US Politics XXXIV: Biden Against the Manchine (Live at the Sinema)

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Putin will take Ukraine. We're not going to stop him.

The question becomes whether or not that's it.

We need to continue to put pressure on the country and the oligarchs, as our hope here is a coup. You know - what they did to us.

The nightmare scenario for the west begins in 2025, when the possibility exists the United States could have a leader who is intent on weakening NATO and kissing up to Russia again. That's ballgame.

[BEAL]

That’s been a fear too, 2024 election is basically for democracy all over the world, not just at home.

I find the thought of allowing an entire country’s population to be murdered to be another failure in our humanity.

I’m also aware the world hasn’t given one shit about the people of Yemen. Does seem to be a difference in how our collective empathy works based on race and religion

[Irvine511]

Originally Posted by BEAL

Read that the reactor was safely shut down. Fires were to buildings around it. I assume this was the plan? To attack it and get the techs to shut it down which supplies something like 30% of the power to Ukraine

If we’re not going to close airspace or send in NATO forces (which i understand why…) then we need to be giving Ukraine as much military equipment and power as we can

Otherwise we are watching an entire country slowly get slaughtered and Putin will learn he can do whatever he wants by force. I don’t think sanctions matter to him at this point. He wants blood.

And the blood of 20-year old Russian boys means nothing to him.

[LuckyNumber7]

Originally Posted by Headache in a Suitcase

Putin will take Ukraine. We're not going to stop him.

The question becomes whether or not that's it.

Probably will leave portions of Ukraine alone - it’s probably in his best unhinged interest to have a functioning, underdeveloped Western Ukraine state that isn’t NATO militarized that he can accuse of being a puppet state.

I find it weird that he’s truly unhinged. Putin, for decades, was always a cold, shrewd, ruthless, calm, and calculated leader. He did bad things, but always with some reasonable intent. Right now, he’s looking more and more like a madman with the temperament of Donald Trump.

[Headache in a Suitcase]

perhaps he's upset that his grand scheme didn't work after 2020.

or perhaps it's still in play.

2014 - he invades Ukraine and annexes Crimea.

2016 - US election, Trump, Manafort, etc.

2022 - invades Ukraine, ongoing

2024 - US election

[LuckyNumber7]

Originally Posted by Headache in a Suitcase

perhaps he's upset that his grand scheme didn't work after 2020.

or perhaps it's still in play.

2014 - he invades Ukraine and annexes Crimea.

2016 - US election, Trump, Manafort, etc.

2022 - invades Ukraine, ongoing

2024 - US election

When Trump makes his eventual “Putin wouldn’t have done it if I was president - elect me again and I’ll make America and Russia great again and normalize relations with Putin because Ukraine is not our problem” pitch, we’ll know the answer for sure.

[Vlad n U 2]

Originally Posted by BEAL

I’m also aware the world hasn’t given one shit about the people of Yemen. Does seem to be a difference in how our collective empathy works based on race and religion

Noticed a pretty substantial difference in the sympathy afforded to Ukrainians relative to the Palestinian people. Many of the same people who support banning Russian made products (which hasn't been demanded by the Russian opposition AFAIK?) have voiced staunch opposition to BDS.


And it goes without saying that if Russian athletes are to be banned from international competition for this then this standard must be applied consistently across the board from this point onwards.

Originally Posted by LuckyNumber7

Probably will leave portions of Ukraine alone - it’s probably in his best unhinged interest to have a functioning, underdeveloped Western Ukraine state that isn’t NATO militarized that he can accuse of being a puppet state.

I find it weird that he’s truly unhinged. Putin, for decades, was always a cold, shrewd, ruthless, calm, and calculated leader. He did bad things, but always with some reasonable intent. Right now, he’s looking more and more like a madman with the temperament of Donald Trump.

Absolutely nobody in Russia thought this war was going to happen (or were actually prepared for it by the regime), and this war in my opinion does represent a shift in that this is a catastrophic blunder of a decision that might actually accelerate his eventual downfall.

[Bluer White]

Originally Posted by Vlad n U 2

And it goes without saying that if Russian athletes are to be banned from international competition for this then this standard must be applied consistently across the board from this point onwards.

It's harsh and unfair to what I'm sure are the vast, VAST majority of individual Russian athletes.

But no one has the luxury of living in a vacuum, especially when wearing their country's kit on their chest.

It doesn't have to be this way forever. For now, though.....

[Vincent Vega]

Originally Posted by BEAL

Otherwise we are watching an entire country slowly get slaughtered and Putin will learn he can do whatever he wants by force. I don’t think sanctions matter to him at this point. He wants blood.

He has been actively engaged in doing that since September 2015 and no one gave a fuck. Even now it's barely even being mentioned how he has been fighting the war in Syria. If a parallel is drawn, then it is to Grosny about two decades ago.

It shouldn't shock anyone that the Russian military is shooting at hospitals or apartment buildings and knows no limits to their attacks on cities. But it demonstrates how the Syrian war entirely fell by the wayside once fatigue set in.

If anything, the military has largely shown restraint not seen before, which is most probably due to many soldiers having close relations to Ukrainians, and most of them genuinely having been blindsided when they were suddenly made to enter in Ukraine.

How few people understand the implications of "humanitarian corridors" in the recent negiotations on Mariupol is also quite telling of how little attention was being paid to Syria in the last few years. When news broke that these humanitarian corridors were the results of negotiations, anyone who has been working on or paying attention to the Syrian war immediately knew this was not good news. It basically means, anyone who wants to survive will now have a last chance to leave the city. After that, it will be besieged and likely flattened.

Putin has lost on the objectives he set when entering into Ukraine. What will follow now is a protracted war until someone finds a way to put a stop to it. It may well be his own people, because unlike in 2014 or throughout the Syrian campagin, the casualties and also the consequences are of a scale that he likely will not keep it hidden for long (the facade is already cracking, but it's hard to determine how many people are really seeing through it).

[Bluer White]

How large are Ukraine’s cities? Some U.S. comparisons.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...-to-us-cities/

[LuckyNumber7]

Certainly didn’t realize San Antonio was that large of a city. Thought Dallas was #2 in Texas (or is it that Ft. Worth has its own population #?)

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Originally Posted by LuckyNumber7

When Trump makes his eventual “Putin wouldn’t have done it if I was president - elect me again and I’ll make America and Russia great again and normalize relations with Putin because Ukraine is not our problem” pitch, we’ll know the answer for sure.

i can definitely see a "release the hostages the day he's inaugurated" type argument being made

[mikal]

Originally Posted by LuckyNumber7

Certainly didn’t realize San Antonio was that large of a city. Thought Dallas was #2 in Texas (or is it that Ft. Worth has its own population #?)

That highway during rush hour is a treat too.

[Headache in a Suitcase]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RibVJFtWh0s

[DaveC]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4wRdoWpw0w

[Bluer White]

Biden turns to countries he once sought to avoid to find help shutting off Russia's oil money
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/08/polit...an-russia-oil/

Biden administration officials traveled to Venezuela over the weekend for talks on potentially allowing the country to sell its oil on the international market, helping to replace Russian fuel. Biden may travel to Saudi Arabia as the US works to convince the kingdom to increase its production. And a looming nuclear deal could bring significant volumes of Iranian oil back to the market.

Longish article worth the read.

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Obviously a quid pro quo for Chavez helping us with the election and all.

[mikal]

Dammit. The universe was given a great opportunity last weekend and wasted it by landing the plane safely.

[LuckyNumber7]

And they could’ve named New Orleans airport after him and saved my hometown!

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Yea but there were innocent crew members on board, whereas a giant stro..ahhh never mind.