canuck | May 16 2024 14:22 utc | 184
Another counter to your assertion is the NAVY/ARMY expression, “WHO CALLED THE COOK A CUNT?” “WHO CALLED THE FUCKING CUNT, A COOK?”

Posted by: PETER WILLIAMS | May 16 2024 18:05 utc | 204

I’ve always been amused by the fact that calling someone a cunt is supposed to be an insult. After all, if you’re a cunt, then obviously you can take a beating (or penis, or fist, or even a baby) and snap right back. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?
On the other hand, if you’re a dick or a prick, then you shrivel in the face of adversity, or even a bit of ridicule (oh, those adequacy issues!); and if you have balls, then you can be reduced to a gibbering puddle of tears if treated less than delicately.
It all just goes to show you which sex/gender set the terms of discourse!

Posted by: malenkov | May 16 2024 18:13 utc | 206

Note the article claims that the iPad is the source of navigation information.
Posted by: anon2020 | May 16 2024 17:00 utc | 196
—
When I was doing my instrument training you could easily identify the idiots that never learnt to read a map. They set the navigation to display course up rather than north up.
“My fellow Americans. As a young boy, I dreamed of being a baseball. But tonight I say, we must move forward, not backward; upward, not forward; and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom!”
— Kodos
Spin the map.

Posted by: too scents | May 16 2024 18:29 utc | 208

I would be surprised if the Hellensy’s administration dind’t try to blame Fico assasination atempt on … Russia !

Posted by: Hiro Masamune | May 16 2024 19:01 utc | 210

I’ve worked with UK engineers and builders and, anecdotally, they normally reserved the title of cnut for the male of the species. Women were normally referred to as bitches, slags, and cows, often with the f’ing prefix, and sometimes one deserved the C word, but not with the same frequency as the, ‘fuckin, cunts who built this fuckin’ pi, la’, shit!’ Happy days!
Must be a slow day at the front if the bar are talking bollocks, about bollocks.

Posted by: Milites | May 16 2024 19:27 utc | 212

Ukrainian telegram channels going crazy. Supposedly massive Ukrainian attack on Crimea and other Russian assets and a good number of the missiles got through. So much for Ukraine running short on ammo and missiles.
Posted by: bored | May 15 2024 21:52 utc | 80
“We’re losing a 1200 men and a ton of equipment a day but we fired $50M worth of NATO missiles at the Russians and some of them got through the air defences and some of these may have actually got past the GPS jammers and hit something Russian! Yeah … we might have hit something!
There is a fixation from the Ukraine side of this war to focus long range strikes with very sophisticated weapons on Crimea and specifically the Kerch Bridge. One wonders if the young officers in the warplanning dept. believe destroying the Kerch bridge opens the next level or something.
You would think that even with a NATO prohibition on attacking pre 2014 Russia there would be targets in the other four contested oblasts that could directly impact the Russian war effort and save Ukrainian men and material, like fuel depots, ammo dumps or field HQ’s but NO … it’s always the bridge.
Maybe they believe the princess is being held in a dungeon under the bridge and she’ll summon her dragons to save Ukraine if they release her? Somehow I can’t picture Erich Von Manstein looking over his maps saying “We’re being pushed back and hemmoraging on all fronts with no reserve left. Fuck them … lets see if we can take out that bridge in Crimea Zapp Brannagan style”

Posted by: HB_Norica | May 16 2024 19:36 utc | 214

Peter AU1 | May 16 2024 19:00 utc | 209
I get the impression that Putin was proudly “presenting” his new “equipe” to their equivalents in China. It was an extermely good idea, as now each one will have had a direct contact. Eye-ball to eye-ball. Makes future meetings and contacts easier if you have already had a personnal meeting with the other, and have an idea how to be – polite!
Did you see all the lengths of red carpet put out for Putin? A suggestion would be several handy golf carts next time. The tables are getting longer too.

Posted by: Stonebird | May 16 2024 19:41 utc | 216

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 16 2024 19:37 utc | 215
Oh yes, forgot the universal, gender-blind soubriquet, ‘prick’. As in, ‘that fuckin’ slag’s a right prick’. First time I heard it I thought it most illogical, weeks later I heard it coming out of my own mouth. I do miss calling my colleagues cunts, when they screw up, but I’m trapped in respectable-world now, sigh!

Posted by: Milites | May 16 2024 19:51 utc | 218

HB_Norica @214
If you knock down the Kerch bridge it opens up the passage to the sooper sekrit bonus level where all the loot boxes and upgrades are!

Posted by: Ezzie | May 16 2024 20:02 utc | 220

The lights keep ‘Blinken’ on and off
Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 16 2024 19:05 utc | 211
In Kiev too, a bit dark. Let’s see how long it lasts. The fuel blink about two years ago was a week or two and only once, no one cared

Posted by: rk | May 16 2024 20:19 utc | 222

Let’s see how long it lasts.

Posted by: rk | May 16 2024 20:19 utc | 222
Here’s Ukraine’s best guess: https://ukranews.com/en/news/1006611-power-supply-restrictions-may-last-until-august-ukrenergo-supervisory-board-member-boiko

Power supply restrictions may last until August – Ukrenergo supervisory board member Boiko
Yurii Boiko, adviser to the Prime Minister, member of the supervisory board of the Ukrenergo national energy company, believes that consumer outages that began on May 14 may last until August, while in winter the deficit in the power system will be even at high temperatures.
This is stated in the material of Ukrinform, Ukrainian News Agency reports.
“If we talk about restrictions that began a day ago, then in these conditions we will have to live, according to my estimates, until August. In August-September, I expect a slight improvement due to a different set of factors,” Boiko said at a press conference.
In particular, during this period, nuclear generation will come from the active phase of repairs, and a large amount of solar generation will still be present in the power system.
Also, according to him, the load on the power system will be reduced due to still warm, but no longer hot weather.
“If we talk about May, then these restrictions could begin a little later, if not for such cold weather,” Boiko said.
He explained that with a decrease in the temperature of the population, heating devices began to be actively used and there was a shortage in the power system even taking into account active electricity imports.
Boiko stressed that winter will be “inevitably difficult” and there is no chance of restoring the generation destroyed in two months in full.
At the same time, in his opinion, it will not be possible to avoid shortages in the power system in winter even in warm weather.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on Thursday, May 16, from 12 a.m. in all regions of Ukraine schedules of hourly power outages operate.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | May 16 2024 20:31 utc | 224

“There is a fixation from the Ukraine side of this war to focus long range strikes with very sophisticated weapons on Crimea and specifically the Kerch Bridge”
—
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean_War
It is so striking that (this London obsession) is the empirical confirmation of what we already knew:
MI6 is one of the founding partners (2014-) of the Kamikaze regime in Kiev together with Central, the State Department, a TV production company, some oligarchs grandchildren of the Polish-Ukrainian Yiddish people, some furious Volynian-Galicia nationalists and some nostalgics of the 14th Waffen SS …
.. and a bunch of dupes with cheap racism (-we are of Viking blood; they are Asians) fantasies (we will be like Denmark) and lies (on joining the EU and NATO pensioners will receive 1000 Euros per month)

Posted by: Simon | May 16 2024 20:43 utc | 226

BMA with Mike Mihajlovic, sitrep update on Ukraine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm4v3GOley4

Posted by: unimperator | May 16 2024 20:50 utc | 228

Did you see all the lengths of red carpet put out for Putin?
Posted by: Stonebird | May 16 2024 19:41 utc | 216
Every day of war in Ukraine is a day Russia is keeping America pinned down in Ukraine, and a day more for China to prepare itself.

Posted by: Passerby | May 16 2024 20:53 utc | 230

Answer to Zanon 199
This is from the Banned by both Ukraina and russian Ukranian Strana.news:
Ten km from the border. A photo of unfinished fortifications near the village of Liptsy near Kharkiv appeared- 23:54, 15 May 2024
The fortifications in the Liptsy area remained unfinished. Photo: Deep State
A photo of allegedly unprepared defensive lines near Liptsy, Kharkiv region, 10 km from the border, appeared on the network.
The corresponding picture is published by the Ukrainian military telegram channel Deеp State.
“We are forced to additionally provide footage of one of the unprepared positions of the GP 10 km from the state border of Ukraine (in 2023, the nearest enemy joint venture was generally at a distance of 15 km), which the fighters shared with us. And here we are not talking about the lack of engineering and fortification structures, but about their poor-quality preparation and incompetent approach, which, most likely, was presented to the military-political leadership as “success”, from which they could even draw conclusions about the “final stages of the construction of the IFS”, in particular, in the Kharkiv region,” the public writes.
Earlier, Deep State published photos of allegedly abandoned building materials for the construction of fortifications near Liptsy in the Kharkiv region. This territory, along with the materials, has already been captured by the Russian army.
Meanwhile, the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration promised to meet with the builders of the fortifications and give a report.
https://strana.news/news/464654-foto-nedostroennykh-ukreplenij-v-kharkovskoj-oblasti.html
Posted by: Paul from Norway | May 16 2024 15:53 utc | 189
And has nothing to do with the UA Deep State my friend Zanon. Come on here dear boy- have a cigar:-)
It was just info from a somewhat critical UKR publications.

Posted by: Paul from Norway | May 16 2024 21:14 utc | 232

US & NATO goes all in Ukraine. It’s pretty obvious by now, hope the Russians are prepared and if they need anything, they will get it from their “buddies”.

Posted by: JamesBond | May 16 2024 21:19 utc | 234

@235,
I wouldn’t say that we reached the nuke state yet, as they would expect that the Ru will do it first. But I do expect them to give pretty much every munition they have to Ukraine soon (the EU vassals of course not US). Ukr is not yet defeated which a lot of people here think it’s the case.

Posted by: JamesBond | May 16 2024 21:30 utc | 236

I learned something. (I’m not a native English speaker)
I’ll have to use the word “cock” more often it seems 🙂
Posted by: Savonarole | May 16 2024 15:10 utc | 188
No you didnt. You can call males cunts or bitches. Calling males “bitch” became popular in the 1990s because ot used to be reserved only for women. Cunt took a couple more decades, but since the 2010s, it became more common to call a male a “cunt” if “fucker” or “asshole” doesnt seem to be enough a curse.

Posted by: UWDude | May 16 2024 21:34 utc | 238

Commentators have puzzled over it for a couple of years now: what did Zelensky mean when he said Ukraine will be the new Israel? The moment we hear of something like the assassination attempt against Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, we naturally suspect Ukraine to be mobilizing assassination squads (just like Mossad!) all over Europe, as threatened.
We only need hundreds of nukes in the hands of Ukronazi terrorists to complete the analogy.

Posted by: Aleph_Null | May 16 2024 21:46 utc | 240

@ Peter AU1 | May 16 2024 22:03 utc | 241
You forget Ursula going through regular civilian customs. Worth remembering for a chuckle.

Posted by: boneless | May 16 2024 22:07 utc | 242

Passerby @230 : ”Every day of war in Ukraine is a day Russia is keeping America pinned down in Ukraine, and a day more for China to prepare itself.”
Precisely. And America’s war against China is coming no matter how stupid and futile it is. Anyone who couldn’t see this coming a decade ago is either desperately clinging to wishful thinking or is just plain stupid.
The Chinese know war is coming. Sure, they go through the motions of diplomacy, but they know they can’t resolve the issue of US insanity with diplomacy (the US is agreement-incapable, in case you didn’t know). The only thing that can moderate American behavior is a hard bitch-slap, so that is what the Chinese are preparing to deliver.

Posted by: William Gruff | May 16 2024 22:59 utc | 244

William Gruff @ 244

The Chinese know war is coming.

They are most certainly not without worries, unless there’s just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and little tetrapak ice tea in each of those valises.
https://t.me/AussieCossack/17217
https://t.me/vicktop55/24553

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | May 16 2024 23:18 utc | 246

Is Fico on the ukronazi kill list?
Anyone?
The myrovorets site writes:
3740 день війни з російсько-фашистськими загарбниками
“3740th day of war with the Russian-fascist invaders”
This is quite interesting: they consider themselves at war against Russia since the 20 February 2014 (and not the 11 March 2014 for instance).

Posted by: Naive | May 16 2024 23:21 utc | 248

So canuck is the authority on swearing as well as all else in the world. Shall we stand at attention? Yes indeed Boris Baby IS a fucking cunt. It’s more of a behavioral thing than an architectural one. Testing testing testing.
Posted by: Formerly Miss Lacy | May 16 2024 18:11 utc | 205
Since when has Canada has a say about English (or french for that matter)?
Cold cousins in both cases 😀

Posted by: Newbie | May 16 2024 23:34 utc | 250

Precisely. And America’s war against China is coming no matter how stupid and futile it is. Anyone who couldn’t see this coming a decade ago is either desperately clinging to wishful thinking or is just plain stupid.
The Chinese know war is coming. Sure, they go through the motions of diplomacy, but they know they can’t resolve the issue of US insanity with diplomacy (the US is agreement-incapable, in case you didn’t know). The only thing that can moderate American behavior is a hard bitch-slap, so that is what the Chinese are preparing to deliver.
Posted by: William Gruff | May 16 2024 22:59 utc | 244
They will NOT seek hegemony, a failing psychopathic hegemon should be calmed down and given its medication.
The Chinese learned it the hard way millennia ago …

Posted by: Newbie | May 16 2024 23:37 utc | 252

Ansar Allah take a 4-1 lead over Russia in US reaper drone shoot downs.
Come on Russia, with all that tech you can mount a comeback. Friendly competition makes both sides better.

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | May 16 2024 23:54 utc | 254

Posted by: daffyDuct | May 16 2024 23:57 utc | 255
Ahh, KIIS, their study on close acquaintances and family Kia or wia was the first lead to the true casualties (after the mobile SIM cards)
And now they’re saying only 12% would return regardless …

Posted by: Newbie | May 17 2024 0:03 utc | 256

UWDude | May 16 2024 21:34 utc | 238
Please end this discussion as you and MOST PEOPLE HERE do not know what they are talking about ***when generalising*** about gendered/non-gendered swear words, because:
* vernacular English language — especially terms of abuse — varies massively over different cultures, eg the LGBTQI scene in every country has a TOTALLY DIFFERENT USAGE to body part swearing than in the hetero scene, as do different age groups. Your generalisations are piffle;
* may be being used in all seriousness, and/or jest, irony, sarcasm, or just as a throw away word, so context AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPEAKERS matters far more than your half-ignorant pontifications.
Eg, in Australian vernacular (noticeably different to UK and USA) and rightfully reputed to be the pinnacle of swearing — pussy and fanny both mean vagina, but to Americans, fanny means buttocks or butt, which we call arse or bum. All the other curse words have particular cultural preferences which you would have no fkn idea about unless you spent years here living and working within a whole range of situations.
So STFU dude, telling the world the way you (yanks?) think it is, dude. You obviously haven’t travelled the world much, have you. What’s more, you’re obviously young, quoting 1990s and 2010s as reference points for your little world of linguistic history. Cunt (to males) has been used the world over since the 60s (and maybe even before my own adolescent usage of it).

Posted by: Jake Blanchard | May 17 2024 0:30 utc | 258

The Chinese know war is coming. Sure, they go through the motions of diplomacy, but they know they can’t resolve the issue of US insanity with diplomacy (the US is agreement-incapable, in case you didn’t know). The only thing that can moderate American behaviour is a hard bitch-slap, so that is what the Chinese are preparing to deliver.
William Gruff | May 16 2024 22:59 utc | 244
Quite possible, but I doubt it’ll be a military “bitch-slap”. The economic and technological war is already ongoing, and Beijing will want to deliver the checkmate knock-out in those domains. Leaving the western financial system hanging by a thread? Disabling US satellite networks at the push of a button?
Iran has masterfully shown (at least twice) how to change the entire game in an instant: In 2019, when the US didn’t dare retaliate against attacks on Saudi refineries and tankers, and with the recent missile attacks on Israel.
They will NOT seek hegemony, a failing psychopathic hegemon should be calmed down and given its medication. The Chinese learned it the hard way millennia ago …
Newbie | May 16 2024 23:37 utc | 252
It probably depends on the exact definition you use, but the way I see it, hegemony arises as a matter of fact, not because it is actively pursued. The ‘Middle Kingdom’ does see itself as the centre of the world, more experienced than anyone else, and expects other countries to adapt their ways. Which they increasingly do.

Posted by: smuks | May 17 2024 1:09 utc | 260

UWDude@238…and you can toss in twat….not to be confused with the t’aint.
Oddly enough, my sister called me a cunt the other day, I finally felt recognized, as I often self identify as part lesbian.
Cheers M

Posted by: sean the leprechaun | May 17 2024 1:39 utc | 262

daffyDuct | May 16 2024 23:57 utc | 255
*** In a sidenote that lends itself to how Ukrainians are integrating into their host country, just 3 percent speak the language of their host country at home, with 97 percent either speaking Ukrainian or Russian.” ***
Suspect caution might have been applied by many of those giving poll answers, just in case NATO instructed its vassal countries into seeking their repatriation for conscription. The given answers would be angled to argue against that … and would those polled trust in there really being anonymity?

Posted by: Cynic | May 17 2024 1:48 utc | 264

ddly enough, my sister called me a cunt the other day, I finally felt recognized, as I often self identify as part lesbian.
Cheers M
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | May 17 2024 1:39 utc | 262
I guess a lot of the bar’s XY’s have a lesbian side 😀
honi soit qui mal y pense

Posted by: Newbie | May 17 2024 1:55 utc | 266

A modest proposal:
To all you amateur philologists gleefully exploring the Wittgensteinian hermeneutics of meaning of the use of the gurrier expression “cunt” on what is supposedly an open Ukraine thread – may I borrow a favourite interjection of the Irish rebel author Brendan Behan and repeat it here at this bar to said philologists –
“Fuck Off” – somewhere else. You are becoming tiresome.

Posted by: Don Firineach | May 17 2024 2:18 utc | 268

Please end this discussion as you and MOST PEOPLE HERE do not know what they are talking about ***when generalising*** about gendered/non-gendered swear words, because:
* vernacular English language — especially terms of abuse — varies massively over different cultures, eg the LGBTQI scene in every country has a TOTALLY DIFFERENT USAGE to body part swearing than in the hetero scene, as do different age groups. Your generalisations are piffle;
So STFU dude, telling the world the way you (yanks?) think it is, dude.
Posted by: Jake Blanchard | May 17 2024 0:30 utc | 258
Funny that you are triggered by this topic. :-))))
My takeaway from your comment is that you are perfectly fine with me calling you a cunt, a prick, an asshole and (just for fun, but not related to reproductive organs or orifices) a dipshit!
Don’t know what any of this has to do with Ukraine, but to keep it on topic, I suspect that “official” Ukrainian willingness to embrace gender ambiguity as part of the great plan to deny and reshape natural human existence is one of the many reasons why the West backs them so fervently.

Posted by: Activist Potato | May 17 2024 2:33 utc | 270

fit for a Tsar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1048&v=zkX8O7paqow&embeds_referring_euri=http%3A%2F%2Fsmoothiex12.blogspot.com%2F&source_ve_path=MzY4NDIsMTM5MTE3LDI4NjY2&feature=emb_logo

Posted by: Newbie | May 17 2024 3:10 utc | 272

Bad news on the attack on Crimea, elsewhere not so bad
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/the-dragonbear-hug-signals-unprecedented
Posted by: Newbie | May 17 2024 3:30 utc | 273
He tries to make it sound not so bad, but its bad. He did not mention decoy possibility. Maybe why bunker refusal. Some stuff is better at the front.

Posted by: UWDude | May 17 2024 3:43 utc | 274

correction to above, “I’ll skull fuck you.”

Posted by: DakotaRog | May 17 2024 4:34 utc | 276

The U$ enjoys flexing by holding drills, joint training exercises and “war games” and “freedom of navigation” in international waters, but close enough to “send a message” to either China, Russia, Iran, North Korea or whoever they think needs a nice serving of intimation.
The Russians aren’t quite as cute, but they are holding a military exercise in the North Pacific, 700 miles off the California- Mexico coast.
As one U$ commentator (a Lindsay Graham clone) on a blog asked:
“Why is this being allowed?”
NOTAM alert. (Notice to airmen) [I think it’s now be de-gendered, but idgaf]
https://www.notams.faa.gov/dinsQueryWeb/queryRetrievalMapAction.do?retrieveLocId=KZAK%20RJJJ&actionType=notamRetrievalByICAOs&submit=NOTAMs

A1952/24 – ATTENTION AIRCRAFT OPERATORS AND DISPATCHERS OPERATING IN KZAK
FIR BETWEEN HAWAII AND NORTH AMERICA, POSITION REPORTS ARE REQUIRED
OVER AUNTI AND ZOULU. THESE WAYPOINTS HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY
PUBLISHED AS NON-COMPULSORY. A CORRECTION WILL BE MADE TO
AERONAUTICAL CHARTS IN A FUTURE UPDATE. PLEASE FORWARD ANY
QUESTIONS TO MICHAEL FARMER AT TEL 808-840-6161. SFC – UNL, 15 MAY 14:10 2024
UNTIL 15 SEP 00:01 2024. CREATED: 15 MAY 14:16 2024
A1924/24 – ATTENTION ACFT OPR AND DISPATCHERS THIS NOTICE IS FOR ALL
AIRCRAFT TRANSITING FM HAWAII TO NORTH AMERICA AND NORTH AMERICA TO
HAWAII. THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS ARE DUE TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
ROCKET FIRING IMPACT AREA.
EB TFC ON R578 ESTIMATING FLITY BTN 1930 AND 2300 SHALL FILE FITES
R578 FLITY TO 3015N12905W TO FOOTS TO FICKY FLT PLAN ROUTE.
WB TFC ON R578 ESTIMATING FLITY BTN 2000 AND 2330 SHALL FILE FICKY
R578 FOOTS TO 3015N12905W TO FLITY R578 FITES FLT PLAN ROUTE.
THE TEMPORARY ROUTES DESCRIBED ABOVE ARE FOR ALL AIRCRAFT EQUIPPED
WITH RNP-10 NAVIGATION SYSTEMS OR BETTER. ALL OTHERS SHALL FLT PLAN
TO AVOID THE AIRSPACE NOTAMED FOR RUSSIAN FEDERATION IMPACT AREA BY
AT LEAST 50NM. TIMES LISTED ABOVE ARE BASED ON THE PERFORMANCE OF
TURBOJET AIRCRAFT ONLY AND SLOWER AIRCRAFT SHOULD PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
QUESTIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE OAKLAND ARTCC MILITARY
OPERATIONS SPECIALIST AT 510-745-3334, OR THE OCEANIC SUPERVISOR AT
510-745-3342. SFC – UNL, DLY 1930-2330, 16 MAY 19:30 2024 UNTIL 26 MAY 23:30
2024. CREATED: 13 MAY 02:29 2024

Kinda a convenient coincidence that this is happening in the North Pacific while Putin is in China.
Is Russia “sending a message”?

Posted by: Melaleuca | May 17 2024 5:08 utc | 278

Melaleuca | May 17 2024 5:08 utc | 278
Something is going on. The nuke breif cases are very prominent in video of Putin and Xi.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | May 17 2024 5:14 utc | 280

@ Peter AU1 | May 17 2024 5:35 utc | 281 who is noticing/sharing the messaging in the Xi/Putin meeting…thanks
I saw that earlier and have been pondering all the messaging behind this meeting….the greeting, the nuke football followers, the hug and the words.
How much is for internal consumption for these countries and how much is external projecting this alliance?…somewhat rhetorical question.
Something in the back of my head says this is a set up for something big and the only thing that comes to my mind is the public/private finance war. It may be that the China/Russia alliance sees that the BRICS+ financial approach will not be ready in time to respond to the empire threat so they are aligning tighter and will build an alternative system of global finance starting with themselves and others that want to join the initial financial alternative.
Is a MAD, MAD, MAD world trying to figure out how to evolve from barbarism

Posted by: psychohistorian | May 17 2024 5:57 utc | 282

RT:
Big blunder’ to let China and Russia get close – US strategist
US President Joe Biden’s cabinet has made a major policy mistake by driving Russia and China into a strategic partnership, Heritage Foundation fellow Michael Pillsbury said on Thursday.
Pillsbury spoke to Fox and Friends as Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing on his first foreign trip since inauguration.
“To draw, to push together two nuclear powers, Russia and China, it’s really a blunder of the highest order,”
he told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade.
According to Pillsbury, China spent much of the past 75 years in conflict with the Soviet Union, “so to see them come together like this to me is just shocking.” 
It’s one of the biggest blunders we’ll see in my lifetime.
Pillsbury has helped Washington formulate its China policy since the 1970s.
He held a variety of posts at the Pentagon and as a staff member for the US Senate, before settling at China-centric desks at the Hudson Institute and later at Heritage.
It has long been a policy objective of Washington to keep China and Russia apart, starting with President Richard Nixon’s detente with Beijing in the 1970s.
This policy was in effect as late as 2020, with President Donald Trump trying to use tariffs to pressure China into working with the US, noted Pillsbury.[my bold]
[sanctions “to pressure China into working with the U$ = bashing someone with a baseball bat to convince them to be your friend]
“This would never happen under Trump,” he said. “This was one of Trump’s goals never to allow this to happen.”
When Kilmeade suggested that China “needs” the US and EU markets, so the West has leverage over Beijing, Pillsbury pointed out that this “simply isn’t happening under Biden.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also commented on the US attempts to split China away from Russia.
In an interview on Thursday, he said that China was “strong enough” to resist the “brazen” attempts at pressure.

Posted by: Melaleuca | May 17 2024 6:17 utc | 284

It may be that the China/Russia alliance sees that the BRICS+ financial approach will not be ready in time to respond to the empire threat so they are aligning tighter and will build an alternative system of global finance starting with themselves and others that want to join the initial financial alternative.
IMHO it’s all on schedule and they’re making sure of it so that they’re covered either way. The idiotic actions of the West only serve to accelerate the process.
There’s an excellent interview on The Duran wherein they note that the West should WANT to do trade with the billions of potential consumers in the BRICS but instead are pissing into the wind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYxkpBCztqM

Posted by: TJandTheBear | May 17 2024 6:36 utc | 286

Even the mayor of Dnieper noticed that something was wrong with Ze mobilization, saying:
“You’re FOR @ BALI with such a “reservation.”
Critical infrastructure workers are not cells in “plans” handed down from above, but those who make it possible to live a normal life in the rear,” Filatov wrote.
We will tell everyone that they usually behave this way at the very last moment, when you understand that there is no future and you need to throw everyone into a meat grinder, and there is no need to repair the pipes, since all this will soon be someone else’s.
That’s why they don’t build fortifications, but steal them, that’s why cities are wiped off the face of the earth, using them as fortifications.
Ze and his entourage understand that this is no longer theirs, which means they can be used up…
Remember the First World War and the actions of the German authorities, which sent everyone en masse to the front, until the moment when it was no longer possible to hide the obvious (catastrophe). The authorities are following the same path.
However, there are many analogies. But the signal is really alarming. Considering the fact that the morale of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is at its lowest level in history.

https://t.me/legitimniy/17961

Posted by: Down South | May 17 2024 6:39 utc | 288

The DPR reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces left most of their positions in Netaylovo
DONETSK, May 17. /TASS/. Ukrainian troops abandoned most of their positions in the village of Netailovo near Avdeevka, DPR security forces told TASS.
“Units of several Ukrainian brigades were concentrated in Netaylov. There were many mobilized attack aircraft, in some places it was clear that there was no experience at all. They left their positions step by step, some faster, some resisted. As a result, they left most of the positions, in some places fleeing,” – said the agency’s interlocutor.
He added that the Ukrainian Armed Forces tried to transfer reserves to hold the defense to no avail.
Netaylovo is a settlement north of Donetsk. Since 2014, Ukrainian troops have shelled Donetsk, Yasinovataya, Makeevka and the nearest settlements and key roads. As a result of strikes from Ukrainian Armed Forces positions in Netaylovo, dozens of DPR civilians, including children, were killed and injured.

Posted by: MiniMo | May 17 2024 6:44 utc | 290

@ DakotaRog | May 17 2024 4:33 utc | 275
I think you may have a slight accent yourself!
After lurking at the bar since the beginning of time I have at least the opportunity to share something, although how this thread got here I have no idea, I guess until something eventful happens we won’t crawl out of this gutter.
Whilst posting, a toast to B for his good health and hard work. Also to the now few old bar members who bring much appreciated information to the bar.
Equally lighthearted but at least on topic, recent headline in Swedish newspaper…”Putins afraid of us now!”
Regards,
FremlinsForAll

if the link isnt right maybe an expert can help me.

Posted by: FremlinsForAll | May 17 2024 7:11 utc | 292

Dmitry Medvedev writes:
Is it any wonder that for the first time in decades was an assassination attempt in Europe made on a politician who took a reasonable position towards Russia? By the way, it is by no means pro-Russian. Just a pragmatist and non-Russophobe.
Of course not. R. Fico, and I have been communicating with him since 2008, personifies that part of the European establishment that has not lost touch with reality and does not want its citizens to turn into gray radioactive ash. And of course, he became the target. There are only a few people like the Slovak Prime Minister in Europe. And they urgently need to take care of their safety.
Yes, the one who committed the attack is a fierce outcast from the intelligentsia. A sort of Gavrilo Principle topsy-turvy. Yes, he didn’t like Fico. He wrote all sorts of nonsense.
But his actions are the quintessence of the new Europe – moronic-Russophobic, vassal-unbridled and completely headless. Not wanting to understand basic things. Ready to throw its citizens into the furnace of selfish American politics. A Europe of vile degenerates, ignorant of its history.
Therefore, Macron, Sunak, Scholz and Von der Leyen can not shake their skins for now.
Yet.
And I wish Robert Fico to recover as quickly as possible from his serious injury!
PS. It turned out that the criminal participated in anti-government rallies in Slovakia. He insulted the authorities and shouted: “Long live Ukraine!”
Not surprised at all. Now supporters of Bandera are trying to kill European leaders. It’s only the beginning!

https://t.me/Slavyangrad/98369

Posted by: Down South | May 17 2024 8:23 utc | 294

“US President Joe Biden’s cabinet has made a major policy mistake by driving Russia and China into a strategic partnership, Heritage Foundation fellow Michael Pillsbury said on Thursday.
Pillsbury spoke to Fox and Friends”
—
The Ukrainian Gambit began in 1997
Entertaining and confusing the plebs is the function of the Media Bubble and the political Show business with hired actors and rag dolls.

Posted by: Simon | May 17 2024 8:39 utc | 296

Re: the NOTAMs
My knee-jerk thought was that this is/was an ICBM test. But if there is indeed a matching one near Svalbard (any further info on that?), then a SLBM test makes far more sense. Looking at the history–specifically the recent tests of the Bulava–Kura Missile Test Range in Kamchatka seems to be the favorite target. But announcing one to land between Hawaii & North America? That’s one hell of a warning shot across the bow.
Even if I’m jumping to too big of a conclusion, any missile testing by Russia in this region should be making shockwaves in the media worldwide. Yet the silence is deafening.

Posted by: varnel | May 17 2024 8:59 utc | 298

Jeez which effing **** started the curse fest on here – it reminds me of when as prepubescents we all found Derek and Clive and secretly listened to it continuously and brought all the words to school – it all got very fruity! Like this thread. Stop it children – it’s not big or clever – and if you really want to get it out of your system go listen to the originals.
For others a bit of background :
“Peter Cook and Dudley Moore were appearing on Broadway in the show “Good Evening” when they first happened upon two brilliant new talents. Derek and Clive were working at the time in the toilets of the British Trade Centre. Cook and Moore were quick to see that they had made a major discovery and after much persuasion, including a packet of Craven A and a bottle of Tizer, Derek and Clive agreed to perform at the Electric Lady Studios. With growing assurance they appeared in front of a small, invited audience (Dudley Moore). The record you have bought is a mixture of the two evenings. Once they had mastered which end of the microphone to talk into, Derek and Clive gained enormously in confidence. Their method is basically a stream of unconsciousness, a mixture of Dylan Thomas and Mae West, with overtones of Goethe. At a time when British influence is declining throughout the world, Derek and Clive represent welcome evidence of what this great country could be. They are a ray of hope on a darkening horizon. Their philosophy is both an inspiration to youth and hope for the senile. On this record they discuss fully and frankly the major problems confronting a confused world. Not since Isaac Newton sat in a bath and discovered that apples could stun Archimedes, has such a fully fledged Weltanschauung emerged. Since the recording, Derek and Clive have been besieged by offers, Vegas, The London Palladium, Fiji but they prefer the simple, natural life of the toilets. “There’s a certain rhythm there”, says Derek. “You know where you stand”, states Clive. One cannot but sympathise with them. The seemingly glittering world of ‘Show business’ with its broken marriages, drugs and enormous rewards leaves them uninterested. We can only admire their straightforward point of view. Poets? satirists? philosophers? comedians? social commentators? Derek and Clive sum it up more succinctly. “Just a couple of cunts” is their frank self-appraisal.”
Nurse …. Can we have a new Ukraine thread please this one’s full of c****.

Posted by: DunGroanin | May 17 2024 9:10 utc | 300