Where Do Things End With Vlad? (h/t romad1)

[Jim Cowan]

The Russians can install a government, but the people will be ungovernable.

[clark1mt]

9 minutes ago, mtutiger said:

Here's what I don't understand:

In terms of their stated objectives, clearly Russia has the resources to take out the government in Kyiv and install a puppet. But we're talking about a country of 43 million and, while early, there is little to no indication of Ukraine soldiers laying down arms. 

How does this work without a long counterinsurgency that will result in a lot of loss of life for the Russians? And does that counterinsurgency, seeing the tepid response by the oligarchs and the much larger-than-expected protests, cause additional domestic problems?

The whole thing kinda looks like an overreach, but he may not care.

I do wonder if Putin has made the mistake of surrounding himself with yes-men and then forgetting that he may not be getting the truth from them. As in, Putin went in believing he had a righteous cause, because everyone around him is telling him that he does, because they believed he wanted to be told he did. Now he's gone past the point of no return, and may be finding out just how badly mistaken he is. Everyone who was afraid to speak in opposition now has no reason to hold back.

[Jim Cowan]

3 minutes ago, mtutiger said:

JFC

Only the best and the brightest.

[romad1]

4 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

which depend on the Ukrainians maintaining some kind of corridor or protected airfields for resupply. That's what could be hardest. It's not like they'll have the jungle of the Ho Chi Minh trail to hide in. The other criticality is if they stay together long enough to receive Stingers. The Russian helo air superiority goes down the drain if the west can supply man held ground to air in numbers.

The other center of gravity is the idiocy of the American Right.   Its a force for absolute mayhem. 

However, any force that depends on these guys -- so-called Spetznatz elite troopers who wander the suburbs of Kiev like lost children...might not have a bright future

 

[gehringer_2]

3 minutes ago, mtutiger said:

JFC

So where was this biodome hidden that held Putin, the US GOP, and who knows who else in isolation from the real world for the last 80 yrs?

[mtutiger]

4 minutes ago, clark1mt said:

I do wonder if Putin has made the mistake of surrounding himself with yes-men and then forgetting that he may not be getting the truth from them. As in, Putin went in believing he had a righteous cause, because everyone around him is telling him that he does, because they believed he wanted to be told he did. Now he's gone past the point of no return, and may be finding out just how badly mistaken he is. Everyone who was afraid to speak in opposition now has no reason to hold back.

In other words, he's Colonel Kurtz.

[Jim Cowan]

Those guys wandering in the woods will be lucky if the locals don't kill them.

[clark1mt]

3 minutes ago, Jim Cowan said:

Those guys wandering in the woods will be lucky if the locals don't kill them.

That's what I was thinking when I watched it. The person doing the filming could just as easily have been holding a rifle instead of a camera.

[romad1]

Crimea and areas north are flat.  Its not like that land can't be taken back in a hurry.   The little dot around the airport at Kiev is the site of the battle of the airport that Putin lost so badly. 

[romad1]

Dickhead Vladdie having a tantrum

Somehow Fox News, Steve Bannon et.al., will blame Biden

[romad1]

These are the jerks who tried to take the airport

 

[romad1]

The guy announcing the sanctions...was using $Trillions in his descriptions of the assets!

[romad1]

Oligarchs and family members. 

[mtutiger]

 

[romad1]

3 minutes ago, mtutiger said:

 

That is so nuts.

[romad1]

A month late.  Still good

[smr-nj]

7 minutes ago, mtutiger said:

 

OMG.  That is madness. 

[mtutiger]

 

[smr-nj]

By the way, not that it needs to be said, but Putin is not a “genius”.
Putin is not a “strong leader”.

Putin is not “loved by his people”.

He’s a murderer, a fucking animal, and a monster.

[Motor City Sonics]

The way it should end with a bullet in his head. Oh, am I promoting violence.   Fuck yeah, against that motherfucker.   If you think he's stopping at Ukraine, you're foolish, he wants to rebuild the Soviet Union.  

[Motor City Sonics]

1 hour ago, Jim Cowan said:

Only the best and the brightest.

This fucking goddamned turd.      He's stupid even for a mediocre football coach.      These people will be in total control of our country in 3 years.   Probably permanently.   

[1984Echoes]

19 hours ago, Jim Cowan said:

....  The question remains, would Congress approve it?  If you think it's a slam dunk, that's a possibility.  

That's what I meant in my second sentence.

Supporting NATO militarily, if it comes to it, will be approved by Congress. We won't be the only nation that declares war on Russia if they step onto NATO soil. Poland, Germany, France, Italy, the UK will all race to be the first to declare war against Russia if they step onto NATO territory. We won't be able to beat them, but we will join them.

Putin will back down.

[Jim Cowan]

12 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

That's what I meant in my second sentence.

Supporting NATO militarily, if it comes to it, will be approved by Congress. We won't be the only nation that declares war on Russia if they step onto NATO soil. Poland, Germany, France, Italy, the UK will all race to be the first to declare war against Russia if they step onto NATO territory. We won't be able to beat them, but we will join them.

Putin will back down.

Thefe's no question that everybody else will do it, that's a guarantee.

[mtutiger]

I really hope this man comes out of this alive. That's leadership

[mtutiger]

Heroes... all of them