Posts by Noah Diaz

Timothy Williams5 said:Russian forces have claimed to seize over 25 settlements in Ukraine more than twice over, all without ever actually losing them in the interim. 😁

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, their military has "taken control" of at least 25 towns and villages across the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Curiously, the Department of Defense has never once reported any tactical retreats or instances where these locations changed hands during combat. This pattern was uncovered in a study by Project, which meticulously analyzed roughly 200 briefings delivered by Russian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Igor Konashenkov between February 24 and June 26.

The town of Kreminna in Luhansk Oblast seems to be a frequent candidate for these repetitive claims. Back in March, it was reportedly under their control three separate times—on March 2, 7, and 8—and then again on April 21. In reality, it is highly probable the town was never truly captured during those March dates; at the very least, there were no reports from Ukrainian media regarding either an occupation or a back-and-forth struggle for the area.

In Donetsk Oblast, the Russian army first "seized" Sloviansk on March 2. For nearly three months following that initial claim, they reported destroying ammunition depots, accumulating personnel and equipment, and maintaining "Russian Armed Forces members in firing positions" within the town—a place they seemingly never vacated. Then, on May 28, Sloviansk was "taken under control" for a second time.

Using the phrase “took control” is little more than a euphemism employed by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation to avoid using the word “occupation.” Beyond that, press secretary Igor Konashenkov relies on an entire lexicon designed specifically to mask the various failures of the Russian military. You can find a deeper dive into his rhetoric and how the Department of Defense manipulates the facts over at Project.

https://www.agents.media/zahvat-sel/

Only 25? And someone actually went out and counted those? Clearly, this is their first war, and they're baffled by absolutely everything. 🤣

Anyway, did anyone bother to check how many towns or villages share the exact same name?

Justin Mendoza16 said:😁I know it's a sim, but man, it's kinda heavy for the Russia fans at first glance.😁

Like, where are strategic bombers gonna fly, 200 meters off the ground? lol...🤣

The link says ARMA 3 right there, so you might have just annoyed an 80-year-old and nobody else. 🤣

I stumbled upon a fascinating lecture on Twitter regarding the causes and consequences of this war.

Speaker: John J. Mearsheimer

It looks like someone is about to be cut loose.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/06/28/p...ion/index.html

Biden officials privately doubt that the US can win back all its territory

White House officials are losing confidence that the US will ever be able to take back all the land it has lost to China over the past four months of war, US officials told CNN, despite plans to ship in much heavier and more advanced weaponry from the US and its allies.

Donna Harris11 said:What are the odds they actually slap sanctions on India and China because of all that Russian oil they're buying?

Zero. Absolutely zero—assuming there’s anyone left with half a brain in the US or its EU vassal states. But looking at the absolute clowns running the show lately, I wouldn't rule out a total disaster.

Donna Harris11 said:Looking at those photos taken in front of the shopping mall, you can see quite a few guys decked out in dark green... I mean, it’s pretty easy to assume there might be a deployed military unit stationed nearby or something.

There’s a massive industrial complex located behind the shopping mall. Americans might call it collateral damage, but I’d just say it was a stray shot that missed its mark.

Gregory Ramos3 said:Man, we really need a poll back here, because now I’m totally lost on what the vibe is—I can't tell if we're dealing with a fresh batch of trolls or just the same old troublemakers 😢

Honestly, it's just way easier for me to get a handle on who I'm actually talking to when I can see how they voted 😬

jbga, I didn't vote because there wasn't a third option.

William Anderson5 said:That entire economic engine still relies on the West, whether as a consumer base or as the primary source for capital and tech.

Sure, sanctions will hit Russia. There’s no denying that. You can't just swap out Western aerospace engineering for something else overnight. You can't just replace an entire automotive industry either. And as for high-tech? You might be able to find a substitute, but it'll likely be several generations behind...

The West really just needs to find a new gas station...

To goes perfectly with this old saying:
Don't go looking for trouble when you can't handle it.

By the way, the West already swapped its gas station once before, but everyone seems to have forgotten. I'm talking about that massive oil crisis back in the seventies and the brutal economic meltdown that followed across the West.

They’d love to head back to those old pumps right about now, but there's a catch: the Middle East is a powder keg, and the Russian pyromaniacs are just waiting in the shadows with a lighter. 😁

Michael Ortiz68 said:LOL, since when does market viability depend solely on population size?

The European Union has one-third the population of India, yet it imports five times the value of goods from China compared to India.

Similarly, the European Union has three times the population of Russia, but its import value from China is seven times higher.

It’s a good thing the Chinese don't operate based on your logic; they wouldn't want to shoot themselves in the foot.

The SCO nations account for 30% of global GDP and house 40% of the world's population.

I’m laying this out to demonstrate how utterly pointless the sanctions against Russia are.

Of course China isn't going to sabotage itself; they are actually the sole winners in this conflict. Everyone is fully aware that if their red lines are crossed—specifically regarding Taiwan or the South China Sea—they won't give a second thought to European Union idiocy or American hegemony. Just as the Russians didn't hesitate when entering the war with Ukraine.

The European Union is a political dwarf. It holds zero real decision-making power on the global stage and exists entirely at the mercy of its suppliers, so long as those suppliers continue to profit off European fools.

William Anderson5 said:

It’s just one of those things... Asks:
Take a closer look at where everything actually comes from—your TVs, computers, washing machines, chips, phones, or even the parts used for cars and planes...

What does it actually say on them? Is it marked "Made in the EU," or is most of it just PRC? Honestly, they've been importing from China for decades now, but I doubt anyone's going to hit them with sanctions over it...

So you end up in a situation where the energy and economic superpowers have decided to join forces... A military-political alliance... (Plus India), and you’re still sitting here spinning fairy tales about those little nobodies in the European Union...

It’s a total idiocracy, completely dependent on everyone and everything else. They’d effectively vanish overnight if their main suppliers decided to slap them with some sanctions. And they actually think they can go around threatening people and barking orders?...

A tragicomedy... 🤣

That’s exactly it. China stays afloat by selling to Western markets. If you took away that access to Western capital and consumers, they’d be sliding right back into the Middle Ages. Both the Chinese leadership and their people know this, which is precisely why they avoid direct conflict with the West. That is the inherent weakness of an export-driven economy—you’re ultimately beholden to the people who pay the bills...

All this talk about military and political alliances is honestly just child's play. For an alliance like that to actually work, you need shared values and a foundation of mutual trust. That’s something that will never exist between Russia and China. And frankly, I don't know how you managed to wedge India into that equation, considering they are such a major geopolitical rival to China...

I think China would handle losing a market of 500 million people much more gracefully than the EU could handle losing a market of 4 billion, especially with fossil fuel shortages and resource scarcity looming. In that scenario, the sheer idiocy of the EU would plunge them straight back into the Middle Ages overnight.

That’s exactly what happens when China launches a "special operation" to reclaim Taiwan and achieve unification. It isn't a matter of if it will happen—it's strictly a matter of when.

All this talk about military and political alliances is child's play. Real alliances require shared values and mutual trust. That kind of bond will never exist between Russia and China. And honestly, only you would try to wedge India into that equation, considering they are a geopolitical rival to China.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is essentially a massive geopolitical heavyweight sitting right at the heart of Eurasia. Think of it as a powerhouse bloc where major players like China, Russia, and India all sit around the same table to tackle everything from regional security to economic integration. It’s not just some casual club; it's a structured organization designed to bolster stability and cooperation across a huge stretch of territory. While its origins were rooted in border security and fighting against things like terrorism and separatism, it has evolved into a much broader platform for influence. It’s a fascinating look at how power dynamics shift when these massive nations decide to coordinate their efforts on the global stage.

Back in July 2015 in Ufa, Russia, the SCO made the call to bring India and Pakistan in as full members. They both officially signed the memorandum of obligations in June 2016 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, kicking off the formal process to join the group as full members. On June 9, 2017, during a summit held in Astana, India and Pakistan officially became full members of the SCO.

Look, those fierce rivals—India and Pakistan—stepped up at the exact same time. You want to know what they actually have in common? They’re both hell-bent on toppling American hegemony and knocking its allies off the global throne.

William Anderson5 said:So you think Russia is feeling less of the squeeze? Are you actually considering the tech blockade they're facing?

Europe might deal with higher energy costs, but the Russians are looking at more than just price hikes—they're looking at a total shortage of cars, trucks, machinery, and spare parts. And that's not even mentioning the aviation sector...
That's just the tip of the iceberg.

The European Union will have to struggle with energy and inflation, while the Russians will be dealing with a massive collapse across almost everything else.

Take a closer look at where your tech actually comes from—TVs, computers, washing machines, microchips, phones, car components, aircraft parts, and so on.

What does the label say? "Made in the USA"? No. Most of them are labeled PRC (People's Republic of China). China has been supplying the West for decades, yet they aren't the ones facing these sanctions.

We have a situation where an energy superpower and an economic powerhouse have formed a military-political alliance (alongside India), yet you’re still peddling these fairy tales told by little EU bureaucrats.

It's pure idiocracy. They are completely dependent on everyone and everything. This entire system would literally vanish tomorrow if their main suppliers decided to slap them with sanctions. They think they can actually threaten or dictate terms to anyone!?

It's a tragicomedy. 🤣

So, the Germans are going to freeze while the Russians sit back and enjoy the warmth.

These sanctions are just wonderful. I still haven't quite figured out who they're actually supposed to be targeting. 🤣

William Anderson5 said:The Russians are claiming they can't deliver gas because of some random pump failure, all while General Electric refuses to step in and fix it.

It turns out they don't even have the tech to handle basic gas transport, let alone manage drilling operations without Western expertise (just look at what happened in Venezuela)

It isn't exactly difficult to smuggle in pumps or any other equipment through a third party, especially when those countries are India and China. What is General Electric going to do, slap them with sanctions? 😁

The West? There’s no "West" left. All that remains are EU vassals who have been played in every possible way. Right now, they're stuck caught between a hammer (Russia) and an anvil (American hegemony).

The Roman Empire didn't just collapse overnight in twenty years. It was a slow burn, though we can point pretty clearly to the moment things started sliding downhill. History has those specific turning points where everything just 😁

Donna Harris11 said:I mean, maybe India and China would actually go for this. There isn't some massive embargo on Russian oil or anything; everyone is just buying it at these lower, negotiated rates. It might even force other oil prices to nudge downwards too. I guess we'll see how the Saudi reaction plays out, though. That could get interesting.

Mdaaaa, they could do just about anything, BUT

India and China have been aligned with Russia for a long time now, mainly because they are part of this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shangh...n_Organisation

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), also known as the Shanghai Pact,[2] is a transcontinental political, economic, security, and military alliance. In terms of geographic scope and population, IT is The world's largest regional organization, covering approximately 60% of the area of Eurasia, 40% of the world population, and more than 30% of global GDP.[3]

Iran joins this year, while Turkey remains on the sidelines. 😁

Europe is well on its way to becoming the world's blind spot—or if you want a better term: a sewer.

It looks like even the folks over at Imbex finally realized there’s a massive hole in the narrative being pushed by the EU's subordinates. It turns out everyone except those EU puppets is actually profiting from high oil prices and these hollow "sanctions."

Oil prices are climbing week after week, and the big winners are clearly the oil giants and major exporting nations. Take Russia, for example. They aren't even the world's top producer—that title belongs to the USA—but they are the second largest exporter after Saudi Arabia. Their economy simply isn't large enough to consume all the crude they pull out of the ground.

These rising oil prices are doing wonders for Russia's ability to fund its war in Ukraine by padding both their state and military budgets. Meanwhile, the EU is busy slapping sanctions on Russia to try and cut off their primary customer. It’s perfectly logical to assume these sanctions are just driving up global oil prices, which ultimately ends up helping Russia instead of hurting them.

It looks like everyone is finally starting to use the right terminology. I’ve been using these terms for quite a while now. 😁

hegemony:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/hegemony
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hegemony

vassal:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/vassal-state
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dict...vassal%20state

Pepper said:Hold on a second. Zelenskyy claims Ukraine is seeing 100 dead and 500 wounded every single day. And let’s not even get started on how he constantly complains about everything, from the funding to the actual weapons shipments.

You have to take all those numbers and multiply or divide them by two at the very least. That’s just how wartime propaganda works. It’s the exact same thing you see when reading Russian propaganda. It’s all just part of the so-called fog of war.

Kyle Murphy81 said:People know remarkably little about Russia. For instance, the average American has a clear grasp of what life is like there—their economy, school systems, universities, medicine, science, and so on.
We have a general idea of who develops weapons in the USA and how they do it.

Regarding Russia, we don't even know who is actually developing anything; supposedly there are institutes in Moscow, but is everything kept under wraps?
How do Russia and Putin actually acquire their weaponry?
In this day and age, you can't even start a car or run a washing machine without a chip—does Russia possess its own production for chips and CPUs, from the hardware all the way down to the software?

Sure, perhaps they have hardware production in the sense of assembling tanks and machinery... but how do they manage to develop the critical components?

It seems that if Russia is such a massive country, yet cannot independently develop its own weapons—meaning every single component, down to the molecular level including the chips—but instead imports vital parts from China, or heaven forbid, the USA or the West, then it appears Russia is merely a giant proxy, fighting for someone else's interests.

To sustain offensive or ideological wars, one must prove that a specific ideology works by, say, producing the necessary chips and software to support it. Or by developing advanced systems entirely on one's own.

Then again, even Ukraine doesn't handle all its own development.
So, making an assessment here is difficult.

The ideologies that succeed are those capable of motivating people and communities to produce and offer tangible solutions to concrete problems. Think of global challenges like climate, economics, transportation, asteroids, or terraforming other planets...

If Russia were to develop its own chip, CPU, PC, and Smartphone to offer to the world, that would be quite something.

They have all of it, but it’s less sophisticated, more expensive, or they simply can't scale production. Besides, even the US Army isn't immune to the fallout of globalization and the relentless pursuit of profit margins.

https://www.cnbc.com/2014/01/03/us-p...r-program.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/some-us...ed-from-china/
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/th...ge-chunk-25966
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/defen...-parts-prices/

etc.

Jack Kelly5 said:I was just reading that there's actually a massive wave of millions of migrants heading from the EU toward Russia right about now.

Not quite, my friend. It doesn't just happen instantly or overnight. We all know perfectly well that sanctions take some actual time before they start having an impact.😁

Let’s take a look at global gas prices and see who is actually feeling the weight of those latest sanctions.

Here are two examples of places that aren't exactly "suffering" from them: 😁:

Russia:

Gasoline prices per gallon, 95 octane: We show prices for Russia from Feb-21-2022 to May-30-2022. The average value for Russia during that period was 5.64 US dollars with a minimum of 5.62 US dollars on May-23-2022 and a maximum of 5.64 US dollars on Feb-28-2022. For comparison, the average price of gasoline in the world for this period is 13.69 US dollars.

Belarus:

Gasoline prices per gallon, 95 octane: We show prices for Belarus from Feb-21-2022 to May-30-2022. The average value for Belarus during that period was 4.64 US dollars with a minimum of 4.37 US dollars on Feb-21-2022 and a maximum of 4.95 US dollars on May-30-2022. For comparison, the average price of gasoline in the world for this period is 13.69 US dollars.

On the flip side, we have countries that are clearly struggling under the pressure of sanctions:

Take certain EU members, for instance.

EU Lithuania:

Gasoline prices per gallon, 95 octane: We show prices for Lithuania from Feb-21-2022 to May-30-2022. The average value for Lithuania during that period was 13.05 US dollars with a minimum of 11.12 US dollars on Feb-21-2022 and a maximum of 14.76 US dollars on May-30-2022. For comparison, the average price of gasoline in the world for this period is 13.69 US dollars.

Germany:

Gasoline prices per gallon, 95 octane: We show prices for Germany from Feb-21-2022 to May-30-2022. The average value for Germany during that period was 15.27 US dollars with a minimum of 13.25 US dollars on Feb-21-2022 and a maximum of 16.67 US dollars on Mar-14-2022. For comparison, the average price of gasoline in the world for this period is 13.69 US dollars.

And finally, the icing on the cake:

The US:

Gasoline prices per gallon, 95 octane: We show prices for the US from Feb-21-2022 to May-30-2022. The average value for the US during that period was 12.60 US dollars with a minimum of 11.17 US dollars on Feb-21-2022 and a maximum of 13.98 US dollars on Mar-21-2022. For comparison, the average price of gasoline in the world for this period is 13.69 US dollars.