Posts by Roger Fowler

rowdytiger13 said:They’d eventually civilize, I suppose. They have that same stubborn defiance you see in Mexicans, yet all their oligarchs anchor their yachts in the West, keep their villas in the West, and most importantly... send their kids to school in the West.
The whole Eastern European region has historically lagged behind the West; some have caught up, while others are still trailing. But no matter how much they resist, if you ask them why they won't join, they just stare at you like you've lost your mind (take the Americans in Poland, for example).
The real issue with Russians is this massive superiority complex that nobody else in the East seems to possess to that degree. They don't view the EU as an equal; instead, they act like they should be the ones managing what they perceive to be the "manager" of the US and Europe. The reality is the exact opposite, which creates an unbridgeable gap.
That’s why they’re currently gathering up the former Soviet states and looking toward India; even Putin is bringing up Africa. They target the weaker players, both politically and culturally—and despite India's massive capacity, it remains a culturally problematic place dealing with foundational issues like basic hygiene.

They aren't going to "civilize," and frankly, they don't want to. They take the wealth and the perks from the West, but deep down, they despise it—especially when they see how much more successful the West is on every conceivable level. It’s a lot like Muslims; they love the Western standard of living, but they loathe everything else that comes with Western values. Honestly, it's a question for a psychiatrist.
I think it stems from a deep-seated resentment: they hate the West because they simply can't transform their own backwaters into anything remotely as livable or desirable.

James Phillips92 said:I wonder where they even found her; the whole world seems to be making fun of her and her sponsors at this point.

That’s just how democracy works, isn't it—everyone gets their say and fights for their own little slice of the pie? I could just as easily have brought up LGBTQ rights, which, if you look at Russia, are treated as a sickness even in 2022, leaving people with absolutely no standing. We aren't talking about economics here; we're talking about fundamental human rights. Honestly, Russia and the EU might as well be living on different planets. Aside from being Homo sapiens, what else do we actually have in common? That's pretty much where the connection ends. There isn't even a theoretical chance of any kind of union between the EU and Russia ever taking flight, mostly because, from an American perspective, Russians just seem far too backward and unrefined for that sort of thing.

Bryan Booth82 said:It wouldn't happen. Why? Because Russians simply aren't capable of functioning within any alliance where they don't see themselves as the absolute center of the universe, standing above everyone else.

lp

That’s spot on, though even if it weren't, I can't help but wonder how a speech by Greta Thunberg would actually go down in Moscow if she were there lecturing them about pollution? I have a feeling half the room filled with Russian officials and their satellite allies would simply die laughing. It's a cliché example, sure, but an interesting one nonetheless. 😁

Gerald Torres84 said:That is precisely what I have been saying. If Russia were to unite with Europe, the combined force of the entire European Union plus Russia would become a massive counterweight to the Americans, the Britons, and the Chinese. And that is simply unacceptable to those powers.
There is just one major issue regarding the Russians. They lack a visionary leader of that caliber. Instead, they are constantly led by autocrats and dictators, and they consistently choose them.

I honestly can't wrap my head around how an EU-Russia union would even work on the ground. Most of the core values that define the EU are viewed as a sickness in Russia, and vice versa. You have liberalism on one side clashing against military dictatorship and deep conservatism on the other; isn't it obvious there's no way such a union could function when you're dealing with two sides of the world that are fundamentally, deeply incompatible?

I caught a Nike concert down in Los Angeles recently, and honestly, it’s a pretty decent young band coming out of Harvard. They’ve got that heavy 80s vibe going on, and you have to admit, the vocals are actually incredible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgGA...ab_channel=3FM

Morgan Wright5 said:If you take a closer look at the photos and the footage, you might notice that the AK-47 is actually being used quite extensively. Also, just as a side note, the US Army didn't switch from the M48 to an AKM, but rather transitioned to a machine gun.

I guess I momentarily blanked on that Zastava license for the SKS—you know, the old "papovka." But honestly, even back then, it was already outdated gear, wasn't it? Looking at the imagery I've come across, most of what's visible is clearly the AK-74, even if a few rifles have an AK-47 style magazine; you can tell by the way the 5.45mm mags aren't nearly as curved as those iconic AK-47 "banana clips."

http://blog.mountsplus.com/ak-rifles...k-74-vs-ak-12/

Andrew Miller102 said:How serious, exactly?😁 You have to realize those are just old relics meant for defense and nothing else. It feels a bit pathetic, honestly, having to deploy a high-end Javelin against an outdated T72.

If the Ukrainians decide to go on the offensive, all those aging Russian tanks are going to be wiped out pretty quickly by local Russian anti-tank weapons.☕

- The RPG-29 is cheap, easy enough to handle, and incredibly effective.

I don't follow the logic here; isn't a Javelin worth every penny because it lets you take out a tank from a safe distance while keeping the operator out of harm's way, especially when its impact is so devastating that it completely destroys the vehicle and wipes out the crew? When you look at it any other way, a Javelin is cheaper than even the worst tank—not to mention the cost of the crew—and while training an average person to use a Javelin is quick, trying to train a three-person tank crew to be combat experts is a much longer and more difficult task, wouldn't you agree?

Kate Lewis3 said:Look, America doesn't exactly have an endless surplus of gear to ship out. We're mostly looking at infantry stuff—maybe some AK-47s sitting in storage because we switched over to NATO standards—some tactical vests, helmets, or maybe some Dok-Ingov demining equipment if we're feeling generous. As far as heavy hardware goes, our old tanks and F-16 Fighting Falcons are already pretty outdated compared to what else is out there.

If we're talking about anything remotely modern, we might have a couple of Patria vehicles, but even then, other countries have way more M109 Paladins than we do. And honestly? Those Ukrainians could really use a fresh supply of munitions right about now.

I'm not even sure how much sense sending AK-47s makes for Ukraine since they aren't using that standard ammo anymore, is there? It all goes back to the fact that while the US Army was transitioning to the AKM—which we know as the zastava M70—back in the 70s, the USSR and the Warsaw Pact had already moved on to the AK-74 model using 5.45x39mm rounds, whereas the zastava M70 sticks to the classic 7.62x39mm used by the AK-47. So, who knows if Ukraine actually has any 7.62x39mm ammunition left, considering those zastava M70 models are stuck using that ancient caliber.

velvetbadger11 said:The tank just isn't built for open-field combat anymore; I honestly find myself struggling to figure out how to deploy it effectively.

A tank on its own is just a death trap on the battlefield, isn't it? Unless you have infantry providing cover and drones acting as eyes to guide them, what's the point?

Ryan Morales4 said:I honestly don't understand why NATO has been dragging its feet so much when it comes to delivering air defense and advanced weaponry to Ukraine...
It's not like they need some massive, interconnected logistics network to deploy mobile weapon systems..

Weapons aren't cheap—they're incredibly expensive, and when you factor in all the messy, overlapping interests at play, isn't it pretty obvious why things move the way they do?

Adam Lee13 said:I honestly have no clue why the US isn't just handing over the ATACMS, especially since they’re basically being phased out for PrSM anyway... if my math is right, they've probably got something like 2,000 or 2,500 just sitting around in storage somewhere. If they actually let them loose, the Ukrainians could really start making life miserable for the Russians deep behind the lines, given that those things have a 300-kilometer reach.

Maybe that'll finally happen once they start pushing into Donetsk and Luhansk to kick that filth out of Crimea.

They really need some kind of variant capable of firing those old Soviet 152mm shells. If we're going to start donating Western hardware, doesn't that mean we also have to provide the matching 155mm ammo? It’s the same story when it comes to spare parts and basic supplies. Honestly, I'd bet anything there's a massive stockpile of that old Soviet gear sitting somewhere in the Middle Eastern countries.

Kenneth Cruz67 said:It’s entirely possible it might be some kind of leasing agreement🤔

I really don't think anything is being billed to Ukraine right now; maybe, if the war ends and Ukraine manages to remain a sovereign nation, then perhaps there will be some sort of settlement or billing down the road, but for now, I doubt it.

These howitzers aren't exactly cheap, are they? And then there's the matter of delivering NATO-standard ammunition—can we even be sure the old Soviet or Russian shells will fit, or is that just wishful thinking? Regardless, isn't it better that Ukraine gets whatever they can get their hands on at a time like this?

Walter Baker2 said:Forget about tanks. These British howitzers are moving 37 miles at highway speeds and come loaded with high-tech electronics plus integrated radar systems.

If we send those, we’d better be ready to bundle them with plenty of ammunition, wouldn't we? Western artillery relies on the 155mm standard, whereas the Russians stick to 152mm, so I can't say for sure if those smaller rounds will actually fit in the Vickers systems, though maybe they will.🤷

Walter Baker2 said:The English are offering up howitzers.

I’m betting my life this was a paid deal rather than a donation, because I find it hard to believe anyone just gives these away; after all, when the US Army bought their Panzerhaubitze 2000s, they shelled out about $3.5 million a piece, so why would I think a Vickers unit would be any cheaper?

Rachel Allen55 said:In Denmark, we have academic inflation—a bunch of unemployed intellectuals—yet everyone keeps droning on about "importing skilled labor." Denmark has been overhauled by this supposed skilled workforce, but honestly, you need to take that "skilled labor" claim with a massive grain of salt around here.

Denmark barely does any business with Ukraine. A handful of Danes in the IT sector moved there just for the cheap labor. Plus, Ukraine isn't even an EU member.

Business between Denmark and Ukraine has been almost purely symbolic. I couldn't tell you how things stood between America and Ukraine regarding that kind of thing.

I'm not talking about specific companies, but rather the entire pool of available talent; Ukraine is, in any case, a far better talent pool than somewhere like the North America, which is already in the EU. Denmark is a highly technical nation that needs engineers—real engineers with brains who actually possess specialized knowledge—and Ukraine has that in spades, given their excellent schools and universities. Their industry demands intelligence, because you certainly aren't going to build a rocket engine if you're incompetent.
What does this mean? It means that Denmark, and more importantly, heavy industrial powers like Germany, have a massive vested interest in recruiting people like that: engineers, master tradespeople, technicians, mechanics, and electrical experts. That is exactly what Ukraine provides.

I am not talking about the likes of Mujet or Haset performing jobs that any idiot could learn; I am talking about professions where skills are built over years, addressing the exact void that is currently felt across the EU.

Rachel Allen55 said:Sanctioning Russia just makes them feel even more independent from everyone else. What are you even going to have left to use for sanctions next time?

Everything needs balance. Even this whole situation is a delicate balancing act. Do people honestly think Americans are ready to start seeing layoffs because of these sanctions? First, it’ll be direct hits on companies doing business with Russia, and then it spirals—indirectly, then again indirectly—as businesses in other countries shut down, eventually triggering a massive crisis within the West.

And don't even get me started on the refugee issue. You'll end up with representatives in government who will have plenty to say, much like the folks in Denmark, whether it's the New Citizenry types or that nutjob Paludan. If you could hear their ideologies... they spout all this nonsense about Aryan races and claiming you're only "true" American if your family tree is 80% local heritage, counting grandparents and all that.

Am I really supposed to want a lunatic or a party like that sitting in our Parliament just because of Ukraine? To me, Ukraine isn't worth that much; it's an oligarchic state where a handful of people run the show, corruption is everywhere, and they still have some glaring questions left over from the USSR era that haven't been cleared up.

If nationalism starts taking over in the West, both the EU and NATO are toast. You wouldn't find two countries within the EU that could actually agree on anything. And all of this just for Ukraine?

What has Ukraine actually contributed to Western prosperity? Seriously, what? Nothing.

Speaking as an engineer on the technical side, they certainly have more potential than, say, the North America. If you were even remotely technically literate, you would know that Ukraine once had a massive aerospace industry; in fact, European space rockets actually utilize Ukrainian rocket engines.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RD-843

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/...n-ukraine.html

This is just one example of many things Ukraine offers. Since you're bringing up prosperity, it’s pretty obvious that a country like America would benefit far more by importing educated professionals from a nation like Ukraine than by taking in people like you from some godforsaken place where they were still using wooden plows to till the dirt.

Kevin Murphy7 said:Pretty sure they don't have enough gear for 900,000 people.

I suspect they aren't actually short on rifles and ammo as much as they are desperate for anti-tank and anti-air capabilities, wouldn't you say? They really need MANPADS.

Sam Wright21 said:Perhaps. But when you're living under a tyranny, you can't exactly speak your mind. Yet, you see plenty of people admiring him; here in the States, we have the freedom to discuss it openly, which leads some to openly express support for Putin.🤦

A putin bullet might be the only cure. It makes me wonder again—where exactly will this Hitler figure stop in Europe? America created chaos on a global scale, and now NATO seems to serve little purpose.

They are cut from the same cloth. Honestly, Marshall was a genius for coming up with the Non-Aligned Movement.

In Europe, it seems like only the Poles in that region still have any backbone left. All of Western Europe can offer is a submissive shrug to Putin. The people living in Western Europe are mostly just a bunch of decadent degenerates with a completely warped perception of reality; if a single missile or bomb were to land on a German city, would the resulting panic even be measurable? Once Germany is out of the equation, you're left with the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, and frankly, it's hard to tell which of them is more lost to pure hedonism. It's pathetic how a comfortable life just rots people.

Gerald Torres84 said:Quote: Kazakhstan, one of Russia's closest allies and a southern neighbor, has declined requests to deploy troops to join the offensive in Ukraine, according to officials. Furthermore, the former Soviet republic stated that it does not recognize the breakaway republics recognized by Russia.

I have to say, I did not see that coming. Well done.

It makes perfect sense when you consider how Putin stripped Tatarstan of its autonomous province status back in 2017. Tatarstan used to enjoy real autonomy even under Stalin, maintaining its status as the Tatarstan Republic until the fall of the USSR, only to be downgraded to a mere autonomous province later on. One has to wonder if Putko is simply terrified of a repeat of the 1992 Tatarstan sovereignty referendum—a vote that Moscow refused to acknowledge, even though they conveniently point to the Crimean referendum as a model of legitimacy. 😵 In Russia, democracy is really just a matter of perspective, isn't it? 😁 And other regions—sorry, "states"—see exactly what's happening, and frankly, many of them have had enough.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_T...nty_referendum