Russian Invasion of Ukraine

[Blitz24]

I just saw that too. Ukrain apparently also started the special operation according to the orange one.

Just like there was no violence on January 6th. Ridiculous how many people just ignore history to suit them.

 

[Biggles]

Highly disagree here. Define "influence". The US has engaged all over the planet for decades through charity, diplomatic relations, and even civilian activities like proliferous travelling and vacation. American citizens travel everywhere, including places they're not supposed to, because we see it as our freedom to do so. Overall, US policy is focused on stability. Maintaining the status quo.

China's foreign policy is focused on aggressively disrupting the status quo and gaining deceptive control over and eventually dominating weaker nations by offering deals too good to refuse. China doesn't want influence, it wants control, and it wants it now. China hasn't influenced half of Africa into wearing their clothes and watching their movies, they have plunged those countries into crippling debt which will probably only be repaid with war or occupation. And they're doing all that with virtually unlimited human capital and complete disregard for human welfare.

I'm not sure what you're highly disagreeing with? Of course the US was focused on maintaining the status quo, because it was a status quo that favoured the US. The Chinese have come out of isolation and poverty over the last 40 years, so they are naturally pushing more aggressively to enhance their position in the world. Trump looks like he is preparing to divide the world up into spheres of influence. The Chinese are going to want their sphere.

 

[Liquid]

Just like there was no violence on January 6th. Ridiculous how many people just ignore history to suit them.

You did it. You finally got your own Tiananmen Square.

 

[unit-one]

 

[Gingerale]

Feels like the old days when US started a WWII with Japan

 

[Keef]

You're going to inspire Donald.

I just thought of an extremely cynical, yet plausible reason for the Rubio/Lavrov summit. Leverage. Nearly every relationship Donald Trump has is defined by the leverage he has or could have. Trump talks up Tariffs like they are a singular good for the USA, despite the overwhelming evidence that they aren't. Why? Because the threat of implementing them has to be real and serious for them to have any utility as leverage. In my mind, it's totally possible that this whole show of diplomatic opening between the USA and Russia is to force Europe to spend more on defense. The US has not committed to anything RE Russia, but Europe is already coordinating massive increases in defense spending and the prospect of a continental army - even the possibility of UN peace keepers in Ukraine. I could even see the same being true of Palestine - Trump has not committed the US to doing anything, but Arab countries have already begun stepping up their plans to rebuild Palestine. Am I giving Trump too much strategic credit here? It's likely - but both of these are straight out of the zero-sum real estate developer playbook - create a threat that is real and serious enough that the opponent has to take action, regardless of whether or not he has any intention of carrying out the threat.

That's all certainly a possibility. I think we'd call that 4D chess. It's the tough-guy approach and we see it in business all the time. Does it work? Arguable - it might work for the immediate goals but has the side effect of garnering disrespect and distrust. Sort of like those real estate developer example you mention, a business which I don't think has a single fan outside of it. Trump's tactics are that of a predatory businessman which is a universally disliked character trait. The problem with being disliked is that it limits your future opportunities because you've proven yourself to be an asshole that is not pleasant to work with. The US rose to economic dominance for many reasons but the only reason we stay there is because our partners trust us to stay there. Trump's policies disrupt that trust and I strongly believe set the US on a path of losing its position as the leading economy much quicker than otherwise. Trump is basically doing everything he can to hand it to China. Frankly not being China is the only decent thing about America these days so the fact that he's up there forcing issues and being a ******** is really throwing the game.

 

[KK78]

Highly disagree here. Define "influence". The US has engaged all over the planet for decades through charity, diplomatic relations, and even civilian activities like proliferous travelling and vacation. American citizens travel everywhere, including places they're not supposed to, because we see it as our freedom to do so. Overall, US policy is focused on stability. Maintaining the status quo.

This was how it was yes, however, that soft power bank account that the US has with the world is already emptying at a rate of knots, Trump may be able to bully other countries with his unique brand of bombastic abandon for a time but that will open the door to others players.

 

[Pupik]

I guess Putin's special operation has removed our courage, heart, and brain...so I guess we're just wandering off to see the wizard and hopefully wake up from this bad dream.

 

[Biggles]

That's all certainly a possibility. I think we'd call that 4D chess. It's the tough-guy approach and we see it in business all the time. Does it work? Arguable - it might work for the immediate goals but has the side effect of garnering disrespect and distrust. Sort of like those real estate developer example you mention, a business which I don't think has a single fan outside of it. Trump's tactics are that of a predatory businessman which is a universally disliked character trait. The problem with being disliked is that it limits your future opportunities because you've proven yourself to be an asshole that is not pleasant to work with. The US rose to economic dominance for many reasons but the only reason we stay there is because our partners trust us to stay there. Trump's policies disrupt that trust and I strongly believe set the US on a path of losing its position as the leading economy much quicker than otherwise. Trump is basically doing everything he can to hand it to China. Frankly not being China is the only decent thing about America these days so the fact that he's up there forcing issues and being a ******** is really throwing the game.

In summary, the Western European democracies are playing chess ...

while Trump is playing Risk. 😒

 

[Keef]

I'm not sure what you're highly disagreeing with? Of course the US was focused on maintaining the status quo, because it was a status quo that favoured the US. The Chinese have come out of isolation and poverty over the last 40 years, so they are naturally pushing more aggressively to enhance their position in the world. Trump looks like he is preparing to divide the world up into spheres of influence. The Chinese are going to want their sphere.

You previous post read like an approval of China's intelligent strategy. I know why they're doing it but they're also using Trump-like, or rather classic beligerent tactics to do it.

In summary, the Western European democracies are playing chess ...

while Trump is playing Risk. 😒

Exactly. But because China is also playing Risk, all the US has to do to make sure we come out on top is keep doing what we've always been doing. All we gotta do is sit here and stack our money while China acts a fool and ruins their own future. But no, Trump can't think that far ahead. Putin can't either, which is why instead of Russia becoming Europe and China's energy provider they have gone the opposite direction and lost their ass completely by isolating themselves.

This was how it was yes, however, that soft power bank account that the US has with the world is already emptying at a rate of knots, Trump may be able to bully other countries with his unique brand of bombastic abandon for a time but that will open the door to others players.

Precisely.

Unfortunately, Trump voters absolutely love beligerent personality traits.

 

[Spacegoat]

Trump calls Zelenskyy a dictator and tells him to ‘move fast’ or lose country

Remarks follows Ukrainian leader’s claim US president living in a Russian ‘disinformation bubble’

www.theguardian.com

Staggering. But not surprising.

If only Zelenskyy had the sense to jail and murder his political rivals like good old democratic loving Putin does...

 

[Hun200kmh]

As the beautiful Number Six said

“All of this has happened before. All of this will happen again.”

On the evening of August 31, 1939, members of Nazi Germany's paramilitary organization, the "Schutzstaffel" (SS) occupied a radio station in Gleiwitz, Upper Silesia — then Germany and now Gliwice, Poland. They pretended to be Polish soldiers and broadcast a message in Polish calling for armed struggle against Nazi Germany.

The goal was to give the impression that Polish soldiers had attacked and taken control of the German radio station. As "proof" the men left behind the body of an imprisoned Polish civilian framing him as a perpetrator. They had murdered him for this very purpose. The false flag attack was part of a series of similar provocations staged along the border. Germany's Nazi leader Adolf Hitler wanted a justification for war in order to seize Poland and his plans for expansionism towards the East.

Less than 24 hours later, early on the morning of September 1, the German military, the Wehrmacht invaded Poland — without having declared war.

That same day, Hitler made a statement in front of the lawmakers in the Reichstag in Berlin that was broadcast on the radio into virtually every German home: "This night for the first time Polish regular soldiers fired on our territory. Since 5.45 A.M. we have been returning the fire, and from now on bombs will be met by bombs. Whoever fights with poison gas will be fought with poison gas. Whoever departs from the rules of humane warfare can only expect that we shall do the same. I will continue this struggle, no matter against whom until the safety of the Reich and its rights are secured."

Hitler made a statement that was broadcast on the radio into all German homesImage: picture-alliance/dpa
The Ministry of Propaganda then issued guidelines on how the media was to report on the conflict: The word "war" was not to be used in headlines. The message to be conveyed was: we are only striking back — as the Führer had said in his speech. In Germany, the word "Führer," which translates as "leader," is directly associated with Adolf Hitler.

Europe better brace itself, the USA is worse than it was in 1939. Back then they just didn't care much for the constant bickering between european powers (took them 3 years and a Japanese attack to wake up).

But now, now they took a side. They sided with the aggressor.

 

[TheCracker]

In summary, the Western European democracies are playing chess ...

while Trump is playing Risk. 😒

No, he's playing Hungry Hungry Hippos - trying to do everything as quickly as possible with feverish ill-timed lurches.

 

[Clinton Ducks]

No, he's playing Hungry Hungry Hippos - trying to do everything as quickly as possible with feverish ill-timed lurches.

He’s playing piggy in the middle with Putin, Zelensky in the middle. Ukraine’s natural resources are the ball.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

What did Las Vegas and....[checks google maps]..Missoula(??) ever do to Russia?

 

[TheCracker]

What did Las Vegas and....[checks google maps]..Missoula(??) ever do to Russia?

It looks to be Death Valley and Yellowstone. Damn those capitalist National Parks!

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

It looks to be Death Valley and Yellowstone. Damn those capitalist National Parks!

Maybe it's the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste repository. I'm not sure how effective that would be as a target. We nuked that part of Nevada almost a thousand times ourselves.

 

[Blitz24]

Maybe it's the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste repository. I'm not sure how effective that would be as a target. We nuked that part of Nevada almost a thousand times ourselves.

They saw it was a hot target so they would aim for that and probably miss and hit Vegas in the process.

 

[unit-one]

What did Las Vegas and....[checks google maps]..Missoula(??) ever do to Russia?

eh, checked the pic. The screenshot is from a 5-year old episode. They are telling how three submarines with 40 "Zirkon" hypersonic missiles each can destroy the decision-making centers in the USA, specifically the Jim-Creek (control center of nuclear forces), Mc-Clellan (control of strategic assault forces) and Pentagon.