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

[Motown Bombers]

 

[romad1]

1 minute ago, Motown Bombers said:

 

WOW

[oblong]

Billy Joel's got enough for 2 new verses for We didnt Start the Fire.

I mean seriously, the 50s' and 60's get all the work there then the 70' and 80's is like yeah, Watergate, Sally Ride, Reagan, AIDS, Coke... we're good.

 

 

[Motown Bombers]

 

[romad1]

 

This is a demonstration of warfighting capability make no mistake.  if russia tried to do a tactical road march this distance it would result in 80% of the convoy being left on the side of the road. 

[mtutiger]

The French appear to be shorting Mearsheimer's hypothesis about Putin's aims

[chasfh]

1 hour ago, CMRivdogs said:

Putin Puppets...

More fake Trumpublican "tough guys"

They want to be on the right side when Putin marches on the United States after conquering Europe.

[romad1]

 

[chasfh]

12 hours ago, mtutiger said:

This write up is really fascinating. The sanctions almost seem like the foreign policy equivalent to the SMU Football Death Penalty.

In all the glee to complete destroy the Russian economy, I worry that it will feed right into Putin's long-time declarations that the West is out to destroy Russia, and that mass privation forced on them from outside will radicalize the next several generations of Russians against the West in ways we have not seen in a century, with dire consequences. If we succeed in doing this, I don't see how the Russian people blame Putin for it, because when it comes to that Putin has the people's ear, and we don't.

As good as his SOTU was, one thing I wish Biden had done was a better job at reaching out directly to the Russian people. He mentioned them kind of in passing, but did not address directly that I remember. It could have been something like, "To the Russian people: we are not your enemy. We want peace with you, but your leaders do not want peace. We know sanctions against your leaders will hurt you too, and we grieve for that, but it must be done to send the message that countries cannot invade their free, sovereign, democratic neighbors whenever they choose. We look forward to the day when Russia has new leaders, and your Motherland can be welcomed back into the community of peaceful nations." Something along those lines.  I think not leaning into that was a missed timely opportunity.

[Tigerbomb13]

Wow

[smr-nj]

Just now, Tigerbomb13 said:

Wow

That’s scary as all hell. Insanity

[Tigerbomb13]

8 minutes ago, smr-nj said:

That’s scary as all hell. Insanity

Chilling. At this point I think the only way WW3 is avoided is if something seismic happens from inside Russia. 

[casimir]

12 minutes ago, Tigerbomb13 said:

Wow

And if they end up surrendering on the battlefield, then what?

[Tigerbomb13]

2 minutes ago, casimir said:

And if they end up surrendering on the battlefield, then what?

That’s what I was thinking. How do you force them to fight if they are adamantly against it? Does the Russian military kill them too? That could be just more chaos for them. 

[Tigerbomb13]

22 minutes ago, Tigerbomb13 said:

Wow

Some clarity on this. 
 

 

[Hongbit]

10 minutes ago, casimir said:

And if they end up surrendering on the battlefield, then what?

I don’t think they will ever see the battlefield. They will be doing round thr clock special training in Siberia 

[romad1]

Hearts and minds . . . 

 

[Tigerbomb13]

12 minutes ago, romad1 said:

Hearts and minds . . . 

 

Jesus. This is madness

[buddha]

20 hours ago, mtutiger said:

Again, Mearsheimer spends a great deal of time drawing comparisons to Iraq, a country we invaded and attempted to install a democracy despite no real evidence it was seeking one, and Ukraine, a country that, upon independence in 1991, that has attempted on it's own volition to build democratic institutions. And however flawed the process has been, they have continued working at it and clearly see that as their way forward.

And the reality, as we are now seeing in this current conflict, is that the Ukrainians were never going to see themselves as potted plants who don't have agency. After watching Mearsheimer's comments and reading this interview, I am no clearer as to why that is the fault of the United States or why Ukrainians shouldn't have a say in their own self-determination.

https://www.thebulwark.com/putins-bogus-blame-nato-excuse/

a good counterargument to the realists.

[Tigeraholic1]

1 hour ago, Tigerbomb13 said:

That’s what I was thinking. How do you force them to fight if they are adamantly against it? Does the Russian military kill them too? That could be just more chaos for them. 

Remember Vietnam? The Draft?

[Mr.TaterSalad]

3 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

Remember Vietnam? The Draft?

Yep, that's what they did to poor people like my dad and his brothers. A poor white kid from Ecorse like my dad who was never going to college at the time got put in the draft and forced enlistment. That's exactly what will happen to these Russian protestors, only they'll skip over the draft part and go right to the enlistment step.

[Jim Cowan]

Just now, Mr.TaterSalad said:

Yep, that's what they did to poor people like my dad and his brothers. A poor white kid from Ecorse like my dad who was never going to college at the time got put in the draft and forced enlistment. That's exactly what will happen to these Russian protestors, only they'll skip over the draft part and go right to the enlistment step.

Too bad he didn't have bone spurs.

[Motown Bombers]

1 hour ago, Tigerbomb13 said:

Wow

 I would go into Ukraine and immediately surrender and try for asylum. 

[romad1]

This cannot be real

I had heard that Belarus was the worst military in Europe but this is appalling. 

[Motown Bombers]

10 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

Remember Vietnam? The Draft?

Right and if Americans surrendered they would end up in prison camps like John McCain. European countries are offering asylum to Russia soldiers who desert.