Nah. lol. Tejas. I read this place when I'm bored, but otherwise was focusing on other pursuits that are in theory healthier. Except I'm too lazy to actually work on those pursuits. Some domestic travel as well to no useful end. I may PM you actually when I get around to it.
I'm not even sure there is a populace that needs placating. There is no opposition to speak of at the moment. Unless you are implying opposition to the right of Putin? Various nationalists? Most are on his payroll.
It may also be Putin‘s last hurrah with Parkinson’s presumably starting to take him down.
There have been bodies from Syria. Not much fanfare. Putin is firmly in control imo. By control I mean the general populace. I have no idea what's going on behind the scenes of his oligarch cronies. Perhaps that's a risk.
Let’s hope Russia bogs down in the Ukraine and China dogpiles them from the rear.
Agreed. But I think much of this is contingent on Ukrainian will and spirit to resist. I can't form a meaningful opinion on this question. It's not entirely out of the realm that we see something similar to Afghanistan.
I guess we can rule out outfoxing nowJosh Marshall at TPM wrote/posted two articles referencing the US’ continual broadcasting of an imminent Russian invasion.
Why Does The US Keep Highlighting The Imminence Of A Russian Invasion?
There has been a growing chorus of articles arguing that the Biden administration is trying to confront Russia on its own ground of information warfare. The key example is moving rapidly to declassify…talkingpointsmemo.com
“I’ve mentioned before that while constant threats of an invasion are a powerful weapon for Russia, an actual invasion is fraught with danger. I don’t know if this is all a bluff. But I do think Russia is leery about the risks of actually following through and invading Ukraine. By continually saying an invasion is imminent, the U.S. is highlighting the fact that Russia keeps threatening but not acting. All threats and no action.”
“Rather than keeping everyone else on tenterhooks they’re looking more and more like they’re bluffing or unwilling or unable to actually follow through on their threats. Putin himself seemed to allude to this earlier this month when he accused the U.S. of trying to goad Russia into invading.”
“Could the U.S. actually force Russia’s hand or make it harder for Russia to back down? I doubt it? But it’s a reasonable question. What I do think they’re doing is attempting to turn Russia’s most effective weapon — the looming threat of military action — against them. Rather than keep the atmosphere of threat at a constant simmer, the U.S. keeps raising it to a fever pitch and then having the Russia actually not act.”
Part two:
Not Bad
This (below) is a tweet from over the weekend from the Russian Embassy in South Africa. It's an example of the dynamic I was talking about yesterday. U.S. diplomats have apparently told NATO allies…talkingpointsmemo.com
“I think the other reason the administration keeps talking about an imminent invasions is that it helps them define the narrative should one occur. They want to ensure that the narrative is that Putin, without provocation, amassed a massive number of troops and then invaded. Brazen, unadulterated military aggression. It may seem obvious that that would be the narrative but it’s not. The narrative could be that Putin moved troops to the border and the West didn’t react strongly enough or leaned too hard on diplomacy or that something the US said or did provoked Russia into acting, etc., etc. I suspect that by ceaseless repetition the administration hopes to cement the narrative as brazen unadulterated military aggression, full stop. By relentlessly predicting it, they hope to define the lens through which it is understood.”
Whether Russia invades or not, it’s comforting knowing grownups are in charge rather than watching a fool tripping over himself trying to get Putin to “like him”.
I agree that it seems wrong, but Ukraine has called up its reserves (900,000 additional troops). Now he faces sanctions and he’ll see even more if he continues on this track. Also from this point on Russia will have a devastatingly costly ground war, in both blood and treasure, and even more costly sanctions.I guess we can rule out outfoxing now
And we also have Mike Pompeo publicly licking Putin’s balls. I’m actually embarrassed for Trump and his minions, as destructive as they are. It’s rare you witness such weak people.
Yes. I don’t want to hear anything more from these losers. They claim to be patriots who love our constitution, but cheer on a despot vs a democracy aligned with the West.
One is trying to stop Russia in concert with our NATO allies. Trump is calling Putin “a genius” and Trump essentially tried to destroy NATO on Putin’s behalf. You’re going to say “Putin would have never invaded under Trump.”? By what metric?
That is so simplistic and has no consideration for the role natural gas plays. Trump couldn't win another election and it has nothing to do with Senator Chaney.
You're trying to teach algebra to a brick. Don't waste your time.
Rockport, you know where to draw the line. That’s why I admire you.
BTW whose opinion is this anyway? Most people at least let us know when they post. Thank you!
As GOAT says it's like trying to teach algebra to a brick. First off this is a (not surprisingly) incredibly STUPID comment from you (and Trump)...
www.rferl.org
Hickory liked it so that's all that matters.. Good job sure looked liked alot of work. Meanwhile joe has no idea what he is doing and has an approval below 40%. But an approval on 80% on this board so there is that alternative universe this board lives in. Echo chamber for life.As GOAT says it's like trying to teach algebra to a brick. First off this is a (not surprisingly) incredibly STUPID comment from you (and Trump)...
"Putin would never have invaded under Trump but with weak kneeded Joe no problem. Looks like Liz C got what she wanted"
This is on par with claiming the Chinese invented covid to keep Trump from being re-elected, as if the only nation affected and the only politician who had to deal with covid was Trump. Plenty of leaders of other countries dealt with covid intelligently, and became more popular within their country as a result. Trump had the same oppty to succeed or fail, his failures are HIS responsibility...
The only thing that was going to defter Putin from invading Ukraine was getting his way diplomatically, and that involves not just the US unilaterally but NATO as a consensus. It's true Trump and his pro-Putin right wing echo chamber might have been able to concede their way to appeasing Putin for a while, but eventually that would have included surrendering Ukrainian sovereignty. And while Trumpers might have agreed to that, Western Europe and even traditional Republicans would have balked...
Putin more than anything was emboldened by the divide in the US population. In many ways Jan 6 exemplified that split and encouraged Putin to take advantage of the lack of common resolve in the US. Putin's buildup of forces began in the aftermath of Jan 6. 2021. Not only did that lead to renewed buildup of Russian forces on the border, but Putin's propaganda wing was emboldened as well...The recounting of events tells the tale...
Simply comparing the reactions of Democratic govts like Germany, the UK and even Ukraine to the Russian response is very enlightening. How democracies reacted to the Trump attempt at a coup...
And since it's doubtful you know it, Boris Johnson is a Conservative with a majority Conservative govt...
Merkel, despite all the ignorant Trumper attacks on her as a "liberal" was actually the head of the CDU- the center right party in German politics, as opposed to the far right neo-Nazis...
"German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the images made her "angry and sad" and that Trump had to accept some of the blame. The German foreign minister, Heiko Maas, the German foreign minister, urged Trump supporters to "stop trampling" on democratic values. "The enemies of democracy will be pleased to see these incredible images from Washington, D.C.," he added.
Zelinsky was also dismayed...
And Foreign Minister Kuleba
Now contrast that with the Russian response- the Autocrats...And notice how Maas was right on point...
"Diplomats from Russia, which has bristled at U.S. criticism of its record on human rights, democracy, and the rule of law under President Vladimir Putin, took a different tack.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said an "archaic" U.S. electoral system and the politicization of the U.S. media were to blame for the unrest in Washington.
On Facebook, Zakharova reposted a comment from a U.S. journalist who wrote, "The United States will never again be able to tell the world that we are the paragon of democracy."
Russia's first deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyansky, called the images "Maidan-style," a reference to the popular uprising that pushed Ukraine's Moscow-friendly president, Viktor Yanukovych, from power in 2014.
Putin has falsely claimed that months of massive and mostly peaceful protests on Kyiv's Independence Square were a U.S.-backed coup, and the term has a very negative connotation among Russian officials.
"Some of my friends ask whether someone will distribute crackers to the protesters," Polyansky said, a mocking reference to the actions of a U.S. State Department official during the protests on the Maidan in December 2013."
Again this was all detailed in the immediate aftermath of Jan 6 2021. It's a matter of historical record...
'Assault On U.S. Democracy': World Leaders React To Mob Violence At U.S. Capitol
Stunned officials from around the globe voiced a range of reactions from deep concern and disgust to apparent satisfaction after a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Just look at all the big Cities that the Dims are in control of. All have turned into 3rd world country's. America is a ship with no Captain.
Why is anyone surprised?
www.politico.com
We will get there but we apparently have to keep drawing new lines in the sand.
Without SWIFT, INTERPOL and seizing personal assets such as yachts, bank accounts and condos in the FL this is not much more than window dressing.
