Posts by Nancy Gomez26

They rerouted all that Gas destined for the European Union—straight into the trash.

Chris Williams said:Yeah... "debunked on the forum"... listen to you... such a hotbed of information...

Ukraine will never be the same again; that part is settled.

No matter how you look at it, they've lost both the war and the territory. It’s nothing historically unusual. Just watch how Europe pulses, breathes, and metabolizes, and observe how borders are constantly shifting. Time lapse.

The few decades we spend on this planet simply aren't enough to truly grasp how fluid borders are and how nothing is ever truly a permanent status quo.

And I suppose you're underestimating Russia.

Mind you, don't go thinking I'm rooting for them; I'm not, nor am I rooting for a West led by the Satans of the deep state.

I find myself rooting for the little guy, everywhere—those who suffer when, as Balasevic might say, the kings play at war.

But then again, humans have always fought wars because we are an inherently aggressive, predatory species. I think these phenomena need to be viewed through a much broader lens, casualtiger2. Not just from a high altitude, but looking deep into our past.

From that perspective, every empire eventually collapsed in some horrific war; none of them survived indefinitely.

And no shift in the global order has ever occurred without the destruction of cities, the killing of people, and the redrawing of maps.

If there are no negotiations and no lifting of sanctions, we are going to witness a massive crisis in Western nations. Someone who is well-funded will likely navigate it with a moderate amount of stress, but for the poor and middle class, it will be devastating.

We'll see who was right in a year's time.... or perhaps even by January 2023.

Boundaries have always shifted, and they continue to shift today. The only real variable is the specific set of tactics one chooses to employ to push those lines in a desired direction. Historically, the methods vary wildly. Someone really needs to sit Putin down and explain that we are living in the 21st century; those outdated, heavy-handed strategies from the late 1800s simply don't work anymore. I fail to grasp the sheer limitation required to believe that such clumsy, theatrical displays of "Mongol horde" warfare could actually intimidate anyone into fleeing their homes in this day and age. It’s absurd. On top of all that, Putin naturally possesses an entire arsenal of levers at his disposal—tools more suited to 22nd-century statecraft—yet he remains mentally anchored to the 19th century. It's a tragedy of stagnation. 🤦

Ryan Morales4 said:The European Union is rolling out its fifth round of sanctions against Russia.
Fine.
I agree.

How many rounds of sanctions are there supposed to be in total?

As many as it takes, I guess.

Word on the street is this is actually the eighth package, according to some reports. Who can even keep track anymore? Still, you don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Roger Fowler said:I mean, if those "American partners" include places like Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, Colombia, and Panama, I wouldn't even consider moving there unless someone was paying me a fortune to deal with it all.

It’s highly probable that the citizens of those nations feel the exact same way about the US—another "partner"—especially when they read the news reports about how much corruption happens here. And to top it all off, a good chunk of the year, it gets damn cold over there in America.

brightheron64 said:Well, if we're looking at a depth of about 330 feet, the water pressure is roughly 145 psi (since every 33 feet of depth adds about 15 psi). How on earth are you supposed to push gas through a line spanning 746 miles when you're dealing with only about 145 psi of pressure?

According to the specs for NS2, the inlet pressure can reach up to nearly 4,000 psi, with an outlet minimum of around 1,450 psi. It might not be much of an issue if the hole is just the size of a button, but if it's actually larger—like that massive geyser effect we witnessed—how could the system possibly function at all?...🤔

The report stated that the pressure had stabilized. It failed to mention at what specific level it stabilized, and you asked how stabilization is even possible if there is a breach—which is what I was addressing. As for the reality of the situation—the actual size of the hole, whether it truly exists, or what the actual internal pipe pressure is—I have no idea.
One can certainly move gas through that pipeline (assuming it hasn't been breached) from 746 miles using a pressure lower than 10 bars—say, during the initial stages—but the flow capacity would be significantly diminished.

Melissa Rivera5 said:Man, the Norwegians were basically pushing those pipelines just so they’d have someone to sell electricity to.

Up to this point, that doesn't even come close to a Western MO. It feels more like a backroom deal from a developing nation—like that old story where you ask Steve what he wants, but only on the condition that his neighbor gets twice as much as he does.
If I had to pin down the most likely suspects from this side of the pond, I’d say Ukrainians, followed perhaps by Poles. Or maybe it was some "private" initiative aimed at securing long-term LNG supplies and permanently kicking Russia out of the equation. Still, Russians remain my top suspects—it’s their MO, it carries Putin's signature. If it was the Poles, for instance, then it's a safe bet that the newly minted pipeline from Norway won't be spared either. I don't buy that any state actor would touch this, because quite literally everyone has infrastructure that is impossible to protect from sabotage—everyone is vulnerable here. Perhaps they're just waiting for the winter chill to set in before sabotaging something else. Time will tell.

brightheron64 said:But how on earth can the pressure be considered stable if there's a massive hole in the line?...🤔

Once the gas pressure throughout the entire pipeline reaches equilibrium with the water pressure at the site of the breach... that's when the pressure stabilizes. It stays steady as long as the external water pressure at that puncture point remains constant.

Melissa Rivera5 said:I guess it's just basically everyone selling gas, anywhere. Period. No two ways about it.

Hardly. When gas prices spike violently and suddenly, consumers eventually pivot to alternative energy sources in the long run. That shift triggers a drop in demand, which eventually forces prices down—creating a volatile cycle for producers who still have to maintain wells and recoup their massive capital investments. Currently, the only party benefiting from maximum price hikes, regardless of the long-term fallout, is Russia. Their market presence is already marginal, so they use high costs as a lever to drive a wedge between EU nations and undermine support for Ukraine. Putin has gone all-in on this conflict; he’s put every single chip on the table to occupy that territory.

Jamie Watson4 said:It’s pretty clear that the pipelines sitting idle have been sabotaged, whereas the operational ones—like the TurkStream line—remain untouched.
😉

This could be a crucial distinction. From my perspective, this data suggests that whoever carried out the sabotage isn't actually looking to shut down existing supply lines. It feels less like a tactical strike and more like a twisted bluff or a psychological threat. And we all know whose playbook that follows.

Jason Roberts2 said:I’d still argue the point though, because technology has come such a long way lately that you can pinpoint exactly who was there and who carried out this "sabotage"—every single submarine is tracked constantly, so we know where they are and which direction they're heading.
Another thing is that, say, the Russians have the footage or some kind of proof, but Brussels has basically banned the EU from releasing it, so we're left in the dark; if it really was the Russians, they would have flashed that evidence in our faces by now.

If tracking submarines underwater were truly as effortless as people claim, I doubt they would even exist in the quantities and configurations we see today.

Melissa Rivera5 said:Sorry, but what do you mean "swallowing crap" regarding NS1/2? The West probably detonated it themselves, honestly. It feels like a move to send a message to Russia that they're dead serious about ending all future trade. It's a clean break from Russia, not some half-hearted attempt. Plus, it serves as a perfect excuse to ramp up security for similar infrastructure. 🙂

What possible motive would the West have to destroy infrastructure sitting on its own turf—infrastructure that only benefits Western Europe? ExxonMobil holds the majority stake, but I highly doubt they’re going to dismantle the pipes and relocate them elsewhere. Furthermore, that very same pipeline could be invaluable once the leadership in the White House changes. If nothing else, it remains a potential mechanism for paying out reparations for the chaos caused by previous administrations through their "chess player" tactics.
The West needs resources, certainly, but at the lowest possible price point. Basic economics: more suppliers mean lower prices. The mere existence of a pipeline like this puts downward pressure on gas prices. When the sabotage occurred, market prices spiked, even though no gas was actually flowing through those pipes. Hmm... one has to wonder whose strategic interest it serves to see gas prices climb right now.

Gerald Torres84 said:In my view, they do have that right. Why shouldn't they? The Israelis are trying to block it, though I am not entirely certain of their reasoning. Regardless, we are drifting away from the main subject here.

The Israelis are 'stalling' because Iranians (on more than one occasion) have explicitly stated that once they manufacture, acquire, or obtain nuclear weapons, they will strike Israel immediately. They make these declarations knowing full well that Israel possesses nuclear capabilities and the ability to reach any target within Iran—whereas the Iranians currently lack both the weaponry and the delivery systems. What becomes of the Iranian strategy once they possess such power? Does it serve Israel's interests to strike Iran before they reach that threshold? I would argue it does. If Iran secures those weapons, the situation for Israel becomes untenable; acting now might result in nothing more than the destruction of the Iranian regime. When dealing with an irrational faction, one is forced to adopt this kind of logic. It isn't the fault of the Israelis that the ruling class in Iran has convinced itself it is the most enlightened and advanced entity on the planet.

Chloe Jackson15 said:More like Bolshevik oligarchs! At the end of the day, their entire political philosophy boils down to one simple rule: "Give everyone else just enough to shut them up, while we keep everything else for ourselves."

The Bolsheviks have always been nothing more than oligarchs. The only real shift is that today they have the audacity to flaunt their wealth openly, whereas before, they maintained the charade of absolute equality. In reality, this faction is simply that segment of society that considers itself perpetually 'more equal' than the rest.

Grace Jones86 said:Are you really trying to force me to say that one is just getting splashed with lukewarm water (and seeing a slight dip in already massive GDPs), while the other is watching Western civilization be destroyed? ☕
Is this how we’re going to discuss things? By stripping everything out of context?

I stated clearly that the West certainly wouldn't sacrifice itself for some Ukraine, regardless of whatever symbolic value this conflict supposedly holds for the West itself.
That is an... axiom. I don't see what there is to debate here. 🤦

edit: if we're using the COVID comparison... that's like saying the mandates were excessive.
When you wrote that back in the spring of 2020, you were risking having the mob show up at your door via your IP address. That was a proven fact then, and it remains true today.
Just like today, there is clearly panic and madness surrounding free thought regarding Ukraine.

But hysteria is one thing, and rational thought is another. Hysteria ruins everything.

This isn't merely about Ukraine or some abstract "symbolic values." This is about the fundamental principles required for a modern civilization and a developed West, for an America or a Europe as we know it, to even exist. It is the principle of respecting the sovereignty of a nation whose territorial integrity you affirmed just yesterday. (In reality, it is the principle of honoring a signed agreement). Modern nations don't go to war every time a government changes or because a new administration decides to cast an eye toward its neighbors. Furthermore, anyone who ignores the rules of the game must face consequences. If there are no consequences, then tomorrow—aside from those geniuses in The Kremlin—you will find five or ten more nations in Europe suddenly adopting the same ideology. It is much easier to discipline a single transgressor than to try and enforce order when there are dozens of them. It is far simpler for those who lack vision or the ability to govern effectively (think of leadership similar to what we deal with in certain parts of the US) to instigate a war rather than actually building a functional state, which would involve interfering with deeply entrenched private interests. That is the principle being insisted upon; otherwise, the West will be forced to dump 20% of its budget into defense, when right now it's hard to scrape together even 2%. At the end of the day, it all comes down to minimizing costs by fostering stable relations between nations. What you save can be reinvested into development or education—or stolen through corruption. If everything is swallowed by defense spending (while productivity inevitably drops during wartime), there is no surplus left, and there is no money left for anything else.

wearyheron5 said:Just when you think you've heard every possible nonsense under the sun, here comes someone spinning a psychotic web involving war, hygiene, Satanism, and gender reassignment surgery.

That's a diagnosis right there. Harsh.

The rhetoric is merely a symptom of massive pressure on the ground. The situation for Russia grows more dire by the hour. It seems Putin has finally realized the absolute mess he’s made of his country, and these delusions are just desperate attempts to justify his catastrophic miscalculations to the public. He knows he’s responsible, so now he resorts to sheer nonsense. It’s like a child caught in a small lie—once the parents push back with a few questions, the kid starts doubling down, spinning increasingly elaborate fabrications like a snowball gaining momentum down a hill. The difference is, this particular fool holds the levers of power and decides who lives and who dies.

gentlemoose57 said:Fantastic—now, instead of the Ukrainians just halting right at the border with Russia once they liberate territory, I really think they should push even further.

What is the point of pushing past the border? Why should Ukrainians bother "liberating" Russians from Putin’s tyranny when those same Russians are busy fleeing their own country to avoid mobilization? Let them deal with Putin; if he serves them well, fine. He is quite possibly the greatest punishment they could face—simply because they once held a somewhat benevolent attitude toward their elections. (We are currently enduring our own version of that punishment here in the States).
Putin will eventually face his reckoning; everyone meets their judgment sooner or later.

George Robinson43 said:If anyone had any lingering doubts about whether The Kremlin has simply polished up those old-school USSR communists in a total Brezhnev style...

When you look at what's likely coming for Russia due to these sanctions—Brezhnev’s "era of stagnation" is going to look like a golden age of massive growth and prosperity by comparison.

Robert Cooper9 said:I honestly think they’re terrified of even attempting a launch—it’s not like an S-300 where one stray missile causes minor damage. They’ll likely feel forced to launch from Baikonur just to ensure that if things go sideways, they don't end up causing too much collateral damage on their own "friendly" side.😉)

And I'm sure Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will give them a warm welcome once they roll that missile into Baikonur for the launch... at which point everyone can just wrap themselves in chocolate and hope for the best.

gentlerider7 said:Russia wants the whole LPR and DPR territory

"The regions making up the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics are going to be folded right into the Russian Federation, using those 2014 borders where they originally recognized their independence, according to the Associated Press citing Karine Jean-Pierre from the White House.

“The Russian Federation recognizes the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics within their 2014 borders,” the presidential press secretary put it.

And get this—when asked what the plan is for the parts of the DPR where the Russian Federation hasn't actually managed to grab control yet, Karine Jean-Pierre just brushed it off, saying they'll "have to be liberated."..

https://www-gazeta-ru.translate.goog..._x_tr_pto=wapp

Fortunately, they haven't declared Lviv part of the LPR and DPR just yet. But there is still plenty of time for that to happen.

silentsurfer3 said:Look, I've been saying this since day one, and people just laughed at me—like, how can a country with only 40k soldiers even dream of starting a war with Ukraine? Meanwhile, those Iskanders are staring right at Poland.

Honestly, Lukashenko is toast the second his little buddy falls.

On the Ukrainian side, there is a significant number of Belarusians fighting specifically to oppose Lukashenko's regime. The entire Western aid infrastructure is already positioned on the ground. If Lukashenko were to actually move against Ukraine, there is a very tangible possibility of a domestic uprising erupting within Belarus itself. The border with Ukraine is long and porous, and the logistical setup is already there—so why wouldn't it happen? It would present Russia with a massive headache and an unwanted distraction; I highly doubt they could manage a second front while they are already fully committed in Ukraine. Ukraine would gain a stabilized border with Belarus and a surprisingly reliable ally. Not to mention the Baltic states, who would certainly welcome and support such a shift. If this succeeds, the next stop might just be... Red Square.