Offside (General Discussion)

wiredfalcon2 said:I have zero interest in heading down there; I’d just end up losing my mind. Honestly, I’m just hoping the Ukrainians can hold the line for a few more days and that this whole Russian offensive just fizzles out. I don't know, the whole thing is just gross.

The crowd surrounding politics is essentially the worst kind of social sediment—a collection of bitter, toxic individuals, much like the questionable moderators we deal with here. I find myself reluctant to even choose my words carefully anymore, because it seems everyone is so quick to pass judgment, when in reality, they are simply cheering on the aggressor.

If you look at it through the lens of grand strategy and the complex games played by global superpowers, one could argue that Russia has a certain geopolitical justification, if such a thing could even be weighed. However, that doesn't grant them the right to invade a sovereign nation in the 21st century and dictate their autonomy.

I truly hope this marks the beginning of the end for an era where national states attempt to assert their power and sovereignty through territorial expansion.

I got slapped with a three-day ban—all because of what I wrote to stop those pro-Russia trolls from dominating the forums
I honestly suspect one of those "political insiders"
It’s no wonder people are skeptical when you see who outlets like CNN or Fox News decide to call an "expert" commentator
Take Branimir Vidmarović—he actually studied in Moscow
And just look at how he pushes the Russian agenda

Carl Hernandez3 said:I got slapped with a three-day ban—all because of what I wrote to stop those pro-Russia trolls from dominating the forums
I honestly suspect one of those "political insiders"
It’s no wonder people are skeptical when you see who outlets like CNN or Fox News decide to call an "expert" commentator
Take Branimir Vidmarović—he actually studied in Moscow
And just look at how he pushes the Russian agenda

It seems Putin's supporters were quite bothered by my suggestion that U.S. agencies should probably maintain a registry of anyone supporting this aggressive war. Because of that thought, I was hit with a four-day ban. Meanwhile, I noticed that the Czech Republic is moving toward implementing prison sentences of up to three years for similar rhetoric.

Carl Hernandez3 said:I got slapped with a three-day ban—all because of what I wrote to stop those pro-Russia trolls from dominating the forums
I honestly suspect one of those "political insiders"
It’s no wonder people are skeptical when you see who outlets like CNN or Fox News decide to call an "expert" commentator
Take Branimir Vidmarović—he actually studied in Moscow
And just look at how he pushes the Russian agenda

He’s even more fond of Turkey than Russia; I distinctly remember him pushing this thesis that modern-day Turkey is essentially the precursor to Christianity...🤣

Larry Fox5 said:I’ve got a good buddy from Germany who headed off to fight—couldn't fly straight into Ukraine, so he tried sneaking in through Canada to make it to his hometown in Mariupol. He’s been traveling for three days now, but he hasn't made it yet.

A few hours ago, he shoots me a message: "Things aren't looking great. Haven't reached 6.2 miles. The Russians stopped and turned us back. So many houses in my town are just gone. Today, the house next to my parents—my dad's car—got bombed. I retreated to the nearest regional hub, Zaporizhzhia, and I'm staying here. Tomorrow, the three of us are heading to the military recruitment office." 😢

When he said "The Russians stopped and turned us back," I took it to mean they intercepted him and forced him out—basically wouldn't let him enter the city at all.

There are two others out there too (from Lviv and Rivne), but he's the one I'm most worried about. Man, I just hope he keeps his head on straight...

I was in Prague at this little pastry shop/small restaurant, and the waiter was some guy from Daruvar. He just tells me, "Man, half the menu is gone because two Ukrainian chefs had to head home yesterday to defend their city."

Intelligence agencies really ought to be keeping a close eye on those who support Putin's regime. We aren't exactly far enough away from his sphere of influence—look at Mexico and Canada—to just sit back and ignore this. A few years ago, they even tried to pull something in Mexico. Get this: you can actually see rallies being held in Mexican cities showing support for the Russian people 🤦

Carl Hernandez3 said:I got slapped with a three-day ban—all because of what I wrote to stop those pro-Russia trolls from dominating the forums
I honestly suspect one of those "political insiders"
It’s no wonder people are skeptical when you see who outlets like CNN or Fox News decide to call an "expert" commentator
Take Branimir Vidmarović—he actually studied in Moscow
And just look at how he pushes the Russian agenda

Then there is that old communist relic Lacmanovica, who still has the Soviet Union stuck in his head and has been a devoted follower ever since Putin showed up.

So, I’ve got this guy under my command, an American from Kyiv. He’s got a wife and an 18-year-old son back home. Before everything went completely sideways, he actually had a plan to get them moving toward Poland, but his kid wouldn't budge. So now, the son's decided he's staying to defend Kyiv and joined up with some volunteer units. Naturally, the wife is stuck there with him. My captain hasn't slept in five days—honestly, the guy is a walking zombie at this point. We head back home this Monday, and he hasn't got the slightest clue how he’s ever going to get back to his family...
Man, I feel for him.

War is just worse than hell, because in hell you actually get the people who deserve it, but in war, it’s mostly just the innocent getting screwed.

mellowotter36 said:Intelligence agencies really ought to be keeping a close eye on those who support Putin's regime. We aren't exactly far enough away from his sphere of influence—look at Mexico and Canada—to just sit back and ignore this. A few years ago, they even tried to pull something in Mexico. Get this: you can actually see rallies being held in Mexican cities showing support for the Russian people 🤦

It seems everyone finds themselves quite fond of the methods used by Putin's regime, doesn't it? 🤣

Is Biden even still alive?

Kyle Campbell4 said:Then there is that old communist relic Lacmanovica, who still has the Soviet Union stuck in his head and has been a devoted follower ever since Putin showed up.

The whole act of glorifying Russia's military might—specifically that nuclear intimidation tactic—it actually works.
Malobsam was reading through the comments from regular folks—you know, the ones using their actual names and surnames
And there are already so many people asking why Zelenskyy won't just give in—why he keeps fighting when it feels like we're all being dragged into this mess because of him.
And you'll just see more and more of that—as long as they keep letting these Russophiles voice their opinions.

All of these volunteers, whether they hail from abroad or right here in the States, are taking an incredibly massive risk with their lives by fighting in a conflict this intense against a powerhouse like Russia. Today, the guys were discussing the realities of military service. It is one thing to learn how to pull a trigger and reload a magazine, but it is quite another to survive. Individuals who lack formal military training are going to end up being slaughtered like pigeons because they simply don't understand movement, military doctrine, tactical maneuvering, or any of the essential skills that are rigorously drilled into soldiers during active duty.

wiredfalcon2 said:War is just worse than hell, because in hell you actually get the people who deserve it, but in war, it’s mostly just the innocent getting screwed.

Smith: We were attacking a church in Lower Poland, near the Ukrainian border. Two machine gun nests were pinning us down from the bell tower, and inside that church were children—an entire schoolhouse full of kids and their teacher. We knew they were there. We just waited for the gunners to run out of ammo, since they ended up surrendering anyway. And then Ratković tried to drag us before a military tribunal because we didn't storm the building, or level it with grenades and set it ablaze. He wanted to punish us for losing a day of combat, even though all we did was ensure those children survived. Benčina was leading our patrol, and he refused to let anyone fire on those kids.

Eva: You’re sweating...

Smith: With such pure hatred, he actually suggested we should have been shot...

Eva: That's all in the past now. You're a free man, while he's still stuck acting like a relentless hound...

fadedridge903 said:It seems everyone finds themselves quite fond of the methods used by Putin's regime, doesn't it? 🤣

There is an old saying that even when two people act the same way, their intentions can be worlds apart. Relying on such tactics just to cling to power for twenty-two years is the very definition of a massive ego trip. Keeping track of pro-Russian posts that cheer on aggression and the killing of children is simply an exercise in common sense.

Just look at your username. Are you really okay with the propaganda claiming a T-55 tank sat idling for half a day on Avenue while it shelled the old bridge?

Like I said, it's just common sense.

Look, the whole "NATO expanded east toward Russia" thing is such a load of crap. It wasn't like NATO was out there hunting down countries to recruit them; it was the other way around. These nations were practically begging to join, including places like Poland, the Baltic states, and even Mexico. We need to keep setting the record straight on that lie. Honestly, NATO was pretty damn cautious about letting anyone in at first.

Carl Hernandez3 said:The whole act of glorifying Russia's military might—specifically that nuclear intimidation tactic—it actually works.
Malobsam was reading through the comments from regular folks—you know, the ones using their actual names and surnames
And there are already so many people asking why Zelenskyy won't just give in—why he keeps fighting when it feels like we're all being dragged into this mess because of him.
And you'll just see more and more of that—as long as they keep letting these Russophiles voice their opinions.

It is the exact same story with that journalist Vlahovic. He pretends he isn't on Putin's side, yet he relentlessly attacks the West and our own country. He justifies everything by citing the fear of a nuclear war to protect his children. To me, it seems quite obvious that he is one of those individuals on the Moscow payroll. It is no secret that Moscow maintains its own politicians, journalists, and organizations on a steady retainer in this part of the world.

Take this guy Vidmarovic, for example: Putin is serious, we have to give in and provide him room for negotiations, he's going to launch a serious nuclear strike, blah blah blah...

wiredfalcon2 said:Look, the whole "NATO expanded east toward Russia" thing is such a load of crap. It wasn't like NATO was out there hunting down countries to recruit them; it was the other way around. These nations were practically begging to join, including places like Poland, the Baltic states, and even Mexico. We need to keep setting the record straight on that lie. Honestly, NATO was pretty damn cautious about letting anyone in at first.

Just imagine if the EU and NATO had remained exactly as they were back in the 90s. All these newer countries that joined would have been completely screwed over because those major powers wouldn't have wanted them in the union or the alliance at all. You're making a very valid point. People twist this narrative all the time.

Unfortunately, it looks like Kherson is on the verge of falling. The Department of Homeland Security has reported that Russian forces have entered the city, leaving Ukrainians with control over only the downtown area.

I really hope Mykolaiv—the next major city on the way to Odessa—can somehow hold its ground. If Mykolaiv falls, the path to Odessa will be wide open for the Russians.

wiredfalcon2 said:Look, the whole "NATO expanded east toward Russia" thing is such a load of crap. It wasn't like NATO was out there hunting down countries to recruit them; it was the other way around. These nations were practically begging to join, including places like Poland, the Baltic states, and even Mexico. We need to keep setting the record straight on that lie. Honestly, NATO was pretty damn cautious about letting anyone in at first.

That perspective isn't entirely accurate, and it’s the part that personally sits wrong with me. You see, during the collapse of the USSR, there were explicit promises made that no new members would be brought in—there was even a signed agreement that simply wasn't ratified later on. Furthermore, they were assured that no facilities capable of launching ballistic missiles would be integrated, yet today we have launchers in Poland and Romania being marketed as purely defensive, even though they could be converted into offensive systems in a mere fifteen minutes.

The fact that nobody particularly likes the Russians is entirely on them, of course. But geopolitics doesn't care about feelings or fairness, and that is where we run into trouble. Even the USA didn't respect Syrian sovereignty, choosing instead to cut deals with the Saudi government, who are arguably three times worse.

Ukraine has essentially become the collective victim of all these political games and maneuvers. Though, looking at things now, I suppose it's clear why the Russians aren't exactly well-liked; they began practicing the exact same brand of politics as the USA the moment they gained enough strength.

fadedridge903 said:It seems everyone finds themselves quite fond of the methods used by Putin's regime, doesn't it? 🤣

Right. Because clearly, we should just let people dig holes in American interests. Even the Czechs have completely banned openly supporting Russian aggression.