The War in Ukraine

[MuggsyB]

When was the last time the military or intelligence groups gave accurate information to the public? These folks have agendas influencing their public information or are apparently just ignorant.

Well....they were right that Putin was going to invade Ukraine. 

[jesmu84]

A bunch of global issues as result of the conflict:

https://youtu.be/ZLyUeKa2jzY

[pbiflyer]

From the intertubes:

"What do you call a Russian regiment returning from the Ukraine?"
"A company"

"What's the difference between "war" and "special military operation"?"
"15 years in prison"

[NCMUFan]

A bunch of global issues as result of the conflict:

https://youtu.be/ZLyUeKa2jzY

Good information, TY for posting.

[WarriorFan]

Having lived and worked in China and Russia I think it's 100% probable that in my lifetime China will attempt to take over Taiwan militarily.  I think that chance increases if Putin has any form of success with Ukraine, even if he gets only Donbass and a land bridget to Crimea.

The main difference between Russia and China:
Russia is fatalistically incompetent.  They know they are incompetent, they know they cannot do anything about it, they start things and cannot finish or just do them poorly and move on.
China is aggressively incompetent.  They don't know they are incompetent.  They in fact think they are highly competent when there is much evidence to the contrary.  They go barreling into anything with no regard for anything other than the objective, and will throw people, lives, money, materials, everything into it without any concept of cost or value.

Both have broken communication links to the top.
Both have massive corruption that means they don't really know how much of anything they really have.

Does any of this stop them?  No.  Xi, like Putin, will want a crowning achievement before he dies or steps down and it will be one man's war for Taiwan just like it is in Ukraine.  And because of the Chinese nationalism/mentality/leadership/lack of values/etc. it will be long and bloody and messy and ugly. 

[JWags85]

China is aggressively incompetent.  They don't know they are incompetent.  They in fact think they are highly competent when there is much evidence to the contrary.  They go barreling into anything with no regard for anything other than the objective, and will throw people, lives, money, materials, everything into it without any concept of cost or value.

Very curious what you base this on?

[The Sultan]

Informative tweet thread on the current status of the war.

https://twitter.com/KofmanMichael/status/1510289334989205506

[Hards Alumni]

Very curious what you base this on?

He typed China when he really meant the US

[The Sultan]

I feel like some of these guys who have spent a lot of time in China suffer from a little Stockholm Syndrome.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Barbaric and disgusting.
Russian massacre in Bucha, north of Kyiv.  Over 300 civilians murdered as the Russians retreated   All men age 15-60 with their hands tied behind their back

[pbiflyer]

This is from a friend of a friend. She is, well, was, a tour guide in her native Ukraine. She has successfully escaped to the Netherlands, but others were not so fortunate.


I've decided not to post a very sensitive photos from liberated towns like Irpin, Bucha, Gostomel near Kyiv... I am sure you have seen them in your news?
It looks like a picture from a horror movie, however this is our reality. Victims of innocent civilians were found who were brutally murdered - raped women, whom they tried to burn out; elderly people, men, many of them had their hands tied, people were shot in the back of the head.

But I want you to MUST READ these notes below, which were written by a 16-year-old girl from Mariupol - a city that is under blockade, which is destroyed, which is constantly under bombardment of civilians.
READ IT TILL THE END! The world must be horrified! (I've translated it into English)

"We went to the toilet, slept, and ate leftovers in the same basement. And somehow uncle Kolya caught a pigeon, it was probably the 5th or 6th day, and we fried it and ate it. And then we all vomited."

"When our neighbor died, we could not carry her out, and she began to smell. And then it became quiet and Uncle Kolya carried her out, and he blew himself up on a mine. Mom cried a lot. After the death of dad, Uncle Kolya was the closest person.
... The corpses stink so much. They were there everywhere. I covered my brother's eyes with my mother's scarf so that he would not see this."

"Mom held on to the last, 3 days before our evacuation, she died. I told my brother that she was asleep and there was no need to wake her up. But he seems to understand everything."

"Do you know that feeling when it hurts? I once fell in love with a boy, but he didn't fall in love with me, and I thought it hurt.
But it turned out that it hurts to see your mother die in front of you. And my brother keeps coming up to her and saying: "Mommy, don't sleep, you'll freeze." And we will never get to her grave. She remained in the damp and dark basement."

"I hate russia. My own uncle is there. Do you know what he told me on the phone today? "Katya? Who is Katya? Girl, I don't know you. What war, what Katya?" And then he wrote from the unknown number, "Katya, don't write to me. It's dangerous for me and my family. And mom can't be returned." I hate them! It was his sister! How is that possible?!"

"I don't want to live anymore. We'll probably be divided now. And I might not see my brother. What for? Why did this putin save us? We lived well. Even bought a car. Uncle Kolya promised to teach me how to drive. They even burned out the car. And there is no apartment anymore.
I want to die, but I can't."

"Hug your kids! Otherwise, when you will be gone, and they will not remember your smell.
If I survive and then I will have children one day, I will be hugging them all the time."

... Hard to find words...

[Goose]

Flyer
It is impossible to have words, and it is beyond heartbreaking.

[MuggsyB]

This is from a friend of a friend. She is, well, was, a tour guide in her native Ukraine. She has successfully escaped to the Netherlands, but others were not so fortunate.


I've decided not to post a very sensitive photos from liberated towns like Irpin, Bucha, Gostomel near Kyiv... I am sure you have seen them in your news?
It looks like a picture from a horror movie, however this is our reality. Victims of innocent civilians were found who were brutally murdered - raped women, whom they tried to burn out; elderly people, men, many of them had their hands tied, people were shot in the back of the head.

But I want you to MUST READ these notes below, which were written by a 16-year-old girl from Mariupol - a city that is under blockade, which is destroyed, which is constantly under bombardment of civilians.
READ IT TILL THE END! The world must be horrified! (I've translated it into English)

"We went to the toilet, slept, and ate leftovers in the same basement. And somehow uncle Kolya caught a pigeon, it was probably the 5th or 6th day, and we fried it and ate it. And then we all vomited."

"When our neighbor died, we could not carry her out, and she began to smell. And then it became quiet and Uncle Kolya carried her out, and he blew himself up on a mine. Mom cried a lot. After the death of dad, Uncle Kolya was the closest person.
... The corpses stink so much. They were there everywhere. I covered my brother's eyes with my mother's scarf so that he would not see this."

"Mom held on to the last, 3 days before our evacuation, she died. I told my brother that she was asleep and there was no need to wake her up. But he seems to understand everything."

"Do you know that feeling when it hurts? I once fell in love with a boy, but he didn't fall in love with me, and I thought it hurt.
But it turned out that it hurts to see your mother die in front of you. And my brother keeps coming up to her and saying: "Mommy, don't sleep, you'll freeze." And we will never get to her grave. She remained in the damp and dark basement."

"I hate russia. My own uncle is there. Do you know what he told me on the phone today? "Katya? Who is Katya? Girl, I don't know you. What war, what Katya?" And then he wrote from the unknown number, "Katya, don't write to me. It's dangerous for me and my family. And mom can't be returned." I hate them! It was his sister! How is that possible?!"

"I don't want to live anymore. We'll probably be divided now. And I might not see my brother. What for? Why did this putin save us? We lived well. Even bought a car. Uncle Kolya promised to teach me how to drive. They even burned out the car. And there is no apartment anymore.
I want to die, but I can't."

"Hug your kids! Otherwise, when you will be gone, and they will not remember your smell.
If I survive and then I will have children one day, I will be hugging them all the time."

... Hard to find words...

This is gut wrenching, beyond tragic, and absolutely sickening.  It saddens and really angers me that this wasn't prevented back in like August.  And it could have been stopped before this scumbag started bombing indiscriminately, without question.  We need to hear more stories like these imo as difficult as they are to read.  Ty for sharing.

[The Sultan]

This is gut wrenching, beyond tragic, and absolutely sickening.  It saddens and really angers me that this wasn't prevented back in like August.  And it could have been stopped before this scumbag started bombing indiscriminately, without question.  We need to hear more stories like these imo as difficult as they are to read.  Ty for sharing.

How could this have been prevented back in August?

[Hards Alumni]

How could this have been prevented back in August?

Well, I mean, I guess Ukraine could have just let the Russians take over without a fight.

I'm sure we'll get some response that would have required hindsight of the current situation.

[reinko]

How could this have been prevented back in August?

August 2019*

[Jockey]

Thank God this president calls Putin a war criminal who needs to be taken out. Four years of sucking up got us in this mess.

[MuggsyB]

Thank God this president calls Putin a war criminal who needs to be taken out. Four years of sucking up got us in this mess.

So if this happened under the last administration you believe Putin wouldn't have been called a war criminal with what he's done?  The focus needs to be on the here and now.

[jesmu84]

"war criminal" is a useless phrase

[MuggsyB]

"war criminal" is a useless phrase

True but they keep saying it every day and from every cabinet member.

[The Sultan]

So of this happened under the last administration you believe Putin wouldn't have been called a war criminal with what he's done?  The focus needs to be on the here and now.

Uh...you were the one who brought up August.

But anyway the fact is that we have been mismanaging the Russia situation for quite a while now.  Under Putin they have a history of invading other countries, such as Georgia and Ukraine, with little recourse.  (Those occurred under the Bush and Obama administrations respectively.)

But its pretty obvious that the President from 2017-2021 was enamored with Putin and tied relationships with Ukraine to advancing his personal political ambitions.  There are still elements of the far right that support Russia in this conflict.  And frankly its gross.

[MuggsyB]

Fluffy, we could have supplied Ukraine with far more weapons much, much, earlier. I also believe this "WW3 narrative" if NATO or us provided a no-fly zone isn't really rational.  I've said from day one I would have had special ops take the guy out but I know that bothers people.  The fact is all of our moves have been reactive to Putin. I actually agree with Biden's "gaffe" that he can't remain in power unless we truly destroy his economy and ability to use his cash cow..

[MuggsyB]

Trump's constant idiotic statements and the fact that he was "enamored" with Putin doesn't change the fact that he didn't invade Ukraine under the last administration and he did under this administration, the Obama administration, and the Bush Administration.

[Uncle Rico]

Trump's constant idiotic statements and the fact that he was "enamored" with Putin doesn't change the fact that he didn't invade Ukraine under the last administration and he did under this administration, the Obama administration, and the Bush Administration.

It's the pee tape

[Pakuni]

Trump's constant idiotic statements and the fact that he was "enamored" with Putin doesn't change the fact that he didn't invade Ukraine under the last administration and he did under this administration, the Obama administration, and the Bush Administration.

NM. No point.