Posts by Brenda Murphy3

So, just like everyone called, he got spooked by the idea of a full-scale mobilization. Instead, we’re seeing that classic Kremlin move where they try to play it safe with a "halfway" solution...

Honestly, though, this is still a massive gamble for Putin. Even a partial mobilization—just pulling in reservists—is enough to spark real unrest or even a full-blown revolt. In situations like this, it doesn't take much; one tiny, seemingly insignificant mistake and the whole thing spirals into total chaos.

Typical Putin behavior, really... the guy isn't going to back down, and his inner circle is way too deep in this mess to ever actually turn on him. Personally? I hope he, Medvedev, Zakharov, and the rest of that crew end up swinging from a lamppost sooner rather than later. They haven't earned anything else.

Joshua Myers432 said:I'm just sitting here waiting for them to start making NKVD-style proclamations about how even a single inch of ground gained is a massive victory, especially with all these guys retreating under machine-gun fire.

Well, I could try... but honestly, I have no clue how that would even work in practice.

Russia took massive losses during WWII (mostly because of their own military doctrine, but whatever...), but back then they were being crushed and invaded by foreign occupiers and Nazi thugs. Fighting back was basically pure survival instinct...
Now, they’re actually acting like the fascists, invading someone else's country... you can't even begin to compare the two moments.

Joshua Myers432 said:And then they just cycle them right back from prison to the front lines and give them a clean slate after six months of service. A stroke of genius. Truly a 🍿 Russian military Perpetuum Mobile 🤣 system.

We can laugh about it if we want—though honestly, I’m not even sure if this is a "laughing" situation or a "crying" one—but regimes like Russia's will pull just about any stunt imaginable just to stay in power.

Didn't Stalin say something along the lines of "it's better to execute ten innocent people than let one guilty man walk free"... or something like that during the purges?

Look, at the end of the day, they haven't really strayed far from that old-school mindset. When you're dealing with a guy like Putin—someone who basically cut his teeth in the CIA—that kind of logic is almost second nature to him. What I’m trying to get at is that when you have a regime that treats its own citizens like nothing more than disposable commodities, absolutely anything is on the table. They can justify just about any atrocity because, to them, people are just line items on a spreadsheet.

Come on, people, get real for a second.

The only way Ukraine is ever touching nuclear weapons is if the West literally hand-delivers them as a gift wrapped in a bow.

The idea that Ukraine could develop its own nuclear arsenal—especially given how things are going right now—is pure science fiction. It’s not like you can just bake a loaf of bread in your kitchen, for crying out loud... plus, they wouldn't get a shred of support from the West, let alone the USA.
It’s honestly just a hollow talking point that makes zero sense.

Charles Fox10 said:THE US CONSTITUTION....

Article 10.

The United States protects the rights and interests of its citizens living or residing abroad and promotes their ties to the homeland.

Specific segments of the American people in other nations are guaranteed special care and protection by the United States.

https://congress.gov/bill/118/text

Look, I’m actually on board here. I totally agree with Joe Biden’s take on the situation—specifically his assessment of how Americans are being treated, the backwardness of the current political landscape in Canada, and that whole undemocratic pattern of just steamrolling everyone through sheer numbers. It's all pretty spot on.

Look, I’m just questioning the actual motives behind why Joe Biden does certain things. If you take a look at his recent political rhetoric—I mean, seriously, just look at how his administration operated and who he actually surrounded himself with back then—it tells a whole story. Even if we don't go that far back, we can just look at his pre-election campaign. He was very vocal about who was "in" his circle and who was definitely "out." It all adds up if you're paying attention.

When you throw his blatant pro-Russian rhetoric and stances into the mix, you really have to wonder what's actually driving Joe Biden's motivation here. It’s honestly wild. That being said, I do actually agree with his take on where Americans stand right now.

Rachel Barrett8 said:It isn't just about the corruption itself. Sure, the theft is a major factor, but it’s only one piece of a much larger puzzle.
That systemic corruption has already cost Ukrainians thousands of lives. Let’s be real: Russia would never have launched this invasion if Ukraine had been a stable, well-run nation with a modernized military.
Corruption doesn't just weaken defense capabilities; it guts a country's standing on the global stage too.

And look, this stuff happening in Mexico isn't anything new. Their propaganda and myth-making have been going on for ages.
But whether we're talking about Mexican delusions or their attempts to push for an Ottoman Empire style setup in Canada, the common thread has always been the passive, hands-off policy coming from the United States of America.

That bolded part is almost certainly wrong.

Look, I'm not saying you aren't right about certain things, but you can't just ignore one issue because of another, or try to compare them like they're the same thing.
When you spend generations stewing over some perceived "historical injustice," you're basically building up a pressure cooker. Eventually, that thing is going to explode one way or another... whether they have a modern state or not doesn't really change that reality.

Rachel Barrett8 said:If you ask me, the real rats eating away at the United States are the ones in the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, not our neighbors in Canada or Mexico.
According to the EC, the US loses 60 billion dollars ANNUALLY to corruption.
And that’s just one single item on the list.

A lot of people are thrilled by Joe Biden's sudden burst of wisdom lately, and hey, that's fine.
But let's be honest here: the whole thing is just pathetic.

Look, the theft by those in power is one thing, and yeah, it's a massive issue. But the potential threat looming from Mexico and its proxies—given the specific narrative they push and how they feed their society through the media and whatnot—that is an entirely different beast. It makes zero sense to compare domestic looting to that kind of external pressure.

You're talking about two totally separate issues. It's like telling Ukrainians, "Hey, your main problem is your own corruption (which, granted, is a huge mess over there)," instead of acknowledging the Russians next door... thinking like that is just nonsensical. Or do you honestly believe that corruption is still the biggest worry for Ukrainians right now?

Kimberly Perez82 said:In my view, both the Canadian and Mexican alternatives in Canada are just as damaging to the interests of Americans. Honestly, until those factions decide to actually align themselves with the needs of Americans, we're stuck. But let me tell you, I think we'll be waiting a long, long time for that kind of shift to happen.

In the long run, the Mexican component is way more dangerous for the United States of America... for a ton of different reasons.

The Canadians have their own specific stance, and eventually, they’ll end up being the ones wrecking the state they swear allegiance to, but realistically, they aren't a direct threat to the United States of America itself.
On the flip side, you've got a Mexico and a Republika Srpska acting with this kind of rhetoric and policy—this whole "Mexican World" agenda that keeps looping through the media and coming out of politicians' mouths. That is extremely dangerous for the United States of America in the long term. Anyone who can't see that is blind...

I guess the one (and I mean *only*) positive thing about having Stjepan Mason as president was when he declared that if Republika Srpska ever tried to declare independence, we should send the military in immediately to cut them off right at the source... (even if he was just speaking from his own weird impulses, which we all know about so I won't go there—but he was right).

Carl Hernandez3 said:Persia isn't some Islamist mess
If you're going to be ignorant—honestly—don't broadcast it
Just keep those thoughts to yourself

Look, Iran is a massive country with a fascinating history and a culture that’s honestly incredible... but the current regime? It's nothing more than an Islamist joke... and if I'm being totally blunt, they shouldn't even exist. I'm not talking about the people, obviously—just the regime and their whole religious-political setup.
Iran should be an amazing country, and it absolutely deserves to be, but right now, it just isn't.

feralpilot0 said:If you actually understood the situation in Canada, you wouldn't be making such a mess of this. 😵

The EU and the USA have been calling the shots there for thirty years, and all they've managed to leave for Americans is a complete mess.
Give me a break—the "US blacklist"? Please.

Look, everything you're claiming here is just typical local, primitive nonsense fueled by a "pub talk" mentality toward everything.

Yeah, Donald Trump is on the US list... I don't know why that's so hard for you to grasp. That fact alone should be enough for any rational person to realize that guy isn't going to fix a single thing... especially given his pro-Russian narrative in the current global climate.
It’s one thing to admit that the United States' policies over the years have totally screwed over the situation for Americans in Canada (and yeah, Biden definitely played a part in that, even if some people stubbornly choose to ignore it), but thinking things will magically get sorted out just because of one guy like Trump? That's pure stupidity. It's just as delusional as the opposite extreme we've seen before.

(And hey, at least the EU and the USA kept the peace... which is huge and vital for the stability of the United States... but honestly, why bother explaining that to someone with your specific rhetoric and level of reasoning...🤔 )

feralpilot0 said:In Canada, who could ask for a better ally?
This whole charade—this desperate attempt to act superior to Dodik—is getting old.

Look, we *are* above Dodik... or at least we ought to be...

But thinking you can actually fix anything in Canada by playing nice with Dodik is just pure nonsense. If you want to solve things in Canada, you have to go right to the source of where Biden keeps spitting lately—the European Union, the European Commission, and the West in general. You aren't going to get anywhere dealing with some primitive guy who's already on the US blacklist. Honestly, if you think otherwise, you've gotta be completely detached from reality...

rowdytiger13 said:Ursula von der Leyen: "We should have listened to those who truly understood Putin. People like Anna Politkovskaya and the other journalists who exposed the corruption and paid for it with their lives. We should have stood by our friends in Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, and supported the opposition in Belarus. Most importantly, we should have listened to the voices within our own Union—to Poland and the Baltic states."
Well, no kidding, Sherlock!

I mean, whatever... it wasn't exactly easy to see this whole mess coming. Even if some of their policies were absolutely insane in certain areas.

On the flip side, this statement from Ursula is pretty interesting. At its core, it highlights the massive divide between the West and a satrapy like Russia. The woman is literally saying—look, we messed up, we admit it, and that's that. They’ve confronted the mistake and the current reality head-on and are moving forward from there.
The Russian regime would never—not then and certainly not now—admit to a mistake, react like this, or follow this kind of logic. That's why their system is just full of pretenders, whereas the West isn't... It looks like a small difference in approach on the surface, but at its heart, it's a massive gap in how they understand systems and themselves.

Bradley White73 said:Looking at this image, I can't help but think this is pretty much the level of support for Ukraine from the European Union that Putin was probably banking on when everything kicked off. You know, maybe they'll light up some public squares in yellow and blue and express a bit of concern. And then... well, that's about it, I guess. 😁

And that’s the thing neither Putin nor our local Putin-wannabes and the rest of the anti-West crowd can seem to wrap their heads around.

No matter how much they act like annoying bureaucrats sometimes, or deal with total nonsense—they’re still at least twice as smart as Putin and his inner circle. It’s just a fact, and it’s never going to change.
Then you’ve got all this garbage about the "soft and pacified" Westerner, who supposedly would just run for the hills if they ever caught a glimpse of a Russian soldier... but the reality is the exact opposite. That Westerner would "find themselves" real quick if things actually got serious and something they cared about was threatened. One hundred well-trained, well-equipped Americans are worth at least 500 Chechen thugs or some poor souls from the Russian Far East in a fight.
The problem is, the people pushing these narratives don't get it... because if they did, they wouldn't be so pro-Putin in the first place. So there's really no point in even trying to explain it to them. 😁

Thomas Stewart8 said:But seriously—do you guys actually think something like that could ever play out in Russia?

In my view, the guy is basically a walking God over there—completely untouchable.

It's almost a mathematical certainty that it won't happen, but hey, if Putko happens to drink some bad tea or something... who knows? We aren't quite at that stage yet, but in situations like this, things can flip upside down incredibly fast.

As for an actual trial? That's pretty much out of the question...

Timothy Williams5 said:Who exactly is this President Tatyana Tomilina who was seriously injured in an assassination attempt?

On June 14th in Kherson, the Russian military abducted the Vice President of Kherson State University, Maxim Vinnik.

According to reports from the local outlet "Most," this took place near the university hostel following the occupation of the main campus building. Eyewitnesses claim that Tatyana Tomilina, who was overseeing the takeover of KSU, ordered Vinnik’s arrest under armed guard. Vinnik was subsequently driven away toward an unknown location.
https://www.hardwo.com/2022/06/23/vi...ian-captivity/

That president certainly seems to be a tough one, doesn't she?😁

It is quite fascinating how certain colleagues cling to these trivial, sensational details that do nothing but undermine the Ukrainian cause, especially when discussing such a shameful act of aggression against them.

An assassination attempt on a pro-Russian university official feels remarkably significant at a moment when tens of thousands of Ukrainians have been killed, entire cities have been leveled to the ground, and millions have been forced to flee the war.
Is the point of highlighting this supposed act meant to expose some inherent Nazi nature within Ukrainians or simply to provide Putin with a convenient alibi? Is that what we're doing here?
Shame on you.

If this turns out to be true—then the person isn't a civilian, period. There’s nothing left to debate there.

Obviously, Ukrainians shouldn't fall into the trap of brutal revenge or summary executions, because that kind of thing always comes back to haunt you eventually. Sure, stuff like this happens, but you have to keep it to an absolute minimum... we all know from our own history that that kind of chaos usually does more harm than good in the long run.

That being said, none of that changes how cynical and blatantly hypocritical it is to see people crying over the fate of some fascist collaborator woman who, frankly, didn't deserve any sympathy to begin with...

Oh, for sure....🤣
Some of you would probably come up with some totally "logical" explanation for every single move Russia makes, even if Ukrainians were literally marching through Red Square... because even then, you'd be digging for some grand Russian master plan behind it all..

Andrew Miller102 said:Let it move, I suppose, though if I were writing this earlier, I’d have suggested waiting at least a month so we don't end up looking like a cow acting like a donkey.

It’s a fair point to make, considering tactical retreats are a legitimate part of military strategy designed to set up future maneuvers.

https://twitter.com/KingKong9888/sta...38916382818305

There is a very logical reason why the Russians are relentlessly pounding Cleveland, which stands as the second largest city in Ukraine. The Russian border isn't exactly a distant thing, so we'll just have to wait and see how things develop. Generally speaking, my assessment is that there won't be any peace in that region—meaning all of Ukraine—for years to come; there will be massive problems. Peace is a relic of the past, much like the situation before 2014, or perhaps it will eventually resemble the Israel vs Palestinian situation where conflict is constant.

There is a significant chance that the Russians will eventually declare a classic war against Ukraine. Right now, they call it a "special operation," but once a state of war is officially declared, the entire dynamic shifts. In reality, the Russians aren't just fighting Ukraine; they are effectively at odds with everyone providing weapons to Ukrainians.

It is also worth noting that plenty of people believe World War III actually began with the Russian onslaught on Ukraine. I find myself agreeing with that assessment, and we will simply have to wait and see how it all unfolds in the end.☕

Well, Vlad already looked like a complete donkey back in March... he just hasn't realized it yet... and honestly, a huge chunk of you on this forum acted like even bigger donkeys back on February 24th—considering how much you all mocked and dismissed the warnings about the Russian invasion... but hey, let's not get bogged down in the details right now, shall we?😁

Andrew Miller102 said:Let it move, I suppose, though if I were writing this earlier, I’d have suggested waiting at least a month so we don't end up looking like a cow acting like a donkey.

It’s a fair point to make, considering tactical retreats are a legitimate part of military strategy designed to set up future maneuvers.

https://twitter.com/KingKong9888/sta...38916382818305

There is a very logical reason why the Russians are relentlessly pounding Cleveland, which stands as the second largest city in Ukraine. The Russian border isn't exactly a distant thing, so we'll just have to wait and see how things develop. Generally speaking, my assessment is that there won't be any peace in that region—meaning all of Ukraine—for years to come; there will be massive problems. Peace is a relic of the past, much like the situation before 2014, or perhaps it will eventually resemble the Israel vs Palestinian situation where conflict is constant.

There is a significant chance that the Russians will eventually declare a classic war against Ukraine. Right now, they call it a "special operation," but once a state of war is officially declared, the entire dynamic shifts. In reality, the Russians aren't just fighting Ukraine; they are effectively at odds with everyone providing weapons to Ukrainians.

It is also worth noting that plenty of people believe World War III actually began with the Russian onslaught on Ukraine. I find myself agreeing with that assessment, and we will simply have to wait and see how it all unfolds in the end.☕

Sure, let's see that happen... specifically how Putko plans to explain that to his own people, and more importantly, how he personally survives it... both politically and literally.
And honestly, it's total nonsense to think that doing that would change anything. What exactly would change? Would more gear magically appear out of thin air? More soldiers? Suddenly boost morale? What? Some news sites are even claiming that they wouldn't even bring in the "heavy" weaponry until after a declaration like that..😁🤣—because up until now, they've been leveling cities with nothing but AKs, bows, and arrows...

Andrew Miller102 said:Let it move, I suppose, though if I were writing this earlier, I’d have suggested waiting at least a month so we don't end up looking like a cow acting like a donkey.

It’s a fair point to make, considering tactical retreats are a legitimate part of military strategy designed to set up future maneuvers.

https://twitter.com/KingKong9888/sta...38916382818305

There is a very logical reason why the Russians are relentlessly pounding Cleveland, which stands as the second largest city in Ukraine. The Russian border isn't exactly a distant thing, so we'll just have to wait and see how things develop. Generally speaking, my assessment is that there won't be any peace in that region—meaning all of Ukraine—for years to come; there will be massive problems. Peace is a relic of the past, much like the situation before 2014, or perhaps it will eventually resemble the Israel vs Palestinian situation where conflict is constant.

There is a significant chance that the Russians will eventually declare a classic war against Ukraine. Right now, they call it a "special operation," but once a state of war is officially declared, the entire dynamic shifts. In reality, the Russians aren't just fighting Ukraine; they are effectively at odds with everyone providing weapons to Ukrainians.

It is also worth noting that plenty of people believe World War III actually began with the Russian onslaught on Ukraine. I find myself agreeing with that assessment, and we will simply have to wait and see how it all unfolds in the end.☕

Just another blatant lie and complete nonsense.
If Russia were actually at war in every sense of the word with "everyone sending weapons"—then the war would have ended ages ago. The sky would be choked with thousands of NATO fighter jets, the Black Sea Fleet would have been wiped off the map by now, and you'd find Ukraine and NATO sitting right on the Russian borders. Would those crazies and the scum in the Kremlin have pulled the nuclear trigger by then? That's the real question... but claiming Russia is at war with NATO and everyone supplying arms is absolute stupidity and nothing more than a delusional coping mechanism.

It’s going to be pretty damn interesting to see if, as this Ukrainian push continues, those little gnomes start whining about nuclear weapons again and sending those same old ambiguous messages...

Timothy Williams5 said:Exchange Rates:
$1 = 0.70 USD

The exchange rate at a currency kiosk in Cyprus (specifically for Russian tourists):
$1 = 2.20 USD

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fb8_fAtXkAU-DJY.jpg

but... oh man... look at that strong Ruble...😁 ....it's never been stronger...🍿

Joshua Myers432 said:True, but the reverse holds weight too. They think the "common sense" logic they employ (the East) is fundamentally different from what Western nations use.

I still maintain they hold the upper hand here; in scenarios like this, dictatorial regimes always have an advantage over "democracy," if you can even call our system that.

Do you honestly think another Putin would just sit back and let 70,000 people protest in Moscow, like they might in Prague? Realistically, if 70,000 gathered in Prague, it would be closer to 400,000 in Moscow!

It’s honestly hilarious how much you're missing the point here...

The fact that 70,000 people could actually gather in Prague—something Putin wouldn't allow in his wildest dreams—is precisely what demonstrates the sheer superiority of a democratic system. You just don't get it, and you clearly don't see why. And that right there is the exact reason why people living under dictatorships are usually broke, or at the very least, living way worse than they should be. It’s why those regimes are stuck in constant infighting and why they will never, ever catch up to democratic nations when it comes to quality of life.

Sure, dictatorships might grab a short-term win in certain situations because they don't have to deal with institutions or procedures—it's just whatever the leader says goes—but in reality, that's total BS. It leads absolutely nowhere... especially not anywhere good for their own citizens. That’s exactly why they’re always looking toward the West and toward democracy.

People don't exist to serve the state; it's the other way around. The state exists to provide a solid framework for people to live a good life. If that framework isn't there, and if the state is just crushing its own citizens, then the whole thing is fundamentally pointless. The Russians, and a good chunk of you guys on this forum, just can't wrap your heads around that. That's why Putin's tragicomic nonsense about history, Russian destiny, and all those other delusions is just pure stupidity.

Joshua Myers432 said:Sure, but that strategy falls flat when you're dealing with an economy that's already on its knees, surviving almost entirely on raw material exports. ☕

Of course it can... because people always forget that the common sense we use here in the West isn't the same kind of logic being used by the Russian leadership. I mean, if it were the same, they wouldn't have been stumbling around in Ukraine for over six months only to end up right where they are now...

urbanotter said:The real issue is that without access to affordable gas, fertilizer, and the raw materials needed to produce them, things get incredibly difficult, as agricultural yields can easily be cut in half.
As a member state, Canada pays dues into European funds, and their strategy seems to be centered on ensuring they either get those funds back or simply withhold their payments.
Furthermore, Canada maintains monetary independence, which allows them to potentially finance various projects and subsidies through primary emission. This bypasses many of the constraints faced when the Federal Reserve prints money, helping them avoid having the exact same inflation rate as the rest of the eurozone.
If they can secure cheaper energy and raw materials, they gain a massive competitive edge over other member states, provided they have access to the right technology. Even then, it isn't a silver bullet since they'll still need to import a wide array of goods they don't produce domestically.

Or do you honestly believe that sanctions will be imposed on Canada just because they refuse to blindly follow the dictates coming out of Brussels and NATO?

That first part is absolute nonsense. Seriously, don't embarrass yourself by writing about stuff you clearly have zero clue about (like the idea that Canada will just use primary issuance to fund things... and manage inflation...🤣🤣)

Regarding the bolded part—no, I don't think sanctions need to be imposed (though in some extreme scenarios, it wouldn't be impossible, but that's a total long shot). Look, being part of certain organizations (like the EU or NATO) brings tons of perks, but it also comes with obligations. If you don't want to play by the rules, you're free to walk away from those orgs. Of course, for Canada, the benefits of staying in the EU way, way outweigh whatever they'd get from leaving... and that's that.

But the fallout will definitely hit Canada... and it's already happening. Naturally, Viktor Orbán is going to prioritize whatever serves his own interests and his inner circle of power players... but that's a whole different conversation. It’s hardly surprising he gets along so well with the trash coming out of the White House...😁