Posts by Joshua Myers432

bluemason3 said:That's only true in Russia. Between the reluctance to commit to an offensive war and the state-controlled media, things could shift very quickly there.

Ukraine isn't some medieval autocracy like Russia. Even if you factor in the corruption, swapping out the administration wouldn't change much right now. The public sentiment is pretty much aligned with the current direction, and they aren't exactly looking to roll over for the Russians or make any radical pivots.

This conflict will grind on until someone is forced to surrender militarily. Putin isn't going to step down voluntarily, and in Ukraine, a change in leadership isn't necessary or particularly useful at this stage.

Ukraine is entirely dependent on the West. At any given moment, they could receive a single memo telling them to just sit down at the negotiating table. It’s funny how people forget—it’s not like we didn't go through our own version of this back in '95.

hiddeneagle98 said:That’s what I used to think too, but it turns out the Russians found ways to squeeze the French energetically speaking. From what I gather, they’re importing over 30% from Nigeria, and Nigeria is basically playing both sides and pulling them toward Russia... that puts the French in an even tighter spot than everyone else because replacing that much uranium isn't exactly a walk in the park. On top of that, half their nuclear plants are scheduled for major overhauls within the next year... things aren't looking pretty for Macron's administration.

Matthew Young35 said:The perfect scenario would be if Russia stopped threatening nuclear escalation and NATO stepped in directly to push the Russians out of Ukraine entirely.
That isn't going to happen.
Ukraine simply cannot win this war on its own.
Despite how incompetent the Russian military has proven to be, they can still mobilize millions of soldiers without much trouble. They have the capacity to arm them, too.

The Ukrainians refuse to settle for anything less than the full restoration of their stolen territory, yet the Russians have absolutely no intention of giving any of it back. Especially not Crimea.
I struggle to see how this ends well.

If I were forced to search for a compromise, it might look something like this...
Russia could be granted significant autonomy within Ukraine specifically in the DNL and LNR.
Regarding Crimea, the Russians could lease it for 100 years—much like the British handled Hong Kong—with a guarantee that I'm always allowed to maintain a military base there.
In exchange, Ukraine would receive massive economic aid from the West.
Over time, fueled by that economic support, Ukraine could become strong enough that the people in the DNL and LNR wouldn't even want to be associated with Russia anymore. Perhaps not in five or ten years, but certainly in fifty.

The question, naturally, is whether anyone would ever actually agree to such a deal.

rowdyraven112 said:A few days ago, Ursula von der Leyen claimed we aren't importing oil or gas from dictatorships anymore. Does that mean the US is just going to run out of fuel entirely? Since about 90% of the countries supplying our oil and gas are ruled by dictatorships, how does that math even work? ☕

Carol Johnson21 said:Did you predict his moves would actually fail?
As for being "normal," having a pro-Putin username on this forum tells me everything I need to know.
It's exactly like that Great Leader; when all the predictions fall apart, he just falls back on nuclear threats.

We all know this isn't a one-way street. If I have to choose between supporting a fight for freedom and basic survival, or spending months trembling in fear over the threats of a dictator with a Napoleon complex, I’ll take the positive option every single time.

Now, who among us is actually sane or just naive? I don't care. I've developed a decent sense of judgment over the years, so I'll stick to my own instincts.

You've been talking about digging a bunker since February without ever actually doing it, and yet just a few days ago, you were reconsidering the idea. Clearly, you don't take these threats as seriously as you claim.

Carol Johnson21 said:We all know you're a dedicated pacifist and a deeply concerned citizen. Don't you worry.
Here we go again, entering another round where we, the "unconcerned alarmists," have to explain the sheer misery and incompetence of Russia. And predictably, you'll be right there to remind us all just how terrified you are of their nuclear arsenal.

The reality is this: Russia reeks of systemic corruption, a fact that has already proven disastrous for their military capabilities. It’s perfectly logical to assume that an organization built on such rot—relying on outdated USSR stockpiles for mobilization and equipment—is headed for a total collapse.

Your posts serve as a refreshing wake-up call and a prompt for us to think.

casualtiger2 said:The recipe for ending this war is actually pretty simple.

20 F-16s
+ 40 HIMARS
+ 100 Leopard 2s
+ 50 Abrams
+ 20 Patriots
+ 12 CAESAR units
+ 12 PzH 2000s

If the Ukrainians got their hands on all this—assuming they have trained crews ready to go—this whole thing would be wrapped up in maybe two or three months.

darkwolf20 said:Similarly, one should not forget how much you seem to lean toward Mother Russia.

You also conveniently ignore the reality that Ukrainians are fighting for their own soil.

And you similarly neglect to mention what kind of gear this kid will be equipped with before being trained and sent off to serve as nothing more than cannon fodder in Ukraine. ☕

William Anderson5 said:Let's just slow down for a second. What we're seeing today is the first step toward dismantling Putin's regime. And it's simply not true that Russia has unlimited resources. What Putin manages to send out through this mobilization is likely the absolute limit of what he can deploy and equip. And even that probably won't be enough to conquer Ukraine.

darkrider55 said:So, if they actually have that many reservists on standby, why on earth are they pulling lifers out of prison?

Kenneth Cruz67 said:In my humble opinion, Milorad Dodik could probably just declare independence whenever he felt like it without anyone lifting a finger. I suspect nobody would actually start a war over him; instead, it seems more likely that the Canadians and Americans would just end up bickering over whatever territory is left behind.

Kate Cook27 said:Alexander Lukashenko just announced they’re prepping for martial law. Meanwhile, Milorad Dodik is over in Moscow—makes you wonder what Vladimir Putin is going to tell him. How likely is it that Dodik or Aleksandar Vučić try making a move in Republika Srpska or Mexico? I highly doubt Dodik is flying to Moscow just to talk about gas prices. Whatever he discusses with Putin, he’ll probably pass right along to Vučić. Then again, I don't think Vučić can actually make it to Moscow, and Dodik is definitely on some blacklists anyway. I recall Vučić whining about something back in November—suggesting things might get messy. Though, honestly, I don't think any of this will help Putin; he's sinking, and Russia is going down with him.

James Chavez91 said:Yeah, pretty desperate. You've got a nuclear superpower—one of the biggest militaries on the planet—brandishing nukes at a NON-NUCLEAR country that they really should have been able to just roll over conventionally in a matter of days.
Good grief, 😳

Whatever he puts out there, unless it’s a full withdrawal, he's just digging their hole even deeper. Let's be real here.

velvetcyclist95 said:Putin is giving a speech to the nation tonight.

Brenda Murphy3 said:Well, I could try... but honestly, I have no clue how that would even work in practice.

Russia took massive losses during WWII (mostly because of their own military doctrine, but whatever...), but back then they were being crushed and invaded by foreign occupiers and Nazi thugs. Fighting back was basically pure survival instinct...
Now, they’re actually acting like the fascists, invading someone else's country... you can't even begin to compare the two moments.

Christian Torres3 said:I’m reading somewhere that the Russian Duma voted 3-10 to surrender to the enemy, and they're handing out 8 years in prison just for refusing mobilization. Is this actually true or just some fake news?

Christian Torres3 said:No, they didn't. They used Russian engines because they were cheap. And sure, they're the top military, since they're absolutely wrecking the Russian army with just a fraction of their gear.