Russia/Ukraine

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virtual9mm
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

Post by virtual9mm »

While we have our little debate, Putin is shelling Kharkiv with high explosive artillery rounds. Civilian neighborhoods in Kharkiv. He is going to do the same things he did in Chechnya and Syria.

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AmareIsGod
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

Post by AmareIsGod »

virtual9mm wrote:
Mon Feb 28, 2022 6:29 pm
While we have our little debate, Putin is shelling Kharkiv with high explosive artillery rounds. Civilian neighborhoods in Kharkiv. He is going to do the same things he did in Chechnya and Syria.
It's sickening and sad. We take for granted all that we have today. We can get in a pissing match about what is driving what and which side is right or wrong but it impacts nothing towards the outcome of the tragedies going on or the lives that will be lost and displaced because of this madness.
Last edited by AmareIsGod on Mon Feb 28, 2022 9:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mori Chu
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

Post by Mori Chu »

virtual9mm wrote:
Mon Feb 28, 2022 6:29 pm
While we have our little debate, Putin is shelling Kharkiv with high explosive artillery rounds. Civilian neighborhoods in Kharkiv. He is going to do the same things he did in Chechnya and Syria.
I don't believe that, because it contains "facts" that come from the "media" that are meant to "inform" me. You're just a puppet of Big Fact, brainwashed by Information and Knowledge. #wwg1wga

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AmareIsGod
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

Post by AmareIsGod »

Mori Chu wrote:
Mon Feb 28, 2022 9:31 pm
virtual9mm wrote:
Mon Feb 28, 2022 6:29 pm
While we have our little debate, Putin is shelling Kharkiv with high explosive artillery rounds. Civilian neighborhoods in Kharkiv. He is going to do the same things he did in Chechnya and Syria.
I don't believe that, because it contains "facts" that come from the "media" that are meant to "inform" me. You're just a puppet of Big Fact, brainwashed by Information and Knowledge. #wwg1wga
This doesn't provide anything positive to the conversation Mori. Pushing each other's buttons isn't going to change each other's opinions and it's only adding fuel to the fire. Be better, just like we ask In2ition to be.
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Nodack
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

Post by Nodack »

Fiona Hill was the Russian expert who testified against Trump in his first impeachment trial. A very detailed breakdown and analysis by her of Putin.


Yes, He Would’: Fiona Hill on Putin and Nukes
Putin is trying to take down the entire world order, the veteran Russia watcher said in an interview. But there are ways even ordinary Americans can fight back.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/ ... e-00012340
I reached out to Fiona Hill, one of America’s most clear-eyed Russia experts, someone who has studied Putin for decades, worked in both Republican and Democratic administrations and has a reputation for truth-telling, earned when she testified during impeachment hearings for her former boss, President Donald Trump.

I wanted to know what she’s been thinking as she’s watched the extraordinary footage of Russian tanks rolling across international borders, what she thinks Putin has in mind and what insights she can offer into his motivations and objectives.

Reynolds: So how do we deal with it? Are sanctions enough?

Hill: Well, we can’t just deal with it as the United States on our own. First of all, this has to be an international response.

Reynolds: Larger than NATO?

Hill: It has to be larger than NATO. Now I’m not saying that that means an international military response that’s larger than NATO, but the push back has to be international.

Reynolds: I gather you think that sanctions leveled by the government are inadequate to address this much larger threat?

Hill: Absolutely. Sanctions are not going to be enough. You need to have a major international response, where governments decide on their own accord that they can’t do business with Russia for a period of time until this is resolved. We need a temporary suspension of business activity with Russia. Just as we wouldn’t be having a full-blown diplomatic negotiation for anything but a ceasefire and withdrawal while Ukraine is still being actively invaded, so it’s the same thing with business. Right now you’re fueling the invasion of Ukraine. So what we need is a suspension of business activity with Russia until Moscow ceases hostilities and withdraws its troops.

Hill: Ordinary companies should make a decision. This is the epitome of “ESG” that companies are saying is their priority right now — upholding standards of good Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance. Just like people didn’t want their money invested in South Africa during apartheid, do you really want to have your money invested in Russia during Russia’s brutal invasion and subjugation and carving up of Ukraine?

If Western companies, their pension plans or mutual funds, are invested in Russia they should pull out. Any people who are sitting on the boards of major Russian companies should resign immediately. Not every Russian company is tied to the Kremlin, but many major Russian companies absolutely are, and everyone knows it. If we look back to Germany in the runup to the Second World War, it was the major German enterprises that were being used in support of the war. And we’re seeing exactly the same thing now. Russia would not be able to afford this war were it not for the fact that oil and gas prices are ratcheting up. They’ve got enough in the war chest for now. But over the longer term, this will not be sustainable without the investment that comes into Russia and all of the Russian commodities, not just oil and gas, that are being purchased on world markets. And, our international allies, like Saudi Arabia, should be increasing oil production right now as a temporary offset. Right now, they are also indirectly funding war in Ukraine by keeping oil prices high.

This has to be an international response to push Russia to stop its military action. India abstained in the United Nations, and you can see that other countries are feeling discomforted and hoping this might go away. This is not going to go away, and it could be “you next” — because Putin is setting a precedent for countries to return to the type of behavior that sparked the two great wars which were a free-for-all over territory. Putin is saying, “Throughout history borders have changed. Who cares?”

Reynolds: And you do not think he will necessarily stop at Ukraine?

Hill: Of course he won’t. Ukraine has become the front line in a struggle, not just for which countries can or cannot be in NATO, or between democracies and autocracies, but in a struggle for maintaining a rules-based system in which the things that countries want are not taken by force. Every country in the world should be paying close attention to this. Yes, there may be countries like China and others who might think that this is permissible, but overall, most countries have benefited from the current international system in terms of trade and economic growth, from investment and an interdependent globalized world. This is pretty much the end of this. That’s what Russia has done.


But this is also a full-spectrum information war, and what happens in a Russian “all-of-society” war, you soften up the enemy. You get the Tucker Carlsons and Donald Trumps doing your job for you. The fact that Putin managed to persuade Trump that Ukraine belongs to Russia, and that Trump would be willing to give up Ukraine without any kind of fight, that’s a major success for Putin’s information war. I mean he has got swathes of the Republican Party — and not just them, some on the left, as well as on the right — masses of the U.S. public saying, “Good on you, Vladimir Putin,” or blaming NATO, or blaming the U.S. for this outcome. This is exactly what a Russian information war and psychological operation is geared towards. He’s been carefully seeding this terrain as well. We’ve been at war, for a very long time. I’ve been saying this for years.
Last edited by Nodack on Mon Feb 28, 2022 10:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mori Chu
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

Post by Mori Chu »

AmareIsGod wrote:
Mon Feb 28, 2022 9:45 pm
Mori Chu wrote:
Mon Feb 28, 2022 9:31 pm
virtual9mm wrote:
Mon Feb 28, 2022 6:29 pm
While we have our little debate, Putin is shelling Kharkiv with high explosive artillery rounds. Civilian neighborhoods in Kharkiv. He is going to do the same things he did in Chechnya and Syria.
I don't believe that, because it contains "facts" that come from the "media" that are meant to "inform" me. You're just a puppet of Big Fact, brainwashed by Information and Knowledge. #wwg1wga
This doesn't provide anything positive to the conversation Mori. Pushing each other's buttons isn't going to change each other's opinions and it's only adding fuel to the fire. Be better, just like we ask In2ition to be.
You're right. My bad; I was being silly but it is not constructive. I apologize.

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Nodack
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

Post by Nodack »

In2ition wrote:
Fri Feb 25, 2022 1:26 pm
Nodack wrote:
Fri Feb 25, 2022 12:25 pm

Russian tank swerves to run over a car.
Ok, there is a bit disinformation in this. There is a supply truck to the right of the missile launch vehicle(so to the left as you're looking at it) that belonged to the missile launcher that was under fire, where one of the troops on the back of it gets killed. This is happening and the missile launcher is actually swerving to get out of the line of fire. It didn't swerve like that to purposely go after that car. Also, the guy in the car was miraculously ok. There are several other videos of this happening from different angles. Also, there is dispute that this is even Russian, and instead a Ukrainian missile launcher.

https://www.the-sun.com/news/4770324/ky ... ushes-car/

"Two armoured vehicles were driving along the road, and the second of them deliberately drove into the oncoming lane.

"It was not by chance, it was for fun, there was no need for this. And it just ran into this car. Stopped, reversed over it again and drove on."
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AmareIsGod
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

Post by AmareIsGod »

AmareIsGod wrote:
Mon Feb 28, 2022 1:04 pm
In2ition wrote:
Mon Feb 28, 2022 8:45 am
I'm willing to back pedal some if the majority of what he says is true. I will fairly admit I am not aware of the longstanding history of events in Russia and Ukraine, but he lays out a narrative that is worth listening to, in which case, it's hard to comprehend why so many countries are aligning with Ukraine if this is actually a targeted operation by Putin and the Russian military not meant to harm and kill innocent Ukrainians but instead create stability in the region.

If what I've been led to believe, which aligns with many of the people I associate with and what many media outlets have been sharing with the world, is wrong, I owe you an apology In2ition for some of my aggressive language and takes towards you.

Everything above being said, I don't think it justifies a full invasion of Kiev, for example. Though I am removed from that part of the world and that history. It's also difficult to look at Putin as someone that is doing the right thing here based on his past.
After sleeping on it, none of this video justifies shelling and killing so many Ukrainians in the name of some sort of justice for injustices of the past. Russia is far larger and more powerful in all aspects, including economically, to let their version or justice or retaliation come down to this. And it's Putin that's calling the shots, someone that has committed several war crimes during his tenure, beyond the things he did in the KGB.
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

Post by In2ition »

AmareIsGod wrote:
Tue Mar 01, 2022 7:03 am
AmareIsGod wrote:
Mon Feb 28, 2022 1:04 pm
In2ition wrote:
Mon Feb 28, 2022 8:45 am
I'm willing to back pedal some if the majority of what he says is true. I will fairly admit I am not aware of the longstanding history of events in Russia and Ukraine, but he lays out a narrative that is worth listening to, in which case, it's hard to comprehend why so many countries are aligning with Ukraine if this is actually a targeted operation by Putin and the Russian military not meant to harm and kill innocent Ukrainians but instead create stability in the region.

If what I've been led to believe, which aligns with many of the people I associate with and what many media outlets have been sharing with the world, is wrong, I owe you an apology In2ition for some of my aggressive language and takes towards you.

Everything above being said, I don't think it justifies a full invasion of Kiev, for example. Though I am removed from that part of the world and that history. It's also difficult to look at Putin as someone that is doing the right thing here based on his past.
After sleeping on it, none of this video justifies shelling and killing so many Ukrainians in the name of some sort of justice for injustices of the past. Russia is far larger and more powerful in all aspects, including economically, to let their version or justice or retaliation come down to this. And it's Putin that's calling the shots, someone that has committed several war crimes during his tenure, beyond the things he did in the KGB.
Yes, I agree. If the reports of shelling innocent civilians to cause mass casualties is true, this definitely doesn't justify any of that.
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

Post by Mori Chu »

I'm seeing a bit of this floating around on Twitter, stuff criticizing Ukraine, saying they're "no saints" and so on. That they mistreat black/brown refugees who show up at their border. My take is, if they are doing this, they need to stop, and they should be criticized for it. But it doesn't make them deserve being invaded, and it doesn't give me any less desire to see them defend their country from attack.


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Re: Russia/Ukraine

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Nodack
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

Post by Nodack »

Mori Chu wrote:
Tue Mar 01, 2022 8:31 am
I'm seeing a bit of this floating around on Twitter, stuff criticizing Ukraine, saying they're "no saints" and so on. That they mistreat black/brown refugees who show up at their border. My take is, if they are doing this, they need to stop, and they should be criticized for it. But it doesn't make them deserve being invaded, and it doesn't give me any less desire to see them defend their country from attack.

None of this matters. It’s the same as saying George Floyd deserved to be killed because he did drugs and sold single cigarettes illegally on a street corner. Trying to discredit Ukraine to make them look bad doesn’t make it alright to invade them.
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

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Russian Ruble Is Now Worth Less Than 1 U.S. Cent After SWIFT Bank Sanctions
https://time.com/6152156/russian-ruble-plunges/
The decline of the ruble would likely send inflation soaring, hurting all Russians and not just the Russian elites who were the targets of earlier sanctions. The resulting economic disruption, if Saturday’s measures are as harsh as described, could leave Putin facing political unrest at home.

Analysts predicted intensifying runs on banks by Russians, and falling government reserves as Russians scrambled to sell their targeted currency for safer assets.
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

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Pat Robertson: Putin is "being compelled by God" to invade Ukraine and fulfill biblical prophecy
"You read your Bible, because it's coming to pass," the former televangelist says
https://www.salon.com/2022/03/01/pat-ro ... y_partner/
"I think you can say, well, Putin's out of his mind, and yes, maybe so," said Robertson. "But at the same time he's being compelled by God. He went into Ukraine, but that wasn't his goal. His goal was to move against Israel, ultimately."

"God is getting ready to do something amazing, and that will be fulfilled," said Robertson. "And what Putin is doing, by moving as he is, to set up Ukraine as a staging ground for one of the armies, and then across is Erdogan in Turkey, and you've got between them that little Dardanelles area. And it's going to happen. So I say, that is what's coming up. Is Putin crazy? Is he mad? Well, perhaps. But God says, I'm going to put hooks in your jaws and I'm going to draw you into this battle, whether you like it or not. And he's being compelled, after the move into the Ukraine, he's being compelled to move to get a land bridge, and then across the Dardanelles with Turkey, and watch what's going to happen next. You read your Bible, because it's coming to pass."
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

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Nodack wrote:
Tue Mar 01, 2022 9:50 am


None of this matters. It’s the same as saying George Floyd deserved to be killed because he did drugs and sold single cigarettes illegally on a street corner. Trying to discredit Ukraine to make them look bad doesn’t make it alright to invade them.
Pretty sure that was Eric Garner. Hard to keep track of all the black/brown people killed by police.

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Re: Russia/Ukraine

Post by virtual9mm »

I have an Ukrainian employee and have taught lots of wonderful Russian kids. I just don't want them to be forced to continue killing each other.

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Nodack
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

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Sorry to hear that virtual. Sometimes countries are led by people who shouldn’t be. Putin is a cornered wild animal lashing out. The Soviet Union was dissolved. It was a serious blow to a lifer like Putin. He wants it back. NATO is his enemy and they keep adding countries on his doorstep. He’s determined to put an end to that. Some of those countries are enjoying being independent and not part of mother Russia. After this some of them are going to really want to be part of NATO.

NATO has become ho hum. No world wars to fight since they were formed. The world was getting a little lax and lethargic about NATO. Putin just increased interest in their cause like no other time. I think Putin underestimated a lot of things. I think he thought the US was tired of war and divided enough to where they would ignore his actions. I think he thought the world wouldn’t respond as swiftly and as decisively as they did. He underestimated the will of the Ukraine people to fight, which is dragging this out and increasing the odds of a gorilla war like that bogged down Russia and the US in Afghanistan that could be an endless body bag count for Russian troops. I don’t see this ending well for Putin. I am pretty nervous he might go over the deep end and push the nuke button. He’s already threatening it. If he does that it’s a whole new world.
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

Post by Mori Chu »

Now Russia is saying they HAD to invade Ukraine because UKR was close to acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Hmm, that ridiculous and stupid excuse for invading a country seems familiar...


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Nodack
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

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Laughable.

They already had nukes and gave them up in return for protection.
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Re: Russia/Ukraine

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"There are 3 rules I live by: never get less than 12 hours sleep, never play cards with a guy with the same first name as a city & never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Everything else is cream cheese."

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