War Games: Russia Takes Ukraine, China Takes Taiwan. US Response?

[dimreepr]

9 minutes ago, J.C.MacSwell said:

Putin likely had the winning position but wasn't absolutely sure, so offered him a draw thinking that should be enough to win the tournament?

Why would you think that?

His MO is from weakness...

He's obviously bluffing...

Edited June 26, 2023 by dimreepr

[J.C.MacSwell]

2 minutes ago, dimreepr said:

Why would you think that?

Why would I think Putin had the winning position vs Prigozhin?

I don't think Prigozhin had enough support to take on the whole Russian military and political establishment without substantial defection to his side.

[dimreepr]

2 minutes ago, J.C.MacSwell said:

I don't think Prigozhin had enough support to take on the whole Russian military and political establishment without substantial defection to his side.

Well, he did have the only working tank in Russia...

[TheVat]

 

[J.C.MacSwell]

I guess the Russian Military and Wagner PMC can get back to normal..after all neither is to blame...NATO must have been behind it...

[MigL]

I wouldn't worry so much for the future of Prigozhin, he is a thug, and deserves everything coming to him.
However he is not stupid, and if he actually is in Belarus, we should worry ( ? ) more about Lukashenko's ability to retain power and continue breathing.

[iNow]

25 minutes ago, MigL said:

I wouldn't worry so much for the future of Prigozhin, he is a thug, and deserves everything coming to him.
However he is not stupid, and if he actually is in Belarus, we should worry ( ? ) more about Lukashenko's ability to retain power and continue breathing.

Part of me wonders if Prigozhin may have been offered leadership/control over Belarus as part of his deal with Putin

[DimaMazin]

On 6/25/2023 at 3:11 AM, iNow said:

I notice you never bothered elaborating on this despite being asked. 

It is complex theory like Theory of Evolution. What is the derivation; for example you want to earn money  then should you think what your job creates, who and how uses it?And I think when your job is not connected with securing discoveries then it can cause a conflict. Discovery is good thing for all. What do you want to get when you serve for fools which cannot make discoveries?

[dimreepr]

1 hour ago, DimaMazin said:

It is complex theory like Theory of Evolution. What is the derivation; for example you want to earn money  then should you think what your job creates, who and how uses it?And I think when your job is not connected with securing discoveries then it can cause a conflict. Discovery is good thing for all. What do you want to get when you serve for fools which cannot make discoveries?

The only thing complex about this is, the ingredients of the word salad?

[StringJunky]

On 6/25/2023 at 9:54 AM, StringJunky said:

I'm kind of expecting Belarussian-based Wagner units in the future. Lukashenko is too worried about his own conscripts taking flight in battle and swapping sides. Even if not planned, it seems a reasonable potential progression plan  from here, based on what's just happened.

 

Quote

Wagner Camp Under Construction in Belarus – Reports

Satellite images purporting to show the construction of a camp for exiled Wagner mercenaries after their failed revolt were shared online late Tuesday by independent Belarusian media.

According to the Telegram channel Belarus Golovnovo Mozga, satellite images dated June 27 show what appears to be construction underway at a military compound near the town of Asipovichy, some 100 kilometers southeast of Minsk.

The channel also cited local residents, who claimed they had witnessed “strange activity” involving a “large number” of construction workers near the compound. 

“Information in documents indicates that about 1,780 four-bed bunks and 400 two-seat toilets are required by tomorrow,” an unnamed forestry worker was quoted as saying, without providing details about the documents.

It was not possible to independently verify the report.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/06/28/wagner-camp-under-construction-in-belarus-reports-a81678

 

[iNow]

Belarus is looking more and more to me like the most likely split country who will return to the Soviet bloc Putin is trying to reconstitute.

The Wagner team are also right now "training" the Belarusian team on battlefield logistics, and focusing especially on social media warfare tactics where they've shown themselves to be extraordinarily capable. 

[TheVat]

When your country's name is White Russia, it doesn't help when you want to maintain a clear separation with Russia.  Clearly they need to consult a marketing consultant and come up with something less Russian-y.  Baja Lithuania?  

 

[DimaMazin]

On 6/8/2023 at 11:17 PM, StringJunky said:

We don't know the level of mutual operational familiarity regarding Ukraine intent. I'm guessing we've given them the red lines with our equipment and the rest is up to them.

The red lines forbid to destroy bridges of logistics supply. Who creates the red lines and how gets money for it ?

[mistermack]

I'm watching a documentary right now, that has a piece about Laos. They said that there are still about eighty million unexploded American cluster bombs in the country, and about 300 people are killed or seriously maimed every year by them. This is in addition to the loss of fertile land that is too dangerous to farm. 

I see that Ukraine has started using the same weapons in the war, on land that it claims is it's own. I hope we're not asked for money to clear them in the future. Laos has mostly had to pay for it's own clearance, in spite of not inviting the Americans to drop bombs on them. The Americans are finally talking figures of a few tens of millions towards the work, but this is sixty years later, and they originally dropped about two MILLION tons of bombs on Laos. Each cluster bomb contained up to 600 small bombs and up to 40% failed. It takes a team several hours to find and destroy one small bomb. Most of the work is paid for by charities, not the US. 

Obama to announce $90 million package to clear Laos' unexploded bombs | CNN Politics  

[geordief]

5 minutes ago, mistermack said:

I see that Ukraine has started using the same weapons in the war, on land that it claims is it's own. I hope we're not asked for money to clear them in the future

You are disputing that it is their land?

 

Sorry that you may be out of pocket at the end of this war.

[mistermack]

17 minutes ago, geordief said:

You are disputing that it is their land?

I dispute that the Ukraine govt. is legitimate, and certainly dispute that Crimea is their land.

 

17 minutes ago, geordief said:

Sorry that you may be out of pocket at the end of this war.

There's no may be about it. Most of the planet is out of pocket already. Except maybe the US and Saudis. 

Edited July 27, 2023 by mistermack
spels

[Bufofrog]

1 hour ago, mistermack said:

I dispute that the Ukraine govt. is legitimate

Why?

[iNow]

Bad source data, surely 

[mistermack]

5 hours ago, Bufofrog said:

Why?

They seized power in a coup.

[TheVat]

42 minutes ago, mistermack said:

They seized power in a coup.

Restored the Constitution and threw out a repressive regime headed by a corrupt Russian puppet.  It's what people who like press freedom and democracy do when a boot is positioned on their face.

Zelenskiy won by a landslide.  

Did you know heavy consumption of right-wing propaganda kills brain cells as rapidly as huffing spray paint?  

[StringJunky]

43 minutes ago, mistermack said:

They seized power in a coup.

Only when Yanokovych unilaterally reneged on aligning with Europe more. When one does shitty things like that, one exposes oneself to the possibility of a popular uprising. It wasn't a coup, he disappeared and left his post vacant. ' Good, strong leader... not. Why aren't the Ukrainians fighting to remove Zelenskiy if he's a coup leader, and not their by popular will?

[mistermack]

3 minutes ago, TheVat said:

Zelenskiy won by a landslide. 

They ran the election. In the most corrupt country in Europe. Corruption in Ukraine - Wikipedia  

 

3 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

Why aren't the Ukrainians fighting to remove Zelenskiy if he's a coup leader, and not their by popular will?

Same as in N. Korea. Fear of reprisals. 

[StringJunky]

3 minutes ago, mistermack said:

They ran the election. In the most corrupt country in Europe. Corruption in Ukraine - Wikipedia  

 

Same as in N. Korea. Fear of reprisals. 

NK is a dynastic autocracy. A crap comparison. The first paragraph of your link tells us everything:

Quote

Corruption is an issue in Ukrainian society[1][2] often tied to a troubled relationship with Russia[3][4][5] going back to the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.[6] 

Who is Ukraine fighting now but the original source of said corruption?

[TheVat]

9 minutes ago, mistermack said:

They ran the election. In the most corrupt country in Europe. Corruption in Ukraine - Wikipedia  

73% of vote.  Against an incumbent billionaire.  Perhaps voters were tired of the corruption.  

 

 

[mistermack]

Before this war, loyalties in Ukraine were split about fifty fifty for Russian leaning or West leaning parties. Once the coup happened, this was never heard of again. 

Now, the Russian leaning people are forced to fight Russia, if they qualify for the military. And if you spoke up against Zelensky, what do you think would happen? No male of fighting age is allowed to leave the country, and you would soon find yourself cannon fodder.