J.C.MacSwell

DeSantis is at least capable of being wrong and yet not all about himself, all at the same time.

Even the first of what we would arbitrarily deem a chicken egg came before the chicken. It may have even been eaten by a predator and never turned into a chicken...assuming it was even fertilized in the first place. And, later, the first chicken had to come from a chicken egg. Your thinking is a little scrambled.

Those people of course, if they vote at all, will support someone like Trump. More of an issue is that the average voter isn't given a good alternative. They might be offered a better one, but despite how low the bar is...not much better.

We wouldn't want Putin to call Serge "scum" or "traitor", or otherwise accuse him of not swallowing the kool-aid... https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-putin-warns-pro-western-traitors-ukraine-1.6386960

The World didn't need him the first time.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/europe/ukraine-russian-prisoners-of-war-intl/index.html Seems more and more to be the case. Putin might have not so much have overestimated his military's competence, as underestimated the decency of the average Russian soldier. If humanity is going to survive long term we're going to need to realize we're all cousins, and we're all in this together.

Still...they might want to be cautious in their mega yachts if they venture too far North while vacationing in the Black Sea.

Now it's getting Personal. Russia is Sanctioning Joe Biden and Hilary Clinton: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60754136

...which steers the bike underneath the centre of mass of the bike rider system...with an extremely small gyroscopic effect from the spinning wheels +1 This is the key...same vertical force (on average) but it's easier bio-mechanically. The weight feels less even though it isn't. Also gives a slight relief of the vertical force through the "sticking point" of mechanical disadvantage for his arm, which he can make up for afterward when his arm is straighter vertically. Somewhat analogous to the way weightlifters use momentum in a clean and jerk to get by sticking points, but here they can pay later rather than upfront, with the weight raising delayed while the arm raises the light end.

Now, what happens to sanctions after the war? Does it depend on how it ends? If it's a negotiated settlement, is Russia in a position to demand the end to some of the sanctions as part of any agreement? How quickly can Russia recover, or do they in fact continue to decline from the sanction effects even after some are reversed? Also how can the West support the rebuilding of Ukraine if it falls to Russian control? It would seem to me that the West should feel compelled to discourage any support for Russia's economy while under Putin, but at the same time want to help out the people of Ukraine, if not Russians as well to some extent.

The lovely blue there...Why would they have joined NATO? I wonder why they didn't join Putin?

Some insist it's black...others claim it's white...most at a glance might call it grey. I wish they would make up their mind.

I don't know either. Nor was I trying to suggest that. To me it makes no difference. The intent is pretty clear that they are for use to defend themselves, but they are lethal weapons. When Germany joined in in the supply of them after the war began it marked a historic shift in policy for them. It seems it's allowed though. So hopefully it is effective for Ukraine while leading toward deescalation rather than escalation.

...and in supply of lethal weapons, yes. Arguably not totally, but then not totally financially either.

When did Putin become their Governor?

Are those the same forces that were never going to invade, or the ones on the peacekeeping mission?

We love you though INow.

Good post but it might be best to take away your thread, and add it to someone else's.

It would certainly be nice to think he's running out of combat troops. Hopefully the mercenaries, if they feel inclined to support his brutality, ask for pay in Euros or USD.

Right. So where are his professional soldiers? Does he not have many? I think there may be something to this.

One would expect that the number of professional soldiers would be over-represented in the approx. 20% committed to Ukraine...and their performance to date doesn't bode well for Putin, especially if the other 800,000+ leave him looking elsewhere for combat increases and replacements.

😁

Russian society is pretty messed up. https://bitterwinter.org/patriarch-of-moscow-blesses-war-against-gay-prides/

Surely Putin would have moved more to the border as he moved the vast majority of them into Ukraine? And if this represents just somewhere in the range of 20% of his 1,000,000+ military personnel, what is the need, and motivation, for hiring mercenaries?