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

[JTHunter]

I dunno, but I would like to be their friend.

So would I !  And I know where they could be put to good use !! 

[K Frame]

I seem to remember a youtuber once mentioning they visited someone in Russia and were able to walk up to one of the arsenals with a little cash and walk away with a box of grenades.

Corruption is a national sport in Russia.

Captains and Colonels have made hundreds of thousands of dollars skimming troop pay, selling their unit equipment, etc.

Even ordinary troops are in on it. There are reports that, after the initial phases of the invasion, lots of Russian vehicles became disabled because troops stripped out wiring and other stuff and sold it to local residents.

[WLJ]

I guess the game of hot potato is on a whole different level in Russia from what we played as kids

[Viking]

Yall never watch Russian Street fight videos? Grenades turn up there like glock switches are here. Appears to be endemic weaponry.

Youtuber LazerPig told a story of when he dated a Russian guy. They got bored one evening while he was visiting in Russia, and with the help of a really pitiful amount of dollars in bribes, they walked into a Russian army base. A somewhat larger amount of dollars ended up in the hands of an NCO/officer, and they walked out with a crate of hand grenades.

[MechAg94]

Corruption is a national sport in Russia.

Captains and Colonels have made hundreds of thousands of dollars skimming troop pay, selling their unit equipment, etc.

Even ordinary troops are in on it. There are reports that, after the initial phases of the invasion, lots of Russian vehicles became disabled because troops stripped out wiring and other stuff and sold it to local residents.

There was a lot of focus on the seemingly dry rotted tires of trucks and such as far as I remember.  I imagine the only vehicles that received proper maintenance over the years were the few used for parades or to show the inspectors.

[K Frame]

There was a lot of focus on the seemingly dry rotted tires of trucks and such as far as I remember.  I imagine the only vehicles that received proper maintenance over the years were the few used for parades or to show the inspectors.

Incompetence in maintenance is was another issue entirely.

REPLACING those tires, however, that's where the corruption comes in. Apparently orders were placed with China for tires and multiple hands at every level skimmed off the top, with the result being that, if the tires were ever received, they were of horrific quality and often simply wrong.

[HankB]

I guess the game of hot potato is on a whole different level in Russia from what we played as kids

If you think that's different, you should see them playing Russian Roulette with their Makarovs!

[WLJ]

Another one bite the dust this time by car bomb

Ukrainian officials have taken credit for a car bomb that killed a Russian-backed politician Wednesday, calling the act retribution.

Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense wrote on Telegram that "traitors to Ukraine and collaborators with terrorist Russia in temporarily occupied territories … will receive just retribution! The hunt continues!"

Andriy Cherniak, representative of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate, told Politico "it was our operation."

Putin ally known as 'the Executioner' killed in Ukraine-planned car bombing: 'it was our operation'
Mikhail Filiponenko formerly led separatists forces backed by Moscow in Luhansk

[Ben]

Zelensky kiboshed the presidential election, scheduled for March.

https://youtu.be/b76O3yK96WA

[RocketMan]

Zelensky kiboshed the presidential election, scheduled for March.

https://youtu.be/b76O3yK96WA

"It's good to be the King President!"

[Ron]

He's saving democracy in Ukraine!

[Pb]

Not democratic sure... but....about 20% of Ukraine is occupied by the Russians.  An election isn't exactly practical at this point.

The stuff Ukraine is doing is normal for countries in mortal danger. 

Great Britain also did not hold elections during the Second World War.

I don't understand the hate Zelanasky gets from a lot of people esp. the Babylon Bee.  He's a lefty weirdo, apparently, but he's managed to keep most of his country out of the hands of the Russians, against most people's expectations.

He's trying to keep his country (and himself) from being geocided.  Of course he's doing everything he can, including begging constantly for foreign aid.  Once again, exactly what the UK did during the Second World War.

[Ron]

We're at war with Russia and Ukraine unfortunately chose poorly in allying with the west instead of trying to be neutral ground.

The lunatic uniparty neocons that have been running our foreign policy for decades want to destroy Russia. They are on record saying that very thing.

I thought I lived in a nation, I wanted to live in a nation. Unfortunately I live in an empire. I have no love for Russia but neither do I have a burning hatred for them either. I see no national security interest in pursuing WWIII while our land is both self destructing and being destroyed by the same uniparty clowns running the foreign policy. This is a global empire conflict, and the heritage Americans wants and desires are not even on the radar of our ruling elite.

Ukraine has been manipulated and bought and heritage America has been manipulated and abandoned.



 

[Northwoods]

We're at war with Russia and Ukraine unfortunately chose poorly in allying with the west instead of trying to be neutral ground.

The lunatic uniparty neocons that have been running our foreign policy for decades want to destroy Russia. They are on record saying that very thing.

I thought I lived in a nation, I wanted to live in a nation. Unfortunately I live in an empire. I have no love for Russia but neither do I have a burning hatred for them either. I see no national security interest in pursuing WWIII while our land is both self destructing and being destroyed by the same uniparty clowns running the foreign policy. This is a global empire conflict, and the heritage Americans wants and desires are not even on the radar of our ruling elite.

Ukraine has been manipulated and bought and heritage America has been manipulated and abandoned.



 

At our founding we declared that all men are created equal.   Now we read as all men are created equal except negros.  When the know-nothings get control it will read all men are created equal except negros and foreigners and catholics.  When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to a country that makes no pretense of loving liberty.   To Russia for instance, where despotism can be taken purer and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.   A. Lincoln, 1855

[cordex]

I don’t think Ukraine had the option of remaining neutral, at least if they wanted to remain independent.

[Ron]

Independence was never on the table for them in reality.

Being run behind the scenes by the west was an option or being run by Russia behind the scenes was an option. Although early on Russia offered a divide the spoils option the west rejected, thinking we'd be able to hold Russia at bay.

Looks like there will eventually be a divide the spoils agreement at some point as Russia couldn't take the whole thing and we weren't willing to commit to holding on to the whole thing.

Considering the hatred our elites have shown toward Russia since the cold war days, Russia made it clear that NATO in Ukraine would be considered an act of aggression towards Russia. You can say "who cares what they think?" but that was the reality on the ground. 

[cordex]

I know it is fashionable among some to blame western policy for all Russian aggression, but that is as simplistic as claiming Russia is acting without reason.

I don’t claim to know what the “right” answer is, but I am not convinced that if Russia had been allowed to have their freebie invasions that it would have stopped with Georgia and Ukraine.

[Pb]

Stalin genocided millions of Ukrainians without prompting from the USA.

That being said, it is not clear to me the benefit of the USA remaining in NATO.

[Ron]

It really wasn't complicated at all. Russia did not want a NATO military presence on their border in Ukraine, probably due to proximity to their Black Sea ports. I'm sure there are other military and economic reasons as well.

We don't want a Russian or Chinese military presence on our borders do we?

We made our intentions known and they acted accordingly. We thought we could use gunboat diplomacy instead of looking for compromise.

Might only makes right when we do it I guess.

[cordex]

Ron, I think that there are a significant number of factors that contribute to the Russians attacking Georgia, Crimea, and Ukraine proper.  I think NATO expansion was only a piece of the puzzle.

Sure, you can tell a story that had NATO simply said “No chance” to adding any more former Soviet nations it would have been entirely prevented. Or, maybe those nations were interested in seeking NATO protection for a good reason.

[Pb]

I agree with cordex.  Russian, up to and including Putin have been mass murdering their neighbors with or without the NATO motive for centuries.

I also think expanding NATO is rubbish, and opposed adding the any new countries to it, including the last two.

[Ron]

Ron, I think that there are a significant number of factors that contribute to the Russians attacking Georgia, Crimea, and Ukraine proper.  I think NATO expansion was only a piece of the puzzle.

Sure, you can tell a story that had NATO simply said “No chance” to adding any more former Soviet nations it would have been entirely prevented. Or, maybe those nations were interested in seeking NATO protection for a good reason.

Russia's hard line worked with Georgia, the NATO talk for Georgia hasn't gone forward beyond "we acknowledge you want to join".

 

[Ron]

Russia is not the good guy here. I'm just questioning whether we are in fact the good guy. The USA foreign policy has been out over its skis for decades. Meanwhile at home the country is being torn apart. We're heading for a yard sale.

Forgive me for the ski metaphors.

[K Frame]

Russia's hard line worked with Georgia, the NATO talk for Georgia hasn't gone forward beyond "we acknowledge you want to join".

 

And I keep saying the *expletive deleted*ing Russians wanted Atlanta, they could have Atlanta.

[Northwoods]

Russia is not the good guy here. I'm just questioning whether we are in fact the good guy. The USA foreign policy has been out over its skis for decades. Meanwhile at home the country is being torn apart. We're heading for a yard sale.

Forgive me for the ski metaphors.

Neither Obama or Trump really had much of a foreign policy.   Biden kinda does.  But the last potus with a real foreign "policy" was HW Bush.  W developed a policy of killing Islamic terrorists after 9/11,  but not too much beyond that.