Posts by Ronald Chavez2

Did Joe sign some kind of deal while he was busy grabbing lunch with Viktor Orbán, leaving him wide open to being played like that?

Regarding those grim predictions about the Ukrainian situation, if it actually plays out that way and we end up electing a Republican president because of how we handle things for Ukraine, wouldn't that just be more proof that we are exactly what we deserve to be—the absolute bottom of the barrel in the European Union?

Charles Carter4 said:It’s always the same pattern: they prioritize outside interests first, and then—if they’re feeling generous or if the math works out—they might actually consider ours.
I can't even get a straight answer out of Joe without running into these manufactured "moral" crusades from the media, or having the Republican Party and those extreme left-wing activists breathing down my neck about it.

One shouldn't overlook how his entire way of communicating is essentially dismantling the political culture in the United States, which, before Biden arrived, actually seemed to be holding up quite well, wouldn't you agree?🤣

Charles Thompson18 said:What kind of context are you actually talking about here? I don't see any justification for this total nonsense, nor for his constant, repetitive whining about how we should only be thinking about the United States or Canada.

But really, who else—and whose specific interests—are American politicians expected to prioritize, unless they've suddenly decided to answer to someone in Madagascar?

So, you have Saudi Arabia openly flouting sanctions and grabbing Russian oil simply because it serves their own interests. Honestly, maybe those bureaucrats over in Brussels could head to Riyadh for a crash course on how to actually prioritize national interest when making economic moves, rather than just sucking up to the US—especially since the Americans conveniently carve out so many exceptions for themselves regarding Russian sanctions anyway. There was a time when they practically ran the globe, but now the continent has become little more than a joke.

analogbear5 said:And here I was, thinking the US was actually making a killing off this war.

The American oligarchy is certainly reaping the rewards, especially the arms dealers and the big oil players, but does anyone actually give a damn about the average Joe who's getting crushed by inflation while working two jobs just to stay afloat? It's all going to end in nothing but tears and outrage once the next Trump rolls into office.

Samuel Rodriguez52 said:Looks like Recep Tayyip Erdoğan finally gave in! Turkey, Sweden, and Finland have officially signed a trilateral memorandum, which I guess should really clear the path for both Finland and Sweden to join NATO.

Source: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_197251.htm

So Erdoğan gets a free pass to continue his crackdown on Kurdistan, only for a NATO—with Turkey firmly at the helm—to later lecture us about criminal Russians or anyone else who doesn't fit neatly into American interests? How predictable.

brightheron64 said:The whole saga regarding sanctions is never quite as dull as people make it out to be 😁:

unknown
https://www.wsj.com/articles/airbus-...um-11655817028

At first glance, you might think it's no big deal—you've got some stockpiles tucked away, and if you run low, you just pick up more from someone else, right? But as they’re pointing out over at Airbus, reality is a bit more complicated than that...

Part of the challenge for Airbus is the lengthy certification procedure for bringing on new suppliers and components, a process that can take between 18 and 24 months

And while we're at it, let's touch briefly on our favorite recurring topic—oil. Didn't we just have a massive discussion here a few weeks back about how you can't simply reroute entire rivers of oil toward China overnight?

China’s crude oil imports from Russia up 55% in May compared to a year earlier, displacing Saudi Arabia as top supplier.
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/20...-surpass-saudi

Well, who knows, maybe oil prices actually might drop after all, because if what's coming from Saudi Arabia isn't heading to China, perhaps it will find its way over to Europe instead...

If this were an American company, of course they’d just grant an exemption and call it a day, wouldn't they?

Anthony Hill5 said:The USA—and frankly, any other nation that values its own sovereignty—would never permit itself to be energy-dependent on a single country.

Germany was warned for years regarding its energy reliance on Russia.

Many of Putin’s sympathizers on this forum laughed at those warnings, yet coincidentally, they are now the loudest voices wailing about high fuel prices.

The price of stupidity and naivety always eventually comes due, and that is exactly what is happening with German, or rather European Union, energy policy.

The current average price per gallon in the USA is 5.004 USD.
Today's exchange rate: 1 USD = $2.25
1 US gallon = 3.8 liters

Give me the price of $3.00 per liter of fuel, and I will refrain from mentioning sanctions altogether.

Just a year ago, a gallon in America was selling for $3.

Their fuel is cheaper because their oil companies have enjoyed specific tax breaks dating back to the era of Woodrow Wilson.

The problem is that Europe isn't just paying for its own naivety; it’s paying for its subservience to the big boss across the Atlantic. Despite their own interests, they rush to impose sanctions on Russian oil and gas to punish Russian actions, while simultaneously begging for Saudi Arabian oil and Qatari gas. You have one group acting like leaders, while others—still functioning like vassals in the 21st century—simply follow orders because the boss decided certain suppliers were acceptable, leading them straight into more expensive energy contracts.

swiftmaker12 said:The police clearly targeted this, almost as if they decided to go all out just to wrap up the season.

It’s always been their way, hasn't it—to use the fans as practice for handling the kind of chaos that erupts when prices spike, crises hit, inflation climbs, and public discontent reaches a breaking point?

Then you look at how Zvonimir Boban went after the state and its heavy-handed enforcement agencies thirty-two years ago, and suddenly he’s a hero instead of a criminal.
You people living north of Rock need to realize that on the Mediterranean Coast, everyone has finally reached their limit with the hooliganism displayed by the USSF, the Republican Party, the administration, and the repressive apparatus they use to keep this mafia-style, predatory criminal state in power.
To us, the behavior of those elites over the last decade or so feels exactly like the old militia back in the day, acting as nothing more than shields for a corrupt regime.
If there was no justice then, why should we expect any now?
And you can feel that resentment between the North and the South at every turn, can't you?
Of course, that division serves those criminals perfectly.

As someone from the North, I don't feel any hatred toward the South, nor have I ever felt it directed at me when I visit. Isn't it possible that this is just something cooked up by the primitives who congregate in fan groups, people who have hijacked soccer just to find an excuse to vent their own frustrations and aggression? And then they have the nerve to whine about police brutality, even after hundreds of their "tough guys" charged a handful of officers—honestly, considering the circumstances, most of them stayed remarkably calm.

swiftjackal11 said:Real change doesn't happen overnight. Sure, things are rough now, but in a few years, you'll see the economy in Europe bounce back fast. By then, nobody will even remember Russia anymore. Well, except for the Russians and their allies.

I wish I could share your optimism, but it all feels a bit detached from reality. Given how this started, aren't we just looking at a future where we're stuck buying more expensive American gas while completely severing ties with Russia, which basically sets the stage for stunted economic growth, assuming there's any growth left to speak of?

Is there really any point in even engaging with this?

Jack Hill2 said:What does this article even have to do with the war in Ukraine?

If the point is that Europe will suffer because of this conflict, that's obvious. The war is happening in Europe, and it isn't their fault. They would suffer regardless of what they do...

But if you want to measure something specific, use the actual data that's already out there instead of this nonsense.

Europe is primarily feeling the sting because of the sanctions leveled against Russia, all stemming from this decision to take action in the first place. If nothing had been done at all, wouldn't we be spared these massive complications, leaving us only with the task of managing the Ukrainian refugees, which seems to be holding up reasonably well?

slyfox43 said:Does anyone ever get tired of hearing the same crowd drone on about how US and Russian interests are perfectly aligned in their desire to weaken Europe? I wonder if there’s any actual evidence in how the US has behaved over the last year to support that claim. According to them, the US is undermining Europe by:

1) sharing intelligence that provides early warnings regarding potential Russian aggression,

2) applying intense diplomatic pressure to ensure sanction packages are coordinated,

3) coordinating alternative energy suppliers FOR EUROPE—some of which happen to be American—to shield the continent from Russian retaliation and leverage, ultimately placing Europe in a much stronger negotiating position,

4) deploying significant additional forces to the most vulnerable NATO members,

and so on,

and so on,

and so on.

Are they really working to destabilize Europe with the same fervor that Russia uses for its "denazification of Ukraine" campaign? 🙄

Honestly, reading this kind of nonsense is exhausting. It’s no different than those endless, hollow ramblings about the "brotherhood" of China and Russia while they simultaneously accept massive amounts of aid from the EU and the USA—the very same entities they constantly insult. It's the exact same garbage, through and through.

Sure, because clearly the US wants nothing but the best for Europe and dreams of a world filled with peace, prosperity, and democracy. Aren't you a little embarrassed to be pushing these fairy tales?

1) To put it simply, weakening Russia and ensuring their invasion of Ukraine fails was the priority here. This had nothing to do with some altruistic desire to make life better for Europe; it was about making sure Russia gets bogged down in the Ukrainian mud. Fortunately, that seems to have worked so far.

2) and 3) I don't see what's controversial about diplomatic pressure or organizing conditions so that Europe shifts its energy sources toward the US, allied nations, and democratic strongholds like Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Of course, in a situation like this, everyone is going to seize the opportunity to look out for their own interests.

4) Given the potential for escalation, it's only logical to move more NATO troops into Europe. That isn't American benevolence; it's preparing for the inevitable scenario where we end up having to defend America in Europe, as is often the case.

Just as the ideas about "brotherly" Russia and China are delusions, so too are these delusions about a "brotherly" America.

Is there anything left to say when the silence itself becomes the only honest response?

wiredseal7 said:Solving a lack of strategic reserves (infrastructure) through seizures? Just the American way... reminds me of what happened with Citgo.

Maybe they should try building something themselves for a change.
They've even got those hidden pockets up in northern Germany—so there's your solution for gas and oil.

What kind of fool thinks they can just swap out reliable energy grids for a patchwork of solar farms and giant wind turbines, especially when green ideology has clearly scrambled their brains to the point where any dependable power source is treated like a cardinal sin?

Richard Wilson4 said:Look, when Germany plans to double down on their energy dependence on a specific country right after Russia militarily occupies and annexes another UN member's territory, are we really going to blame the Americans for that too?

No, the blame lies squarely with Germany and their own policy decisions. There are plenty of factors at play here, but isn't putting all your eggs in one basket—to use a cliché—just a fundamentally foolish strategy?

slyfox43 said:Maybe it’s the Russians, Assad (backed by Russia), Haftar (Russian influence), various Hezbollah groups (Iranian-backed), or the PMF (Iranian-backed), and maybe even Gaddafi (using Russian weaponry)?

Just give it a rest; you're shouting into the void, as nobody is buying that tired old line about millions of refugees fleeing from American bombs anymore.

Oh, sure, it’s always Russia and Assad’s fault, while Americans haven't set foot outside their own borders since 1945, let alone caused instability in the Middle East. I suppose those fairy tales work fine in the USA, which is why non-American lives can be so easily dismissed as mere collateral damage based on such propaganda.

I didn't even bring up Gaddafi, but if we want to add fuel to the fire: following that famous "We came, we saw, he died" operation, Libya is just as much of a mess, and it's that exact chaos that drives migration pressure toward the borders of the European Union—essentially just another instance of an American adventure that leaves Europe to clean up the wreckage.

Is there really any point in even engaging with this?

slyfox43 said:We can never have enough commentary on how the US creates these waves of refugees. Please, keep them coming.

Sure, but who exactly has dropped more bombs over the last twenty years than the rest of the world combined during the last century?

Bryan Booth82 said:Listen, if you’re someone who actually feels like you're "swallowing crap," you aren't going to fix that feeling just by pretending we're all suddenly independent.
Lp

It isn't about emotions; it’s simply about looking at the facts. Whose meddling is actually driving the Middle East into this state of instability that triggered the 2015 crisis in the first place? And more importantly, who really bore the brunt of that fallout—both in terms of the sheer number of people arriving and the massive ransoms paid to Turkey just to keep them from crossing their borders?

Bryan Booth82 said:That is absolutely not the case—in fact, that’s exactly what Putin wants to hear.
If certain people want to interpret the partnership between the European Union and the USA through some cynical lens... well, frankly, that should be their own damn problem.
After Biden's speech in Washington, D.C., that psychopath in Moscow might actually hesitate before deciding whether he can get away with targeting Poland. But if that same speech had come from some European leader? He’d probably launch a missile just for the hell of it.
I don't see any issue with the cooperation between the European Union and the USA, despite what so many people in the European Union seem to think.
Best regards,

When Americans bomb parts of the Middle East and trigger refugee crises that Europe ends up paying for and managing, can we honestly call that "cooperation," or is it just swallowing American policy whole? Shouldn't Europe focus on its own interests and stop acting like it needs to pick a master and swallow whoever's garbage—be it American, Russian, or anyone else's?

Anthony Perez9 said:When Putin’s plans fall apart, he's looking at a total meltdown, pretty much like Slobodan Maddox. The collapse of the Russian Federation would be the perfect way to wrap up his little "operation"—basically erasing a global superpower that's spent the last century causing nothing but chaos and misery...

I find that hard to swallow; is there really any scenario where a Russian defeat results in anything more catastrophic than the mess we saw when the Soviet Union fell?

Michael Ortiz68 said:There's no such thing as "doing nothing"... decarbonization is baked into every single strategy and roadmap they have. This isn't changing direction; it's just shifting from second gear into sixth.

Those fairy tales will evaporate pretty quickly once the Department of Energy takes the lead—one cloudy afternoon and the whole illusion just falls apart, won't it?

Megan Thomas5 said:Iran under Western influence was actually developed, free, and progressive—women could walk wherever they wanted, there was freedom of thought, and the whole country was thriving...

But look at Iran today: a total backwater where human rights don't exist, women are treated like garbage, and public executions are just another Tuesday.

And that isn't even the worst part. If we’re being honest, their biggest crime is simply not being pro-American or acting as reliable customers for U.S. military hardware, much like Saudi Arabia—an outfit whose blatant primitivism somehow never triggers concern from the same people who are constantly losing sleep over Ukraine, Georgia, Uyghurs, Tibet, or Taiwan. Not to mention the way they conveniently ignore what happens in Yemen.

Ronald Chavez2 said:I haven't been on this Forum for an eternity, yet I've contributed plenty to the Coronavirus discussion and racked up more warnings than in all my other time here, though I think you're well aware that those warnings weren't issued for trolling, but rather for trolling in the wrong direction, if that makes sense.

I'll ask one more time: why exactly did this come to an end, and specifically, which single controversial post was the one that sent me into a partial ban?

I am repeating my question.