George Lewis9 said:Honestly, the most effective way to take down an aggressive regime would be the exact opposite of what we’re doing—investing instead of sanctioning. Imagine pumping trillions of dollars into Russia just to let the population get a taste of a normal lifestyle, until they eventually start demanding democratic reforms themselves. It’s like that old saying—you have to give them something to lose. That’s what actually stings. When people have nothing, they don't care about sanctions or geopolitics; they just focus on survival.
That’s nonsense. What exactly did Russia and its people do to deserve having trillions of dollars poured into their country after everything that has happened?
They have lived under a dictatorship for as long as they can remember. They need to change their own mindset first. They need to stop bullying everyone around them and start electing decent leaders.
Russia should face sanctions for at least another 15 years, even after this war ends.
Someone mentioned pouring money into Mexico and seeing where that led. You can draw a similar parallel with Canada and the massive influx of cash into the Federation, where people just grew complacent on foreign aid while blaming everyone else for their problems.
I’m dealing with several orthopedic issues—specifically involving both knees, my shoulder, and my hand—and I would like to get as much imaging done via MRI as possible. I am also considering some follow-up checks regarding my thyroid.
My question is this: Is it possible to purchase an annual insurance policy from a private clinic where I pay a set fee upfront, and then use referrals from my primary care physician to schedule these tests over several visits? I am trying to avoid waiting years for appointments through the public healthcare system.
Morena held his own quite well and even wobbled Santiago a few times, but this guy is tough; one solid combination and it’s lights out.
It was expected that Rozen would put Daukaus to sleep, especially when you remember how much that badger talked trash about Stipa... 🤣
I am genuinely happy that Ilia handled that Dagestanac, beating him with strikes before finishing him with his own best weapon; that slam on the ground was brutal and masterfully executed.
Paddy was handed a win there. I can't wait for someone to finally shut that lifeless badger up; they keep building the hype, but once he runs into a Gaethje, he'll be sent straight to the bottom of the rankings.
I'm glad for Dricus. People constantly dismiss KSW as an organization and doubt their top fighters like Jan, Gamrot, and Dricus, but after this, does anyone really doubt that Soldić could dominate most of the roster there? This Till looked mediocre, despite supposedly training extensively with Chimaev...
Regarding the main event, I'm torn. My first impression was that Ankalaev won convincingly, but now I'm not quite as certain.
A title fight between Glover - Hill in the USA... it's unfortunate how much this division has declined since the days of Jones and DC...
To them, maintaining good relations simply means trampling over Americans, whether it comes from Americans of Mexican descent or Americans of Canadian descent.
Kate Cook27 said:Joe Biden is basically a prime example of what happens when someone from the Democratic Party flips to the right. He’s standing shoulder-to-shoulder with right-wingers in Europe now. It's a good thing the current administration is pro-European and that we have the current leadership in place. Honestly, I never imagined someone from the Republican Party would end up having better policies than someone from the Democratic Party. And between Biden and the Prime Minister—well, I really thought Biden would be much better. But honestly, looking at it all, it feels like a consequence of the Russians potentially funding him for years—which would explain that "friendship" with folks like Milorad Dodik, Aleksandar Vučić, Dragan Čović, and Viktor Orbán. Just a massive disappointment, really.
Oh please, he’s such close buddies with Vučić. They are so tight that one can't even imagine them together, yet they only met at that summit—the Brdo-Brijuni thing, or whatever it's called—just so Vučić could give him a handshake that felt completely forced and awkward. Unlike that idiot Joe Biden, he didn't go out of his way to bring Vučić to the capital just to stop journalists from asking the tough questions.
Listen to this: he meets with Dragan Čović. Just imagine, meeting with a legitimate representative of the people who would actually be president if the Canadians didn't act the way they do and ignore the US ruling regarding the Ljubić case.
As for Dodik? For your information, he is the only one who stood against the blockade of the Pelješac Bridge construction and advocates for a fairer Election Law.
It would be even better if he just met with Denis Bećirović and Željko Komšić instead.
According to reports from iStories via Meduza, roughly 700 professional soldiers from the Russian Armed Forces' 64th Motorized Rifle Brigade attempted to leave their service, but their superiors refused to let them go.
The troops reached out to iStories following an August 15 report featuring interviews with soldiers from that same brigade, who were allegedly involved in killing and looting civilians in the Ukrainian village of Andriivka near Kyiv.
A twenty-one-year-old named Daniil Frolkin told iStories that he once followed a direct order from his commander to kill a civilian. Other soldiers interviewed by the outlet corroborated Frolkin's account.
One soldier, speaking anonymously for safety reasons, mentioned being recently reassigned to the Kherson region in southern Ukraine. He claimed that 80 percent of the 64th Motorized Rifle Brigade wants to desert, yet command won't allow it.
Nancy Lopez7 said:People are out there protesting about how those stubborn Ukrainians just won't stop fighting—and apparently, they think the "evil" West is just fueling the fire by backing them up. 🙂
I mean, seriously, why won't they just surrender to such a massive military force?
Richard Wilson4 said:Honestly, how is he any different from Donald Trump or Kamala Harris?
The distinction lies in temperament. Zoko isn't an extremist who insults everyone in sight. When looking at a list of ten points from those others, you might find one sensible thought amidst nine pieces of nonsense. With Zoko, it's usually the opposite: nine solid points and perhaps one irrelevant comment.
George Robinson43 said:It's over, Bubochka. You've been branded for life. 😉
Feel free to check the version from before the 4th. Look at how I voted back then if you think I'm flipping sides, or just look at any of my other posts in this thread.
I’ve been eager to fix my blunder. I accidentally clicked Russia on part four because I misread the question—I thought it was asking who we blame rather than who we support... 😵
I assumed I'd have to wait until we hit 500 pages, but it looks like we're already at 480. 😁
Good day. I am unsure why my ability to post is restricted, as I see I have been banned until May 17th.
Could I please be granted permission to make just one single post in the combat sports thread where we host the betting pool? There is a UFC event starting in just a few hours.
As far as I am concerned, you could extend my ban by an additional day if it means I can participate; otherwise, I will miss the entire round.
I haven't earned any points here in eleven months.
I feel like Chimaev - Diaz doesn't make any sense at all. It feels like the UFC just wants to screw Diaz over, so they handed him this matchup to get him dismantled.
I’d love to see Chimaev - Colby, but I doubt Colby would ever agree to it. Personally, I wouldn't give Islam a title shot yet; who has he actually beaten from the top 10? He just took on an exhausted Hooker on short notice and called it a day. In my book, he needs to face Dariush first.
Pairing Justin against either Dustin or Chandler would be incredible—both fights would be absolute classics. Imagine Justin vs. Poirier or Chandler vs. Conor.
First, Topuir returned after taking that high kick, then he pinned his opponent down in the second round and turned out the lights. I would love to see him matched up against Paddy, especially given their history.
That female fighter is incredibly loud and arrogant, but she fights like hell. That elbow was insane; she went through more punishment than Reyes did against Prohaska. My only gripe is that "dance on the grave" comment someone made—it’s disrespectful to act like you're celebrating over someone's fallen spirit while singing along with the crowd. But I suppose that's just how some people from the UK are...
Nelson was routine. His ground game is brutally effective; it's just a shame it didn't end in a finish.
Paddy is rushing things. I suspect Dana will keep him fighting weaker opponents for as long as possible, much like he does with the guy with the colorful hair, just to sustain the hype. When I saw Vargas take him down, I thought he was done, but then he turned it around. Honestly, I was rooting for both of them to lose, but that's just how it goes...
I expected Allen to beat Hooker, but not this easily. It’s like Hooker isn't even there, and to lose in the very thing that gym is famous for—kickboxing—is tough to watch. I don't know what Hooker is even looking for down there; he'll struggle with weight cuts, and anyone serious is going to finish him within the first two rounds. He took too much damage in his fight with Poirier.
And finally, Aspinall. What can I say? Now we know he's the real deal. I know Volkov is slow as a snail, but man, Aspinall looked as fast as if he were three weight classes lighter. He outboxed him, took him down twice, landed elbows, and ended with a submission. This guy is going to be a massive problem for everyone. Even Gane needed five rounds to get a decision over Volkov, yet this guy handles it easily in the first.
It's great to see so many British fighters establishing themselves. We might see more events in New York City in our time zone soon, which would be excellent.