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May 8, 2024
Ukraine Open Thread 2024-132
Comments
ossi@199….so why did Russia wait, totally destroy the Ukraine? Why could they not deliver that message 2 1/2 years ago? What changed? Russia must feel really threatened, even though the Brits have been dry boning them for over two years, maybe the French were wearing condoms, but they both have been openly front and centre challenging Russia. I suppose if finding their cojones now speeds the end tiss a good thing.
Cheers M
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | May 10 2024 12:52 utc | 201
There have been rumours that the British and French Ambassadors, when they were summoned for a « démarche » at the Russian FM in Moscow 4 days ago , were
told that if the Kerch Bridge is destroyed by French, British or US cruise missiles, Russia would destroy a similar iconic
bridge or tunnel in the West, alluding to the Chunnel, or iconic structures like that.
At the time it was 100% certain that by May 9th , Putin’s inauguration day, the Kerch bridge would have been seriously damaged. Nothing happened. So Tactical Nukes threats+ retaliation threats aimed at iconic western structure
seem to have changed the game. And now of course the long awaited Kharkov offensive happening
Posted by: Luca fraser | May 10 2024 13:32 utc | 202
Posted by: john brewster | May 9 2024 15:21 utc | 185
You’re quite ridiculous, Karen. You whailing about nuclear spring, summer, fall or winter and having epileptic fits over comments that depart from orthodoxy…on an obscure website…achieve exactly what??? Besides your mega, grandstanding, virtue signaling, that is. Your nuclear winter is the same baloney as the melted north pole, everyone dead from the ozone hole, everyone dead from oxygen depletion cuz of deforestation, everyone dead from mythical covid…I could go on.
Get some help or at least take some tranquilizers and shut up. Then retire to the bomb shelter.
Posted by: Robert E.Smith | May 10 2024 20:51 utc | 203
@ ossi | May 10 2024 5:50 utc | 199
I recall when the US, UK & France were talking about bombing loads of targets in Syria in revenge for the fictitious Douma gas attack, until a Russian general was asked what Russia’s response would be if those attacks wee directed at any of the Russian troops who were legitimately in Syria. He answered that the standard response is to shoot down the missiles and then destroy the platform from which they were launched. After that, the US, UK and France very carefully attacked a few safe, unimportant targets.
Indeed, they don’t want to take on the Russian bear directly.
Posted by: D J G | May 10 2024 21:59 utc | 204
Recently posted by Scott Ritter, on Vladimir Vladimirovich 2.0:
In short, the western response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, influenced by Anne Applebaum and her ilk, backfired dramatically. Not only did western sanctions destroy the political viability of the Russian oligarch class and business elites, but it boomeranged back on the West in a classic blowback that has crippled the European economy. Vladmir Putin was able to use the need to boost the Russian defense economy to pursue the kind of innovation and entrepreneurship Applebaum et. al. claimed was nonexistent in Russia today.
The war with Ukraine and the collective West accomplished something else as well—it awoken a dormant sense of patriotism among the Russian people. This patriotic revival has led to Russians falling in love with Russia, rediscovering their culture, their history, their religion, and their values. Vladimir Putin has been the driving force for the Russian renewal, building upon this new sense of national pride to redefine Russia’s role on the international stage as a great nation with a unique culture that is capable of self-sustainment, and as such never again dependent upon the West for anything. This new Russia can stand on its own two feet and protect itself from any enemy that might present itself.
https://scottritter.substack.com/p/meet-the-new-bosshes-not-the-same
Posted by: Aleph_Null | May 10 2024 22:30 utc | 205
Aleph_Null | May 10 2024 22:30 utc | 206
Of the assorted US ex military, ex security minority in the alt media world, Ritter seems orders of magnitude ahead in his perception of Russia. He has the ability to view things outside the Greeco Roman lens that is the western culture.
Those first few months of the SMO, he viewed in that lens and was completely wrong, sat back, did a rethink and has come into his own.
Around when he first changed his view, or his standard for gauging what Russia was about, he did a video where he explained what is termed as the oodna loop – Getting inside the others thinking.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 10 2024 22:50 utc | 206
@ Peter AU1 | May 10 2024 22:50 utc | 207
I appreciate your assessment of Ritter’s analysis: not perfect, just nearly, I’d say.
He speaks of “Russians falling in love with Russia” like someone who knows what it’s like to fall in love. His passion comes from the right place: an apparently pure heart.
Posted by: Aleph_Null | May 10 2024 23:32 utc | 207
@ Peter AU1 | May 10 2024 22:50 utc | 207
i agree.. he’s been their too which might help..
Posted by: james | May 10 2024 23:50 utc | 208
james | May 10 2024 23:50 utc | 209
The road to Damascus moments when spending time with other cultures. For many it doesn’t happen but including me, some begin to see another world, a much larger world.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 11 2024 0:05 utc | 209
@ Peter AU1 | May 11 2024 0:05 utc | 210
it certainly helps broaden ones perspective by visiting other cultures, but one can still expand their horizons and imagination with regard to others, without that… my own experience has led me to realize some people are curious and many others aren’t… but at any time that is possible to change too… i am surprised by some young folks i interact with about their lack of curiousity… and ironically some people are curious no matter what age they are… i do find this aspect of people fascinating… clearly you’re curious about hearing more viewpoint or story then one, or the one that is drilled into all of us via the msm! well, i am too.. whether i got this from being fortunate to travel around the planet – i can’t say, but i do continue to be curious, especially about people and cultures i know next to nothing about..
Posted by: james | May 11 2024 1:17 utc | 210