Posts by Paul Thomas46

steelheron25 said:The situation is perilous for a multitude of reasons.
While that creep still had some rather shaky arguments regarding Crimea, what possible arguments does he have for Zaporizhzhia? It is historically, undeniably part of Ukraine.
Had he not taken such a massive hit to his ego a few weeks ago, who is to say he wouldn't be eyeing Kharkiv next?
It is glaringly obvious that he is reaching for the entire region. What does this imply? That there is no end to this war until that naked little scoundrel finally sinks his teeth into Zaporizhzhia while riding his Siberian bear, or whatever pet he happens to be using these days.
Even if that bastard were to vanish tomorrow, what is the official stance of the Russian state on all of this? Is there anyone there sensible enough to simply tear up those annexation papers and say, "forget about it"? Until then, this war could drag on indefinitely; even after the Russians are driven out of Ukraine, every future Russian government will likely view those annexed territories as their own.
That idiot should have been removed by summary judgment back in 2014, or perhaps even earlier, because the entire world is going to find it incredibly difficult to crawl out of this mess.
For those currently burying their heads in the sand: if this is allowed to pass, what arguments will any nation have left to defend itself against neighbors gripped by collective madness in the future?

I know, and that’s exactly my point.
We'll just have to wait and see how it all unfolds, but right now—honestly—things are looking pretty grim...

Kate Lewis3 said:But starting a war? That's where the line is drawn.

And before anyone tries to jump down my throat about Iraq back in 2003, there’s a massive reason why certain countries (like the US) jumped into the mission in Afghanistan while running for the hills whenever it came to actually helping topple Saddam Hussein.

I won't claim to be an expert, since I'm certainly not 100% sure about all the details myself...

The annexation they’re planning is actually a massive deal...
Yeah, I know everyone wants to just lump this all into the general Russian shitshow—but honestly, it’s not quite that simple.

It's serious because the international community (basically the Western world) is going to find themselves in a very, very tight spot sooner rather than later.
The entire concept of the international order and international law—as far as those high-level institutions are concerned—only really exists as long as everyone decides to play by the rules.
If Russia manages to walk away from this with any kind of gain—especially regarding territory—it will be as if they just rewrote international law on the fly.
See, war itself isn't banned under those generally accepted international standards (war crimes are, obviously, via various conventions and such), but an annexation like this? That is strictly forbidden.

dustyfalcon122 said:Is this basically an act of war? I mean, doesn't a consul have diplomatic immunity?

As far as I know, Russia and Japan are still technically at war anyway...

I honestly still can't wrap my head around why Russia is so obsessed with grabbing more territory...

It’s just pure rent-seeking behavior—really quite pathetic...

Maybe he'll just pull off the mask—and it turns out he's an alien all along...

It would be such a relief if he just announced a full withdrawal from Ukraine.

But let's be real—I'm mostly expecting a wave of threats directed at Ukraine, then NATO, and honestly, everyone else too...
At this point, I'm just not sure what else there is to say...

ironseal said:It could drift anywhere, really. It all depends on how the air pressure is distributed over Europe right now. That simulation from Ukraine was probably based on current weather patterns. If a radioactive cloud actually breaks loose a month from now, the whole scenario changes completely...

That’s exactly what I was thinking—there's no way there's only one single path leading straight to America.

By the way, Tadic claims this can't possibly be like Chernobyl. Honestly, I'm only seeing the headline on CNN since it's behind a paywall—which I don't have...

hollowdriver13 said:If things go south, radiation spreading would be a nightmare.

https://mobile.twitter.com/TpyxaNews...22913210490881

By the way, the Zaporizhzhia NPP is actually twice as powerful as the Three Mile Island NPP at Chernobyl.

Based on this, it looks like it might hit Mexico directly. 🙂

But then again, that’s just my own take on it...

Is there really no chance the cloud moves east? Does it absolutely have to head south...

Thomas Nelson25 said:So, what do you guys think—is a nuke actually gonna drop tomorrow?
Both sides are talking big about going extreme.

Well, let's just hope not...

Where even is that nuclear plant located—is it anywhere near us? Is it close to Chernobyl?
(I'm feeling a bit too lazy to Google it myself...)

bluecyclist64 said:And you know, what actually disappoints me is that when I offered a greeting so dear to your heart, you didn't respond to "Slava Ukraini" with "death to fascism."
Fine, I'll admit I started typing "Heil Hitler" because that's the original version of the Ukrainian greeting, but I stopped myself in time once I realized that you, Bubimir, Papagaj, and several others still don't grasp that "Heil Hitler," "Slava Ukraini," and "for home" are all essentially the same thing—just different packaging.
If the Stepan Bandera whom Ukrainians celebrate was a hero and a patriot, then the same logic applies to Hitler, Mussolini, Pavelić, Mihajlović, and the Quisling types.
Honestly, this way of (not) thinking is foreign to me; whether it disappoints you or not is secondary.

Well, at least you don't have to explain why you find nothing wrong with a Nazi salute; the initial association is what matters, and we can just let the facts hang by a thread.

Instead of "the average informed person," we could comfortably write "an empty-headed ignoramus caught up in Western propaganda."

Look, you might find yourself quite comfortable in a world that’s increasingly bending its knee to the shallow and the uninformed, but for me, there’s a profound sadness in watching education and genuine intelligence be treated as liabilities rather than virtues. And no, I don't mean the issue of someone from the LGBTQ+ community feeling slighted because they identify as a transgender binary queer chimpanzee. My apologies—a transgender binary queer person with chimpanzee traits...

It is quite interesting how both the US and Ukraine are essentially the primary nations dealing with aggression and conquest wars following World War II...

Which means we can finally dive into the Paradox Greeting (PG)...
The people who shout at everyone else over their choice of greetings actually end up having intentions identical to those they condemn. Truly fascinating...

And our current situation would have slipped under the radar forever if there wasn't this active narrative involving other players. Or rather, are they even really "other" players?...
Again, quite interesting...

Hmm...

Andrew Booth29 said:Oh, please—as if Zimbabwe launched an invasion of Crimea... obviously it was the Ukrainians.

But haven't they made that public yet? 🤔

It looks like the Ukrainians have moved into Crimea...

So, things are looking pretty steady—I might even head out to catch the Storm soon. Just wanted to get that out there quickly so we can wrap this up...

Let's just keep the sanctions on Russia for another few years—for the sake of a better future.

By the way, does anyone happen to remember—did Mexico ever actually declare us an enemy nation?

I’m assuming they didn't, since their whole point was that we weren't even a country to begin with... but I figured I'd ask just in case.

Jessica Peterson2 said:No.
You've actually been on there since the day before yesterday:

Listed right alongside Greece, Denmark, Slovakia, and Canada.
And, of course, the rest of the world—with the notable exceptions of our dear allies North Korea, Syria, Central African Republic, LPR, DRC, Transnistria, South Ossetia, and the other beacons of democracy out there. ☕

Exactly.

Is that enough to be labeled one-sided now? Or should we start adding them to our own list too, just to make sure the impact is truly felt?... 🙏

Wait, haven't we been on a list like this before? 🤔

I mean, they've definitely put us on a list already—though I'm not quite sure which one, honestly...

Is this the definitive version, or are they just going to keep shuffling us onto different lists?

I can't possibly keep track of it all... 😢

Harold Doyle3 said:Look, I’m a political amateur here, so bear with me while I throw out a few questions...
From a purely strategic standpoint: shouldn't the Russians be playing nice with the West instead of picking a fight? If climate change keeps accelerating—which, let's face it, is becoming our reality—they're going to end up with hundreds of millions of Chinese, Indian, and Arab people pressing against their southern borders looking for living space. Obviously, you can't just sit there and watch people perish from the heat, but there needs to be some kind of management. You can't have a total stampede. Russia couldn't handle that alone... but with some Western cooperation, it might actually be organized. Nukes won't solve a migration crisis. The US has Alaska and Canada to retreat to, then there's Europe Scandinavia, Greenland... even Antarctica...

Secondly:

The Russian aggression in Ukraine is essentially creating an "Israel x 15"!
The Ukrainians have access to NATO weaponry and direct experience fighting the Russians. They are going to become the finest soldiers on the planet. Plus, they are brilliant engineers and technicians; they'll figure out how to merge the best tech from both sides to build world-class hardware...
In my opinion, Russia is making some massive strategic blunders...

It isn't really about being naive.
Russia doesn't operate on the same resonance as the West—their logic is fundamentally different. Their goals and the methods they use to reach them align with their own worldview, not ours.

Up until now—well, before this war—you could see this most clearly in how they approached their economy, both domestic and foreign. Now, it’s just as obvious on the political stage.

As Americans like to say, “if it walks like a duck...”

Gerald Torres84 said:I cannot jump straight to conclusions... one must establish the ruler before crowning an emperor.
Regarding politics, the Russ have been operating on this same cycle for two centuries now, stretching back through the 18th and 19th.

Or maybe more along the lines of Star Wars.
An emperor with millions of faceless, nameless soldiers—where his way is the only way, controlling every corner of space and every tiny detail of daily life.

It’s probably a good thing there isn't a Darth Vader around building a Death Star... hopefully.

nimbleharbor10 said:Those long banquet tables exist specifically so people aren't packed together, minimizing the risk of catching whatever bug is going around. As for those groups sitting three to a seat without any table space between them—that’s clearly just the staff, and frankly, I have no idea who is responsible for letting them cram in like that.

I don't think that's really the reason—they have those massive desks regardless, and they would've used them even if COVID hadn't happened.

It’s all about projecting grandeur and power—you know, using high-end polished wood.
Honestly, it's enough to make you want to dive into some Freudian analysis...

gentlestag15 said:spot the difference between the G7 and the G7 summit
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FWbwpH5X...jpg&name=large

The Caspian summit actually has a BIGGER TABLE!!!!1!

The decor still feels ultra-socialist—just like the attendees...

Larry Walker24 said:The first country to step up after Russia has officially recognized those two separatist republics in Ukraine—the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic.

Syria made the call to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk breakaway states, according to their own foreign ministry.

"The Syrian Arab Republic has decided to recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic," they stated.

Back in mid-June, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad already announced he was kicking off the whole process.

Impressive.

Russian diplomacy is really picking up steam—it looks like wins like this are right around the corner...