This might be a little tougher than Putin thought...

[noleclone2]

I am now firmly on fence about no fly zone. Which shocks me. It’s a tough call but you are dealing with a mad man who just may use nukes. And the problem (or good thing) is he won’t use them on NATO or US. He will nuke Ukraine as the final toddler response of well if I can’t have it, nobody can have it. It really might happen, and sadly, still may even if we don’t enforce it.

So, I still think now is not the time - let’s give the sanctions time to hit and pray we can get to both their military leaders and people.

The one hope I have is the military leadership knows exactly what the **** is going on. They are losing a 1000 guys a day and tons of equipment. On a utter contrived bullshit reason. They know the war reason is a farce. And he is doubling and tripling down and depleting their military. Oh and threatening to use nukes. The Russian military leadership all know they have a mad king. And I do think they are secretly talking with NATO about what to do about it. I really think Putin is going to go down in a military coup once the military and people are on same page.

 

[MitchLL]

I think it's safe to say the US/Biden/Pentagon are doing a lot of things behind the scenes that they want kept a secret.

Maybe someday it will come out, but they also realize they can't give Putin anything to unite Russians against the West.

But I would wager we're helping Zelenskyy more than anyone knows.

 

[torbee]

I am now firmly on fence about no fly zone. Which shocks me. It’s a tough call but you are dealing with a mad man who just may use nukes. And the problem (or good thing) is he won’t use them on NATO or US. He will nuke Ukraine as the final toddler response of well if I can’t have it, nobody can have it. It really might happen, and sadly, still may even if we don’t enforce it.

So, I still think now is not the time - let’s give the sanctions time to hit and pray we can get to both their military leaders and people.

The one hope I have is the military leadership knows exactly what the **** is going on. They are losing a 1000 guys a day and tons of equipment. On a utter contrived bullshit reason. They know the war reason is a farce. And he is doubling and tripling down and depleting their military. Oh and threatening to use nukes. The Russian military leadership all know they have a mad king. And I do think they are secretly talking with NATO about what to do about it. I really think Putin is going to go down in a military coup once the military and people are on same page.

I'm on this line of thinking too. I'm not saying it won't come time for NATO to step up or to impose a no-fly zone, but I still agree with Tom Nichols about not acting out of rage or impulse. If this war can be executed by proxy, that is preferable.

 

[MitchLL]

I am now firmly on fence about no fly zone. Which shocks me. It’s a tough call but you are dealing with a mad man who just may use nukes. And the problem (or good thing) is he won’t use them on NATO or US. He will nuke Ukraine as the final toddler response of well if I can’t have it, nobody can have it. It really might happen, and sadly, still may even if we don’t enforce it.

So, I still think now is not the time - let’s give the sanctions time to hit and pray we can get to both their military leaders and people.

The one hope I have is the military leadership knows exactly what the **** is going on. They are losing a 1000 guys a day and tons of equipment. On a utter contrived bullshit reason. They know the war reason is a farce. And he is doubling and tripling down and depleting their military. Oh and threatening to use nukes. The Russian military leadership all know they have a mad king. And I do think they are secretly talking with NATO about what to do about it. I really think Putin is going to go down in a military coup once the military and people are on same page.

We know from reports about how Ukraine was alerted to the assassination attempts that there is a strong faction of anti Putin groups working inside Russia.

I know too many Ukrainians are dying every day, but time really is an ally for Zelenskyy here, imo.

 

[FormerlyCyberCy]

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It is pretty hard to argue against this logic. And Gary is a pretty solid strategic thinker, or so I've been told.

It’s a no- brainer if not for that part about starting a nuclear war.

 

[hawkeye54545]

So Putin says today he menas no ill will and pleads for no new sanctions.

Is this mudda fuhqa high?

 

[T-East]

 

[Drake__Mallard]

So Putin says today he menas no ill will and pleads for no new sanctions.

Is this mudda fuhqa high?

Hes trying to get control of the narrative.

This is what he does. He does horrible shit and paints himself as the victim.

 

[Monzon]

So Putin says today he menas no ill will and pleads for no new sanctions.

Is this mudda fuhqa high?

Potentially related to this - https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/worl...ountry-humiliated-at-un/ar-AAUBTQ8?li=BBnbfcL

 

[MitchLL]

In this campaign against Russia, we don't need partisan division rising from conservative media questioning every action/inaction coming from the WH.

I don't remember left leaning sources doing this during the Gulf War?

War against an enemy should unite this country, not divide. This is not the same as the Viet Nam era. That was "boots on the ground" stuff. The Radical Right needs to STFU and let the Pentagon/NATO/WH do what they have to do.

 

[torbee]

Potentially related to this - https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/worl...ountry-humiliated-at-un/ar-AAUBTQ8?li=BBnbfcL

Please refrain from linking Newsweek articles.

 

[Tenacious E]

I am now firmly on fence about no fly zone. Which shocks me. It’s a tough call but you are dealing with a mad man who just may use nukes. And the problem (or good thing) is he won’t use them on NATO or US. He will nuke Ukraine as the final toddler response of well if I can’t have it, nobody can have it. It really might happen, and sadly, still may even if we don’t enforce it.

So, I still think now is not the time - let’s give the sanctions time to hit and pray we can get to both their military leaders and people.

The one hope I have is the military leadership knows exactly what the **** is going on. They are losing a 1000 guys a day and tons of equipment. On a utter contrived bullshit reason. They know the war reason is a farce. And he is doubling and tripling down and depleting their military. Oh and threatening to use nukes. The Russian military leadership all know they have a mad king. And I do think they are secretly talking with NATO about what to do about it. I really think Putin is going to go down in a military coup once the military and people are on same page.

My thought is that no rational actor would use nukes if we impose a no fly zone in democratic country he is invading for the sake of expansionism/elimination of democracy, and against which he is committing thousands of war crimes. If Putin is going to use nukes in that situation, he is just going to use them one way or the other, and there never will really be a case where we tell him no. If we don't draw the line here, where is the line?

 

[Monzon]

Please refrain from linking Newsweek articles.

Point taken. Note it wasn't exactly a glowing article on our adversary to the East. But yeah, understood.

 

[Hawgk]

We need to uncouple from our reliance on fossil fuels. Wind, solar need to be utilized. We also should really consider nuclear.

Eventually it needs to happen. Rushing into to it, well, look at how that has worked for Europe.

 

[torbee]

Point taken. Note it wasn't exactly a glowing article on our adversary to the East. But yeah, understood.

That one was particularly sneaky because it was "powered by Microsoft"

Appreciate it.

 

[h-hawk]

Will probably have to be a "palace coup" to unseat Putin - pretty sure that one of the experts on last night said Putin actually had more men in his security service than soldiers in his military! Even if that is including the regular police that is terrifying. Not much chance of a popular uprising succeeding.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

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It is pretty hard to argue against this logic. And Gary is a pretty solid strategic thinker, or so I've been told.

Pretty much what I have been saying. Maybe I should learn to play chess. 🤔

 

[ping72]

Wait, you lived in Ukraine? Why didn’t you tell us?

This is hilarious. And I know he is emotionally invested, so I have bitten my tongue so far, but every time he posts that I have wanted to point out how weird it is to say you live someplace for six weeks. That’s not living somewhere, that’s a vacation or a work trip.

 

[Slappy Pappy]

So Putin says today he menas no ill will and pleads for no new sanctions.

Is this mudda fuhqa high?

Purely for domestic consumption to stave off protests. Most Russians think that their military is being welcomed with open arms, while the only fighting is with a few nazi military units.

 

[Tenacious E]

This is hilarious. And I know he is emotionally invested, so I have bitten my tongue so far, but every time he posts that I have wanted to point out how weird it is to say you live someplace for six weeks. That’s not living somewhere, that’s a vacation or a work trip.

I don't know. I feel like I lived at Dover AFB when I went through field training there for 6 weeks.

 

[h-hawk]

 

[mthawkeyes]

If you're on the fence about a no-fly zone, the conundrum is this:
If we (US, NATO, EU, or some other alliance) decide to impose and enforce a no-fly zone, things will almost certainly escalate. I don't think anyone expects Russia to accept/respect a no-fly zone, so we'll in a direct conflict for air superiority. If an anti-Russia coalition goes anywhere close to all-in, air superiority will be established in short order. The fallout is very unpredictable with an enormous range of possible outcomes. Maybe it's safer to just wait and see.

But if we will eventually go down the road of imposing a no-fly zone anyway, doing so now rather than later will yield the best possible outcome, both in terms of military strategy and preserving the lives of Ukrainians. Western air power would annihilate those convoys in short order and there would be nothing moving on the roads. Such a decisive military victory would yield a better chance of providing a moment for the military establishment and/or the oligarchs being able to coalesce around a plan to depose Putin.

 

[Khawk4]

Pretty much what I have been saying. Maybe I should learn to play chess. 🤔

Its sad I understand how perfect of a reference this is haha.

 

[Funky Bunch]

 

[Hoosierhawkeye]

If you're on the fence about a no-fly zone, the conundrum is this:
If we (US, NATO, EU, or some other alliance) decide to impose and enforce a no-fly zone, things will almost certainly escalate. I don't think anyone expects Russia to accept/respect a no-fly zone, so we'll in a direct conflict for air superiority. If an anti-Russia coalition goes anywhere close to all-in, air superiority will be established in short order. The fallout is very unpredictable with an enormous range of possible outcomes. Maybe it's safer to just wait and see.

But if we will eventually go down the road of imposing a no-fly zone anyway, doing so now rather than later will yield the best possible outcome, both in terms of military strategy and preserving the lives of Ukrainians. Western air power would annihilate those convoys in short order and there would be nothing moving on the roads. Such a decisive military victory would yield a better chance of providing a moment for the military establishment and/or the oligarchs being able to coalesce around a plan to depose Putin.

I think we need to.

I will also add people act like a no fly zone is an aggressive move. Far from it, it's a defensive move. His military is the one attaking Ukraine and violating their air space. We are just assisting the Ukrainians in taking control of their air space.

I really don't think Putin will be overthrown.

And we don't need to teach future despots that they can just scare the west away but screaming about their nukes.

 

[SI_NYC]

Yeah...but we gotta root for them now vs OSU

OSU loses, we have a good shot at the #4 seed. Not sure what happens if OSU/IA/Rutgers all tie for 4th and how that seeding would work.

Rutgers gets the 4

 

[Funky Bunch]

 

[mthawkeyes]

My thought is that no rational actor would use nukes if we impose a no fly zone in democratic country he is invading for the sake of expansionism/elimination of democracy, and against which he is committing thousands of war crimes. If Putin is going to use nukes in that situation, he is just going to use them one way or the other, and there never will really be a case where we tell him no. If we don't draw the line here, where is the line?

And how does failing to act against Russia because of Putin threatening to play the nuke card play out for the entire future of international relations? Just in the short term, China and Taiwan. We would basically be saying that any regime with nukes can act with impunity.

 

[h-hawk]

It appears this is what we call Moldova.

 

[Bonerfarts]

 

[mnole03]

 

[torbee]

It appears this is what we call Moldova.

View embedded media

Which countries recognize Transnistria?





Although Transnistria declared independence in 1990, no United Nations member recognises its sovereignty and the region is considered by the UN to be part of Moldova. As of 2011, only Abkhazia, the Republic of Artsakh and South Ossetia recognise its independence, all themselves states with limited recognition.

 

[mnole03]

War crimes.

Source in the comments

 

[h-hawk]

SIAP

 

[Funky Bunch]

View embedded media

This is such a pre-internet move? Who the hell do they think is still wondering wtf is happing?

 

[mnole03]

This is such a pre-internet move? Who the hell do they think is still wondering wtf is happing?

The Russian people will believe it because they want to.

 

[Tenacious E]

And how does failing to act against Russia because of Putin threatening to play the nuke card play out for the entire future of international relations? Just in the short term, China and Taiwan. We would basically be saying that any regime with nukes can act with impunity.

Agreed.

 

[WisestIowan]

I think it's safe to say the US/Biden/Pentagon are doing a lot of things behind the scenes that they want kept a secret.

Maybe someday it will come out, but they also realize they can't give Putin anything to unite Russians against the West.

But I would wager we're helping Zelenskyy more than anyone knows.

Like continuing to buy Russian oil when, with a stroke of a pen, could open up enough rigs to get it all domestically. We (the US taxpayers) are needlessly helping fund this war.

 

[HawkAttackDial911]

Like continuing to buy Russian oil when, with a stroke of a pen, could open up enough rigs to get it all domestically. We (the US taxpayers) are needlessly helping fund this war.

It's a different type of oil domestically with different refinement needed. Our refineries which traditionally have handled foreign oil would need expensive upgrades to refine domestic oil or Canadian oil.

 

[Funky Bunch]

The Russian people will believe it because they want to.

Maybe I read it wrong. I thought it meant they would be broadcasting to the Ukrainians.