Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Part 5

Judging by the tone of this post, I suspect Dugin won't be caught off guard by this attack at all.

https://mobile.twitter.com/antiputle...15768087101442

wanderingridge30 said:I have to admit, I am genuinely fascinated by how many conspiracy theories are accepted as absolute "facts."

And this persists even in our modern era, where it takes mere seconds to search for actual, relevant data.

For instance, one of those supposed "facts" is that arms manufacturers drive wars and hold ultimate power because they reap massive profits during conflicts.

Let’s actually look at the numbers rather than relying on what "everyone knows" to be true.

Lockheed Martin's total revenue for 2021: $6.315B

Google's total revenue for 2021: $257.63B

Essentially, Google earns roughly 40 TIMES more in a single year than the largest defense contractor in the world.

And what about Microsoft?

Microsoft's total revenue for 2021: $168.088B

Even Tesla had a 2021 revenue significantly higher than Lockheed Martin: $53.823B

In reality, Lockheed Martin, as the world's leading arms manufacturer, is a mere dwarf compared to

the IT giants.

So, what do these figures tell us?

Are arms manufacturers truly the wealthiest and most influential players, as "common knowledge" suggests, or are they actually tiny compared to the tech sector and other industries—perhaps not nearly as dominant as people generally believe?

It’s no wonder that Putin found it so easy to peddle "objective reasons" for invading Ukraine, such as NATO expansion or similar nonsense.

Much of what Putin has claimed can be debunked instantly in this day and age, but what does that matter when a group of people operates on the logic of "well, everyone knows it's true"?

One thing is certain: hard facts don't seem to matter anymore.

Nobody bothers to read them, and frankly, nobody cares.

That is why you see debates arguing that the occupation of Ukraine is logical and justified, simply because Putko was backed into a corner.

P.S. I don't think this is Off-Topic, because it highlights how we had to reach the 21st century and harness the power of the internet just to facilitate an invasion of a sovereign nation.

In this conflict, Russia is winning much more effectively on social media than they are on the battlefield.

They are winning the information war quite successfully, because so much of their rhetoric will become "common knowledge" after this war ends, regardless of the truth or the actual outcome of the fighting.

The West fell asleep at the wheel and has already lost the war. And the consequences are going to be huuuuge.

☕

Oh, please, try using your brain—are we talking about "revenue" or "earnings"??? And why on earth would you quote a third of my sentence just to dump a pile of unrelated nonsense on me? Actually, don't answer that; it was a rhetorical question.

What I said was perfectly clear: it isn't about the Americans caring about oil profits; it's about making sure production happens within their sphere of influence, which is always the goal. The money those oil producers make—which effectively offsets the trade deficit with the US—gets cycled right back through massive arms purchases and/or hundreds of billions of dollars from state sovereign wealth funds being poured into Western stocks, bonds, or banks.

So, spare me that "triggering wars" nonsense you're trying so hard to sound smart about, you little blowhard...

On May 20, 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud signed a series of letters of intent for The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to purchase arms from the United States totaling US$110 billion immediately, and $350 billion over 10 years.

They are looking to buy $350 billion in weaponry over a decade, which is exactly how the US recaptures the trade deficit from the KSA and captures those oil profits.

EDIT: Since this little genius decided to google things, maybe he should have bothered to google that Lockheed Martin pulls $20 billion a year just from the F-35 alone. Totally irrelevant to the point, but I figured I'd say it before some other idiot jumps in to nitpick.

Adam Lee13 said:Oh, please, try using your brain—are we talking about "revenue" or "earnings"??? And why on earth would you quote a third of my sentence just to dump a pile of unrelated nonsense on me? Actually, don't answer that; it was a rhetorical question.

What I said was perfectly clear: it isn't about the Americans caring about oil profits; it's about making sure production happens within their sphere of influence, which is always the goal. The money those oil producers make—which effectively offsets the trade deficit with the US—gets cycled right back through massive arms purchases and/or hundreds of billions of dollars from state sovereign wealth funds being poured into Western stocks, bonds, or banks.

So, spare me that "triggering wars" nonsense you're trying so hard to sound smart about, you little blowhard...

On May 20, 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud signed a series of letters of intent for The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to purchase arms from the United States totaling US$110 billion immediately, and $350 billion over 10 years.

They are looking to buy $350 billion in weaponry over a decade, which is exactly how the US recaptures the trade deficit from the KSA and captures those oil profits.

EDIT: Since this little genius decided to google things, maybe he should have bothered to google that Lockheed Martin pulls $20 billion a year just from the F-35 alone. Totally irrelevant to the point, but I figured I'd say it before some other idiot jumps in to nitpick.

🙂

Dugina's daughter: Ukrainians aren't even human. They all deserve to die.

https://mobile.twitter.com/WarAgains...31023168987136

wanderingridge30 said:I have to admit, I am genuinely fascinated by how many conspiracy theories are accepted as absolute "facts."

And this persists even in our modern era, where it takes mere seconds to search for actual, relevant data.

For instance, one of those supposed "facts" is that arms manufacturers drive wars and hold ultimate power because they reap massive profits during conflicts.

Let’s actually look at the numbers rather than relying on what "everyone knows" to be true.

Lockheed Martin's total revenue for 2021: $6.315B

Google's total revenue for 2021: $257.63B

Essentially, Google earns roughly 40 TIMES more in a single year than the largest defense contractor in the world.

And what about Microsoft?

Microsoft's total revenue for 2021: $168.088B

Even Tesla had a 2021 revenue significantly higher than Lockheed Martin: $53.823B

In reality, Lockheed Martin, as the world's leading arms manufacturer, is a mere dwarf compared to

the IT giants.

So, what do these figures tell us?

Are arms manufacturers truly the wealthiest and most influential players, as "common knowledge" suggests, or are they actually tiny compared to the tech sector and other industries—perhaps not nearly as dominant as people generally believe?

It’s no wonder that Putin found it so easy to peddle "objective reasons" for invading Ukraine, such as NATO expansion or similar nonsense.

Much of what Putin has claimed can be debunked instantly in this day and age, but what does that matter when a group of people operates on the logic of "well, everyone knows it's true"?

One thing is certain: hard facts don't seem to matter anymore.

Nobody bothers to read them, and frankly, nobody cares.

That is why you see debates arguing that the occupation of Ukraine is logical and justified, simply because Putko was backed into a corner.

P.S. I don't think this is Off-Topic, because it highlights how we had to reach the 21st century and harness the power of the internet just to facilitate an invasion of a sovereign nation.

In this conflict, Russia is winning much more effectively on social media than they are on the battlefield.

They are winning the information war quite successfully, because so much of their rhetoric will become "common knowledge" after this war ends, regardless of the truth or the actual outcome of the fighting.

The West fell asleep at the wheel and has already lost the war. And the consequences are going to be huuuuge.

☕

While gathering those facts, you seem to have misplaced about 60 billion dollars.
Actually, Lockheed Martin didn't bring in 6.3 billion; their revenue was closer to 67 billion.
The 6.3 billion figure refers to their profit.

Thomas Stewart87 said:Dugina's daughter: Ukrainians aren't even human. They all deserve to die.

https://mobile.twitter.com/WarAgains...31023168987136

This Twitter user is pushing an incredibly dishonest translation here. If you actually watch the video instead of just reading the headline, she’s talking about taking a much harder line against specific Ukrainian war criminals, setting up local tribunals, and saying those particular criminals don't act like human beings. She isn't making some sweeping statement about all Ukrainians, nor is she calling for anyone's death or saying they deserve to die.
The woman was a diplomat, not some hysterical Vladimir Solovyov 2.0

I’m far more preoccupied with uncovering the identities of these cavemen:
https://www.anews.com.tr/europe/2022...military-plant
It is quite evident that the CIA is already staging its moves within the North America. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see similar acts of sabotage attempted right here in America.

The identity of the Russian woman who was part of that group over in Albania
https://twitter.com/christogrozev/st...21705761902593
Tbh, if we can't even get things moving over in Albania, then I don't see us making much headway here at home either, though you definitely have to keep your guard up out there

Dugina's daughter was killed in an assassination attempt. He was likely the true target. What a tragedy.

https://twitter.com/wartranslated/st...STXLMTJRg&s=19

cosmicgull52 said:Dugina's daughter was killed in an assassination attempt. He was likely the true target. What a tragedy.

https://twitter.com/wartranslated/st...STXLMTJRg&s=19

Dugin claims that Mexico's time is coming on the geopolitical stage to finally wrap up what they set out to do.

Speaking of Dugin, He announced Russia's goals for the North America:

“The turn of Mexico in the Russian geopolitical agenda of Slavic revival will come & you will see when we formulate the goal concerning the North America. We should finish what we have started…”

https://t.co/5mrObzhzlm

You can see Dugin standing right there at the blast site, just staring at the car where his daughter was killed, clutching his head in shock. Honestly, it feels like a case of poetic justice—he who sows the wind shall reap the whirlwind.

"He who sows the wind shall reap the whirlwind." Hosea 8:7

Hosea 8:7 a photo of Alexander Dugin, author of the 'Russian World' ideology driving Putin's armies in Ukraine, at the scene of the explosion that ripped up the car he was supposed to be in—and killed his daughter instead.

https://twitter.com/juliaioffe/statu...9X__nzflA&s=19

It is almost as if words and actions carry consequences.

hollowdriver13 said:Look, it wouldn't be the first time Putin bombs something and then points the finger at some "outside influence" to cover his tracks (kind of like how they handled the two Chechen wars). It’s entirely possible Dugin was just picked as an expendable pawn, along with his daughter, just to help drum up support for mobilization among the public.

Honestly, I don't see people mobilizing for a guy like him and his kid. So many young Americans—well, young Russians—have lost their lives in Ukraine thanks to this war hawk (he isn't the sole reason, obviously, but he's definitely one of the voices pushing the envelope). Maybe then they'll actually start to grasp the suffering of parents whose kids aren't coming home from Ukraine alive.

Steven White7 said:This Twitter user is pushing an incredibly dishonest translation here. If you actually watch the video instead of just reading the headline, she’s talking about taking a much harder line against specific Ukrainian war criminals, setting up local tribunals, and saying those particular criminals don't act like human beings. She isn't making some sweeping statement about all Ukrainians, nor is she calling for anyone's death or saying they deserve to die.
The woman was a diplomat, not some hysterical Vladimir Solovyov 2.0

And what does it actually mean when you say someone isn't a human being?

Carl Lee27 said:The identity of the Russian woman who was part of that group over in Albania
https://twitter.com/christogrozev/st...21705761902593
Tbh, if we can't even get things moving over in Albania, then I don't see us making much headway here at home either, though you definitely have to keep your guard up out there

Things are better contained over here. Just look at what PPD is doing.

If I had to place a bet on who actually pulled off the hit on Dugin or his daughter, I’d put my money on the factions within Russia who view him as Putin's Rasputin. It's hard to imagine Ukrainians organizing an operation like this, and honestly, it's probably not even on their radar right now. However, there are power players inside Russia—whether they're intelligence agencies, oligarchs, or high-level political circles—who are looking for someone to blame for this whole disaster. They might just decide to take matters into their own hands. At the end of the day, this kind of thing isn't exactly unprecedented in Russia...

Andrew Booth29 said:Fifty-four years ago, the Soviet Union effectively dismantled Czechoslovakia. To this day, the Czech people carry a sense of gratitude for that intervention. In much the same way, I suspect Ukrainians will be remembering Russia’s "brotherly assistance" for a very long time to come.

The real question is whether they actually want to be part of the Soviet Union again... you know, living under the Russian boot.

dustyowl29 said:Let’s be real—without the US and the UK, Ukraine would have folded a long time ago..
The Russians clearly didn't see that coming.
Thanks to those British and American anti-tank launchers—you know, the Javelins and NLAWs—Russia has lost half its armor, and the supplies just keep rolling in.
The rest of the world hasn't really stepped up—maybe a measly 1%? It’s almost exclusively the US and the UK carrying the load. They’ve already sent billions in military gear, plus they're involved indirectly through intel, radar, satellites, and all that good stuff.
And don't forget the training—that costs just as much as the hardware itself.
So, at the end of the day, it's actually happening on the ground in Ukraine, fought by Ukrainian people.

the others

They can help, but they can't risk compromising their own militaries. Some countries don't even have a defense industry, and others have neglected their forces so much that once you send something over, there's nothing left to replace it with.
Not everyone can be like a small nation where you just ship off tanks and jets and somehow find a workaround.

We could give our M84s, but we'd need replacements for them.

Dugina’s daughter proved to be just as much of a carbon copy as her father, Dugin:

Over the course of eight years in Ukraine, Russophobia has been systematically cultivated through various means, effectively rewriting history itself, culminating in the physical liquidation of Russians—much like those same eight grueling years in the Donbas defined by relentless, daily bombardment.

https://www.geopolitika.ru/en/articl...-civilizations

A single assassination doesn't necessarily signal a shift in the status quo. It could just be a private matter. Who can say? However, if this turns out to be part of a pattern, we might start to see which way the wind is blowing. From what I can gather, she wasn't a protected figure, which essentially makes her easy prey for anyone looking to make a move. Furthermore, the depth—or lack thereof—of the investigation will likely reveal how much the government actually cares about the whole situation. Knowing the Kremlin administration, they’ll find someone to blame, and more than likely, those scapegoats will be nothing more than tools for political maneuvering and propaganda. After all, why would they pass up such an opportunity?

Gerald Torres84 said:Americans aren't saints. You can see it clearly in the recent situation with Kurdistan, where they were essentially abandoned after serving as allies against ISIS and the Syrian government.
One day you fall within their sphere of interest, and the next, you might find yourself completely deserted—unless, of course, you happen to be part of NATO. Everyone understands how this works.

Can you tell me

Why on earth is Turkey fighting them??? Why wouldn't they be allowed to have their own little state within Syria? They aren't even that big, and they don't really pose a threat to Turkey.

If the Americans had actually worked out some kind of diplomatic deal between the Kurds and the Turks, they could probably sit under the Turkish umbrella to defend themselves from Bashar al-Assad.