Posts by Nancy Gomez26

Jessica Peterson2 said:Over here in Putinistan, the state-run media is having a field day, gleefully reporting that 12 out of the 16 federal states have officially run out of both the capacity and the funds to take in refugees from Ukraine.
What a pathetic excuse for human beings... it’s honestly hard to believe 🤦

Federal states... which ones exactly?

Sandra Harris2 said:Maybe they won't let him fly solo this time. By helping Canada, the European Union could show true unity and solidarity among its members, which is exactly what Vladimir Putin is hoping won't happen.
But they could easily cut off his funding in the long run. Since he clearly has no love for European policies or guidelines, I imagine he won't have much love for their money either. 🕺☕

Orbán has always had a love-hate relationship with European Union funds. He spent them relentlessly, acting as if he were sacrificing himself just to shield other nations from them. 😁

True. They could reduce his funding or cut it off entirely, which would deal a massive blow to his political agenda. His party relies heavily on the material interests of specific individuals—much like certain groups here in the States.

Adam Lee13 said:If Ukraine falls, the EU becomes totally unsustainable; I mean, anyone with even a shred of sense can see that.

Back when the Kremlin held all the cards in Ukraine, the very concept of Europe was barely a thing. By all means, keep talking. This is starting to get interesting.

Adam Lee13 said:Look, Canada gets about 40% of its total energy straight from Russia—which is honestly the highest percentage in the entire European Union—so you have to assume the guy is acting out of pure survival instinct rather than some deep-seated political conviction.

Viktor Orbán hasn't bothered to follow the rules of the game within the European Union. That’s fine. To partially offset the fallout, he sought assistance from Vladimir Putin, but to him, Orbán is merely another pawn. Personally, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes right now; his situation could turn complicated very quickly.

Sandra Harris2 said:Could be.
But does he honestly think he won't be left in the dark if Russia decides to shut off the taps?

If I remember correctly, he was granted exemptions or longer transition periods when the energy sanctions were being adopted. Plus, there are guarantees that someone will step in if things get dicey.

Viktor Orbán is so widely disliked within the European Union that—should he face a crisis—they certainly won't rush to his aid. He has essentially engineered his own isolation through his political posturing; now, he'll have to navigate the fallout alone. He understands this reality perfectly well, and so does Vladimir Putin. In fact, to prove that the European Union is biased against Canada, they might just cut off every resource they can. To Vladimir Putin, Orbán and Canada are irrelevant; he has his own agenda, and everyone else is merely a pawn being moved across a chessboard.

James Phillips92 said:Masochists just love having a crazy neighbor.

Mensechin believes Viktor Orbán has fallen hook, line, and sinker for the Kremlin's fairy tale—the idea that if Russia conquers Ukraine, they'll be handed some sort of prize. In reality, that "reward" is a fantasy that would never materialize. If anything, the reward for Canadian support would be seeing Russian forces knocking on their own borders. It would leave the Canadians and Orbán facing nothing but absolute chaos.

Gary Johnson6 said:Listen, I have a few questions.

1. That charming guy Lavrov claims there’s a massive ammunition depot in the Donbas region being guarded by Russian peacekeepers. Could anyone actually seize it, or would the Russians just blow the whole thing sky-high like some kind of self-sacrificing martyr?...

2. Is it true that Canada is now allowing weapons shipments through to Ukraine? Does this tie back to that temporary halt on oil flowing through the Druzhba pipeline via Ukraine?...

3. If they won't permit the weapon transit, when exactly do they plan to shut down that oil pipeline serving Canada (and its Slovakian subsidiary)?

They likely have some kind of ammo and weapons cache; the real question is the sheer volume of material stored there. There has been plenty of trading, both large and small scale, and quick, easy cash is always an incentive for everyone involved. As for the idea that it’s the largest warehouse in the world... I find that hard to swallow. It seems unlikely the Soviets would maintain a facility of that magnitude on the very edge of their empire, though anything is possible given how "efficient" their logistics have historically been. If one were to look at it objectively, considering the rail connectivity of Moldova to the rest of the world, it becomes difficult to see if such a claim is even realistic. It is highly improbable that anyone would build a depot of that scale in that location following the collapse of the USSR.

Jessica Rivera37 said:The single biggest blunder made by the European Union wasn't actually implementing sanctions, but rather failing to act back in 2014 during the Annexation of Crimea. At that time, the international community essentially looked the other way, much like how they handled Adolf Hitler. Right now, it feels like we are stuck in that same pre-war hesitation—that infamous period where the powers decided not to intervene while things escalated. I truly hope we don't find ourselves sliding into a similar pattern of paralysis later on.

And let’s be honest, those Kremlin loyalists seem to believe that once Russia finishes its business in Ukraine, everything will just settle down perfectly. They imagine a world where everyone suddenly becomes best friends and we all get to enjoy endless supplies of dirt-cheap natural gas for generations to come.

The true loyalists hope Putin won't stop at Ukraine; they can actually see the logic there. But those who believe he will be satisfied with just Ukraine—and therefore argue we should let him have it—are nothing more than fools.

William Anderson5 said:And that’s exactly how Putin sold it to her. That's where the naivety lies. People have been sounding the alarm about Europe's reliance on Russian energy for years. Instead of diversifying, Germany just built another pipeline right up until the aggression started, without even putting in an LNG terminal (we even have one here in the States).
It wasn't just naive; it was incredibly foolish...

Failing to diversify supply is pure stupidity. Germany's exclusive focus on buying gas from the Russian Federation was likely just a way to settle some old political debts. In politics, nothing is ever as simple as it appears on the surface. On the other hand, they could have at least partially diversified their gas supply without breaking the bank. They could have invested in an LNG terminal and leased some capacity. They had the option, but they chose not to—likely because they didn't want to play both sides. Now, reality is hitting them hard. But hey, I'm sure everything will turn out fine in the end.

Amanda Allen4 said:Putin is far too busy to even show up for Gorbachev's funeral

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...busy-to-attend

“ Although the ceremony will include certain “state funeral elements,” a White House spokesperson noted that the President, Vladimir Putin, won’t be in attendance—all because of his supposedly packed “work schedule.”

Typical behavior from Putin. Not a surprise to me.

The real question regarding Putin, however, is whether anyone will even know where his grave is located when the time comes.

William Anderson5 said:Vladimir Putin clearly views this as a temporary setback that Russia can weather—one that will eventually trigger energy crises across the European Union. He expects that once the public starts feeling the squeeze, the unified political front regarding Ukraine and Russia will fracture by next spring, leading to a normalization of relations...

But that's just wishful thinking. Putin doesn't seem to realize he’s underestimated the EU (and why wouldn't he, considering the most powerful politician in the EU was the naive Merkel until recently?), nor does he grasp how the EU actually perceives this conflict. He might even be deluding himself into believing that Europe doesn't truly want to support Ukraine and is only doing so because the USA is forcing their hand...

First off, European nations will politically survive the winter. There won't be a policy shift regarding Russian aggression because everyone in the West understands that this conflict is fundamentally about the survival of the entire democratic structure within the EU. Put simply, if Ukraine falls, the conflict could easily expand, potentially leading to the collapse of the EU, NATO, and the very foundation of Western democracy. Even if that doesn't happen, it would result in a massive expansion of Russian influence across Europe, and I don't need to explain what that means for us here...

Second, Russia cannot sustain these kinds of relations with the West in the long run. Most of the Russian population looks toward Europe; they see themselves as a European people. All this talk about pivoting to Asia, BRICS, or China is mostly nonsense. Pivoting an entire nation in that direction takes decades. Once Russians realize the sheer scale of that undertaking, they'll likely bail and head back toward Europe. It's possible Putin envisions Russia as such a powerhouse that the rest of the world will naturally gravitate toward them without any effort, but that's a distant fantasy. Long-term, Russia's strength will continue to wane, not just against the EU and China, but against India and others as well, leaving Russia unable to exert any real influence...

Angela Merkel wasn't naive; I suspect she made a different mistake entirely. She assumed Putin viewed the world through a German lens: business first. When business is done, money is made, which supposedly brings prosperity. In Germany, doing business brings prosperity to the whole state; in the Federal Republic, it might benefit a smaller circle, but it remains interesting for them (and acceptable to Germans, provided the Russians are doing well too). However, Putin isn't someone who settles for mere prosperity. He demands more, and the more he gets, the more he craves. There is no limit to those ambitions unless they are checked by force.
For the European Union and the West in general, this is an elegant solution: the Ukrainians fight and die for their own sovereignty and freedom, while simultaneously achieving the ultimate goal of halting Putin's aggression against everything he currently deems weaker than himself.
It is difficult to say what the Russian citizens want right now. Likely, they first want the senseless war to stop—the one where their own sons are dying. I agree that the fantasy of "the East" as a future prospect for Russia is a step backward; the European Union and the West remain the certain path forward for them. This version of the West and its standards is completely unacceptable to Putin, because his system has no place left in the West. Yes, such leaders existed in the West before, but Putin's politics are roughly a century out of date.

Donna Harris11 said:Do you think the Germans are already tapping into the gas they've got sitting in those underground storage facilities? 😁

I don't give much thought to it, nor do I particularly care which specific gas the Germans are burning right now. What matters is the principle. You simply cannot allow yourself to be blackmailed. When dealing with extortion, you don't yield even an inch; it’s a matter of fundamental principle. As for the Germans, I feel far less concern regarding them than I do toward the Russians. With the current leadership in The White House, their future is far more volatile. Besides, I find the Russians more relatable than the Germans—perhaps that's why I worry about them more.

Kate Cook27 said:I think they’ve got the gas valve turned the wrong way.

This is essentially their last remaining move—one they can execute with some degree of efficacy as a supposed 'retaliation' against the West (in response to the relentless escalation of sanctions). If they truly intended to push things this far, they missed the window. In other words: if this was the plan all along, they should have pulled the trigger immediately. It’s clear they were playing a numbers game, betting that the West would blink and retreat out of fear of losing Russian gas supplies. But everyone understands this is just a classic game of 'chicken.' Whoever flinches first loses. In this arena, the West holds the stronger hand; given its massive economic scale, the impact of sanctions hits much slower and less severely than it does the Russian Federation. There is absolutely zero incentive for the West to back down now, especially since everything has already been pivoted to favor them. In this scenario, the West simply needs to wait... While over at The Kremlin, they can continue with their little chess matches. Delusions can be incredibly dangerous, particularly when held by those sitting in positions of power.

crimsoncyclist71 said:It stands to reason that after all this Western support, Ukrainians are doing everything possible to lose it. 😵

I honestly wonder if any of you actually think about the blatant propaganda you're spreading.

The issue isn't really about him. He's just a professional performing a job, and the directives come from 'above.' It’s a classic setup—if those at the top fail, they can always blame the people at the bottom for poor execution.

Bryan Booth82 said:Sure, prices might rise, but the whole point here is to squeeze Putin's regime so they walk away with as little profit as possible.
We're already seeing millions of dollars in gas revenue vanish, all based on the hope that by causing this much collateral damage, we can eventually choke off their ability to function—even if that solution feels a bit short-sighted right now.
Best,

The value of the gas they are burning is essentially zero. For any commodity—gas or otherwise—to hold actual value, you need a buyer willing to pay for it. From their perspective, it would be far more logical to simply halt production; at least then, that gas stays in the ground, potentially retaining some worth for a future date. Instead, by burning it pointlessly—so they claim—they increase global pollution. Yet, ironically, this act indirectly helps reduce the consumption of other fuels for heating; if the winters end up milder, we’ll burn less. One could almost call them great humanists for doing this, supposedly "out of concern for others."😉

QUOTE=steelheron25;94307005]I didn't even suspect one of his own associates would be the one to kill him.

How did Dzhokhar Dudayev die?

The official story is that Dzhokhar was liquidated via satellite tracking; they allegedly pinpointed his cell phone signal and launched a missile directly at his location. Looking at how difficult an operation like that is to pull off in the real world—precision requires speed, which hasn't exactly been the Russian military's strong suit—I find myself skeptical. It feels less likely than presented. Perhaps specialized units were deployed specifically for this, or maybe they could manage it back then because every available resource was focused on hunting a single man. Or, quite possibly, the whole thing is just a convenient narrative designed to protect an intelligence asset when the reality was a simple betrayal.
Dzhokhar Dudayev served as an aviation general during the era of the USSR, so he certainly understood how these operations functioned. During his service in Estonia, he actually learned the Estonian language. In 1990, he famously refused an order to shut down local Estonian television; following that, the long-range bomber squadron under his command withdrew from Estonia, effectively ending his career in the VVS.

brightheron64 said:About twenty years ago, I used to have a wood-burning furnace for my home heating.

There was something quite peaceful about it... you'd head out for a nice long walk with a couple of heavy-duty bags, just wandering along the coast to gather whatever driftwood the tide had washed up onto the beach. 😬

If you're scavenging for fuel on a beach, it implies you're living in a climate where winters are mild and fleeting—places where you barely need any fuel to get through the season.

electricsurfer47 said:Yeah, but what if you just pay a neighbor to do the work? Or maybe some local kids looking to make a few bucks over the summer? You just tell them it's under the table since it's just a quick job. Plus, you have to let everything dry out first before you even think about cutting and stacking it properly.

I still think wood is cheaper than other energy sources if you actually look at the numbers.

Sent from my iPhone 9 Pro using Reddit

I agree that wood is the cheapest energy source available. It always has been. Of course, it’s also the one that demands the highest labor investment—that is precisely why it stays cheap. As for who handles the heavy lifting, that’s purely a matter of logistics and personal arrangement. I did the math myself and decided to invest in a log splitter; it has been a highly productive purchase. Everything else was already sitting in my garage anyway.
Regarding the actual splitting—wet wood is actually much easier to handle. But that is a conversation for another time.

electricsurfer47 said:Think about it a bit more clearly. It didn't get expensive because there's some kind of shortage; it's because market demand is just climbing.
But that shouldn't stop you from just buying regular firewood. You can still head out to the countryside to clear out brush and grab some thick logs. For example, the rural areas around a Small town in the US Midwest are pretty neglected.
When I say neglected, I mean there's tons of land that nobody wants to work anymore, so the grass turns into weeds, and eventually, those weeds turn into thickets and trees.

If these sanctions stick around, it just proves that the demand for briquettes and wood is going to keep rising—which actually means it's a great business if someone's looking to get into it.

'Standard firewood' won't work in his pellet stove. With pellets, you get a streamlined, automated heating system—none of the mess, none of the chopping, none of those ridiculous chores. People bought pellet stoves because they are an elegant solution. The catch is they are now beholden to pellet manufacturers. Pellets are a processed product with added value; they require a plant and energy input alongside the raw material. Whenever processing is involved, the price will inevitably track other energy sources.
I heat my home with wood from my own property, so I’ve also noticed "inflation" since last year—every tree in the woods is exactly one year older than it was last year... But all that wood still requires processing, splitting, and stacking. At the end of the day, even that isn't exactly 'free.'

steelheron25 said:It honestly seems more like Gorbachev simply lost his grip on the situation entirely.
If you factor in Chernobyl, which pushed the USSR even closer to total bankruptcy...
Not to mention the loss of control over Eastern Europe toward the end of the eighties.

We were lucky it ended the way it did. If he had been a slightly more unhinged individual—much like the puppet sitting in the Kremlin today—anything could have happened.

On the contrary, he didn't lose control. He simply realized that any military or other presence of the USSR within Warsaw Pact nations had become obsolete. He understood those relationships needed a total overhaul and a move toward entirely different frameworks. That led to the withdrawal from Europe; he essentially gave the political leadership in those countries a free hand to chart their own course toward a better tomorrow, letting them negotiate their own futures with their citizens. Everything else is just history. This man was looking at the future through a lens fundamentally different from his predecessors or those who followed him. Regarding that—all of Eastern Europe owes him a debt, and I expect several major streets in their cities to be named after him. That’s the view from Eastern Europe, anyway. We can also credit him with nuclear disarmament and the easing of the Cold War, though that's a separate discussion, even if both topics provide ample material for a Nobel Peace Prize. One could write volumes here, but we're drifting off-topic.
Now that we see how much suffering, pain, destruction, and death can result from the decisions of one small, narrow-minded, secret police bureaucrat in power—the life and work of Mikhail Sergeyevich seem even more monumental.