Ukraine is screwed.......... (Page 10/19)
Fats FEB 14, 02:09 PM
Word from Russia is that the majority of Russians believe the buildup at the border is simply posturing, and nothing will happen because Putin doesn't have the support of the people for it, and it's just has something to do with Putin manipulating the UN somehow.

It's about 50/50 in Ukraine with half thinking nothing will happen, and the other half proclaiming FAFO.

This info is third or fourth hand from a first gen Ukrainian-American co-worker who was initially a lot worried about things, but now is just saying that Putin is just being a dog again and barking for no reason.
sourmash FEB 14, 02:40 PM
Don't provoke the Bear, and the Bear is less likely to eat you.
maryjane FEB 14, 03:03 PM
That's not what I've hearing Fats. Putin has a lot of support back home (perhaps because the Russians hear a much different story than what is coming out of NATO countries) He's transitioned the Russian military over the last decade, replacing lackards with an officer corps that lean as he does. Militaries the world wide often complain about having to actually go into combat, but once the first shots are fired and the wheels and tracks start rolling, everything changes.

Some pundits say the Russian conscrips won't fight, but I heard the same thing said about both the US draftees and the NVA (which was made of 'draftees' once N Vietnam instituted a conscriion law for all able bodied men 18-24 for 2 years service. The Chinese divisions that came across the 38th parallel in the early 50s were also conscripts and we came very close to being defeated by them.
What do soldiers hate most of all?
Garrison duty.
rinselberg FEB 14, 03:39 PM

"People would be seriously hurt, and seriously killed . . ."
Defense Department spokesman John Kirby in today's press briefing on Ukraine.

Click to show

[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 02-14-2022).]

maryjane FEB 14, 04:28 PM
A common refrain in regards to Russia and Ukraine:

quote
Putin's goal is to put the USSR back together a little at a time. Putin will see how well the Ukraine goes and if it goes well......game on! Just my opinion.



I guess them Germans, French, Spaniards and other EU countries with all the big talk about how badass they are better get their A team together eh?


French farmers are now hiding their Charolais cattle in the barns and the few that are selling are getting higher prices for their hides than they are for their beef.




INVESTMENT TIP!
The US stock market is already closed for today but tomorrow morning, any company making white cloth for export to Western Europe is a BUY!

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 02-14-2022).]

blackrams FEB 14, 04:33 PM

quote
Originally posted by maryjane:

INVESTMENT TIP!
The US stock market is already closed for today but tomorrow morning, any company making white cloth for export to Western Europe is a BUY!



That would be funny if there weren't some truth behind it.

Rams
Hudini FEB 14, 04:37 PM

quote
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:
Hong Kong was taken, and no one noticed.

All the anti-CCP media/news establishments were shut down, and you are no longer allowed to run as a candidate unless you are picked by the CCP. The CCP from the mainland passed a law which stated only the CCP can pick candidates. Which means, there's no more reporting (internally from HK) on CCP influence, and their democracy was eliminated literally overnight. Didn't really make the nightly news. Sure... there's articles about it, here's one: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/fr...hong-kong-elections/

... but 99% of the US, maybe 99.99% has no idea this happened, since it likely wasn't covered at all on any of the talk shows, or nightly news casts outside of OAN.


I expect this is also the long-term strategy that China will attempt with Taiwan as well. They have no legislative authority over them, but you can be sure that the CCP will ramp-up propaganda and do whatever they can to infiltrate the legislative process.



Hong Kong was not taken. They were always part of China, same as Macao. HK was rented out to the UK for 99 years and when the lease expired it went back to being run by China.

Taiwan is a totally different issue.
blackrams FEB 14, 04:49 PM

quote
Originally posted by Hudini:


Hong Kong was not taken. They were always part of China, same as Macao. HK was rented out to the UK for 99 years and when the lease expired it went back to being run by China.

Taiwan is a totally different issue.



Now that I'm reminded, I remember that bit of factual history. Thanks for the reminder.

Rams

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 02-14-2022).]

maryjane FEB 14, 05:33 PM
It's similar to our lease on Guantanmo Bay that began in 1898, except that the Cuban/US lease doesn't specify an end date.
Cuba's current revolutionary govt validated the lease agreement when they cashed the first lease payment check in 1959. (that was also the last one they cashed).

Most people don't know that the same lease agreement includes another parcel of property on the Northwestern end of Cuba called Bahi'a Honda but the US simply abandoned that base decades ago. (1912)

https://avalon.law.yale.edu...tury/dip_cuba003.asp

Signed at Habana, July 2, 1903;
Approved by the President, October 2, 1903;
Ratified by the President of Cuba, August 17,1903;
Ratifications exchanged at Washington, October 6,1903
The United States of America and the Republic of Cuba, being desirous to conclude the conditions of the lease of areas of land and water for the establishment of naval or coaling stations in Guantanamo and Bahia Honda the Republic of Cuba made to the United States by the Agreement of February 16/23,1903, in fulfillment of the provisions of Article Seven of the Constitutional Appendix of the Republic of Cuba, have appointed their Plenipotentiaries to that end.-

The President of the United States of America, Herbert G. Squiers, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in Havana.

And the President of the Republic of Cuba, Jose M. Garcia Montes, Secretary of Finance, and acting Secretary of State and Justice, who, after communicating to each other their respective full powers, found to be in due form, have agreed upon the following Articles;-

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 02-14-2022).]

maryjane FEB 15, 12:21 AM
French foreign minister reports 'Russia has all the parts in place and moving up to final positions'...

It's heavy stuff.
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