War

[Fogdog]

Pundits have different opinions about these things, and they are closer to events than I, but that one seat majority does mean something when enough of the GOP senate is on side, not that they need to be. Ukraine has other allies and EU funding seems to be coming through since they cornered Orban. I don't like the situation, but there is little we can do but watch and speculate.

The middle of this decade is going to suck while this struggle plays out. Allies of the US should take note. We are not a reliable ally and won't be for at least the next four years.

It's not what the majority in the US want, its what the minority can block that causes this instability. I'm on the side that supports Ukaraine. I'm on the side that opposes dictatorships, fascism and authoritarian rule (left or right). I oppose this inside the US and outside. But I'm realistic that other countries may want to and some will ensure that instability in US support does not undermine their own interests in ways that harm US international standing.

I grieve for the people of Ukraine. No matter what happens in the end, Putin's aggression has caused them grievous harm. GOP interests backing Putin are a pox on the US that affects other nations. It sucks but that's where we are at the moment.

 

[DIY-HP-LED]

The middle of this decade is going to suck while this struggle plays out. Allies of the US should take note. We are not a reliable ally and won't be for at least the next four years.

It's not what the majority in the US want, its what the minority can block that causes this instability. I'm on the side that supports Ukaraine. I'm on the side that opposes dictatorships, fascism and authoritarian rule (left or right). I oppose this inside the US and outside. But I'm realistic that other countries may want to and some will ensure that instability in US support does not undermine their own interests in ways that harm US international standing.

I grieve for the people of Ukraine. No matter what happens in the end, Putin's aggression has caused them grievous harm. GOP interests backing Putin are a pox on the US that affects other nations. It sucks but that's where we are at the moment.

Europe is rearming and now figure they can defend against Russia on their own, or in a decade. Ukraine is giving them that time on a shoestring and still destroying lots of irreplaceable Russian equipment. I like to empathize and put myself in the other fellow's shoes from time to time and standing in Vlad's shoes is not a pleasant experience and his and Russia's prospects do not look good. The Ruble has the proximate value of a sheet of toilet paper, depending on where you buy it and the quality, it might be cheaper but less comfortable to wipe yer ass with rubles...

 

[DIY-HP-LED]

I thought I'd check to see if this thought occurred to anybody else...

The Ruble is now worth less than toilet paper

The Ruble is sitting at 0.00769235 USD. According to my last order, my toilet paper cost 26.49 for 1950 sheets or 0.013584 per sheet. This means it would be cheaper to wipe your ass with Rubles but probably less comfortable.
If this isn't an endorsement for BTC, I don't know what is.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/ta1cx0

 

[DIY-HP-LED]

There are conflicting reports so best to do your own calculations, while taking a shit.

 

[cannabineer]

Pundits have different opinions about these things, and they are closer to events than I, but that one seat majority does mean something when enough of the GOP senate is on side, not that they need to be. Ukraine has other allies and EU funding seems to be coming through since they cornered Orban. I don't like the situation, but there is little we can do but watch and speculate.

Never use that first word (or a synonym) without a link to their opinions.

 

[DIY-HP-LED]

Never use that first word (or a synonym) without a link to their opinions.

The TV is full of it and pundits, whenever they discuss Ukrainian funding, opinions vary as they do here.

 

[CCGNZ]

Well, there are the Oscar-class boats, one of which is being or has been converted to carry the Poseidon supertorpedo, a spite weapon if there ever was one.

Oscar-class submarine - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

I've heard of that crazy megaton torpedo meant to cause a tidal wave or tsunami and inundate our coastlines,that's one of Vlad's kick over the chessboard weapons to use after the ass kicking he'd receive in a conventional war,which has been reinforced by what we've seen in Ukraine, as for the Oscar's,noise,noise,noise and w/Russia's maintenance issues the poor sailors probably each have a geiger counter on their belts.

It looks to me like Russia (Vladolf) focused its limited military budget on nuclear showpieces, like restarting Blackjack production, producing the Sarmat heavy ICBM (a descendant of the SS-9 Scarp, capable of FOBS missions with heavy or multiple warheads) and the Belgorod conversion of an Oscar to carry six Poseidon (Status-7) torpedoes. These are massive things driven fast and far by a nuclear propulsion stage and bearing a rumored 100-Mt warhead for a “radioactive tsunami” mission against coastal metropolises.

Meanwhile their planes are suffering from an unknown amount of deferred/lacking maintenance and friendly-fire incidents. Their land weapons are also in worse shape than anyone imagined until the three-day (plainly not three consecutive days!) war with Ukraine turned into a bitter parody of blitzkrieg.

So it’s no surprise Vladolf keeps threatening (and looking for excuses) to use a nuke or three. The nuclear forces are the capability into which all the military strength has drained.

That say's it all,Nukes ,the great equalizer,if they didn't exist NATO troops w/Ukrainian forces in tow would be moving on Moscow by now.

 

[CCGNZ]

I fear this is what Putin's dirty money is paying the MAGA controlled GOP congress to do. They have zero motivation to pass funding to supply Ukraine in its war against Russian colonization. They can stand on their principles when they do it too. They can point at the deficit and tell us it was for the good of the country's economy, they can point at the decreasing numbers of arms in the US armory and say it was for the good of US defense, the can talk about the immorality of supporting war, they can evoke isolationism and talk about 'murrica first! And behind all of that is dirty money flowing into Trump's PAC and into GOP political campaigns. For them Ukraine's losses are win, win and win for them.

I don't make predictions here but just stating why it's probably not in Republican lawmaker's interests to support Ukraine.

The FKN. R's have no deficit issues adding TRILLIONS to the debt for the Orange man's bogus tax cut to the 1%'rs and corps. who used it to buy back stock only .But then when the D's are in power they morph into conscious deficit hawks,halting $$ that actually helps real people/issues. And people who are not rich just eat up the flag waving BS and keep voting for them w/blinders on to the transparent hypocracy they peddle.

 

[printer]

Training snipers with only fire one bullet per situation, pretty bad.

Trump will blame the price of gas increase on Biden.
https://x.com/EuromaidanPR/status/1748984140790222853?s=20

Hitting air defense before they roll out.

 

[cannabineer]

The FKN. R's have no deficit issues adding TRILLIONS to the debt for the Orange man's bogus tax cut to the 1%'rs and corps. who used it to buy back stock only .But then when the D's are in power they morph into conscious deficit hawks,halting $$ that actually helps real people/issues. And people who are not rich just eat up the flag waving BS and keep voting for them w/blinders on to the transparent hypocracy they peddle.

To put the cherry on top of the hypocrite sundae, they then noisily point fingers to distract from the fact that they made the problem. Two-tier justice system! Deficit spending on all the wrong things! Groomers!1!

 

[printer]

 

[injinji]

The new long range drone is going to be a pain in poot-poot's rear. It crossed almost 900K of Russian air space and hit the target. Or as Red TV would say, they shot it down, and it set the gas facility on fire when it fell.

 

[DIY-HP-LED]

Training snipers with only fire one bullet per situation, pretty bad.

Trump will blame the price of gas increase on Biden.
https://x.com/EuromaidanPR/status/1748984140790222853?s=20

Hitting air defense before they roll out.

Running out of small arms ammo is not a thing at this point in the war, they are making their own too and so are Europeans! There are plenty of bullet and shell casings to reload laying around.

As an Englishman might say in another century:
I say, they just need powder and shot to bring the bastards down!

 

[CCGNZ]

To put the cherry on top of the hypocrite sundae, they then noisily point fingers to distract from the fact that they made the problem. Two-tier justice system! Deficit spending on all the wrong things! Groomers!1!

View attachment 5363212

I hope 2024 lights the match that begins the purge so sorely needed,so many R pols. who have revealed themselves as gutless go along to get along for their own selfish self interests have to be banished. It may take 8 yrs. But a 2 party system is fundamental to healthy political dialogue and the R party needs to be rebuilt in some decent form after falling to the Trump wrecking ball. Many ambiguities that have been exploited must also be ironed out w/Constitutional ammendments over executive powers. History will surely judge a large majority of the current R party harshly,as for the healing process it hasn't begun yet.

 

[DIY-HP-LED]

I hope 2024 lights the match that begins the purge so sorely needed,so many R pols. who have revealed themselves as gutless go along to get along for their own selfish self interests have to be banished. It may take 8 yrs. But a 2 party system is fundamental to healthy political dialogue and the R party needs to be rebuilt in some decent form after falling to the Trump wrecking ball. Many ambiguities that have been exploited must also be ironed out w/Constitutional ammendments over executive powers. History will surely judge a large majority of the current R party harshly,as for the healing process it hasn't begun yet.

It's the people not the party who are responsible for Trump, the party has been poisoned to its core and the leadership are just a bunch of grifters with no real plan other than power and money while fleecing the suckers who voted for them. Most just pretend to believe lies so transparent a child could see through them, they all aren't as stupid as the ones they show on TV. They are not driven by policy choices or actual facts, but to something else, facts and policies make no difference to them.

Chinese cars will likely be sold in America through Mexico decimating the automakers, America wasted far more years than on Trump and fell behind, so did Europe, it is not a mistake you can afford to make again. We in Canada are paying high tariffs on cheap Chinese solar panels, batteries and EVs, a tax on Americans and Canadians to prop up our manufactures while they try to catch up. Biden's industrial policies are desperately needed to avoid disaster. The Chinese could be selling a compact EV made in Mexico for $5,000 in 2030, they are selling small ones in China for less, and better cheaper batteries will mean a larger car sold here for the same price. They don't depend on cheap labor either, but high levels of automation, though wages in Mexico are low. North America is about the only place they are not selling cars, the rest of the world is buying cheap Chinese EVs, solar panels and batteries. Where would you be if Trump was president, other than in deeper trouble.

 

[CCGNZ]

It's the people not the party who are responsible for Trump, the party has been poisoned to its core and the leadership are just a bunch of grifters with no real plan other than power and money while fleecing the suckers who voted for them. Most just pretend to believe lies so transparent a child could see through them, they all aren't as stupid as the ones they show on TV. They are not driven by policy choices or actual facts, but to something else, facts and policies make no difference to them.

Chinese cars will likely be sold in America through Mexico decimating the automakers, America wasted far more years than on Trump and fell behind, so did Europe, it is not a mistake you can afford to make again. We in Canada are paying high tariffs on cheap Chinese solar panels, batteries and EVs, a tax on Americans and Canadians to prop up our manufactures while they try to catch up. Biden's industrial policies are desperately needed to avoid disaster. The Chinese could be selling a compact EV made in Mexico for $5,000 in 2030, they are selling small ones in China for less, and better cheaper batteries will mean a larger car sold here for the same price. They don't depend on cheap labor either, but high levels of automation, though wages in Mexico are low.

The whole phenomenon of this Trump thing is beyond words at this point and the loathsome lot of self serving hypocrites that seemingly have no tipping point for his antics confound the mind. With all this distraction combined w/all the brush fires and other potential flash points I'm feeling a sense of forboding,and hope nothing else goes down. I really wish Biden was 10 yrs. younger w/what's on his plate and what else may be added to it in addition to the rigors of an election. In the wake of Jan 6 the mere thought of the country having to deal w/a reprise 3 yrs. later amidst the largest ground war in Europe since WW2,the Middle East ready to explode into a regional war w/potential US vs. Iran,which may spurn opportunistic action by China and/or N. Korea would be more than remote yet here we are getting ready to light a cigarette in a fireworks factory.Biden is skippering a ship in raging seas and I hope his health and stamina can hold strong.

 

[DIY-HP-LED]

The whole phenomenon of this Trump thing is beyond words at this point and the loathsome lot of self serving hypocrites that seemingly have no tipping point for his antics confound the mind. With all this distraction combined w/all the brush fires and other potential flash points I'm feeling a sense of forboding,and hope nothing else goes down. I really wish Biden was 10 yrs. younger w/what's on his plate and what else may be added to it in addition to the rigors of an election. In the wake of Jan 6 the mere thought of the country having to deal w/a reprise 3 yrs. later amidst the largest ground war in Europe since WW2,the Middle East ready to explode into a regional war w/potential US vs. Iran,which may spurn opportunistic action by China and/or N. Korea would be more than remote yet here we are getting ready to light a cigarette in a fireworks factory.Biden is skippering a ship in raging seas and I hope his health and stamina can hold strong.

Biden might be old, but he is healthy, smart and his policies are far from stale and stagnant, you also have a VP who can step in. He has a plan and vision and if he had his way it would be new deal 2.0, he is actually pro working person, is near the end of his life and wants a legacy as a great president who moved the nation forward. He is one of the greatest IMO, in a league with the best of them, if he has 4 more years and a democratic congress at his back then it will be even better.

 

[printer]

Running out of small arms ammo is not a thing at this point in the war, they are making their own too and so are Europeans! There are plenty of bullet and shell casings to reload laying around.

As an Englishman might say in another century:
I say, they just need powder and shot to bring the bastards down!

So why would they not fire more bullets when training? And loading a musket is kind of slow.

 

[printer]

Donetsk false flag operation?

 

[DIY-HP-LED]

So why would they not fire more bullets when training? And loading a musket is kind of slow.

They might be using a specialized Russian sniper rifle. Reloading rounds is not hard and there are lots of small arms shell casings of all types laying around for recycling. Running out of small arms ammo would be hard to do unless there is massive incompetence.