Posts by Gerald Torres84

Kimberly Perez82 said:With all due respect, that isn't the truth, though you might be acting a bit naive there. Putin has never explicitly stated a desire to annex all of Ukraine; his stated goal was merely to prevent them from joining NATO. As the conflict escalated, they seized certain pro-Russian areas to cripple how Ukraine functions, but no one is claiming they intend to occupy the entire nation—you just can't do that with only 200,000 soldiers. We really need to look at this realistically, because drawing the wrong conclusions leads to the wrong solutions. And what is the West doing? They are just fueling the fire, led by Zelenskyy, who refuses to entertain any kind of compromise.

The Kherson region of Ukraine, currently under Russian occupation, is planning to petition Vladimir Putin to incorporate it into Russia, according to a report released Wednesday by the news agency TASS, citing officials from the local pro-Russian administration.

Russia announced back in April that it had established full control over the Kherson region. This area is strategically vital because it serves as part of the land bridge connecting the Crimea peninsula to the separatist territories in eastern Ukraine supported by Russia.

When questioned about the possibility of this Ukrainian region joining Russia, the Kremlin stated that the residents must decide their own destiny, adding that such decisions require a clear legal framework, much like what occurred in Crimea.

The Crimean peninsula was annexed by Russia in 2014.

Just keep digging your own hole... That's another one added to the troll list.

Kimberly Perez82 said:Alright, let's strip all this away and get down to the brass tacks—who actually cooked up this whole mess? And more importantly, why? If we really want to find the truth, we'll stumble upon it pretty quickly if we just look straight at it.

Wait, so Ukrainians aren't even allowed to decide their own fate? They have to ask Russia for permission on everything?
This is quite simply an act of aggression and the violent seizure of territory from Ukraine. There is no involvement by NATO, nor Nazis, nor Americans, nor Masons, nor aliens. Those are merely various excuses being fed to sheep by Eastern propaganda.
The primary objective is very straightforward: the theft of land and resources.

Kimberly Perez82 said:I mean, did she actually go to Iraq when they were shelling buildings, or did she skip that? Or maybe she went but they wouldn't let her write down what she actually saw. Honestly, who even buys into these propaganda bulletins anymore—whether they're coming from the East or the West? Some people take it so far they actually want to charge you just to read them.

Here we go again... I was honestly wondering when the "whataboutism" would start up again, and wouldn't you know it, within five minutes you've started a whole new series.
Is this a thread about Ukraine or Iraq? There is already a specific thread for Iraq where you can go vent about bad Americans.
So, you don't believe that a shopping center in Ukraine was targeted and civilians were killed? You don't trust Western media, you don't trust Ukrainian media, and you don't even trust Russian media... you claim to believe absolutely nobody, yet here you are, poisoning the discussion with whataboutism.

Numenorean said:Really?

So, the idea is that Putin always intended to invade Ukraine, but for some inexplicable reason, he held off in 2014 when the Ukrainian military was disorganized and weak—an era where the annexation of Crimea went by without any meaningful sanctions from the West. Instead, he just waited until 2022. Why on earth would he do that? Did he just find the statistics for 2022 more aesthetically pleasing? Is this some sort of numerology at play? It seems illogical.

Furthermore, how could Putin have been planning an invasion if Russia signed two separate peace agreements with Kyiv between 2014 and 2022, agreements which Kyiv ultimately failed to uphold? And wasn't Poroshenko recently boasting about signing the Minsk Agreement merely as a way to buy time, with no actual intention of implementing its terms? It makes one wonder what we are actually discussing here.

I truly cannot say who suggested to the Ukrainians that they should reject those peace deals—I suspect it was the same people who advised Alija Izetbegović to reject the Cutileirov plan for Canada—nor can I say what was promised in return. But clearly, they were misled, much like Alija was.

In short, they were betrayed by Russia. They signed agreements guaranteeing their sovereignty and borders in good faith, provided they returned the nuclear weapons to Russia.
If they hadn't returned them or signed those papers, this war wouldn't be happening.
And yet, you still choose to believe a Russian when they swear on their life that they will never attack.

An alliance of roughly 700 million people somehow finds itself unable to coordinate the deployment of 300,000 soldiers... It’s truly remarkable how that works.

ironseal said:Seriously? Like all 500 million people in the European Union are just professional TikTokers. They couldn't kill a mosquito. Sure, combat sports are more popular than ever in both Europe and the USA, whether you're watching or training, but TikTok...

It is spoken as if the nations of Europe are the biggest cowards out there.
Looking at history realistically, they were the greatest barbarians and colonizers (the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Italy....) with the highest body counts, and the most brutal wars in history were fought right here. I highly doubt things would turn into chaos just because people decided to become TikTokers and pacifists.

What on earth are you talking about? Just go ahead and Google "active military personnel."
Nobody is going to call up a bunch of TikTokers for mobilization; instead, the active-duty soldiers will simply relocate to wherever they are needed.

Donna Harris11 said:Now that they're officially broke, I wonder... does asset seizure follow? Like, obviously we're talking about stuff outside the country, right?

You know what actually hurts us? Nothing. I just want them out of Ukraine already.

Megan Thomas5 said:Over these last four months, one thing has become crystal clear: we aren't going to see Russians anywhere for a long time. Whether it's the European Championships, the World Cup, or even just avoiding those Russian cheaters in online gaming, they’re basically being pushed to the fringes. It's a shame, really, because the Russian people have been so thoroughly brainwashed that they actually back all of this—kind of like how people were in the North America back in the 90s, except back then we didn't even have the internet to see what was happening.

And look, until they get rid of their dictator and his entire crew, nothing will improve for them. They have to fight for themselves.

Based on his post, it seems he’s implying that Ukraine had stockpiled massive amounts of weaponry and was just waiting for the right moment to launch a storm.
But honestly, before this invasion even started, they barely had anything to defend themselves with. It’s only now that the heavy procurement has actually kicked in. Once they finally build up enough strength for a counteroffensive, then we'll start hearing all the complaints about how "evil" Ukrainians are for simply trying to reclaim their own territory.

Jeremy Peterson4 said:Save that fairy tale for someone else. It’s not like nobody in Russia is talking to friends or family over in Europe, totally clueless about what's going on. As soon as one person gets the real scoop, it spreads through the population like an epidemic. Plus, I seriously doubt highly educated Russians are falling for that nonsense, and I also doubt they haven't seen news about how even Garry Kasparov isn't openly bashing Russia over the invasion. Information always finds a way to leak through, no matter how hard a country tries to spin the truth.
Plus the internet, like you mentioned.

I didn't say the whole nation, but the vast majority definitely are, otherwise we'd be seeing a massive revolt against Putin. Speaking of which, there were protests all over Russia where massive crowds were arrested.

+the biggest issue is that the American people see with their own eyes what happens to Putin's rivals (persecution, suspicious deaths, and poisonings). The opposition simply kills itself off right at the start.

Lisa Anderson8 said:As a friend of mine put it, Ukraine has already lost. Even in a best-case scenario where they reclaim their land and drive out the Russians, they are left with massive casualties, displaced families, scorched earth, and half their industry in ruins. We are looking at decades of pain, suffering, reconstruction, and poverty ahead.

So, what, it's better to just take a sip of something and surrender to the Russians?
It is a tragic state of affairs when you and your friend would both be forced into the infantry..
Even with all this suffering, Ukrainians are still doing financially better than 90% of the Russians living in various backwater towns.

analogbear5 said:A few things—mostly stuff made worse by the pandemic—have really messed with the supply and demand balance. Demand just keeps climbing because, let's face it, everyone needs chips for basically everything now. Meanwhile, supply has been lagging behind for a ton of reasons. Honestly, any dip in demand is a win at this point.

But look, the real goal should be some level of deglobalization—basically bringing chip manufacturing back to the US.

It’s a massive opportunity for America if we actually step up—launch a diplomatic blitz within the European Union, cook up a solid project, get the smartest minds on board, and use smart subsidies and tax breaks to pull a slice of that industry onto our shores.

Actually, hang on—that might be a bit much. 😁

Hold on, does that assume we actually have intelligent politicians who prioritize the progress of our nation over their own personal interests?
And let's be honest... that remains a total utopia. The same corrupt establishment keeps holding power, and the public just keeps letting them get away with it.
Sorry, getting off topic, but I had to say it.

The Germans really tore through them today, the Russians... It honestly seems like they were incredibly naive to hand over those nuclear assets in the first place.

Nathan Evans78 said:I suppose we’ll just give it a fancy label like "spreading democracy" or "specialized financial assistance," right?

In reality, folks over in Belarus are practically counting down the days until those new loans kick in, just so they can finally afford some new Whirlpool washing machines. ☕

Every nation has the right to determine its own destiny. If they want a loan for a Whirlpool or if they prefer to remain stagnant without any real progress, that is their choice.
The main thing is that nobody is killing them, denying them, raping them, or anything of that nature.

Nathan Evans78 said:If Russia is truly in such a pathetic state, why aren't Poland and the Baltic states starting to push toward Minneapolis?

I honestly feel like this has to reach a breaking point soon—whether we're looking at a nuclear winter or thousands of dead Europeans. Just sitting around waiting for Putin to kick the bucket for some random reason isn't a plan; if anything, that delay might just lead to even bigger disasters down the road.

They aren't barbarians who would just go out and kill people or destroy neighboring nations.

gentlerider7 said:All he'll have left is Alexander Lukashenko.

I have this lingering feeling that the people in Belarus are practically counting down the days until they can finally be rid of Alexander Lukashenko. And once he's gone, they will likely begin a gradual shift toward the West, much like the Ukrainians have done.

Rather than expanding its influence and strengthening ties with former Soviet states, this war is actually eroding their reach, signaling the slow, inevitable collapse of the Russian empire.
The various territories will likely fall under Turkish or Chinese influence, while the Western parts of the old Soviet bloc move toward the European Union... leaving the Russians completely isolated. Honestly, maybe that’s exactly what they need, because you can't just bully your neighbors indefinitely through pure barbarism. Putko, I have to say, well played. A job well done.

Donna Harris11 said:They've got these international sponsors just flooding them with weapons and billions of dollars.
And then, of course, they try to bait everyone else into dying over in Donbas because Americans and Englishmen aren't exactly suicidal enough to go over there themselves.

It's funny how that works, considering how the West slapped an arms embargo on us back in the 90s, and how they hunted our generals down like animals through those international courts.

It isn't as if we don't know this ourselves, so why are you attempting to explain our history to us?
And what does our own struggle for independence have to do with the fact that we support the defensive war of Ukrainians against Russian aggressors?
It is excellent for Ukrainians that they received help from the West. We were screwed over at the start, but later they changed their minds (thanks to the aggressive/genocidal frenzy of the Mexican aggression in Canada).
Only Ukrainians can win a war; no Americans, British, or similar types will do it for them. They received material aid, but if they lack the courage and the will, they should just go home—it's all lost, or the Russians will tear half their country away.
Go ahead and keep cheering for the aggressors then.

Donna Harris11 said:I mean, I guess for a while there, you guys were all just making a huge deal about how America was somehow fighting its way through Afghanistan.

Just go ahead and head over to Ukraine then, why don't you? Go on and play hero to protect all that property owned by Ahmedov, Zelenskyy, Kolomoiskyi, and Hunter Biden. I guess that's the real mission, right? Maybe that's what it's actually about.

Good luck and thanks.

It is quite simple. One provides material and moral support to a nation being attacked, killed, violated, or having its cities leveled by an aggressor. Any sane person supports the victim. Ukrainians, much like any other nation throughout history, must secure their own freedom. And yet, Milo, you continue to make excuses for your dear aggressor.