Russia-Ukraine

[Citysnaps]

The day Biden gets to experience Jen Psaki’s daily frustrations:

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1508526346929991682/

And Doocy realizes that Psaki has actually been nicer than he deserves all this time.

Even “senile” Joe Biden has no problem schooling a Fox News “journalist.”

Perfect response.

As an aside...A few weeks ago I watched Biden being interviewed by Heather Cox Richardson. His very nuanced and thoughtful responses to her questions convinced me he's nowhere near being senile.

 

[SuperMatt]

Russia seems to have given up on taking Kyiv.

“In order to increase mutual trust and create the necessary conditions for further negotiations and achieving the ultimate goal of agreeing and signing (an) agreement, a decision was made to radically, by a large margin, reduce military activity in the Kyiv and Chernihiv directions,” Russian Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin told reporters.

Russia pledges to reduce attack on Kyiv but U.S. warns threat not over — Reuters

Russia promised on Tuesday to scale down military operations around Kyiv and another city but the United States warned the threat was not over as Ukraine proposed adopting a neutral status in a sign of progress at face-to-face negotiations.

apple.news

Ukraine hopefully realizes how weak a position Russia is in right now. They shouldn’t concede much, because Russia seems only to be looking for a way to get out while saving face.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I listened to a podcast where they spent half an hour talking about Biden saying Putin should be removed from power. I even fast forwarded several times to hopefully get to other news events but they were still droning on about it. It was a leftist podcast (if that matters) and their whole thing was how dangerous of a statement that was. I get it, but there wasn’t anything in that half hour that wasn’t obnoxiously repetitive and beyond that, regardless of how this thing ends, it was a completely unjustified loss of life and property and to suggest that Putin somehow personally gets held accountable for this invasion that was 100% his doing is some kind of dangerous taboo? We’re not even talking being imprisoned or disappeared, which would fit the crime, but just taking him out of a position where he could continue or do it again, and the response is “Oh no, you din’t! I can’t believe you SAID that!”, and you can probably include Putin in that group.

It's just another reminder that regardless of what you do most of us are just cannon and economic fodder for assholes like Putin (and every country has them) and the best you can hope for is that they don’t get bored with their billions and then have to start fucking with everybody else to entertain themselves and prove their dominance.

 

[Citysnaps]

Perfect response.

As an aside...A few weeks ago I watched Biden being interviewed by Heather Cox Richardson. His very nuanced and thoughtful responses to her questions convinced me he's nowhere near being senile.

Also... Watching that HCR-Biden interview, I was wondering how trump (when he was President) would have answered HCR's questions and carry on an extemporaneous conversation. All I could come up with was it would have been knee-slapping entertainment.

Regarding Biden's “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” many believe that was a gaffe. I don't. I think it was an intentional and well orchestrated message directed to the Russian population to get them stirred up a little. Yeah, some in the administration were walking it back, but that was simply required optics.

 

[Eric]

I listened to a podcast where they spent half an hour talking about Biden saying Putin should be removed from power. I even fast forwarded several times to hopefully get to other news events but they were still droning on about it. It was a leftist podcast (if that matters) and their whole thing was how dangerous of a statement that was. I get it, but there wasn’t anything in that half hour that wasn’t obnoxiously repetitive and beyond that, regardless of how this thing ends, it was a completely unjustified loss of life and property and to suggest that Putin somehow personally gets held accountable for this invasion that was 100% his doing is some kind of dangerous taboo? We’re not even talking being imprisoned or disappeared, which would fit the crime, but just taking him out of a position where he could continue or do it again, and the response is “Oh no, you din’t! I can’t believe you SAID that!”, and you can probably include Putin in that group.

It's just another reminder that regardless of what you do most of us are just cannon and economic fodder for assholes like Putin (and every country has them) and the best you can hope for is that they don’t get bored with their billions and then have to start fucking with everybody else to entertain themselves and prove their dominance.

I'm pretty left-leaning but cannot begin to understand this movement of protecting Putin, just the suggestion that he be directly held accountable is met with serious hostility. The man is deliberately targeting women, children and the sick in hospitals and you have a bunch of liberals saying "whoa now, let's not be too hasty here". WT actual F?

I get their argument is not to start another war, but we're ALL impacted by this and if nothing else are in at least the proxy phase of it. You also hear that it could be worse if he were removed, many of these people maintain the same about removing Hitler, even today. There's just no reasoning with them, but if it were your neighborhood being bombed into rubble, you would probably give a shit.

 

[Citysnaps]

In addition to supplying weapons, I believe the US is doing a ton behind the scenes supporting Ukraine in nearby countries Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia. And though not permitted, submarines in the Black Sea. And assets in space. There's no doubt a wealth of tactical intelligence that's being gathered, interpreted, and forwarded to Ukraine battlefield commanders in real time. I also suspect we're also helping with electronic counter measures to degrade Russia's ability to communicate and launch missile attacks. And I wouldn't be surprised if there were special forces helping out inside Ukraine on special missions.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I'm pretty left-leaning but cannot begin to understand this movement of protecting Putin, just the suggestion that he be directly held accountable is met with serious hostility. The man is deliberately targeting women, children and the sick in hospitals and you have a bunch of liberals saying "whoa now, let's not be too hasty here". WT actual F?

I get their argument is not to start another war, but we're ALL impacted by this and if nothing else are in at least the proxy phase of it. You also hear that it could be worse if he were removed, many of these people maintain the same about removing Hitler, even today. There's just no reasoning with them, but if it were your neighborhood being bombed into rubble, you would probably give a shit.

I understand certain US or NATO military action can escalate things, but saying something that is literally on everybody’s mind isn’t in the same category. The biggest damage is it provides Putin with a nice little soundbite for Russians he’s somehow convinced that Russia won’t exist without him on the throne. I’m sure there are some of those (equivalent to Trump supporters), but as the West has been open to Russians for decades there are also plenty of Russians who have lived or visited outside Russia who see the propaganda for exactly what it is. Also couple this with Russia’s long history of propaganda hyperbole that the outside world wants to destroy them. Russia’s political upheavals have largely been the result of Russians, not the west.

 

[Yoused]

I saw something about the Russian Federal Aviation and Transport Administration being hacked into. Intruders apparently deleted 65Tb. They cannot seem to find a backup and are now using paper documents.

 

[Citysnaps]

I saw something about the Russian Federal Aviation and Transport Administration being hacked into. Intruders apparently deleted 65Tb. They cannot seem to find a backup and are now using paper documents.

Go USA!

 

[Macky-Mac]

Russia seems to have given up on taking Kyiv.

that's good news.....if it actually happens. It could just be a ploy to buy some time in the Kyiv area while they regroup and re-equip in advance of a second attempt to take the city.

But even if it happens, the war continues elsewhere in Ukraine. Putin is adding some highly experienced pros to his effort. From yesterday's news feed from The Guardian:

UK military intelligence says that Russia is expected to send more than 1,000 mercenaries into eastern Ukraine amid heavy losses.

Russia’s private military company, the Wagner group, has already deployed to eastern Ukraine and is expected to send more than 1,000 mercenaries, including senior officials in the organisation, tweeted the Ministry of Defence....

...Wagner group personnel have reportedly been pulled from separate missions in Syria and other parts of Africa as Ukraine remains prioritized....

 

[Yoused]

prescience

 

[SuperMatt]

I listened to a podcast where they spent half an hour talking about Biden saying Putin should be removed from power. I even fast forwarded several times to hopefully get to other news events but they were still droning on about it. It was a leftist podcast (if that matters) and their whole thing was how dangerous of a statement that was. I get it, but there wasn’t anything in that half hour that wasn’t obnoxiously repetitive and beyond that, regardless of how this thing ends, it was a completely unjustified loss of life and property and to suggest that Putin somehow personally gets held accountable for this invasion that was 100% his doing is some kind of dangerous taboo? We’re not even talking being imprisoned or disappeared, which would fit the crime, but just taking him out of a position where he could continue or do it again, and the response is “Oh no, you din’t! I can’t believe you SAID that!”, and you can probably include Putin in that group.

It's just another reminder that regardless of what you do most of us are just cannon and economic fodder for assholes like Putin (and every country has them) and the best you can hope for is that they don’t get bored with their billions and then have to start fucking with everybody else to entertain themselves and prove their dominance.

A lot of people are talking about how terrible and dangerous the statement supposedly was... and the next day, Putin is pulling back his troops and talking about a diplomatic end to the war. I guess it wasn’t that dangerous of a statement after all. Just a chance for people to armchair-QB international diplomacy.

 

[Yoused]

A lot of people are talking about how terrible and dangerous the statement supposedly was... and the next day, Putin is pulling back his troops and talking about a diplomatic end to the war. I guess it wasn’t that dangerous of a statement after all.

State is skeptical: the Russians do not seem to be bringing anything to the table. The talk about negotiating looks more like a delaying tactic, to give the troops some time to regroup, mercenaries to arrive and for the mud to firm up.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

A far-right battalion has a key role in Ukraine's resistance. Its neo-Nazi history has been exploited by Putin | CNN

President Vladimir Putin framed the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a "special mission" to protect Russian speakers from genocide at the hands of "neo-Nazis."

www.cnn.com

Good to see the major news media acknowledging this.

And as somebody (source unknown) said, saying there are no neo-nazis in Ukraine based on Zielinski being Jewish is like saying there are no racists in the US because Obama was black.

 

[SuperMatt]

A far-right battalion has a key role in Ukraine's resistance. Its neo-Nazi history has been exploited by Putin | CNN

President Vladimir Putin framed the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a "special mission" to protect Russian speakers from genocide at the hands of "neo-Nazis."

www.cnn.com

Good to see the major news media acknowledging this.

And as somebody (source unknown) said, saying there are no neo-nazis in Ukraine based on Zielinski being Jewish is like saying there are no racists in the US because Obama was black.

So do you believe Putin is waging the war to de-Nazify Ukraine?

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

So do you believe Putin is waging the war to de-Nazify Ukraine?

Not at all, and the irony of some on the right in the US still supporting Putin based on this lie, if Russia invaded the US it would be Trump supporters he would attacking based on their shared nazi ideology, calling a spade a spade.

 

[SuperMatt]

Not at all, and the irony of some on the right in the US still supporting Putin based on this lie, if Russia invaded the US it would be Trump supporters he would attacking based on their shared nazi ideology, calling a spade a spade.

The numbers of the Azov appear to be lower than the numbers of white supremacists in America’s military and police forces. Imagine if America was invaded and we needed to ask civilians to grab a gun and fight. I imagine the white power militias would be heavily involved. After the fighting ended, what would you do about these empowered groups? That might be something Ukraine will have to deal with.

 

[Yoused]

TIL a new word: "LOLsuit"

The lawsuit was filed in Hillsborough County Court, but Armstead says she “won’t be stopped”. If Hillsborough County Courts fail to take action and oust the Russian President, Armstead says she will file suit in every Florida county court if needed.​

Imagine if America was invaded and we needed to ask civilians to grab a gun and fight. I imagine the white power militias would be heavily involved.

Those people are notorious cowards. Pressed to defend our borders, they would be hightailing it home to grandma's basement where they could safely praise macho Vlad on 8chan.

 

[MEJHarrison]

TIL a new word: "LOLsuit"

The lawsuit was filed in Hillsborough County Court, but Armstead says she “won’t be stopped”. If Hillsborough County Courts fail to take action and oust the Russian President, Armstead says she will file suit in every Florida county court if needed.​

The little bit you included didn't make much sense. So I read the whole story you linked. It still doesn't make much sense. A county court in Florida is supposed to remove Putin from office? How? Are they supposed to fire him or remove him by force?

 

[Cmaier]

The little bit you included didn't make much sense. So I read the whole story you linked. It still doesn't make much sense. A county court in Florida is supposed to remove Putin from office? How? Are they supposed to fire him or remove him by force?

i was sued in florida by a lady for $500 Million - she claimed I (who am not a government employee) violated her civil rights by successfully defending against her company’s patent lawsuit. *florida-lawsuit-shenanigans-shrug*