THEORETICALLY POSTURING military in the world. Now we see its true impotence against li’l ‘ol Russia.
Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Mar 25 2024 4:03 utc | 203
The money printer is the trick, working all day long. Then bombing only civilians and men in slippers plus a few movies and now they’re high on their own supply. Idiocracy in real life.

Posted by: rk | Mar 25 2024 5:21 utc | 204

Why does a Russian venue in a suburb of the capital of Russia have an English-language sign at its entrance rather than a Cyrillic-Russian language sign?
Posted by: rk | Mar 24 2024 17:15 utc | 29

Wander around Russian cities on google.com/maps street-view (or its equivalent on yandex.ru/maps (look for “зеркала” or better “панорамы”)) … it’s not unusual to see shop-fronts, kiosks, and signs for western products (eg; “Coca-Cola”) written in the Latin alphabet.
I presume this is someone’s idea of “chic”, like restaurants in the USA with French names (largely unintelligible to the masses).
Internet URLs are generally (but not necessarily) written in latin characters. So the Russian “Amazon.com” is “wildberries.ru” (in latin, not cyrillic).
If you look at a Russian computer keyboard (https://www.wildberries.ru/catalog/0/search.aspx?search=клавиатура) you will note that almost all of them are marked in both Cyrillic & Latin with a quick toggle in there somewhere, so that Russians can easily enjoy the internet.
I presume (with only this evidence) that Russians must learn the latin alphabet in school, whether or not they study a west-european language. It’s just another 26 glyphs * upper & lower-case.
Before the SMO, I read somewhere that German (for economic reasons) was the most studied foreign language in Russia (VVP is fluent). Correct me if I’m wrong, but for the same reason German is often the 1st or 2nd most studied foreign language in much of western Europe (although this varies by country).

Posted by: retroflecks | Mar 25 2024 5:59 utc | 206

Sorry, wrong thread…

Posted by: Menz | Mar 25 2024 6:07 utc | 208

Not that I would encourage Russia to provoke a major war, if they can prevent it. Best to stay with only Ukraine as that is a sure thing. A wider war would open all sorts of possibilities.
Posted by: Jmaas | Mar 25 2024 4:38 utc | 204
The alternative is to wait for NATO, now having learned how weak they are, to prepare accordingly for a war of annihilation against Russia in 5 – 10 years time.
The Russians can’t prevent that. The Neocons who pull NATO’s strings and the lunatics running the Baltics have no reverse gear.
Russia could choose either to:
a) bring things to a head now by sucking NATO into Ukraine with an appropriate provocation (“fight them on home ground”) or
b) Prepare for a WW3 level-scenario in 5 to 10 years time, during which the intervening period will be filled with many provocations and incidents like the Crocus …
Once Uncle Sam’s got your number there’s not many options to avoid an all out fight.

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Mar 25 2024 6:27 utc | 210

Our source at the General Staff said that there is no real rotation at the front, and Zelensky’s statements were necessary to reassure the military, who have been on the front line for months.
Last year, the mobilization plan was fulfilled by 18%, and losses during the counter-offensive and defense of Avdiivka radically reduced the reserves of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and now they have to constantly transfer units to hold the front.

https://t.me/rezident_ua/22159

Our source in EXPERIENCE said that Svrsky asked Andrei Ermak to speed up the adoption of the mobilization bill due to the difficult situation at the front.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have limited reserve capabilities, and the enemy is creating more and more new pressure points, which can lead to serious consequences.
TCC are not able to fulfill the plan at minimum levels, and the General Staff urgently needs 200 thousand Ukrainians to restore reserves and another 200-300 thousand to be able to carry out counterattacks.

https://t.me/rezident_ua/22162

Posted by: Down South | Mar 25 2024 7:01 utc | 212

Melaleuca | Mar 25 2024 3:24 utc | 196
A follow-up
Haven’t read through all the comments, so I may have missed some keen observations at the bar. My two cents …
After a few days of preliminary investigation, beating the hell out of the four suspects, there is no hard evidence who paid these criminals, who planned the attack, which network operated in Moscow and why was the choice made to travel towards Bryansk and why not hide for a period of time in a safe house.
It all appears to be an operation to create confusion. The nationality is Tajik but that’s it … no extreme jihadist motive, no IS Khorasan operation as they are mostly using a suicide backpack leaving little evidence of the perpetrators. A shortcut to paradise and virgins.
The so-called Amaq link gives no evidence as the videos could have been streamed, they were not.
The early link provided by unnamed U.S. intelligence officials to CNN is very suspicious as is the so-called 7 March alert as it provided no specifics to any group of terrorists.
The denials from the Pentagon and NSC John Kirby are worth nothing. It’s amazing how a narrative without any evidence can be propagated through the corporate media, news editors, journalists and opinion writers.
I’m still open minded as to who plannen and facilitated this attack. If the UA was behind this attack, the four scumbags would never have seen daylight if a new day. Waiting to see where the bodies are falling the coming days, perhaps weeks.

Posted by: Oui | Mar 25 2024 7:43 utc | 214

SloMO is working, so, to use an American expression, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. Russia must just continue with the SloMO up even beyond the 2025 or 2026 point when Putin said it would end. Those FABulous bombs are doing the job, more of them and bigger of them will do the job better. Russia must just ignore all the provocations and drama queens and persevere on her current course, its the easiest and least disruptive of all the options available to Russia.

Posted by: gT | Mar 25 2024 8:01 utc | 216

26 Tu-95 bombers in the air, accompanied by 13 Mig-31 aircraft (probably with Kinzhals).
Also, Kharkov region gauleiter said damage of electric generators is massive, all of them are damaged.
Posted by: unimperator | Mar 24 2024 19:17 utc | 63
So what? They’ve been doing this for over a year and the lights always come back on

Posted by: Flash | Mar 25 2024 8:49 utc | 218

Re: Posted by: Arch Bungle | Mar 25 2024 6:36 utc | 214

Putin tends to address root causes, not symptoms. This has been his approach from day #1.
Putin realises there is no benefit in killing individuals. As a ruler his attention should be on the “Systems of State” rather than on single personalities.
He recognises that all these odious characters are not causes of the problem but symptoms and effects of a larger malaise.
He will act to address the underlying problems that affect the system, rather than surface manifestation of those problems.

Oh really.
From Day ONE!!
Back in 1999 I assume.
Well, Putin certainly has spent decades asleep at the wheel in regards to Ukraine then given Russia nominally controlled Ukraine until 2014, but it was revealed at that point that in fact Ukraine was controlled by The West by way of a violent coup – well, at least 80% of Ukraine was controlled by The West – and that fact on the ground continues to this day.
From 1999-2014 – tell me exactly what Root Causes in Ukraine that Putin was addressing. That’s over a decade I’m talking about.

Posted by: Julian | Mar 25 2024 8:57 utc | 220

If I was the three-letter agency behind the Krokus attack, I would set up a “terrorist attack” in Europe next, to convince people it’s islamic terrorism.

Posted by: Passerby | Mar 25 2024 9:18 utc | 222

Why does a Russian venue in a suburb of the capital of Russia have an English-language sign at its entrance rather than a Cyrillic-Russian language sign?
Posted by: rk | Mar 24 2024 17:15 utc | 29
Crocus City was constructed 15 years ago by an Azeri property developer billionaire when advertisers and entrepreneurs here still thought it “cool” to use English in their PR and marketing at a time when Russia was still trying hard to be “accepted” by the West. Medvedev was president then. He used to walk around in jeans and sneakers and try his damnedest to appear “Western”. He has, however, over the past 2 years, undergone a metamorphosis.

Posted by: Moscow Exile | Mar 25 2024 9:30 utc | 224

On the sidelines there were rumors that Ukrainians began to choose criminal cases and even “sentence” instead of mobilization.
As they say on the sidelines, Ukrainians understand that after serving some time they will 100% return home, and if you are mobilized, then 99% of you can die, become disabled, get PTSD, shell shock, etc.
At the same time, you will fight as long as Zelensky and his entourage need it.

https://t.me/skosoi/6358

Our source reports that in 2025, Ukraine’s mobilization potential will dry up by almost 70%.
Even women’s mobilization and lowering the mobilization age to 21-23 years old will not be able to fundamentally solve this problem.
All experts see a downward trend for Ukraine, and therefore, everything will only get worse.
Another problem for Zelensky is that Ukrainians began to choose a deadline instead of mobilization. This is very bad for Ze, since everyone who serves time will then file a complaint with the ECHR and receive hundreds of thousands of euros from Ukraine for the lawlessness of the Office of the President.
Most of all, Zelensky is afraid of a class action lawsuit from Ukrainians who were convicted in the case of unlimited mobilization – we have been inside about this for a long time.

https://t.me/legitimniy/17534

Posted by: Down South | Mar 25 2024 9:31 utc | 226

An article about a film which purports to give a clear view of events on the battle field, yet it has to be read as seeking to continue the upbeat narrative of the brave Ukrainian patriot resisting the illegal aggression of its larger neighbour. However, even here unwanted truths are evident.
‘I’ve never seen war shown like this’: film-maker captures Ukraine conflict from soldiers’ view
Jamie Roberts says his BBC Two documentary, Ukraine, Enemy in the Woods, aims show a true picture of the frontline

… Roberts spent seven weeks with the Berlingo company in November and December last year to make the film, which will be broadcast on Monday night. During that time the 99-strong force lost 10 people, with another 66 wounded so seriously they could no longer fight – a casualty rate of 76% …
… It took several weeks for Roberts to find the Berlingo company. Although several Ukrainian units were willing to work with the BBC film-maker, by the time he got out to meet them in the field “often they had been decimated, wrecked” by having taken too many casualties. Large units were often reduced to 15% of full strength. …
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/25/film-maker-captures-ukraine-war-soldiers-view

Posted by: SattaMassaGana | Mar 25 2024 9:55 utc | 228

Sad that you don‘t see, that that torture is wrong.
And your last sentence shows how mature you are. I hope it‘s the age…

Posted by: NoName | Mar 25 2024 10:05 utc | 230

synbolism of the crocus flower in Russia is “youthful gladness and attatchment” a flower symbolism website says .Rusdians flower symbolism is very important to them….especially the number of flowers….superstitions etc
,re Ukr power ..no longer exporting…its imports of power have risen threefold…so can they pay…will suppliers subsidise …even though their own energy costs have risen 4-6 times since NS2….so will suppliers say no more? Its kind of backlash ho ho ho…..

Posted by: Jo | Mar 25 2024 10:08 utc | 232

228…torture evidence????…one of the perps was confronted by two men in the hall and beaten unconscious by them to allow selves and others to escape. Brave men.

Posted by: Jo | Mar 25 2024 10:13 utc | 234

Its just amazing how the western media has suddenly managed to develope feelings for those poor, “tortured“, innocent terrorists.
Its far more humane to just drone them. And their families. And those bystanders. And some more collaterall.
Then theres no need for feelings.
I am so sick of those “values“.
Just call it the fourth reich ursula, grow some balls. Be honest.

Posted by: Justpassinby | Mar 25 2024 10:19 utc | 236

@233 noname,
there is wrong and then there is wrong.. it was said some time ago by a sage personi believe – this is not a war for propaganda, but an actual war.. while the west is very good with the propaganda, they can’t win this war with propaganda.. thanks for keeping me up to date on the propaganda regardless..
yes, it was wrong what someone did.. i am sure in the same situation, the west would have behaved for the cameras much better, lol.

Posted by: james | Mar 25 2024 10:41 utc | 238

115 Sam
you seem to have missed the point re anglis confronting Russia at no cost to themselves.. sanctions have cost especially EU hundreds of billions…energy costs up 4-6 times…european protests against increasing economic hardships . UK and EU economies have recently been …are in recession ..oil price might cost more ..EU and UK economies are very fragile indeed.Lots of industrial decimation…and if they go ahead with using Russian funds …the 300b might be a price worth taking by Russia if western economies collapse ……countries supporting Ukraine financially c 61b have used that money that was requested to increase their Nato contribution….so that will be underfunded…and as Trump said…no pay…you are on your own.

Posted by: Jo | Mar 25 2024 10:44 utc | 240

Posted by: Jo | Mar 25 2024 10:13 utc | 237
I would call cutting off an ear torture…
… I don‘t know what you would call that in your country.

Posted by: NoName | Mar 25 2024 10:51 utc | 242

“Yet, these same people turn around and insist that Russia must be very careful not to escalate or else NATO and the US might get involved. How utterly illogical and bizarre because, based on all the points mentioned before, what has Russia to fear ? Pure logical disconnect.”
Posted by: Moonie | Mar 24 2024 22:47 utc | 141
Superb pick up on the logical paradox.
I , too, have wondered about this intellectual fallacy; I would put some of the blame on the poster, we know all who they are, who post many long posts as they like to hear themselves ‘talk’-they post so much they go eventually around in analytical circles.

Posted by: canuck | Mar 25 2024 10:55 utc | 244

2022 Global Military Spend – $2,868,000,000,000 – US$2.86 Trillion
USA – $1.537 Trillion – 54%
Rest of NATO $360 billion – 12.6%
Rest of US Allies $234 billion – 8.2%
TOTAL US EMPIRE – US$2.131 Trillion – 74.3%
CHINA $292 Billion – 10.2%
RUSSIA $86 Billion – 3%
INDIA $80 Billion – 2.8%
“Others $278 Billion – 9.6%
TOTAL NON-US ALLIES – US$0.736 Trillion – 25.7%
The Empire has had its pants pulled down. The whole world can see that the threatening bulge in its pocket was a sock puppet. Imagine the scale of corruption here: you go to war with a 24/1 advantage and 18 moths later, you can’t keep up with the volume of military hardware and shells!
A generation of corrupt western leaders have run out of ideas. They are reduced to cheap terrorist tricks as their war strategy. From the ghost of Kiev to sabotaging nord-stream and now shooting up concert theatres. They’ve reached a desperate new low point.”
Posted by: Nema Nischta | Mar 25 2024 3:45 utc | 198
Wow, what a powerful post-you should post more often!

Posted by: canuck | Mar 25 2024 10:57 utc | 246

Posted by: slothrop_tyrone | Mar 25 2024 10:56 utc | 248
I agree with you. But I was not writing how the west would have reacted. Instead I wrote how Russia imho should not react… but as I wrote I understand that Russia is angry.

Posted by: NoName | Mar 25 2024 11:09 utc | 248

So what? They’ve been doing this for over a year and the lights always come back on
Posted by: Flash | Mar 25 2024 8:49 utc | 221
They’ve been hitting only the transformers, and not even 750 kV ones.
Hitting generators and the machine hall (and being nice enough to keep the dam intact) is different.
Many industrial and manufacturing processes can’t deal with even brief power loss.
Russia definitely has escalation potential. But it has to also hold back for the likely war with NATO.

Posted by: Nemo Ingenting | Mar 25 2024 11:16 utc | 250

…
🎬 Collection for thermal imagers for heavy machine guns on ship-boat trains in the Black Sea. Fight against naval drones.
Posted by: Down South | Mar 25 2024 5:26 utc | 208
There was post a few days ago announcing the same volunteer initiative to collect funds in order to supply BSF vessels with optics, machine guns and improvised mounts. The post I saw included language that implied the BSF command’s own response amounted to appropriations in next financial year’s budget.
Without wishing to labour the point to a sympathetic audience, it behooves everyone here to understand the implications of that claim.

Posted by: anon2020 | Mar 25 2024 11:19 utc | 252

Lavieja @106: “…you can’t fairly or correctly blame these movements for the response of the fascist state to them.”
What response?
Compare the extensive and supportive coverage of the BLM and antifa riots by the Mockingbird mass media (remember “Fiery But Mostly Peaceful”?) with the mass media’s handling of Occupy Wall Street, which was a real grassroots movement. Every single BLM/antifa riot was heavily promoted in the mass media ahead of the events, and not just after the fact. On the other hand, info about OWS events were deliberately suppressed by the mass media, and only mentioned after the fact to highlight the police crackdown on OWS in order to discourage future rallies.
See the difference? The capitalist mass media deliberately boosted BLM/antifa with marketing worth many $millions, while they uniformly blacked out any coverage of OWS.
On the subject of police crack-downs, the authorities were almost completely hands-off with the BLM/antifa rioters.
“You don’t know what will be their future effect.”
But we do. We’re far enough into the future from those events to see the results. Despite calls to “De-fund the police”, very little money was actually cut from police budgets. With that said, the threats of losing funding caused the police to back off enforcement and allow criminal behavior in many communities across the US. This resulted in wide-scale business closures due to soaring crime in many of the neighborhoods most afflicted with the BLM/antifa riots. This very predictably resulted in a backlash in those neighborhoods with residents demanding a new crackdown on crime… and increased police budgets to go along with that.
It isn’t even a surprise, but rather an intended consequence, that the BLM/antifa riots have resulted in more police repression. Good job, lumpenized middle class youth!
Here’s a rule of thumb to help you distinguish between real movements and manufactured ones in the future: In 100% of the cases, if the capitalist mass media is supporting the movement with coverage, then the movement is manufactured. If there is a media blackout of the movement, and what coverage there exists is extremely negative (no “Fiery But Mostly Peaceful” but rather “Violent arsonist insurrectionists!!”) then you know the movement is real. BLM/antifa were not movements at all, but the riots they participated in were events manufactured and stage managed by mass media and NGOs.

Posted by: William Gruff | Mar 25 2024 11:35 utc | 254

Sad that you don‘t see, that that torture is wrong.
Posted by: NoName | Mar 25 2024 10:05 utc | 233
If you were observant, you might have seen that those injuries were sustained during or before the arrest. On video it is clear, e.g. that the one with the blood on his ear had the wound as the security people took him away from the car, which had overturned, which itself would have caused injuries.

Posted by: HERMIUS | Mar 25 2024 11:40 utc | 256

Posted by: unimperator | Mar 25 2024 11:18 utc | 254
A false flag, in my opinion, would be the other way around, self hit during the Olympics and blame Russia for having done it.
What I thought was RF help proxy terrorist to make the hit.
It would be rather difficult to put the blame on Russia if palistineses or Houthis do the it, Israel, us UK and collective west are already at war in the ME.
It would be easier for the west organize the false flag than blame Russia on a Houthis hit.

Posted by: Mario | Mar 25 2024 11:49 utc | 258

Now consider that the USA / NATO have had an unprecedented 2 years to watch and track every position and every movement of the Russian military not only in Ukraine but right across the line of contact with NATO. Even if a NATO SAM gets destroyed the data it collected is uploaded to a satellite before if get destroyed, The USA has data on every missile, EW system, electronic countermeasure, radar frequency.
Someone in Texas is busy designing countermeasures and new weapons to defeat the Russians while the boys in the basement of the Pentagon are planning an air war against Russia as we speak.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Mar 25 2024 10:53 utc | 246
So. F’ing. What. The United States (And its dozen of Europussy minions) is an inept, incompetent evil buffoon. I have seen little from Western arsenals so far that gives me reason to believe Russia is concerned with whatever the buffoons—who lack quality engineers, physicists etc IN ABUNDANCE (like Russia and China)— can do in ten years, let alone two. American can’t even design a workable hyspersonic missle, FFS. So get the F outta here with your weak sauce.
Regarding the threat of nuclear winter: BRING IT ON, tough guy. Because after the crap going on the last several years, it’s better to die standing than live on your knees. And it’s better to fight now than wait.

Posted by: Zippy the Pinhead | Mar 25 2024 11:55 utc | 260

And here we go again with the money printing.
Do you print out weapons out of thin air or manpower?
Posted by: Mario | Mar 25 2024 10:06 utc | 234
What for? Wars are for others, to prevent their development or to bomb men in slippers for cnn. You pay some to decide to buy your crappy weapons, pay others to kamikaze in wars and so on. You think Ursula did not get anything to decide alone who is the provider of vax? She even deleted all conversations, that’s reason for jail but others were bribed too so no problem. Now the trick happens again, Ursula wants to make military purchases for the entire EU and she will surely do that after reelection.
When you have the money printer and some (even if old) nukes, you can change your borders and no one can do anything but complain ( sputnikglobe.com/20240325/russia-sends-demarche-to-us-over-extension-of-continental-shelf-1117538768.html ).

Posted by: rk | Mar 25 2024 12:01 utc | 262

Posted by: HERMIUS | Mar 25 2024 11:40 utc | 259
Apparently you are not reading Telegram channels? Go check out Slavyangrad and DD Geopolitics (both pro Russia) or also Intelslavaz (pro Russia, probably state owned) and read the articles of the last couple of days, you‘ll maybe change your opinion how he „injured“ his ear.

Posted by: NoName | Mar 25 2024 12:03 utc | 264

torture is wrong and not very effective at getting information, but great at getting compliance in the short run. That said, why focus on the torture of one guy or 4 guys and not on the hundreds of deaths and injuries? it reminds me of Israelis demanding that before one can oppose genocide which has killed up to 200 thousand people one should first focus on the 500 or so Israeli civilians killed on Oct 7th by Hamas. It’s likely they killed fewer Israeli civilians than the IDF, but that can’t be determined yet.

Posted by: pretzelattack | Mar 25 2024 12:09 utc | 266

I agree with you. But I was not writing how the west would have reacted. Instead I wrote how Russia imho should not react… but as I wrote I understand that Russia is angry.
Posted by: NoName | Mar 25 2024 11:09 utc | 251
Right now every player tries to establish its own souvereignity of interpretation. I see this torture thing as part of a framing campaign. As bad as torture is in my eyes, this fact is not as important as some western media tries to point it out. At least not for a Russian audience.

Posted by: slothrop_tyrone | Mar 25 2024 12:11 utc | 268

Posted by: bored | Mar 24 2024 18:34 utc | 47

For all the talk about Ukraine collapsing or running out of men and ammunition, it seems like it’s open season on Russians in the newly incorporated territories AND the motherland. Also, forum members here laugh at the NATO alliance but they support their own, not just with talk but with arms/supplies/men. Where are Russia’s BRICS allies? Hiding in a corner with their dicks between their legs.

such a primitive
he really tries to equate nato with brics

Posted by: ghiwen | Mar 25 2024 12:22 utc | 270

forgot in my @274 that was in connection with the coorperation on fight against terrorism

Posted by: Justpassinby | Mar 25 2024 12:25 utc | 272

All friends meanings here so far, but please:
You may sail past all the solutions here before they are solved.
The solution only comes when Nuland + Kirby B.Gates have been eliminated.
I donate 3 million cents to do this.
I have hired 3 assassin guys to perform this on these aforementioned 3 people.
I wish them – my friends from NK good luck – but do not choose your escape one more the way towards Ukranian border!
That would be a little risky !

Posted by: spare_truth_01 | Mar 25 2024 12:27 utc | 274

SBU building destroyed in the center of Kiev. Kinzhal literally punched through the middle and caused the entire thing to collapse.
Two Patriot PAC batteries also hit in Zhiulayny airport.

Posted by: unimperator | Mar 25 2024 12:43 utc | 276

Justpassinby @ 274

If Russia should come up with a proposal that is credible, that is based on rational grounds and respect for international rules then the European Union would probably not say no.

To quote Kim Dotcom, “rules-based terrorism”.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Mar 25 2024 12:53 utc | 278

Posted by: Nema Nischta | Mar 25 2024 3:45 utc | 198
Excellent summary.
1. Also, GDP Manufacturing in the USA is almost TOTALLY, light manufacturing and silly things like grinding hamburger. True.
2. 8% of U.S. GDP is a fabricated number called Owner’s Imputed Rent, where homeowners are asked what it would take to rent a home such as theirs. It is not Money Income/Production in the Current Economy, it is water under the bridge from previous years.
3. 42% of U.S. GDP is Government (divided by 100-8%) equals 46% of U.S. GDP is deadweight/Government. And anyone who thinks $1 of taxes buys $1 of Government “output” ought to get their oil changed.
4.Money Printing/the US Dollar/ the Exhorbitant Privilege is in the last inning of the ballgame. Weimar solved external payments to France by printing money. The USA living on past performance by printing/clicking U.S. dollars into existence is racing into a brick wall.
5. The U.S. Government borrows more money in debt than the growth of GDP. GDP having once been an approximation of somewhat of a reality, into becoming a Political Football with little meaning or value.

Posted by: kupkee | Mar 25 2024 12:59 utc | 280

“Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster…”
Posted by: Apollyon | Mar 24 2024 21:57 utc | 123
AFAICS the US has always been the monster cloaked in tatters of “Freedom”.
Start with Texas, Cuba, …Philipines

Posted by: MAKK | Mar 25 2024 13:03 utc | 282

Nema Nischta @ 198 / kupkee @ 283
“Restaurant, hey. That’s what I’ve got. Whole goddam country lives selling hot dogs to each other.”
― James M. Cain, The Postman Always Rings Twice

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Mar 25 2024 13:14 utc | 284

@HB_Norica | Mar 25 2024 13:20 utc | 288

I can think of a few occasions where political assassinations have started wars but I can’t think of any that finished a war.

That’s a very good point. I am not a historian, but I can’t think of any such examples either.
In the case of Ukraine, I think the time ran out long ago with our without assassinations.

Posted by: Norwegian | Mar 25 2024 13:28 utc | 286

Posted by: HB_Norica | Mar 25 2024 13:20 utc | 288
..Never going to happen. .. but I can’t think of anyone could have finished that war.
Dear NB_Norica,
but ever had finished a “war” like this probally would?

Posted by: spare_truth_01 | Mar 25 2024 13:37 utc | 288

1:33 p.m
Report: Two Patriot complexes destroyed at Kiev airport
Symbolic image: Patriot air defense complexes.
INA FASSBENDER / AFP
Two American-made Patriot air defense complexes are said to have been destroyed in a missile attack by the Russian army on Zhuliany Airport in Kiev. The TASS news agency quotes a military source:
“We confirm the destruction of two Patriots in Shulyany.”
The crews were mercenaries from NATO countries, the source continued.
.
SBU headquarters met:
The target of the morning shelling was the top leadership of the SBU, the Ukrainian English-language publication Kyiv Post admits, citing its sources in the SBU.
The attack was carried out by a Zircon hypersonic missile, so Ukrainian propagandists did not have time to write that “everyone was shot down.”
According to Klitschko, a “politychna zbroya” – a political weapon – flew to Kiev.”

Posted by: ossioss@freenet.com | Mar 25 2024 13:40 utc | 290

“@HB_Norica | Mar 25 2024 13:20 utc | 288
I can think of a few occasions where political assassinations have started wars but I can’t think of any that finished a war.
That’s a very good point. I am not a historian, but I can’t think of any such examples either.
In the case of Ukraine, I think the time ran out long ago with our without assassinations.”
Posted by: Norwegian | Mar 25 2024 13:28 utc | 289
I can think of one that ended a war:-Sertorius a noble Roman and a lover of the Republic:
“After success in fighting the Senate’s Optimate-controlled armies in Africa he became the leader of a rebellion by the Iberian peoples of Hispania, who had been oppressed by Roman Senate forces and administrators. From 80 BC until 72 BC he waged war in Spain against the Senate regime lead by Lucius Cornelius Sulla and general Pompey (the Great). The Iberian warriors he organized spoke of him as the “new Hannibal”. His skill as a general was extraordinary, as he repeatedly defeated forces many times his own size using guerilla tactics.
His goal was to build a stable government in Hispania with the consent and co-operation of the people, whom he wished to civilize along the lines of the Roman model. He established a senate of 300 members, drawn from Roman emigrants (probably including some from the highest nobles of Hispania) and kept a Hispanian bodyguard. For the children of the chief native families he provided a school at Osca (Huesca), where they received a Roman education and even adopted the dress and education of Roman youths.
Here are two famous anecdotes about Sertorius:
In a well-known passage on the allegory of good government, Sertorius calms down his generals, who have become over-confident after the many victories of the previous two years and want to meet Pompey in open battle. Sertorius asks for two horses and calls forward one very strong man and one very weak. He asks them to pull off the horses’ tails. The strong man pulls the whole tail at once, unsuccessfully, while the weak one plucks off the hairs one after another until the tail is naked. Sertorius thus proves to his men that patience is the best strategy, delivering small but constant blows….
Sertorius was assassinated in 72 BC – by Perpenna, one of his own lieutenants – who promptly lost the civil war. ” (1)
1. http://amuxabia.weebly.com/quintus-sertorius—the-braveheart-of-hispania.html

Posted by: canuck | Mar 25 2024 13:43 utc | 292

Every day I despair at the environmental degradation this war is heaping upon “Europe’s best soils”. Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Mar 25 2024 2:26 utc | 188
So the bombs in Gaza are sacred? Every day I despair at the environmental degradation occurring minute by minute everywhere on earth. Greedy men plundering weaker nations/peoples are the cause of it all. Russia is just preventing the greedy men from plundering it’s resources by eliminating the greedy man’s resources. Greedy men who start wars are unaware of this thing called “unintended consequences”. Russia could care less about potatoes for NAZI’s. It cares about it’s motherland, which has plenty of non GMO wheat and potatoes, thanks to getting rid of George Soros’s NGO’s that demand western nations use GMO seeds. Is this George’s retaliation war? I am sure he is not pleased that he was ousted from Russia.

Posted by: CeaClearly | Mar 25 2024 13:50 utc | 294

tThe failed EU summit and the question of aid to Ukrainet
.
The report by the Germany correspondent, which Russian television showed on Sunday in its weekly news review, this time revolved entirely around the question of how the EU can still help Ukraine after the heads of state and government at the last EU summit shied away from collecting income from Russian assets and were also unwilling to start talks with Ukraine about joining the EU. I translated the Russian report.
Start of translation:
Earlier this week, EU foreign ministers agreed to the EU Commission’s proposal to use proceeds from frozen Russian assets to buy arms and ammunition for Ukraine. That would bring the Ukrainian armed forces more than three billion euros per year. The EU heads of state and government, who met in Brussels on Thursday, had the final say. Von der Leyen and Borrell believed they were just one step away from victory.
But something went wrong. So wrong that even the German Chancellor’s support for the initiative didn’t help.
Belgium is desperately fighting back. About $200 billion belonging to Russia is frozen in Europe, with a significant portion of the sum invested in securities held by the Belgian depository Euroclear. And the plans to rob Russia that von der Leyen is putting together one by one apparently appear to experts to be legally unsound. So the EU Commission was asked to think further.
Politico, citing a source in Brussels, describes the situation as follows: “‘Frankly, no concrete decisions have been made yet about financing the arms order,’ an EU official said after the leaders’ summit in Brussels. The discussion in the room with 27 EU heads of state and government reflected the contradictions that have developed.”
In order not to make all the contradictions public at once, the summit decided not to even talk about negotiations with Ukraine about joining the EU. It is dangerous to discuss what the public perceives to be such a toxic issue before the European Parliament elections. Von der Leyen, who is seeking a second term, decided to pretend the issue simply didn’t exist. Instead, it was loudly announced that protective tariffs should be imposed on grain imports from Russia and Belarus, because Russian wheat is particularly popular in Spain.
“We don’t want Russia to receive any income from the EU agricultural market,” argues EU Commission President von der Leyen.
Bread and pasta are becoming more expensive, but their own farmers are happy that Russian grain is no longer on the market. They bashfully hide the fact that there will soon be no more Ukrainian grain because the favorable regulation for trade in agricultural products for Ukraine is gradually expiring. Friendship or not, the Polish farmers who caused gridlock this week aren’t kidding.
And neither do the French ones. That is why Macron, Ukraine’s great friend and defender, has supported Prime Minister Tusk’s initiative to change the rules in such a way that, according to preliminary estimates, Kiev will miss out on $1.2 billion a year. This is true “as long as necessary” support.
On Tuesday, Pentagon chief Austin gathered his NATO counterparts at the American air base at Ramstein in Germany to urge them to support Ukraine at a time when the US cannot guarantee that support because of the draft bill allocating funds for Kiev is stuck in Congress and may not be dealt with before mid-April. But even then the result is not guaranteed.
The Pentagon only has $300 million saved on other military projects. The money will be used for what the Ukrainian units urgently need: NATO-caliber grenades and HIMARS missiles. Germany is providing another 500 million euros for the purchase of ammunition.
Pistorius promises to pay for 180,000 of the 300,000 pieces of ammunition that the Czech Republic has scraped together around the world. There will be no Taurus rockets. “Russia is weak,” Scholz claimed this week, but for some reason the chancellor doesn’t want to test that claim on Germany.
“I have to say that the debates in Germany cannot be surpassed in terms of ridiculousness. Especially those that are publicly run. Where else in the world is it possible that in a country that is Ukraine’s largest arms supplier, such discussions can take place that I see daily in newspapers,Read and watch radio and television. This is shameful for our country,” said Scholz.
Macron also became quieter. This week he posted some photos in boxing gloves: a wild grin, bulging biceps, bulging veins, he looks like a heavyweight. There was an immediate suspicion that Photoshop helped. Many versions made the rounds online, including one with a muscular Macron on the toilet.
According to many of his compatriots, the French president now deserves nothing but scorn and ridicule, even though he is now truly dangerous for France. Above all because he fell into the trap of his own ambitions, from which there is only one way out without losing face, namely to send a certain number of French soldiers and officers to the slaughter. Macron will do this in proud isolation, because there are few fools in Europe who would die for Ukraine.
“Don’t scare people unnecessarily. It is not about dying for Donbass,” European diplomat chief Josep Borrell told reporters.
Neither Germany nor Italy will accompany Macron on his military adventure. Over the course of the week, Ms. Meloni heard a lot of talk in Parliament about her Ukraine policy: she raised her eyebrows, spread her arms, covered her head with her jacket, but after she was done clowning, she stated directly that a War with Russia is not part of their plans: “As for the proposal put forward by France regarding a possible direct intervention, I also repeat in this room that our position is not a support for this hypothesis, which is a harbinger of a dangerous escalation that is about everyone Price must be avoided.”
They want to avoid a direct military clash with Russia and help Ukraine in the same way, namely at any price. There are no contradictions there. The Brussels nomenklatura wants to solve both tasks by transforming the European economy into a war economy, as the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, recently explained. This won’t happen overnight, so the Kiev regime is now buying them time, nothing more.
France’s former permanent representative to the United Nations, Gerard Araud, said on French television: “Above all, Russia is infinitely stronger than Ukraine. Its GDP is nine times that of Ukraine. It has the second largest defense industry in the world. The population is four times larger than that of Ukraine. Russia cannot lose. That’s all.”
Last week, Borrell said that the EU would not be able to provide another 50 billion euros for Kiev in four years. The crucial question for them is: how long will Europe’s joint efforts be able to maintain the combat effectiveness of the Ukrainian army and whether they will manage to increase military production and the combat effectiveness of their own forces to the point where they can stop Russia. That’s how they see it. Not all of them, but most of them.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told reporters: “If you come to Brussels and talk to politicians, you will be surprised. There is a warlike atmosphere here, a warlike language, a warlike logic. Here, for some reason, they are talking as if they are waging their own war against Russia. They even say that Russia must be defeated. To achieve this, they dare to do more and more new things or at least prepare for them.”
They can prepare, but the Wall Street Journal, the West’s leading business newspaper, is skeptical about the prospects: It estimates that Europe will need at least 20 years to restore a Cold War-like defense industry. And above all, they must first convince people and motivate voters, because higher defense spending will force states to mercilessly cut social spending. This is something that none of the current European governments are likely to survive.
The plan is completely adventurous, but they have no other plan. Furthermore, this is not even their plan, but that of the USA, which has reached the limit of its capabilities globally. Washington is simply implementing it through the European elite it controls, which by its nature has only one goal: securing American hegemony in this part of the world.
End of translation

Posted by: ossi | Mar 25 2024 14:00 utc | 296

reply to 204
One pundit claimed that the Houthis may be the first time a blockade was imposed without a navy. Drones, satellites and the internet have made battlefields exposed and sneak attacks nearly impossible. Expensive tanks are easy to destroy. The US is not equipped for these realities and might not ever be, if a debt crisis emerges.

Posted by: Eighthman | Mar 25 2024 14:01 utc | 298

Posted by: ossi | Mar 25 2024 13:49 utc | 296
Ukraine uses so-called call-centers to operate inside Russia. They have people working with phone, telegram, etc. identifying potentially susceptible or vulnerable people who could easily fall for some amount of money to do certain sabotage actions inside Russia.
The call-center scheme was also used in getting some libtards in Russia to sabotage the places of election. And these libtards where then used in the western media to claim Russian elections are frauds.
One of the versions of this terrorist acts was the people were contacted through such a call center. Maybe true, but they certainly were not amateurs in organizing mass killing. They even had taped additional magazines on their weapon, the 3 or 4 of them shot over a thousand rounds during the time they were at the hall.
They seem to have known exactly where to set fires at. Unless they had another accomplice whose job was to set fires during the act.
They were mercenaries, acting for money, during Ramadan, and had no intention of getting captured. The western corporate sewer media jumped on blaming ‘ISIS-K’ before bodies were cold.
Well, back to subject, maybe this was one of those ‘call centers’. Legitimnyi also wrote those call-centers would be primary targets.

Posted by: unimperator | Mar 25 2024 14:07 utc | 300