Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Iphie]

I think most people would beg to differ. Russians have a very supremacist mindset at large and are driven by feelings of envy. Concepts like social Darwinism are not above them given how Stalinism is ingrained into Russian culture.

I've been hearing plenty of NSFL comms that, at the least, illustrate the average Russian soldier's rage at Ukrainians supposedly living the high-life compared to what they get.

"A bit different" would be an understatement.

If you knew anything about the relationship between Stalin and Darwin you'd not make those statements. Look up Lysenkoism. (I know base Darwinism and Social Darwinism are different things.)

[Breccia]

They sure think differently I agree on that but that shit you posted was hauled out of your ass

Yes, but he's still the second most obvious Russian, erm, "propaganda enthusiast" today. Wanna see who's first?

With their decisions, Washington and Brussels are leading the world to a terrible war: to a completely different military action than today, when strikes are carried out exclusively on the military and critical infrastructure used by the Kyiv regime.

Given the technological superiority of Russian weapons, foreign politicians making such decisions need to understand that this could end in a global tragedy that will destroy their countries.

That's Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament. That's him basically saying that, if the US provides weapons to Ukraine to kill citizens -- yes, which you saw him claim Russia is totally not doing nyet comrade nyet -- that Russia would use their superior nukes, and destroy the USA.

So, basically, everything about that is laughable, if it weren't for, you know, all the Russians murdering Ukrainian civilians in the streets.

This statement is probably done for two reasons. One, of course, is to keep spraying lethal levels of dishonesty on the Russian people to keep them from, oh I don't know, rebelling against the government that's shipping them to their pointless deaths and dragging Volodin into the street and executing him. But he's also probably trying to scare off Germany. Germany has been hesitant, but has more recently indicated they would be more likely send Leopard tanks if the US sent Abrams first. I'm not 100% sure how the US would give another country some tanks without tools, parts, and crew to keep them up and running, and so far, the US hasn't done it.

But that time might be coming. Bipartisan US legislative support has been openly voiced for shipping exactly these tanks, especially if it gets Germany into the mix.

So under the assumption this actually happens, Russia will have a choice to make. See, this is where game theory comes in. Russia has already spent a lot of resources to get their ass kicked in public. If Ukraine gets thicker, heavier boots to kick with, staying there and losing even worse doesn't seem like a valid option. They'll have to back off, or escalate. I just don't see Ukraine negotiating for anything other than "fuck right off".

Is seeing your neighbors supposedly living a better quality of life than you have, worth starting a nuclear armageddon that will ensure you spend your last 0.0001 second of existence as a screaming mass of sun-hot particles? No. Russia starting a nuclear war because the US and others send tanks to Ukraine, a war they were already losing, is so insane and suicidal that I don't see even Putin's supporters going through with it.

Ukraine and its increasing number of allies need to take steps to make sure Russia doesn't get any realistic measure of victory. Putin's problems get worse and worse the longer the war he's losing remains unpopular. If, hypothetically, he wants to take as much armor as possible, Control-A and shift-click on Ukraine, it will help if German and American tanks are already there. Everyone in this thread already knows what spring thaw mud does to tanks, so, there's a time limit on this.

[YUPPIE]

Russia has threatened nuclear retaliation wayyy more than just today up from the last time it was seriously discussed here, but my stance is until they actually drop them, there's not much to say about it anymore - nor take it seriously based on the frequency of said threats. The US has not stopped supporting Ukraine at all despite these threats, nor has it wavered anyway.

Although I'd like to mention Republicans were spamming ads late last year that said Biden is going to lead us down the path of armageddon by supporting Kyiv. It's hard to find that ad archived now, but I'm sure some of you saw it playing on TV or some media player. Pretty treacherous/suspicious of them, and the audacity as well.

[Azadina]

Russia has threatened nuclear retaliation wayyy more than just today up from the last time it was seriously discussed here, but my stance is until they actually drop them, there's not much to say about it anymore - nor take it seriously based on the frequency of said threats. The US has not stopped supporting Ukraine at all despite these threats, nor has it wavered anyway.

Although I'd like to mention Republicans were spamming ads late last year that said Biden is going to lead us down the path of armageddon by supporting Kyiv. It's hard to find that ad archived now, but I'm sure some of you saw it playing on TV or some media player. Pretty treacherous/suspicious of them, and the audacity as well.

I thought your stance was, that until ruZZia nukes, you'll say nothing at all. And only then would you be back to say "i told you so".

[YUPPIE]

Ukraine even prior to this invasion was, put simply, corrupt as fuck right?

Because Zelenksy acknowledged corruption today, promised reform, and reading into all of it is frankly horrifying.

Was Russia the cause of all this, or did Ukraine itself have its own internal issues independent of Russia?

[Corvus]

The corruption was left over from when it was in russia's sphere, back before they cut those ties. They have been working on it as there are benchmarks they need to meet to integrate into the European community.

Every country has some level of corruption, but few match russia's level.

[DarkAmbient]

Zelensky was voted in partly on the back of being anti corruption and criticising people with secret offshore assets, but the Pandora papers revealed he owned a stake in an offshore company that he transferred to a mate shortly before becoming president, plus he had his fingers in several other offshore pies. People don't want to mention it for fear of being painted as sympathisers of Russia, plus of course the Ukrainian establishment has other more important things to worry about right now. Actual Russia sympathisers will seek to use it for propaganda purposes, which is amusing, seeing as Putin and his cronies are about as corrupt as they come.

[Gaidax]

As someone who lived in Ukraine of 90s, you bet it was corrupt as fuck and still is plenty corrupt.

90s were wild times and the most corrupt and shrewd "businessmen" of 90s if you could call it that are nowadays in various positions of power in the system either directly or indirectly.

It's a plague that will take decades to root out. You need another generation to pass for people to start rooting out the culture of corruption ex-Soviet countries are plagued with.


To Ukraine's credit at least they are trying to change. As opposed to Russia that is regressing.

[zealo]

That's one of the areas where their EU membership aspirations may push things in the right direction.

That they'll have a carrot of what that can do their country economically dangling in front of them, and it's not like they'll be let in before that situation improves an absolute ton anyway.

[Lahis]

Fuck no. Every delay or the longer this drags on, this keeps piling up.

There's nothing good about this dragging on for Ukraine. Because as you know, even if victory seems improbable to the Russians, they'll keep committing these atrocities for the sake of it.

Which is why we must help them kill more russians faster.

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Hopefully they change their minds about that soon.

With the latest events: not happening.

Seems like we and Swedes must kiss our NATO membership goodbye for as long as Turkey is a member.

[Gabriel]

With the latest events: not happening.

Seems like we and Swedes must kiss your NATO membership goodbye for as long as Turkey is a member.

I want to build a time machine so I can slap the shit out of every retard that ever uttered the words "NATO option".

[Iphie]

With the latest events: not happening.

Seems like we and Swedes must kiss your NATO membership goodbye for as long as Turkey is a member.

Let's see after the elections, eh?

Having said that, bit annoyed that we are collateral for the spat between Erdogan and Sweden...I know, I know, we're not his favourites either but his main beef is stil with Sweden.

[Gorsameth]

Let's see after the elections, eh?

Having said that, bit annoyed that we are collateral for the spat between Erdogan and Sweden...I know, I know, we're not his favourites either but his main beef is stil with Sweden.

Your not collateral from Turkey, your collateral from yourself. Finland could join NATO tomorrow if it wanted to, but has decided that it will either join together with Sweden or not join at all. Which geopolitically makes sense. But just understand the difference.

[Elder Millennial]

The corruption cycle can be escaped if a country escapes the Russian sphere.

Reminder, the distinction between the Baltics today and Belarus and Ukraine for example is that the Baltics managed to slip out of the Russian sphere in the early 2000's. They were part of the same Soviet Union and all inherited the same features of corruption, it is possible to break the cycle, but not while being in the sphere of Russia.

Russia is like an entropic field, it rots everything it touches.

[Nymrohd]

The corruption cycle can be escaped if a country escapes the Russian sphere.

Reminder, the distinction between the Baltics today and Belarus and Ukraine for example is that the Baltics managed to slip out of the Russian sphere in the early 2000's. They were part of the same Soviet Union and all inherited the same features of corruption, it is possible to break the cycle, but not while being in the sphere of Russia.

Russia is like an entropic field, it rots everything it touches.

Rather, for Russia to be able to maintain its hold in the economies of peripheral countries, corruption is very much required. Without corruption, they are just not competitive. Meanwhile while EU corporate interests absolutely can profit from corruption post-alignment since it enables them to push their margins, they'd much prefer that corruption to be centralized in procurement and not infest and explode the cost of doing business (and they can perform without any corruption just fine since the product is just superior or close to any alternative). For the country to be a member of the EU, those processes need to become lean and that cuts down corruption significantly (or else the margins have to largely stay in the country since palms are greased at so many levels).

While it definitely is cultural at the end it is mostly about financial interest.

[YUPPIE]

About the corruption issue aforementioned:

I'm not worried now because, I think Ukraine is now under the West's grasp - very specifically America's - after the war openly broke out. That doesn't mean enslavement, but I doubt Zelenksy will try to pocket under the table within the jurisdiction of entities like the CIA (aka scariest people on the planet).

That is why I think corruption like will at the least not a thing with Zelenksy anymore. The billions of taxpayer's money will safely go into good interests.

[jonnysensible]

Jake Broe said in his latest video that the reason they are suddenly strictly enforcing trimming of beards might be due to russia planning to use chemical or biological weapons and the gas masks needing air tight seal.

Would this change anything for russia? Can it be countered?

Didn't the US say that it is a red line for them?

the thread put me back a few pages and i clicked it and saw this post. lol.

I'd say whoever jake broe is dont listen to them on anything they dont know what they are talking about.

- - - Updated - - -

About the corruption issue aforementioned:

I'm not worried now because, I think Ukraine is now under the West's grasp - very specifically America's - after the war openly broke out. That doesn't mean enslavement, but I doubt Zelenksy will try to pocket under the table within the jurisdiction of entities like the CIA (aka scariest people on the planet).

That is why I think corruption like will at the least not a thing with Zelenksy anymore. The billions of taxpayer's money will safely go into good interests.

lol rebuilding money after the war is over will be pilfered, no point pretending otherwise.

[Zaydin]

The corruption cycle can be escaped if a country escapes the Russian sphere.

Reminder, the distinction between the Baltics today and Belarus and Ukraine for example is that the Baltics managed to slip out of the Russian sphere in the early 2000's. They were part of the same Soviet Union and all inherited the same features of corruption, it is possible to break the cycle, but not while being in the sphere of Russia.

Russia is like an entropic field, it rots everything it touches.

I thought I recall reading that the Russian people have a view towards corruption that so long as it brings about peace and security they tolerate it since they view it as inevitable anyways. Which just screams of a self-fulfilling prophecy to me if what I read was true.

[Iphie]

the thread put me back a few pages and i clicked it and saw this post. lol.

I'd say whoever jake broe is dont listen to them on anything they dont know what they are talking about.

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lol rebuilding money after the war is over will be pilfered, no point pretending otherwise.

I dunno, he's a former US military dude who served with YUPPIEs favourite weapon, now his channel is an economic advice channel turned Ukraine war covering channel.

So far he's been quite correct on most things.

That aside, if one doesn't know who someone is then it is usual to first find out before one dismisses them, so do you have information why he doesn't know anything?

[Nymrohd]

lol rebuilding money after the war is over will be pilfered, no point pretending otherwise.

And more will ofc go in the pockets of US and EU companies than Ukrainian politicians.