Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Rustedsaint]

Just to add on to that;



This is what happens in Russia when you oppose the great leader, Putin, the man Trump cheer-leads and boasts for.

Not surprised, going back to Russia was suicide move, sure he dies a martyr but for what the Russian populace ain’t ever gonna overthrow their current masters

[Jessicka]

NASA is a separate budget from the DoD. This was done precisely to prevent the primary thrust of space-related development to be one of science, rather than one of war. This is also, unsurprisingly, why Republicans constantly cut its budget.

What we are doing now is entirely a result of a concerted effort NOT to weaponize space, and to some extent, a long-standing anti-intellectual movement.

"Star Wars" by George Lucas launched in 1977, "Star Wars" the military program, the "Space Defense Initiative" or "SDI" wasn't proposed until 1984, some 20 years AFTER the 1967 "Outer Space Treaty". The SDI largely didn't go anywhere because the technology simply wasn't there (as 3rd-party reports stated) and thus its budget was cut and it eventually folded. The idea further didn't go anywhere as the collapse of the USSR was already showing signs and of course, by 1991, it did.

So, quite frankly, no the money wasn't spent and there was no long-term military push to develop space-based weapons. It simply wasn't necessary.

I agree that we have regressed, and thats due to, as I mentioned: a strong anti-intellectual movement among conservatives against NASA, and secondly a general loss of interest in space by the American population. My point was that we most likely wouldn't have regressed had space development been pushed by the military, and NASA been part of the DoD.

"The money didn't get spent because it came out of a different budget" is an interesting take, as is going by the date the official program started, as if it hadn't been pushed for and in development for a decade beforehand. But okay, I'm sure Reagan just came up with the whole thing on a whim and I'll take the gotcha. Your pedantry wins on the internet, well done.

I'm sure the recessions of the 80s and Reaganomics to take from the state and give to the rich had nothing to do with reducing NASAs budget either. But either way, it was getting very expensive and it's no mystery as to why nobody else has been in the space race without considerable international cooperation for the past two decades until recently.

[DarkAmbient]

Navalny was braver than I'll ever be. Perhaps his example will inspire others.

[Gorsameth]

Navalny was braver than I'll ever be. Perhaps his example will inspire others.

pointlessly dying in a Siberian prison camp? what inspiration is that?

Not saying he wasn't brave for going back but what did it actually accomplish?

[zorkuus]

Navalny was braver than I'll ever be. Perhaps his example will inspire others.

Inspire others to take a pointless death? Because I don't see the russsian people rise up to the Putler regime because of something like this, it's not in their blood.

[DarkAmbient]

Of course, you're right. Nobody should ever take a stand and challenge the bad guys. Just keep quiet and maybe one day it'll all work itself out somehow.

[zorkuus]

Of course, you're right. Nobody should ever take a stand and challenge the bad guys.

I don't see how essentially handing yourself over to the bad guys is challenging anyone. If he was living free abroad he would've been free to speak out against the russian government, something he coulddn't do while in their custody.

[DarkAmbient]

Putin wanted him out of the country. Navalny returned knowing what would happen to him. He knew that sometimes it takes selfless action to inspire change. A cynic might say he died a pointless death, but he himself would not have thought so:

"Zhenya, everything is O.K. History is happening. Russia is going through it, and we are coming along. We’ll make it (probably). I am all right, and I have no regrets. And you shouldn’t, either, and shouldn’t worry. Everything will be all right. And, even if it isn’t, we’ll have the consolation of having lived honest lives." ~ Alexey Navalny, in a letter to his friend sent shortly after his imprisonment.

[Corvus]

The only surprise is how long they waited before finishing murdering him.

[Voidism]

I guess the distraction of Navalny's murder is what putin needed so people forget the horrible monolog he did with Tucker.

[Gabriel]

Navalny was braver than I'll ever be. Perhaps his example will inspire others.

Haha. We all know it won't.

[Makabreska]

Wasn't Navalny a big nationalist himself and not such a good guy as some may think? IIRC his main campaign was against systemic corruption among elites. I somehow doubt he would change things much for the better if he was in power, because abusing power is usually bad, but not when you are the one with power.

[Mayhem]

I mean just a small search will do no?




We (as west) are full of such articles. I guess Raytheon, Boeing and co need more money right?

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Similar results if you search "Russia to attack NATO"

Nice insight into your sources, tabloids, think-tanks, and eurosceptics .. also the message ranges from could attack, might to attack to maybe in 10 years.

[Elder Millennial]

Navalny was braver than I'll ever be. Perhaps his example will inspire others.

Navalny was brave and he died for his principles.

But, he won't inspire anything. Sadly Russians fall into 3 broad categories.

1. A plurality who support Putin, unquestioningly. For them his death is a "Good riddance the troublemaker is gone!" moment.

2. A majority who honestly can't be bothered either way. They might go "Shame, oh well, what can you do?" and carry on, but that's the most you'd get out of them, what their real reaction would be is mostly just "I have no opinion either way, leave me out of this."

3. A tiny tiny minority who have already been actively risking life, limb and liberty by being actively in the political opposition, and despite all that dedication and Putin's self destructive policies and authoritarianism, they couldn't make a meaningful difference in the Russian political scene.

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Wasn't Navalny a big nationalist himself and not such a good guy as some may think? IIRC his main campaign was against systemic corruption among elites. I somehow doubt he would change things much for the better if he was in power, because abusing power is usually bad, but not when you are the one with power.

Navalny had 2 things going for him.

Every indication about his life and career was the he was a democrat. Democrat in the sense that he actually believed having free and fair elections. He was the only opposition figure in the Russian opposition that was capable of both political compromise and had any ability to actually mobilize and organize the opposition to any degree.

[Heathy]

geez it ain't looking good, Putin trying to say that Poland deserved to get invaded during ww2 because they didn't co-operate, so I suppose Stalingrad deserved to get levelled because the soviets didn't co-operate either.

I don't really like watching war footage but there are a few channels on youtube that cover events, there have been a whole bunch of videos of Russian soldiers claiming they thrust into meat assaults with no support. I dunno how many videos i've seen of this at this point. some commander claiming they've lost 20-30-40+ dudes in single attacks. the drone warfare has completely change combat probably as much as the machinegun did when that first entered the battlefield. just completely alters the meta. a large part of what makes it to youtube is drones destroying tanks. but I have seen videos of burnt out museum pieces, t55s etc its pretty wild the kitchen sink tactics going on over there.

is putin maybe just deliberately whelping all the men in the country that could potentially be part of an actual revolution. has the country become that reliant on welfare that its just easier to send everyone to their doom. I'm not one for conspiracies but its really hard to imagine what could be worth this loss of life.

[Voidism]

geez it ain't looking good, Putin trying to say that Poland deserved to get invaded during ww2 because they didn't co-operate, so I suppose Stalingrad deserved to get levelled because the soviets didn't co-operate either.

I don't really like watching war footage but there are a few channels on youtube that cover events, there have been a whole bunch of videos of Russian soldiers claiming they thrust into meat assaults with no support. I dunno how many videos i've seen of this at this point. some commander claiming they've lost 20-30-40+ dudes in single attacks. the drone warfare has completely change combat probably as much as the machinegun did when that first entered the battlefield. just completely alters the meta. a large part of what makes it to youtube is drones destroying tanks. but I have seen videos of burnt out museum pieces, t55s etc its pretty wild the kitchen sink tactics going on over there.

is putin maybe just deliberately whelping all the men in the country that could potentially be part of an actual revolution. has the country become that reliant on welfare that its just easier to send everyone to their doom. I'm not one for conspiracies but its really hard to imagine what could be worth this loss of life.

There were estimates at the start of the war that they will tolerate around half a million dead (not just heavily wounded, but actually dead) until they start thinking about getting out of Ukraine. We're about halfway there if we look at a plausible estimate of russian dead atm.

[Elder Millennial]

There were estimates at the start of the war that they will tolerate around half a million dead (not just heavily wounded, but actually dead) until they start thinking about getting out of Ukraine. We're about halfway there if we look at a plausible estimate of russian dead atm.

I just don't see the Russians withdrawing. They are too deep in the sunk cost fallacy at this point to try that.

Something like a hundred thousand or so Russian civilians have already moved into (colonized) the occupied regions, especially in places like Mariupol.

Even THIS Russian government wouldn't survive a withdrawal politically. Ironically ...Putin would have a better chance to holding onto power if Russia is defeated militarily and is forced to withdraw. He could try on some "We gave it our best, but NATO was too much" or alternatively some "Stabbed in the back" narrative.

[Gabriel]

I don't understand why retards keep thinking that you can overthrown a dictator with voting.

Putin won't be gone until someone kills him.

[Ulmita]

Even THIS Russian government wouldn't survive a withdrawal politically. Ironically ...Putin would have a better chance to holding onto power if Russia is defeated militarily and is forced to withdraw. He could try on some "We gave it our best, but NATO was too much" or alternatively some "Stabbed in the back" narrative.

Definitely, I agree with you. There is no turning back now. I mean, the biggest criticism Putin has right now is that he is too soft so withdrawing troops after so many looses, is a death sentence.

[Gabriel]

Definitely, I agree with you. There is no turning back now. I mean, the biggest criticism Putin has right now is that he is too soft so withdrawing troops after so many looses, is a death sentence.

Excellent.