Posts by rowdytiger13

Amy Rogers6 said:I don't have a problem with any of that if you can explain where the EU is going to find a replacement for Russian energy—and how they plan to move it into Europe? And all of this just by sheer willpower?

Even the Germans aren't on board with this; they're basically shitting themselves at the thought of those valves being turned off. According to them, a huge chunk of their industry is toast...

So, it looks like we're more likely to see some new Hitler rise to power in the short term than we are to see Russia take a massive hit.

Bottom line: what's the point of sanctions if they don't achieve anything besides wrecking the EU?

Germany is essentially bracing for a recession, and doing so with a fair amount of discipline. I suspect they'll handle the fallout better than we will, attempting to soften the blow however possible—even the Greens are backing down, and there's even talk of returning to coal.
It’s going to be ugly, but Europe will pull through. Ukraine will bury Russia.

By the way, I think the combination of maintaining and rebuilding all those occupied territories, paired with heavy sanctions, is going to absolutely bury Russia.
+ Plus, they’ll always have to deal with guerrilla movements and sabotage in those areas (and honestly, it might even happen on their own soil). The Ukrainians are already trained up and ready for exactly that kind of fight.
Russia has dug itself into a massive hole... China is just going to snap them up like a bargain at an auction.

1. What are the odds that sanctions actually hit Russia where it hurts?
Zero.

2. What are the chances of a Russian uprising?
Slim.

3. What are the odds someone finally takes out Putin?
Unlikely.

4. What are the chances of Ukraine winning and reclaiming all occupied territory?
Low.

5. What are the chances of NATO stepping in to flip the script on this conflict?
Absolutely none.

6. What are the odds that the European Union avoids taking a massive hit?
None at all.

I'm all for the sanctions; in the long run, they’ll sever Russia from Europe and neutralize their influence entirely. It’ll pivot them toward Asia, and in ten to fifteen years, even Europeans will just view them as an "Asian power."
Europe is already being forced to find alternatives to Russian energy, and they're finding them... once that happens, Russia is a memory.

Terry Hernandez10 said:European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is essentially saying the EU needs to brace itself for a total shutdown of Russian gas imports entirely.

Well, people are already getting ready.
Gas heating has become the absolute worst way to go. You see everyone out on bikes lately, and those electric scooters seem to have vanished. Electric cars are also picking up steam; if you've got the cash, they say it pays off in a few years.
When winter hits and the snow starts falling, a car is still a necessity, but there's a clear push to cut down on gas and fuel consumption.
Solar panels are everywhere in Germany, while the US is lagging behind, which is pretty pathetic considering how much sun we get here.
Edit: A total supply cutoff will happen eventually. This whole situation feels even more intense than the Cold War.

goldenowl73 said:Klancirka is absolutely tearing into Russian capital over in Miami. 👍

PUTIN'S CREW IN THE AMERICAN CHILL / The world of an American billionaire 'strategically vital' to The White House: The secret behind the first million, one powerful CIA agent, and a hotel with some seriously sweet discounts

Despite having massive family business webs stretching across Russia and the USA, and even popping up in various offshore tax havens, Michael Perenčević has kept his roots firmly planted here in America: in Washington, D.C., he, his wife, and their daughter own three villas on an elite street, plus an apartment right by Times Square, while his son Nicholas has a villa tucked away in Tuškanac, and they’ve got their summer retreats down in Miami. 🙂

And that inevitably leads to the big question: how on earth was an entire island community allowed to become so deeply entwined with such controversial money, and who exactly was looking the other way—or just plain failing at their jobs—when the alarms should have been screaming?

I'm just not buying this public shaming routine; it’s been going on for a while now.
I get it. We're in a Cold War. It just doesn't sit right with me.

By the way, this guy is explicitly stating they were ordered to commit war crimes—specifically, to execute prisoners.
When someone asks him what happens if one of them actually tries to surrender, he just coldly replies that they’ll be shot.
So, there's your confirmation of a war crime:

Arthur Watson4 said:Germany might be leading the charge for the breadbasket school of thought, but a huge chunk of Europe—and honestly, much of the world—is probably wondering who's actually pulling the strings, and I don't mean in some ideological way, just purely from a geopolitical standpoint.

Back in 2014, Russia straight up seized and annexed part of another sovereign nation, yet we were busy handing them Olympic Games and World Cups. Putin’s visits were treated like major prestige events, all while our energy dependence grew completely unnecessarily.

I suppose the same goes for what happened in Georgia back in 2008, though nobody really gave a damn about that at the time.

On top of that, you're getting bombarded daily by bots and useful idiots pushing nonsense about biolabs and how wearing masks kills people, and you're just sitting there doing absolutely nothing.

We basically earned every extra cent we're paying at the gas pump.

We got ourselves hooked on the good stuff, and getting clean isn't easy.

Sure, those lazy EU politicians and bureaucrats, practically swimming in Russian money, figured Putin wasn't crazy enough to launch a full-scale, long-term invasion. God forbid they had hoped it would all wrap up in three days.
Now everyone is paying the bill, though there is a certain irony in watching everyone scramble to distance themselves from Russian cash.
This was necessary. A painful amputation. Thanks, Putin; they never would have done it themselves.

Christian Torres3 said:The issue is he’s mostly just talking, and honestly? He keeps playing right into Putin's hands.

It’s because Germany made a massive blunder by failing to secure any alternative to Russian gas. He actually admits that much. They were incredibly naive to think an invasion in Europe was a thing of the past.

Olaf Scholz told CBS that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has completely shattered any illusions about global progress or the idea that borders wouldn't be forcibly redrawn through territorial grabs and aggression against neighbors.
He noted that Vladimir Putin essentially embodies those old-school leaders who believe a nation's true strength is measured by conquest.
The Chancellor also admitted that this invasion forced Germany to undergo a massive pivot in its long-standing foreign and defense policies.
He conceded that Germany made a huge mistake by not preparing to rapidly diversify its energy sources away from their primary suppliers. He called it a major oversight, adding that all of Europe has learned a hard lesson and won't let it happen again; the goal now is to ensure they can switch to a different distributor at a moment's notice.
He believes we’re heading toward a multipolar world with several power centers, and that the war in Ukraine will only end whenever Vladimir Putin decides it's over.

Anyway, he speaks well enough.

I can't tell if Alexander Lukashenko is just trying to act relevant again or what.
If anyone dares to mess with Belarus, they’ll be right there ready to push back. Real impressive.

gentlerider7 said:https://www-gazeta-ru.translate.goog..._x_tr_pto=wapp

So, according to Putin's latest spiel, Russia supposedly doesn't have the "same problems" with Sweden or Finland that they're having with Ukraine. He’s basically claiming there aren't any territorial disputes or beef with those Scandinavian countries that would give Moscow any real pause, even if Finland or Sweden decide to join NATO.

“Well, if they want to join NATO, fine by me,” the president warned, though he didn't sound particularly thrilled about it. He went on to say they need to get one thing straight: there weren't threats against them before, but if military units and infrastructure start getting deployed over there, we’re going to have to mirror that move and create identical threats against the territories used to threaten us.

He also added that things are about to get pretty tense between Russia, Finland, and Sweden. From Moscow's perspective, he claims that Finland and Sweden joining NATO isn't even in the same ballpark as Ukraine joining.

And as for that whole idea that Russia was fighting against NATO expansion only to end up with nothing to show for it? He thinks that's total nonsense. In his mind, people are just trying to pin this on him to make it look like Russia failed to get the results it wanted.

So, what's the move now?
Basically, NATO expanding isn't the threat itself. Russia didn't launch an invasion because of that.
They launched it because they think Ukraine belongs to them. It's pure imperialism.
Every single time, Putin ends up spitting on his own propaganda machine.

Donna Harris11 said:Wait, is she the one who faked her degree?

That’s the same woman Erdogan put in charge of the Turkish relief funds for women and children, yet now she thinks she can just talk back to the President.
The little gnome from The White House and his missiles certainly strike fear into the hearts of many.

Sandra Harris2 said:The day before yesterday, when a reporter asked Ursula von der Leyen if it was okay for Putin to visit Indonesia or if he should just call in from Moscow, she replied: "No, he needs to be told to his face what we think of him."

https://www.news18.com/news/world/im...n-5447815.html

Such a shame, a missed opportunity ☕...

This morning I heard that Italy is planning an increase of 10,000, but don't take that as gospel—either because Italians can be cowards (aside from their Prime Minister), or because I was sleepy and hadn't had my coffee yet (it was only 5:40 AM). 🕺

And apparently, Ursula has found her backbone.
The threat of nuclear war is really moving along nicely.

wearyheron5 said:So, I’m scrolling through the comments under an article on RIA Novosti regarding the lifting of the Turkish veto on Finland and Sweden joining NATO. Let's just say the commenters aren't exactly celebrating this news.

Here are some of the most intense ones (translated via Google):

• Yes, here the prophecy of all predictors comes true. As they predicted There : Evil will ris against Russia , There will be a cruel War in which Russia will win and The World will Change , and World will Come , and Russians will Rul The World and prosperity will flourish All over The World.

• Turkey is the enemy! Those Who spend their vacation in Turkey pay for The murder of Russian soldiers.

• Not a problem. WE have enough Iskanders and Sarmatians for everyone.

• Knock-knock, nuclear war is already knocking on your door... a little later you will see it and don't say you weren't warned.

• There should never be June 22 again in Russia ( dan žalost !!!! Only a preemptive strike!!! Let their mothers cry better than ours ☝️ glory to Russia

• Well, okay. Russia will Plant missiles on the border with Finland and Sweden and aim them AT Helsinki and Stockholm. At the same time, economic relations with these hostile countries will cool down and there will be purely business-capitalist relations. >, Russian Air, naval and armored forces will be brought up to the borders of Finland.

• The American bandit virus has captured the entire corrupt world, except for Great Russia!.

• We are waiting for Russia's response that will bury Erdogan!

• Turkey must be punished! Severely punished! For NATO! For bayraktars! Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, include Turkey in the list of countries enemies of Russia!

...and a gold star goes to this comment (my own bolded pick):

• NATO is now even stronger. But unlike Russia, we do not use our power to subdue others. We use it to protect ourselves.

It isn't easy being a hothead in Russia today: NATO is the enemy, Ukrainians are Nazis, Turks are traitors, the USA is the embodiment of evil, Swedes and Finns have no idea what's coming for them, and Poles are stupid. Who's next?

Mind you, you can still find the occasional person thinking outside the box among the comments (though unfortunately, they are rare):

• Another strategic triumph for the smart Mr. Putin.

• I can imagine how the propagandists are now furious. A complete failure of Putin's geopolitics. Thanks to Turkey for humiliating him.

Anyone actually thinking for themselves is in danger. It takes a lot of guts to live in Russia and write comments that go against the state narrative. I'm surprised even one exists.
Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if these were planted by propagandists just to make it look like there's someone in Russia who thinks differently. They know people read this stuff outside of Russia.

goldenowl73 said:So, looks like Indonesia had a change of heart and isn't going to invite Putin to the G20 anymore. It honestly feels like Russia's little economic special operation in the East is moving right along according to plan. It’s such a total scam, you know? They invite you to the party and then cancel on you at the last second. I bet Lavrov and those trolls will have a field day spinning this one real quick.

https://hindustannewshub.com/russia-...-moscow-times/

Indonesian President Joko Widodo ruled out The presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin AT The G20 summit in November. This was announced by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi following a meeting of The G7 leaders in The Bavarian Alps on Tuesday.

Widodo, who has been playing it pretty safe and avoiding any direct criticism regarding the war in Ukraine, invited Putin in April, which ended up putting him right in the crosshairs of Western countries Who demanded that The Russian President be excluded fra The event.

Since Widodo was actually there as a guest for the G7 summit, Draghi mentioned that the President of Indonesia Had changed his mind.

Some people keep praising Indonesia like it’s some kind of miracle cure. Under intense pressure. And yet, she still extended an invitation to Putin.
It only takes a second day for them to fold. I don't know what you're trying to say with that. 🤣🙏
Scholz actually threatened not to show up if Putin is attending, among other things. A bit unexpected, honestly.

From having 300,000 soldiers on standby back in 2023 for those who want NATO, Germany is now looking at announcing just 15,000.

Jeremy Peterson4 said:If Russia makes a move and Turkey responds by shipping even more supplies to Ukraine, man, I am crossing my fingers for that exact scenario.

Yeah. 😁
The Britons aren't wrong, though... Putin views any kind of concession as pure weakness, so you really only have one way to deal with him: on his terms. I doubt the Sultan will hand anything over anytime soon, knowing this guy isn't Macron—he couldn't care less about Morocco compared to how much he's focused on Ukraine.
I feel for the Kurds. The Sultan definitely gained something from this concession.

Just sitting here waiting for the threats against Turkey to start, so maybe their leader—who’s basically the same caliber, just slightly less unhinged—can finally get them sorted out by 3 PM.
I mean... the guy actually managed to take down one of Putin's planes; he clearly doesn't give a damn about anyone's feelings.

darkdriver said:Didn't you guys all claim China would need another 30 or 40 years—if they ever actually make it—to catch up to the West? I mean, wasn't the consensus mostly that they’re just basically glorified photocopiers of Western tech, churning out cheap, low-quality junk?
First off, regarding the idea that your average Russian—who, let's be honest, most of you think is just out there grazing in fields, digging holes in the ground to go to the bathroom, melting glacier ice because there's no running water, and spreading lard on bread because they've never even heard of Nutella—is going to suffer because of these sanctions... yeah, right.
You guys are honestly such a textbook example of hypocrisy.

I never actually said that about China.
If anything, I think we’re heading straight toward a multipolar world defined by two superpowers: the USA and China. A lot of people don't see it coming, but I have for a long time. China has been flying under the radar, playing the long game with incredible patience. They won't fall for an epochal blunder like the invasion of Ukraine. In fact, they effectively put Taiwan on the back burner once they saw how the world reacted to that invasion.
Furthermore, the CIA admitted ages ago that they are completely blind when it comes to China, and they're the only ones. Maybe they're lying, or maybe it's a calculated statement, but it's a distinction they only make for China. They seem to see Russia more clearly than they see Ukraine.
The Americans also view China as a far greater threat. I agree with them, though I don't believe they can stop it anymore.

Jessica Peterson2 said:The Russian Ministry of Aggression just dropped their latest press release: they claim they hit military targets in Kremenchuk, and supposedly struck a cache of Western (lol) ammunition located near a closed (!) shopping mall, where the resulting explosion allegedly just caused a fire in a completely empty building (!!)
https://ria.ru/20220628/ukraina-1798631692.html
Yesterday, I realized that throughout the entire day, every single regime-controlled TV channel was hammering home the narrative that there was no missile strike at all—that this "so-called fire" was nothing more than propaganda fabricated by those despicable Ukrainians.
Was anyone seeing similar nonsense over on the American forums?

Goebbels would be rolling in his grave.

Kimberly Perez82 said:The whole conflict has reached this breaking point where both sides are just digging in their heels, acting without any real logic or foresight. It is an incredibly dangerous stage of affairs, truly. We absolutely need to de-escalate this however we can, because when things get like this, pure irrationality takes over and common sense just flies right out the window.

That’s just how it looks from Paris or Berlin, where people are starting to feel the pinch in their wallets—and nobody likes seeing their standard of living drop. Besides, nobody is actually sweating those childish nuclear threats since only Russia is packing them. Even the bad guys want to stick around to enjoy life. In fact, they probably want to stay more than anyone.
Just try telling Ukrainians it would be "convenient" to hand over some of their land to Russia just because some Germans can't vacation wherever they want anymore. Zelenskyy gave a pretty perfect response to that line of thinking: "Great idea. Let's start with your territory."
Silence follows.