-consistent.

[Ben]

To be fair they did kill Gonzalo Lira, so the hit on Carlson is policy-consistent.

And thanks to the MSM, 99% of people know who Gonzalo Lira is was. Oh, wait. Today is opposite day. Nevermind.

[Ron]

Tucker wouldn't be over there interviewing Putin if our intelligence agencies didn't sign off on the trip.

You mean it's CIA vs KGB? Always has been ...

[Ron]

Read this article this morning, the whole premise reminds me of the meme/quote that has been floating around the more conspiratorial fringes of the dissident right wing internet

When The People Need A Hero We Will Give Them One

https://off-guardian.org/2024/02/10/what-no-one-is-saying-about-tucker-carlsons-putin-interview/

 

[Blakenzy]

If intelligence services were behind the interview, it could be, but what would the purpose of organizing it be? As it states in the article nothing ground breaking was said or revealed. I found the interview to be quite boring to be honest.

[French G.]

Russian fleet gained a new submarine today.

[sumpnz]

Russian fleet gained a new submarine today.

As in a surface ship "transitioned"?  Or they commissioned a new legit sub?

[dogmush]

As in a surface ship "transitioned"?  Or they commissioned a new legit sub?

Drones helped a landing ship drastically increase it's draft to match the available water depth.

[French G.]

Drones helped a landing ship drastically increase it's draft to match the available water depth.

That's a great way too put it. There were a couple of welldeck operations on the LHA that I wasn't sure we were coming back from. Or, in five years on a carrier I never even knew where my lifeboat was, on the gator we had abandon ship drills every month.

[MillCreek]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68315943

Alexei Navalny, a critic of President Putin, dies in an Arctic Circle prison in Russia.  But did he fall out a window?

[WLJ]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68315943

Alexei Navalny, a critic of President Putin, dies in an Arctic Circle prison in Russia.  But did he fall out a window?

Wonder what he had on Hillary?

[WLJ]

He died from "sudden death syndrome" 
Meanwhile reportedly no one can find his body.

Alexei Navalny's 'cause of death' revealed: Russia claims opposition leader died from 'sudden death syndrome' in prison - but his body is MISSING while 'killers cover their tracks'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13094967/Alexei-Navalnys-cause-death-revealed-Russia-claims-opposition-leader-died-sudden-death-syndrome-prison-body-MISSING-killers-cover-tracks.html

At the link

What is Sudden Death Syndrome?

Sudden adult death syndrome occurs when an otherwise healthy person passes away suddenly, with the cause likely being a heart condition.

In around one in 20 spontaneous heart-related deaths in the UK, no definite cause can be found.

During a post-mortem, a pathologist can usually detect abnormalities in a patient's heart tissue, which may show signs of artery disease or a clot in the lung.

When nothing is found, the cause of death is deemed to be Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS).

This was once known as sudden adult death syndrome, however, children can also being affected.

Cot death may be partly caused by the same factors responsible for SADS.

Although unclear, SADS is thought to occur due to a disturbance in the heart's rhythm, even if the person has no cardiovascular disease.

Due to the electrical function of the heart being affected, such disturbances can only be detected in life and not in death.

Rare diseases, such as Long QT Syndrome and sodium channel disease, can increase a person's risk of SADS.

Many people with these conditions have no symptoms and may never be diagnosed.

If a family looses a relative due to SADS, genetic testing can be carried out to determine if they are at risk of the aforementioned diseases.

Most of these conditions are made worse with exercise and therefore, if diagnosed, a doctor may advise a person to avoid playing sports.

The sudden stop at the end of a fall could also be termed  "sudden death syndrome"

[Ron]

Avdeevka has fallen.

Who would have thought that Russia would be so willing to engage in and be effective at attrition warfare?

All of our experts somehow didn't see this apparently surprising wrinkle in their plans.

[cordex]

Who would have thought that Russia would be so willing to engage in and be effective at attrition warfare?

All of our experts somehow didn't see this apparently surprising wrinkle in their plans.

What experts are you talking about?  I have heard a lot of people mentioning that Russia is more than willing to burn men in this conflict.  I can't think of an expert worth the designation that has claimed otherwise ...

[Ben]

Interesting Garand Thumb video:

https://youtu.be/Tge7YMi4gJs

It's a long one and I haven't watched the whole thing yet. One interesting tidbit in the drone section is that shotguns are apparently making a battlespace comeback for use in taking out FPV drones.