@95Victor. No one is being forced to get vaxed, what in the serious fuck are you up on about here. Yes we are being forced, I’m proof. No vax no job. Coercion between business and government is fascist. Only a brownshirt says there aren’t mandates and people being aren’t being coerced. So sorry all, about going full circeian here but take a flying fuck at the moon Victor ya clown.

Posted by: Tannenhouser | Feb 21 2022 0:45 utc | 103

oh goody, I just noticed that NATO has its own Gender Advisor. that is so important not to violate political correctness while trying to kick off a world war.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Feb 21 2022 1:02 utc | 105

@Tom_Q_Collins #61
I’d say that if you want to go after ridiculous tax dodges – there are plenty of bigger fish to fry.
The worst one is certainly the building “depreciation” deduction; as Dr. Michael Hudson as demonstrated repeatedly, buildings such as the skyscrapers in New York and Chicago have been fully depreciated multiple times despite the buildings remaining literally the same for 100 years.

Posted by: c1ue | Feb 21 2022 1:05 utc | 107

Woops, that (an alliance between state & private business)….

Posted by: vetinLA | Feb 21 2022 1:08 utc | 109

@Jeffrey Kaye #88
The various programs you put up as examples are spying programs – data collection – as well as censorship.
They’re not literal robotic echo chambers in mainstream media – which is information dissemination/propaganda.
As I note in the previous response to Spinworthy, the literal repetition of the same memes, using the same words, and the same cadences is flat out eerie. I have now seen 3 different videos where 3 or 4 MSM news anchors are so closely synchronized that Matt Orfalea was able to mash them all up into a single audio stream which was intelligible. Try doing that with 3 or 4 sources of anything else spoken – it is REALLY hard to do.

Posted by: c1ue | Feb 21 2022 1:13 utc | 111

Woops, that (an alliance between state & private business)….
And religion–

Posted by: Duncan Idaho | Feb 21 2022 1:27 utc | 113

Breaking news 23 minutes ago:
“The Australian sharemarket and other global risk assets have rallied sharply following news US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to meet, easing some fears of an imminent invasion of Ukraine.
The Elysee Palace in Paris released a statement just a few minutes ago announcing both Biden and Putin had agreement to a summit to “discuss security and strategic stability in Europe”.
The summit was proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who spoke on the phone to both Biden and Putin.”

Posted by: Paul | Feb 21 2022 1:48 utc | 115

Posted by: S.P. Korolev | Feb 21 2022 1:34 utc | 114
“A spectre is haunting the bar… the spectre of vk!”
Very witty.
The barflies are resilient and remember the bartender warned vk about his behaviour but he didn’t listen.
Life is tough, and then you die, even vk.

Posted by: Paul | Feb 21 2022 2:02 utc | 117

I guess many are already aware that netflix have just put out a documentary called Downfall the case against Boeing a couple of days ago. I watched it yesterday and it is alright as far as it goes accurately covering the inherent design flaws in the max tho a bit short on detail about the fact that the plane will always be inherently unstable because of the alterations to the vehicle’s centre of gravity from whacking such huge heavy engines on it. It also covers the financialisation issues caused by the merger with McConnell Douglas, but does let itself down in the end by not mentioning the shonky underwriting of Boeing shares to the tune of tens of billions $USD by unwitting Jo/Joe Taxpayer during 2021 – thanks to Biden & both halves of the amerikan empire party in Congress under cover of the covid pandemic.
Although it creates the incorrect impression that all is now well with the 737 Max it is an interesting documentary, so if anyone does want to watch it without being forced to give their hard earned funds to the same mob of corporate propagandists screwing all of us humans over, they can click the link above & download the doco.

Posted by: Debsisdead | Feb 21 2022 2:26 utc | 119

I could be wrong but it was my understanding that the EU liked shorter term contracts for Russian nat gas while the Russians like long term contracts. That leaves the EU buying LNG on the spot market which could work either way, more expensive or cheaper.
I think the Russians fulfilled their contract for the year and that may have been poor planning on the EU’s part. Winters seem to be getting colder in Europe from what I have been reading. Maybe they were planning for global warming type winters? I don’t know.
This year supplies got low in Europe and they were forced to buy on the spot market. The situation was not exaggerated but real and that is seen in the price and the need to buy US LNG at higher prices on spot which frankly is what the US wants.
They will get through the winter, spring is coming. I believe Russia is offering long term contracts for gas through the new pipeline. Of course we know the struggle over that operation.
The US wants them not to take Russian gas or take as little as possible. My guess is that those pressures and maybe some types of payoffs may have gone into the EU’s planning for natural gas supplies. When these guys start rubbing nickles together anything can happen and its usually not in the consumers interest.

Posted by: circumspect | Feb 21 2022 2:38 utc | 121

@111 c1ue
Deep fake? I’m not sure how long Nvidia has been pushing the tools to do this, but having seen some tech demos it certainly makes sense. To be honest, after hearing about this a few years ago it was obvious that video footage can no longer be trusted.
Deep fake demo
There also an excellent video of Boris Johnson being manipulated on YouTube.
Boris

Posted by: Some Random Passerby | Feb 21 2022 2:44 utc | 123

Posted by: Jen | Feb 20 2022 23:58 utc | 97
Well Australia has never had, or needed, the capacity wage a war independently. Saying “the Australians can no longer conduct major operations without American support” is, however, quite differently to RepublicofScotland’s question about whether “Australia cannot put a proper army in the field so to speak now without US input”. Our military deploys under the command of joint forces because we lend our resources under alliance obligations. To that extent it might be true of almost any nation’s military to say that they’ve all been deployed under the command of another.
But when it comes to the structure and organization of the military Australia maintains a sovereign army and the yanks have nothing to do with it. We use neither US ordnance, small arms or vehicles. In fact the Bushmaster used by the US Army is an Aussie design. I would not want to have to face them if Australia was invaded. When Rommel was asked in 1942 what he could wish for on the battlefield he was alleged to have said: “A regiment of New Zealanders for attack, and one of Australians for defence”.

Posted by: Patroklos | Feb 21 2022 2:57 utc | 125

@Stonebird | Feb 20 2022 21:34 utc | 80
>>Possible attack now the Olympics are finished?
Isn’t this exactly backwards? The US side, which controls the Ukies, has done all it can these two weeks to get the Olympics off the front page. Russia, which is now a close Beijing ally in all but name, was assumed to postpone their “military-technical” until the Games were over–though it turned out this wasn’t 100%, they publicized moving some toys to Syria.
Bottom line: what might kick off now is a Russian *response* to Ukie shelling/attacks–a response which need not be military. At least that’s the best sense I can make of it all–confusing and fluid situation right now. And of course, MSM reporting on these will follow its own dynamic, regardless of the Olympics and any other fact in the world.

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Feb 21 2022 3:05 utc | 127

re uncle tungsten | Feb 21 2022 2:34 utc | 120
Thanks for that, I guess I should have said that clicking that link in #119 means you get the documentary for free – no $$$’s goes to netflix. It’s not a bad watch and worth viewing because knowing what parts of an issue are now regarded as ‘settled’ by the hoi polloi is important when discussing the aspects that haven’t been deemed fact by corporate media. In this case the doco shows that it is inarguable that the greedies who deposed boeing’s engineer led culture in favour of a money-grubbing screw the people corporate mission did so unprosecuted by government. Also that the greed mission is absolutely standard throughout all major corporations. That rather surprised me but I doubt many will allow that to sink in as it is barely noted in the doco altho it is noted.
The next bit for humans who care about the talons of private capital gouging into everything everywhere is demonstrating to others that it was them who will be paying for the greedies’ callous unconcern and that no one not even so-called ‘new media’ eg netflix will ever inform them of this rather salient issue.
Hmm we had a bit of an earthquake while I was writing that, it is nothing unusual round here nowadays probably a minor one a way off I hope, still the now proven link between earthquakes & volcanic activity is always a bit of a worry eh!

Posted by: Debsisdead | Feb 21 2022 3:16 utc | 129

Posted by: Patroklos | Feb 21 2022 2:57 utc | 125
Good post. The difference between WW2 and now is in WW2 Australia insisted in “The Charter of The AIF” following the piecemeal slaughter of the First AIF in WW1 at the discretion of British generals. A full account of the reasons the army wanted it the terms and conditions can be found in Volume 1 of the Official History, Army, To Benghazi.
I could find no reference to it on the net or on the Australian War Memorial site. Basically this instrument stipulated that the army was under Australian command reporting to Australia and no part was to be detached without Australian consent. NZ did not have a similar charter. Witness the disastrous results for NZ in WW1 and WW2.
Of course NZ had the Mãori battalion for attack. Australia had the 18th Infantry Brigade, which was the first to turn the Wehrmacht back at the Salient at Tobruk. The 18 Bde. were also the first to turn Japan back [Imperial Marines] at Milne Bay.
I asked federal MP’s if a similar charted applied at the time of the illegal Iraq war but was, predictably, ignored.
Australia could not field similar numbers of divisions today.

Posted by: Paul | Feb 21 2022 3:49 utc | 131

Congrats to Norway, taking no prisoners with its Olympics medal count. Norway also broke the record for most gold medals in a single Olympics with 16.
>Norway 16+8+13=37
>ROC* 6+12+14=32
>Germany 12+10+5=27
>Canada 4+8+14=26
>US 8+10+7=25
* = Russian Olympic Committee

Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 21 2022 4:01 utc | 133

@jared | Feb 21 2022 3:54 utc | 132
>>This is so perfect
Isn’t that a bit effusive?! Ger/Fra have known the score for eight years, starting from “Fuck the EU” of course. Then every time they feebly try to work on Minsk II, the Dark Throne forbids them–and they immediately fold.
Macron has been at it for years, strutting about “European strategic autonomy” when it suits him–and done nothing about it. No party on the Donbass front line cares much what Macron thinks. Even to just publicly call on Kiev to stop shelling LDNR, would mean a major break with Anglo narratives. I can’t see him taking such a risk so close to elections. So these look mostly like talks for the sake of talks; there are much worse alternatives, but it is what it is.

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Feb 21 2022 4:22 utc | 135

@ Debsisdead | Feb 21 2022 3:16 utc | 129 who wrote about a doco about Boeing…thanks
”
In this case the doco shows that it is inarguable that the greedies who deposed boeing’s engineer led culture in favour of a money-grubbing screw the people corporate mission did so unprosecuted by government. Also that the greed mission is absolutely standard throughout all major corporations. That rather surprised me but I doubt many will allow that to sink in as it is barely noted in the doco altho it is noted.
”
The greed mission is standard because the global private banking cartel demands it and have compromised governments and politicians that try to regulate them for public good.
Corporations used to exist under specific government charter and control but since the shift to fiat global money in 1971 the financial stops have been pulled out and its been greed on top of greed, all the way down.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Feb 21 2022 4:23 utc | 137

Victor Victor Victor
Tens of thousands are being forced
Dissenters will be broken
Better get on board
the Overlords have spoken
take the prick or get the sword
Which jab do you prefer
heart attack or stroke?
If you want to eat or have a roof
better come and take a poke.
The gift that keeps on giving
to the Super Pharma Suits
Aiding in the seiving
of the coughers that it loots

Posted by: ld | Feb 21 2022 4:32 utc | 139

@ Ma Laoshi | Feb 21 2022 4:22 utc | 135
Fair enough but I feel like they will all be wearing their FJB hats at this one. Really they need to be able to settle their own disputes without Uncle making it worth their while.
Ze is mainly running scared from the right wing junta.
Macro is wanting to establish european sovereignty.
Putin has been encouraging.
It seems to me that they left Biden on the sidelines – perhaps the visit from Kamilla was last straw.
I suppose you are right but I am hopeful.

Posted by: jared | Feb 21 2022 4:44 utc | 141

Below is a quote from a posting at The Cradle which barflies are encouraged to read in full
”
On 18 February, Hezbollah revealed it had flown a reconnaissance for about 40 minutes inside the occupied Palestinian territories, and that the drone managed to return to Lebanon unscathed despite attempts by Israel to shoot it down.
The drone, named Hassan, reportedly went as far as 70 kilometers inside Israeli occupied territory.
The Israeli military initially claimed it had shot down the drone, but later retracted the claims and admitted that attempts to intercept and destroy the drone were unsuccessful.
”
And the worm turns…..

Posted by: psychohistorian | Feb 21 2022 5:00 utc | 143

@njet | Feb 20 2022 21:47 utc | 82
>>Warning of terror assaults in Moskau and St. Petersburg:
>>https://tass.com/world/1406763
Warning my ass: it’s a threat. At the beginning of Russia’s Syria mission, the then SecDef Ashton Carter I think made very similar statements. Then a bit late the Metrojet plane full of tourists went down over Sinai. Russia intoned that they’d retaliate “in a manner and at a time of their own choosing”, all the patriots reminded us of how the Vympel guys were total badasses, and… nothing. Even though ISIS–Sinai had openly claimed the bombing.
Of course you’ll never find a written order in the Natnl Archives. None are needed: Sec. Carter declares a US interest in some Russki’s getting hurt somewhere; shady groups get the message, and go to work. Better take it all very seriously this time.

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Feb 21 2022 5:14 utc | 145

“…When Rommel was asked in 1942 what he could wish for on the battlefield he was alleged to have said: “A regiment of New Zealanders for attack, and one of Australians for defence”.
Posted by: Patroklos | Feb 21 2022 2:57 utc | 125
Thank you for that, Patroklos! My father was in North Africa for most of my young life (just a photograph in uniform until I was five). He hated war movies, would not talk much about his experiences, but I remember him saying once that he did respect Rommel. And my mother’s older brother died during that last big push the Allies did converging to encourage the German retreat up into Italy. The war didn’t make him bitter or traumatized I don’t believe. Maybe it was the beauty of the desert, the cameraderie. A few days before he died in the ’80’s, one of his army team saw his name somehow in the paper and came to our house to pay his respects. Even though he was very weak, that meant a great deal to my father.

Posted by: juliania | Feb 21 2022 5:23 utc | 147

Congrats to Norway, taking no prisoners with its Olympics medal count.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Feb 21 2022 4:01 utc | 133
You’re a good man, Don Bacon, I don’t care what the Swedes think.

Posted by: waynorinorway | Feb 21 2022 5:26 utc | 149

@c1ue | Feb 21 2022 1:09 utc | 110
Forgive me, but to paraphrase (with embellishment) – How do eerily similar and coincidental narratives, sentences, phrases and memes keep popping up in different places over and over again?
Your sarcasm almost evaded me! I wouldn’t use the word eery to describe what is obviously a pattern that has a history.
As noted previously, “I believe that nothing is left to chance when it comes to the information space w/ respect to controlling narratives”.
It isn’t eery in the least, it’s quite clear. What the exact operational structure looks like is beyond any of us here, but it definitely exists and we are constantly subject to its effects whether we engage with it or not.
Yes the amount of time, money, people, planning and resources put into this effort is incredibly immense.

Posted by: Spinworthy | Feb 21 2022 5:38 utc | 151

Posted by: Tannenhouser | Feb 21 2022 0:45 utc | 103
Things happen for a reason. Sometimes the reason is that you’re stupid and you make bad decisions. The other 90% of Canada is fine with the vaccine. Don’t whine and complain because you chose to be a “martyr” in the tin foil hat brigade.

Posted by: Victor | Feb 21 2022 5:48 utc | 153

@ Spinworthy | Feb 21 2022 5:38 utc | 151 who wrote in response to c1ue
”
It isn’t eery in the least, it’s quite clear. What the exact operational structure looks like is beyond any of us here, but it definitely exists and we are constantly subject to its effects whether we engage with it or not.
Yes the amount of time, money, people, planning and resources put into this effort is incredibly immense.
”
YMMV but I have given up on most interactions with said commenter who used to be a crypto supporter but found the light so there is hope.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Feb 21 2022 5:55 utc | 155

This is neither here nor there, but it being Sunday and all… perhaps on a literary level it will interest James.
I am now midway through my more careful reading of Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables”, at the point in the novel when the author finds it necessary to inveigh against the practices of convent life in Europe. His negativity being well founded, I was reminded of the subtle references Dostoievski gives to the negative side of some church life practices in Russia – mainly with his description of the hermit Father Ferapont, but also with the final departure from the monastery by ‘our hero’ Alyosha.
A point also to consider is that Ivan, his brother, seems to know Christianity more from the European traditions (and so thinks poorly of it) than from his homeland, Russia. The Grand Inquisitor story, his narrative, is of that tradition.
The priest of my little former church, being Russian, was also a Dostoievski scholar, and it was through reading and talking about ‘TBK’ that I learned about Orthodoxy, coming as I did from a rather relaxed Protestant upbringing – whatever Sunday school program appealed or was handy, we kids went there. The subtle distinctions were lost upon us; I just remember the Presbyterian minister was a kindly chap who wore his slippers to Sunday service.
This has been the Sunday of the Prodigal Son reading; next Sunday is Forgiveness Sunday, and then begins Lent. These services leading to Easter are the same for all Orthodox, old calendar and new.

Posted by: juliania | Feb 21 2022 5:56 utc | 157

@ Victor | Feb 21 2022 5:48 utc | 153.. victor, you appear to be missing the part that it is a good chunk of the 90% of those who got the vaccine who are now viewing all this as fucked up and wrong… that is the part it seems you are missing here… this is not 90% got the vaccine and they are okay with it all.. they aren’t! instead they are questioning it more and more, along with everything else that has come with it… most of the truckers demonstrating – same deal.. they have had the vaccine.. you are not understanding what is going on here by the sounds of it..

Posted by: james | Feb 21 2022 5:58 utc | 159

Woops, my error. There is one more Sunday before Forgiveness Sunday, after which begins Lent.

Posted by: juliania | Feb 21 2022 6:15 utc | 161

I am reading ZH and have to share a small quote
”
As for the broken record that an invasion is imminent, even the president of El Salvador is now openly mocking the dismal failure that is US intelligence (we can’t wait for an AP hit piece declaring the bitcoin-friendly leader to be serving Russian propaganda).
Twit copy below from Nayib Bukele (CEO of El Salvador)
These “commanders” are getting 4 attack orders a week?
The Biden administration is loosing all the credibility it has left.
And yet, a new supposed order that didn’t happen.
Weird strategy.
Quote Tweet
CNN Breaking News
@cnnbrk
· 9h
The US has intelligence indicating that orders have been sent to Russian commanders to proceed with an attack on Ukraine, according to three sources. https://cnn.it/3p2MKNj
6:06 PM · Feb 20, 2022·Twitter for iPhone
”
I think the Wag The Dog strategy is seeing some limitations/breakdowns…..

Posted by: psychohistorian | Feb 21 2022 6:31 utc | 163

“A Chinese lithium producer said that battery-grade lithium carbonate units are so scarce in the spot market that price is not the primary concern for downstream consumers.
“They are looking everywhere for available units. But there are few sellers who still have any spot supply,” they said….”
https://stockhead.com.au/resources/eye-on-lithium-battery-grade-lithium-carbonate-so-scarce-that-price-not-the-primary-concern-for-consumers/
Perhaps they can find lithium in The Ukraine?
https://www.electrive.com/2021/11/08/european-lithium-secures-ukranian-lithium-deposits/
I think approval is guaranteed as the directors of both companies are buying EUR – ASX shares.
https://europeanlithium.com
Rio Tinto missed out on a massive lithium deposit in Serbia thanks to the Australian government’s treatment of Novak Djokovic.
I won’t talk about Rio Tinto destroying the Jukan Caves aboriginal site. [reducted for legal reasons]

Posted by: Paul | Feb 21 2022 6:39 utc | 165

Posted by: Patroklos | Feb 21 2022 6:00 utc | 160
Thanks for the reply Patroklos. One of the factors is class.
I believe Churchill, in as secret speech to the House of Commons, complained that had General Rommel been in the British Army he would not have risen past the rank of sergeant major.
The German Wehrmacht, like the Australian Army was actually non political, had social cohesion and promoted on merit.
Training plays a big part.

Posted by: Paul | Feb 21 2022 6:58 utc | 167

What’s Putin’s favorite instrument?
The ukielele.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Night night.
Posted by: Robert Macaire | Feb 21 2022 6:37 utc | 164
I thought it was the ban joe.

Posted by: waynorinorway | Feb 21 2022 6:59 utc | 169

Victor@95
Opinion polls regarding Covid, or in fact any other matter, are useless if the population is only presented with one side of the story.

Posted by: Peter Schmidt | Feb 21 2022 7:23 utc | 171

@Spinworthy | Feb 21 2022 5:38 utc | 151
>>Forgive me, but to paraphrase (with embellishment) – How do eerily
>>similar and coincidental narratives, sentences, phrases and memes
>>keep popping up in different places over and over again?
You might like:
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2022/02/how-the-establishment-functions/
(CM has also a follow-up article on his blog).
It’s just one view, but by a former insider. Bottom line, group-think goes a looong way: “What is the cool crowd saying today, and how can I ingratiate myself with them?” If it all leads to catastrophe, well damn the torpedoes full speed ahead; even after it all goes south, there is still safety in the herd for them. The idea that one should first find out stuff and then report on it–did the clergy of old operate that way?

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Feb 21 2022 8:00 utc | 173

Just watching the latest Mercouris video and he brings up the subject of genocide as was commented about back up in the thread. He also thought Putin unused it to loosely.
At sebrenca, the osce found mass graves and the yank head screamed genocide. Skolz whatever his position was at that time was the one that moved it up to lead to the bombing and break up for Yugoslavia. Ptin said what his position in that was but he bears quite a bit of the responsibility for that destruction on basically fabricated grounds of genocide.
In the Donbass however, they have found many mass graves of civilians – I would guess in the areas they took back from the nazi’s. Photos have been sent to the US and now photos will be sent to Scholz.
What happened to the civilians in the areas the nazi’s took from the rebels? How many have to die bnefore it is termed a genocide? Putin does not use any word loosely.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Feb 21 2022 8:15 utc | 175

Ben | Feb 21 2022 7:30 utc | 172

Best to wait for either an Omicron specific booster, or best of all, a nasal vaccine.

Well, since a random COVID testing survey by Queensland Health on the Gold Coast in Australia found that 90% of those that tested positive hadn’t even realised they had been infected, maybe it just be easier to focus on the most at-risk groups and for everyone else to just learn to live with it.

Posted by: Kukulkan | Feb 21 2022 8:17 utc | 177

Craig Murray disusses the Osce situation in Ukraine suggesting they were a reliable source of reporting cease fire violations, but now:
“Three countries have now withdrawn their staff from the OSCE Monitoring Mission in preparation for a coming war – the UK, the USA and Canada. In my view, that speaks volumes about who is actually planning on starting a war here. Extraordinarily, having withdrawn their staff, the western powers are now briefing the media that the OSCE (which has for decades been a key tool of western security architecture) is a biased organisation.”
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2022/02/ukraine-where-to-find-the-truth-in-enormous-detail/#tc-comment-title

Posted by: Blue Dotterel | Feb 21 2022 8:21 utc | 179

…You might as well be trying to explain the Australian character.
Posted by: Patroklos | Feb 21 2022 6:00 utc | 160
.
.
As a New Zealander, I will refrain from commenting about the ozzy “character”.

Posted by: tucenz | Feb 21 2022 8:37 utc | 181

Perhaps Australia should reconsider its policy of aggressively and provocatively pratroling China’s coastline:
From the AFR:
“The Global Times, a hawkish tabloid known for attacking China’s critics, claimed the Morrison government was “slinging mud” at Beijing by raising concerns about the use of a laser by a People’s Liberation Army Navy ship on an Australian surveillance aircraft.
“This only exposes the Australian aircraft’s unsafe, provocative close-in reconnaissance on the Chinese ships in the first place,” the article, which quotes military “experts”, said. The article did not deny the incident took place. The Chinese government has not yet provided an official response.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese on Sunday raised concerns about the “lasering” of an Australian aircraft by a Chinese warship in the Arafura Sea last week.
Australia has demanded answers from Chinese diplomatic and defence officials over an incident on Thursday night when the PLA Navy ship targeted an RAAF P-8A Poseidon….”

Posted by: Paul | Feb 21 2022 8:42 utc | 183

@chb | Feb 21 2022 8:29 utc | 180
>>“And if not, how is one to understand all of this?” Zakharova said.
The Russians have become pretty good at trolling, I’ll give them that. Doesn’t make it the right response in all circumstances. The Dark Throne clearly is making threats against your civilians; throw them all out pronto, from the ambassador on down.

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Feb 21 2022 8:46 utc | 185

How many doses of asthma spray were this time delivered to the Norwegian Olympic Team?

Posted by: v | Feb 21 2022 10:12 utc | 187

I’m not sure if someone posted it here: Russian border control post shelled by Ukranian forces.
Link to Colonel Cassad (in Russian)
Link to Sputnik (in English)

Posted by: C Khosta y Alzamendi | Feb 21 2022 10:52 utc | 189

Sorry for the HTML tag mess at @189…
Link to Colonel Cassad (in Russian)
Link to Sputnik (in English)

Posted by: C Khosta y Alzamendi | Feb 21 2022 11:06 utc | 191

C Khosta y Alzamendi #191
Thank you, and while there I saw this: US State Dept. Calls on Citizens to Immediately Leave Ukraine as Commercial Flights May Be Restricted
I am sure I would not be getting on any flight out of Ukraine. That drunken military has more BUK missiles than bellingcat has fleas.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Feb 21 2022 11:27 utc | 193

@Norwegian and other bar flies with residues of interest in the Olympics:
So I counted the medals vs countries and came up with the obvious fact that a mere 12-13 countries win over 90% of all medals, while only 8 countries won >90% of available gold medals.
Of these winners, notable are norwegians who won more gold this time than ever before, even as the German kept up with their previous performance, as did the US and Sweden. The Dutch still won many speed skating events (that’s where nearly all their medals came from) as did the Koreans. ROC, cf. Russia, kept up their overall count with 32 medals total and China/France/Italy/Switzerland/UK/Italy got a few here and there (well, China made an all out effort to have representation. Take out Aileen Gu and its 3 gold medals fewer, and she is totally, like, American).
yet, there were over 100 countries represented, most of whom with a scant haul to show for showing up.
It is fair to ask, at this point, why do we even call this an Olympics? Clearly winter sports are an expensive undertaking and those who excel live in countries where the GDP is high, and winter storms are plentiful (or are close to where the snow is). Perhaps, it would be much better if we stopped pretending it’s an “Olympics” and just called it, say, something like “Winter sports grand slam” or some such. It’d save lots of money and be a heck of a lot easier on the environmental damage.
BTW, you just had to love it when those tough hardy Olympians complained so bitterly when actual, real snow fell. Fancy that! the real thing, with wind shields and everything!
Next time, lets talk some more about the art of medical exemptions, especially for Asthma, ADHD, depression, etc.
Disclaimer: I only ever watch ice skating and got quite a bit to say about that to, but will spare the not-so-interested multitudes….

Posted by: Merlin2 | Feb 21 2022 11:42 utc | 195

Ma Laoshi | Feb 21 2022 3:05 utc | 127
True
Maybe I shouldn’t have used the word “attack” without specifying by whom.
However, since the “PR is the mud of war”, the emphasis by the Ukies has been about a “Russian” attack and using various false flags. Hit Dons and then Claim innocence. Any “attack” by Azov groups before the end of the Olympics would therefore be contradicting their own PR’s. (ie. a FF by the Russians when it is known that no real movement was planned or major military movement before that date.)
It would lack credibility.
I may not be making myself very clear, but the upshot is that the Azov-US forces need (would have needed?) a major credible FF. With the Olympics commanding the attention of the mass, the three films that were supposed to be filmed in Kiev of a FF, (some time ago; the FF itself, the “Result” and gory details, and Russian speaking actors saying how they were happy that they were no longer part of Donbass) might not have got the attention they wanted. The MSM outputs may not have been “primed” either, as an audience thinking about two subjets at once is no longer a common ability (At least – so it seems to me)

Posted by: Stonebird | Feb 21 2022 11:44 utc | 197

@Stonebird | Feb 21 2022 11:44 utc | 197
Yes, many scenarios to consider. On the other hand, Azov raising some hell during the Olympics cannot but please their American masters.
>>a major credible FF
I’m not sure anymore if the world revolves around “credibility”. You get narratives to stick not with Occam’s Razor, but with emotional resonance and power. (Look at how, say, the overwhelming criminality of American blacks plays no role in the officially allowed race debate there).
But along similar lines, a disturbing possibility occurred to me over dinner. It looks like we’re very close now to the point where Russia intervenes in Donbass for real, because it has to. They may intend a large but local cauldron, supported/preceded by missile strikes on key command-and-control facilities. Now say a Russian kalibr hits a Ministry or wireless hub etc in Kiev, and right at that moment the US sets off a dirty bomb or worse there? Feel to me like an American home run, they’d achieve all their objectives this way in an Ukraine they’ve written off for productive purposes anyway.

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Feb 21 2022 12:28 utc | 199