From the ‘hmm’ department:
For much of the time of the ‘special military operation’, the Jerusalem Post has gone out of its way to downplay the presence of neo-nazis, and repeated apologist claims that Ukrainian ultra-nationalist groups (systematically embedded throughout the UA military and security establishment in the post-2014 purges of these institutions) have abandoned the nazi ideology – which would obviously be necessary to get the Israeli public to support them. Looks like in at least one case, there may be a lapse in this unusual form of blindness:
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-713109
Western governments were warned by the J-Post article, of the threat posed by these folks, who are now returning to their home countries with newfound training and experience. And (not mentioned in the article) probably a car full of rifles, grenades, NLAW’s, Javelins, Stingers, and all kinds of land mines.

Posted by: ptb | Jul 27 2022 16:20 utc | 3

@ptb | Jul 27 2022 16:20 utc | 3
This comment I like:
“Wow! So now that Ukraine is losing the war, all of a sudden Jpost is reporting about Na&@zies. ”

Posted by: rk | Jul 27 2022 16:32 utc | 5

Very clear video showing the destruction across the full width of a box girder beam on the Antonovsky Bridge ==>
Posted by: too scents | Jul 27 2022 16:41 utc | 6
If I lived in Kherson I would be moving south (probably to Crimea), because a real Ukrainian offensive is looking more and more likely. That said, in another video, which showed the shelling of the bridge last night, it didn’t look like Russia had any type of operating air defense in the area of the bridge, although they claimed to have shot down all the missiles fired at it.
https://t.me/grey_zone/14445

Posted by: Apotheoun | Jul 27 2022 16:55 utc | 7

@6 too scents
re: bridge
pessimist just posted this Pat Lancaster video in the discussion that continued in the older thread
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gwFcqwtR0o
I had previously said that the rebar poking out in the rips and holes looks too light to be the main structure thing holding up the spans of the bridge. The video, as it moves around, shows something I couldn’t see that supports what you were saying. Looks like there are also more substantial bundles of what looks like steel cable embedded in the concrete. Maybe those could be the tensile strength elements. Although it *still* looks on the light side to me — but I’m certainly not a structural engineer.
Anyway it’s going to need some serious repairs. At the same time, the supports of this bridge (and a nearby railroad bridge that is also out of commission I believe) could in principle be used to hold prefab temporary-bridge structures, if RF has such things available. Will be interesting to see what alternative arrangements are made if they conclude it’s not worth it to fight the battle with temporary bridges vs regular strikes.

Posted by: ptb | Jul 27 2022 17:03 utc | 9

In PL’s video the Kherson official mentions that before the bridge was built there was a ferry crossing here and that is still an option if the bridge is closed for repairs. I think he also says that the military can construct temporary crossings if needed. Not sure what the overall game is here – the Russians are, of course, hunting the HIMARS launchers, support vehicles and ammo storage as well as UAF air defense sites. The Ukrainians and their partners must also be hunting Russian air defense systems.

Posted by: the pessimist | Jul 27 2022 17:14 utc | 11

So The Saker is back after a hiatus and he said some things that many people found to be a bit off. One thing he said is that Tulsi Gabbard supports neocons, which when I saw that I wondered what made him say that? This is what Tulsi said on Tucker Carlson during the lead up to the SMO in Ukraine:
jan 21 2022
TULSI GABBARD: Well, let’s look at what’s really at the heart of what is motivating the decisions being made by our leaders in this country and what we have is unfortunately, Democrats, Republicans, the mainstream media, the Washington elite, essentially in the pocket of the military industrial complex.
And rather than looking out for what’s in the best interest of the American people, our National Security, our country, they see dollar signs when they look at Ukraine. They see how they can line their pockets, how they can, you know, look tough, how they can posture themselves in a position where they personally or politically or financially benefit rather than actually thinking about what are the costs and consequences of these actions? And who pays the price? It’s the American people, and frankly, the people of Ukraine.
CARLSON: So my guess is that some of the people pushing for war don’t actually want to real war with Russia, it would tank our economy in a second for one thing and they’d be held responsible.
My concern is, they are so inept, they so lack fine motor skills that they are going to talk themselves into getting us into a war inadvertently. They’ve got a long track record of ineptitude. Are you worried about that?
GABBARD: I’m deeply concerned about that because that is very much the direction that we are headed.
You know, Tucker, I look back to early 2017 when then President Trump said, hey, it would be good if we got along with Russia. You remember the reaction to that? Everyone from, you know, Democratic leaders, Republican leaders, people in the mainstream media, they said, absolutely, no way. There were people in Trump’s own administration, warmongers like John Bolton, Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo, who outright rejected it, and went on their own agenda and we’re seeing the results of this now.
We’re seeing the result of how we have continued to have these warmongers escalating tensions, putting us in this disastrous position today, leaving us the American people with frankly, the responsibility to stand up and say, we will not accept this, we will not be sheep allowing these warmongers in Washington to lead us down this very, very dangerous and costly path.
CARLSON: I’ll never forget when you came out as a sitting member of Congress and said, well, maybe we shouldn’t actually fight the Russians in Syria and you were denounced as a Russian agent, also as a racist for not wanting to bomb another Middle Eastern country, which is my favorite attack ever because it was so insane.
But you paid a real cost for that. I mean, they attacked you every day you served in Congress over that. So, it seems like this is the red line for them. You criticize war, and they won’t stop in their effort to destroy you.
GABBARD: And all of these threads we are talking about here point back to that core motivation, a motivation that sadly does not lie in serving the best interests of the American people, our security, and our country. It comes from a very selfish place of how they can get more power and get more money and who they really work for, it is not the American people.
CARLSON: No, it’s certainly — it’s certainly not. That is absolutely right. Thank you for saying that. Again, you paid a cost for it. I appreciate it.
Tulsi Gabbard, good to see you.
GABBARD: Thanks
——
feb 11 2022
CARLSON: So let’s just — and it is hard to know what to believe always and especially now, but let’s just stipulate, agree to agree that it seems likely we could see some conflict between Russia and Ukraine soon. How should we view that?
GABBARD: Well, first of all, President Biden could end this crisis and prevent a war with Russia by doing something very simple, guaranteeing that Ukraine will not become a member of NATO. Because if Ukraine became a member of NATO, that would put us and NATO troops directly on the doorstep of Russia, which, as Putin has laid out, would undermine their national security interests.
The reality is that it is highly, highly unlikely that Ukraine will ever become a member of NATO anyway. So the question is, why doesn’t President Biden and NATO leaders actually just say that and guarantee it, which begs the question of why are we in this position then if the answer to this and preventing this war from happening is very clear as day and really, it just points to one conclusion that I can see, which is they actually want Russia to invade Ukraine?
Why would they? Because number one, it gives the Biden administration a clear excuse to go and levy draconian sanctions, which are a modern day siege against Russia and the Russian people. And number two, it cements this Cold War in place.
You know, the military industrial complex is the one that benefits from this. They clearly control the Biden administration, warmongers on both sides in Washington have been drumming up these tensions. If they get Russia to invade Ukraine, then again, it locks in this new Cold War. The military industrial complex starts to make a ton of more money than they have been in fighting al-Qaeda or making weapons for al-Qaeda.
And who pays the price? The American people pay the price, the Ukrainian people pay the price. The Russian people pay the price. It undermines our own national security, but the military industrial complex that controls so many of our politicians wince and they run to the bank.
CARLSON: You’ve seen this from both sides as a lawmaker and a member of our Armed Forces. So I think you’ve got a credible view on this.
I just have to ask, they’ve been telling us with increasing hysteria, Wendy Sherman and Jake Sullivan and the President himself that the threat here is to Western Europe that Vladimir Putin has aims on our allies in Western Europe.
Why don’t the Europeans seem as afraid as our leaders are, if that’s true?
GABBARD: I think that is a legitimate question that no one in the Biden administration or the NATO leadership has responded to in any way. It seems they’ve forgotten that they are supposed to be accountable to the American people, that they answer to the American people, and yet they have failed to answer this very, very simple question in justifying why we are continuing to send more troops to Europe, why they are continuing to escalate tensions, why they are continuing to push for something and making Ukraine a member of NATO that, again, is highly unlikely to ever happen.
And if it did happen, it would undermine our own National Security and our own country’s interests.
CARLSON: There doesn’t seem an upside. I mean, no one has been able to explain why Americans should want Ukraine to join NATO. Is there something that we’re missing here? Is there some benefit to the United States from having that happen?
GABBARD: I’ve looked at this carefully, Tucker, and I have yet to find any benefit that a political leader has used or could use to justify this to the American people. All you hear is like, well, we have to defend democracy. We have to defend this democratic country of Ukraine.
But as you know, very well, this current President shuts down — arrests, political opposition, throws them in jail, shuts down TV stations that are critical to him. I have a hard time seeing how President Biden or anyone can say with an honest face, we are defending democracy.
And the reason is because our own government has publicly supported these authoritarian actions by the Ukrainian President in shutting down their own political opposition. And it begs the question, this sounds familiar to some of the things that unfortunately, we’re seeing play out right here at home.
CARLSON: I was just about to say, it sounds like they’re kind of democracy.
Tulsi Gabbard, that’s about the smartest analysis I’ve heard, and I really appreciate you laying it out for us. Thank you.
GABBARD: Thanks.
See Enemy of T̷h̷e̷ Their State

Posted by: Kana | Jul 27 2022 17:33 utc | 13

@1 pretzelattack – Indeed. And Annie Liebovitz shot it. Good lord. Perhaps she aspires to be the new Leni Riefenstahl only with about 6% of Riefenstahl’s talent.

Posted by: lex talionis | Jul 27 2022 18:00 utc | 15

@the pessimist
Not sure what the overall game is here
The Russians seem quite passive at present. Perhaps they feel the Ukes can only do them very superficial damage at best – and by dragging this out they can continue to rapidly deteriorate the European economy. UK forcast £500 a month utility bills per household from Janaury.

Posted by: Night Tripper | Jul 27 2022 18:10 utc | 17

Posted by: Gumpy | Jul 27 2022 16:29 utc | 4
While there is certainly some arrogance and incompetence involved, the system developed in the 20th century by the US mostly, has well-served a small portion of the American elites with enough trickle down economic benefit to keep the rabble at bay. This system was cleverly crafted and carefully, if forcefully, regulated through the IMF/World Bank/UN/NATO.
However, the greed of those in charge set in motion what is happening now, and the people in charge of the system now are not as clever or widely educated as the generations that preceded it – and they are perhaps greedier, too.
The move to use Chinese labor (and the labor of other nations) in order to drive a wedge in the SINO-SOVIET relationship and find more profits for US Corps has led to the hollowing out of US manufacturing and the rise of China as a manufacturing and tech force. The expansion of NATO has now led to Russia developing a military that is equal to if not better than US/NATO forces and has solidified a new, more stable, SINO-RUSSIA alliance that is drawing more nations to its side.
The sad thing is that the actions of the US/NATO/EU/UK are still serving the interests of that same narrow elite – consolidating power and providing profits to segments of the population that have inordinate control over the levers of power in Western societies.
So, arrogance…certainly. Incompetence…certainly. But…there are still those benefiting from the events unfolding around us, and they are simply be willing to let others suffer and fall on the swords of arrogance and incompetence as they even more arrogantly arrogate more power, privilege, and profit for themselves.
Feeling kind of cynical and pessimistic today.

Posted by: Objective Observer | Jul 27 2022 18:12 utc | 19

Until now, I thought Macron was the only Western leader that wasn’t a complete retard when it comes to dealing with the crisis. Looks like this has changed.
He’s touring Africa right now. Yesterday, he blamed African countries for being “hypocritical” in not denouncing the “Russian war of aggression on Ukraine”, stating that “EU just denounces it and calls it like it is, but isn’t a party to the war”. And today, he just stated that “Russia is the last imperialistic colonial power around”. While actually being in an ex-French colony.
Does he really want to lose any softpower and influence he’s got left in Africa, benefitting China and Russia? Does he want to get eggs and rotten tomatoes thrown at him?

Posted by: Clueless Joe | Jul 27 2022 18:28 utc | 21

@ karlof1
Well, I disagree with your interpretation. Andrei said:
“US anti-Neocons are either fakes, or that they have the willpower of a case of jello (that also goes for Tulsi Gabbard, by the way)”
Tulsi is clearly not like jello since she has taken on the entire establishment after she was being set up to be a leader of the DNC. So that leaves us with his saying she is a fake anti-neocon. That to me means he is saying Tulsi is a supporter of the neocons. QED.

Posted by: Kana | Jul 27 2022 18:31 utc | 23

Some excellent insights from Andrei at The Saker from a few days ago Five months into the Special Military Operation – a summary
“The truth is that the choice for the Neocons is binary: either accept defeat in Europe and keep the USA as their prize and host, or die in a major nuclear confrontation that will wipe out millions (which they don’t care about at all), including the Neocons themselves (which they care a lot about).”
“Try to reason with or convince messianic, narcissistic and delusional racist maniacs is a dangerous and mostly futile task. This is why Russia is turning the pain dial up very very slowly. Right now, most of the efforts of the Kremlin are not even directed at the West, but at forging the core of the future multilateral world, the BRICS countries and BRICS candidates (possibly including Iran, Argentina, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Mexico, Lebanon and Indonesia in the near future). Russia is also expanding her ties to Africa and Latin America. Last, but not least, Russia, China and India are constantly expanding their ties and even collaboration, especially with China.”
The answer to all who ask “why isn’t Russia/China” moving faster or “why is Russia/China so timid?” The mad dog (the neocons, Polish elites etc. ) needs to be kept relatively calm so that it does not need to be shot as it has its teeth in someone’s neck. The cage needs to be carefully built by the Rest to restrain the US and its Western stooges. Even a wounded mad dog can kill you if you directly threaten it too much, incremental defeat is a much safer proposition.
“Right now, and exactly as I predicted would happen, Russia has basically totally given up on any form of dialog with the West, since the West has basically severed all its diplomatic ties with Russia. Put differently, Russia is now acting unilaterally without giving the moaning and threats from the West any consideration whatsoever. In fact, the stark reality is that Russia has no need, or use, for the West, especially a West trying to commit collective suicide by a million cuts. Right now, the West is mostly dialing up the pain dial on itself, with little or no Russian assistance. But that does not mean that Russia won’t proactively turn up that dial if/when needed”
“As for Russia, her real future lies in the South, East and North. She has no need or use for the West. Almost one thousand years of western imperialism are coming to a shameful and self-inflicted death, one way or another. As I have written many times, that system was neither viable nor reformable. It will either die of its own internal contradictions, or Russia and China will have to cull it. They most definitely has the means to, but won’t act directly unless provoked. But that, should it happen, is still further down the road. For the time being, we are entering a long phase (many months probably) of gradual pain dial increase. Russia will continue to grind down the NATO forces in the Ukraine and let the economic realities sink into the awareness of the European sheep.”
The long war, stretching into the 2030’s and perhaps beyond where Europe becomes the backward archipelago of EurAsia, the UK shrivels even more, and the US becomes just another powerful nation – with all the internal chaos that the acceptance of that reality will create.

Posted by: Roger | Jul 27 2022 18:34 utc | 25

@Posted by: Kana | Jul 27 2022 18:31 utc | 22
There are two stands of foreign policy making in the US, the dominant liberal internationalist/neocons and the “realists”. Tulsi is a realist, still viewing the US as the “greatest nation” but looking for restraint and finesse in dominating the Rest after the miserable defeats and vast waste/profiteering of the past three decades of unipolar neocon supremacy.
The realists are still part of the US elite and courtier grouping, just a competing faction. She plays within the elite rules, which greatly reduces her “hardness” in attacking the neocons. She is in no way a representative of a revolutionary threat from without to the elites. just like Trump and Mearsheimer. Arguments over tactics not strategy.

Posted by: Roger | Jul 27 2022 18:44 utc | 27

Objective Observer | Jul 27 2022 18:12 utc | 18
aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan is headed to the South China Sea as Pelosi increases delegation size to include Foreign Affairs Committee.

Posted by: rk | Jul 27 2022 18:54 utc | 29

Night Tripper | Jul 27 2022 18:37 utc | 25
Weird rule of thumb, an army that’s actually planning to advance and be on the offensive doesn’t destroy the bridges that lie in its way. On the contrary, there will be frantic attempts to capture such bridges in useable condition. Classic example: the Western allies pushing the Wehrmacht over the Rhine, with their desperate attempts to get a hold of at least one of the many Rhine bridges intact and not kaputt.
Please don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to criticize you for your thinking here. But I may be snappy here with my comment because just recently, some (female) military and foreign policy expert on German public television had the same line of thought, in all seriousness. She imagined the splendid offensive of the Ukrainian army across the Dniepr. In her mind, destroying the bridges was the first thing to do, naturally.
“Expertin” Sabine Fischer
tagesschau.de: The Ukrainian army wants to launch a counter-offensive in the south of the country – is the attack on the Antonivka Bridge near Cherson a sign of this?
Sabine Fischer: The attack on the bridge can be taken as a sign that this offensive is imminent. From a Ukrainian perspective, this is tactically and strategically understandable.
(machine translation)
It would be her job to know better. But as a middle class bimbo without the looks of a bimbo, what is she going to do?
Anyway, welcome to the bar, haven’t seen your name before!

Posted by: Scotch Bingeington | Jul 27 2022 19:05 utc | 31

Make USA Decent Again
1) get out of NATO and stop interfering in Europe
2) minimize Military Industrial Complex to an actual State defense non-profit department
3) close most of USA military bases around the world
4) end all sanctions and apologize, starting with the Cuban people
5) pay reparations to all invaded countries (starting with Haiti)
6) change electoral law in order to make it proportional, and forbid big sponsors/lobby. Actually create a DEMOcracy
7) release Assange and Snowden. They don’t have to be pardoned. USA is the one that needs to apologize
8) stop funding, arming, and protecting Israel’s Apartheid regime
9) apologize to Kurdish people. Say you’ll stand in the way of Turkish aggression
10) change Constitution to recognize Healthcare and Education and Pensions as GUARANTEED Human Rights
11) any 2 workers can start a Union in any company. No longer need a majority
12) HUGE increase taxes on billionaires. You’ll have enough money to fund everything. And they’ll still be richer than they deserve
13) stop funding fossil fuels. Use that money to create jobs in LOW-CARBON energies (wind, solar, geothermal, nuclear, etc, and fusion if we’re lucky enough to make it work)
This is what I would call a good start to Make USA Decent Again (or at least as decent as it was by 1945).
It will never happen. Not even a Bernie Sanders’ Presidency could achieve this kind of progress. He would end like JFK by point 2…
Therefore, the Empire Of Lies has to collapse, so that something better can be built on its ashes.
It’s a chame that lunatic “elites” (NeoLib in economy, NeoCon in foreign affairs) and their idiot voters have forced the rest of the World to rely on the change being leaded by Russia and China. And it’s a shame that ignorant idiots in Europe chose to be USA vassals instead of a decent alternative in the 21st century. In the future, western historians will cry when they study this period. That is, if we have a future instead of a Nuclear ending.

Posted by: Carlos Marques | Jul 27 2022 19:11 utc | 33

(edited to make it compatible with a Ukraine open thread. ‘b’ can delete the other post because it was too off-topic)
Make USA Decent Again:
1) get out of NATO and stop interfering in Europe, starting by backing off in Ukraine
2) minimize Military Industrial Complex to an actual State defense non-profit department
3) close most of USA military bases around the world
4) end all sanctions and apologize, starting with the Cuban people
5) pay reparations to all invaded countries (starting with Haiti)
6) change electoral law in order to make it proportional, and forbid big sponsors/lobby. Actually create a DEMOcracy
7) release Assange and Snowden. They don’t have to be pardoned. USA is the one that needs to apologize
8) stop funding, arming, and protecting Israel’s Apartheid regime, and Ukraine’s dictatorship filled with NAZIS
9) apologize to Kurdish people. Say you’ll stand in the way of Turkish aggression
10) change Constitution to recognize Healthcare and Education and Pensions as GUARANTEED Human Rights
11) any 2 workers can start a Union in any company. No longer need a majority
12) HUGE increase taxes on billionaires. You’ll have enough money to fund everything. And they’ll still be richer than they deserve
13) stop funding fossil fuels. Use that money to create jobs in LOW-CARBON energies (wind, solar, geothermal, nuclear, etc, and fusion if we’re lucky enough to make it work)
This is what I would call a good start to Make USA Decent Again (or at least as decent as it was by 1945).
It will never happen. Not even a Bernie Sanders’ Presidency could achieve this kind of progress. He would end like JFK by point 2…
Therefore, the Empire Of Lies has to collapse, so that something better can be built on its ashes.
It’s a chame that lunatic “elites” (NeoLib in economy, NeoCon in foreign affairs) and their idiot voters have forced the rest of the World to rely on the change being leaded by Russia and China. And it’s a shame that ignorant idiots in Europe chose to be USA vassals instead of a decent alternative in the 21st century. In the future, western historians will cry when they study this period. That is, if we have a future instead of a Nuclear ending just because of the provocation to Russia in the Ukrainian proxy war.

Posted by: Carlos Marques | Jul 27 2022 19:16 utc | 35

Sushi | Jul 27 2022 19:11 utc | 32
Selling weapons doesn’t make a country part of a conflict. But repairs and flights from airports can be. Russia is sleeping like in 2014 and the message it sends is that is ok to shoot over border in cities with no troops, it’s ok to torture prisoners, ok to shell an npp. Please buy our gas and come back soon!

Posted by: rk | Jul 27 2022 19:32 utc | 37

More on the Antonovsky Bridge

Posted by: Petri Krohn | Jul 27 2022 18:11 utc | 17
The four central spans of the bridge have a segmental box girder structure. The bridge is supported by prestressed steel wires in the shell structure. The rockets have penetrated both the upper and lower levels of the deck. Once the wires in the lower level of the deck snap, the span will collapse.
The two longest spans are 128 meters long. Two more strikes like this on the same spot and the span will collapse.

The bridge has been hit three times. Two of the strikes hit exactly the same spot!
The results of the first attack are shown at the beginning of Patrick Lancaster’s video from July 24th. This attack hit the southern end of the bridge, damaging a ~40 meters long overland span. This span is made of precast concrete beams with a thin concrete slab on top. The HIMARS only damaged the slab, but could not damage the beam structure.
The second strike hit the ~80 meters long span near the southern end of the bridge. Lancaster’s video at 7 minutes shows about six holes at the southern end of this span.
In the video from this morning, we see larger holes at this same spot. I counted about eight holes, but the nighttime video showed six blasts. Some of the HIMARS have hit the same holes and penetrated the lower slab of the box girder structure.

Posted by: Petri Krohn | Jul 27 2022 19:39 utc | 39

@29 rk
re: Pelosi invites entire House Foreign Affairs Committee to Taiwan
However, the top Republican on the committee says he is declining with an ambiguous message. The comment sounds equal parts escalation and trial balloon for a walk-back.
The Texas Republican said he declined the invitation due to a personal obligation that conflicts with the visit. The trip is slated to take place during the congressional August recess, though McCaul did not provide the exact dates.
“Any member that wants to go, should. It shows political deterrence to President Xi,” McCaul, a China hawk, said in a brief interview in the Capitol. “But she should also pay attention to the military if it’s going to cause a blowback and escalate things.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/pelosi-has-invited-senior-lawmakers-to-join-taiwan-trip-top-republican-says/ar-AA102b4l

Posted by: ptb | Jul 27 2022 19:40 utc | 41

Posted by: rk | Jul 27 2022 19:32 utc | 37
I honestly think you are right that they are sleeping in a sense, but I think they are trying to do everything they can to prevent escalation to the point where they ‘flip the switch’.
Flipping the switch is the term a friend and I use when we have talked about actually getting into a fight or going into 100% competitive athletic mode. In a street fight, there’s a point where after you have talked some shit in response and maybe grabbed the arm of someone attempting to grab or hit you that you realize this is a life or death moment and you have to do ‘everything’ you can to survive…you flip the switch to 100% on.
Russia has (and Paul Craig Roberts criticizes them for this) refrained from taking larger, more escalatory steps to respond to Western/US provocations. I believe that this is for ethical/religious/legal reasons that impact how Russia is viewed by its allies and the rest of the world at large. By moving in this slow manner, it shows others that it cares about keeping its word and about following what are the most widely recognized norms of international law. It is showing that it cares about human life and about understanding the limits of what it can and can’t control.
These may end up being mistakes when the final history is written, but it is, I believe, a method of showing the rest of the world how to carefully walk through a minefield without blowing yourself up and without planting a whole bunch of mines for others to step through who might not be culpable.
But what do I know…I’m just an objective observer.

Posted by: Objective Observer | Jul 27 2022 19:45 utc | 43

Sushi @ 32
Pepe Escobar just posted (Telegram) that the Slavyansk/Kramaorsk offensive is postponed. And Russia is down to 50K front line troops in combat. He suggests Russia considers time is on their side and is not in a hurry.
Something is afoot. From where I sit I can’t figure how Ukraine is stumbling through this at all. What does Moscow see?
Pelosi plans to take a bigger delegation to Taiwan as China’s warnings get louder. WTF?

Posted by: oldhippie | Jul 27 2022 19:47 utc | 45

Pelosi plans to take a bigger delegation to Taiwan as China’s warnings get louder.
@oldhippie | Jul 27 2022 19:47 utc | 45
—
Unironically good news.

Posted by: too scents | Jul 27 2022 20:03 utc | 47

Hey, so waddya know? At long last, the great Blinking One will finally be having a sit down (of sorts) with Mr. Lavrov. I am suffering in anticipation of that get together. The great Binking One has prisoner swap on his mind. What kind of shallow dip-low-mat this human being turned out to be. The over and under for the number of people the great Blinking One will have by his side during the conversation with Mr. Lavrov is two. Also wondering about the kind of notes the great Blinking One will be reading from. Sadden to think how Mr. Lavrov must endure this conversation. Reminds me of talking to a wall. We shall see, won’t we? Peace!

Posted by: thecelticwithinme | Jul 27 2022 20:12 utc | 49

The channel he reposted is a source of imagination, I’ve seen it before, didn’t like it.
But you can be sure there won’t be any fast action coming from Russia. I do enjoy seeing the missiles that enter thru the window or holes in ceiling though.

Posted by: rk | Jul 27 2022 20:22 utc | 51

Posted by: rk | Jul 27 2022 19:32 utc | 37
You may, or may not, be correct. The law appears unclear:
RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF NEUTRALS: –
1. Territory – One of the basic principles of the law of neutrality is that “a neutral State may not deliver permanent or temporary fortifications or parts of their territory or their sovereign rights to a belligerent,” even if “the territory or fortification in question is far from the current theatre of war.
2. Assistance – One of important neutral state’s duties of impartiality would include prohibiting it from providing any form of assistance to the belligerents. Firstly, the neutral state would be banned from providing the belligerents commercially or gratuitously with any kind of material that has a military purpose, such as “arms, vessels, ammunition, and military provisions. “Secondly, the neutral state is not permitted to lend or provide money to the belligerents during the conflict, because during war, foreign exchange and money are equally as important as war material, which can in its turn be acquired with money and foreign currencies.
3. Duties – The neutral state does not have any obligation to prevent its subjects from providing war materials to belligerents. Article 7 of the Hague Convention specifically provides that “neutral Power is not bound to prevent export or transport, on behalf of either of the belligerents, of, munitions of war, arms or generally anything that can be useful for an army or a fleet.”
4. Detention – The Neutral territory, being outside the region of the war, offers an asylum to members of the belligerent forces, the subjects of the belligerents and their property, and the war material belonging to belligerents.
SOURCE:
https://www.thelwordblogg.com/post/recognition-of-belligerency
According to paragraph 2 above, a neutral state cannot engage in state acts of support but has no obligation to police the conduct of its subjects (paragraph 3 duties).
Application of the law is left to the interpretation of the aggrieved belligerent. A US military aircraft is a legitimate target if it delivers war material to a belligerent state but delivery of the same material by DHL is not a problem. US military satellites are legitimate targets but the same intelligence delivered by Elon Musk’s satellite equipment is not a problem.
With respect to the KMW Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers this sale required the approval of the German state. It was not a transaction between two private entities; it could only go forward with sovereign state approval. I interpret this as being state infringement of neutral status thereby making KMW, its Panzerhaubitze, and the associated factories and state transport network, legitimate military targets.
Similarly the use of UK Camp Truss to train citizens of 404 involves the delivery of sovereign UK military training infrastructure to Ukraine. Intelligence collection and collation at AFB Ramstein would also involves sovereign German military infrastructure.
US financial funding of 404 would clearly result in the US incurring co-belligerent status. The imposition of economic sanctions which have not been endorsed by the UN may be considered to be acts of aggression.
The associated issues are likely to be controversial. The question “Was RMS Lusitania a legitimate military target?” is still being argued today.
SOURCE:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_the_RMS_Lusitania

Posted by: Sushi | Jul 27 2022 20:36 utc | 53

I think most of us are puzzled at what’s going on, from the COVID farce to this self-destruction in the West. I blame it on complete incompetence, based on arrogrance.
Posted by: Gumpy | Jul 27 2022 16:29 utc | 4
It all makes sense when you realize it’s intentional.

Posted by: Michigan Dude | Jul 27 2022 20:57 utc | 55

How does it make any sense at all that the Empire’s current predicament is “intentional”? You really think the oligarchs whom the Establishment serve are saying “Let’s destroy my real wealth and replace it with stacks of paper! Let’s wreck the credibility of our own levers of political control, both Democrat and Republican, that took centuries and countless $billions for us to build up! Yeah, that should be fun!”
I fail to see what the real powers in society are gaining by all of this. It certainly isn’t increased control, and despite all of the dollars flowing their way they are not gaining any more real wealth.

Posted by: William Gruff | Jul 27 2022 21:14 utc | 57

It looks like those HIMARS in Ukraine finally accomplished something by hitting the Antonovsky Bridge, perhaps hard enough to make it unsafe for heavy military equipment. I agree with the opinions above that this is defensive on the part of Ukraine. They are defending their hold on Mykolaiv to the north. Should Mykolaiv fall, the road to Odessa becomes all the more open.
About Gabbard, and while I don’t think she is a closet Neocon, and while I really liked the job she did on Kamala Harris in one of the early Presidential debates, I do think there is something a bit soft in her. I would like to be proven wrong on this. Time will tell.

Posted by: Hal Duell | Jul 27 2022 21:33 utc | 59

pretzelattack | Jul 27 2022 16:05 utc | 1
Not since Reichsminister Goering have we seen such a fashion conscious fascist. The description after his surrender in 1945 is in Elizabeth Borgwardt’s ‘A New Deal for the World’,”recall the madam of a brothel”. Herman sported red lacquered fingernails and toenails. But unlike the clown he didnt make it into Vogue.

Posted by: Paul McGrory | Jul 27 2022 21:44 utc | 61

Old Hippie – 45
Russia leaving merely 50K troops on frontline, meanwhile Ukraine is obviously trying to prepare some operation in Kherson. Yeah, something doesn’t compute here. If Ukraine actually launches a counter-attack there, I’ll wait 3 days to see how it goes before hazarding any kind of guess or drawing any conclusion. If Russia withdrew tens of thousands of troops, they must’ve gone somewhere, and they’re not all gone to Vostok 2022, there must be several BTGs lying around waiting for Ukraine to attack; but where – I can’t see them reinforcing Kherson, there’s indeed a real mess with bridges and logistics, I can’t see them trapping the Ukrainian counterattack (though I suspect Russian artillery will work overtime), so where, towards Kiev, towards Kharkov, towards Zaporozhie?

Posted by: Clueless Joe | Jul 27 2022 21:46 utc | 63

Lots of mind readers today who think what a person clearly wrote isn’t what was meant. So much for trying to be accurate. I guess that sort of thing isn’t welcomed at the bar anymore.

Posted by: karlof1 | Jul 27 2022 22:11 utc | 65

Posted by: karlof1 | Jul 27 2022 22:11 utc | 65
I guess that sort of thing isn’t welcomed at the bar anymore.
Who really knows what is up with the world today?
Sit back. The next round is on me.
This time next week we may end up flecked with Pelosi ash.
Pass the popcorn.
Cheers!

Posted by: Sushi | Jul 27 2022 22:35 utc | 67

Posted by: Night Tripper | Jul 27 2022 18:10 utc | 16
UK forcast £500 a month utility bills per household from Janaury.
I’m amazed and perplexed that more people don’t see the shitnado heading Europe’s way. £500 a month, and similar bills in Euros, is literally unaffordable for a large percentage of the working population. It literally means death for lots of old people on fixed incomes.
And this comes at the exact same time the UK and EU have tested money printing and spending to destruction: no more cheap debt.
And the exact same time large portions of the old, reliable power generation infrastructure are due to go offline soon in favour of catastrophically unreliable renewables.
And the UK and EU will be dealing with this dangerous social situation at the exact same time as lots of newly unemployed people start claiming benefits because their employer downsized or offshored or went bankrupt due to energy costs.
Something’s going to break. Badly.

Posted by: ZX | Jul 27 2022 22:56 utc | 69

ICEBERG AHEAD!
Did anyone else notice, that the Portrait of Bravery by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue is a recreation of the poster scene in the movie “Titanic”.

Posted by: Petri Krohn | Jul 27 2022 23:22 utc | 71

7) release Assange and Snowden.
Posted by: Carlos Marques | Jul 27 2022 19:16 utc | 35

I thought Snowden was still living in Russia, having been granted permanent residency status.

Posted by: David Levin | Jul 27 2022 23:47 utc | 73

@71 At least she spared us a recreation of the John and Yoko Rolling Stone cover.

Posted by: dh | Jul 27 2022 23:53 utc | 75

Pepe is certainly righteous but I worry too often his triumphalism gets out ahead of him. It’s sort of his brand.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jul 28 2022 0:07 utc | 77

I haven’t seen the numbers Pepe came up with in any of the Russian sources, and I follow a bunch of them. It is probably BS.
As for Kherson, I really hope Russians know what they are doing. They can’t allow such a moral victory and boost. The West would go crazy and who knows what would happend. In the Donbass things are progressing nicely. It seems the allied forces even managed to have a breakthrough in the hugely fortified South – of the Donbass -, and prior to that the general consensus was that a frontal assault was a terrible idea.
But ukronazis are boasting non stop about an offensive and this bridge does seem like it is important. I know Russians have acted like this from the start, but we don’t hear anything. Yeah yeah yeah, no one sane would keep announcing an offensive, so it does look like a PR stunt, and, rationally, because attacking is a lot harder and Ukraine lacks equipment to assault heavily defended positions, a counteroffensive might be perfect for Russia, as it could deal massive casualties and accelerate the demilitarization process. And it could go on the offense after it. But I do hear, from Russian sources indeed, that the numbers the pigs are putting in the South are HUGE, and they don’t seem to care about their own losses.
I hope there is a plan going on and they really know what they are doing. They have being recruting and trainning more people from Odessa and Nikolaiev, but considering how crazy the people running the show for the nazid are, Russia will have to commit a lot more to deal a mortal blow to the nazis.

Posted by: Pobeda | Jul 28 2022 0:14 utc | 79

Night Tripper @ 16

UK forcast £500 a month utility bills per household from Janaury

ZX @ 69

I’m amazed and perplexed that more people don’t see the shitnado heading Europe’s way

17,000 people in the UK died last winter due to cold housing
https://www.e3g.org/news/17000-people-in-the-uk-died-last-winter-due-to-cold-housing/
^^^ Note the date – 2019. Number seems outrageous but you can google it and find confirming articles. A shitnado hitting a giant island caravan park park.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Jul 28 2022 0:17 utc | 81

They can’t allow such a moral victory and boost. The West would go crazy and who knows what would happend.
Pobeda | Jul 28 2022 0:14 utc | 79
……….
Something is afoot. From where I sit I can’t figure how Ukraine is stumbling through this at all. What does Moscow see?
oldhippie | Jul 27 2022 19:47 utc | 45
………..
Add to that the very small force Russia is using. Just sufficient to make incremental gains on small sections of front-line.
Then there are the various non decision making Russian officials winding up the west by saying we’re going to take this and that region or Kadyrov saying his forces would keep on going into Poland.
Russia has turned Ukraine into a trap for the west. A black hole that has Europe in its grip, and Russia doesn’t intend letting them until they have suffered a lot more grief.
The small Russian force allows the ideological dreamers running the US and EU to think just a little bit longer, a little bit extra and the tide will turn. On top of that, baiting the western fools with unofficial verbal statements and comments.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jul 28 2022 0:32 utc | 83

I ❤👅❤ Tulsi Gabbard and disagree with The Sakers take on her, but Karlof is right, he didn’t call her a neocon.

Posted by: Haassaan | Jul 28 2022 0:41 utc | 85

can anyone comment on the bellyaching over the cut in gas to germany and the seimans turbines in transit to russia? thanks in advance.. they have another hit piece on russia on cbc today over this…

Posted by: james | Jul 28 2022 0:51 utc | 87

I admit to writing early on about the SMO that it would be over quickly but I was wrong. Maybe the 6 months it is approaching will look short in retrospect but I thought the God Of Mammon elite would escalate/capitulate before now.
Ukraine is just the latest push back on empire. Before that was Afghanistan and Syria and now Pelosi (because Harris is a loser) is being aggressive against China. I assume that empire is testing the waters of trying to start a war with China and see who supports empire and who supports China…..reality is a bitch but sometimes reality discovery is a necessary step. I expect empire will find that the same nations that support Russia will support China. If Pelosi is stupid enough to take an armada and other congress critters to Taiwan, I expect the response to be swift and decisive.
Part of me continues to question whether this whole geopolitical transition has been agreed to behind the scenes and we are just seeing the instantiation of some agreement, as brutal as it may seem.
I just continue to drum on the necessity to take the tools of finance away from the historical private cult and challenge a multipolar world to manage global finance as a public utility.
The shit show continues until it doesn’t and if you watch the MSM, you will be told you are losing freedom and democracy when the opposite is true. The longer this goes the weirder ultimate capitulation by empire will be, IMO. In spite of the commentary here, I am not the only one that knows that the West is controlled by the cult of historical folks that own global private finance tools. Spaceship earth is not going to give them places to hide if/when the shit show stops.
Humanity deserves a better future than wage slavery to global private finance cult elite

Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 28 2022 1:06 utc | 89

Tucker Carlson has a net worth of $350 million dollars. He does not work for me.
Tulsi Gabbard is a shameless strumpet who “took on the whole establishment” by selling out Sanders and sticking her nose up Joe Biden’s butt.
Paul Roberts worked willfully for the reagan bush proto nazi operation in their demolition of Wallace Roosevelt “entitlements” to “wefare queens”

Posted by: Wester | Jul 28 2022 1:12 utc | 91

Peter AU1 | Jul 28 2022 1:11 utc | 90
I’m enjoying the irony that “certification”, thwarted NS2.
Now “certification” can close NS1.

Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 28 2022 1:31 utc | 93

Melaleuca | Jul 28 2022 1:31 utc | 93
I hadn’t picked up on that. What goes around comes around 🙂

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jul 28 2022 1:42 utc | 95

Kana | Jul 27 2022 17:33 utc | 12
Kana | Jul 27 2022 18:31 utc | 22
karlof1 | Jul 27 2022 18:18 utc | 19
Roger | Jul 27 2022 18:44 utc | 27
karlof1 | Jul 27 2022 18:50 utc | 28
Kana | Jul 27 2022 18:56 utc | 30
Lawrence Miller | Jul 27 2022 20:45 utc | 54
Lbanu | Jul 28 2022 0:14 utc | 78
Haassaan | Jul 28 2022 0:41 utc | 85
james | Jul 28 2022 0:49 utc | 86
Wester | Jul 28 2022 1:12 utc | 91
Melaleuca | Jul 28 2022 1:26 utc | 92
Thread at 92 comments:
Troll Kana has managed to achieve an almost 10% rate of distraction.
Cmon barflies. Do not feed the trolls.
Debate Saker on his own site.
And. You can’t debate MoA at Saker.. it doesn’t get past moderation.

Posted by: Melaleuca | Jul 28 2022 1:59 utc | 97

Interesting comments of sorts. Georgia. The RF army reestablished the engineering bridge-building units tenfold…….
The RF Stavka situation daily report. Shows just how far thinking and agile the modern RF army/aviation is thinking. The RF aviation excels at destroying all newly established country 404 army command posts on the eastern front. The same day the post is activated. Along with Ammo/fuel dumps. One does not have to be a genius to figure out that answer. Reading between the lines the Russians are five steps ahead of the dumb/dumberYankee/NATO/Washington DC idiot one thought a time Neo-con losers.
Back to A-Bridge. Never a key part of the strategy to re-occupy the western bank of the Dniepr. Just a tempting honey pot.
The leading country 404 military strategists. Are all children, easily lead by the nose.
In other news, I see the former greedy evil princess of greed ex-PM “Yulia T”. is upset. She did not get to steal the remaining assets of Country 404 state-owned gas company……….

Posted by: Bad Deal Motors On | Jul 28 2022 2:14 utc | 99