Posts by Melissa Rivera5

Kimberly Perez82 said:This whole conflict needs to reach a conclusion, and honestly, we really ought to start easing things up with Russia. There’s a mutual necessity here; both sides need one another to find some sort of balance. But I just don't see how we ever get there as long as the EU continues to act like a lapdog, blindly following the interests of the USA even when it clearly works against their own best interests.

Just send Vladimir Putin a telegram or something and tell him to end the war. Boom. Done. It’s really not that deep, I suppose.

dustyfalcon122 said:And honestly, Ukraine has enough uranium to spread it all over somewhere like Moscow. It wouldn't be a direct strike, but it would be enough to make sure nobody can live there anymore.
It's not that simple, though. You don't really gain anything by using a nuclear strike (especially not in terms of conquering territory), but you definitely lose everything through mass retaliation.

There are actually plenty of isotopes way worse than uranium that you could use to make dirty bombs and drop them on Moscow or Pittsburgh as payback. Just tiny little conventional explosions, but they'd release catastrophic amounts of beta and gamma radiation.

I think it’s pretty funny how people love to rant about capitalism and globalization while they're sitting there using an iUređaj, an Apple, and all that other gear that basically comes out of North Korea.

analogbear5 said:Think semiconductors.

Man, I'm already getting my hopes up...

Superconductors? Man, I totally missed that news. Does anyone have a link? If it's legit, we're looking at some seriously revolutionary tech here.

dustytiger8 said:And who exactly is supposed to be buying this? Who even has the credibility to make such claims?

Is Ukraine under the US nuclear umbrella? On what basis?

Stop bringing up Putin and nuclear retaliation every five minutes without any actual context.

In an asymmetric nuclear standoff, Putin holds the upper hand. That is why US aid to Ukraine is being dripped out in increments rather than being unconditional. It is also likely why you see so much involvement from the Englishman; Americans clearly prefer to stay hands-off when possible.

Interesting situation.

He’s not being as extra as Zakharov or that idiot over at NASA. If you honestly think someone can just drop atomic bombs on Europe and nothing happens—besides some weird fantasy where the EU joins up with Russia—you're forgetting that France and the UK have nukes too. Not to mention China and India definitely wouldn't be happy about that.

Like, let me say it again: using any kind of WMD, not just nukes, would basically be proof that he *lost* the special operation and had zero choice left but to go the WMD route. By his own logic, it would be fratricide because he doesn't even admit Ukrainians exist, claiming they're all just Russians. People make jokes about Biden being a diaper baby, but this guy? He’d just be a total lunatic.

It would also be the ultimate sign that negotiations were *never* actually on the table, because the guy is apparently willing to walk straight into a holocaust just to get his way.

dustytiger8 said:Does dropping a single tactical nuke on Kyiv actually "solve the problem" locally—targeting the seats of power like the White House, the President, or the Pentagon?

You make a quick speech at the UN Security Council, point a finger to "find someone to blame," and call it an attempt to prevent escalation. You could just shell Kaliningrad or launch some conventional strikes instead...

In my view, Putin is crazy enough to pull the trigger... especially since time is running out...

There isn't any "necessary" symmetry in threat levels regarding a Western nuclear response if Russ uses nukes in Ukraine. Why would Americans even use them? What exactly was attacked!?

It’s a grim situation...

Honestly, nobody is going to buy some story about a "accidental" tactical strike on Kyiv, even if it actually was an accident (which, I guess, would be the easiest excuse to make, because it implies it could have happened anywhere if there wasn't a war going on).

Nancy Gomez26 said:Of course Putin won't pull that trigger. Regardless of his character, he isn't going to dig himself into an even deeper hole. He’s already buried himself deep enough and made his life complicated enough—and he's likely quite aware of that now. These narratives are purely for domestic consumption. It's their version of "we have the big stick," regardless of the fact that they haven't even mastered the conventional conflict they stumbled into. Domestically, you sharpen the rhetoric solely to prevent people from asking: how many of our own have died in this special operation? By framing it as a global threat involving nuclear weapons, the failure of the special operation and the unnecessary loss of life don't look nearly as grim—because, theoretically, things could always be much worse.

And honestly, it's not just that. Since he didn't call this a military operation but instead used the term "special," it would imply that during an official time of peace, Vladimir Putin would just drop tactical nukes on a nation he claims are Russians in denial. I mean, he'd basically end up killing millions of his own people while technically not being at war. That would officially make him one of the biggest mass murderers in human history.

We're talking about a military that basically crowdsources tools to fix planes and takes its vehicles to local civilian mechanics—and then tries to sue them if they won't help.

The US would totally be down for it, but they'd need a few more hands on deck to actually pull it off. Then again, maybe that alone would be enough of a reason for NATO to step into the fray. I mean, a bomb is one thing, but dealing with a radioactive cloud? That's a whole different beast. Especially if the wind decides to blow all that stuff right over toward people in Russia 🙂

Is it just me, or does this whole obsession with nuclear strikes feel super morbid? Like, we’re talking about millions of Ukrainians dying, yet some people act like we're just discussing spraying DDT to kill a few mosquitoes. It's weird how part of the group acts like it's no big deal, almost like more casualties won't matter and there won't be any fallout at all.

Maybe everyone could just chill out a little bit. I mean, there's basically zero chance that dropping an atomic bomb wouldn't end up being a total disaster for Putin, if not for the entire global order.

gentlestag15 said:So, some mechanic over in Crimea refused to fix a military vehicle
and the court decided his entire property should just be bulldozed.
https://twitter.com/novayagazeta_en/...62619534864386

Stuff like this really says a lot about how the Russian military is actually doing, and I guess it gives us a pretty good hint about how much longer this war can even last. Honestly, any army that has to rely on civilian mechanics to patch up their vehicles—or worse, relies on crowdfunding just to get tools to fix planes—is clearly dealing with some massive issues. I mean, if this kind of thing happened during peacetime, it would be super unsettling, let alone just a few months into a conflict. I’d say Putin’s whole "we haven't even started yet" vibe might just be living in his own head, because if you haven't even gotten going and you're already short on basic tools and engineering support... well, man, you're in trouble.

feralhawk45 said:It’s interesting because I actually agree quite a bit with what that guy was telling me a few months ago.
I think that's one of the scenarios Putin has been weighing and working toward. Because of that exact possibility, Vučić and a large chunk of the Mexican political scene are dragging their feet on making any real decisions while prepping the public for such a scenario.

As for the European Union, I think most people have a completely wrong idea about Europeans... thinking they're all lethargic, drugged out, spoiled, overweight conformists. Personally, I'm convinced of the exact opposite.

If you look at history, we Americans—well, Europeans—can be pretty quiet about it, but we can be absolutely ruthless. Let's not play games and pretend that Mexicans or Russians aren't part of the European story, but the reality is, if someone is banking on things getting "radicalized," it doesn't mean people are going to turn traitors. Maybe things do get radical, and then suddenly Mexico becomes a mix of Eastern America, Romania, and Albania, and Russia gets reduced to nothing more than a Moscow fiefdom.

dustyowl29 said:I mean, considering he was busy snitching on everyone else too, I guess it's fair enough...

I mean, since he was out there printing money during wartime and basically caused people to die, he probably should've faced the death penalty. Just a firing squad and call it a day, I guess.

rowdytiger13 said:They certainly think they own the place, but the reality is they can't project any influence when they have nothing tangible to offer. Even those screaming "level the playing field with Putin" wouldn't dream of living in Russia if someone offered them a visa and a work permit anywhere else in the West.
The Czech Republic used to be crawling with CIA assets—it was practically the CIA's hub for Europe—plus the Czechs didn't share that same aversion the Poles have... but it didn't lead to much since the standard of living in the Czech Republic is better than in Russia, especially after joining the European Union.

Right? It’s kind of funny how everyone loves to talk up Russia like it's this massive moral, military, and economic powerhouse... but honestly, those same people wouldn't even dream of vacationing there, let alone anything else.

rowdyraven112 said:Most prices are from March. Exchange rate was roughly $1=62 rubles. This link is better than the gambler's, but still wouldn't recommend it because:
1. I have no clue what the actual dollar-to-ruble rate is in Russian banks right now.
2. No idea if prices changed given the inflation over there.
3. The Dollar strengthened against the Euro and the local currency, so you'll get wrong numbers if you use today's exchange rate—it's actually higher, to be more precise.
4. Same goes for the ruble; maybe you get more rubles per $1 now.

I guess we just can't make any real sense of the numbers here. The ruble isn't really a free-floating currency anymore, you know? It doesn't matter what the official exchange rate says on paper if you can't actually trade at that rate in the real world.

analogbear70 said:Folks, sometimes you need to use your head instead of just charging like a bull into a wall. We're hearing these massive announcements about millions of people heading out to liberate territory. In reality, half of them wouldn't make it out alive. Nobody is calling for dialogue, a ceasefire, or any kind of attempt to de-escalate this madness. Back during our own civil war, there were constant negotiations and attempts at peace, even if only on paper. There were even periods when the fighting near besieged Ottawa actually subsided. You simply cannot defeat a violent man who has a gun in his pocket. If you swing harder, he just pulls the trigger. That doesn't mean you surrender; it means you act with wisdom. For us to have moved toward liberation back then, we had to offer the aggressor a state-within-a-state option, which they rejected, and only then could we move forward. Here, we're talking about sending hundreds of thousands directly into the meat grinder, and nobody says a word... does anyone have any sense or conscience left? We urgently need some kind of ceasefire, any kind of truce, just to stop the shooting. Even Putin won't live for another 300 years; eventually, the leadership over there will change. Russia will likely buckle after a decade of isolation, and a new government will return the occupied territories. That will happen much sooner than liberating those lands by force of arms.

I guess that's because Putler wants nothing less than wiping the Ukrainian nation and their language off the map entirely. It's incredibly hard to negotiate with someone like Hitler when you're a Jew. That's not a "Jew problem," though—it's a problem with that guy and his mustache.

Jose Clark2 said:I am at a loss for how to respond to such crude comparisons.

I literally told you the question was rhetorical, so there wasn't actually an answer expected. If you're not sure what that means, I guess you could look it up in a dictionary or something.

Maybe go listen to some propaganda from Moscow instead.

Nathan Thomas12 said:Russia has some deep, structural issues with their population demographics and birth rates. This isn't new—it's been brewing for a long time, and they're in a way worse spot than we are. You can look that up yourself.
The war definitely isn't helping matters.

It’s kind of like what happened back during World War II, where so many young guys were lost, leaving behind a huge number of women without partners. It feels weirdly circular, like history is repeating itself, especially now with Putin sending tens of thousands of men straight into the line of fire.

Jose Clark2 said:At what cost? Through what kinds of evils and betrayals?

So, imagine I just show up at your house and tell everyone they have to bow down to me, change their last names to mine, or else I’m gonna absolutely wreck them—dry, mind you, using nothing but a roll of toilet paper as a condom. What would you do then? Just sit there and take it, or try to fight back? Or maybe I tell you I’m gonna go ahead and wreck everyone regardless of whether you surrender, and then I’ll just write a piece in some local rag saying I wiped out half your family and took everything you own just because I felt like it, just so you know I'm not playing games. What’s the move? Would you fight to the bitter end just to feel like you helped, or just watch me destroy your whole family? This is mostly rhetorical, I guess, but based on what you wrote, it seems pretty obvious you’d be more than happy to let me do *anything* to your family as long as you stayed untouched.

Arthur Miller7 said:If they're acting this cocky right now, it seriously scares the hell out of me. Like, what if we just handed them whatever "peace" terms they wanted immediately? I'm dying to know if they'd still be handing out passports in Georgia and Moldova, or if they'd already be eyeing the Baltic. Anyone who thinks they’d just stop at Ukraine clearly wasn't paying attention in class.

They'd probably head straight for Poland next. It’s like, once you get cocky because you conquered Ukraine, suddenly it's the combined US+Russian forces moving on Poland (and maybe Belarus too). I bet the Mexicans would be having a field day with that one.

Jose Clark2 said:It's obvious they won't pull out of Ukraine completely. Russ simply cannot afford to lose this war; they need concessions. If we don't give them what they want, what happens then?

Concessions? Seriously? What are you even talking about, man? This whole thing kicked off because Putin basically claimed they aren't even a real nation to begin with. He tried to take out
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his whole goal was to just swallow up all of Ukraine into Russia and wipe out their entire identity. So, like, what kind of concessions? Honestly, the Russians just need to bleed as much as possible.