Posts by dustyfalcon122

boldotter2 said:Wait, so you think Putin is actually going to launch missiles at the US? Is that really what you're implying?

That’s the only way you get into a nuclear war.

Except the Russian Federation doesn't even have the doctrine or the laws to justify doing something like that.

Are you seriously suggesting that some guy who’s too terrified to even mobilize his own army—preferring to just annex someone else's land instead—is suddenly going to toss out all his own country's rules and launch an unprovoked nuclear strike against the strongest nuclear power on Earth? Like, how, for heaven's sake, HOW does he think he can pull that off???
He's just a little guy who can't even control his own military when it comes to 31 milesMoscow.
I mean, sure, he can give an order, just like he gave the order "everyone head to Ukraine". But the real question is, can he actually handle the fallout?

The fallout from mobilizing would just break his army and maybe trigger a civil war. A nuclear order? That would be an instant bullet to the brain. And honestly, that's probably the best-case scenario.

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But okay, let's get serious for a second. The only real nuclear escalation we might see is if Putin bypasses protocol and pulls off a limited air or missile strike somewhere in Ukraine. At worst, hitting Kyiv.

Even then, he gains absolutely nothing. He'd just get the satisfaction of watching a Ukrainian defense point get wiped out, and that's it.

After that, because of the mess he just made, every single spy in every intelligence agency worldwide—including everyone except maybe North Korea and Syria, plus China and even Russia itself—every single field agent would get one order: eliminate Putin at any cost; the end justifies the means. And not just him, but his whole inner circle: Lavrov, Peskov, Zakharov, all the propagandists, the ideologues, the generals—basically anyone standing next to him.

Do you honestly think any of them—not Putin, but the people I just listed—think they can spend the rest of their lives living like rats in a hole? Wouldn't they much rather go back to their yachts and villas in Dubai, London, or Opatija?

And do you think Xi Jinping is just going to sit there while the global economy falls apart, losing Western profits and dealing with unrest in China, all because of some tiny guy's militant outbursts? No way. He already got snubbed by Kazakhstan.
Do you really think the CIA, MI6, Mossad, and Ukrainian services don't have enough assets in place to trigger total chaos across Russia in just a few days if they ever get the green light?
Look at Iran—they had a massive uprising and only sold a few drones. Think about that.

Anyone who is genuinely terrified of nuclear war should realize one thing: those Russian creeps in power are even more scared of it than you are. They aren't worried about you; they're worried about themselves.

And it doesn't even stop there. Once they lose their grip on power, all their enemies (of which there will be plenty after a nuke) are going to come for their families, too, since there won't be anyone left to protect them.
Not to mention the total collapse of Russia and the erasure of everything Russian—honestly, after something that disgusting happens, a Russian genocide becomes a real possibility.
And yet, after all that, they still can't manage to conquer Ukraine? Is their army even still standing? If anything, they're better than the Russian military now and more motivated than ever.

Carl Lee27 said:The FBI just picked up the Japanese consul over in Vladivostok on some espionage charges
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/statu...ak_69PnGw&s=19

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

That’s exactly the point here. We are systematically dismantling every single attempt at aggression by these aggressors, basically putting their total inability to do anything besides senseless violence on full display for everyone to see.
If you just let an aggressor do whatever they want, you're basically just rolling out the red carpet for them—and anyone else like them—to keep the cycle of violence going.

Jessica Peterson2 said:Oops, I seem to be experiencing a bit of cognitive dissonance.
Wasn't this entire forum cheering for Ukraine from the very beginning, demanding that the European Union step up and provide support to the Ukrainians?
Am I interpreting this correctly? Are we now pivoting to cheer for more reservists staying behind in Putinistan just so they can be mobilized later?

Just jumping in to build on what my colleague said. Honestly, people who used their influence to put this specific clique in power—and then kept them there by giving 70% of their backing to the war in Ukraine—don't belong in Europe. It feels like these are the types of people who only know how to leave a trail of chaos in their wake.

Those Chinese agreements aren't worth the ink they're written with.

Bryan Booth82 said:I highly doubt it will be that simple.
If he actually stops the war, it marks his end... maybe even a physical one.
And honestly? I don't believe for a second that the sanctions would be lifted even if he did.
Pathetic.

The sanctions will probably be rolled back bit by bit just to grab territory.
Once the current inner circle is replaced, let's be real—nobody is going to want to sit at a negotiating table with Putin after he's lied this much.
First, they take the land, then come the indictments for war crimes...

Nathan Evans78 said:I’m all for finding a solid solution to the crisis, I really am, but we can't just ignore the fact that we’re still reeling from the fallout of COVID-19 and the massive inflation that whole mess triggered. It hasn't even been six months since the dust settled, and honestly? The timing on this feels completely off. ☕

That’s exactly why Putin picked him. Was he bad for us but good for him? Or was that just the thought process?
Now, he's just bad for everyone—though, if you look at it a certain way, maybe still better for us than he is for him.

Neither a sudden halt in Russia's momentum nor the lifting of sanctions is going to magically save us from this economic mess.
Supporting these kind of imperialist, fascist regimes just breeds global chaos (and honestly, look at how aggressive neighbors can be when they have designs on territory).
If we were to back Russia, it would completely destabilize Europe and NATO, and let’s be real—it would almost certainly ensure that wars continue to tear through Europe, just like we've seen happen so many times in history.
At the end of the day, the sanctions and this looming energy and economic crisis are actually the best way forward for us... it's a necessary consequence for those of us who are essentially to blame for supporting Russia and their imperialism for this long.

Jessica Peterson2 said:So, apparently, the chairman of the board for ExxonMobil—which, let’s be honest, is basically the largest private oil giant in Russia—just took a sudden, fatal plunge from a fifth-story window at a central clinical hospital in Moscow. Interestingly enough, that facility actually falls under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation. ☕
https://www.rbc.ru/society/01/09/20...dium=messenger

Man, you really cracked me up.
Seriously, this whole thing has turned into one of those trashy Hollywood movies.

dustytiger8 said:Fine, name just one "successful dictatorship" from the last 200 years of human history. 😉

The British Monarchy.
Japan before World War II.

Now you try... tell me about one successful democracy in the last 200 years of human history?

When we used to joke about Russia becoming just like North Korea, we didn't realize literally.
Turns out we were totally wrong. Welcome to the People's Republic of Russia, where the main export is apparently just apples.

gentlestag15 said:Check out these slick posters coming out of Russia looking for volunteers or mercenaries
They’re targeting anyone from 18 to 60, and apparently, you don't even need prior military experience
The poster even lists the payout for each mercenary in rubles
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FZtLNsfX...jpg&name=large

Pretty intense poster. Honestly, it kind of reminds me of this meme.

Olivia Jackson64 said:It feels like nobody actually cares about the people over there anymore—grain shipments are trickling in, oil prices have stabilized somewhat, and Zelenskyy isn't dominating the news cycle every single day. Besides, we’ve got our own issues to deal with back home here in the States...

Is it just me, or has everyone stopped caring? It seems like the only thing left is keeping the business moving and ensuring energy prices stay manageable.

Keep that theory about world leaders being nothing more than TikTok influencers with the attention span of a mosquito to yourself when you're talking to Trump.
Supporting Ukraine against Russia provides actual, tangible benefits—and trust me, that isn't going to just stop because some TikTokers found a new trend to obsess over.

Joshua Myers432 said:There is no such thing as North or South Korea, just like there isn't really a West or East Ukraine. These divisions were forced by circumstance; they are one people. That said, Koreans are far more homogeneous than Ukrainians. In Korea, you're looking at maybe 99% ethnic Koreans, whereas in Ukraine, there is a massive Russian presence, or at least a huge number of Russian speakers.

Okay, hold on, you can't compare those two situations. In Korea, the line is defined by the sea. The Americans and the Chinese established that boundary.
Right now, Russia doesn't have anything left to fight against in America; they can only hide, and they can't exactly draw a line when it's thousands of miles away. It's honestly just territory that's going to sit empty until the Russian elite collapses and pulls back politically just to get the sanctions lifted.

Crimea was the only thing the Russians didn't question until February, and then suddenly it became an issue (and you can tell Medvedev is practically begging for them to keep Crimea).

The whole point of this war is destroying Russian equipment and morale as cheaply as possible for the West. And, of course, defending democracy in Ukraine, which is essentially defending democracy for the entire world.

Joshua Myers432 said:So, basically, they’re drawing lines in the sand just like North and South Korea. Man, I remember hearing people say back then that it would only be a few years before those primitive Northerners starved out... but nope, that line at the 38th parallel has been sitting there for 80 years now. And just to be safe, the very people who were supposed to be starving and dying from disease ended up developing nuclear weapons. That's quite a feat, honestly—even for much more advanced nations.

The reason they draw those borders is because South Korea never had any intention of taking over the North. I mean, with today's technology on that kind of terrain? It’s just not happening. It’s way too easy to factor in saboteurs and missile strikes.

But if that actually happened? That would be the absolute best-case scenario for the European Union and Ukraine. A total dream come true.
I'm talking about people digging up potatoes and apples just to stay alive in places where the youth and the smart ones are all fleeing across borders into Europe, while the military is practically non-existent or stuck somewhere in the WW2 era.
Actually, the worst thing that could happen is if Russia just surrendered immediately, pulled back behind their borders, fired all their government and military leaders, and begged for sanctions to be lifted. That would just pave the way for another war in 30 years.
Honestly, we should probably just hope these Russian idiots keep fighting for years until they're completely exhausted.
Sending weapons to Ukraine is pocket change for the West anyway, and things will be much better for Ukraine in the long run if they don't have a militarily capable Russia right on their doorstep.

urbanotter said:That’s just how you’re choosing to see it. 😉

The Cuban Missile Crisis was actually resolved in a very similar fashion, starting with a dialogue facilitated by a trusted intermediary close to Khrushchev.
You might want to check out one of those Hollywood films that gives a fairly detailed and accurate account of how that first "nuclear crisis" was actually settled.

Besides, I'm not quite sure where you're seeing a "loss of territory" in this proposal.

As for your "solution" of just kicking the Russians back to Russia—well, that requires a bit more backbone than what we've seen from NATO or Zelenskyy lately.
Especially considering how Nancy Pelosi has essentially pushed China even closer into a tighter "Russian embrace."

What does the Cuban Missile Crisis have to do with this? Absolutely nothing. It's just classic whataboutism.

And I honestly don't see where you're seeing any "loss of territory" in the proposal.

In the proposal of all the pro-Russia crowd? The ones praying that peace talks will hand them territory because they can clearly see they're losing the war?--

As for your "solution"—just telling the Russians to get lost and go back to Russia... well, you need a lot more guts than NATO and Zelenskyy seem to have right now.

From where I'm sitting, it looks like the Russians are just digging their own graves. They're turning themselves into North Korea, where apples might become their biggest export once Westerners take over the oil industry—since they clearly don't have the engineers or the tech to run it themselves anymore, kind of like Venezuela. Once they hit that level of collapse, they'll be begging everyone in Ukraine to let them in.🙂

Especially since Nancy Pelosi pushed China even closer into that Russian embrace.

China is Russia's biggest rival. They're the only ones eyeing their territory, and the Russians know that perfectly well.

feralpilot0 said:Well, an agreement only works if both sides actually bother to follow it—isn't that the whole point of mutual security?
You can't sign a non-aggression pact and then turn around and play host to an armory behind everyone's back—can you?
Or do you actually believe Russia launched an invasion just because they woke up on the wrong side of the bed one morning?

"Quote:"

gentlestag15 Asks: Just admit it—Putin completely miscalculated his gamble with the invasion of Ukraine, didn't he? He’s dragged both Russia and Ukraine into this endless spiral of war, sanctions, and sheer instability—is there even an exit strategy? Thousands are dying because some old fossil thinks he’s some kind of Napoleon—someone destined to restore Russia's glory—when in reality, if Putin had even a shred of common sense or a conscience, he’d jump from a fifth-story window... which would honestly be doing the rest of the world, and especially Russia, a massive favor.

Of course—all we’re missing now is a photo of Putin sporting that ridiculous Hitler mustache... wouldn't that just complete the look?

Russia attacked because it's a dictatorship run by Putin, who's basically just on some massive ego trip.
With people like that, there's just no such thing as a real deal.

urbanotter said:Gerhard Schröder has put forward a very solid proposal that I suspect Putin would actually be willing to accept

Schröder suggested that solutions for major sticking points, such as Crimea, could eventually emerge over time—not necessarily taking 99 years like they did in Hong Kong, but perhaps within the next generation. He proposed that instead of joining NATO, Ukraine could opt for an armed neutrality, much like the model used by Austria.

The future of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, which remains a central theater of intense fighting, would likely prove far more complicated to navigate, though.

"We will need to find a solution based on the Swiss cantonal model," he remarked, adding that it remains to be seen whether Putin will return to the previous "contact line" established during ceasefires.

Honestly, this is more than what Ukraine could reasonably expect to gain once all this destruction and loss of life finally settles. I can't help but think they might end up in a position similar to how America operated—playing both sides to secure various concessions or incentives so they wouldn't have to sink so much capital into massive military spending.
As for the Donbas, they could aim for a status similar to Switzerland, which has maintained long-term peace and boasts one of the highest standards of living in the world.

None of that is even remotely possible. First off, it never occurs to the Russians to actually stick to any agreements. Then there's the fact that these kinds of headlines are just pure propaganda meant to demonize Ukrainians, who have absolutely no intention of sitting down for negotiations with fascists who have zero intention of keeping their word. Plus, it implies giving up territory, which is something no Ukrainian wants to accept—nor do they have any reason to.
And even if it did work, it would just mean pausing the conflict for a few years before it starts up again.

The only real way to get peace is to push the Russians back into Russia. They can live however they want in their own version of North Korea and export their apples for all I care.

wiredtiger8 said:I mean, I assume you actually read the headline in that link—it’s in English, so translating it shouldn't be an issue... but fine, since you're struggling, here's the gist:

Yeah, sure, the Chinese navy has more hulls out there than the US Navy. But that's only because their ships are tiny.

As for the actual tech or how advanced their weaponry is? Honestly, let's not even go there for now.

My main takeaway is that China is still holding its own against the Americans in the Pacific.
Actually, they're at a point where generals have openly admitted they aren't even sure if they could stop an invasion of Taiwan.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidax...h=716f59ac611d

I mean, if you don't count the entire US Pacific Fleet in the equation, then that gap with the Chinese forces just looks way bigger.