Politics

@Doug3006 ... Incredibly astute as always. I am almost embarrassed I did not consider that angle. Soooo.... BBM?

@jpr9954 ... I could not agree more.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Obviously, they made the right venture. More power to them.
 
Though I’ve never been into the ra ra ra that some promote

In this case I suspect it isn’t just empty posturing

Also in stark contrast (I suspect) to the other team where the sub-tittle might read

“ What the f**k am I doing here?

“Why is my cousin shooting at me?”

“Could I get away with shooting that turd with pips on his shoulder that treats me like sh*t and always seems to have a meal in his belly when I don’t “

“How do I get out of here”

Etc etc etc
The more I hear and read about Ukraine and Russia, I sort of draw a parallel to England and the American colonies in the 1700s. Both fighting a superior power and winning.
 
"I suppose that there are two possible reactions to this astonishing number: either, there's no smoke without fire (although such an attitude is contrary to the principle of guilt having to be proved); or, that the weaponisation of the legal system, in both Trump's business and political careers, has got completely out of hand. The American committee investigating the weaponisation of the federal bureaucracy would also do well to cast a long glance at the legal system."

A reasonable mind can believe both. Weaponisation of the system? Sure. And yes there is a presumption of innocence. But 4000 instances of smoke W/O fire? NoPe. Common sense says that statistically that's just not possible. Some of those had fires that got them started. I spent almost 20 years as a classroom teacher. So many of his behaviors look like he never made it out of elementary school. His behavior has always been that of a bully trying to get away with something. Was he/is he being hosed by the system in some cases? Of that I have no doubt. 4000 times though? Again, NoPe. Contrary to that aforementioned presumption, common sense suggests to me that he lit the match a time or three to start some of those fires himself.
I wonder what % of the 4,000 cases were filed while he was still a Democrat?
 
Ukraine is not winning, despite what you hear from fake news...
 
NAFTA made my mom, dad, and aunt's jobs go to to Mexico.

It killed millions of manufacturing jobs (plus clerical and shipping jobs) in America.


Now, everyone who used to work for a plant is now working for the government. (mostly government schools).
 
Ukraine is not winning, despite what you hear from fake news...
Allow me to be frank. That is a completely uninformed statement. I have spent my professional life in or supporting the profession of arms. I have commanded tactical units through Brigade and served a senior headquarters including CENTCOM, DIA, DA, DOD, etc. So, unlike many of the chattering class, I have a hard-earned, professional opinion of how that war is going. Let me provide a few non-debatable points where we can begin.

Russia invaded Ukraine with the intent of seizing Kyiv, and at least everything to the the east of the Dnieper River. They failed dramatically in that attempt and suffered enormous materiel and personnel casualties in the process. They did succeed in seizing significant portions of the Donetsk, Kherson, Karkiv, Zaporizhia, and Luhansk Oblasts. During a counter offensive last summer, Ukrainian forces successfully drove the Russians out of Kharkiv, again with enormous Russian losses. A few weeks later, the Russians were forced to withdraw from the city of Kherson. All winter they have successfully bled the Russians at Bakhmut where two days ago the leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, admitted in a video interview to loosing 20K KIA alone from his organization during that battle. The US Army anticipates a 6-1 to 8-1 WIA to KIA combat ratio depending on the combat environment. The Russian Army has primitive battlefield medical support compared to the West and their ratio is likely 3 or 4 to 1. That still means the Russians lost 100k casualties in that one extended battle. And because they were executing unsupported frontal infantry assaults against the dug-in Ukrainian forces, I and every other informed military professional I know, believe they suffered at least 3 - 1 casualties over the committed UA units.

Frustrated with his battlefield failures, Putin ordered an extended cruise missile bombardment of Ukraine. In June of last year, roughly 75% of the Russian missiles were getting through. Currently, roughly 5% are. It is particularly instructive that to date, not a single "Hypersonic" Kinsal has struck an intended target. The lights are on in Ukraine.

Finally, though the Russian Air Force has not been destroyed, it has been defeated in the airspace above Ukraine which has essentially become a no-fly zone for Russian manned aircraft.

My assessment, and one hardly alone among my peers, is that Russian forces are no longer capable of either strategic or operational level offensive maneuver. They still can carry out localized tactical assaults. Operationally, they have culminated. The initiative is now firmly in Ukraine's hands. We will discover shortly what they are capable of doing with it.

I really think you should start doing some independent research. A good place to start is this site. https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/02/attack-on-europe-documenting-equipment.html?m=1
It is updated daily by an independent European analytical group. It lists equipment losses by both sides. The only entries that make it are those for which there is photo or video evidence and it is provided for each entry. It is a conservative count - particularly for the Russians who were initially gaining ground and for which there was limited photographic evidence of much of their lost equipment.

Spend some time over it. Then review the estimates of modernized equipment estimated to be on hand at the start of the conflict. Derelict Soviet tanks rusting in boneyards for fifty years don't really count. You can do your own math, but the scale of losses means the Army that entered Ukraine in February of 22 has been essentially destroyed, and with the addition of Western Armor, the correlation forces is accelerating in their favor.

Those are "facts" and assessments based upon a professional lifetime studying the art of war. Anyone telling you differently, such as Tucker Carlson, Revolver, or Douglas MacGregor are spinning a narrative for their own political purposes. Sadly, they are also de facto spokesmen for Russian propaganda.
 
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I'll defer to your expertise...
 
image.jpg
 
Bloody Chinese....

I understood that those wrecks were dedicated, respected grave sites; if so, how would China feel if the Terracotta Warriors site was mined ?
 
I understood that those wrecks were dedicated, respected grave sites; if so, how would China feel if the Terracotta Warriors site was mined ?
If the CCP thought there was a kilogram of lithium or anything else of value, they’d dig up the whole ancient city with an excavator!
 
I'll defer to your expertise...
Another really good source without a political ax to grind is the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) chaired by one of my mentors Gen (ret) Jack Keane. They produce detailed updates and assessments of the conflict several times a week. They are not a news organization. They are group of exceptional professionals watching the war with cold analytical eyes. It is a great source to compare against the politically driven narratives coming from the left and right.

In my experience, it is always best to make an informed opinion about what constitutes fake news or narrative by using a factual baseline.


 
Pretty powerful bit of video put out by the Ukrainian MOD overnight. To their credit, Ukraine has been very patient putting together the elements needed for this pending counteroffensive. The pressure to act sooner rather than later has no doubt been significant. Like Montgomery prior to El Alamein, I hope they wait until they have the last bootlace tied.

I just partially read the particulars of the Second Battle of El Alamein this morning. What a twist of fate that Montgomery was ultimately the Commander after the guy who was supposed to lead the battle was shot down and killed enroute to the desert. I really commend the British, Australian, New Zealand, South African, Indian allied forces and others who fought this brutal battle and persevered against Rommel. As you've pointed out, Montgomery didn't get in a hurry and was very prepared.
 
I just partially read the particulars of the Second Battle of El Alamein this morning. What a twist of fate that Montgomery was ultimately the Commander after the guy who was supposed to lead the battle was shot down and killed enroute to the desert. I really commend the British, Australian, New Zealand, South African, Indian allied forces and others who fought this brutal battle and persevered against Rommel. As you've pointed out, Montgomery didn't get in a hurry and was very prepared.
My late father served in Tobruk; injured early on during a (night) assault on the German lines; my Hero.
 
My late father served in Tobruk; injured early on during a (night) assault on the German lines; my Hero.
He should be. Those men and women have made every subsequent generation look like posers.
 
Pretty powerful bit of video put out by the Ukrainian MOD overnight. To their credit, Ukraine has been very patient putting together the elements needed for this pending counteroffensive. The pressure to act sooner rather than later has no doubt been significant. Like Montgomery prior to El Alamein, I hope they wait until they have the last bootlace tied.

How many of my tax dollars went to the making of this video? Serious question. I guess I shouldn't be too mad about it; the USN has a drag queen for a recruitment tool.
 

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