Posts by William Anderson5

bluemason3 said:I wonder if oligarchs can actually turn on Putin without just replacing him with an equally terrible clone.

They aren't exactly independent actors. Whether you're looking at the old Yeltsin crowd or the new Putin loyalists, most of that wealth is tied directly to state connections. Some analysts even go as far as suggesting these oligarchs are basically just Putin’s accountants.

And if that's really how deep the connection goes, you have to ask if they could ever actually change the system without taking themselves down with it.

It all hinges on the people in Putin's inner circle. If there isn't a direct link between the oligarchs and those decision-makers, nothing much will change.

Looking at Putin's invasion of Ukraine—something no rational oligarch would actually support—it seems clear he's moved beyond their influence, and they've lost their seat at his table...

https://mobile.twitter.com/sberbank/...27428409368580

The comments flooding Sberbank’s official Twitter feed suggest things are getting messy over in Russia. Apparently, people haven't been able to access their funds for the last few hours, and the ATMs are reportedly running dry...

Carol Newman2 said:What’s actually left for the sanctions to do?

Canada is already moving toward an embargo on Russian oil imports.

Carol Newman2 said:Germany has shut down its airspace to Russian aircraft

The entire EU is doing the same...

Keith Williams3 said:He’s diving into how he views Ukrainian history, framing the whole invasion as a move to push Americans out of the picture.

It's all just a manufactured pretext.

Keith Williams3 said:Exactly. Apparently, Russia doesn't have any right to feel secure.

Someone already touched on this. Fine then, let's have Poland demand guarantees from Belarus and send over a list of requirements.

I'm sure the Belarusians will jump at the chance to comply...

mistycanyon67 said:No, considering they were attacked for that exact reason. The Russian demand was military neutralization and demilitarization based on their own security concerns. They didn't comply, and this is the result.

Did you actually listen to Putin's speech? He didn't claim they attacked because of that; he argued that Ukraine isn't even a real state, that they have no legitimate government, and that the land belongs to Russia...

Keith Williams3 said:The US presence in Ukraine is basically a knife to Russia's throat. Russia tells you "get that knife away from me," and you're sitting there asking what they offered in exchange for removing it?

That's just surreal.

That’s how sane, rational diplomacy actually works. Under your logic, Putin could just keep blackmailing you until he's conquered all of Europe. You're talking nonsense.

Betty Murphy3 said:Even better—it’ll be over faster. He isn't exactly outsmarting any Russian general, I'm sure. This could turn out quite well for the Ukrainians; hand everything over to a fool, let him run the show, and then watch them retreat to a bunker just like Hitler did—with the slight difference that, in this scenario, his own people will likely come looking for him.

I have to disagree. It’s entirely possible the general simply refused some insane order, like leveling Kyiv to the ground. This guy wouldn't hesitate for a second.

Of course, all of this assumes the news is actually true...

Keith Williams3 said:The demand to leave Ukraine.

Is Putin suggesting that Russia would pull out of Ukraine if his demands are met? Are we talking about Crimea? And did Biden turn that down?

Could someone drop a link for me?

bonesy said:Let's review the basics here. Ukraine has been arming itself for months, all while Putin keeps issuing his warnings.

Good grief, can you seriously not see that there were actual reasons to arm up? You people are living in a parallel universe...

Keith Williams3 said:Come on, stop lying. Putin actually sent a message two months ago.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...e-ukraine-nato

Biden shot him down.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-ne...livered-letter

Putin didn't actually offer anything. He just sent over a list of demands. There wasn't even anything to reject. Which "offer" from Putin did Biden turn down?...

Rebecca Lewis7 said:The British and Americans seem perfectly willing to wage war against Russia and China until the very last Australian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Czech, American, Korean, Japanese, Estonian, Canadian, or Slovakian stands.

And they will certainly continue to offer us their unwavering support through rhetoric, and by "gifting" us weaponry on credit—debt that we will eventually settle by handing over our real estate.

Meanwhile, the Russian leadership will just keep sending every last Russian until there's nothing left...

Charles Fox said:He certainly didn't launch this for fun or out of boredom.
Political sociopaths have always existed, and they aren't going anywhere. Unfortunately, innocent people are always the ones caught in the crossfire of their greed, while those responsible stay tucked away safely, leaving others to pay the ultimate price.
I'm not taking sides here. If you want to pick a team, go ahead—go grab your gear and see how long you actually last.

And which war was started without a reason?

Rebecca Lewis7 said:Vladimir Putin is contemplating nuclear escalation against the Fed, yet the Russians were the ones who initiated the aggression first, so how does one interpret that? They are acting like savages... completely irrational.

Does anyone here honestly expect the Russians to simply sit there and take it while their economy is being dismantled without any counter-measures or retaliatory sanctions? It is a rather absurd expectation.

One should not issue threats unless one is fully prepared to execute them and risk a broken hand or a black eye in the ensuing brawl.

The Russians tend to deliberate extensively before making a move, but once they commit, they are unstoppable; the more sanctions applied, the harder they strike. When they finally decide to act, they don't stop to calculate the cost or hesitate—they see things through to the end regardless of the price, so I certainly wouldn't advise trifing with them,, and no person of sound mind would engage them in such a manner.

Naive, gullible fools need to wake up from their fairy tales and face reality; otherwise, they will end up wailing just like the Ukrainians are doing now, asking "how could this happen?" or "why us?" and begging for comrades to help.A collection of useless "allies" is nowhere to be found when it actually matters.

Look at what happens when people fight back like the former Georgian president did; what kind of support did Georgia actually receive from those useless allies? They ended up with a broken state and zero actual assistance. Or consider the "allies" in Afghanistan, wandering aimlessly through the country while the women in ninja units are left to thank those useless Western powers for their "support."

These so-called allies only offer support as long as there is a clear financial incentive or an opportunity for extra profit; the moment real costs begin to mount, they suddenly become deaf, blind, and invent all sorts of excuses to claim they bear no responsibility.

The Russians are doing terrible things to Ukrainians.

rape_artist said:Putin removed the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation for the failure of the operation in Ukraine.

This is probably the worst possible outcome. His successor will likely take an even harder, more ruthless approach...

If this turns out to be true, it means the madman has decided to personally oversee operations, much like Hitler did...

Rachel Allen55 said:Here’s the first red flag out of Denmark.

https://www.berlingske.dk/politik/da...lp-til-ukraine

Denmark is handing over $7 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Yet just two weeks ago, they could barely scrape together about $300 to help 200,000 households cover basic heating and energy costs. It wasn't nearly enough.

And get this—they only gave seniors a measly 15-cent raise this year.

The usual excuses: "we don't have the budget," "COVID did this," etc. But suddenly, $7 million for Ukraine appears out of thin air in just a couple of days.

It’s like you’re ignoring the fact that Europe is effectively at war. Everything changed on February 24, 2022. The fight against Russia is the only thing on the agenda now.

Frank Walker7 said:Which really brings me back to my original thought: I wonder just how much longer Germany can hold out without that Russian gas coming in?

Come on, guys. If they actually made that call, those gas tankers should already be heading toward the EU...

vividtiger72 said:And they’re definitely negotiating behind closed doors. When you consider how much Turkey stands to gain from trading with Russia, the stakes are just too high to ignore; this is their chance to carve out some incredible terms for the future. Erdogan is constantly sweating over the state of his economy and that runaway inflation... getting cheap energy or food supplies from Russia would go a long way for him.

Making an unofficial promise to Zelenskyy for Erdogan is probably the easiest part of the whole deal.

Do you honestly believe Putin has anything to offer Erdogan that the USA can't match? The only thing Putin could realistically give him is Crimea, which used to be old Turkish territory...🤣

Thomas Nelson25 said:Look, what can you do? The regime is just pure repression.

I’m sitting here reading about death penalties for "traitors"... if you read between the lines, it's pretty clear... it's a direct message to the Russian people... the point is simple: shut up and follow the leader.

Putin is doing everything in his power to bring himself down...