VorZakone
What would Kenny G do?
- Joined
- May 9, 2013
- Messages
- 33,093
YesSo Russian Gas is still being piped into the EU?
And we are paying?
Is that right
YesSo Russian Gas is still being piped into the EU?
And we are paying?
Is that right
And through the Ukraine ironically enough. Actually, the supply chain of gas & oil is extremely complicated. It’s not black & white and without sufficient supply & reserves many countries & industries would not be able to fully operate leading to all kinds of expected & unexpected consequences.So Russian Gas is still being piped into the EU?
And we are paying?
Is that right
Can't beat those Russian names.
No Slut’ shaming here, please.Can't beat those Russian names.
I knew we would go there.No Slut’ shaming here, please.
This is the best news since Dick Pound said Russia may nee to take an Olympic timeout due to institutionalized doping.I knew we would go there.
At least, it's not as bad as Stefan Kuntz.
A few years ago Hull City were managed by Leonid Slutsky….we were very proud to sing “we all love sluts” and various others at the KcomCan't beat those Russian names.
This is the best news since Dick Pound said Russia may nee to take an Olympic timeout due to institutionalized doping.
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Weaponry that’s not twenty years old? Particularly vehicles. Maybe MREs that aren’t nearly 10 years out of date?What could China supply that the Russians don't already have? The key problem for Russia in Ukraine is that they can't take the capital, can't remove the Ukrainian government, and can't conquer and annexe the whole of Ukraine... because they don't have the troops to do this. I don't see any equipment that China could supply that would change this.
Essentially, he says that the Russian army in Northern Ukraine around Kyiv is totally fecked - scavenging for food and fuel, cut off from effective re-supply - and the Ukrainians can take their time hitting their tanks one by one.Tweet
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That wouldn't change the outcome. The basic equation is that Russia does not have enough troops to take Kyiv, nor remove the Ukrainian government, nor conquer and occupy Ukraine.Weaponry that’s not twenty years old? Particularly vehicles. Maybe MREs that aren’t nearly 10 years out of date?
I think the US will make this choice clear when they meet the Chinese in Rome this week (I think). Supplying weapons and supporting Putin's war will force a cleavage between the authoritarian world and the democratic world. The West, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand (among others) should make clear that they will work towards eliminating reliance on China for essentially anything if China decides to abet Putin's war. China likes to play both sides (warned the US about Russia's desire to exacerbate the Great Recession in 2008, told Russia that we knew they were invading and had asked China to help dissuade Putin), but they have to understand that continued growth/influence isn't guaranteed without the West. The West should also work to persuade TSMC and other chip manufacturers to duplicate their production facilities in Taiwan in the West because a war in Taiwan would cripple global microchip production and potentially lead to dependence on China.Came across this Twitter thread as China is now in the thick of things for discussion's sake.
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The 7th tweet is the most interesting. The original Chinese scholar who did the analysis says that China has about 1-2 weeks to make a decision between either aligning for real with Putin or choosing their economic ties with the West and Asian democracies.
There's a video doing the rounds that says something along the lines of 'We went from strength and power to this'I've been looking at some YouTube alt-right channels. They're full of excuses for Putin's invasion. It goes to show that these American "patriots" (as they loudly like to proclaim themselves) support tyranny and dictatorship over genuine freedom and democracy.
But I guess we already knew that, their being part of the Trump-cult.
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The problem China has is that the country itself is made up of many different regions & cultures, Xi the communist party are scared of losing power and seeing the country break up. This is far more of a concern than being the World’s sole superpower. Their interest is far more in being the World’s economic superpower. The oppression is to keep the communist party in power and stop the breakup of China. A completely different perspective from Pootin. At least that’s how I see it.I think the US will make this choice clear when they meet the Chinese in Rome this week (I think). Supplying weapons and supporting Putin's war will force a cleavage between the authoritarian world and the democratic world. The West, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand (among others) should make clear that they will work towards eliminating reliance on China for essentially anything if China decides to abet Putin's war. China likes to play both sides (warned the US about Russia's desire to exacerbate the Great Recession in 2008, told Russia that we knew they were invading and had asked China to help dissuade Putin), but they have to understand that continued growth/influence isn't guaranteed without the West. The West should also work to persuade TSMC and other chip manufacturers to duplicate their production facilities in Taiwan in the West because a war in Taiwan would cripple global microchip production and potentially lead to dependence on China.
My main worry is that Xi is very much like Putin in his revanchist aims and authoritarian domestic policies. He seems to want China to be the sole superpower rather than a potential competitor to the US. He also very much wants Taiwan under his thumb.
Their stock market is staying closed for another week.If the below is true, it might somewhat explain Russia starting to look for ways to exit the war. Their economy has been crippled but more importantly, so has their ability to do anything about it.
The Russian stock market and Ruble will be interesting tomorrow.
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I see... At this point, I'll assume it's permanently suspended.Their stock market is staying closed for another week.
They've closed the stock market for yet another week. Just delaying the inevitable.If the below is true, it might somewhat explain Russia starting to look for ways to exit the war. Their economy has been crippled but more importantly, so has their ability to do anything about it.
The Russian stock market and Ruble will be interesting tomorrow.
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At this point we need to wonder if it will ever re-open whilst Putin stays in power.Their stock market is staying closed for another week.
Interesting thread. Beyond erroneously saying the Taliban used to attack Soviet convoys (they didn't form until two years after the Soviets left), he could've probably reduced his thread by 80% by just saying the Russian advance in the north is fecked because of poor planning and logistics.Tweet
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I doubt if China ever works that quickly. They have nothing to gain and more to lose if they make such quick decisions. Little to lose by sitting back.Came across this Twitter thread as China is now in the thick of things for discussion's sake.
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The 7th tweet is the most interesting. The original Chinese scholar who did the analysis says that China has about 1-2 weeks to make a decision between either aligning for real with Putin or choosing their economic ties with the West and Asian democracies.
I guess its like gangrene and amputation. Its tough to chop it off regardless.They've closed the stock market for yet another week. Just delaying the inevitable.
Sounds like the typical view of a few enlightened users on here who keep saying Russia needs to have its share of the pie, even if that represents supposedly sovereign countries suffering under their corrupt and incompetent regime.Mearsheimer is a decrepit old man who's so wedded to his simplistic theory of international security that he can't acknowledge basic facts about the whole situation. I think @Raoul posted an interview Isaac Chotiner did with him for the New Yorker where he looks incredibly stupid. He insists that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is "geopolitics!!!" and not imperialism. He also insists that Russia won't invade all of Ukraine, despite the fact that it is doing just that.
The Russians have been all over Mearsheimer's nuts because his view of realism posits that Russia should be guaranteed its sphere of influence, regardless of what the people around Russia believe. People in the Baltics, Ukraine, Poland, Belarus? Yeah, their freedom and sovereignty don't matter because they should be in Russia's sphere of influence.
I agree. But it's hard to be the world's economic superpower when, after many years of rapid growth, your income per capita is still ranked only 79th in the world.The problem China has is that the country itself is made up of many different regions & cultures, Xi the communist party are scared of losing power and seeing the country break up. This is far more of a concern than being the World’s sole superpower. Their interest is far more in being the World’s economic superpower. The oppression is to keep the communist party in power and stop the breakup of China. A completely different perspective from Pootin. At least that’s how I see it.
They let their anti-American/Western beliefs override any faults in their idyllic post-Soviet Russia.Sounds like the typical view of a few enlightened users on here who keep saying Russia needs to have its share of the pie, even if that represents supposedly sovereign countries suffering under their corrupt and incompetent regime.
The best thing is popping in here from time to time trying to reeducate us because we're too blind to see it.
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Because they are morons.In Greece, it is a surprise that the far left supports Putin the fascist and nationalist! For many years now, people were saying that the far left and the far right are practically the same thing. I couldn't believe it, but now it seems more and more reasonable. Putin has nothing to do with a socialist ideology, so why does the left support him?
I think you answered your own question.In Greece, it is a surprise that the far left supports Putin the fascist and nationalist! For many years now, people were saying that the far left and the far right are practically the same thing. I couldn't believe it, but now it seems more and more reasonable. Putin has nothing to do with a socialist ideology, so why does the left support him?
In Spain they(Podemos) do not support him (publicly) although they were not happy with the shipment of weapons and in the European Parliament they did not support the increase in sanctions.In Greece, it is a surprise that the far left supports Putin the fascist and nationalist! For many years now, people were saying that the far left and the far right are practically the same thing. I couldn't believe it, but now it seems more and more reasonable. Putin has nothing to do with a socialist ideology, so why does the left support him?
Article 5 also allows us not to storm into Ukraine and maybe trigger MAD.There's an argument to be made that we are already at war with Russia and the continued use of Article 5 as a hypothetical red line, only incentivizes Putin to double down on carnage inside Ukraine, as long as he doesn't attack NATO territory. This is in my view a shortcoming of Article 5 in that it can be used by an enemy force to prevent NATO from doing anything while WMDs are used against civilians. That wasn't its intent and so NATO powers need to take a look at ways to do more.