Leeroy Jenkins
Footballguy
Right? Is Floyd Mayweather going to volunteer for the army like Klitchsko?Can you picture a Kardashian doing anything in the same parsec as these Ukrainians, much less your typical social media "influencer"?
Right? Is Floyd Mayweather going to volunteer for the army like Klitchsko?Can you picture a Kardashian doing anything in the same parsec as these Ukrainians, much less your typical social media "influencer"?
Good post. Never really know till you face it, I guess.I think there are a lot of folks that would like to think they would go all Wolverine but in truth, probably 10% or less of the population would engage in defense of their community let alone go someplace within the country to try to defend against an invasion. And I'd also guess that a good portion would be former service members. My guess, no scientific numbers.
I could and would attempt to defend my home, not sure my reaction to having to leave and go defend Miami or Houston.
There is a portion of our population that will rise up and surprise folks if the time ever comes. I think we would all like to consider ourselves a part of that group but in truth that number is infinitesimally small. Knowing you a bit from around the board, I have no doubt you wouldn't hesitate. I hope that I and many more would be as convinced but honestly I don't know.
Coined by the Finns in the 1940 Winter War when they were kicking Russia’s ###. The pejorative was named after Stalin’s scumbag foreign minister.Good post. Never really know till you face it, I guess.
You get inspired, tho. I saw a guy asking a 25 year old woman taking shelter in the Kyiv subway tunnels what she wanted to do today
"Make Molotov cocktails"
Yep. There's a lot that ordinary people with no special skills or training can do to make life miserable for an occupying force. It's like people in this thread slept through the Iraq occupation or something.Good post. Never really know till you face it, I guess.
You get inspired, tho. I saw a guy asking a 25 year old woman taking shelter in the Kyiv subway tunnels what she wanted to do today
"Make Molotov cocktails"
They’ve been neutral through both world wars, but they are cooperating with NATO. Ireland is also not part of NATO, which I find weirder.Had no idea Sweeden wasn't part of NATO.
They've been traditionally neutral in world affairs, though somewhat lower-key about it than Switzerland. Ireland is kind of the same way, and is also not in NATO.Had no idea Sweeden wasn't part of NATO.
:Watches Charlie Wilson's War again:Yep. There's a lot that ordinary people with no special skills or training can do to make life miserable for an occupying force. It's like people in this thread slept through the Iraq occupation or something.
https://twitter.com/JimmySecUK/status/1497259463597826050Dublin, Ireland. Angry crowd harasses a car carrying the Russian ambassador as it tries to enter the Embassy.
Ireland, I am proud of you.
I guess there's a distinction here between citizens trying to repel an invading army (probably not happening) vs. citizens trying to repel an occupying force. Would your average person leave his family behind to go fight against an amphibious invasion of San Diego? Probably not. Would the US be a fun country to try occupy? No. Being armed to the teeth is a real thing that matters for that type of situation.
The only problem is the part where he escaped unscathed.
To be fair, he’s not the problem. He works for the problem, who should bear the brunt of our ire.The only problem is the part where he escaped unscathed.
I’m not surprised. They run their military in a half-assed slipshod manner. Manifestation of a system rotten to its core.really showing itself now in the shoddy planning and execution of the early part of this attack
I’m always surprised how few Americans (i.e., average knowledge folks, not the exceptional who hang out here) know about the Holodomor.
Among the many reasons why Ukrainians don’t share Vlad’s wistful memories of the good ole days.
The other thing that matters is history. It's been 200+ years since a foreign country occupied a portion of Continental USA. Ukraine has had that experience much more recently (and repeatedly)
I want to believe in this, but I think we have to wait a few days or weeks to really know what's happening.They haven't knocked out any air defense system, they haven't taken control of any population centers, internet all working, the freaking Ukrainian army is updating their Instagram page! (@psd_info)
There is more cell phone video coming from Ukraine than a KPop concert, some of which might be used to prove war crimes later on. 1/3 of the forces along the border with Ukraine are in the country all ready.
I am open to the idea that the bubble Putin has placed himself in is really showing itself now in the shoddy planning and execution of the early part of this attack. I have no doubt Russia can defeat Ukraine, but I am not sure Putin has a real grasp on the damage to his own country, or the repercussions.
And the IOC has asked countries not to fly the Russian flag at competitions. That'll show Putin.Russia has been BANNED from the Eurovision Song Contest. Another domino falls.
Anne Applebaum, who knows a thing or two about that part of the world, wrote a book about this that was released in 2017, The Red Famine.I’m always surprised how few Americans (i.e., average knowledge folks, not the exceptional who hang out here) know about the Holodomor.
Among the many reasons why Ukrainians don’t share Vlad’s wistful memories of the good ole days.
And Stalin shot himself in the foot in the run up to WW II just because he had to see a communist traitor under every rock. He could've used a few of those dead generals at the start of Barbarossa.I’m not surprised. They run their military in a half-assed slipshod manner. Manifestation of a system rotten to its core.
Anne Applebaum, who knows a thing or two about that part of the world, wrote a book about this that was released in 2017, The Red Famine.
I remember hearing about the Red Army during the Soviet days, clearly that’s no longer the case.I’m not surprised. They run their military in a half-assed slipshod manner. Manifestation of a system rotten to its core.
It was insane, peak Stalin paranoia.And Stalin shot himself in the foot in the run up to WW II just because he had to see a communist traitor under every rock. He could've used a few of those dead generals at the start of Barbarossa.
I remember hearing about the Red Army during the Soviet days, clearly that’s no longer the case.
Tough propping up the #2 military with the 11th ranked economy. 6th ranked worked force size, 5th most billionaires. Obviously the kleptocracy works well for a few.I remember hearing about the Red Army during the Soviet days, clearly that’s no longer the case.
I want to believe in this, but I think we have to wait a few days or weeks to really know what's happening.
I do agree that if the Ukrainians commit to making life miserable for Russia they can do it. Putin might be willing to make Kyiv look like Aleppo, but the rest of the world is going to react very differently than it did when it happened in Syria. (for some good reasons and some not so good reasons)
What if the Ukrainians never surrender and just keep picking them off one at a time day after day?I don't think Russia is going full-tilt at all. Total annihilation doesn't accomplish anything for them.
Recent interview:To be fair, he’s not the problem. He works for the problem, who should bear the brunt of our ire.
What if the Ukrainians never surrender and just keep picking them off one at a time day after day?
Right. Install puppet government, that's the goalI mean what is surrender in this context? They seem to want to be staging a coup, once you get the top 40ish people out of power dead or alive it's an occupation, not a white flag.
That puppet government wouldn't last very long, I suspect. Russians will have to stay, in force.Right. Install puppet government, that's the goal
My guess is they at least annex/occupy Donbas (all of area Putin has declared independent) to give them a foothold.That puppet government wouldn't last very long, I suspect. Russians will have to stay, in force.
A bunch of car companies also blocked exports. We just need for bedazzled phone cases to be banned, and Putin will be out of power before dinnerTaiwan signs on to US chip export block. Important.
We would.
As far as me - it would be my duty. Plenty of people died for me to have this freedom. It would be my turn.
I haven’t heard that many bald-faced lies in quite some time, and props to the interviewer for pulling no punches
That guy has a solid point. Why fight for a madman who doesn’t care if you live or die? Besides, you’re on hostile soil, with an enemy who has better training, not to mention a very good reason to make your stay both short and miserable.Someone mentioned Javelins earlier.
Ukrainian account sent pics of these Bad Boys that had just arrived.
Also, Cheerful Ukrainian Solider sends message to Russian military.
Id guess Zelensky is smart enough to know that. That it must be brokered with an intermediary to secure safety.This just in: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian president Vladimir Putin are discussing a place and time to hold talks, according to a spokesperson for Zelenskiy.
The spokesperson also added that Ukraine is ready to talk about peace and a possible ceasefire, Reuters further reported.
Earlier today, the US State department cast doubts about whether Russia had legitimate plans for diplomacy, saying that Russia must stop bombing Ukraine first.
“Now we see Moscow suggesting that diplomacy take place at the barrel of a gun, or as Moscow’s rockets, mortars, artillery target the Ukrainian people,” said State department spokesperson Ned Price. “This is not real diplomacy. Those are not the conditions for real diplomacy.”
Let's say Russia doesn't know where Zelensky is now. I would never put him anywhere where Russia knew what building he was in. Putin sent operatives into a NATO country with flipping nerve gas. Let's not risk underestimating his daring. I am really not trying to hear, 'Oh, Putin would never do that' about pretty much anything right now.
I agree, he knows he’s a target, why put himself in a position where he’s now an easy target? Furthermore, aren’t peace talks usually carried out by intermediaries anyway? How dumb do the Russians think everyone else is?Id guess Zelensky is smart enough to know that. That it must be brokered with an intermediary to secure safety.
Historically the Russian Navy had four primary fleets: the Baltic (Kaliningrad), the Northern (Murmansk & Severomorsk - Berents Sea, by far the largest), the Pacific (Vladivostok), and the Black Sea (Sevastopol.) Oversimplified, that’s the western, northern, eastern, and Mediterranean districts.Here's a news channel interview with my faculty colleague who was born in Russia but moved with her family to Crimea when she was 10. She left in 2015, which she explains near the end of the interview. You might skip forward to 3:05. The reporter calls up a couple slides from a recent presentation she gave (on our campus). It shows how Crimean imports and exports dropped by about 90% once Russia took over. Also, the number of banks dropped from something like 36 to 2. Tourism, too, dried up. As she explains toward the end, they only care about military support in Crimea.
Zoom? He can use a cardboard cutout if so.Id guess Zelensky is smart enough to know that. That it must be brokered with an intermediary to secure safety.
Exactly.Zoom? He can use a cardboard cutout if so.