Youtube comments of David Ford (@davidford3115).

  1.  @primordialarchetypes2927  What are you talking about? Hamas was ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE. At some point, the Palestinians have to reject the people who use them as pawns. "We can forgive [the Arabs] for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children. We will only have peace with [the Arabs] when they love their children more than they hate us." -Golda Meir.
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  2. No doubt his famous meme "I don't need a ride, I need ammunition!" Rallied folks to Ukraine's defense. Had he fled, Kiev would have fallen that very night.
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  3. Agreed. They accept the risk when they intervene and can't cry when their troops are killed in Ukraine.
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  4. The phrase "setting up for failure" comes to mind. NATO teaches the Ukrainians combined arms, and they fails to provide them the critical air component of that system. Fortunately, the Ukrainians have taken the elements they CAN use and have hybridized it with their Warsaw-Soviet system into something that is surprisingly effective and given the west something to consider going forward.
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  5.  @goji059  Which is why it STILL needs to go to court. So that a legal precedent is set that the government cannot ever do that before the act is officially ratified.
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  6. Indeed. Sacrificing the future for the present. There is a reason why previous generations to the Boomers were content to go without so that the next generation could live comfortably and thrive. Those in power and those retiring should be focused on child-rearing instead of their own comfort.
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  7. And I appreciate you acknowledging that. Please share this with your fellow progressive liberals and maybe we can do as President John F. Kennedy advocated: "Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future."---Speech at Loyola College Alumni Banquet, Baltimore, Maryland, 18 February, 1958.
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  8. It is often observed that brutal murders and serial killers start by killing neighborhood pets while they are children. When the government starts killing pets, it makes you re-examine that and consider the horrific implications.
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  9. Well, and his famous meme "I don't need a ride, I need ammunition" solidified Ukrainian resolve. I have no doubt that had he fled, Kiev would have fallen that very night.
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  10.  @jorgeenchilada  Or knew it was coming, and chose to let it happen, hoping to use it as a rally for the next mobilization drive.
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  11.  @michaelfitzgerald38  There is a right way to leave and a wrong way to leave. What occurred on Biden watch was a full blow rout. That invites aggression from those who see it as weakness.
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  12. Interesting concept. I do believe that KONIGSBERG should be liberated from Russian occupation.
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  13. Indeed. They are STILL feeling the demographic repercussions of WW2. When 80% of all males born between 1920 and 1930 died before having children, that is devastating to a society.
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  14. It is as if people have never heard of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Aliiance, or as the Poles call it "The Pact of Blood".
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  15.  @chip1pan  NATO didn't force Finland and Sweden to join, Putin did. NATO didn't force Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, and the Baltic States to Join NATO, Putin did. And by the way, Poland, Slovikia, Czechia, and the Baltic States are former Warsaw Pact members who DIDN'T have a choice in joining that "alliance". You argument carries no merit.
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  16.  @jamaicansunitedforchange5745  When nations like China and France heavily subsidize their industry, they are NOT participating in "Free trade". When your training partner is using back door tariffs like Value Added Tax to imported products at the shelves instead of the port is NOT free Trade, it is cheating.
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  17. Also, Munich 1938 proves that land for peace is a fool's errand.
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  18. I think your analysis is more accurate than Mr. Spaniel. Yours looks at ALL layers from Tactical through Operational to Strategic. While Mr. Spaniel thinks he can predict the outcome based on numbers (a very Soviet/mathematical perspective), yours takes into consideration an aggregate of all factors.
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  19.  @jonathandantonio649  Indeed. Which is why those cases STILL need to go to court. So as to set a precedent that until the act is officially ratified, any actions taken before it becomes official is unlawful.
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  20.  @robertmaybeth3434  Fighting Jihadis is not the same as fighting a near-peer adversary. How much of the Army's experience fighting the Moors in the Philippines was actually useful in the trenches of WW1? To the Original Poster: I tend to agree. Ukraine is going to have a battle tested military who had to adapt on the fly to less than ideal conditions. THAT is the kind of knowledge that should be passed onto the next generation, not the over-reliance on traditional NATO advantages of air power, numbers, and technology.
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  21.  @reliablereindeer  The US was strong during the Cold War. Otherwise, we would not have outlasted and more importantly, outproduced the USSR. Sadly, those who resisted the Soviets now look at their own people as the enemy and Russia's "little brother" Red China as their allies. Tells you how far the nation has fallen.
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  22. Munich 1938 is why allowing Putin to take Donbas and Crimea should not be allowed to stand.
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  23.  @rickygarza2005  You are correct. Obama has his hand in this. Do keep in mind that in 2016, pallets of cash were sent to Iran. Three guesses as to where it went.
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  24. Or, she knew that her coalition was finished and she would be a lame duck continuing in that position. OR she resigned in protest against the opposition's proposals which they could pass without her. Stop assuming a woman is having an emotional outburst. Some folks resign their post in protest against a system stacked against them because they refuse to be part of the problem.
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  25.  @sir.lancelot8338  Neither did Obama, so what is your point?
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  26.  @Huminahumina465  That is a fair point.
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  27.  @HgHg-yp6ft  Battle of Tsushima. And considering the sad state of the Russian military today (Moskva and Admiral Kuznetsov), I am thinking that a repeat of that battle would occur if Japan decided to retake the Kurils.
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  28.  @УДачныйучасток-я1е  Wishful thinking. OPEC+ failed to meet previous year's production quotas. They only announced a drop so as to more accurately reflect ACTUAL production numbers. There was little change in oil commodities delivered to the market, hence that had very little impact on the price beyond speculators acting like hypochondriacs.
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  29. But when your customer simply changes to LNG, such pressure tactics actually backfire. In response to the invasion of Ukraine and the fear of a deep freeze in the winter of 2022-2023, Germany looked elsewhere for its energy needs.
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  30. The Danes have realized what the Baltic States have known for sometime. You have to be all in when you are that small.
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  31. Or they may not have yet prepped the battlespace like they did in Kherson. How long did they do HIMARS strikes before they made their move towards the city? A push to Melitopol would require a similar softening up of Russian forces before the ground troops move in.
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  32.  @witchdoctor7398  If you are complaining about the Biden rule, you have nobody to blame but the currently sitting president. What goes around comes around.
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  33. Considering the area was once part of Ukraine in 1918, there is an argument for allowing Kiev to retain it after the war.
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  34. If they accepted that Crimea was Ukrainian, and acknowledged Ukrainian sovereignty, I seriously doubt that the Ukrainians would force CIVILIANS to leave. That is the thing about moving into another country; you HAVE to accept the local laws and customs and endeavor to be a citizen. To refuse to assimilate is to be an invader, occupier, and colonizer.
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  35. Makes me wonder if this is the reason why they told people to stock up on food.
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  36. Isn't that what George S. Patton said to do? "Rehabilitate the Germans to fight the Soviets"?
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  37.  @benguensche  I think Ukraine is handing itself quite well dude. Maybe you need to get better talking points.
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  38.  @BallisticPlate  No joke. He basically is saying he is bigoted against women from his own race.
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  39.  @ross3022  Ukrainian MiG-29s have already been using HARMS. Also, some of these HIMARs are lock on jam, meaning as soon as someone tries to jam them, they home in on the jammer effectively becoming a HARM in flight.
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  40.  @MN-vz8qm  You are blatantly ignoring the details of the "secret protocol" of the Molotov-Ribbentrop alliance. That was agreed on in August of 1939, meaning that it wasn't last minute, they were coordinating their actions for at least a month.
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  41.  @franckdebzh7608  George Washington was America First genius. He warned about the dangers of foreign entanglements in his farewell address. He was specifically describing what is going on right now.
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  42. Indeed. Russia is looking more and more like the Imperial Japanese in 1943.
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  43. The problem isn't the Cold War mentality. The problem is that the politicians can't think outside of the box. John F. Kennedy was a Cold War president who COULD be creative and imaginative. Most of those in DC lack that critical skill.
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  44. Not just wrong, they want to be able to run their con-job again and again. These people HATE free will. They hate democracy which is why they try to subvert it every chance they get.
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  45.  @fnuvikas8883  Ever heard of speech notes? Most public speakers use them. A sign of a good speaker is how little they look at their notes.
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  46.  @MannenFromNorth  Because the West has a painfully short attention span. Both China and Russia play the long game, willing to fight for decades if that is what it takes. Can't say the same for the West.
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  47. 100 years? The state of Israel only came into existence in 1948 and has been fighting for its very survival against Arab aggression that entire time.
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  48. I trust the Japanese a hell of a lot more than the Chinese. Michael Pillsbury dug into Deng Xiaoping's 100 year plan to defeat the West. Buying up debt was one of the top priorities. As for the Japanese, their national Constitution and relative lack of standing forces means they are heavily dependent on the US for their protection. If America is strong, they are safe. If America succeeds, they succeed. The Japanese have a vested interest in seeing the US remain strong. The Chinese only want leverage over us.
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  49.  @danielch6662  You got that bass ackwards. Taiwan is NOT the Donbas. For one, the Donbas has a land border with Russia. Taiwan does not. Secondly, the Chinese military's tussles with the Indian military have shown that they are just as unruly and unprofessional as the Russian military.
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  50.  @manmanman2000  Germany was devastated by Angela Merkel making the country critically dependent on Russia, particularly in the energy sector.
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  51.  @chill_will9816  The US Army is lacking in adaptability. Ukraine is being forced to fight without air cover. NATO has become so spoiled that they won't even move without air cover. The US Army needs to learn how to fight in situations where they DON'T have close air support or naval shore bombardment.
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  52.  @onetwo5155  Make no mistake, NATO didn't provoke Russia, Russia simply took umbridge at its former Warsaw Pact Satellites wanting to join of their own accord. Russian aggression and the Soviet past is WHY those nations chose to join NATO. Blaming NATO for Russia having a bad relationship with its neighbors is blaming the victim. Russia has only itself to blame for NATO's expansion. Had Russia instead chosen to make amends and lasting peace with Poland and the Baltic States the way Germany did, this escalation would have never occurred.
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  53. Israel doesn't control Gaza's border with Egypt. If they can't leave via that route, then whose fault is it really?
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  54. "Peace" as in complete submission under the bootheel of a tyrant.
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  55. @@ghassankanafani2837 Israel has not occupied the Gaza since they pulled out in 2005. Try again.
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  56. Zipper problems.
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  57.  @waltergro9102  Dude, the USSR collapsed before Germany re-united. Stop pushing Kremin Fantasies. Also, I think the Poles, Baltic States, Czechia and Slovaks all get to have a say. That fact that you think the Kremin can dictate whom they enter into military alliance with speaks to your contempt for the rights of those former Soviet Bloc nations.
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  58. The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment. -President John F. Kennedy; ADDRESS BEFORE THE AMERICAN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION at Waldorf-Astoria Hotel; April 27, 1961 JFK and Truman were of one mind on this.
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  59. Most of them still keenly remember their time as Warsaw Pact nations. That "mutual defense" was simply a pretext for Soviet occupation. It is amazing how the Putin apologists conveniently ignore that dirty little detail.
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  60. More like neck stretched for high treason.
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  61. And that is the kicker, isn't it? They whine and bloviate about the Minsk accord, which was never actually signed by Ukraine, while blatantly ignoring the Budapest Memorandum which WAS a signed treaty.
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  62. Indeed. The difference between irregular guerillas and professional uniformed militaries.
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  63. Indeed. The norther front presents the opportunity to swing around the Luhansk defense lines and strike them from the rear.
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  64. Indeed. Zephram Cochrane's warp flight and first contact signaled the ending of the Post Atomic Horror, though it would take at least another 30 years or so (Q's court of 2079) before the barbarism would finally come to an end.
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  65.  @fking66  He was right to be condescending because she was being completely unprofessional. All she did was ask loaded questions (logical fallacy).
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  66.  @iche9373  Indeed. A Tale of two peoples. One who wouldn't fight for their country, another that has.
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  67. Cincinnatus preceded him. So did Sulla. But you are correct that it is the exception rather than the norm.
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  68.  @aflyingcowboy31  Thank you. Seems like Youtube doesn't like me pointing that out. Nor a certain other dirty detail about Angela Merkel.
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  69. Ironically, the territory in Kursk now held by Ukraine was once part of Ukraine in 1918.
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  70. They didn't know butter was $7. They are no better than Marie Antoinette.
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  71.  @paulchapman8023  I guarantee you they have designed on "Outer Manchuria". The Chinese have always been irritated with the Russian annexation of the Amur Valley.
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  72. @grey momo How familiar are you with the 35 year occupation of Korea by Japan from 1910 to 1945? The Imperial Army rapes pillaged and plunder the country. Have you heard of the Rape of Nanking? Now imagine that going on in Korea every year. Old grudges die hard in East Asia. I am glad that DESPITE the historic animosity, there were some Koreans who looked past that and rallied around this girl. It shows that some folks can forgive past wrongs and move forward.
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  73. The problem is that tank on tank combat isn't want Heinz Guderian advocated. He was always about combined arms and believed that tanks always needed an infantry squad to back it up.
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  74.  @УДачныйучасток-я1е  Your claims are overblown. Nothing happens in a vacuum. There are OTHER factors that came into play besides OPEC's announcement. Many of which played a bigger role.
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  75.  @muddywater6856  At this point, I don't think the South Asian Hindu/Pakistanis want her.
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  76. Would not surprise me. One of the stipulations for membership is not having ongoing territorial disputes. That is what put the Georgian admission on indefinite suspension after the 2008 invasion.
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  77. Indeed. Serial killers often get their start by butchering neighborhood pets. Now apply that to government officials.
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  78. Agreed. So long as they are all at each other's throats, they don't have the time nor the resources to plot against the man at the top.
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  79. Yeah, funny how they forget a little think like the Munich Agreement of 1938.
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  80.  @tribilinRivera  Sure, because mean tweets are some much worse than hyperinflation and economic stagnation. Nobody cares that Trump is living rent free in your head.
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  81.  @lisal9829  He lied about Trump's words as Mr. Gutfeld pointed out. For someone obsessed about the truth, you recoil from lit like a vampire does to light.
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  82.  @lisal9829  Mr. Gutfeld called out her lies about Trump's words. But then you don't care about OBEJCTIVE facts, all you care about is that your side wins.
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  83. Yeah, I really wish the members of ASEAN would temporarily set their disputes aside and present a united front against China. The Vietnamese need to invite the Indonesians, Malaysians, and Filipinos to joint-base and operate in the Parcels. Likewise, the Filipinos need to invite their neighbors into the northern Islands on their side that are NOT in dispute so as to push the Chinese out of the are at the northern most location. Cut off the supply lines to the southern Islands and they will wither on the vine.
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  84. The Greens put them into this mess with their foolish policies on energy.
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  85.  F AMERICA  Desperate, or realizing that the concern about NATO equipment falling into Russian hands is unlikely? And that threats about escalation to nuclear war is just empty rhetoric.
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  86.  @neutralevil1917  8 years for repairs is a LONG time to remain in dock.
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  87. Sorry, my liver can't take that many. You would not need to embalm me with all of the alcohol that would be in my system already effectively doing the job.
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  88. The GOP is not and never has been conservative. They CONSTANTLY throw staunch conservatives under the bus to kiss up to the people that will never respect them. Stockholm Syndrome describes the relationship the GOP has with the DNC. it also describes the relationship conservatives have with the GOP.
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  89. @horace sheffield You seem to forget that John Kerry and Hillary Clinton also voted yes to go to war. Funny how you conveniently ignore war hawk Democrats and their culpability. Just proves you don't actually care about the facts, only about scoring cheap political points for your tribe.
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  90. Sun Yat-Sen's Kuomintang unity government. More commonly remembered as Chaing Kai-Shek's nationalist Party.
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  91. Forgive me but what border dispute does Japan have with South Korea? If you are referring to the Dokodo/Takeshima dispute, that is a rather minor spat over a few rocks that barely rise above sea level at high tide. I do agree with most of your other points. Only observation I will make is that the rural areas of Japan are not particularly conducive to building large factors and the like. 75% of the country is steep mountainous terrain which is why the population is concentrated on the Kanto Plain around Tokyo as well as the other lowland metro areas.
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  92.  @danilolabbate  Actually, his comment is on point. Chinese historically have been the great merchants of Asia, traveling between Dutch Indonesia, India, the Horn of Africa and parts unknown to trade goods. it is why the diaspora Chinese population has always been in better economic and financial status than mainland Chinese since the end of the conflict between the KMT and the CCP.
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  93.  @mrjerzheel  And what have they done with that advantage? NOTHING! It is overblown and exaggerated. And with NATO equipment pouring in, that advantage is slipping through their fingers.
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  94.  @genericscout5408  Between the Kursk disaster, the sinking of the Moskva, the Admiral Kusnezkov, and the detonation of the nuke in K-129's silo, Russia's nukes are in serious quesiton.
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  95. I think I like that expression.
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  96.  @waltergro9102  The West does not have the authority nor authorization to trade the rights of Eastern Europe to Moscow. Why is it so hard for you to understand? Learn the lessons of the 1938 Munich Conference. YOU DON'T NEGOTIATE A NATION'S SOVERIGNTY AWAY. You don't get to abolish Czechoslovakia just to appease a tyrant. On further thought, such as "deal" would have to get unanimous approval from ALL members of NATO at the time it was proposed. That wasn't likely to happen and the fact that the Warsaw Past members WERE admitted into NATO by that very same unanimous approval is irrefutable proof that such a "deal" never had any legitimacy.
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  97.  @hofimastah  There is actually a better reason to explain her actions. She was a member of the East German Communist Youth League. Once you become aware of that, suddenly her actions to enslave Germany financially to Russia makes a lot more sense.
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  98. Helps that much of the material is a repeat from the previous video. But I do agree that it was great he got to it so quickly.
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  99. The Arabs who call themselves Palestinian already HAVE a state. It is called Gaza. And what have they done with it since the IDF left in 2005?
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  100. The "continent" is nothing new. It was exposed land during the last glaciation period when global ocean levels were much lower. The Graben itself is at least 83 million years old, with some of the rocks going back as far as 540 million years ago.
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  101. Is this why the Red Government told people to stock up on food supplies?
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  102. If they don't get violent when the government comes to kidnap their children, they deserve to lose. Defense of your family IS justified use of lethal force in almost every society and culture.
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  103. Harold clearly supports power, not principle. If he really wants to uphold the integrity of the court, he should realize that the gag order should have been rescinded rather than enforced. The act of attempting to enforce it is what is discrediting the court, not Trump violating it.
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  104. Yeah, nobody wants to talk about what scholars have known since antiquity: the strength of the nation comes from the integrity of the family as Confucius observed.
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  105.  @angelogarcia2189  Not entirely accurate. The DoD lost focus on what the mission was: to capture Bin Laden. Once that was achieved, all other considerations were secondary and nominally irrelevant.
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  106. Yeah, he seems to forget that Georgia had petitioned to join NATO before the Russian invasion in 2008. There is some discussion that the whole reason for the insurgency in South Ossetia was to give Putin a pretext to prevent Georgian ascension. In the process of nuking the application (can't have border disputes), Putin got a mostly compliant client government in Tiblisi. Me thinks that Putin's success in Georgia encouraged him to act first in Crimea, then in Donbas as the DNR/LNR folks followed the exact same playbook as Ossetia.
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  107.  @josephrogers8213  I agree. Women SHOULD be drafted, and we should reactivate the WW2 WAVEs, WASPs, and WAACs. There is no reason why women can't staff the shore batteries.
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  108. The government still needs to be taken to court so as to prevent this from happening again. The defendants need to demand their cases go before court so as to set a precedent that any actions take without ratification are unlawful and those who do will be held accountable for their actions.
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  109.  @joebryniarski6698  When a number of precincts reported 120% of registered voter turnout, you know something is wrong.
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  110.  @jimtalbott9535  How is Europe screwed if the US is not involved? Unless you are admitting that Europe DEPENDS on the US because they are incapable of defending themselves. In which case, they need a MAJOR attitude adjustment regarding their contempt for the US. No, France and Germany do have the ability to repel a Russian invasion without US intervention. Even Macron believes this which is why he wants Europe to be less reliant on the US for European defense.
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  111. Indeed. If I was running a military intelligence network, you 60-year-old "eyes and ears" family member I would consider my greatest asset and would encourage him to NOT take any risks which would jeopardize him. Just listening into those sensitive conversations is dangerous enough.
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  112.  @colinwinogradoff6794  Only in the minds of hyper partisans. The Trump economy was FAR better.
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  113.  @feoxorus  Then add to that, him wanting "all of historic Russia" would mean he wants Warsaw as well. Kind of like how the Austrian Painter wanted all of historic German Lands under the control of the Third Reich.
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  114.  @Teeurbo  That is doubtful. Keep in mind, the Chinese don't like the Uygurs whom share common cause with the Palestinians.
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  115.  @waltergro9102  Yeah, again wishful thinking. That may be what the Kremin wanted, but it had no legal binding over NATO or the Warsaw Pact nations. Again, Russia doesn't get to dictate to the rest of Eastern Europe who they can and cannot enter into military agreements. That you keep trying to legitimize that autocratic, dictatorial, and tyrannical mindset show you don't care about self-determination and instead subscribe to "might makes right" of totalitarianism.
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  116. And Jamaican.
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  117.  @ChrisBa303  And you don't think they would not do that if they knew thar they were cornered and finished? You seriously underestimate the insanity of former Soviet-Russian leadership. Just look at the damage caused by the Russian army when they dug trenches around the Chernobyl plant in Prypiat at the start of the war.
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  118.  @thedstorm8922  Not at the time they were admitted. The dispute is a recent development encouraged by Erdogan and the Turkish Nationalists looking to deflect attention from the failing domestic policies.
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  119.  @7F0X7  Sure, as if every other prime minister in the world didn't want that as well. I at least give her credit for being brutally honest and sincere, unlike your patently dishonest ruling caste (neo-feudalist oligarchies) of Europe. I trust someone who is upfront about their authoritarian desires much more than I do the suave snake-oil salesman who pay lip service to empowerment then rob their constituents blind.
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  120. When "child protective services" come to kidnap their children, they NEED to get violent. Defending your children from government sanctioned kidnapping is justified use of force in almost every society.
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  121. There are currently no term limits for Congress. If the presidency needs term limits, so does every other political office.
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  122.  @williamdavenport1687  America has become as much of a mockery of justice as Thailand. "What is the point of a nation surviving if its traditions don't survive along with it?" -President John F. Kennedy's Secrecy speech, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel; April 27, 1961.
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  123. Practically quoting Confucius right there. And it is absolutely correct.
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  124. Good for them. I hope they continue to wisely leverage what they have to get out from under foreign creditors.
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  125. Immigration only works as a solution if assimilation is mandatory. Without assimilation, you get countries within a country which is what the Nordic countries are experiencing with their refugee/asylum populations or France and its Harams (Islamic no-go zones).
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  126. It isn't a bug, it is a feature. "That which governs the best, governs the least"
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  127. And some of these munitions are lock on jam, meaning that they go after the source of the jamming.
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  128. Probably hiding in the same place when the EPA botched the Gold King Mine spill.
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  129.  @elizabethlacky6068  Jameca Kamala was in Philadelphia as well. That they were both in the same state as Trump is no coincidence (which is NOT a Kosher word, BTW).
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  130. Oath breakers like his commanders need to be dealt with as ACTUAL traitors to the Constitution deserve. Your son is a true patriot, and I as a fellow vet salute him for doing what is right and refusing an unlawful order.
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  131. It is said that serial killers often get their start butchering neighborhood pets. Now consider the ramifications when the government starts repeating that kind of behavior.
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  132.  @bloodybill61  Nuremberg trials. These cops need to be incarcerated themselves when it is all over.
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  133.  @ArchonLicht  I do. Inflation is when the cost of bread or milk next week is 25-50% more expensive than it is today. Yes, I saw that crap in Guatemala and Chile in the 90s. We are very much on that path.
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  134. I am all for the humiliation conga line.
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  135. Arguably a win all around. Except for Putin.
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  136. Wow, you calling your fellow citizens, many of who have also worn the uniform shows how hollow your claims of military service are. MANY active duty servicemen would make the claim that your own words mark you as guilty of the very crimes you accuse them of engaging. ANd you clearly ignored the part where Putin's mouthpieces acknowledge that he is no friend, much less ally of Russia.
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  137. The United States is a REPUBLIC, not a democracy. "Republics decline into democracies, and democracies invariably degenerate into despotisms," -Alexander Fraiser Tytler. "Democracies ALWAYS elect a dictator," -Aristotle.
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  138. Modern day Marie Antoinette
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  139. Oh, there WAS testing. the US DoD had quite a bit of it, but the data was ignored by the politicians (ie Obama and company) who wanted to sell off the frequency ranges to the highest bidder.
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  140. Good for nothing Murdock sons want Fox to be another MSNBC. Rupert should have put Wendy Deng in charge, not them. She was a Taiwan/Hong Kong media mogul after all.
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  141.  jcorb  Yeah, the Reconciliation process is a joke. It basically subverts the Constitutional process in favor of a back door method. The courts SHOULD rule bills passed through that process NOT prescribed by Article 1 of the Constitution as unconstitutional and dead-on arrival.
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  142. That was very much a performance, and it was not very good.
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  143.  @michaelhill8441  According to whom? The shills in the media? You realize they used sampling bias and leading or loaded questions to generate a predetermined result?
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  144.  @ashflame6888  Hurling insults is not an argument, it is a logical fallacy called ad homin. It is also an act of desperation because it means you have no valid augment. Thank you for tacitly admitting that I am right. "I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.” -Margaret Thatcher, UK's Iron Lady.
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  145.  @zilari3662  Actually, as an American, i trust the Japanese with Nukes. They know firsthand the cost of engaging in a nuclear arms exchange and so I have every faith that they would not cross that bridge unless their existential existence is on the line. WW2 showed that while the US COULD wipe the Japanese off the map, we did not once they laid down their arms. Indeed, the US was VERY magnanimous in victory, much to the shock and surprise of the Japanese who were told we would devastate the country during the short occupation. so long as they harbor no ill will towards the US, that existential threat that might trigger a nuclear armed Japan would never be crossed by the US. Hence, the US would see no threat from Japan having nukes.
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  146. Well, he also wears facial hair which makes him look older and more distinguished.
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  147.  @nid-jk2vx  I don't disagree that the US had made bad choices with regards to Pakistan. But if you are not willing to bury the past, then it WILL come back to hurt you in the future.
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  148. I suspect that trying to make them remain one unified country is also a part of the dysfunction. If the Serbia majority areas want to be annexed by Serbia, let them. If the Croat dominated areas want to be a part of Croatia, let them. And let the Bosnian Muslim areas be their own independent states if they so choose. This idea that it has to be one nation is based on 18th century chauvinism.
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  149. Indeed. Why does it HAVE to be one country? Why can it not partition down into smaller independent states? Why does San Marino, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and Andorra get to be independent nations, but the small areas of Bosnia do not?
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  150. Hence why the international law on war stipulates that you do NOT execute or mistreat prisoners.
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  151.  @martin_9774  I think you grossly underestimate the intelligence of the audience. It is pretty hard to NOT understand the iconography they chose to use. You excuse only works on sheep herders in Afghanistan or rice farmers in North Korea. The entire Western World and much of the Global South know exactly what they were doing.
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  152.  @b12n23  Whataboutism is a typical response of someone who can't refute the point. Zelensky is actually holding his ministers to account. Putin isn't. But keep making excuses, your copium is music to my ears.
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  153.  @PatriotsW710  Situation on the ground proves otherwise, Negative Nancy.
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  154. Nuremberg Trial for Judges. We need them here.
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  155.  @ADCFproductions  Actually, we already had one built in Nevada: Yucca Mountain Nuclear Repository. It was suppose to come online and accept its first shipment of waste in 1998. But Dingy Harry Reid along with Dan Coats killed it. Fortunately, Trump has reactivated it. A little side note, most nuclear waste in the West is stored on site at the plant. Fukushima's leak was mostly from those storage pools. Why is this important? Before Yucca Mountain was closed, the Japanese were going to pay us to store their waste. The leak from Fukushima would not have been as severe if Harry Reid and Dan Coats had not killed the storage facility.
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  156. The problem is that intuitions established to manage humanity often become more concerned with perpetuating its power and maintaining that power rather than adapting to the needs of those it is meant to manage. This manifests in corruption and graft combined with nepotism to make a once efficient system grossly inefficient by rewarding vanity rather than merit.
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  157.  @Charlie0l9  Ah yes, the infamous Molotov "bread baskets". The Finns answered with cocktails.
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  158. There is very little love lost between the Japanese and Koreans. Remember the 2013 earthquake? There were many Koreans cheering about that. When the South Korean government offered to send search and rescue K-9s, the blowback from the Korean population caused them to rescind the offer. Why the anger? 35 years of brutal occupation is hard for them to forget. Their grandparents remind them of the horrors they lived through.
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  159. What is the difference between organized crime syndicates and government? Not much. Narco States are how cartels become governments.
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  160.  @Cupid-Stunt  Those with irrational hate. When presented with the cold hard facts, the scream "racist!"
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  161.  @jdw-616  Hypersonic gliders? Now you are just engaging in word salad to try and sound smart. Oh, and the patriot batteries sent to Ukraine shot down the Kinzhal missiles, so the threat of hypersonic weapons is overblown.
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  162. Same here. The Korean Tiger is not to be taken lightly. I for one welcome the competition.
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  163. You can vote your way into socialism, but you have to fight your way out of it.
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  164. You are still thinking of it from a Western market base philosophy. Yes, China wants a market, but you are foolish if you think they care about the workforce in Africa. There is a reason why many countries have ended their contracts with China and have banned the importation of any goods. When the Chinese flood local African economies with goods, it bankrupts local businesses INCREASING unemployment. The infrastructure projects actually do very little to jumpstart and economy, merely facilitate an already existing one. And most of the ones China builds is so it is easier to extract resources from those countries and transport them to ports to be shipped to China.
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  165.  @kristiansandsmark2048  Considering that they are unaccountable and unelected, that means they are answerable to nobody but themselves, no different than a dictatorship. Until those agencies are punished for their failures, we will continue to be plagued by incompetence and corruption.
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  166. Hence why the Baltic states so quickly clamored to join NATO. Even the Latvian foreign minister has come out and said they would have been invaded and recolonized by Russia if not for NATO ascension.
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  167.  @superchuck3259  I'm not sure he is necessarily a "traitor to the rich". In the classic "old money vs. new money" , he certainly fits the mold of a Nouveau Riche(meant as an insult, but could be a badge of honor, think unsinkable Molly Brown). And yes, those who subscribe to "Der Wille zur Macth" (the will to power), cling to it like a man hanging over a cliff. Power is a drug more addictive than Heroin. The analogy of Gollum and the Ring of Power is apt.
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  168. They should still hold his feet to the fire. Don't let the matter drop just because he retracted it.
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  169. And as the soon to be AG, he will have the resources to do so. But it should be part of a larger push against the monstrous Sullivan decision.
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  170. Sad how much the department of corrections gets tired of playing mental health professional.
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  171.  @xSandamx  That assumes you meet the BARE MINIMUM in terms of quality. Sending peasants with pitchforks won't work very well against well trained soldiers. King Leonidus proved that at Thermopylae when his vanguard of 300 held off the vast number of Persian "Immortals".
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  172. Which makes the Holodomor all the more tragically ironic. Even more ironic is that Ukraine was independent of the USSR in 1918.
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  173.  @alexanderdeclercq982  Then why was Shoigu given a MORE important position within Putin's inner circle?
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  174.  @johnb6749  The problem is that mass tank engagements were never how the system was supposed to be used. Even Heinz Guderian said that they were supposed to ALWAYS be supported by infantry.
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  175.  @minerran  Indeed, which is why negotiating with Putin or letting him keep the Donbas and Crimea is no different than Munich 1938. Putin WANTS Warsaw as it was a Russian city at the height of the Tzarist Empire. No different that the Austian Painter demanding that all of historic German territory be under the control of the Third Reich.
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  176. He will eventually demand that Poland withdraw from historically Russian territory such as Warsaw. That is why giving him the Munich agreement of 1938 is a fool's errand.
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  177.  @christyann1201  Ask West Virginia. Lotss of Democrat coal miners voted for him.
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  178. Indeed. They trusted Russia to keep the Budapest Memorandum and so don't want to see a repeat of it violated again.
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  179.  @BVasquezp  THAT is one map I want to see. Namely the oil and gas deposits under Donbas and Crimea which are at the heart of the Russian invasion.
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  180. Well, and the long-range weapons Ukraine has developed domestically have been used on targets in Russia demonstrating Ukraine's restraint and self-imposed limitations. In essence, they have already proven they can be trusted with those western weapons by demonstrating how they would be used by domestic weapons.
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  181.  @sebastianflynn1746  Doesn't matter if YOU think it is credible or not, it is what the AUDIENCE they are targeting thinks. "Those who can get you to believer absurdities can make you commit atrocities," -Voltaire.
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  182. It has been almost a year since the Kakhovka Dam was destroyed. That action allowed Russia to move its forces covering the Dnipor River in Kherson to reinforce the Zaporizhian line in anticipation of the Ukrainian offensive. The Ukrainians have managed to establish a foothold on the southeast side of the river since then. My question is how has that front changed since then? Could the Ukrainians execute an amphibious operation and push towards Crimea?
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  183. Second question, not necessarily. Remember, that area expose would be muddy lake bottom.
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  184. The cost for Ukraine was going to be high no matter what they do. So, when you have nothing to lose, you fight like a cornered badger. Better to die on your feet than live on your knees as a slave. And the Ukraine understands slavery to the Soviet State.
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  185. As if Russia hasn't supplied weapons to African insurgencies. Spare me your moral outrage.
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  186. The US military is now the defenders of the corruption. The flag officers are all a part of the cabal having betrayed their oath and used their positions to promote political agendas while punishing their subordinates for doing the same. There is a very good reason why generals never lead military coups. It is always the Lt. Colonels, Majors, and Captains who do, backed by competent mid-level NCOs.
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  187. I hope more sistas follow your example.
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  188.  @michaelhill8441  "According to historical data"? Wow, you are really grasping at straws here. "Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled. Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you're being had." -Michael Crichton, author of "The Andromeda Strand", "Congo", and "Jurassic Park".
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  189.  @lisal9829  Yeah, it turns out that security video from the capitol building disproves EVERYTHING claimed in that AP article. But then reading the AP is like reading Soviet Pravda.
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  190.  @danielgarner1959  As George Bernard Shaw once said, "two people divided by a common language".
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  191. And yet he was also correct about Europe's over dependence on Russian Energy. He was also correct about the economic woes if the Democrats took back power. You underestimate the man at your own peril.
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  192.  @jdw-616  You are assuming Putin's nukes don't detonate in the silo like they did on K-129 instead of launching like they are supposed to. Considering the state of both the Moskva and the Admiral Kuznetsov, I seriously doubt the competency of the Russian Nuclear Forces. Also, you trying to use scripture to push a political message is a blasphemy. It is exactly what the Carpenter of Nazareth and the Baptizer on the Jordan both critizised when they spoke of the corrupt bread of Caiaphas and Herod Antipas. "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." -Matthew 24:36
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  193. Screaming "racist!" just means you have no counterargument to refute. It is tacit acknowledgement that the people you disagree with are correct and you know it.
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  194. @Kam If indeed the rising tide did lift all boats, you would have a point. The problem is, free trade doesn't benefit everyone, it only benefits a few transnational businesses. The local regional and small-time operations suffer while the mega-corporations squeeze them out of the market.
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  195.  @thomasgrabkowski8283  That is not a solution if they are not assimilating. There is a word for that, one that I think the Germans are quite familiar with.
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  196.  @thatisme3thatisme38  Their "Self Defense Force" is neutered by their Constitution. They got a lot of flak for simply providing air refueling support out of Diego Garcia for allied operations in Afghanistan. Much like the Taiwanese military, the JSDF does NOT have the actual combat experience to say they can effectively wage war. In that regard, the South Korean military has a leg up over Japan considering all of the skirmishes that have taken place across the DMZ.
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  197. If the Serbians in Bosnia want to be annexed by Serbia, let them. If the Croats in Bosnia want to be annexed by Croatia, let them. And allow the Bosnian Muslims to live in their own independent nation-states just like San Marino, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and Andorra.
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  198. Blind leading the blind.
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  199. The Russian invasion of South Ossetia shares many similarities to Russian actions in the Donbas. Considering that Georgia had applied for NATO ascension before the invasion, it makes you wonder.
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  200. The irony is that Chinese Taipei has much affection for Japan, in stark contrast to many other Chinese populations. Even the Chinese Indonesian community has much better relations with Japan than mainland China.
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  201.  @reubenong8728  Sounds to me more like that is an issue with racial/ethnic supremacy. Minority populations in Russia have ALWAYS been treated as second-class to the ethnic Russians. Very rarely has Moscow allowed the regions to enjoy autonomy. Yakutia is a notable exception because despite its large land area, the population is quite small; Moscow doesn't view them as a challenge to their dominance.
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  202.  @nn-dj2nu  Indeed. The WEF folks at Davos are like the fools in the movie Idiocracy who think that putting Gatorade on the fields is good, not realizing they are salting the soil (depleting the soil in this case). There is a reason why people alternate with alfalfa: to PURPOSLY restore nitrate into the soil.
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  203.  @napsclub  It was once said that the victors write the history. And that is true to a certain extent. The victors trying to minimize and downplay what they did wrong while emphasizing and often exaggerating the wrongs of their opponents. Classic case I like to use is Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. He was quoted as saying "you have to dictate terms to the US from the White House". American media for decades played this up as a jingoistic brag. In reality, he was warning Tojo and company the difficulty of making war on the US. Another example is that he is quoted as saying to his men after reading the after-action report on the Pearl Harbour attack: "Gentlemen, we have just kicked a rabid dog". Again, American media made it out to be an insult. In reality, he was making the observation that the sneak attack will have the same fatal result as if a rabid animal had bitten you. And there are several more examples littering history of such disproportionate analysis and hyperbole of the situation. Genghis Khan's brutality. The excesses of the Julio-Claudean dictators of Rome. The "peaceful and noble" nature of the heart eating Aztecs. et. al.
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  204. They should ask to use the anime Girls Und Panzer for recruitment.
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  205. They are not? That might be a good thing for Putin because you DON'T want to get on the wrong side of a Gurkha.
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  206. But one that has been updated and modernized over the years much like the B-52. Most of these legacy Soviet tanks have NOT been modernized.
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  207. Granted, the B-52 pilots today are flying the very same aircraft as their grandfathers, but at least they got newer engines and avionics. The only thing that is really 60+ years old is the fuselage frame and maybe the wings. Talk about ship of Thesus.
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  208. Yeah, Paul doesn't seem to realize that "anonymous sources" just means the "journalist" made it up whole cloth. How often has it been revealed that "anonymous" sources were totally and completely wrong?
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  209. And the CBP is also following unlawful orders by facilitating human trafficking. Which is the worse crime?
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  210.  @ktcarl  Yes, he did. But much like Reagan, he realized he was batting for the wrong team.
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  211. That is the best thing, if only more teachers practice what you do. My mother as a math and art teacher was always a political enigma to her students. She was an anti-teacher's union Democrat. She detested how the union laundered her dues to finance people she disagreed with. But she always kept her personal politics out of the classroom as she believed it had no legitimate place there.
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  212.  @daleweiss9507  What I am hearing is that he is bigoted against women from his own race. Though to be fair, I am white and married a foreign born Asian woman. American White women of my age cohort have lost their minds because of "feminism".
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  213.  @afgor1088  Nice sarcasm. You might actually want to study on what Salafism is and why negotiating with religious zealots in pointless. Or are you not aware that as soon as the US left Afghanistan, the Taliban and ISIS-K have turned on each other? Yes, former allies are now fighting each other over religious differences between Deobandism and Salafism.
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  214. He could have left Mendeleev in office for a second terms and remained the power behind the throne, much like Stalin. But like a typical authoritarian, he could not resist being in the driver's seat.
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  215. It also means they have written off Crimea.
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  216. Something tells me if she does run for governor, she would lose badly. Even liberal New Yorkers are starting to wake up to the damage she causes.
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  217.  @alanjenkins1508  Then why do farmers plant Alfalfa? Ever heard of soil depletion? How about crop rotation? We solved these problems almost 100 years ago and yet the bureaucrats who have never farmed in their life seem to think they are experts in farming. China's Great Leap Forward Famine and Ukraine's Holodomor are what happens when you tell farmers how to do their job.
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  218. Agreed. Turkey clearly does NOT meet NATO standards for membership, so it is high time the nation was expelled. Or at least its power to block new members or have a say in strategy suspended.
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  219.  @wartome3196  The US didn't indiscriminately target civilians the way Putin has.
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  220. OR, she has principles and knew that with a united opposition she was wasting her time being a lame duck. It is amazing how people automatically jump to assume her actions were an emotional outburst. Some people resign as a sign of protest against a system stacked against them.
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  221. It was started when Obama sold off to the highest bidder much of the frequencies that the DoD had reserved for operations. Doesn't help that 5G is also the emission frequency of water vapor. That is significant because it will make meteorological satellite analysis difficult with all of the "signal pollution".
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  222.  @parcher2535  And yet you are here. Why don't you take your own advice?
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  223. Legalizing it doesn't solve your problems, it just shuffles the deck chairs around. Trading one set of problems for an entirely new set isn't working the problem, it is an attempt to cover up the problem.
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  224. I too look forward to the day that Japan and South Korea can let bygones be bygones and stand united against the Dragon pretending to be a Panda. And I also agree with you that just because the West has become decadent on its largess doesn't mean it is weak. Though it remains to be seen how long that lasts with the current leadership of the West.
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  225. How about you actually debate the points instead of making an emotional outburst?
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  226.  @user-ob3ss1tkas  Molotov-Ribbentrop Alliance was only possible because they are cut from the same cloth. How quickly people (except Poles) forget the Pact of Blood.
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  227.  @Homer-OJ-Simpson  That tends to happen in time of war. It's hard on the furniture, and hard on the people.
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  228. Agreed. The Chinese having watched how the European powers bungled in Africa have chosen to be more subtle in their approach to colonization.
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  229.  @nishantmaderna6295  Old biases die hard. You may have papered it over for the foreign audience to see, but internally when nobody is watching, those old bigotries reveal themselves. Some of us see what goes on when you think nobody is watching.
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  230. Pakistan has been playing both the West and China for fools. It was the Pakistanis who supported the Taliban the whole time, even sheltering Osama Bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri. I do agree that India has tried to play the same role they always have since WW2 as the neutral third world power. I give them credit for being consistent. The more interesting and I would say laudable action is ripping of Russia by demanding a 30% discount on oil. Allies don't exploit their friends like that.
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  231.  @Kongajinken  Actually, he would. Putin never invaded Ukraine while Trump was in office. As for China, they have been in an economic war with the US since the 90s, but Trump's economic policies were actually making Americans once again competitive against China. Trump gave us the best economy since the John F. Kennedy tax cuts, and that is irrefutable.
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  232. Indeed. People quickly forget the lessons of the Munich Conference.
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  233. "Republics degrade into democracies, and democracies invariably degenerate into despotisms," -Alexander Frasier Tytler quoting Aristotle.
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  234.  @mutegikimathi6258  If the West "milking the continent dry" as you put it is bad, then your excusing China doing the exact same thing is hypocrisy. The issue isn't bad ideas or differing opinions, it is the contraction and inconsistency that is at issue. You may THINK that China wants the population to grow its own wealth, but that is the exact same argument used by EUROPEAN colonialist during the mad scramble for Africa. If that was a lie then, it is a lie now, regardless if it was someone from Europe or East Asia that said it. And no, I an NOT kidding. Infrastructure by itself doesn't create anything. It will not spontaneously create a thriving economy if there was not anything there to begin with. The claim that "if you build it, they will come" is a myth perpetuated by those who love centralized planning, but lack any understanding about the invisible hand of the market or how economics actually work beyond a chalk board theory.
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  235.  @burnttoast9890  Truth doesn't care about your feelings. Truth is OBJECTIVE, not subjective as many would like to believe. People who parrot Kremlin talking points on cue like Pavlov's Dog are essentially bots.
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  236.  @刘振东-d6i  Yeah, the Indians have video of that engagement, and it tells a VASTLY different story. It shows the PLA behaving more like street muscle rather than a professional military force. When your army acts more like organized crime than a disciplined military, you are in deep trouble. That is something China has in common with Russia.
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  237. Indeed. And since Canada and Norway have been sending winter gear since August, that puts them in a good position to exploit the cold.
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  238.  @megaglock22  Sadly, it will take force of arms to do that. And it is now or never. If the people of Canada do not take action now, they will never have another opportunity to save their country from totalitarian dictatorship.
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  239. Marshal Mud has given the Russians a reprieve. This winter has been so warm that General Front has not given his favor to Ukraine. The Fall mud season (Rasputia) has continued into the winter preventing a winter offensive. Let's hope this spring is a dry one otherwise it will be another three months of stalemate.
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  240. Hell, in Korea we were warned to be wary around the local girls because one could be a DPRK agent. Hell, it was even suspected that some of the on-base taxi drivers were spys.
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  241.  @luciferjohnson8495  And yet Ukraine did just that in the defense of Kiev. Europe COULD fight Russia, but they would get a bloody nose for their effort.
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  242.  @Mrdm0066  Yeah, the Soviets had a Bill of guaranteed Human Rights. Didn't mean a damn thing.
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  243.  @harrymorris2361  They have been in training for over a year now. I recognize that an F6F Hellcat from WW2 is not the same as an F-16, but American aviators in WW2 could get trained up in less than a year before getting thrown into combat against either the IJN or the Luftwaffe. Ukrainian Mig-29 pilots shouldn't take more than that to change over from the Soviet airframe to the NATO as they already have the basics of combat aviation in a high performance vehicle. The issue is simply a matter of equipment familiarization.
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  244. It is pretty pathetic when even the North Koreans don't think he is worth wasting a bullet.
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  245. I am mostly in agreement with you, though the idea of tank on tank mass battles was a wet dream of the Soviet Red Army that had mixed results if we are honestly assessing the Battle of Krusk(largest tank battle in history).
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  246. A lot of US equipment is in that situation. The DoD should have taken it as an opportunity to do a full accounting and audit of the armories across the US. Send all of the expired or soon to expire equipment over there instead of wasting money disposing of them.
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  247. Some of these munitions are lock on jam. Meaning that they target the source of the jamming.
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  248. Maybe under the Bourbons, but modern France still leaves much to be desired.
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  249. @Kasper I don't disagree that Turkey is the odd man out in NATO. But I look at it from a different perspective. Turkey could turn to its Muslim neighbors who depend so heavily on Russian and Ukrainian wheat and claim that THEY were the ones to secure the world's food supplies. That is a very powerful message to send. Turkey is looking to expand its influence, and this was the perfect opportunity.
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  250.  @MrUntapishtim  Great economic future huh? That sounds like the argument justifying the Molotov-Ribbentrop Alliance. You seem to forget that POLAND has been encouraging Ukraine just as much if not MORE than the UK. Yet you don't seem to be casting barbs at them. Seems to me you are an Anglophobe.
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  251. You have to forgive them, they didn't realize butter was $7. And if your BS alarm didn't go off from the saracsim, I think it needs to be adjusted.
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  252. I'm shocked that the jury did NOT go for nullification. Hunter will still get a pardon from his father, but the optics are clear.
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  253.  @Polygon-yug-9581  Not really. It is Russia who is using the nuclear power station as a military strongpoint. They are acting no different than the Germans using Monte Cassino as a strongpoint in WW2 (a war crime, BTW).
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  254.  @andrewnorris5415  Ukraine has captured in one week more territory than Russia took in over a year. Cope harder.
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  255.  @lordbread2083  John Hopkins proves you wrong.
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  256. If they do not get violent when the government comes to take their children, then they deserve to lose everything. If that is not the crossing of the Rubicon to get you to start using lethal force, then nothing will, and you accept being a slave.
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  257.  @martinleuchs5403  A gag order is to PROTECT a defendant, not silence him. It has NEVER been used in this manner before. Stop apologizing for unconstitutional actions by this unlawful court.
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  258.  @Gizziiusa  That may be the theory, but in practice these guys are nobodies that the real criminals know not to take into their inner circles. Remember the phrase "snitches get stitches"? The Big fish know these guys are trouble and keep them at arms length. The theory fails spectacularly in practice like it did in this case, which is why they shouldn't even try.
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  259.  @DavidJohnson-hg1mz  Redactions are for individual words, not entire paragraphs. That "redacted" affidavit was nothing more than a showpiece to pretend that they were complying with a FOIA request.
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  260. Indeed. He is an actor, that was very much all a performance.
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  261.  kraken hunter  You are about 8 years late. It was Obama who divided the country. Trump simply revealed the damage for all to see.
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  262. Wow, the liberal trolls are out in droves. I guess you "triggered" them.
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  263. And that is the point. They don't want kids to be able to read. Because readers are thinkers.
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  264. And several wars before that. The Teutonic Knights have fought the Slavs since antiquity.
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  265.  @Spacedog79  I am all for more nuclear. And US Navy nuclear has proven that it IS the safest form of energy that we can use. Thank Admiral Hyman G. Rickover for that.
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  266.  @VisibilityFoggy  Basically the same argument AGAINST reparations in the US. And why Soviet collectivism never works. Workers, unless they came up through the ranks into management, don't necessarily understand WHY a factory or business runs the way it does. Without that wider perspective, you may make choices that adversely harm the company. In a similar vein, some folks should take a look at Indonesia and ask why the ethnic Chinese tended to have most of the wealth after the Dutch left following WW2. The Dutch used the Chinese as the mid-level managers and the local Javanese and Sumatrans as the labor. The anti-Chinese sentiment under Sukarno and Suharto threatened to do to Indonesia what Mugabe did to Zimbabwe.
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  267. What progress? The world is less safe and the economics, particularly inflation are worse than they were during the previous 4 years. Oh, but mean tweets are more important to you than the soaring cost of living, particularly energy and fuel costs.
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  268.  @jdw-616  Many wiser men than you have tried to predict the end of days. They ALL failed. You are just as foolish if you think you know the hour of judgement. It will occur when you least expect it, so why are you trying to use fear of it to compel others? THAT is where you have blasphemed.
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  269.  @NewsGuyFred  You are ignoring that EU countries heavily subsidize their industries (particularly auto and aviation) that directly compete against Us businesses. THAT is protectionism under a different guise.
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  270. This, completely. Also, a tariff goes on any product subsidized by the government. Germany and France are notorious for propping up their local companies against foreign competition.
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  271.  @fturatti  Funny, because the most prosperous nations have always depended on their mercantile class. The most technologically innovative societies have had a robust merchant populace.
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  272. Your first point blatantly ignores a truism that the Koreans know which you refuse to acknowledge: The strength of the nation comes from the integrity of the family as Confucius observed. It has been conclusively confirmed in multiple studies that children of single-parent families have lower rates of education, higher rates of crime, teen pregnancy, and a whole host of other problems. Do keep in mind that Confucius himself was born out of wedlock and grew up in a broken family. His experiences are empirical evidence supporting his contention that a traditional core family unit is the best situation and that all others fail to sustain a culture.
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  273.  @fooo2241  How about the rules governing mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania? How about the changed to voter ID requirements in Georgia and Arizona? How about last-minute approval of ballot harvesting? There are plenty of examples that people just brush off. I'm talking NOT about questionable practices during the counting, but the PROCESS, and chain of custody issues that the court refuse to even consider based on the merits. Those changes should NOT have taken effect until the NEXT election cycle. And the excuses used to rationalize them going into effect mid-election are typical of those trying to game the system.
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  274. The reactions of Hu Jintao's protege on the other side of Xi is quite telling, as is the reaction of most of the other folks. The stone-face expression was just as much of shock as it was of horror and dread.
    8
  275.  @alterkooper431  Yes they do. When you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. That proverb is in ALL three Abrahamic faiths.
    8
  276. No, they just simply strip mine and rip the country off while leaving half-completed projects, flood the local economies with cheap goods and force local businesses belly-up with market domination. Yeah, China's tactics are much less overt than military conquest, but certainly not any better.
    8
  277. From whom? The Russian Bots or the people pointing out the holes in the arguments of Negative Nacy?
    8
  278.  @olderchin1558  The Russia-Chinese land-based supply lines are unreliable at best. How much actually transits the trans-Siberian Railway from European Russia to Manchuria? Not nearly as much as you think. And the energy pipelines that feed Europe do NOT have a direct link to the Russian pipelines that connect to China. They are two separate systems.
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  279. I would assume you are referring to Formosa? It was the crown jewel in the Empire of Japan and was given preferential treatment over all of Japan's other possessions. My understanding is that the feeling of affection was and still is mutual
    7
  280. Indeed. If Russia collapsed, the China would try to take back outer Manchuria. And if THAT happened, I could easily see the Japanese move into Sakhalin Island as well as the Kurils.
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  281.  supernovaaust  Pot meet kettle. But I expect that from fascist bootlickers.
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  282. Indeed. Which is why the defendants need to demand that their cases be heard instead of dropped. Don't let the government get away with this. Insist that the courts hear the cases so that a precedent is set that such actions taken before ratification are unlawful and those that do will be held accountable.
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  283. Funny how fascism took root in Anglosphere nations, isn't it? Even the US is not immune. The English-speaking world needs to take a long hard look at how it betrayed the principles of basic English Common Law and held the precepts of the Magna Carta in contempt.
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  284. I am wondering if her license to practice was revoked just like Bill Clinton's.
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  285.  @РоманКомолов-е3б  He is talking about the one singed on 23 August 1939. But I get that you would ignore Soviet Occupation of Poland in 1939-1941.
    7
  286.  @irresistablejewel  Ukraine is NOT Russia. Put down the vodka, you are wasted.
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  287. If they can get to Melitopol, then the HIMARS rockets can reach the Kerch bridge from the city.
    7
  288.  @emmettkeyser1110  The UK and France have ALWAYS had separate nuclear arsenals from the US. India gained theirs in the 1970s. Your augment that it only works in a two-adversary scenario is already disproven.
    7
  289.  @moiseshuerta3984  You realize that the Ukraine originally view the Germans as liberators at the start of Operation: Barbarossa? It was only after the Germans abused the Ukrainians that they switched sides back to the USSR.
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  290.  @bryanshamrock83  Zelensky is a Jew. Neo-Nazis would NEVER fight on behalf of a Jew. That alone shows you have lost the plot.
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  291.  @lexluger6904  Kremlin propaghanda.
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  292.  @sebastianflynn1746  You give the Arab-Muslim world way too much credit. There is a reason why Osama Bin Laden is still held in high regard in that part of the world.
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  293.  @Hasib.p  So you are going to blatantly ignore the fact that Germany and the USSR were each other's biggest trading partners during that time? You are also going to ignore the fact that they also exchanged technology and military hardware? Hell, the Germans were even touring Soviet military manufacturing plants! Those are not the activities of a mere non-aggression pact.
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  294. The bigger issue is if Russian aircraft violate Ukrainian airspace. Would NATO assets engage the Russians? That could be the "Man, Moment, Machine" that sparks wider conflict.
    7
  295.  @paradoxmo  Yeah, but she is simply choosing the best of many bad options. It is only a matter of time before the bill comes due.
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  296.  @waltergro9102  Your "facts" are nothing more than opinions you are trying to pass off as something they are not. You are parroting Kremlin wet-dream, not objective fact. Your claims completely ignore reality. No such agreement existed, and the Warsaw Pact members of NATO prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt. Your continued obsession with a non-existent agreement shows you have completely lost the plot.
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  297. That was his Marie Antoinette moment, and he was too stupid to realize it. Shows you how historically illiterate these people are.
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  298.  @Chef_JRod  The problem with collectivism is that it is diametrically opposed to the idea of individualism and self-sovereignty. The two are anathema to each other. Now, I do agree that in a post scarcity society, other motivations take the forefront. Where Trek both Gene Rodenberry's and Alex Kurtzman fail to account is that hedonism replaces the struggle to survive. Aldous Huxley in "Brave New World" deconstructed the fatal flaws of a post-scarcity "utopia".
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  299. No tank is invincible. Do keep in mind that the crews of those Challenger tanks are alive and well unlike the crew of the turret tossing Soviet Tanks.
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  300.  @ArsenAl-zorK  Armenia already had clearly defined borders. Why did they need to go into Azerbaijani territory? The "ancestral homeland" doesn't hold water when there is already a sovereign Armenia state. Yours is the ridiculous take.
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  301.  @doyouevennaturebro4593  Hamas has ruled Gaza uncontested for over 10 years. They were not occupied, they were enslaved by their own people.
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  302. The 5G band also is the emission band for water vapor, a major component of meteorological satellite, particularly during nocturnal hours. So, weather analysis is also going to be affected by 5G implementation.
    7
  303.  @owenmersk4626  And your preferred sources MSNBC and CNN are funded by actual white supremacists. Calling folks on the right racist doens't mean anyhting anymore because you guys are the boy who cried wolf.
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  304. @Bone spurs are contagious That isn't capitalism you are describing, that is OLGIARCY you are talking about. Oligarchy of the powerful elites who support leftist ideology. Capitalism has brough more people out of poverty than any other economic system. If there is a rise of poverty, it is not because of capitalism, but because of the destruction of capitalistic free markets.
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  305.  @bigbird4481  Because Trump is living rent free in his head.
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  306.  @psycobleach46  It is very much within the rights of the accused to call for a change of venue. It is more common than you think or care to admit.
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  307.  @seanblankenship5404  No he did not. Hamas has NEVER accepted Isarel's right to exist.
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  308.  @rickmcdonald2233  Pot meet kettle. Nobody is buying your hysteria anymore. Your ideology is like the emperor with no clothes.
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  309.  @lisal9829  Ironic that a liar calls others a liar. Mr. Gutfeld called her out, yet you blatantly ignore anything that does not affirm your myopic views.
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  310.  @michaelalston2877  Seriously? Machin has been more consistent about protecting coal miners than Sinema has been at protecting the Southern Border.
    7
  311. This situation is normal practice. When Kevin O'Leary points out that what Trump did is typical ACROSS THE PLANET, then you have lost the plot.
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  312. I look at the historic coinage. Kievan Rus coins have the trident of Ukraine. The coins of ancient Moscow have the symbol of the Golden Horde of Mongolia. That tells much.
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  313.  @sinoroman  The Finish and Swedes put that threat to bed. Joining NATO will not endanger Moldova any more than it did the Nordic countries.
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  314. Would not surprise me. And if the president/priemer of Moldova is smart, the response to those bills is "services not requested nor desired-refuse to pay".
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  315. It is interesting how the Japanese and South Koreans have become America's greatest advocates in Southeast Asia. It is something that American policy makers should NOT take for granted.
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  316. Other than tourism or seafood exports, I don't really see what industry many of these Island territories could develop.
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  317. Or you are just refusing to address the points they bring up.
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  318. "Peaceful majority"? Tell me, what has happened to the Christan populations of the Middle East? What about the Jewish congregations? Ask the Chinese Christians of Indonesia what they think about their Muslim Neighbors. Ask the Dayaks of Borneo what they think of Islam. Ask the Hindus of India how "peaceful" their Muslim neighbors are. A country doesn't go to 98% of the population being Muslim without violence being a factor.
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  319. Then refute it with rational, coherent points. Otherwise, the argument stands uncontested.
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  320.  @sharwama992  Yup, foreign men can't resist the charms of Korean women. There is a reason why Chinese Emperors and Japanese noble lords often took Korean spouses. Though their descendants would never publicly admit it (and Akahito cause quite a stir when he admitted to being related to King Muryeong of Pakeje).
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  321.  @ImLure  Wow, I think that was one of the plot threads in the "children's book" by Lois Lowry: "The Giver".
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  322. The irony is that since Ukraine is in the fight for its life, and existential crisis, corruption is viewed as helping the enemy. Where previously people could get away with it, now there is an incentive to put a stop to it.
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  323. The Baltic States know first-hand not to trust the Russian Bear (who happens to be geriatric).
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  324. GDP does not accurately reflect the health of a country. When local businesses are being bankrupted by China flooding local markets with cheap goods while the Chinese strip-mine the country is not healthy for an economy. What good is infrastructure if there are no jobs to feed your family? Infrastructure does NOT put food on the table.
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  325. You have a point. Compare the Fentanyl crisis with the Opium crisis in China which lead to the devastating Opium Wars with the UK. The parallels are startling.
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  326. That is exactly what it is. Since the UK is no longer top dog and has been replaced by the US, they still view it as sticking it to the Anglo-world.
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  327. I tend to agree. This idea that they HAVE to be under one flag and one government is an 18th century chauvinistic conceit. Let them fracture into localized governments. If San Marino, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and Andorra can all be independent nations, why can the various localities of Bosnia do the same?
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  328. Ukraine is not a strategic asset that Taiwan is. There is little upside to the US supporting Ukraine beyond grinding the Russian war machine to dust. And the benefit of that is mixed at best. Yes, it sucks for Ukraine, but it is their fight, not ours. While I am all for giving our old and soon to be expired gear to them, there is no reason for pallets of cash to be laundered by companies such as Burisma.
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  329.  @MrWhitmen1981  Stalin and the Austrian painter micromanaged battlefield decisions just like LBJ would later do in Vietnam. When did Trump ever micromanage choices made on the battlefield? He didn't. Hel let his subordinates make the call and then held them to account if they screw up.
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  330. Indeed. That is why there is a VAST difference in the caliber of LEGAL immigrant from East Asia as contrasted to "refugees" from Africa or the Middle East.
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  331.  @jaric82  Yeah, what is wrong with that? Take Japan for example. They are very resistant to naturalization of those who are not ethnically Japanese. But those Western gaijin they DO naturalize often become fluent speakers of Japanese as well as adopting distinctly Japanese names and identities as part of that naturalization process. It also helps that they have married a Japanese national so that the children will at least be part ethnic Japanese. Same situation applies to South Korea. So don't pretend that it is just an Euro-centric perspective. If anything, it is the typical and historic view on nationality.
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  332.  @dragosstanciu9866  Because it often goes hand in hand with cultural Marxism and moralistic relativism.
    6
  333.  @rizkyadiyanto7922  No you did not confirm it. You failed to provide your source claim it is a hoax which means you didn't disprove anything. Hamas themselves were boasting about it.
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  334.  @hopliteluke1452  Pushing Trudick's propaganda are we? Nobody is buying to lies.
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  335.  @dereksbooks  When the shooting starts, that will not be a problem. Keep in mind that the US-Canadian border is the longest unguarded boundary in the world. You could put the entire US and Canadian military and border patrol along it and still not stop a flow of small arms across.
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  336. Yeah, I was kind of hoping that Putin would castigate Trudick for his hypocrisy. It would have been an epic excoriation.
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  337. Which is why these cases need to be taken to court. This will happen again unless a precedent is set that the government cannot legally act until AFTER final ratification.
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  338. Indeed. This is corporate oligarchism not much different in practice than a monopoly, hence the anti-trust statutes as you point out. Interestingly, using your example, if Coke and Pepsi pull out, that in theory does let another cola company like Royal Crown to step in, but to your point, they are so much smaller that the damage is still done.
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  339. What are you talking about? The US supplied all of the Stingers, Javelins, and most of the 155mm shells. Don't fool yourself.
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  340. Ah, but the US DID act this way. Or have you forgotten that America didn't join the war in Europe until AFTER the Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor, a full 2 years AFTER the Germans and Soviets invaded Poland.
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  341.  @JohnCSmith-lp1qr  Put down the vodka Private Conscriptovch. You are so drunk you are hallucinating.
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  342. Yeah, my military service hasn't done squat for me. Can't find a steady job despite the claims that military service proves my dependability as an employee.
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  343.  @PatriotsW710  Thank you for proving you don't have a single original idea between your ears; it is all just empty space.
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  344.  @jacobleaver2450  No, they don't have the dough-boys reinforcing them, but they do have the logistical and industrial backing of the West keeping them in the fiight.
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  345.  @rogerrussell9544  Indeed. Putin is doing to Russia's Demographics what Stalin did to the USSR during WW2. Russia's current demographic collapse is a direct result of WW2's terrible toll and mirrors what happened to France's demographics as a result of WW1. Putin has doubled down on that butcher's bill.
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  346. Paul, you need to be more honest. The turn-around time between aid pledged and its delivery is anywhere from six months to a year. Look at how long it took the Challenger and Leopard tanks to get to the front lines from the point when they were promised. With that in mind, to link the fall of Advika to the current aid package is a really bad hot take. If you want to place blame on the US, it really should go to the dithering that occurred during the first year of the war when it was claimed that giving Ukraine F-16s and M1 Abrams tanks would provoke Putin. Further, being skeptical of Ukraine aid is NOT being pro-Russia. That is classic false choice dilemma typical of Soviet Propagandists. Shame on you!
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  347.  @jsanint77  Sadly, that nuance is lost on these folks. The fall for the false choice dilemma of "you are either completely in lock-step with us, or you are completely against us". TV tropes calls that black and white insanity.
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  348.  @KathleenMann-u9u  Talking about yourself? You did not make an argument, you simply engaged in an emotional outburst. Try providing a coherent rebuttal with facts, not logical fallacies like appeal to emotion.
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  349. That is the dirty little detail that the critics don't want to talk about. They will deflect and make it about anything but that.
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  350.  @truebluereef419  The price at the pump did NOT go down during the lockdowns. They flatlined. The price skyrocketed because of Barak Obiden's polices. Get better talking points.
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  351.  @XXMatt0040XX  What has changed between 2000 and now? NOTHING can justify the Pogrom of October 7th, and even the Arab world who has long been the greatest advocates of the Palestinians have grown tired of their whining.
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  352.  @shueyk2320  They didn't. They actually did make progress and inflicted massive casualties on Russia. Most of those forces fighting in Zaphoresia were redeployed to other areas including Kharkiv. But keep copeing and seething Private Conscriptovich.
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  353. Only because Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer went at him figuratively like Brutus and Cassius did Jullius. "Et tu, Brute?"
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  354.  @notusneo  They were not useless. They could have been dismantled and the cores sold to the west to be reprocessed into power plant fuel. But the West not upholding their commitment to the Budapest Memorandum when Russia stole Crimea certainly facilitated the current situation.
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  355. Despite the claims from the "experts" wars are never won in just one year. Germany occupied MORE than 20% of France in WW1. Who won that conflict?
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  356. Agreed. Perun's analysis of Russia's military production indicates that it is that legacy equipment that is sustaining this war. When it run out, Russia is up a creek without a paddle.
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  357. That is the dirty little detail that most pundits have blatantly ignored. Even during the 2023 summer offense, Ukraine rapidly changed and adapted their tactics as the situation progressed. People chastise Ukraine for failing to make gains, but they ignore the dirty details which show how Ukraine went from massed mobility attacks which were ineffective to "bit and hold" of WW1 which while slow, were far less devastating in combat losses than meat wave attacks.
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  358. Welcome to 1930s Germany.
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  359. Nuremberg Trial for Lawyers and Judges. Repeat those same proceedings here for these corrupt court officials.
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  360. Hold Nuremberg Trials for lawyers and judges.
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  361. They didn't learn anything from the Gold King Mine debacle.
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  362. The nuclear accidents in the West are overblown. Not a single person has died from Fukushima or 3 mile Island. In fact, the worst nuclear disaster in the West was the Windscale Fire. That was a graphite reactor similar to Chernobyl. Boiling Water and pressurized water reactors almost automatically cease fission reactions when the water is removed because it is the water that makes those reactions possible. In the graphite design, you remove the water and the reactions go prompt-critical(Nuclear Fizzle).
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  363. Russia cannot fight the long-term battle/war. Ukraine is. The Ukraine can slowly grind down Russian strength. While it also grinds down Ukraine's, the Ukraine has the moral and the defensive advantage to maintain their strength longer than Russia.
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  364.  @Balenza345  And what did Russia do in that same period? Get their clocks cleaned by the Chechyans way worse.
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  365. The destruction of historical buildings and monuments constitutes at minimum War Crime. Could be argued that this rises to the level of crime against humanity with how pervasive, methodical, and institutionalized the destruction is.
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  366. "To prepare for peace, arm for war" -Roman saying. "War is the continuation of politics by other means," -Carl von Clausewitz.
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  367.  @zbigbozbboy5245  Now you are being disingenuous. While the Dutch first arrived in that part of the world in 1603, their aggressive colonization didn't really become significant until about 1700. One notable conquest was of the Lanfang Republic in Borneo. And that was a private company crushing them, not the government of the Netherlands. The did not become an official part of the country until the company was nationalized in 1800. It was at that point, it became direct sovereign subjects of the Dutch. Now contrast that with the Japanese who destroyed Korean history such as the demolishing of the Gwanghwamun Gate. The Japanese tried to systematically replace Korean culture with Japanese. The Dutch were never that aggressive in pushing their culture on the locals.
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  368. And how many of those conflicts have had the USSRs hand behind the scenes? You do realize that the Korea war was instigated by Stalin? You realize that the USSR encouraged Naser to fight Israel? You realize it was the USSR who invaded Afghanistan in the 1980s? It takes two to tango. You are blatantly ignoring the aggression by the Soviet bloc.
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  369. Ask yourself why Poland, Czechia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Croatia wanted to join NATO. Nobody forced them to do that. Nobody forced Sweden and Finland to join NATO. When former members of the Warsaw Pact want to be part of the defense alliance against the Soviet-Communist bloc, you have to ask yourself why.
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  370.  @UniDocs_Mahapushpa_Cyavana  That is pure wishful thinking. NATO by providing arms to Ukraine shows that it IS willing to militarily support others against incursions and invasions. Finland and Sweden joining NATO with Austria considering it is a complete and unmitigated disaster for Russia as the frontier they now have to defend is two to three times as long as it was before the invasion.
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  371. Crimea was never Russian homeland, it was Ukrainian. Now, if those folks accepted Ukrainians sovereignty and jurisdiction, then something tells me the Ukrainians would have let them stay IF they assimilated and became citizens of Ukraine.
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  372. She was overruled as if it was a presidential override vote. Tell me again how being a lame duck constantly being overruled is somehow more responsible and mature than stepping down in protest?
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  373.  @nickngunjiri4282  Sometimes. Certainly, with both Obama and Biden "I have a Phone and a Pen". They basically act first and abuse their power as much as they can before Congress and the Courts can put a stop to it.
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  374. They knew it was coming but really could not do anything about it. Politicians and Bureaucrats made the call, ignoring the warnings of both the FAA and the DoD.
    6
  375.  @dangeroreilly2028  Yeah, he may have won the election (by changing the rules in the 11th hour), but his presidency is going down in flames faster than the Lusitania.
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  376.  Matt Peterson  You are correct, he succeeded in dividing us like nobody had before. He succeeded in rolling back 50 years of race relations. He did fundamentally change America.....for the worse.
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  377. Indeed. Rather than go with the "angry white man" shtick, the calm and almost whispering voice is much more effective.
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  378.  @grahampaterson4368  It show concern because that is the international distress signal. An upside down flag is basically an SOS.
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  379. And the leftists judges NEVER recuse themselves when they do something similar. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
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  380.  @motownbiker92  I don't know, maybe the Falklands War between the UK and Argentina? Or how about Desert Sheild/Desert Storm?
    6
  381.  @arthurvandermark5397  They already do that. With term limits the at least have to play musical chairs instead of being 20+ year incumbents.
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  382. Minisk Agreement is overblown. You seem to forget that Russia violated its promise to not violate Ukraine's territorial integrity as a condition of Ukraine's nuclear disarmament. Your blatant disregard for that shows your intellectual dishonesty.
    6
  383.  @dpelpal  You have never met an American in person have you? You are making the exact same mistakes that Trump critics made in 2016.
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  384.  @SiLoMixMaster  Who assaulted Kiev? Who sent their troops into the Donbas? It is cute that you think that the bully can pretend to be a victim. But then that is typical of ideologies. Even the Nazis claimed to be victims of the Jews despite zero evidence supporting that myth.
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  385. Not really. Vietnam, particularly the French disaster at Dien Bien Phu proved that the French Empire as an institution was finished. The others just haven't seen a need to emulate the folks in "French Indo-China". And considering their (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos) example, I don't really blame them (French Overseas) for rejecting that path.
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  386.  @jdw-616  Yeah, as Dana Louche points out, the devil can quote scripture too. You using religious text to make an argument doesn't give you the moral high ground, it just proves you have to use people's faith against them to create legitimacy for yourself. I also find it interesting that you chose to deflect into a religious argument rather than debate the merits of the original point. You have clearly lost the plot and are hijacking this threat for your own self-aggrandizement. "It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble." -Luke 17:2
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  387. Indeed. The Soviet officers who chose to de-escalate deserve all the praise for their coolness under fire and level-headed judgement of the situation. Vasily Arkhipov and Stanislav Petrov both deserve recognition for their actions in preventing a nuclear arms exchange. Yes, as an American I CAN praise Soviet Officers who acted with professionalism and honor.
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  388.  @TK199999  If it worked so well, why did almost every power except the US blatantly violate it? In particular, both the Germans and the Japanese created Heavy cruisers (Admiral Hipper, and Mogami respectively) with light cruiser guns that could be easily retrofitted with bigger ones so as to get around the limits? Then you have the fact that the Japanese absolutely lied about the true displacement of their capital ships. In particular, the true displacement of their battleships was 50% greater than what they claimed. Also, it wasn't Dolittle, it was Billy Mitchell who demonstrated the feasibility of air power over capital ships. Dolittle was the Lt. Colonel who led the Tokyo Raid from the deck of the USS Hornet. Don't try lecturing me on military history when you can't even get your basic facts correct.
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  389.  @Aksarallah  One head vs how many impaled? Yeah, i think I know who got the last laugh.
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  390. I think what you need to be considering is the difference in what constitutes wealth. Cash on hand (liquidity) or assets (property such as land, farming equipment, manufacturing machinery, etc.) Most of the super wealthy have much of it stored in assets. Maybe the thing to differentiate is that stocks and bonds be differentiated from physical assets such as property.
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  391.  @kasper2970  You seem to forget that both Germany and France heavily subsidize their industries. Without that government assistance, they would not be anywhere near as competitive with US manufacturers.
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  392. Kind of a similar thing with US Navy pilots in the Pacific. The carrier groups attached to the Akagi, Kaga, Souryuu, and Hiryuu were battle hardened fighting the Royal Navy in Southeast Asia by the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It took Coral Sea and development of tactical air combat skills such as the S-turn to pull off the victory at Midway and Santa Cruz Skies.
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  393. A meme that will forever be remembered by Ukrainians.
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  394. I agree. The best thing he could do after his term is fade into the background and only privately offer advice to political leaders when solicited. He could become Ukraine's version of George Washington.
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  395.  @Homer-OJ-Simpson  "Furniture" in this case refers to the historic and cultural items and locations. Case in point: During the Korean war, Hwasong Fortress was pulverized with even the foundation turned to gravel. Bulguksa Temple burned to the ground from shelling during the desperate Pusan Defense Line. In both cases, the Koreans were able to rebuild them to exact replicas because detailed records of their original construction were found in local archives. Had those documents been lost, then those historic sites would never have been restored.
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  396. The Greeks culturally conquered the Romans as Roman culture basically became a continuation of the Greeks after the Latins conquered the Near East. Why do i bring this up? I see Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan very easily being to the West what Greece and Greek culture was to the Roman Empire.
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  397.  @JMM33RanMA  Indeed. When I was stationed over there from 2009-2011, I came to realize that while the deepest, darkest, most desperate desire of the older population was reunification, the younger generations were much less enthusiastic about that. They perceived it as a nice idea, but one with serious difficulties that could threaten to destabilize their society and culture.
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  398. hikikomori is Japanese, nor Korean. But you are correct about the alcoholism and suicide rates. But it isn't unique to Korea as it is also seen in many other Asian cultures.
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  399. Apples to oranges. Puerto Rico has time and again been given the choice between Statehood or independence. They have always chosen to remain a territory. Same goes with American Samoa and the Northern Marianas. Now contrast those with nations like Palau and Vanuatu which WERE given independence. Or the fact that the Philippines was also emancipated (those the Japanese invasion of the Island delayed it).
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  400. Which is ironic when you consider how the US Navy built up starting with the Spanish-American War. USS Oregon (BB-3, aka McKinley's Bulldog) was purposely built on the West coast so as to encourage more shipbuilding so that it was not exclusively on the Atlantic Coast. Then there is the fact that the US defeated Japan because we were producing ships faster than the Japanese could sink them. Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese production was effectively at its maximum capacity with almost no room for expansion.
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  401.  @qjtvaddict  Cuts to education have nothing to do with that. In many states such as Indiana, 65% of the budget goes to education, and yet Indiana is NOT at the leading edge of breakthroughs. I will agree that choosing not to modernize and invest in upgrades has killed US productivity. Rather than use the extra money from profits to innovate, the CEOs, CFOs, and COOs have chosen to slim down and become "leaner and meaner" which actually is counter-productive in the defense industry.
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  402. I tend to agree with that assessment. The US has great potential to become the production powerhouse it was in WW2. But government taxation and over-regulation is hamstringing that capability.
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  403. Never actually visited the Korean DMZ have you?
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  404. Well, and it fails to consider Africa's notorious reputation for Brushwars. A large and young population can either be a blessing or a curse. If there is no significant labor market for which that population can be put to work (nominally in a free market where employers compete for the labor), it WILL engage in strife and conflict. How many child soldiers have been created since the 1960s because they were readily available to the local warlord?
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  405.  @ttemp2631  Yeah, they said the same thing in the USSR. Ronald Reagan even made a joke to Gorbachev about it. Just because the communist party CLAIMS something, doesn't make it true.
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  406.  @networkgeekstuff9090  I find myself wondering why Greenpeace is not a suspect for the Nrodstream pipe incident. They have MUCH to gain from putting it out of commission.
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  407. Kiev still stands. You claim that Ukraine lost carries no merit when the capital of Ukraine is independent of Moscow's control.
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  408. When they realized they were not breaking through as planned, the UAF very quickly changed tactics, something the media blatantly ignored. Ukraine pulled out the playbook of the WW1 Battle of Broodseinde. "Nibble and Hold" became the new plan and it HAS been more successful than its implementation in WW1.
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  409. Well, and she kept her opinions to herself, unlike Charles. The best thing he can do for the institution of the Monarchy is to keep his mouth shut and stay sequestered in Buckingham Palace as a recluse. Let his son William be "The People's Prince" and represent the crown in state functions. William has the class to emulate his grandmother and become beloved.
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  410. Yes, that would be in addition to employing what Erwin Rommel proposed (and was rejected by the German High Command) for the defense at Normandy. Hit them with subs in the channel. As the ships approach the littoral waters, bog them down in the coral and on the shoals. Then turn the beaches into an enfilading crossfire. And once they establish a foothold, engaging in a fighting retreat towards the caves and dig in like the Japanese did in WW2.
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  411. Yeah, the Ossetian insurgents make the EXACT same claims as the DNR/LNR folks. Same playbook. These guys are Astroturf.
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  412.  @ruleoftwo6174  For mainland China, that is pretty much a given, and goes without saying because it is blatantly obvious. However, CCP propaganda has a much harder time permeating the Chinese diaspora population. Given the choice, most overseas Chinese identify more with the Taiwanese and Hong Kong folks than they do mainlanders.
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  413. Debt games are always a house of cards. There is a reason why most of the world' religions consider usury a severe sin. Debt is the first link in the shackles of slavery.
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  414.  @joseraulmiguens6699  Japan didn't surrender because of Russia joining the War. It was the nukes, plain and simple. Looking at the timeline, the Emperor had already prepared the surrender speech before the Russians even started moving.
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  415.  @teacup347  The Kuril Islands ARE Japanese sovereign territory that is illegally occupied by Russia. While it may have not been tenable for them to liberate those Islands in the past 50 years, today the West would not bat an eye if Japan reasserted its sovereignty over those Islands. As for Sakhalin, if the Japanese invited the South Koreans to join them in securing that Island, things might turn out differently. By making it a joint venture between two formerly hostile nations, it would act to circumvent a number of issues. Keep in mind, the scenarios I have listed ONLY HAPPEN IF CHINA INVADES OUTER MANCHURIA. Without that precondition, only the Kuril Islands would be in contention.
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  416. History. Japan and the USSR never officially ended WW2 with a peace treaty. Russia has never officially signed a peace treaty with Japan formally ending the state of war between the two nations.
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  417.  @FlamingBasketballClub  You haven't addressed ANY the points I brought up to counter you claim. Instead, you are resorting to typical logical fallacies of someone who knows they have lost the plot. ANSWER THE POINTS I MADE TO REFUTE YOUR CLAIMS.
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  418. Just proves that much like the Oscars and Golden globes, it is the industry patting itself on the back. The foxes guard the hen house.
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  419.  @BLUEYGILA  DNA says that the "Palestinians" are indistinguishable from the Jordanians, Syrians, and Lebanese. The Aaron Y chromosome however.....
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  420.  @patrickt601  And yet that was a hallmark of their platform. One does not have to be in power to be a kingmaker.
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  421.  @charliegraham2789  Denial is not just a river in Egypt. You KNOW it is, yet you make excuses to justify the indefensible.
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  422. And that is what makes the true heroes on par with the veterans of WW2. They are not out for glory; they are there to keep their families safe from true evil.
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  423.  @rasidmantawil1052  If Russia has the capability to counter NATO tanks, then why have they not used it against the tanks Ukraine already has? The truth points to itself.
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  424.  @b12n23  Have yet to come off the production line? Then what were the tanks that drove into Bagdad in 2003? If you want to talk logistical nightmare, it is the Russians you should refer to, not the US. NATO supply lines are second to none. You are simply engaging in wishful thinking.
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  425. Yours was a "father to his men" kind of leader. Very few generals of the caliber exist today because of the toxic influence of politics.
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  426. In Korea we used to get hit by "aggressor squadron" folks who were simulating an enemy probe of our systems and personnel. Seem like they don't do them at all stateside, which is a major weakness.
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  427. Yeah, it is generally cheaper to hold onto experienced personell rather than force them out and train new people. But the higher ups don't stop to consider that. They worry so much about "stagnation" that they lose sight of the bigger picture.
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  428.  @JahNgomba-ir2zi  Yugoslavia is not the same as the Russo-Ukraine War. So right there you are making an apples to oranges false analogy. As for conflict in the Balkans, they have been fighting each other since antiquity in insurgencies and terrorism campaigns. Hell, WW1 was started by such strife. Unlike the Balkans, Europe is VERY united with regards to support for Ukraine while it was more divided over Yugoslavia.
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  429.  @tedmoss  Or they should. Sadly, most never grow out of their sophomoric period.
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  430.  @nik6759  Speak for yourself. The Muscovites are NOT the heirs of the Kievan Rus. Coins from that era make it pretty clear: the Trident in the south, and the Horse of the Golden Horde in the North on the coins of Moscow.
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  431.  @theminuskai7453  What does that have to do with any of this? Paul even pointed out that this occurred during Obama.
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  432.  @buffanderson5957  I don't disagree. The Soviets were monsters. And Putin is the heir of that legacy, having been a pupil of Yuri Andropov.
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  433. Perun looked into that question in his Russian Production video. Yes, they are building T-90 tanks, but the vast majority coming off the line and into their reserves are the T-72s. Mid-grade equipment like the T-80s and the BMP2s are becoming an extinct species. If you have an hour, he goes into great detail.
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  434. And yet he is doing the investigative journalism that the legacy media refuses to do. Legacy media has become indistinguishable from Soviet Pravda.
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  435. It was part of Ukraine in 1918. They are simply liberating occupied territory.
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  436. They should be following the rules and go through the existing channels, not sneaking in under cover of darkness like a thief in the night. There is no excuse for "jumping the line" as it were.
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  437. What kind of human being purposely engages in human smuggling and puts those people in danger in the first place?
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  438. Not surprised. The Japanese are all about "face" and the fact that he lived because of a medial exception while all of his contemporaries died in glorious combat is considered a great shame. Not his fault, but that is how their culture views it.
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  439.  @samwilliams9352  Novorussiya comes from the same fiction that fabricated the lies in "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" by Czar Nicholas II.
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  440. Don't forget the scene in "Deconstruction of the Fallen Stars" where the propagandist talks about "goodfact" as opposed to "realfact".
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  441. This will not end by Christmas. The Soviet Red Army made its greatest gains against the Wehrmacht during the winter season. Considering that Canada and Norway have been sending cold weather gear since August and the Russians are having trouble with gear for even summer operations, this has the makings of a VERY RED Christmas (aka an ass kicking Christmas).
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  442.  @TP-nv7zz  Put down the vodka comrade. Finland's ascension into NATO is effectively a done deal. Getting Hungary and Turkey's consent is but a mere formality at this point.
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  443. Put down the vodka, you are drunk.
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  444. How did the attackers during the previous Moscow terrorist attacks behave? Or how about the Belsan school bombing?
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  445. "Iran is the protagonist". This is a villain-protagonist story? Nice change of pace. PS, there WERE chemical weapons in Iraq. US Troops going into Baghdad were hit by sarin gas shells. This was well documented, but the media refused to ever report on it.
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  446. Was it a direct chain or were they simply playing a game? The Houthis are on Iran's leash.
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  447. Agreed. Appeasement NEVER WORKS. That was the lesson of Munich that people have since forgotten.
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  448.  @MN-vz8qm  You are giving France credit for the wars in which the participated with OTHER nations. Those other nations did the work. As far as demographic advantage, Germany has NEVER had it against France. Pre-ww1, France was the 4th largest nation by population. And marshal Petain (Vichy France's Fascist leader and willful collaborator with the Third Reich) got them slaughtered in a fashion very similar to what Marshal Zhukov would do on the Eastern Front.
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  449. Ukraine can cross rivers, Russians cannot. How many failed crossings of the Donesk River did the Russian's attempt and fail?
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  450. Or, only now is it actually a viable option. Before, the Russians could have outflanked the Ukrainian position while still occupying the Northwest side of the Dnipro. Now that the river acts as a natural obstruction to Russian advances in that direction, Ukraine can redeploy those forces to the Zaporizhian front.
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  451.  @Tadicuslegion78  No kidding. Ph.D. Presidents like Woodrow Wilson were complete disasters.
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  452. Putin doesn't care about Ukrainian lives. If he did, he would not be specifically targeting civilian infrastructure. Also, the butchery of Bucha proves beyond a reasonable doubt that your claims is hogwash.
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  453. In its own mind. Superpowers have blue water Navies. The Russian fleet can barely stay at sea, and the Black Sea Fleet is cowering in Rostov-on-Don.
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  454.  @dmitriyalaasniy8442  HIMARS are a precision weapon that would only leave pockmarks on the dam. This was done by demolition explosives. Unless you are telling me the Russian Army is so blind as to not see Ukrainian Frogmen place those only the Russians had access to the location to detonate such explosives.
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  455.  @Yearlinphillips  Governments printing money with nothing to back it up ala Zimbabwe and Weimar Germany is responsible for most of the inflation since 2019. THAT is easily "fact checked".
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  456. Indeed. He is blatantly ignoring how the inflation is greatly devaluing people's savings.
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  457. With the sound of the blast being recorded in Brisbane, Australia as well as in Alaska, this has to be comparable to the 1883 blast of Krakatoa.
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  458.  @20quid  That sounds like a strawman argument. Me thinks that the villages and hamlets are NOT integrated multi-ethnic communities. That argument really only applies to major cities. If San Marino, the Vatican, Andorra, Lichtenstein, and Luxemburg can be independent states, then why can't the same occur in Bosnia?
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  459. Indeed. Michael Crichton even demonstrated that the science is flimsy at best using WW2 firebombing campaigns as a frame of reference.
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  460.  @Definitelynotjewish  Because "progressive liberals" today have "moved beyond JFK", or so I was told by Hoosier Democratic Party power mongers when I tried running as a Democrat in Indiana during the 2014 primaries. And yes, the power mongers did have him take out by Lee Harvey Oswald. The FBI and CIA at that time used him as a patsy just like they did with the Garland Texas shooters.
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  461.  @Blackcat-k9e  ONE missile hit the sub, the other hit the amphibious landing ship. That lease one missile unaccounted for. And that assumes that 10 missiles were fired. Russia has a habit of exaggerating the numbers to make themselves look good. There is a word for that: Varenyo.
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  462.  @alvinhang8721  Cost benefit. Those missiles were cheaper than the ships. It is like trying to shoot down a quad-copter drone with a patriot missle.
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  463. Your "best and brightest" couldn't even find Gaza on a map. Your "Best and brightest" are creatures of pure emotion who would never survive if they actually had to live in Gaza.
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  464.  @maestro6458  Other than bargaining chips at the negotiation table. The return of Kursk Oblast for the return of Kherson and Zaphoresia Oblasts.
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  465.  @engliterra355  And pray tell, how is the Moskva going to defend your internal sea?
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  466. From the Russian side of the damn? It is so easy to poke holes into your claims.
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  467.  @TheCrazyMoparDude68  Yes Egypt lost the Gaza. But Israel also agreed to vacate Gaza for peace, which is why these calls for Palestinian Statehood are insincere as are the calls of "land for peace".
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  468. What a disgrace to ignore Hamas' own war crimes.
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  469.  @Danny451  Didn't your mother ever teach you that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all? Indecently, how would you feel if people mocked you in your time of need?
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  470. I agree. It is good to see that some Koreans are willing to bury the hatreds and wrongs of the past and treat people on their own merits and with dignity.
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  471. I served with the United State Air Force. During my time at Osan AB, Korea, we were told that the common scam with the "Juicy Girls"(typically Filipinas, but sometimes Russian or rarely Korean) is that they tell as sad sob story about sick or injured family and that they need money. I really wish that warning was shared around with everyone. I sickens me that those of us who wore the uniform are being discredited by these hacks. I would gladly do a public service announcement (in full service uniform provided the DoD gave consent) for these girls warning them to not fall for the same scams.
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  472. To be fair, India has always tried to play the neutral third-party card. But recent developments are making that position more and more untenable.
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  473.  @shafqatishan437  What do you consider as "help"? Sure, the West is giving them equipment and training, but that is the limit. Ukraine is still a Soviet Army fighting another Soviet Army. Only the Soviet-Ukraine army is being augmented by Western tech and tactics.
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  474. What a lot of these arm-chair quarter backs fail to realize is that the strength of nukes is in their deterrence factor. Once used, that effect is lost. An opponent unfazed by threat of first use against them will not stop once they have been used.
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  475. Indeed. They could have helped the US to keep the Taliban from retaking power. Instead, they turned a blind eye and did nothing. They are upset? They have only themselves to blame for driving out the folks who were protecting their rights.
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  476. Some of those frequencies happen to be the emission wavelengths of water vapor. That is significant because the signal pollution will negatively impact meteorological satellite observation and analysis. This is especially significant during nocturnal hours.
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  477.  Doc V2  Apples to oranges false analogy. Nice try. Modern Japan is NOT fascistic Imperial Japan. Most Japanese today would rather make love to Chinese (particularly Taiwanese Chinese) than war. My point was that having been on the receiving end of nuclear warfare, they who know when it is and when it is NOT appropriate to actually use them. They know firsthand the terrible cost of unleashing the power of the atom.
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  478.  @lordbread2083  Spoken like an elitist feudal lord. I got news for you: DON'T BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU. If you insult people like you just did, it is a sign of desperation.
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  479.  @mattfoley6082  "Emergencies' have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded. Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." -Fredrich Hayek. Sorry, my rights trump your feelings. Also, the Nuremburg Code is on our side with this. VOLUNTARY CONSENT is what makes this a crime against humanity.
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  480.  @im2tweaked  Surely you jest. If you think that allowing the government to kidnap your children from you is acceptable, then you have already lost. When you let the state steal your children away from you, you are no different than a slave in Antebellum Dixie. Staying peaceful at the cost of losing your children is capitulation of a different kind.
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  481.  @reliablereindeer  If Hiroshima and Nagasaki have proven anything, it is that the fears of nuclear holocaust and nuclear winter were grossly overblown. Incidentally, the US ALWAYS had the advantage over the Soviets in every area except for submarines. That was the ONLY place where they outnumbered the US. But then, their Boomers were not particularly good. The Oscar-class proves how quantity did not equal quality.
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  482. @Phileas Frogg Democracy is basically the mob. "Tyranny of the majority". And Alexnader Fraiser Tytler observed that straight democracies ALWAYS elect a dictator.
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  483.  @mattmarzula  "I was just following orders" was rejected at Nuremberg. There is an obligation to refuse UNLAWFUL orders.
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  484.  @roberthitchman5073  Not entirely true. Either the plaintiff or the defense can request a change of venue on account of not getting a fair trail because of tainted juries. It just happens that should the judge deny the motion for the defense, it becomes grounds for overturning a conviction on appeal. The defense can point to the rejection followed by conviction as evidence of bias by the court.
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  485.  zappadallure  Orange man live rent-free in your mind. Touch grass.
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  486.  @pirn3676  Sure, because the people who did vote for that monstrosity of a bill were not also bought and paid for. Cheap energy is the fuel that drives an economy. Without cheap energy, only unemployment and poverty exists. ""I do not believe that the solution to our problem is simply to elect the right people. The important thing is to establish a political climate of opinion which will make it politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right thing. Unless it is politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right thing, the right people will not do the right thing either, or if they try, they will shortly be out of office." -Milton Freidman
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  487.  @albertpeckham8708  What rock have you been under? The GOP sabotaged Trump at every turn. Why do you think they kept siding with the Democrats?
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  488. Harold clearly doesn't actually care about principle, only power. He doesn't seem to get that the attempt to enforce the gag order is what discredits the court. TO preserve the integrity of the court, the judge should either rescind it, OR send Cohen to jail for violating that same gag order.
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  489.  @DigitallySaved  Something tells me there is more to the case than what you are citing. In the case of Andrew Johnson's pardon, the SPECIFIC crime it covered was sedition and armed rebellion.
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  490.  @goldenbear8250  That is not entirely true. The Pardon was for VERY specific crimes for which Nixon was in legal jeopardy once presidential immunity expired. Ford's pardon only covered those, and nothing else.
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  491. We need term limits for ALL political offices, Federal, State, Local, and appointed.
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  492. Sweden and Finland joining NATO puts to bed your narrative. When even the historically neutral Swiss don't believe your claims, you have lost the plot.
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  493.  @garyfredrickson2301  "Ukrainian Russian speakers"? You realize the oxymoron in that? Most Ukrainians across the nation can speak Russian because of their similar linguistic roots. Kind of like how French, Spanish and Italian have a shared Latin origin. And as far as "being forced", that is a strawman because nobody is making them stay in Ukraine. The borders of Ukraine haven't changed much since the time of Ivan the Great. And you are oversimplifying the Russians. Winston Chruchill pegged them best: “I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. But perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest.” -Winston Chruchill in 1939.
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  494.  @minimax9452  No, Germany did not star "The Great War", they were dragged into it by the Austro-Hungarians. Francis Ferdinand had no business being in Sarajevo, a city where almost everyone wanted him dead. And considering the performance of the Hungarians in that war, Kaiser Wilhem should have never honored the call to arms and instead done what Italy ended up doing: stay out of it (for the most part initially). I recently read the West Point Atlas on WW1 by Brigadier Vincent J. Esposito. Very enlightening. Hindenburg's reputation is well earned; he pulled off the Tannenberg campaign flawlessly. Conversely Bulow was a complete incompetent fool who basically cost Germany the entire war with his blunders during the battle of the Marne. Kluck was shafted by Bulow's slothfulness and dithering. Crown Prince Wilhem conducted himself respectably desire never having never commanded a unit larger than a regiment.
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  495. While they are getting outflanked on the sides. Yeah, grandstand over rubble while you get surrounded. Not a wise move.
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  496. How just two Neptune missiles took out the Moskva does NOT speak well for Russian military's advanced systems.
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  497. Two flagships are already pretending to be submarines, so it may only be a matter of time.
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  498.  @michaelmazowiecki9195  And yet Putin has chosen NOT to call NATO's bluff on Article 5.
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  499. Indeed. Outer Manchuria is an easier target to take than Taiwan.
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  500. Except he was also correct on Europe overdependence on Russian energy. You underestimate the man at your own peril.
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  501. Russian nukes are more likely to detonate in the silo rather than actually launch.
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  502. Probably not a popular opinion, but Russia should be partitioned. The area west of the Urals centered on the Volga River drainage area of Russia should become "The Volga Republic". East of the Urals becomes the Republic of Irkutsk, and the Far East district becomes the Amur-Kamchatkan Republic.
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  503. If the leadership in Moldova was smart, they would refuse to pay the bills for Transnistria. "Delivery of services neither desired not requested" is justified reason in international court for refusal of payment.
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  504.  @_Mohit_Joshi  The US never considered them client or vassal states, but partners (albeit junior partners). Client state is how the Soviet Union viewed its satellites. As for superiority, why shouldn't India be the big dog in that part of the world? Why shouldn't Brazil be the 800-pound gorilla in South America? Stop using the anti-US perspective and broaden your horizions.
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  505.  @kimandre336  I think you grossly underestimate Japan and South Korea. And you badly overestimate Red China and Russian ability. The fact that Ukraine last longer than the one week even the optimists expected shows that EVERYONE horribly overestimated the Russians. The Ukraine proved to be the sleeper in Europe. And they have Poland to thank in part for that.
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  506.  @headoverheels88  Indeed. As one foreign commentator observed, not since WW2 has the US put its full effort into a war. We have ALWAYS fought with one hand tied behind our back, often using our off-hand. Most people don't realize that.
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  507.  @zilari3662  Taking your example, Japan is NOT likely to use Nukes against China unless the CCP goes nuclear first. Hence, it will be China that would be "first use". And if China uses them first, NOBODY in the world would condemn Japan for retaliating in kind.
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  508.  @mohammed44_  Yes, they killed him and about 2,000 of his retainers. He impaled no fewer than 20,000 and possibly more than 100,000. Again, you are only showing your ignorance.
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  509.  @rohitsawant5805  You are conflating assimilation with multiculturalism. The two are NOT the same. Multiculturalism rejects assimilation.
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  510. Do you even understand what goes into being a rental property owner? They are entirely responsible for facility maintenance, which is often not cheap. Roof leaks? That is the property owner's responsibility. Pipes burst? Also, property owner's responsibility. HVAC breaks down? That is also up to the property owner to fix. Renters are not obligated to pay for any of those fixes as rental costs are supposed to factor that in on the front end. There is a reason why they say being a homeowner is more of a curse than a blessing.
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  511. That is a gross over-simplification. And it shows a complete lack of understanding. Try reading about the Korean War and WHY that conflict occurred. Then look up the history of the ruling Kim Dynasty of DPRK. There are irreconcilable differences.
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  512.  @eileenmcconnell8420  What encirclements? Except for the Azov plant in Mariupol, the Russians have failed to carry out any effective entrapments; the Ukrainians have managed to evacuate before they get into trouble. Because of that, the Russians are doing brute force frontal assaults under an umbrella of artillery fire; classic 1970s Soviet military doctrine, and one that is actually very easy to evade.
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  513. And likely to make the Russian complacent as well. When the capture vehicles had parade uniforms, it was clear that the Russians expected a cakewalk. What they got was a rude awakening.
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  514.  @sharathnair642  Not Highschool drama? You clearly have not been paying attention. World leaders are nothing more that glorified drama queens. It is neo-feudalism of a different kind, with all of them strutting about like peacocks! I understand India's historical neutrality, advocating for the Third world. But I also point out that Switzerland, Austria, Finland, and Sweden have also traditionally held that neutral stance as well. And all of them have moved away from that stance because they know it is no longer a tenable situation.
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  515.  @buddy1155  Because people in power refuse to let go of that power. The US has the "seniority rules" mentality. Those two things are why you have people who have held the same office for 30 or more years.
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  516. Closer or are they simply swindling us? A smiling face makes it MUCH easier to bamboozle a mark. Make no mistake, China's government cares only about one thing: the survival of its communist party. All other factors are secondary to that.
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  517.  @thatisme3thatisme38  So did the Islamic State. Doesn't mean they are combat capable. Until the JSDF actually performs in combat, they are effectively a paper tiger. Same with Taiwan.
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  518.  @Thorsten_Wiegand  What green power are you specifically referring to? When you factor in HYDRO-electric, then yes you can get that number because the prevalence of dams to generate electricity makes up for the steep cost of solar panels and the mineral oil required to operate wind turbines. As for Nuclear, much of the cost comes from regulations as Matt pointed out. The front end may be expensive, but it very quickly makes up over time at a much faster rate due to lower overhead operational costs. Solar and Wind NEVER make up the difference over time. Only Hydro-electric is able to do that.
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  519. That is a far point. Those on the top of the heap become complacent. And complacency breeds corruption and stagnation.
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  520. Which is funny considering that the Korean War started when North Korea violated the 38th parallel. And since the Armistice, it has only been the North Koreans who have violated the DMZ to attack the south.
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  521.  @Miinecraftserver  I visited that "FINE" city once. I have no desire to visit it again. "Controlled Pandemonium" is the best description I can give it. I felt like I was walking on eggshells in that simply sneezing could get me 20 lashes with a bamboo cane. And that was in 2011.
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  522. Yeah, not much has changed since the famous article described the city as "Disneyland with the Death Penalty".
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  523.  @mohamedosama7  Nice moral relativism argument. That is a logical fallacy, BTW. Also, most Middle East oils and gas goes to East Asia, not Europe genius.
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  524.  @krasserTerror  First, Chernobyl and Fukushima are grossly overblown. The fact that the exclusion zone around Prypiat has become reclaimed by nature to the point that previously endangered species are now at populations levels not seen since prehistory speaks to the ignorance of man regarding radiation. Secondly, Man is NOT the cause of climate change. The Milankovitch cycles have a MUCH greater impact than anything man has done. The so-called science around climate change activism is as flimsy as the fears of nuclear winter. Michael Crichton debunked BOTH.
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  525. Yeah, I think preventing the people repurposing Soviet bombs into reactor fuel is kind of counter-productive and undermines the non-proliferation agenda.
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  526. I suspect they have a GREAT appreciation for the US's bill of rights, particularly the due process of the 6th amendment as well as protection from unjust searches under the 4th.
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  527. Indeed. The problem isn't the ethnic background, it is the culture of dependency and entitlement that forms around government subsidies and handouts. Stop it at its source before it festers into something much worse.
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  528.  @allthingsafrica1111  You clearly didn't watch the video in its entirety. 30% of Chinese construction projects make zero economic sense and as such are a complete waste or resources. This is even more true for their projects in Africa as that continent is NOT China.
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  529.  @mutegikimathi6258  Proof by Verbosity huh? That is not an argument, it is a logical fallacy. So is appeal to emotion, which is the entirety of your post. It is not based on fact, logic, nor reason but to pull at the very heartstrings of the gullible. Brevity is the great charm of eloquence and is a virtue in ANY debate. You are using the cultural Marxist argument of the "oppressed" which as the core of anti-colonialism is nothing more than poorly disguised racism and bigotry cut from the same mold as anti-Zionism which is nothing more than "fashionable" anti-Semitism. And your choice of words "heart of a witch" goes to show you are NOT arguing in good faith. it shows your position is not based on anything other than emotional reflex. Saying "I'll keep it to myself" after having already typed and posted it shows insincerity in your claims.
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  530.  @dudeonyoutube  "When the wise man points at the moon, the imbecil examines the finger," -Confucius. "Wisdom sounds like foolishness to the stupid" -attributed to Socrates. Guess who resembles those quotes?
    5
  531.  @SovietBelka  "Right side of history"? Where have I heard that terminology before? Oh, yeah, from the 1930s when the apologists for the Third Reich claimed they were on the right side of history. People who have to make such an argument clearly are trying to persuade themselves because they don't believe their own claims. "The lady doth protest too much, me thinks" -Queen Gertrude; Act 3 scene 2; Hamlet, by William Shakespeare.
    5
  532. It can. Soil Alkalinity can be a factor when growing crops. Not that followers of modern day Lysenkoism would care to admit that.
    5
  533.  @succatash  WRONG on ALL counts. First, NATO is a DEFENSE ALLIANCE, not an equal opportunity employment agency. Its first and foremost priority is defense, ignoring all other considerations. If diversity and inclusion takes priority over defense, you are already dead. As for the Anglo vs non-Anglo divide in NATO, you are imagining something there that confirms your preconceived notions. It wasn't US/UK and all the other members. As I said, the former Warsaw Pact members of NATO were practically in lock step with the US and the UK. It was France, who historically was always obstinate, that was the cause of most strife in NATO. Germany since unification has been something of a joke as not even the Germans take the Bundeswehr seriously. As for the "Trip Wire" policy, that was more a result of the situation and pragmatism. I can assure you that American military planners before this year wanted to station troops in forward locations. Hell, Bush got flak for wanting to put troops in Poland. Did you know that NONE of the Bridges East of the Vistula are capable of handling Abrams Tank traffic? Not even the rail bridges are capable of handling the weight. It is little details like that which made it impossible to forward deploy many NATO assets. This is a weakness known to military planners since the fall of the Iron Curtain, but they couldn't do much about it.
    5
  534.  @ROTHSTEIN01  I hope so. But I don't think the Indians have been convinced to join that fight just yet. They have their own priorities to worry about which I entirely understand. The trick is, can the West convince India that it is in their best interest to join the battle?
    5
  535. That is exactly what I was thinking. They simply shifted their revenge against the Anglo-world from the UK to the US.
    5
  536.  @junkeatng  In theory, yes that MIGHT happen. But as is often the case, the most predictable plans fall apart once contact with the enemy is made. The fatal flaw in your plan is the markets for which China would sell. If foreign companies leave, do you really think that China would be able to sell their now counterfeit goods internationally? The domestic Chinese market would be a boon for local Chinese businesses, but they would NOT be able to take advantage of the international markets.
    5
  537.  @lie01234  What kind of anti-colonialist drivel are you muttering about? Taiwan is mostly Han Chinese, just like mainland China.
    5
  538. They had applied for NATO membership before the 2008 invasion nuked it.
    5
  539.  @sababugs1125  Ossetia belongs to Georgia just like Crimea belongs to Ukraine.
    5
  540. Everyone uses people to their own advantage, even Russia. Don't kid yourself. Oh, and ask Armenia how great an alliance with Russia is. Azerbaijan begs to differ.
    5
  541. Georgia had applied for NATO ascension before Russia invaded in 2008. There has been some discussion that the separatists in South Ossetia was merely a pretext to prevent Georgia from joining NATO. Considering that playbook was followed almost exactly the same in the Donbas makes you wonder.
    5
  542. Among some of the most loyal and effective forces fighting in Ukraine. The brotherhood between the Georgians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians is something to behold.
    5
  543.  @mosh.4245  They have already commissioned a JS Kaga. And it is a carrier, despite their claims otherwise.
    4
  544. Hence why Thomas Jefferson said that banking institutions are more dangerous than standing armies.
    4
  545.  @Vaeldarg  Not really. You are looking at it from the top-down organization perspective. Most of the founders of religious movements (Zaurashtra, Jesus Christ, Father Abraham, Gautama Buddha, et al) were VERY skeptical of such to-down control. Most of them were actually critical of those who used religion to control people.
    4
  546.  @danilolabbate  Moving the goalposts (logical fallacy). China's problems have NEVER been a direct result of outside forces, it has ALWAYS been an issue of bad leadership from within. Blaming "European colonizers" is just deflecting blame and is typical of despots.
    4
  547.  @anitagorse9204  Tatarstan proves otherwise. If they could become prosperous under independence in all but name, so would Chechnya.
    4
  548. It is in no small part to the neighborhood they are in. When surrounded by people who want to "drive Israel into the sea" (the words of Grand Mufti and unrepentant Nazi, Haj Aimn Al-Husseini, chairman of the PLO) you tend to become just as hard as they are.
    4
  549. And that is pretty much how Ukraine has dealt with Russian positions: out flank them with superior mobility. Guderian would be proud.
    4
  550.  @snidecommenter7117  The fact that they started sending it in August tells you that they were planning ahead. Mad props.
    4
  551. Agreed. Which is why the defendants need to demand that their cases be heard in court. So as to set the precedent that such actions without ratification are unlawful.
    4
  552. This still needs to be investigated, and the defendants should still demand that the cases go to court so as to set a precedent that such actions taken before the act is ratified are unlawful, and that those who carry them out will still be held accountable for criminal acts taken on behalf of the government.
    4
  553. Japan didn't truly regret until after the two nukes were used against them. Not advocating for nukes on Gaza, but a similar level of devastation may be required.
    4
  554.  @brawndothethirstmutilator9848  Something tells me it won't work this time. Among other things, Israel has gotten better at the counter-propaganda game.
    4
  555. Except anti-trust laws come into play. This isn't free-market capitalism, it is corporate oligarchism, the antithesis of capitalism.
    4
  556. Actually, that is what the people he is taking to court are doing. To are accusing the wrong side.
    4
  557. Ah, but if they independently do that it is one thing. If they organize together to do that, it because a violation of anti-Trust Laws.
    4
  558.  @bil8647  No it isn't. That is corporate oligarchism, the antithesis of free-market capitalism.
    4
  559.  @richardsaunders3743  Because the leadership of "democratic socialism" have always been about power rather than the working class. Take a look at what happened to the Russian Democratic Socialist Party after 1917 when they took power.
    4
  560. Michael Crichton had a number of biting quotes regarding the wisdom of experts. In particular, he excoriates the "consensus" that said Pellagra was caused by a germ rather than nutrition deficiency.
    4
  561. Tell that to the builders of the US Navy Nuclear Reactors, particularly for the nuclear carriers.
    4
  562. I agree. The "Aryan Princess" look is so 1930s. I prefer the East Asian beauty.
    4
  563. My ancestors were proud rebels having fought with the Green Mountain Boys under Ethan Allen.
    4
  564. Yeah, the people who obsess about slavery seem to forget that the Pharaohs kept Hebrew slaves in bondage to but the Pyramids and Temple cities.
    4
  565. So you wish harm on people you disagree with? How does that make you any different from Putin?
    4
  566.  @sinergy111  If Russia can't be defeated, they why did they retreat from Kiev? Why did Kherson fall to Ukraine? Why is the most elite Russian unit, the 1st Guards Tank Army no longer exist?
    4
  567. Cope harder dude. The attrition on Russian numbers is higher than on Ukraine.
    4
  568.  @cactuslietuva  Depends on the context. If the triple amputee can still deliver a beatdown, what does that tell you about how hardcore he will make them? You can be a negative Nancy or you can look at the positive side. It is clear you don't understand the warrior ethos. Most hold their wounded and disabled in high esteem as having paid the price for the nation's badassery.
    4
  569.  @cactuslietuva  You haven't seen many US Marine Corp veteran trainers, have you? There are triple amputees who are training the next generation of Devil Dogs.
    4
  570.  @xhagast  That was exactly why the M1911 was developed as I was mentioning in my previous posts. Jihadis high as a kite on drugs don't feel bullets. Police engaging with drug crime see the same thing.
    4
  571.  @b12n23  And you don't think that those secret components can't simply be removed and shifted over to the newer tanks once they come in? Once again you show a complete ignorance of how logistics work. Already there is video of rolling tank stock from Iraq that is now in Poland. We know it is from Iraq because they still have the tan paint job for desert operations.
    4
  572. Prisoner battalions are not the most effective troops.
    4
  573.  @ASDeckard  Are you saying that Israel was unjustified in 1948? If so, you are parroting Haj Amin Al-Husseini who promised to "drive Israel into the Sea". Do keep in mind that the Grand Mufti was not only a member of the Nazi Party, but he was also the commander of the Bosnian SS who committed atrocities so bad that even Himmler wanted him prosecuted for War Crimes.
    4
  574. Politics is downstream from culture. This "controversy" goes to the heart of why Title 9 protections for biological women in sports exists.
    4
  575.  @chill_will9816  That is exactly what Ukraine is doing right now. The West should stop wagging its finger and start paying attention. Class is in session.
    4
  576.  @ukaszOzog-gk6yh  I think that is quite a stretch. Most of Russia's "super weapons" are inferior to anything in NATO's arsenal. Even China, who IS more advanced than Russia has acknowledged their inferior position despite rapidly closing the gap.
    4
  577.  13ased_American  Talking about yourself? Put down the vodka comrade, you are so drunk you are hallucinating.
    4
  578. And you are making the same blunder as US generals did in the American Civil War. Terrain is not nearly as important as destroying the army that hold it. That is the difference between the Ulysses Sam Grant strategy and the George B. McCellan strategy.
    4
  579. All valid points that really need to be looked at by NATO "planners" who have been wagging their fingers at Ukraine.
    4
  580. Just smoking accidents, of course. (and if your BS meter hasn't maxed out, it needs to be recalibrated)
    4
  581. Assuming that is what Russia is doing. But the looks of it are that Putin's "no retreat" order is actually being done, which means that such a killing zone is NOT being used by Russian forces.
    4
  582. Russia committed its best troops early on and so no longer has ANY combat power to leverage a new offensive; they are the poker equivalent of "all in". Also, Ukraine is fighting the WW1 battle of Homel, doing a slow and steady grind. That is the ONLY way you can breach trenches, which they HAVE done.
    4
  583. Seems like right now Ukraine does have the resolve to keep fighting.
    4
  584. Then explain Operation Faustschlag. That was the SECOND time Russia lost to the Kaiser's Imperial German Army.
    4
  585. Not likely. I suspect that Ukraine would NOT want to administer so much territory and opt instead for the Central Asian republics of the Russian Federation to be independent. Tuva, Yakutia, Buryat, et. al.
    4
  586.  @Dewydidit  CAPITAL POLICE LET PEOPLE IN. You have clearly not seen the released security footage disproving claims of January 6th.
    4
  587.  @bakenbeans420  Funny because the people who scream the most about fascism are themselves engaging in that very fascistic behavior. To quote the Princess Bride meme, "You Keep Using That Word, I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means".
    4
  588.  @LordEjnar  How about everything? Yes, that is hyperbolic, but he is looking at it through political lenses rather than a cold rational, and dispassionate perspective.
    4
  589. How about the dirt bad CBP officers aiding and abetting in human smuggling?
    4
  590.  @SocialLust  Wow, you had to play that card huh? Thank you for admitting that you have lost the plot.
    4
  591.  @MelissiaBlackheart  Wow, engaging in linguistics and semantics is basically tacit admitting that you know you have lost the debate. "When words lose their meaning, people lose their lives," -Confucius, author of "The Analects".
    4
  592. Funny, because a sizable portion of the US population actually agrees with them. Ask yourself why the Democrats outside of the intercity areas are horribly underwater, especially among suburbia.
    4
  593. Indeed. It was widely believed the Helicopter would make the tank obsolete. Didn't happen.
    4
  594.  @benjauron5873  The thing is, people say that helicopters would make tanks obsolete. It wasn't true then and it is not true now. Technology isn't going to make the tank go extinct, people who don't know how to use tanks properly are going to simply discredit an effective system.
    4
  595. Overton Window
    4
  596. The Soviet Union recovered from its disastrous defeats at the hands of the Wehrmacht because US supplies that were sent via the Northern Route to Murmansk. For almost 30 years after WW2, the trucks used in the yearly May Day parades were American built. Russia today does NOT have that production supply; Ukraine is who benefits from it.
    4
  597. Indeed. Better equipment has shown to be a HUGE force multiplier against Russia's greater numbers.
    4
  598. And that key detail gets overlooked. Had Zelensky fled, Kiev would have fallen that day. He stayed and that emboldened the people of Ukraine.
    4
  599. Using nukes is NOT an automatic win. Most geopolitical analysis treat it as an automatic loss for all sides. In Putin's case, he stripped the air defenses around Moscow and Petrograd, sending them to Ukraine. Using nukes now with that kind of vulnerability to a counter-strike is literally suicidal.
    4
  600. Antisemitism is not a good look.
    4
  601.  @Kay2kGer  That may have been the claim, but the "customer" on the other end isn't buying it anymore. That changes the equation.
    4
  602. Indeed. Appeasement NEVER works. It failed at Munich, it will fail here.
    4
  603. You might try Perun's channel. He focuses on defense logistics and did a few videos on War production capabilities for various nations including Russia and Ukraine.
    4
  604. Yeah, spreading 30million deaths over 500 years is easier than the same number over just 5 years during WW2. I think that context is being lost.
    4
  605.  @u2beuser714  The analogy used is sitting at a restaurant and realizing you left your credit card at home and don't have enough cash on hand. Rather than tell the management of the problem and work out a solution, the person simply keeps ordering more in the hopes that the bill is never brought out. Only, the restaurant WILL close eventually.
    4
  606.  @Nightss  At what cost? How much combat power was irrecoverably lost taking Bakhmut and Advika? Ukraine quickly adapted in Zaphoresia to minimize losses. Russia just keeps grinding forward heedless of the losses. That is called a Pyrrhic victory, which is actually a loss.
    4
  607. Have you seen how Russia treats areas it considers their territory? In capturing Sevrodonesk, they reduced it to rubble. And they have been trying to do the same to Bakmut. Scorched Earth is standard operating procedure for Russia.
    4
  608.  @Mike-ec2xi  Wrong. Japan's actions on Saipan, Guam, Okinawa, and Iwo Jima showed that starvation was NOT a viable option in any way shape or form. Typical of armchair quarterbacks, you lack any understanding of what it requires to sustain an embargo and siege on such a massive scale.
    4
  609.  @jonassunden9382  Operation Ketsu-Go proves you claim about them intending to surrender to bed. The Imperial Japanese Army had every intention of continuing the war whether the Emperor wanted the war to end or not. Ketsu-Go would have made any Allies invasion of the home Islands take at least a year if the Okinawa and Iwo Jima landings are any measure.
    4
  610.  @Taletad  That is like asking the Iranians or the Nazis to only kill half the Jews and calling it a "compromise". Don't make excuses.
    4
  611.  @Taletad  Bargain for what? Ukraine has already declared it will retake Crimea.
    4
  612. And if they get to the coast just south of Melitopol, then the HIMARS can target the Kerch bridge directly.
    4
  613. People don't seem to realize that gridlock was purposeful. The American founder had already seen what a compliant Parlaiment under King George would do when it simply rubber-stamped the King's desires.
    4
  614. You sell the Ukrainian effort short. Equpment is great, but as Afghanistan proves, it doesn't mean you automatically win. It is the Ukrainians who are actually fighting the fight.
    4
  615.  @waltergro9102  You are making a distinction WITOUT a difference. And no, it was never approved by NATO. Again, you are engaging appeasement of the Kremin. STOP ACTING LIKE NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN.
    4
  616.  @Arcaryon  yeah, she had options, but one must also consider her history with the East German Communist Youth League. Much like Putin, she saw the fall of the Eastern Soviet Bloc to be a geopolitical disaster.
    4
  617. If Pyrrhic victory is your idea of winning, I hate to see what your definition of losing is.
    4
  618. So you are saying that the Russian Army is so blind and powerless it could not stop Ukrainian Frogmen from placing demolition charges? Cope Harder dude.
    4
  619.  @dmitriyalaasniy8442  You are doing quite a bit yourself with your trolling private Conscriptovich.
    4
  620. Refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of the courts and refuse to comply with them. If there is a guilty verdict, the Governors of Republican states need to come out saying they will NOT honor ANY extradition request from the State of New York. The reason being that to do so would make them accomplices to constitutional violations of civil rights and due process.
    4
  621. Don't forget that politicians through arbitrary zoning laws have made cheap affordable housing an artificial scarcity.
    4
  622.  @gen_z_hippichikk  Where in the constitution is it the government's responsibility? BTW, most of those "price gougers" are multi-national corporations who support Democrats. Your local businesses can't afford to price gouge lest they lose their customer base. How about you pick up a book by Karl Menger, Friedrich Hayek, and Ludwig von Misses? They completely disprove every claim of Marx, Lenin, Mao, and the rest.
    4
  623. ALDI has DEI hiring practices.
    4
  624. Can't fly through volcanic ash. It literally melts glass in the engines if you do.
    4
  625.  @SelfProclaimedEmperor  Let's start calling the city by its actual name, not the one Stalin changed it to. Liberate KONIGSBERG!
    4
  626. Great analogy!
    4
  627. It is called false flag. Russia has a history of engaging in them.
    4
  628. Indeed. The fact that the bridge sections were lifted up and sideways similar to the US-90 bridge after Hurricane Katrina indicates that the explosion was UNDER the bridge, not above it.
    4
  629. The politicians may be getting fatigue, but I doubt the population is. And anyone who says that Ukraine should just cede territory has forgotten the lesson of the 1939 Munich conference.
    4
  630.  @miamianz  Let us hope they scrap them. They could end up salvaged like the Mahan Class-Destroyers, USS Downes and USS Casin were after the Pearl Harbor Attack.
    4
  631. A lot of the strife can be directed at Joseph Stalin who PURPOSLY put Azeri SSR and Armenian SSR territory within the other's area. Naxçıvan in particular was his doing.
    4
  632. Taqiyya, Tawriya, Muruna and Kitman.
    4
  633.  @mrweb2009  Funny, because the UN has also said since 1948 that Israel has a right to exist, something that the Arabs calling themselves Palestinian have refused to accept.
    4
  634. The Earth is ambivalent to us. We are but a blink of an eye to her 4 billion years of existence. Don't fool yourself into thinking we have any control over nature.
    4
  635. The Islands are simply the lip of the caldera. Think of crater lakes and you start to understand.
    4
  636. USS Harder was sunk by IJN's antisubmarine vessel CD-22. It was assisted by IJN's Patrol Boat 102 which was previously the USS Steward before being salvaged.
    4
  637.  @Nitro1000  If you think that was punishment, you have lost the context. How familiar are you with Japanese Defense Plan Ketsu-Go? How about the American Invasion Plan Downfall consisting of Olympic (Invasion of Kyushu) and Coronet (Honshu and the Kanto Plain)? Kokura was suppose to be the target of the second bomb and WOULD have been the third target had not Emperor Hirohito finally ordered his men to stand down. Even then, there were elements of the military who tried to stage a military coup d'état and dethrone the emperor to continue the war.
    4
  638. The Corona is very diffuse, which is why it can be so hot. Believe it or not, the upper layers of the Earth's own atmosphere (thermosphere and exosphere) are several million degrees, but the particles are so thin that it barely raises the temperature in the cabin of the spacecraft.
    4
  639.  @cliffordting8650  Zelesky could negotiate, but do you really think the Ukrainian people would just accept whatever terms he agrees to? The people of Ukraine have made their intentions clear. It will be up to THEM to decide what terms are acceptable. And right now, it is clear that noting less that the complete withdraw of Russian troops will satisfy them.
    4
  640.  @tomsuh1362  CCCP troll.
    4
  641. Oh, I agree. And I hope that the Ukrainian soldiers show great magnanimity (food, safe passage, etc.) towards the civilians to further drive hope the point that this conflict is against the Russian government and not its people.
    4
  642. If he is still a mover and shaker behind the scenes, playing king maker means people SHOULD listen to what he has to say. Japanese are VERY traditional, and they WILL take heed of warnings from a prior leader.
    4
  643. Japan is a VERY traditional society. Respect for elders is ingrained into them practically from birth. Abe may not be in office, but he IS a mover and shaker behind the scenes. And current leadership WILL listen to what he has to say.
    4
  644.  @lordbread2083  So because someone disagrees with you, you send them to the Gulag. Go back to Soviet Russia Comrade.
    4
  645. Serial killers often get their start by butchering neighborhood pets. How would that be any different when it comes to government? And for those of you who advocate peace at any cost, if you DON'T get violent when the government comes to kidnap your children, you deserve to have them taken away. Defense of your children IS justification for use of lethal force against agents of the state.
    4
  646. Keep in mind that serial killers often get their start butchering the neighborhood pets. With that in mind, what does that tell you about these people?
    4
  647.  @frankpaya690  So the Korean War in 1950 wasn't part of the Cold War? Vietnam was not either? You seem to be watching too many Hollyweird revisionist history. Nixon used the Sino-Soviet Split between Mao and Leonid Brezhnev along with Nikita Khrushchev in a gambit to benefit the US against the Soviets. The problem is, Red China never had any intention of being our ally. They simply wanted to replace the USSR as the patron of world communism. And they cleverly used us to succeed in that endeavor.
    4
  648.  @zahrans  Wrong. That is the myth of the "mutually assured destruction" folks who hate Regan's "Star Wars" missile defense system. JFK offered to remove those missiles (which the Soviets were NOT aware of at the time) to Khrushchev as a face-saving measure so the Soviet Priemer could go back to the Politburo and claim he walked away with a victory.
    4
  649.  @psycobleach46  You have failed to disprove anything I have said. Caveats as you have laid out is not prove of negative. And it is pretty clear that it would have been completely appropriate that change the venue, a power that even a judge can automatically invoke. But I see you still blindly trust in people who pervert the law for a living.
    4
  650. Jury nullification is within the power of the jury. I'm surprised the judge allowed it to stand. Most judges will dismiss a juror if they give even a hint of considering jury nullification.
    4
  651. So no condemnation of Hamas using human shields in flagrant violation of the Hauge and Geneva Conventions? No criticism of Hamas using schools and hospitals as ammunition dumps? Spare us your moral grandstanding. You would never last 5 minutes in his shoes.
    4
  652.  @GUSplatoon  And thank you for proving my point. The left can't meme. "The Lady doth protest too much, me thinks," -Queen Gertrude; Act 3, scene 2; Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
    4
  653.  @grahampaterson4368  Because claims that it is a sign of racism, or the like is completely divorced from reality. His wife has as 1st amendment right to free speech and her exercising that right is NOT Alito's responsibility. To claim it does is the logical fallacy of guilt by association.
    4
  654. @Jason Except, not everyone does benefit from it. The only people who do are the very 3%ers you are complaining about. Government doesn't do anything right except take money from the working class to line the pockets of the plutocrats. Government spending isn't the solution, it IS the problem.
    4
  655. I hope you chaps over in Jolly old England can get out from under your government soon. The Tories are cowards and Labour is Bolshevick. Kind of like here in the US, I fear.
    4
  656.  @ConnieA1262  Along with all of the J6 political prisoners. This pardon happy behavior is just going to make it easy for Trump to grant clemency across the board.
    4
  657. How about the rest of Congress? You act like Trump invented lying while ignoring that the elected officials you voted for lie for a living.
    4
  658. I only see term limits for the SCOTUS coming from Article V convention of the States.
    4
  659. Yeah, multimillionaires, not small dollar donations. Keep coping buddy.
    4
  660. Here is my proposal. 20-year terms staggered every four years on the mid-term cycle. Limit the court to 5 justices, and you have one SCOTUS judge pick per presidential term. I only see this getting pass via Article V Convention of the States.
    4
  661.  @Buzzillus  Tell that to the German defense industry who can't count on the German government to ever keep a contract. Ask yourself why very little kit actually gets to the Bundeswehr. Ask why foreign contracts are considered more successful than ones with the Bundeswher.
    4
  662.  @outdoorolli5754  The problem is that the money is simply a short-term band-aide over the problem, and it does not address the underlying issue of sustained and reliable delivery of funds for contracted supplies. When the German government only budgets one year at a time and defense contracting is a three-year minimum, it is a major problem to ensure consistency when the allocated funds quickly disappear if you didn't use them.
    4
  663. As he said, times have changed. Even Japan becoming more assertive is a welcome change. And BOTH countries keenly remember their imperialistic past and are reluctant to repeat it; they will use their newfound military power much more reluctantly than they did in the past.
    4
  664. Yeah, China choses to cherry pick which ones they follow and which they ignore. It is only hypocritical if you are pushing an anti-West agenda. Incidentally, Korea is not one country but two. And the two Chinese populations have been divided far longer than the Koreans have.
    4
  665. Had they been honest in the beginning about uncertainty and lack of data rather than pretend to know everything, they would have been more credible. The fact that they lie from the start is what killed their credibility and created the distrust today.
    4
  666.  @PerceivedREALITY999  "Fact checked" by whom? Verified independently by who? You can claim whatever OPINION you want, but that doesn't make it true. And considering that such reliable sources as SOVIET PRAVDA use "fact checkers", that shows how insincere you are.
    4
  667. IN two years, Russia has had ALL the advantages from numbers, to technology, to air superiority. The fact that Ukraine has fought to a draw against overwhelming disadvantage is itself a victory for Ukraine and a net loss for Russia.
    4
  668. The Russian Bear is geriatric.
    4
  669. Not really. Most Ukrainian built munitions have significantly different components than NATO equipment. That was how they could identify the missile that landed in Poland.
    4
  670. Typical of the French. They cut and run at the first sign of trouble.
    4
  671. The Brits held the line while Americans procrastinated. But as Chruchill said, America will eventually do the right thing, even if we first attempt everything else.
    4
  672.  @jonkisby4871  So the drive to Kiev was simply a feint? Nice after the fact goal post moving. When the Ukrainians captured parade uniforms from the retreating Russians, it was clear they were expecting to do a victory march through Kiev. When even the nominally neutral Indians and Swiss don't believe your story, you have lost the plot.
    4
  673. Especially when people can't tell the difference. George Orwell described people like you perfectly. Probably because he saw it firsthand during the Spanish Civil War.
    4
  674. Amen. When I was in Korea, I warned folks that visiting Hawaii or California was NOT visiting ACTUAL America. I encouraged them to visit Missouri, Indiana, Tennessee, and many other places in the Heartland rather than on the coast.
    4
  675. "Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway," -John Wayne.
    4
  676.  @willywonka4340  What was it that General Joe Stilwell said about Chaing Kai? "He is an SOB, but at least he is OUR SOB."
    4
  677. Yeah, tell that to the Allies in World War 2. Unless you would prefer to be speaking in German? Spare us your moral outrage.
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  678.  @bolsa3136  Agreed. Her actions were by design.
    4
  679.  @adrien5834  I do NOT support communism, I detest it. No, my position is that of President John K. Kennedy, a staunch anti-communist. But like a good little Grobbels propagandist, you accuse your critics of that which you yourself are guilty of. You can't win the argument on the merits so you engage in logical fallacies to confuse the subject. "When words lose their meaning, people lose their lives," -Confucius, author of "The Analects".
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  680.  @kolerick  "High income tax rates not only check consumption but discourage investment and encourage...the avoidance of taxes rather than the production of goods." -President John F. Kennedy
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  681.  @absolootely2571  Wow, completely wrong on so many levels. First, Bush's "Shock and Awe" was basically Blitzkrieg on steroids by using precision guided munitions, not "rattling the rubble" as you claim. When the Iraq's ministry building had to be hit a second time with people only 10 meters away watching, that is hardly leveling the town as you claim. Second, it is the Russians who are leveling the cities and towns in Ukraine because they failed spectacularly with their own attempt at Blitzkrieg. Because they couldn't even do enveloping maneuvers, all they can do is bulldoze forward with indiscriminate shelling. The polar opposite of "thread the needle". But I get it, your news is a steady diet of RT and Pravda, which is dictated by the Kremlin.
    4
  682. Funny because the people in the streets of Japan and South Korea tell a different story. And when you look at whom they elect to office, it speaks much about what they really believe.
    4
  683.  @Nucl3arDude  That sounds good in principle, but smacked face-first into certain cultural proclivities of East Asia. First and foremost, employees are expected to show up before their immediate supervisor and remain at work until after that supervisor leaves. In practice, that means that the junior most in a corporation is expected to arrive as much as three hours before the senior executive arrives. And will remain there as the mid level manager slowly trickle out according to rank in the company after the senior leadership leaves. The West has a radically different perspective of work hours than Koreans and Japanese do. Appearances are everything, so even if one is very productive and gets all of their work done, rather than go home early, they are expected to find something to make themselves look busy until the boss goes home.
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  684.  @JohnLee-db9zt  History is a great predictor. The problem is that too many people draw the wrong conclusions based on it. Taking Japan's example, you had MANY officers such as the entire Japanese Navy officer staff who were adamant about NOT going to war with the US. Yamamoto is often quoted about how much of a fool's errant it would be, as well as precisely how long they would have the initiative before it all came crashing down. So, to your point, while the Japanese ethno-nationalists were extreme, they were by no means the majority. They were simply the ones who held the power in a feudalist society. Japan is no longer the Feudal stratified society it was in the 1940s.
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  685.  @Kabup2  Agreed. The Indonesians have to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps because nobody outside can do it for them. The problem with Indonesia is the same as many other third world nations: plagued by corruption, borderline despotism, and internal ethnic strife. Look at their decades long war with East Timor and you understand much of what is going on in the rest of that country.
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  686.  @baronvonlimbourgh1716  You ignore the other factors that came into play during those times. First, you had the post-WW2 economic boom cause by the labor pool as well as resources no longer being sent to the war machine. Second, the culture was less frivolous and more focused on savings rather than consumption. Again, this is a result of Great Depression and War rationing. When people save, there is more productivity. Rather than just regurgitate slogans, try actually understanding the underlying principles and not pretend taxes rates occur in a vacuum.
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  687. TV Tropes page "Japan takes over the world" has a breakdown of the plight of Japanese workers today under the analysis tab. Short version is that Japan's lost decade, which the US is now replicating, resulted in zombie banking institutions, and the labor force being chronically under employed such that the sons of men who worked 40 years for the company cannot build a career because they end up changing jobs every couple of years due to a lack of steady work at those institutions.
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  688. Agreed. If they can improve their medical system and then invest in water purification and sanitation so that people can drink water straight from the tap, then tourism becomes a VERY viable option for economic diversification.
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  689.  @rizkyadiyanto7922  You are referring to a population that has been there since the 14th century invasions by the Ottomans. They didn't seem to be much of a problem after Lord Vlad Draculi of Transylvania made it clear what he thought of Islam.
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  690.  @GamerFromJump  That government may find itself toppled much like Yankovich was after both the Orange Revolution and the Euromaidan protests. The Polish people are crying foul over the elections.
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  691.  @GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket  That is a distinction without a difference. Conversion still results in living under an oppressive dictatorship.
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  692.  @Eric-jh5mp  "A fool and his money are soon parted" -proverb. There is a very good reason why wealth generally doesn't last beyond three generations. Yes, the first generation busts their butt creating it. The second generation maintains it, but don't usually expand it, while the third generation squanders it. It kind of goes to the Strauss-Howe Generational Theory, also known as the fourth turning. "Hard times make strong men, strong men make good times, good times make weak men, and weak men bring about hard times".
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  693. Never going to happen. Seriously, do you even know why the Korean War was fought 70 years ago?
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  694.  @thomaslacornette1282  But not at the expense of the mission. It is always a balancing game, one that many generals and colonels fail at.
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  695.  @eileenmcconnell8420  Generals worth their stars use the wisdom of ALL military philosophers. "War is the continuation of politics by other means," -Carl Von Clausewitz. "War cannot be avoid, merely delayed to the benefit of one side," -Clausewitz.
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  696. I know not much about Ukrainian leaders. But I do know that had Zelensky fled, Kiev would have fallen that night. His resolve rallied the people of Ukraine to their banner.
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  697. So? Making money is not a crime. Doing it fast is not a crime either. Only when done by deception and fraud makes either of those a crime. And you are hard pressed to prove that.
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  698.  Seeyou Seemee  Sidelined, or being dealt with as part of the war effort? A nation in an existential fight for its very existence cannot afford graft and corruption, so there is a powerful incentive discouraging such behaviors. The blowback from the populace making sacrifices for the war effort alone is enough to make the corrupt think twice about their actions. "We must not rely on the conscience of good men, but rather create the conditions for which bad men choose to do the right thing," -Thomas Sowell.
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  699. I tend to agree. Let the locals sort it out. No reason for Western powers to waste blood and treasure. And if the local happen to engage in butchery and genocide, well, the West should merely observe and take note of who is doing what crimes against humanity and only prosecute them AFTER the dust has settled.
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  700. Don't count your eggs before they hatch. Same thing was said about the defense of Kiev. They said the same thing about Kherson. One thing you people keep doing is grossly underestimate the Ukrainains.
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  701. And yet that fails to explain the Abraham Accords. Or the Camp David Accords that preceeded them.
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  702. More likely than not, it would simply be the Arabs allowing the Israelis to fly through their airspace, getting mid-flight refueling from American tankers in the area.
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  703.  @chingron  While I agree with your first part, do keep in mind that ALL communist parties invariably become cults of personalities. Cuba's CCCP became the part of Castro family sycophancy, North Korea's "Worker's Party" became the religion of the Kim family divinity, the Khmer Rouge became the part of Pol Pot worship, Yugoslavia's communist party became the Josef Tito fan club, et. al.
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  704. Or, it may result in warlordism much like during the famine in Somalia that led to a certain incident involving US Helicopters. The video authors blatantly ignore the history of brushwars that have plagued the continent.
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  705. "Slightly improved" isn't innovation, it is called efficiency. The Japanese in the 1970s and 80s were masters of efficiency. Hell, the fact that they modernized so quickly to become a major military player leading up to WW2 was because of that proclivity for maximizing efficiency. But improving efficiency WILL hit a physical cap. Only recently have the Japanese gone from being masters of efficiency to becoming ACTUAL innovators, particularly in the area of AI.
    4
  706.  @gebys4559  You realize that most people in the US stopped using asbestos in buildings and cars in the late 80s? And that was driven more because of private company choices rather than government. Indeed, the major reason why asbestos continued to be used was BECAUSE of government intervention. The whole banning part was basically the government telling itself not to use it. So yeah, the Nanny state has NEVER done anything correct, being the biggest aggravating factor in society's problems.
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  707.  @peadarocolmain4850  Yeah, you don't seem to understand WHY so many Koreans flee their country.
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  708. I tend to agree. It "normalized" Qatarian culture and sensibilities as mainstream, even if those "norms" would be considered civil rights abuses in Western nations.
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  709.  @deebil8099  "Everything made in China is one big joke" Fair point, I concede that to you.
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  710. Yeah, that continent hasn't always had the brightest of leadership in the last 3 centuries. I blame the rampant nepotism and in-breeding.
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  711.  @wamingo  Yeah, wisdom looks like foolishness to the stupid. As I recall, that is an ancient proverb.
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  712.  @Gleifel  The Russians are NOT monolithic as the media would have you believe. Just because he has ties to Russians doesn't mean those Russians are pro-Putin. We must encourage the dissidents, not shun them because of their heritage.
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  713.  @raze3297  Indeed. The worthiest to hold power want nothing to do with it because they know how dangerous and corrupting that power is. NOBODY CAN WEILD SAURON'S RING OF POWER.
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  714. Except, the Asian immigrant population proves that a lot of the issues regarding redlining were fixed in the 1970s and 1980s. You can't only blame the fallout from those policies for so long before it becomes clear that the problem isn't historic discrimination but simply a lack of motivation from said populations. Thomas Sowell even points out with HARD STATICAL DATA that recent African immigrants are better off than native born Black Americans. Clearly the problem isn't discriminatory policies anymore.
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  715. Yup, you hit on the big issue, namely dominance via trade. Forcing locals to drop ALL trade restrictions and tariffs so that they can flood the market and bankrupt local business does far more harm to a nation than those in power dare admit.
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  716. There is more to it than that. China obligates these countries to remove ALL trade restrictions and tariffs on goods imported from China. The result is a food into the local markets bankrupting local businesses. While the aristocracy of those Africa countries may be making bank on Chinese loans, it is the regular population who pays the interest on those loans via taxation. Just because Chinese loans are "cheaper" than loans from Europe doesn't make them better. it is the strings attached that make them a Faustian bargain.
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  717.  @mutegikimathi6258  And again you assume that all white people are responsible for the woes in the world. I got news for you, many of Africa's problems since the end of WW2 are the faults of your own people, not mine. Further, the US is NOT and never has been responsible for the bloodshed in Africa. We are NOT to blame for the wrongs of Europe. My father's father fought in WW2 against Japanese Imperialism. My mother's father fought in Korea against Communist aggression. Before that my grandsires only fought in wars on US soil. So no, your indictments of "my grandpas murderous rampages" is nothing more than racist bigotry on your part. it may play well to YOUR country's domestic consumption to distract them from the failings of YOUR governments, but that is YOUR problem, not mine.
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  718. Snow and ice being solid means they are technically dry. Hence the difference between "wet cold" (+3 C to -7C) and "dry cold" (-7C to -20C).
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  719.  @succatash  Diversity by itself is no strength. Diversity for its own sake creates divisions and strife. Eastern Europe doesn't seem to have a problem with NATO being Anglo dominated. France could have had a bigger impact on NATO had Charles de Galle not unilaterally pulled out of NATO.
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  720.  @GraniteInTheFace  And yet studies out of Israel prove otherwise. Why is it that they have managed to create a pill that replicated the beneficial effects of marijuana WITHOUT the addictive side effects? And yes, the fact that user CANNOT quit cold turkey proves it is psychologically addictive.
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  721. Yup. Case in point is North Korea.
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  722. De Jure or De Facto. De Jure they are one country. De Factor, they have been two separate countries since 1950. Hell, the Koreans have been officially divided into two countries for at least one year less than the Two Chinas.
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  723.  @fenfenwang6356  Yes, Chang Kai-Shek's supporters who were mostly Han Chinese fled to Formosa so that Taiwan is Chinese culturally. But there are TWO Chinas just like there are TWO Koreas. Hell, the Koreans have been divided for at least one year less than the Two Chinas depending on if you are measuring from the outbreak of the Korean War or its conclusion. Tell me, do you pass through customs when traveling between the mainland and Formosa? If you do, then it is pretty clear there are de facto two countries.
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  724.  @tamasgyorffy1  Western Europe doesn't like to see their populations carry weapons in times of peace either. And Australia which did have that mentality at one time has also disarmed its population. The West is ripe for conquest because their governments distrust their own people more than they distrust China.
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  725. While Trump is left of Reagan, he is the closest to Reagan that the GOP has put up for president since the Gipper. Too many Rockefeller-Romney Republican RINOs.
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  726. Thank you! Nobody wants to talk about how promotions among the flag officers are held as political leverage with the results being deleterious on the combat readiness of the force.
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  727. @Whinkle Fourth turning, also known as the Strauss-Howe Generational Theory. And I was born in 1984.
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  728.  @auggieeast  Again, back in 2006 NATO was mostly supportive on Georgia joining the alliance. Putin instigating those conflicts is what has kept Georgia out of the alliance for the foreseeable future.
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  729.  @TomaTs1  Yeah, I am familiar with Stalin's favorite tactic of relocating populations as well as drawing absurd lines on a map. Only the British in Africa could be considered more foolish.
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  730.  @TomaTs1  I never was blaming NATO. The fault lies exclusively with Putin and the Kremlin. I was simply pointing out what was going on in their minds. Playing "devil's advocate" as it were.
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  731.  @okene  Spot on. I first heard its pronunciation in the 90s when that ambassador killed someone while drunk driving. Was quite surprised that the Georgian governement allowed the local authorities in the US to prosecute him (his own government basically revoked his diplomatic immunity).
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  732.  @spookyengie735  There are a number of nations completely surrounded by another. San Marino, and Lesotho for example. Tatarstan would effectively be like them.
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  733. Diversity for its own sake is NOT a strength but a weakness. Some ideas are NOT valid and should NOT be given any legitimacy (pedos for example). Egalitarianism, not equality is the path to peace. The two are NOT the same thing. “We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people." -President John F. Kennedy [Remarks on the 20th Anniversary of the Voice of America; Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, February 26, 1962]”
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  734. Yeah, funny thing how shells and bullets manufactured in Bulgaria during 2022 ended up on the Ukrainian front lines before the end of that year. Kind of like how Finnish weapons also mysteriously disappeared only to also show up in Ukraine.
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  735. Wow, someone has been drinking so much Vodka they are now hallucinating.
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  736.  @yakovdan  Funny, because firearms safety should be the FIRST thing taught in the military. if they can't trust their soldiers to properly carry firearms, then that is a failure of IDF leadership. And I can say this with complete confidence because the US has the highest per capital gun ownership but doesn't have anywhere near the highest per capita murder rates (that dubious honor goes to Honduras). The "gun violence" problem is exclusively an issue with "gun free" cities like Chicago who ban firearms ownership.
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  737. Agreed. This was perfect example of why every Israeli should be allowed to conceal carry the Uzi they are issued during the mandatory service in the IDF.
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  738.  @bsl025  Yeah, nice red herring augments. You throw out something without even addressing the nuances in the topic you bring up.
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  739. Except that NATO's expansion was completely voluntary. The members of the Warsaw Pact didn't have a choice whether to join Soviet Russia's military bloc. While I nominally agree with your assessment, THAT particular false narrative completely demolishes any point you were trying to make. The fundamentals are sound, but the application is improper.
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  740.  @scottwillie6389  You clearly do not understand the meaning of the word "occupation". Nor do you understand Japanese politics. Sit down because adults are speaking and children like you are to be seen and not heard.
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  741. Indeed. Russia was supposed to back China militarily after Ukraine when Beijing was going to go after Taiwan/Formosa. But Russia clearly cannot deliver on that support. Then there is the issue that despite claims otherwise, Beijing still has desires for "Outer Manchuria". They are still irritated with Russia over the Treaty of Aigun and want to go back to the borders originally established under the Treaty of Nerchinsk.
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  742.  @andrea6637  Companies exist to make a profit, what you folks call "corporate greed". Record profits as you call them are more an accounting and stock value gimmick. They are looking at GROSS receipts, not NET receipts for which there is a MAJOR difference. And it IS entirely possible to report a Gross record profit while still barely breaking even. Companies don't report record profits then file for bankruptcy the following year without some account games being played by the Chief Finacial Officer.
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  743. And how are they going to do that without proper equipment? They didn't have enough fuel to storm Kiev, what makes such an ambitious plan work now?
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  744. Russia has proven that they CANNOT cross rivers. Ukraine has shown tremendous skill in amphibious operations, particularly in crossing rivers often in places where the Russians failed. Just because the Russians have their back against a river doesn't mean that the same problems apply to Ukraine. Don't forget, the Ukrainians successfully evacuated Sevrodonetsk despite having their back against a river.
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  745.  @timothygibney159  SOVIETS, not Russians. Soviet forces included Belarusians and Ukrainians. Canada and Norway have been sending winter gear to Ukraine since August in preparation for the Winter offensive. Indications are that Russian troops don't have ANY winter gear. How do you think that is going to play out? So far Marshall Mud has not hamstrung Ukraine. If that is any indication, it means General Frost will be assisting in a VERY Red Christmas (aka a butt-kicking Christmas).
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  746. The Muslims "came to help" in Iberia, and only left when they were expelled by force. And that has been typical through history.
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  747.  @hopliteluke1452  And the people who acted under its unlawful actions should still be held accountable. The cases still need to go to court so as to set the precedent that until the act is ratified, such actions are not lawful. Otherwise, this will happen all over again. And he will retract the act after 5 days, only to reissue it again after 2-3 thereby doing an end-around.
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  748. Which is why the defendants need to demand to see their cases goes to court so as to set a precedent that until the act is ratified, it has no legal power and that those who take action under that act before it is ratified WILL be held to account for unlawful actions.
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  749. "Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program -Milton Freedman.
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  750.  @pjm6939  I like the nickname a police officer in Windsor called him: Trudick.
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  751. And they need to. THe defendants should demand that the courts hear their case so that the Supreme Court is forced to rule on the legality of what just happened.
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  752.  @knowname7289  Not really. The UN 1948 partition was just and legal. It is the Arab refusal to accept Israel's right to exist that has caused this conflict to continue.
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  753. The thing is, they do have something to lose, they just don't realize it. And that realization will come too late.
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  754.  @shakeelali9418  May you experience first-hand the "justice" you find acceptable. The God of Israel has a funny way of making those who curse his people fall by their own hands.
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  755.  @GaganSingh-nx2yv  Sherman Anti-Trust law. Look it up, as this organization clearly fall under the statutes.
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  756.  @EL_Duderino68  How about you actually TRY debating him instead of resorting to ad hominin personal attacks?
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  757.  @aiaesthetics1124  Except, this isn't free-market, it is corporate oligarchism, the anthesis of free-markets.
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  758. Don't conflate corporate oligarchism with free-market capitalism. The two are NOT the same. This is oligarchism plain and simple.
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  759. Except, the Anglo-world has turned its back on English Common Law holding it in contempt. From Australia during the lockdowns, to New Zealand's hate speech laws targeted at critics of Islam to the US government engaging in lawfare to stifle political opposition, we are FAR from the standards which made English Culture the preeminent culture and justice system in the world. And the world is worse off for it.
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  760. Corporate oligarchism, which in practice is no different than a monopoly.
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  761.  @TheWaynos73  Same problem here in the US with education. Nobody disciplines in school anymore and the results speak for themselves.
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  762.  @stevenwex6797  The WHO under Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus covered up not one, but TWO cholera outbreaks in Ethiopia. And that is not the only epidemic where they were grossly negligent.
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  763.  @paulfaigl8329  "Organic farming" is what precepted the revolt in Sri Lanka against their government. Very same policies as the Netherlands is trying to do now.
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  764.  @genkiferal7178  Not ethical huh? ALL life save for plants and archaea engages in predation on other life. This may surprise you, but farm raising a species for consumption actually helps to preserve that species. Despite the claim, there are some certain nutrients and proteins the human body needs that can ONLY come from meat. Plant based substitutes for it is similar to rabbit starvation, Kwashiorkor, Beriberi, or Pellagra. But I agree with you about the power mongers in Davos trying to make one world currency they can control. This is Orwell-Huxley levels of dystopian nightmare.
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  765.  @GeoffMiell  How long does it take to build a nuclear reactor for an American Super carrier? How about the nuclear Submarines that Australia is looking to acquire? You are hyperventilating over a topic on which you have zero understanding.
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  766. If you live in a desultional fantasy. They have been whining about climate change since the 1910s. They were wrong then, and they are wrong now. All they care about is power. And you give them that power over you.
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  767.  @Kyle-gj6oc  Yes and no. Taken to the extreme, you are correct. But if you tit for tat and only go a measured degree proportional to the other side, you do NOT get to the other extreme but instead balance out somewhere in the middle. Reciprocity is how you bring things back to sanity.
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  768. There is no such thing as "peaceful divorce". As Lincoln said "it will be all of one or all of the other" in his house divided speech.
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  769.  @kets4443  How much of that is his critics making him out to be worse than he actually was? It was something of a Roman tradition to embellish the evils of predecessors whom you disagreed with. Incidentally, harsh punishment is about the only way to keep corrupt people in line. As Thomas Sowell pointed out, you have to create the conditions where evil men choose to do good rather than rely on the supposed goodness of human nature.
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  770. Hey now, Sergeant Shultz was loveable. This guy is just incompetent.
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  771. Considering the DoJ declined to go forward with any charges tells you all you need to know.
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  772. Indeed. That his critics are parroting the propaganda leaflets of the DPRK, it makes you ask what is REALLY going on?
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  773. One destroyed in a failure? How many Russian Main Battle Tanks have tossed their turrets? Cope harder.
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  774.  @provaassemblea8063  Ukraine has yet to commit their reserves. Conversely, Russia has already deployed theirs.
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  775.  @nathanhollingsworth413  You are talking about the equipment, I am talking about the tactics and strategy. The M1911 developed for fighting the Moros was standard issue until the late 90s when the DoD decided that 9mm was better. Dumb choice considering that the reasons why M1911 was because jihadis were amped up on narcotics, something that would be repeated in Afghanistan.
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  776.  @robertmaybeth3434  I think it was stopped with the sonar dome. That is actually the most expensive part of the boat. And yes, Kilo-class subs are boats, not ships. The Typhoon sub is a ship, as was the Kursk.
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  777. You are just looking at one number and not the whole picture. For example, every Mayday Parade in the USSR for 30 years after WW2 had American made trucks towing their artillery pieces.
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  778. Sergy Brin is not calling the shots, Sundar Pichai is. And he has chosen to delegate that power to political activists on the left.
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  779. I take it you watched the video by Perun about tank maintenance with his guest speaker? Though dry, the material was informative.
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  780.  @JKK_85  That is some very strong vodka you are drinking. The Soviet Red Army was in full retreat until August of 1942. That is over two years getting their clocks cleaned by the Wehrmacht. And the ONLY reason why they were stopped is because Hitler sabotaged his own forces by making the southern force pull double duty reinforcing the Central Force AFTER they had already been committed. You clearly have zero understanding of the war, instead only parroting "Great Patriotic War" textbooks from the USSR, not an objective analysis. Even West Point textbook author Brigadier Vincent j. Esposito acknowledges the competency of the German military before Hitler's ego sent the whole thing into a tailspin.
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  781. Yeah, I don't know why they don't immediately find a new position after he takes the shot. Even if you are safely across the river, the other side could still send an artillery shell or RPG in retaliation on your position. "Counter battery fire" as it were.
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  782.  @S0ulinth3machin3  There is a reason why critics of that "paper of record" call it "The New York SLIMES".
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  783. Maskirovka only works if you have a coherent plan to back it up. Russia hasn't shown the ability to quickly follow up on such confusion.
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  784.  @borreLore  Seems like some folks don't want the hear about the Molotov-Ribbentrop Alliance. My previous post talking about it was deleted.
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  785. The problem is that lots of aid gets misappropriated by Hamas or Fatah. Concrete meant to build hospitals and schools gets repurposed to build infiltration tunnels for example.
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  786.  @LasseEklof  When you use children as human shields, you are undeniably evil. Stop making excuses for Hamas. Stop blaming Israel. "When peace comes we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons. Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.” -Golda Meir.
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  787.  @jeffschroeder4805  And you don't think Hamas is doing the same? You are so quick to blame Bibi, yet you turn a blind eye to the wrongs of Hamas.
    3
  788. I think that nuance is what is finally turning opinion against the Arabs who call themselves Palestinian. For the longest time, many people in the West were ignorant of the terrorist actions of Hamas and Fatah. Only now is it being realized. And why the hyper partisans are making excuses for the brutality, more rational people are seeing the truth of the situation.
    3
  789. Right now, they could add a third rail to their existing lines in the West and central so that it is easier to run supplies from Poland.
    3
  790.  @Likeaworm  But we are not in nuclear arms exchange right now, are we?
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  791. Javelins and TOWs means infantry don't fear tanks.
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  792. I think Perun dug into that in his recent video on Russian equipment losses for 2023/2024. It is interesting how many of the T72As and T-64 are being untouched. Contrast that with how the T-62 and T-80s are quickly disappearing from the reserve parks.
    3
  793.  @michaelmoorrees3585  I was kind of thinking the same thing. Even the North Koreans don't think he is worth wasting a bullet.
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  794. Think about this: The North Koreans think he is not worth a bullet.
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  795. Before I went to South Korea, I watched an episode of "Locked Up Abroad" where a guy tried to smuggle Marijuana into Korea. Spent almost 7 years in solitary confinement (usually punishment is death). When Koreans do solitary, it means that not even the guards interact with you: they only enter your cell if you are unconscious. Your food is delivered through a slot. While there for two years, I was VERY sensitive to the fact that I was just a guest at their pleasure. This was after the two little girls were run over by a tank.
    3
  796. They realized he wasn't worth wasting a bullet.
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  797. It is also how Richard Nixon dealt with the USSR. There is something to be said about giving the impression that you are insane.
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  798. Indeed. They have been AMAZINGLY scrupulous with their munitions, making sure EVERY shot counts.
    3
  799.  @Tha3rdworldghost  I wish the peacenicks would accept the cold hard reality you have astutely pointed out. Instead, they pontificate about how enlightened they are and try to claim that we are making logical fallacies for stating what should be blatantly obvious.
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  800.  @killingmasheen  Yeah, I am hoping this next winter will not be a repeat of the nearly nine-month long Rasputisa of last winter. Ukraine got (frost) burned when the ground failed to freeze.
    3
  801. Yeah, amazing how the Pride of Moscow tucked tail and ran like cowards.
    3
  802.  @michaeldy3157  Yeah, but Soviet medicine is not the answer either. Universal healthcare is simply medical communism under a different name. There is a VERY good reason why the US is challenged only by Israel when it comes to medical breakthroughs.
    3
  803. So Winston Chruchill's quote about a Puzzle in a riddle, wrapped in an enigma was needlessly over complicated?
    3
  804. Considering that Havana Syndrome has been known for years, the timing of accusing Russia seems suspect.
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  805. Russian girls in South Korea are probably what we called a "juicy girl". Guys buy overpriced drinks for her for her time on the order of $10 worth per 10 minutes. Russian girls were "team red", Filipinas were "team brown", and the few Korean girls in the "business" were called "team yellow".
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  806. Wanger using the convicts in near suicidal combat actions reminds me of the Irish indentured servants sent to the new world. Most of the fatalities occurred in the last year of the forced labor as the people who held them literally tried to work them to death before their term of servitude ended.
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  807. I don't know about mechanized warfare in winter. What I DO know is that the Soviet Red Army made its greatest gains against the Wehrmacht during the winter campaigns. And considering that Canada and Norway have been sending cold weather gear since August, it is foolish to think that the Ukrainians will simply stay in trenches over the winter. Don't forget, there is the Battle of the Bulge where Patton's forces actually ADVANCED on German positions while everyone else fell back was during the winter as well.
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  808. The Kharkov and Kherson offensives were conducted with ZERO air superiority. It can be done, but air dominance does help.
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  809. Agreed. Fighting to a draw against a numerically superior and nominally better equipped opponent is a victory. The fact that Ukraine has made gains is gravy.
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  810. If the Ukrainians can do it, they should make a push in both areas simultaneously. They showed they could do it with the twin Kharkov and Kherson counter-offensives.
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  811. You would be surprised at the ethnic composition of Russia's Far East District. Vladivostock was originally founded by Koreans back in the first century BC and even today has a sizable population of both Chinese and Koreans. Then you have the fact that Chinese started settling the Amur valley area which they call "Outer Manchuria" back during the 9th century AD. It would later be ceded to Russia under the Treaty of Aigun in 1856 (something the Chinese greatly resent). Yakutia (known officially as Sakha Republic) is mostly a Mongolic population that has many ties not just to the Horse Nomads of the Stepps, but also to the Manchu people of northern China.
    3
  812.  @chrischuba5037  Russia can't keep up with the attrition while the West hasn't even ramped up to full production. Perun did a great video looking into Russian war production capability.
    3
  813. Why? Explain how Europe is not also responsible? It is THEIR continent, after all.
    3
  814. I am glad you are acknowledging that. Too many people are simply using this to posture and grandstand for their own political gains, knowing full well that the side they are backing domestically is about to be humiliated in November.
    3
  815.  @alka7145  Indeed. Those airframes from Denmark are about as advanced as the model gets before you start re-fitting F-22/F-35 stealth components into it.
    3
  816. There was already a 3rd intifada. This is nothing more than an Iranian back, organized terrorist invasion not much different that than Taliban.
    3
  817. You don't measure victory by ground taken but rather by the destruction of combat power. The US held lots of territory in Vietnam but still lost the war.
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  818. You said the same thing about the Kherson offensive. You were wrong then, and you are wrong now. It is absolutely possible to advance along trench lines during mud season as vehicles and armor are not as useful in trench-to-trench fighting.
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  819. How about the Moskva? What about 1st Guards Tank Army? Or 155th Naval Infantry Brigade?
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  820. I think you greatly underestimate the strategic value of Ukraine going after Melitopol. The issue has less to do with breaking through and more to do with cutting off the land bridge connecting Russia to Crimea. And if they can get to the coast of Azov via Melitopol, then the GMLRS rockets can easily reach the Kerch Bridge from there. Right now, setting up for capturing Crimea is a bigger value target than retaking Sevrodonetsk.
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  821. That would be the smart move. But considering that Russia has previously chosen to cannibalize their training units in favor of generating combat power, I suspect that they will not follow your advice. Long term, your proposal would give them better dividends.
    3
  822.  @nas4apps  Agreed. One arrogant and prideful man is the Kremin is to blame for all of the suffering. And it could end overnight if he would just recall his forces.
    3
  823.  @spudsmackenzie13  You and I are clearly reading different posts. I was responding to the OP of this thread. Op's first point about knowing your enemy is not wrong as a good solider will know the equipment and tactics of his adversary if he really wants to win. Op's 2 point about the Russian War machine being more unstable is an assessment I will also agree with. His third point about American's agreeing with Russia is completely off-base. He has zero evidence to support it, and apathy towards Russia is NOT the same as actively supporting them. To make that leap is an example of fallacious thinking predicated on what TV tropes calls "Insane Troll Logic". His contention that "MAGA traitors" are blocking is also another hyperbolic and absurd argument that is inflammatory and lacking of any evidence to support it. It is actually the talking points you would expect to hear for authoritarian apologists. His further comments about simping is yet again just bomb throwing and NOT rational, coherent discussion.
    3
  824. For taking actions to protect the state of Texas? Try reading Article 4 of the US Consituition.
    3
  825.  @MelissiaBlackheart  Tell that to the people smuggling human cargo across the border. Tell that to the federal agents aiding and abetting that criminal enterprise.
    3
  826. Indeed. The Gephard anti-air gun has seen a new lease on life. We might even see a return of the WW2 Bofors and Oerlikon!
    3
  827. There were anti-tank guns in WW2, Korea, and Vietnam. Amazing how people forget this.
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  828. Yes and no. Turns out that the Battleship is a great platform for shore bombardment. And it has the facilities to act as air traffic control so that the individual carriers can focus on launch and recovery without directing the air engagement (granted, the AWACs does that too). There is still a place for ONE battleship per carrier fleet. It becomes the big boy to engage the surface combatants that get past the pickets and try to melee the carriers.
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  829. They said that after WW2 when the Helicopter came about. it wasn't true then, and it isn't now. If people would just read Heinz Guderian's book, they would know that tanks are NEVER supposed to be part of a mass unit but rather ALWAYS in combined arms with a squad of infantry providing cover.
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  830.  @187Rajah  As if Russia and China are not engaging in imperialism today. Touch grass.
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  831.  @Handlethis342  Or you can actually look at the raw numbers, particularly the number of cross-over Democrats in the New Hampshire primary.
    3
  832.  @arwenstrong2818  Moderate or wishy-washy? Being "centrist" on principle for the sake of "balance" simply means you can be moved by the whims of the crowd and stand for nothing if the crowd is moving one way or another.
    3
  833. Overton Window.
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  834. Most of the power that comes from nukes is in the threat of using them. Once unleashed, they lose much of that power as the effect is expended. An opponent unfazed by nuclear threats will not stop once it actually is delivered.
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  835. Yeah, but his air defenses around both Moscow and Petrograd have been removed and sent to Ukraine. If he uses a nuke, he is vulnerable to a counterstrike.
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  836. That may be a hope, but it also means they sacrifice Crimea. That dam is the source for the pennesula's water supply.
    3
  837.  @TheFinalChapters  I tend to agree with you. People forget, WW2 was won in large part because of US production which vastly outstripped all of the other allies AND the Axis powers combined! Hell, for some 30 years after the war, the trucks used in the Soviet's annual May Day parade were American built!
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  838. Actually, I think you are correct that Putin thinks like Joe Stalin. The parallels are striking.
    3
  839.  @minimalistic_banhaus  That assumes they want a bargaining chip. Some people can't be reasoned with. Some people just want to watch the world burn.
    3
  840.  @afgor1088  It is. The Houthis claiming their actions are about Gaza is a non-sequitur. And goblin88 is correct in demonstrating another example of a non-sequitur.
    3
  841. China benefits most, but India also benefits greatly. I am glad to see the Indians are stepping up to the plate to fight piracy.
    3
  842.  @chrimony  If they have repaired the Antinovski Bridge then that doesn't become much of a problem once the Ukrainians drive Russian Artillery out of range of the bridge.
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  843. @tekinfomedi Make excuses all you want. Stalin was signaling to Hitler for YEARS that he wanted Polan annihilated. The signed treaty was simply formalization of the already agreed on premise.
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  844.  @shueyk2320  While inflicting unsustainable casualties on the Russians. Ukraine is playing the long game.
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  845. NovoRussiya speech proves you wrong.
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  846. GDP includes governemnt spending. When military spending is more than 50% of your GDP like it is for North Korea (and now Russia), that isn't growth, that is simply a reflection of government increases in spending.
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  847.  @ChavezBlueHair  IN six months? I seriously doubt that. It took decades to rebuild Stalingrad after the famous battle.
    3
  848.  @randalsaladbar  False piety won't get you any grace. But then you don't actually believe do you?
    3
  849.  @neyte7313  There was already a precedent with LBJ stepping down.
    3
  850.  @nomanor7987  Maybe, but the casualties to Russia are far higher. Ukraine has the fortune that most of their "losses" are recoverable meaning that the injured can return to the fight a few days later.
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  851. How fast can Russia produce weapons? Most of what they are resupplying with is old Soviet leftovers.
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  852.  @jamesng7320  First, the land is called JUDEA, not Palestine. The British simply used the name the Romans made up to erase Jewish history after the Revolt of 71 AD. As for the US, what did the natives actually do with the land? Cahokia was the high-water mark for North America's indigenous population.
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  853. That is why brinksmanship is a much better model of human behavior than its critics care to admit.
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  854.  @kartikeyatiwari2502  Rather well, actually. Russia has FAILED to dislodge the UAF.
    3
  855.  @PunmasterSTP  Agreed. Choppiness was hardly noticeable. Only after he pointed it out did I notice on second watch through.
    3
  856.  @tastethecock5203  In this case it is. Russia has been wasting valuable precision weapons on civilian targets. This simply matches that short-sighted thinking.
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  857.  @Rin-qj7zt  That is my guess as well. He had most of the slides prepared and ready with blanks to fill in with the specific details.
    3
  858. Ah, but there was no trail, it was summary judgement. Which means the judge can decree without actually hearing any of the merits. The whole case violated his right to due process. Specifically, the right to call witnesses and face your accuser under the 6th amendment.
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  859. He can be in court for no crime if the process IS the punishment. This is how the Germans conducted law in the 1930s.
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  860. What crime? Paying hush money is not a crime as even the judge acknolwedge that.
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  861. Gold King Mine 2.0
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  862. They are having their Marie Antoniette "let them eat cake" moment.
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  863. My grandparents were kids in the Great Depression and I find myself still using their life lessons. Such as taking leftovers home from the Restaurant and not letting ANY food go to waste.
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  864.  @MadKitty10  Yeah, too bad Youtube/Google doesn't like me comparing MSNBC to her.
    3
  865.  @clobar70  They just say "killing women and children" without stating specific examples. They also ignore how Hamas and Fatah regularly use them as human shields.
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  866. Johnson is cut from the same cloth as John Boehner, Paul Ryan, and Kevin McCarthy.
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  867. And he will be America's Nelson Mandela. The black community is already calling him that.
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  868. 9/11/2001
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  869. "Figures don't like, but Liars figure," -Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. Perfectly describes this guy.
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  870. We are experiencing Guatemala's economy in the 1980s.
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  871. Indeed. They love to point at the two major accidents in the West: Fukushima and 3 Mile Island while ignoring the fact that the safety systems in both work EXACTLY as designed an there is not a single fatality connected with those two incidents.
    3
  872.  @fredjohnson9833  Expanding is in effect a variation of the struggle to survive. The whole reason for the age of discovery and the colonization of the New World was because over-population in Europe created fierce competition for limited resources. By moving to the new world, people could compete not against connections and pedigree (basically against their fellow man), but against nature itself which was a much easier challenge. I don't disagree that competition is a good thing, but the problem both then in 17th century Europe as today is that the power mongers at the top have decreed that it is a zero-sum game and forced artificial scarcity and limits. Rather than let things play out, they try to game the system to keep themselves at the top while crushing everyone else, stifling their ability to survive. That will occur regardless of technology.
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  873. Nitrogen in the soil isn't pollution, it actually enhances it. There is a reason why farmers alternate with Alfalfa; the nodes in the plant's roots have nitrogen fixing bacteria that prevent soil depletion.
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  874. They also don't seem to realize that nitrogen in the soil is what makes plant growth possible. Farmers will sometimes alternate with Alfalfa to restore the nitrogen in the soil and prevent depletion which would make the soil barren. Yet another example of city urbane elites not understanding basic botany, and why they should never be dictating to farmers.
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  875.  @lastsong7159  I think you are conflating your terms. The saying is "best defense is a good offense". What I think you are trying to say is General James Longstreet advocated: "strategic offense, TACTICAL defense". He very much agreed with you that you pick the location to fight and prepare a strong defensive position then lure the enemy to that strongpoint and force them to shatter themselves against it.
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  876.  @Sphere723  And you really believe that Japan is sustainable? Between their aging population and the shrinking workforce, they are living on borrowed time. They are a debt bomb waiting to go off just like Detroit. And that doesn't even begin to discuss the issues that made that debt so bad, namely their "lost decade". As for Afghanistan, until the fall of Kabul, most Western countries were willing to take a risk on loaning to them, but now those debt contractors have had to write off those loans as losses, which artificially lowers the debt to GDP ratio. Also, your numbers don't take into consideration the collapse of the Afghan economy under the Taliban and how far it has contracted. Your example is fundamentally flawed. But I get that a partisan would use false analogies and poor analysis to justify their agenda.
    3
  877. "Redistribution of wealth from the top to the bottom"? Didn't they do that in the old Soviet Union? How did that work out?
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  878. Indeed. Water moderated reactors are among the safest in the world because when the water is removed, the reactions STOP. It is literally a fail-safe, rather than a fail-criticality situation with graphite reactors.
    3
  879. Yes, the good times created by the "Greatest generation" have created soft cowards in the Boomer Generation. And the Millennials have taken that lazy entitlement even further.
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  880.  @logixxt9097  Considering most of the Serbs are in Republika Srpska, it seems to be the difference between then and now is that then the Serbs wanted to control ALL of Bosnia, but now they just want to take what they do have and go their own way. LET THEM. The Croats and Bosnian Muslims don't need them. With that context, no, it is NOT the same and my proposal is NOT what they were doing genocide for.
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  881.  @coreyrussellgaming6330  I am in total agreement. Deterrence is much more effective than empty promise of peace. "Si vis pacem, para bellum; If you want to have peace, arm for war" -Roman saying.
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  882. Those advocating for abolishment never learned why the Washington Naval Treaty failed. Same philosophies.
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  883. Washington Naval Treaty tried to do that with Battleships and Cruisers. The fact that it failed to prevent WW2 as its advocates claimed proves the folly of such thinking.
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  884. Oppenheimer basically said as much. If it wasn't him, someone else would have made the breakthrough and once out, there was no putting it back in the bottle.
    3
  885. No, not related. Humans do NOT have the power to trigger volcanic eruptions. That is pure hubris to think we do.
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  886. It is pure hubris to think we can contain or control her. "History shows again and again how nature points up the folly of man Godzilla!" -Blue Oyster Cult.
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  887.  @deistormmods  I claim no credit, I simply rely on the wisdom of that great Democrat leader. And he leaned on the wisdom of Tommy Jefferson. Jim Webb in 2016 could have been the next coming of JFK but the party conspired to have him squelched.
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  888. It has only been a month and a half. The Normandy Campaign in WW2 was 5 months. Blitzkreig is an aberration, not the norm.
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  889. Tora! Tora! Tora! is so much better than that garbage movie.
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  890. The Azeris are mostly Muslim. The Armenian genocide was perpetrated by the Young Turks who were Islamo-nationalists. Hence the deeps distrust.
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  891. Nice apples to oranges false analogy.
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  892. Well, don't forget that Canada and Norway have been sending cold weather gear since August. The Russians are not even properly equipped with summer combat gear.
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  893.  @aceman0000099  Actually, Kaiser Germany defeated Russia during the winter in Operation Faustschlag.
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  894. That is a total Operation Mincemeat move. I approve!
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  895. Indeed. Japan's Fu-Go balloon bomb from WW2 has been proven as a viable weapon by the Chinese.
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  896. Then why the gondola the size of three city buses?
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  897. Weather balloons don't usually have gondolas the size of three city busses.
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  898.  @alexnik1181  That is hyperbolae. Yes, Ukraine is taking lots of prisoners, but there is no need to make absurdist claims.
    3
  899. Put down the vodka Russia bot.
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  900. From the Russian side of the river?
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  901.  @borgri9125  I agree. Take the restrictions off the weapons and allow Ukraine to target military facilities on Russian soil.
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  902. Standard procedure. Look at how they acted in Grozny.
    3
  903. Imagine putting bombs on a balloon and sending it towards the US. Oh, wait, the Japanese did just that starting a number of forest fires during WW2.
    3
  904.  @Danny451  Funny, because the great futurists Arthur C. Clarke, Issaac Asimov, Carl Sagan, and Michael Crichton were men of faith, but unlike you, they were not setting out to either prove or disprove the existence of an almighty. They knew how to partition out matters of faith from temporal affairs. Something you can't seem to achieve. "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," -Arthur C. Clarke "Any sufficiently advanced extraterrestrial intelligence is indistinguishable from God," -Michael Shermer
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  905.  @Danny451  No, you are trolling. There is a difference.
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  906.  @lemarcoX  The Iran nuclear "deal" is a joke: Iran has already violated it and it was never actually ratified by the US Congress. In effect, the US will not do anything if India arms Taiwan with nukes.
    3
  907. Make no mistake, this is a Soviet-Ukrainian Army fighting a Soviet-Russian Army. Only, the Ukrainian Soviet Army is being augmented by NATO technology and tactics.
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  908.  @pfroudzdo  Dude, you don't remember the Russian theft of South Ossetia from Georgia, do you? This war is exactly the same, with the EXACT same false pretexts.
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  909. The problem with this guy is that he would gladly silence new reporters such as WION.
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  910. I love how people lecture Americans on gun ownership while conveniently ignoring that place where gun ownership is unlawful, STABBINGS are five time higher. The problem isn't the weapon, it is the people. You can use human hair to kill someone via strangulation. The hands can be a deadly weapon.
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  911.  @svanimation8969  Yeah, how did that come about? Was it because Russia deported most of the ethnic Ukrainians? Joseph Stalin, Putin's hero was well known for doing that. Take Konigsberg, for example. That was a GERMAN city before Stalin changed it to Kaliningrad.
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  912. Indeed. Ukraine has stated for years they didn't want the bridge across the Kerch Strait because it would block shipping to the ports on the Sea of Azov. Make no mistake, that bridge Putin cherishes so much is right in their crosshairs; this was practice for taking out that bridge.
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  913.  Janitor Queen  First, you got things bass ackwards. it is the Liberal-Progressive Democrats that run roughshod over the Republicans. And the Republicans establishment let them because most of them are neocons who agree with the liberal agenda! Yes, most Americans are ignorant of other countries and systems of government. But that does NOT mean the Parliamentary system is better. The American system is loosely based on the Roman Republic and the Greek City-States rather than straight democracy. The biggest problem with most European multi-party parliamentarism is the lack of stability and the rampant bureaucracy. Why should the functionaries of government worry about getting fired when their boss changes in less than a year? That encourages the decay phase of the cycle of Empires. While MOST ELECTED OFFICALS in US government behave exactly as you say, there are a FEW rare statemen like Jim Webb of Viriginia who DID step down from power. Now you can claim he only waited to the end of his term, but choosing to not run for guaranteed reelection is the same as resigning. And if the US has been a joke to you for 40 years, it is because we no longer have the existential threat of the Soviet Union to keep us focused and unified. Again, looking at the Cycle of Empires, with the loss of the USSR, the United States transitioned from the Stabilization phase to the Decay phase with the election of weak leaders like the Bushes and the Clintons, a neo-feudalist psudo-monarchist oligarchy. And with Joe Bite-Me, who favors YOUR political persuasion, we have entered the Long Night Phase. Time will only tell if we emerge at the dawn's early light reinvigorated or finished off.
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  914. Wuhan Virus Hysteria is a purely human caused situation. The Volcano is uncontrollable nature.
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  915. Why must Taiwan be reintegrated? Historically the Chinese Emperors couldn't be bothered with it. When Qing Dynasty finally took notice, they only occupied the Western half and ignored the mountainous Eastern half. It was Japan that united the Island under one governance.
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  916. Deportation of Taiwanese to Mainland China is awful! Rather, Chinese mainlanders deported should be sent to Taiwan. If countries like Thailand send North Korean defectors to South Korea, why can't they do the same with regards to China and Taiwan?
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  917. At this point, I would rather watch a Bollywood movie than anything that comes out of Hollyweird.
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  918. Smart people know you do NOT kill the golden goose. China's communist leadership are not smart people. They are narcissists who think the rules don't apply to them.
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  919. Cold but true. America's Flag officers are all oath breakers and traitors.
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  920.  @lordbread2083  Not so much as Obama did. Telling his political opponents to move to the back of the bus ala Rosa Parks? Yeah, get your head out of your rear.
    3
  921.  @PapaWooody  Ukraine is a direct result of his blunder in Afghanistan. As Bin Laden said, the world respects a strong horse.
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  922.  @TrumpRapedJeanCarrol  The left says "no justice no peace". When the right agrees with them, what do you THINK will happen next?
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  923. The fools calling for peace at any cost have to realize that you MUST use lethal force if the government comes to kidnap your children. If you don't, then you are tacitly accepting that you are a slave to be exploited by the state.
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  924. Anyone who does NOT use lethal force to defend their child from kidnapping by the state deserves to have them taken away. Protecting your family from state sanctioned kidnapping IS justified use of force in almost every culture.
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  925.  @sherylpayne5851  Indeed. I am reminded of the words of Werner Klemperer's character Emil Hahn in the 1961 Movie "Judgement at Nuremberg. "Today you judge me, tomorrow the Bolsheviks judge you!" I think the Bolsheviks in power need to take heed that those words will apply to them.
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  926. @Bone spurs are contagious Numbers game. If those stimulus checks were as good as you claim, then the Bush stimulus checks should have also done the same. All those checks did was give an advancement on your payday. They will actually cost more in the long term from inflation and debt interest. Try reading Bastiat, Hayek, and Menger instead of Keynes or Marx. Government never creates anything. Government is legalized theft.
    3
  927. I completely agree. This "qualified immunity" for judges and prosecutors simply because they are government officials needs to go away.
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  928. Agreed. This is just as wrong as what the Lincoln administration did in Lee vs. United States (1883).
    3
  929. She is also unwilling to call out the ACA for what it is: Soviet Style medicine she grew up under.
    3
  930.  @psycobleach46  Uncommon doesn't mean it doesn't happen as you are trying to claim. Nice job moving the goal posts. That is a logical fallacy, by the way.
    3
  931.  @GentlemanJack705  You really think they wanted to be a part of the Abraham accords? Dose "drive Israel into the sea" mean anything to you? That is in Hamas' charter.
    3
  932. Orange man lives rent free in your head.
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  933. Because he is a threat to their indoctrination and grooming.
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  934. Same with my mother. And why she despised her union.
    3
  935.  @voixdelaraison593  Funny how when judges like Kagan, Sotomayor, and the rest are asked to recuse themselves, THEY NEVER DO. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
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  936.  @justineld4905  Don't forget, in the absence of a fatherly role model in the house, young males look to find a replacement. BLM encourages this by directing those young boys towards criminals. Gangs in effect fill the vacuum that fatherless homes create.
    3
  937. Lee vs. United States (1883) says what she is doing is unconstitutional.
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  938. I want SCOTUS term limits, but not in the way Joe Bite-Me wants it. I would shrink the court down to just five justices and have them serve staggered 20-year terms with appointments done during the mid-term cycle. 5 justices staggered over 4 years comes out to 20-year cycle.
    3
  939.  @notoriousbig3k  How? Did not the early Germans identify themselves as Teutonic? And are not the people of Eastern Europe generally Slavic, the Poles being in their own distinct group? Those terms are not racist, merely descriptors those people have used to identify themselves.
    3
  940.  @k.k.8394  I tend to agree. Gorbachev and Yeltsin (though they disliked each other) were the cooler heads that allowed the peace of the 90s. They were better leaders than Yuri Andropov or Leonid Brezhnev.
    3
  941.  @notastone4832  You keep telling yourself that. Ther performance of the Ukrainians tells a different story. Oh, and what you claim will happens sounds suspiciously like the Molotov-Ribbentrop agreement over the fate of Poland. History has shown what happens to agreements like. I doubt the Poles will be that foolish.
    3
  942. Agreed. Are the French willing to give Putin Paris or the Ardennes? Are the Germans willing to part with Kiel or Bremerhaven? Are the Dutch willing to give Putin Rotterdam? Are the Italians willing to give him Sardina or Sicily? If not, they need to shut up because they are making the same blunder as Nevil Chamberlain at the Munich Conference. "Peace in our time" was his words.
    3
  943. When was the last time NATO invaded a former Soviet Republic? Never? Then sit down and let the adults talk.
    3
  944. Indeed. Conflict in the Pacific needs to be viewed with the history of WW2 Pacific Campaign. The US with Warplan Orange expected to steam all the way across the Pacific and wanted to establish forward positions (Truk for example). Many of the same basic assumptions are still true today despite the increase in range and precision of weapons.
    3
  945. Yeah, but one has to remember that the UN resolution was signed by Chang-Kai Shek's Kuomintang government when Taiwan still held the official seat on the UN security council. Nixon and Kissinger in Beijing changes all of that.
    3
  946. How is Ukraine facing annihilation when they are infliction 7 to 1 casualties on the Russians?
    3
  947.  @dalecrocker3213  Don't conflate OPINIONS with facts. Facts don't care about your feelings. "Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” ― John Adams
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  948. The same thing was said in 2016. Guess what happened next.
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  949. If your claim is true, then why did the citizens of Kiev welcome the Russians with Molotov Cocktails instead of flower garlands?
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  950. The Russian Bear is geriatric!
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  951.  @robertscott961  Don't conflate fog of war with lying. Or Maskirovka for that matter, which IS lying.
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  952. Kiev still stands after one year. 1st Guards Tank Army and the 155th Naval Infantry, both the pride of Russia are no more.
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  953. Tell that to Mr. Chappaquiddick.
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  954. Marxism glorifies MAN. Christianity glorifies an almighty deity. Christianity looks at the flawed and imperfect nature of man. Marxism is predicated on the idea that man is perfect and without flaw. So, with just those two points, can you really claim that they are the same.
    3
  955. Shows how out of touch you are with the American electorate.
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  956. He never had you in the first place, so what are you complaining about except to grandstand and clout chase?
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  957.  @روسلان-ق3ض  Not exactly. Just becuase you refuse to pay the bills for moochers and leaches doesn't mean you relequish the territory. You are rationalizing squatting. Most people reject the idea of squatter rights.
    3
  958.  @prometheusjackson8787  Then why did Kiev not fall? Why are the Russians in full retreat from Kharkiv? You want to talk about Live-action Roleplaying? (what larping actually means since NPCs like you don't actually know) You are taking quite a huge dose of copium.
    3
  959. Agreed. China plans for 100 years. That is what Confucius, Author of "The Analects" pointed out in his famous quote.
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  960.  @theoutlook55  I think you are mistaken on both accounts. The US Navy builds nuclear reactor cores with great regularity. The technology has become cheaper over time. Most of the costs today are REGULATORY rather than technological. As for nuclear waste, we DID have a place to put it: Yucca Mountain Nuclear Repository. It was slated to open in 1996 until Dingy Harry Reid and Dan Coats killed it. Trump tried to reopen it but was stymied by Congress. Indeed, Japan would have paid the US to store its waste in the 90s, and had Congress not killed it, Fukushima would NOT have been as bad as it was. So in short, while I applaud your openness to nuclear power, I hope that your eyes also are opened to the myths and lies surrounding nuclear power today. It is those myths that do more harm than the reactors and the waste itself.
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  961. "War is good for business," -Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #34.
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  962.  @sa34w  What is your point other than to show you are throwing a temper tantrum? JFK and Art Laffer have time and again proven that low taxes increase productivity while high taxes stifle it.
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  963.  @felix0749  I think the French love of dictatorship stems from both Napoleon as well as Charles DeGaulle. Both men were charismatic leaders that convinced the French population that a "benevolent dictatorship" was in their best interest. Those of English heritage understood quite well the dangers of despotism, even if it was a "kinder, gentler" one.
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  964.  @joaquimdantas63  Thomas Sowell makes that rather nuanced argument, contrasting the former English colonies with those that were colonized by other nations as well as those that were never colonized at all. Makes for an interesting read/watch.
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  965.  @badluck5647  Japan, Germany, and Italy are not the same countries as they were 80 years ago. Japan is very liberalized, Germany is effectively neutered, and Italy, well, is just Italy without Mussolini.
    3
  966.  @plendafuture7451  As John F. Kennedy pointed out, the Chinese brushstroke for "crisis" consists of two parts: Dagner + opportunity.
    3
  967. Seems like Maduro is channeling Saddam Hussein, claiming Guyana in much the same way Saddam claimed Kuwait was a province of Iraq.
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  968. Saddam tried this in the early 90s when he claimed Kuwait was a province of Iraq. How did that work out?
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  969. And what is to say that the oligarchs in charge of maintaining his nukes didn't do the same? The Moskva and Admiral Kuznetsov makes me question the readiness of Russian nuclear weapons (Bent Spear/Dull Sword).
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  970. Indeed. Loose nukes in the hands of a rouge actor is a far more terrifying threat than a hundred thousand nukes in the arsenal of a military.
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  971. And that assumes that they don't detonate in the silo like they did on K-129 instead of launch as they are supposed to do. The issues regarding the Admiral Kuznetsov and Moskva casts serious doubt on the competency of the Russian Nuclear Forces.
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  972. They worked on Japan because they were new and provided a capability nobody else enjoyed. That is not the case now.
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  973. The nuclear control treaties are no different than the Washington Naval treaty attempting to limit the number of battleships. And the Washington Naval treaty failed spectacularly in attempting to prevent WW2.
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  974. The point isn't to stop it completely, but to make it onerous and burdensome. When the cost of your favorite soda doubles, that becomes quite noticeable.
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  975.  @ArchonLicht  Government takes from the private sector, then resells it? Think about what you just said. Oh, and Zimbabwe did just that under Mugabe. How did that work out?
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  976. LOL! Seriously though, South Korea is indeed dominated by the Chaebols. Those thirteen families are the real power behind the throne.
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  977.  @jolp9799  I guess you need context, huh? Ming Dynasty China often demanded tribute from Choseon Dynasty, with the most beautiful noblewomen of Korea being part of the demanded treasure. It was not uncommon for one of those women to give birth to the emperor's heir to the throne. Then you have Japan's numerous invasions of the Pennesula. Every time, the Samurai would carry off Korean women to be their concubines or just as often, their full status wives. This was well documented in the Imjin War. Then there is the issue that one King Muryeong of Pakeje originally grew up and lived in Japan before taking the throne as 25th monarch. One of his daughters later married into the Japanese royal family.
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  978. Indeed, on all points. Shalom and blessings on you, my brother from the lands of Judea.
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  979. Yeah, I kind of got that vibe as well.
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  980. @Kam I agree with you on both of those points. If America was as bad as people claimed, why are they willing to die to get here? And you explained the why perfectly. I also agree with you about the socialism part. Nikia Khruschev warned us that we would be subverted from within. That warning was ignored, particularly by the advocates of capitalism and free markets who for one reason or another are unable to articulate why socialism ALWAYS fails spectacularly. "The great problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money," -Maggie Thatcher, UK's "Iron Lady".
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  981.  @schadelharry4048  I will agree with that. You described exactly what Thomas Jefferson warned when he said banking institutions were more dangerous than standing armies. These speculators who extract wealth from the system without contributing anything of value into it. And Warren Buffet is the classic example. Not surprising when he is following in the same game that Alex Hamilton and Henry Knox did which lead up to Shay's Rebellion. And again, which lead to the Whiskey Rebellion. Same players, same problems, no accountability.
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  982.  @lostbutfreesoul  Part of the problem is that for almost a century the US department of the Interior forbade ANY burning in California, including the seasonal ones that use to occur every year. This resulted in the tinderbox situation that they are experiencing now. It took the Sequoias and Redwoods not producing a single new tree for decades to open people's eyes to the necessity of regular burns.
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  983. So what is the alternative? So long as oil is traded in USD, you are never going to get rid of it as the fiat world currency.
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  984. Yeah, that is not how it works. NOBODY is allowed to leave the "Korean Worker's Paradise".
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  985. I will agree that the population levels may be self-correcting. But I disagree about the population not meant to be this big. We have NOT even gotten close to what the environment can actually sustain. Advances in technology keep marching on. We have gotten nowhere close to maximum food production.
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  986.  @akshayganesh4144  Except, assimilation is NOT occurring in Europe. Take a look at the Muslim refugees in Nordic countries. Or France and its Harams (Islamic no-go zones).
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  987.  @zjeee  Agreed. The Ukraine has been a real sleeper who has exceeded the expectations of everyone. And their performance in counter-battery operations against Russia's artillery fire is wildly effective, getting the most impact for every round they fire off.
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  988. He was likely quoting Sun Tzu or Carl von Clausewitz, but the point is still spot on. Too many generals try fighting the last war with what they want, not the current war with what they have.
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  989.  @tacticalcenter8658  Says the person who is in denial of reality. Seriously, you are not a very sophisticated propagandist.
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  990.  @tacticalcenter8658  Says the obvious troll. Pot meet kettle.
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  991.  @charlesmoss8119  I tend to agree. After his term is over, he should fade into the background and only offer advice privately to politicians and leaders who specifically solicit it. Become the George Washington of modern Ukraine.
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  992. Wow, someone needs to calm the hell down. Every nation has their radical elements, and every nation has its nationalistic streak. South Korea is NOT the expansionist ultranationalist bastion you make it out to be if only because they have been oppressed by their neighbors. For nearly its entire existence, the Chinese and Japanese have fought their wars in Korea, abusing the locals in the process. Most of the Korean independence movement during the 1910-1945 happen to be Christian which likely explains why the Koreans embraced the religion. Perhaps you should actually try learning their history before you start casting stones.
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  993.  @AmitCYT  That is the image you choose to show the world. But behind closed doors when you think nobody is watching, the truth is revealed. Some of us know what goes on when you THINK you have privacy; your true colors are revealed.
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  994.  @deedat81  A "perfect" victory is one in which you never fire a shot. That is essentially what Russia got in 2014. Their attempt to repeat it in early 2022 failed spectacularly.
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  995. Don't counter your eggs before they hatch. Ukraine always said their counter-attack was going to be slow and methodical. A Kherson style rather than Karkov.
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  996. If Ukraine didn't have a chance, then Kiev would have fallen on Day One of the invasion. It is now Day 514.
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  997. They don't. They have just come to the realization that the enemy of my enemy can be an effective ally. In short, they view the Persians as a greater existential threat than the Israelis. And as Hamas and Hezbollah gain in influence among the Arabs in Judea (who call themselves Palestinian), that drives the other Arabs into the open arms of the Israelis.
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  998.  @Channel-ml4qv  Yeah, funny how they conveniently ignore the Abra Muslim members of the Knesset.
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  999. Apparently, you are not aware of the Arab Muslim members of the Israeli Knesset. They are part of the currently ruling coalition government of Israel.
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  1000. The printing of money with nothing to back it up is the biggest factor. We are approaching Weimar Germany levels of insanity in monetary policy.
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  1001.  @levelazn  Not fact, that is nothing more than your OPINION. And opinions are like buttholes, everyone has one and they all stink. Don't conflate your worthless opinion with independently verifiable facts. The two are NOT the same.
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  1002.  @levelazn  No, you are deflecting with a red herring. Trump had NOTHING to do with this discussion, yet you HAD to bring him into it because he is living rent-free in your head. Trump Derangement Syndrome, much like Bush Derangement before it is unbecoming of thinking, rational people. STAY ON TOPIC.
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  1003.  @luftim  Yes, India has a beef with China. Russia does not. The Russians will lie to themselves about China until it is too late. They will only turn on their ally when the Chinese try to take back the Amur Valley and all of the territory south of the Stanovoy Range.
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  1004. China is not your friend. You have your own problems to worry about. Or do you think that Kashmir is a lost cause?
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  1005. Exactly. This war is ALL about energy. In trying to protect his near monopoly, he may have just destroyed it beyond repair.
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  1006.  @shahzebk7899  Thank you for your opinion Nevile Chamberlain. When you show weakness and capitulate once, you invite further aggression. Lessons of Munich.
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  1007.  @dt6559  Indeed. People seem to fail to realize that the German Panzer was hands down the best tanks in the world at the time. But they were defeated when vastly outnumbered by the inferior T-34 on the eastern front or the Sherman Tank on the Western Front. Likewise, the German Battleship was the most robust capital ship in the world, but they were never produced in the vast quantities that British and Americans shipyards produced. The Messerschmitt fighter was a premier fighter aircraft. But when facing off against multiple Soviet Yak-3s they were quickly overwhelmed. The thing is technology has to be above a certain point for both training and numbers to off-set the disadvantage in the gap in capabilities.
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  1008.  @johndavidmanuel2189  Funny you mention Russian vs. Ukraine as a measure of quantity vs quality. In that case, training is the decisive factor as both are using Soviet Tanks. The Russians are just completely terrible while the Ukrainians are using much of the very same equipment and showing why combined arms is critical in warfare.
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  1009.  @badluck5647  Iraq never actually gave up their weapons program. Libya was nowhere near completion of theirs. And as far as Syria, Bashar al-Assad is still in power, boosted by Putin. So, your examples all fail to prove your point.
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  1010.  @badluck5647  Which is a strawman argument. For 60 years the US never invaded when they did NOT have nukes. No, the nukes are blackmail against Japan.
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  1011.  @garyish  Complete agreement. Case in point is Japan. Much of the country is mountainous and not useful for either farming or living. But what suitable land there is benefits from hyper-rich volcanic soils making the few crops they do produce domestically some of the most productive in the world.
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  1012. Never heard of OSHA have you? Its sole purpose is "worker protection" for all the good it really does. American organized labor means that ""worker protections" are just as strong in the US as they are in Europe.
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  1013. Lots of quality points that speak to the slow decline of the US, sadly. And you point out places for improvement if only the people in power would admit to those weaknesses.
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  1014. "You can fire anyone at will." You proud of your ability to ruin people's life on a whim ? Soi let me ask you this, do you want to go through all of the legal challenges to firing unproductive employees? Businesses don't exist to provide you a paycheck, they exist to turn a profit. They are not "adult daycare". Own and operate your own private business and you will quickly change your tune. I suggest starting with a restaurant.
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  1015.  @Fantastika  Not really. That is just European Chauvinism and arrogance. Most of the developing world don't really care about European concerns unless it means getting free money in the form of aide. Most of them are more concerned about simply surviving than worrying about First World Problems. And yes, Europe is obsessed with First World problems.
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  1016. Sure, we have a debt problem, but that has more to do with incompetence in government rather than our economic model. And without business and industry guiding universities, what are they but exercises in mental masturbation? Financial investment by corporations gives them a direction to focus their efforts. The universities can always turn down the sponsorship after all.
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  1017. Was the British India Trading Company the downfall of the British Empire? How about the Dutch East India Company (VOC)? Things come in cycles. Those juggernauts will either adapt or die.
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  1018. Yeah, people don't understand what moderation means. And bureaucrats in particular are drunk on the power they can lord over others via regulation.
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  1019. And how is that working out for them with the Russian Bear knocking at their door? It is easy to live a life of largess when someone else is paying for your protection.
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  1020. Which was rather common during the Arab Slave trade, but the wokistas don't ever want to talk about it.
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  1021. That is ironically a result of the greenies. They were the same people holding up the "no nukes" peace sign in the 70s and gloating after the 3 miles Island accident. "Not in my backyard" they said. I say YES, build one in MY backyard!
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  1022. How long does it take to build a nuclear reactor for a US submarine or aircraft carrier? The biggest issue really isn't the construction time but all of the red tape and regulations surrounding the process.
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  1023.  @gushterell7989  The US has the 4th, 5th, and 6th amendments to prevent exactly what China is doing. Does your country have the right to due process or protection from unjust seraches?
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  1024. Yeah, that is exactly what the Soviets claimed in 1950s. It is what North Korea claims about the south today. There is a word for that: PROPAGHANDA.
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  1025.  @wh34t_  Nice goal post and blame shifting there. You didn't address my points at all, you just bloviated with emotional outburst like a spoiled child. And since you brought up North Korean refugees, most of them agree with those of us who are critiquing your argument. They would call you out for supporting the very ideologies they fled from.
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  1026.  @wh34t_  It is actually much easier that you think. When Cubans are making rafts made out of trash to get to the US, you don't get to whine and complain that it is too difficult to move from one country to a different one.
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  1027. Yeah, they are kind of idealistic when it comes to the changes in Central and South America, as if they never studied the history of the region.
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  1028.  @ionnanskilliorus6877  You are conflating SOCIAL DEMOCRACY with Democratic Socialism (aka Bolshevism). There are TWO critical points which make Scandinavia's SOCIAL DEMOCRACY work as well as it does. The first is that they are 98% ethnic homogeneous. They are more ethnically monolithic than countries like South Korea and Japan. It makes a MAJOR difference because of a lack of competing priorities when everyone holds the same cultural values. The second is the oil and gas deposits which are eclipsed only by Russia's Siberian deposits (which are technically in Asia, not Europe). The oil pays for EVERYTHING. Without it, Those Scandinavian countries would still be in developing economy status, just barely above mud huts. There are many documentaries about how the oil changed Nordic society in the late 1960s
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  1029. Only tell half the story huh? You realize that most of the fuel in American reactors are from the disassembled Soviet nuclear arsenal? Then you also have the retired American nuclear weapons that have not been repurposed into newer systems. Also, Australia and Canada have uranium deposits. And that does not include the fact that the US has not mined its own in decades.
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  1030.  @dersven4122  You would be speaking German or Russian if not for the US. You laugh, but it is the painful laugh of a child who knows they have been caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
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  1031.  @johnmuthan286  Europe has only itself to blame for prostrating themselves before Putin and making themselves slavishly dependent on his cheap energy. Also, the War in Ukraine is solely Russia's fault, not the US. Or have you forgotten what happened to Georgia in 2008 over South Ossetia?
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  1032. Europe has their own coal and gas deposits, but they refuse to exploit them. Not the US's fault that Europe is suffering from a bad case of "not in my backyard!"
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  1033. Their own fault for not making use of their own resources.
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  1034. Indeed. I think Winston Churchill said something to that effect as well.
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  1035.  @johnmuthan286  Didn't watch any of the videos discussing this have you? The EU set a goal of 95% of winter consumption in storage by November. They reached 98% at the beginning of September.
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  1036.  @hkchan1339  There used to be many more, but the Germans have over time become very resentful of the US presence. We were actually being nice when we shut down ones like Sembach AB.
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  1037.  @iamaloafofbread8926  And yet Germany went to war with the Soviet Union in WW2 over the gas and Oil deposits in Eastern Europe. Look up "Bessarabia".
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  1038.  @andypeutherer4218  How is he a Russian asset when he supplied Ukraine with military support in the form of arms and equipment? You have lost the plot dude. NO Russian agent would ever be assisting the people Russia is invading.
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  1039.  @onlyfacts4999  If that was truly the case, then why are so many governments who have taken Chinese investments getting overthrown? Kenya canceled its contracts with China under pressure from the populace who were getting screwed by Chinese goods flooding their markets and bankrupting local businesses. I have to ask, are you part of the aristocracy in Nigeria who personally benefits from China?
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  1040.  @paullnetinstitute4799  I don't disagree that corrupt African leaders misappropriate loans and that Western bankers don't hold them accountable for the fraud. But the idea that Chinese loans are any better because they send "specialists" is not seeing the forest for the trees. Those "specialists" are not advising what is in the best interests of the African countries, they are advising them to take actions that are in the best interest of China, even if it is detrimental to the nation. Trading one evil for a different evil isn't picking a lesser evil, it is just affirmatively making a bad choice when the best option is to not play at all.
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  1041.  @jaybee4577  And you are a Chi-Com shill. See how that works? It doesn't, it comes across and petty and banal. Try refuting my points with reason, logic and facts rather than disparagements. Also I am pro-TAIWANESE China. They have just as much claim to the name of China as the mainland Red Government.
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  1042.  @burnttoast9890  Not that I subscribe to the philosophy, but Stalin believed you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. Considering that it is PUTIN who started the war, you should blame him for the carnage.
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  1043.  @Puma-ph5ep  Apparently you have never heard the well know war proverb that dates from at least the time of Sun Tzu: "The best laid plans never survive contact with the enemy".
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  1044.  @command_unit7792  The fact that Ukraine DID grind slowly forward isn't a failure, nor is it copium. Measured against WW1 trench warfare which is the closest analogue, the Ukrainians are moving faster than the Western Allies did against the Central Powers.
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  1045. True. The fact that Kiev still stands is already a victory. As for the other territory, it remains to be seen. Ukraine hasn't given up the fight yet so we may still see something shift, especially as Russia is having more and more partisan actions occur behind their lines.
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  1046. "Democracy" as a term has become conflated with Republic style governance. The two are actually not the same thing. "Democracy" is what gave rise to the Jacobin Faction and the Reign of Terror under Robespierre. Republic is what guards the "human rights" you get to enjoy. It is when those built-in protections become subverted that you get the "flaws" which critics of the West love to point out. "Republics degrade into Democracies, and Democracies invariably degenerate into despotisms, "-Alexander Fraiser Tytler quoting Aristotle.
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  1047.  @octoslut  A paper tiger is what Russia clearly was. The US only becomes a paper tiger if its power is seriously challenged, something that nobody has done yet. A fight over Taiwan might prove that there is more fight in the US than you think.
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  1048.  @olderchin1558  You must have issues listening or understanding as I already explained it to you if you bothered to actually read. Power of Siberia does NOT connect to the oil and Gas pipes that power Europe. And the European connected fields are far more productive and profitable than the ones connected to China. The Sakhalin wells are nowhere near as developed as you claim, barely breaking even at the best of times. Further, the LNG carriers are easy pickings for submarines if you know anything about how American subs like USS Albacore operated in WW2.
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  1049.  @Dept246  You are rationalizing (ie making exuses fallacy). Fact is, the Indians have a disciplined, professional military while the PLA has degenerated into street thugs.
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  1050.  @EvanFAF  We also have a shared heritage as colonies of the crown. We both advocate for local self-determination and de-colonization. The strife with the USSR and the fact that we allied with the UK is why India and the US have been strained since the 1950s.
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  1051. It essentially is already. The Chinese are using it against the US in much the same way British traders used opium against the Chinese from the 1840s to the 1860s.
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  1052. Exactly. The Chinese have long memories and play the long game. To them, the US simply replaced the UK as the representative of the Anglo-world and so all of their grievances against the British have simply been shifted over to the US.
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  1053. THC products are a gateway. While not everyone who uses them move on to harder drugs, almost all who use harder drugs got started with marijuana. Those that didn't usually are a result of botched prescription drug regimes.
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  1054.  @emps8992  That is a strawman argument and has nothing to do with whether Bosnia's localities can be independent states. How about you actually debate merits instead of gutter sniping?
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  1055. Same here. Where is the French, Germans, and British lines of defense in Eastern Europe? THEY need to be on Poland's border, not the US. And I agree that Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea ARE worth defending. They appreciate us more than Europe does. And what they have to offer the US is more than what Europe brings to the table.
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  1056. All very good questions. If their regular border skirmishes with India are any indication, the PLA is not nearly as effective and disciplined fighting force as the politicians in Beijing would like to think.
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  1057.  @flyinpug3791  Your grasping at straws. The fact that Ukraine found parade uniforms among the captured vehicles left behind showed that the Russian MOD didn't expect ANY fight whatsoever. So while you are correct that they were not meant to engage in much of a fight, the REASON for that is completely off base. As for "diplomatic solution", I suggest you ask the Czechs in 1938 what they think about your proposal.
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  1058.  @angelogarcia2189  If your contention about a small number of troops in Afghanistan were true, then Kabul would NOT have fallen like it did. The DoD didn't even expect it as it was a repeat of the fall of Saigon and Phnom Penh in 1975.
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  1059.  @eleneesakia6973  Yeah, I am disappointed at how NATO dragged its feet on Georgia. And most Europeans consider the Caucuses to be one of the dividers between Asia Minor and the European continent. Heck, Europeans are called CAUCASIAN, after the Caucuses.
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  1060. @lati long Sure, infantilize and trivialize key details that completely dismantle your argument. You can make a long decertation about why there isn't one, but that doesn't make it any less of a fact. Japan's willingness to go to war with Red China over Taiwan proves my point. Further, Taiwan inviting the Japanese to build a military base on one of their Islands south of Senkaku further drives home my point proving you wrong.
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  1061.  @ivan7453  Agreed. Historically Imperial China was just as aggressive and Belligerent as Imperial Japan in WW2. President Pooh-bear has been showing the same militarism as Tojo Hideki. "Let China Sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world” -Napoleon Bonepart.
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  1062. Not really. Even if you confiscated all of the wealth by the top 50% of Americans, it would not even make a dent in the US national debt. Same applies to China seizing Hong Kong or Taiwan. You don't kill the golden goose, which is what China has done to Hong Kong and will do to Taiwan.
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  1063. I am inclined to agree. Warlord era China between the Two World Wars saw China still acting as a trade partner with most of the major seafaring nations of the world. Shanghai, Dalian, Hong Kong, Zhangjiang, Lianyungang, Quingdao, Taizhou, and Xaimen were all major destinations and boomtowns for foreign trade. Mao put a stop to that. It was Deng Xaiping who effectively re-opened China's trade with the outside world.
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  1064.  @Vaeldarg  Talking about rejecting history, you realize that much of the Torah is independently confirmed by Persian, Egyptian, Greek, and Babylonian sources? Cyrus the Great was an actual king, and the high priest of Zoroastrianism. Nebuchadnezzar's conquest of Judea is documented by the Greeks, Egyptians as well as the Babylonians themselves. As to the Gospels themselves, Roman sources confirm that Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea, and that Herod Antipas was the governor of Galilee and Perea. And the head of the Sanhedrin being Caiaphas is confirmed by Jewish records. And that doesn't even go into what Josephus has confirmed. Do keep in mind that Josephus is considered just as credible as Tacitus, Suetonius, Lucius Cassius Dio, and both Pliny the Elder and Younger. it is clear that you yourself fail to abide by the standards you apply to me. It is YOU who needs to realize that you are engaging in quite a number of chronological fallacies simply because you refuse to accept a message from a specific source.
    2
  1065.  @Vaeldarg  Just now you didn't debate the merits, you simply used a strawman argument (logical fallacy). You are attacking institutions of power and falsely claiming that it represents the entire faith. That is typical of militant secularist bigoty. And double negatives do exist in language for a reason, clumsy though they may be. Thye are often employed as a rhetorical device. Again, you are not debating merits, you are engaging in logical fallacies as if that somehow makes your position valid. It does not. Unlike you, I am NOT attacking the messenger, I am attacking your message but pointing out the inherent flaws in your arguments.
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  1066.  @danilolabbate  "Making excuses" is called rationalization. Or colloquially "copium". This has nothing to do with tribalism, you are just making inane claims like a petulant child does when they know they are wrong. As the Marine Corp teach, failure is ALWAYS a result of bad leadership. China's problems have always been a result of bad leaders, whether military or political leadership. Try actually debating merits instead of making the logical fallacy of "appeal to emotion".
    2
  1067.  @benghazi4216  Dude, your hyperbolae isn't making your point, it is showing your intellectual dishonesty. South Africans themselves would call your mischaracterization of Israel as an "apartheid state".
    2
  1068.  @homersimpson408  A very nuanced and enlightened analysis. Thank you, for you have very nicely quantified the situation.
    2
  1069.  @guvviyulg4821  Are you really interested in having a discussion or are you just here to troll? The DIE philosophy demands that we accept ALL views and perspectives, including those of deviance and perversion. The "diversity" cult demands that we not call out "minor attracted persons" (their words, not mine).
    2
  1070. Yeah, westerners have a problem understanding when to pronounce a K and when not to. For example, the Palance if "Knossos" is pronounced "Gnossis"(think Gneisenau), but many folks mispronounce it with a hard "K". But of course, that is Minoan-Greek, not Hebrew as you so aptly point out.
    2
  1071. And yet they were part of the Central Powers in WW1 and the Axis in WW2 against Russia in both wars.
    2
  1072. India isn't helping Russia; they are ripping off Putin by demanding a 30% discount premium. Further, the Indians are irritated that Russia has failed to deliver on their weapons. In particular they are livid over the Aircraft Carrier. At best, India is playing the neutrality card as they always have since WW2.
    2
  1073. They used bulldozers , tunnels, and paragliders to breach the wall. Do keep in mind that they had the North Korean example. Look up the infiltration tunnels under the DMZ.
    2
  1074.  @scottwillie6389  Is the US enforcing law on the streets of Japan? THAT is what constitutes an occupation, genius. And since you are not paying attention, Japan IS an important player in world affairs. One cannot be the THRID largest economy in the world and not be one. Japan has already made security guarantees to come to the defense of Taiwan.
    2
  1075.  @puraLusa  Just like Duffman says a lot of things, OH YEAH!
    2
  1076. I don't think you understand what a Sigma Male actually is. Sigma don't care about being popular, nor do they seek power. They are the quintessential "Lone Wolf". On both counts Putin fails to meet the definition of a Sigma Male.
    2
  1077.  @757Poppy  Clearly not.
    2
  1078. I hate to break your bubble, but authoritarianism has been the norm rather than the exception throughout human history. The modern period of "Jeffersonian Democracy" is something of an aberration. And if prior examples are any indication, it is about to come to a violent in within the next 50 years.
    2
  1079. He basically reinstituted the system under Brezhnev.
    2
  1080.  @Ali-bu6lo  I did not watch either of those vides, but from my cursory digging after the death of his daughter, it became clear that Western media was making Dugin into the Russian version of David Duke. Another boogeyman they could whine about. So, your assessment pretty much matched my assessment, though we arrived there from different directions.
    2
  1081. Yeah, something tells me Philip Short is one of Putin's biographers and is hardly unbiased.
    2
  1082.  @greghenrikson952  Today the "shore batteries" would be Neptune and HIMARS launch platforms. The description is still valid.
    2
  1083. The biggest problem is actually that expansion of the money supply. Simply printing money without a hard commodity to back it up devalues it to the point of worthlessness.
    2
  1084. "Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man, "-George S. Patton.
    2
  1085. I don't know, they did pretty well for themselves during the first two months when nobody in the West believed they had a chance. One thing this war has taught is that you should never underestimate Ukraine.
    2
  1086. General Frost favored the Soviet Red Army against the Wehrmacht, but I suspect he will favor Ukraine over Russia. Especially as Canada and Norway have been sending cold weather gear since August.
    2
  1087. Sounds like a typical winter in Soviet Ukraine before the 90s. And you think that will break their morale?
    2
  1088. Agreed. The Soviet Red Army made its greatest gains against the Wehrmacht during the winter months. I suspect Ukraine will also enjoy that favor from General Frost.
    2
  1089. Apparently, you are not familiar with how horrible life in the Soviet Republic of Ukraine before 1990. You also don't seem to remember the defiant defense of Kiev at the start of the war. You grossly underestimate the determination of Ukraine. Your comment comes from the point of view of a pampered westerner.
    2
  1090. Stopped to regroup. Unlike the Russians, Ukrainian forces do NOT want to outrun their supply lines.
    2
  1091. It is quite amazing how the Ukrainians have developed into a professional Western Military while the Russians have degenerated into barbarism and brutality. All pretense of professionalism out the window.
    2
  1092. Marshall Mud has not slowed down the Ukrainians, so if that is any indication, shows General Frost may favor Ukraine. And since the Canadians and Norwegians have been sending winter gear since August, that puts Ukraine in a VERY good position as contrasted with Russia and its lack of proper gear.
    2
  1093.  @paulcastle1718  The problem was that he was way too trusting. His first blunder was taking Mike Pence, the establishment golden child as his VP. Pence is who recommended Priebus as Chief of Staff(primary WH leaker), Dan Coats (DNI who ran cover for and protected Comey, Brenan, Mueller, and the rest), Elaine Chao as SecTrans, and many more. Pence was to Trump what Grima Wormtougne was to King Théoden of Rohan.
    2
  1094. I'm sure he also enjoys "skeet" on his blackface too. And I am NOT talking about hunting "skeet".
    2
  1095.  @hopliteluke1452  No, you are conflating your opinion with verifiable fact and objective truth. But then moral relativist who only believe in power and not principle would do that because to you then ends justify the means.
    2
  1096. Which is why the cases need to go to court. The defendants should force the issue and get a precedent set that any actions taken before ratification are unlawful and those who do will be held to account.
    2
  1097. Indeed. The defendants need to demand that the courts hear their cases. Don't let the government walk away by dropping the charges. Force a precedent to be set making such actions taken without final ratification unlawful.
    2
  1098. Indeed. They will do this again right before the elections so as to make them a sham.
    2
  1099.  @AWARHERO  Easier than the 235 in the US house and 100 in the US senate. Compared to the uphill battle in the US, 185 seems a lot easier to achieve.
    2
  1100. Grossly exaggerated. The amount of waste (including contaminated suits and other non-reactor materials) created in the last 70 years barely covers one Rugby or Cricket Pitch by half a meter.
    2
  1101. How are tarriffs usually applied? You don't have free trade when only one side drops tarriffs and the other sides don't. That is Trump's point: to use the threat to enforce reciprocity.
    2
  1102. The big point is reciprocity. If Australia isn't putting tarriffs on products imported from the US, Trump won't place tarriffs on Australian goods coming to the US.
    2
  1103.  @Goyimsagainstzionazis  Who put those children in danger? Who REGULARLY uses children as human shields? Stop making excuses.
    2
  1104.  @Goyimsagainstzionazis  They had many different options. Fatah, Arafat's old party now run by Abu Mazen is less radical. Your problem is that you lack perspective. And you apologize for Salafi extremism.
    2
  1105.  @juvezhang1715  That agreement isn't worth the paper it is written on. The Saudis are done with the Palestinians as are the other signatories to the Abraham Accords.
    2
  1106. Longer than that. Haj Amin Al-Husseini, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, commander of the Bosnian SS, and chairman of the PLO called for "driving Israel into the Sea". They never renounced that demand.
    2
  1107.  @Colin_Izer1111  Your petty need to make such statements reveals your existential nihilism. I pity you because men smarter and wiser than you have gone mad walking the path you insist of traveling. Interestingly, that spiritual emptiness is exactly WHY you seem so hell bend on destroying faith others hold. You are so miserable that you seek to make others just as spiritually miserable as you are.
    2
  1108. The Palestinians have never renounced their demand that Israel be driven into the sea. They refuse Israel's right to exist.
    2
  1109. Apples to oranges false analogy. Gaza has been an independent nation since the IDF pulled out in 2005. Hamas has ZERO justification for this. Also, do your Indian independence movement indiscriminately kill women and children? You insult Ghamdi which such comparisons.
    2
  1110.  @rawdog314  How? Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005. There was ZERO justification for what Hamas did.
    2
  1111.  @pwillis1589  You are trolling.
    2
  1112. When you spam post like this, it is a sign of desperation.
    2
  1113. Left wing and right wing are part of the same bird. To quote Mercutio, "PLAGUE ON BOHT YOUR HOUSES!". The third party just adds Escalus to the Montagues and Capulets.
    2
  1114.  @ZELJKO472  Most Olympic games put the cities that host them into a financial hole that lasts for decades. The governments that host them often follow those municipalities into financial insolvency.
    2
  1115.  @genkiferal7178  Yeah, and tell me they are not using some kind of supplement derived from animal products to compensate for the nutrient deficiency, specifically B12. Look, I am not saying you can't have a pure vegan diet, but there are nutritional reasons why it is not perfect. And to call the consumption of animal products unethical is based not on science but a theological argument. You are allowed to have such views, but use them only to guide your actions, not judge the rest of us.
    2
  1116. Why did it take over 3 1/2 minutes into a 4 1/2 minute video to get to the part about Israel? Nice job click-baiting.
    2
  1117. US Navy Nuclear has operated reactors with ZERO reactor related accidents. Nuclear is by far the safest energy source in the world.
    2
  1118.  @michaelp.Watermaker  That is the point behind the "Aryan Princess" look. The Jew haters of the 1930s loved using her phenotype.
    2
  1119.  @matttate920  Yes, but even Ben Franklin and John Adams who wanted to call out the institution of slavery in the Declaration of Independence knew that they would sabotage their cause if they insisted on it. Do you really think the American Revolution would have been successful if Lord Cornwallis didn't go south? Do you think Yorktown would have been possible if Virginia didn't join New England in rebellion against the crown? That is the problem with people like you, it shows total ignorance of history, cherry picking only those parts that you can make use of and ignoring anything that doesn't help your cause. "The worst readers behave like plundering troops: they carry off the few things they can use, dirty and confound the rest, and revile the whole," -Fredrich Nietzsche.
    2
  1120. The one China policy was always dumb. There are two Koreas but only one Korean people. There are 56 different ethnicities in China as well as the historic warring states period and yet this myth about one China remains. Taiwan is an independent Chinese Republic very similar to the Lanfang Republic of Borneo.
    2
  1121.  @Zirilian  Fist, know that Merkel was a member of the East German Communist Youth League. That meant she was already favorably predisposed to Soviet Russia. For years, she put Germany further and further into a subordinate position to the Kremlin. The current budget crisis is a direct result of Deutchland's overreliance on cheap Russian energy to make up for their ill-conceived Green policies.
    2
  1122. DEI "lawyer". That is almost self-explanatory. "Didn't Earn It".
    2
  1123. Guess they are breaking the youtube algorithm.
    2
  1124. But as part of a broader push to get the Sullivan Case overturned.
    2
  1125.  @Cumbriamag  Did you have an actually point to make or are you just hurling insults like a propagandist who can't argue any of the merits? "When your argument is weak, abuse the plaintiff," -Marcus Tullius Cicero. "When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser," -attributed to both Plato and Socrates. "If you can't win on the merits, attack the messenger," -Saul Alinsky.
    2
  1126. Yeah, Paul calling them "questionable" for successfully pinning Russian military power and grinding it down shows his lack of vision and foresight. He can't seem to see the forest for the trees.
    2
  1127. Blitzkrieg is NOT normal in war, it is an aberration. The idea that you have to advance 30 miles a day is pure gaslighting.
    2
  1128. Russia can't afford to cause mischief in Georgia, so why would they go after Poland? They already bit off more than they could chew with Ukraine.
    2
  1129. Indeed. Anyone who thinks Blitzkrieg is the norm has never actually studied war in serious detail. When Germany did it, it was shocking because it defied expectations, being an aberration of war.
    2
  1130. Naw, the Russians are doing about as expected. The idea that the counter-offensive should be a Blitzkrieg is Kremlin gaslighting.
    2
  1131. You don't get to count the prepatory period as part of the official start of the offensive. it is like saying the Build-up for D-Day constituted a failure because they didn't actually land in France yet. Blitzkrieg is an aberration, not the norm in war.
    2
  1132. The problem is that Russia isn't using any troop rotations while the Ukrainians have. That is why Units such as the 155th Naval Infantry have been completely pulverized beyond recovery.
    2
  1133.  @nathanhollingsworth413  The .45 has stopping power, which is what was needed when you mortally wound an adversary, but he keeps coming at you. With the 9mm, he may have just enough left in him to kill you before he expires. .45 buys you enough time for him to die.
    2
  1134.  @JKK_85  Don't conflate your worthless opinion with objective fact. The two are not the same. While a lot of mistakes were made by the German High command, it didn't really become a problem until they reached the gates of Stalingrad. Your problem is that you are engaging in the Historian's Fallacy. Hindsight is 20/20 and it is easy to claim something was a given after the fact.
    2
  1135. I agree. And his experience and knowledge should be passed on to the next generation so it will not have to be paid again.
    2
  1136. Who is "everyone"? You make just as many false assumptions as he does.
    2
  1137.  @wesdowner5636  You are moving the goalposts. Percentages are not in 24 or 48. And 2% is actually a rounded number. The actual percentage is closer to 1.56% and as low as 1.32%, which rounds up to 2%. None of that obliviates the fact that the number is so low that the critics arguments against them are an example of what is called statistical murder (which happens to be a logical fallacy based on emotions, not hard logic).
    2
  1138.  @wesdowner5636  I think you mean one out of 50, not 48. Numbers matter.
    2
  1139. The dud rates are also overblown. While Russian dud rates are as high as 35-40%, US cluster dud rates are more like 2%. Major difference that is being conflated.
    2
  1140. You mean like their counteroffensive list last spring? Put down the Vodka private conscriptovich, you are so drunk you are hallucinating.
    2
  1141. Yup. As everyone is focused foreward, you want someone covering your six.
    2
  1142. Paul, the Nuclear boomers are MORE significant than silo ICMBs. For one, they are NOT easily targeted. Two, they have much better survival that the other two components of the nuclear triad meaning that they are what guarantees the counterstroke. Three, they can set up practically on the shore of the target being in effect a "little Cuba" Don't belittle nor underestimate the boomer fleet. They are the most reliable nuclear launch platform.
    2
  1143. The US never withdrew from the Hauge and Geneva Conventions, so on that point you are completely wrong. As others have pointed out, while Taliban fighters up to the fall of Kabul had a legitimate claim, NONE of the Al Qaeda fighters were entitled to that status. Even the Conventions spell out that terrorists, insurgents, and other "unlawful combatants" are not entitled to POW status. That the US gave them such protections as well as holding them in Gitmo was extending a courtesy they were not entitled to. By all rights, Al Qaeda fighters could have and SHOULD have been treated like saboteurs and spies captured on the battlefield; executed on sight.
    2
  1144. There were some prisoner abuses by the Ukrainians and Georgians early at the start of the war, but they quickly cleaned up their actions and put a stop to that behavior. The threat of withholding arms and aid was a major motivation to put a stop to the abuses.
    2
  1145. Similar with the phone calls home. Technically it comes right up to the line with regards to using prisoners for propaganda purposes. Yes, it is showing how gracious the Ukrainians are treating their prisoners, but it is also a devastating attack on the morale of Russian mothers.
    2
  1146. Oh, it certainly comes right up to the line of what is not acceptable. I suspect that because they were not being made to make public statements beyond their unit and the condition of their capture is what puts it on the legal side of the line.
    2
  1147. GITMO complies with the Geneva Convention. If anything, the prisoners there should be executed as spies and Saboteurs. Try actually reading what the statute prescribes.
    2
  1148. Similar story with some of the Italian prisoners held at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana. Much like with Russians captured by the Ukrainians, the Italian prisoners ate better as POWs than as soldiers on the front lines. While some went home after the war, a number chose to stay in the US and integrate into the local existing population (gravitating towards the communities of Italian heritage for obvious reasons).
    2
  1149. Mercenaries.
    2
  1150. Indeed. You would think a guy who boasts about his knowledge of military history would be familiar with the prisoner battalions of WW2. The Soviets were notorious for using them.
    2
  1151. Well, and he needs to put that into context. Assuming 26 liters of Vodka for the average Russian Alcoholic, that is like drinking the equivalent to 1/4 of a 2 liter bottle of soda per week (52 weeks a year, so 1/2 liter per week). Doable, but hard on the liver.
    2
  1152.  @kenhamaker  No, where did I say I was? I am NOT advocating for the Ukrainians to brutalize the Russians with the same treatment they have received. In fact, I applaud the Ukrainians for first scolding, then feeding the Russians they capture. And allowing those prisoners to call home to their mothers? Propaganda gold! The demoralization of the Russian Home front will end this war faster.
    2
  1153. No, not one on one. But they HAVE leveraged force multipliers such as equipment and training which offsets the Russian advantage in numbers.
    2
  1154. The Ukraine Air Force cannot go toe to toe with the Russian Air Force. And the fact that the Karkov and Kherson offensives occurred WITHOUT Air Power kind of proves that while Air support greatly helps, it is not the end-all be-all that makes or breaks ground operations.
    2
  1155. He does tend to get horse blinders on, doesn't he?
    2
  1156. Indeed. Destroying combat power long term is more significant than territorial gains. That was the mistake made by the Union Generals in the East during the American Civil War. General Grant came in and said no, we must destroy the Army of the Confederacy. And we do that by pinning it down in Richmond.
    2
  1157. @David45sa What? Emotional outbursts? That isn't a point, it is childish behavior.
    2
  1158.  @kolumbos  You are talking early war and pretending that those conditions exist now. They do not. The tables have completely reversed.
    2
  1159. Perun looked into Russian production capacity and the fact is, the Russians are NOT able to keep up with the attritional losses. The T-80 tanks are now an extinct species having been replaced by either a few T-90s or by refurbished T-72s. The mid-grade gear has already been grounded to dust leaving only the new and the very old left.
    2
  1160. And that is the kicker. This offensive needs to be measured against WW1 trench warfare, not WW2 Blitzkrieg. The Ukrainians are already moving faster than the West was during the Battle of Somme.
    2
  1161.  @dogemccoin8318  Your source for that number? Not even the Insitute for the Study of War agrees with your number. They agree with Oryx. You are engaging in hysterics and hyperbolae. It doesn't make your argument, it undercuts it.
    2
  1162. ​ @dogemccoin8318  Ukraine started the war with less that 400 tanks. But like ALL wars, there is never enough ammunition or equipment. But I don't expect an armchair quarterback to understand military history. Ask yourself WHY the US created so many Shermans for WW2. By your metric, the US made too many aircraft, Navy ships, and armored vehicles to fight both the Japanese and the Germans.
    2
  1163.  @dogemccoin8318  Then why have they not used them again what Ukraine already has? You are begging the question for which the answer becomes painfully obvious.
    2
  1164. The irony is that Tolkien's War for middle Earth was modeled after WW1 with Mordor being an analogy to Kaiser Germany. I think Tolkien knew exactly the nuances of War and rejected the moral relativism of Grey.
    2
  1165. Agreed. Obama was no tactical genius. The rise of the Islamic State was a direct result of him ignoring military leaders on the ground in Iraq.
    2
  1166.  @moiseshuerta3984  You are making a distinction WITHOUT a difference there. And I agree that the Panzers were better Tanks than the Soviet Tanks. They just happened to get outnumbered and overwhelmed (Zerging) which did them in.
    2
  1167.  @moiseshuerta3984  They did NOT have thousands of tanks at the start of the war. And while it is true that they captured many in the Kharkiv offensive, it can hardly be considered enough. The only "fair fight" in war is one where you have overwhelming superiority in manpower and equipment.
    2
  1168. Yes, it is attritional, but the defenders have the advantage. The Russians attacking Bakhmut is akin to Picket's Charge into Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg.
    2
  1169.  @sillysad3198  Touche! Though my point about libido still stands. And it affects women as well as men.
    2
  1170. Agreed. As the Marines teach, if there is a failure, it is the fault of the leadership.
    2
  1171. Zipper problems have always been the bane of people with access to highly classified materials, whether it is politicians or military personnel. For my own, I accepted that I would never get access to such information when I married my Chinese-Indonesian wife. She became a naturalized US citizen in 2016.
    2
  1172.  @abelabner  I don't regret my service. But I very much am one of the ones who have slipped through the cracks. If not for the fact that I have a family, I would likely be one of those homeless vets living under a bridge.
    2
  1173. Military being a family business is the norm in most countries and throughout history. Perun looked into this in his video about US Military recruitment and retention.
    2
  1174. Hogwash. The labor market is at the worst it has been since the Great Depression. Even Jimmy Carter's Stagflation was better than now. Part of it is that companies have replaced full-time with part time and part-time with seasonal and temps to cut costs. And they are rewarded for this by the politicians.
    2
  1175. As one of my former co-workes in the USAF who did Army support said, "Joe ain't too damn bright".
    2
  1176. Same here. Medically retired after 8 years and my military service which should have made me attractive as an employee hasn't done anything to help me retain long term employment. Nobody needs the skills of a Weather Forecaster trained by the USAF.
    2
  1177.  @achilleos1  I agree that lost of waste. Especially on social engineering projects. The leadership at Scott AFB in the late 200s wanted to make Dorm life resemble the college experience and had them renevated as such. Talk about a stupid idea.
    2
  1178. I can believe that. They are notorious for claiming their mistakes are Ukraine's.
    2
  1179. Put down the vodka private conscriptovich, you are so drunk you are hallucinating.
    2
  1180. It is tragic especially when they could simply walk over to the Ukrainian lines and surrender. They would received better treatment as POWs than they would by their own leaders.
    2
  1181. False information. Oryx reports only one HIMARS damaged (not destroyed). The vodka you are drinking has been poisoned.
    2
  1182. I would not be so quick to hate on all of the Russians. The foreign legion has a cadre of Russian dissidents who are fighting alongside Ukraine. They are the "good" orcs, as it were.
    2
  1183. Indeed. The US NAVY has long talked about "tyranny of distance" in its operations. China does NOT have the logistical chain that Japan was able to use in WW2, much less the American Logistical support of WW2.
    2
  1184.  @bloodgout  American carrier groups are built around protecting that asset. Hence they are VERY big on both Anti-Air AND Anti-sub capabilities. The US excels at BOTH of those, while the Chinese have yet to show effective ASW operations.
    2
  1185. Focusing on the popularity of the guy rather than more practical reason such as accusations of corruption? Just because Ukraine is fighting Russia doesn't mean the rampant corruption in Ukraine went away overnight. It may just be that the graft, fraud, and waste in the UAF finally caught up to the top general and it was time for him to step aside. A good battlefield commander does not mean than you can get away with having money laundering operations on the side.
    2
  1186. Put down the vodka, you are drunk.
    2
  1187. I'm not sure I would want to be trying to fool Gurkhas. They WILL make you regret it.
    2
  1188.  @ardaybeluday2444  True. Ukrainian and a few of the other Slavic peoples use the Cyrillic alphabet as well. I don't know how much use it has in the Central Asian Republics.
    2
  1189.  @ItsDesm  I agree. As they have with previous conflicts, they use civilians as human sheilds.
    2
  1190. I think the reason why the Taliban does not do that is that until the fall of Kabul, they didn't really control many hospitals. But their system of theocratic governance is very similar to both Hamas and Hezbollah.
    2
  1191.  @LasseEklof  I would agree that Egypt could be the "neutral outsider" But the fact that they are choosing NOT to help the Palestinians speaks volumes. Perhaps they know as both the Jordanians and Lebanese that they are terrible house guests.
    2
  1192. Agreed. He missed the nuance of why triage requires medical professionals to ignore race, religion, nationality, etc. If anything, I find it interesting that Afghans or Iraqis would actually abide by that code. They are not particularly known for subscribing to Western concepts of "civilized" behavior.
    2
  1193. Hence why the Law of Armed Conflict exists and why trials for War Crimes MUST be conducted. And if they can't then measured and limited reprisals must also be taken to force the non-complying side to abide by LOAC.
    2
  1194. I wish more folks had the nuanced perspective you have. Too often I hear people chastise Israel while ignoring the insincerity of the Arabs who call themselves Palestinian. Has Israel over-reached? Certainly, but one also has to acknowledge that since their founding they have literally fought for their very existence. That tends to make people go to further extremes than they would if they didn't perceive an existential threat.
    2
  1195.  @LasseEklof  Considering that ALL of the military munitions storage is co-located with civilian structures, you present Israel with an impossible situation, and play right into the hands of Hamas. It is generally accepted that in such as situation, HAMAS, not Israel would bear the responsibility for those deaths. Indeed, that is essentially what happened in WW2 with Monte Cassino. Again, you are not acting in good faith but instead propagandizing to vilify Israel. You are victim blaming.
    2
  1196.  @LasseEklof  Hamas uses civilians as human shields, which explains the higher numbers. That is a critical component you blatantly overlook. Also, Israel has not occupied Gaza since 2005. And they do NOT occupy the Palestinian dominated cities of the West Bank such as Nablus. You are being intellectually dishonest about that.
    2
  1197.  @Tha3rdworldghost  The greatest lie ever told is that there is no such thing as evil. Don't fall into that moral relativism trap. Such thinking is what gives rise to some of the greatest atrocities in history.
    2
  1198.  @jodieford5738  Trump didn't take those rights away during his first four-year term. You are the boy that cried wolf.
    2
  1199. Paul, what about the Azov Rail line the Russians have built along the coast? It is supposed to connect Rostov-on-Don to Sevastopol via Mariupol, Berdyansk, Melitopol, Chonhar Bridge over the Syvash to Dzhankoi before spitting between Sevastapol and Kerch.
    2
  1200. I think this is actually youtube insiders who are against the war abusing their power, not outside hackers. Youtube/Google has always had it out for pro-Ukraine channels, now they are just being more blatant about it.
    2
  1201. Older tanks can be taken out by an RPG-7. That is significant.
    2
  1202.  @frankdwyer7051  T-90s only account for 10% of the tanks being sent to and lost on the front line each month. As for the Minute Man, the block 3 version is already being phased out. The LGM-35 Sentinel is its expected replacement.
    2
  1203.  @josephahner3031  Except counter-battery fire means that they are easily put out of action by enemy targeting systems that calculate faster than your old fashion gunners quadrant.
    2
  1204.  @jwenting  They most certainly are. The UN soldiers that refuse to be repatriated after the Korean War were kept segregated in a village near the DMZ and were NOT provided women with which to start families.
    2
  1205.  @OregonOutdoorsChris  Still, it shows a level of political illiteracy.
    2
  1206. Bradley Manning had access to high level stuff despite only being a private.
    2
  1207. Failure to meet recruitment standards lead to this. Maybe instead of pushing out high tenure people, they should be allowing some of the seinor PFCs and Corporals to stay in past the time they would normally be put out.
    2
  1208.  @BagoPorkRinds  Indeed. I paid close attention to the local orientation briefing. Never had a problem with the locals. In fact, a number of the older ones wanted me to marry a girl from their family after listening to me wax about their long history.
    2
  1209. No joke. Some people snap when sent there. I however had a blast. Loved visiting the countryside, tasting the food, and learning the history. Was willing to marry one, but none were interested.
    2
  1210. There is a reason why some call it the "New York SLIMES".
    2
  1211.  @GerrardPique2010  Apples to oranges false analogy. Not the same.
    2
  1212.  @GerrardPique2010  Apples to oranges false analogy. Learn to debate. And stop deflecting.
    2
  1213.  @GerrardPique2010  How about you give up your property first? My ancestors didn't have a choice in the matter. They were dumped in the new world as political prisoners by the British Crown. Further, while they DID try to live in peace with the natives, the natives didn't reciprocate. Hell, the natives were notorious for stealing land from each other.
    2
  1214.  @danielallan8061  Only people who refuse to see the parallels in history would think it is a lazy comparison. The rhetoric Putin uses about "Russia for the Russians" is exactly the same as the Austrian Painter.
    2
  1215.  @Wolfen443  The terms of the Budapest memorandum were that Ukraine would give its nuclear weapons to Russia in exchange that Russia would accept the territorial sovereignty of Ukraine in 1991. So tell me, how would the West or Ukraine violate those terms unless they refused to give Russia the nukes? Ukraine currently has zero nukes in its possession. Can't be bothered to know the facts or do your due diligence, can you? You just automatically assume that the West is to blame.
    2
  1216.  @Wolfen443  And how many agreements and treaties has Putin violated? Budapest Memorandum? Why should Zelensky trust that Putin will honor anything he signs?
    2
  1217. Pincer attack can be very effective.
    2
  1218.  @betterlifeexe4378  Fair point.
    2
  1219. If they can get to Berdyans'k, then the land bridge to Crimea will be completely severed.
    2
  1220.  @1djbecker  Agreed. He seems to forget the Marshall Plan. Or all of that money we dumped into Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan to "modernize" them.
    2
  1221.  @thehappyclam3942  Indeed. It is less the pilots and more the ground maintenance crew that need to be trained up.
    2
  1222.  @irresistablejewel  Yeah, those referendums are just as legitimate as Saddam's election in 2002 or the Kim Dynasty in North Korea. What was it that Stalin said? "It is WHO counts the votes that matters"? The fact that NOBODY, not even India nor Red China consider them legitimate shows you have lost the plot.
    2
  1223.  @nik6759  Nice myth. Completely fabricated by Cathrine the Great. The Romavos were NOT Greek as they claimed, but GERMAN.
    2
  1224. @janiax23 You can still have a two-communication wire into a faraday cage work perfectly fine. You just have to make sure it is properly insulated.
    2
  1225.  @gerrycastlemanwarde5933  They have known about this for years, almost 2 decades, but are only now blaming it on Russia. You have to ask yourself why that is.
    2
  1226.  @ukaszOzog-gk6yh  I don't disagree that we should not underestimate them. But do keep in mind that their unmanned assets are actually a reaction to Ukraine, not an innovation.
    2
  1227.  @theminuskai7453  You act like career politicians don't lie for a living. You don't actually care about shady elected officials, you only care that your political tribe wins by any means. I'm not brainwash, I just don't act hypocritical by pretending that politics isn't anything other than the dirty business it is. "The lady doth protest too much me thinks," -Queen Gertrude; Act 3 scene 2; Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
    2
  1228.  @theminuskai7453  Obama did nothing about it either, so what is your point other than "Orange Man Bad", which isn't an argument, it is an unhinged derangement.
    2
  1229. I was stationed at Osan when it happened. Ruined Thanksgiving, but then the Kims had a history of doing that.
    2
  1230.  @chrischuba5037  Cope harder dude. The DPRK's stockpiles date from the 1960s. Also, HIMARS and Ukrainian counter-battery have absolutely demolished Russian Artillery, if you bother to actually talk to the Russians on the front lines.
    2
  1231. Sad how the Russian shills don't understand the point you make. That it is more important to make sure your shots hit than to put lots of rounds downrange.
    2
  1232. True, but Kimmy is likely to cycle out his old gear first before allowing the newer stuff to pass to Russia.
    2
  1233.  @theredscourge  And when they call for the jailing of those whom they politically disagree with, they are no better than Putin. The lack of self-awareness is astounding.
    2
  1234.  @LRRPFco52  Yeah, these people don't like when hard facts prove them wrong about Trump and Biden.
    2
  1235. Paul, keep in mind that Avdivka has held since day one of the invasion. Hell, the Ukrainains have fortified it since 2014 when they took it back from the DNR/LND rebels. And while it is basically a rubble pile, I think that the defensive positions at that location are stronger than the ones in Bakhmut.
    2
  1236.  @fifi23o5  No, I got your message. Your problem is that you cannot see the forest for the trees. The fact that garrisons from Russia's Far East districts are being sent to Ukraine shows the desperation in Putin's position. He knows that if he does a full mobilization, he will experience what Czar Nicholas did during WW1.
    2
  1237. Paul, cross check your information on Avdivka with Perun. His video on the major battles (Vuhledar, Bakhmut, Avdivka, Marinka, and Kupiyansk) go into great detail, particularly how many of the "cities" are now effectively rubble piles.
    2
  1238.  @bradevans7935  Try measuring from the Beach south of Melitopol (Stepanivka Persha, specifically) and you will find it is exactly 50miles, right at the range of the DoD's PUBLICALLY acknowledged range for ATACMS.
    2
  1239.  @Rtg5637  The territorial gains by Grant was because he PULVERIZED the Army of Virigina, particularly at Cold Harbor and the Wilderness. Sherman was able to take Atlanta because he basically mauled the Confederate Army of Tennessee, rendering it irrelevant as a fighting force. Kind of like what Ukraine did to both the 1st Guards Tank Army and the 155th Naval Infantry. Don't put the cart before the horse.
    2
  1240.  @Rtg5637  They made territorial gains BECAUSE they destroyed the enemy. Grant PULVERIZED the Army of Virginia. Sherman Smashed the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Don't put the cart before the horse.
    2
  1241. Because numerical superiority can overcome force multipliers like terrain, tactics, and equipment. That is how Marshal Zhukov was able to advance despite incurring massive casualties inflicted by the Wehrmacht against the Soviet Red Army.
    2
  1242.  @Jm-wt1fs  Except it was nowhere near Russian territory. It was just outside of TURKISH airspace. If anything, the Russians were infringing on Turkey.
    2
  1243. Indeed. The fall mud season never truly ended with the unusually warm winter.
    2
  1244. Agreed. If they can hold the line against what remains of Russia's best, it is all downhill from here.
    2
  1245.  @davidpritchard604  During my two years stationed at Osan AB, I learned much about the history of the Land of Morning Calm. 6,000 years from KoChoseon to the Republic. While I don't think that the Buyeo people of Paekje settled Vladivostok, I do know for a fact that it WAS part of both KoGoreyo AND Balhae. As was Noktundo Island which was later the site of a famous battle won by Admiral Yi Sun-Shin (known for his Turtle Ships).
    2
  1246. What was it that Erwin Rommel said about invading hell? Use the Aussies to take it and the Kiwis to hold it? Me thinks he would use today's Ukrainians as the quick response reserve unit.
    2
  1247.  @seantiz  Yeah, people have this weird idea that Blitzkrieg is the norm in War. WW2, even on the Western front with Patton at the head was not Blitzkrieg fast.
    2
  1248. More like they don't have enough considering reports of them stealing it from the locals.
    2
  1249. Doesn't do well to go "duck hunting". What goes up must come down, so it is better a misfire ricochets off the ground rather than follow a ballistic trajectory. That is what they taught us in Korea.
    2
  1250. Agreed. The idea they care about their people is as foolish as believing Putin cares about his. There is one goal of the Chi-coms, and that is survival of their political system.
    2
  1251.  @AndrewJacobson-cq2om  As Oppenheimer said, if it wasn't him who built it, someone else would have.
    2
  1252. YOu have not been paying attention. They are moving forward slowly like a glacier. Their progress is actually significantly faster than the ww1 Battle of Somme.
    2
  1253. Indeed. If their cause was just, they would not need to silence the opposition: they would let their opponents discredit themselves.
    2
  1254. They are basically the prisoner battalions of WW2.
    2
  1255. The pace of the Ukrainian offensive is FASTER than the progress of WW1's Western front. How long did that war last?
    2
  1256. Ukraine has been rotating their troops on a faster schedule, one more akin to that of the US troop rotation period.
    2
  1257.  @colinwinogradoff6794  You are lying. or you just don't understand how inflation works. That 401k is LESS valuable today because the devaluation of the dollar means that while on paper it looks great, the actual conversion rate is in the toilet.
    2
  1258. Typical. Bind bills together in the very Omnibus that got McCarthy toppled rather than single-issue bills.
    2
  1259. We are doing both, sending old equipment AND pallets of cash. Victoria Spartz, the House Representative born in Soviet Ukraine, has been trying to get accountability for the money sent over there and so far has not gotten a straight answer from anyone.
    2
  1260.  @Danger-six.  If you were looking at Ukraine's pre-war stockpiles alone, you might have a point. But they are being supplemented with both Warsaw Pact NATO surplus as well as Western equipment. You talk about wishful thinking while being guilty of the very same thing. That is called psychological projection.
    2
  1261. Most US aid is on a 3-to-12-month delay. Weapons promised a year ago are only now showing up on the front lines. Conversely, Russia doesn't have much left in reserve. If the Ukrainians are able to achieve in Zaphorizia what the Allies did at the WW1 battle of Cambrai (1917), you will see them fold almost a quickly as Imperial Germany did.
    2
  1262. Indeed. Ukraine realize that they should have put on SOME pressure last winter, even if the Rasputisa prevent major armored movements. They will not make that mistake again.
    2
  1263. If Ukraine was hopeless. Putin would be in Kiev installing Yanukovych.
    2
  1264. @Fortune_cookie, might I suggest "FIVE DOWNED MiGs"? Rhymes more with the original line 5 golden rings.
    2
  1265.  @buffuniballer  Thank you. I posted your points about Vietnam earlier, but they got deleted because someone doesn't like the truth. I also pointed out that Only Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan managed to bring Afghanistan to heel.
    2
  1266. The problem with all of that is that Moscow has no authority to dictate to Warsaw or Prague whom they choose to enter into treaty agreements. Russia doesn't get to dictate to Eastern Europe who they get to associate with.
    2
  1267. North Korea isn't producing that on a per annum basis. They may provide Russia that much in once transaction, but that is because they are liquidating their old and nearly obsolete stockpiles. Perun looked into the numbers and Russia is not able to keep up with the attrition rates. At best, 10% of the material sent to the front is new build. The rest is refurbished Soviet legacy stockpiles.
    2
  1268.  @kostaanestopoulos5189  Pyrrhic victories are not something to be proud of. Even the Russian milbog sphere has been lamenting these not as victories but as failures.
    2
  1269.  @nkosipwl  Yes, it occurred during WW1. The Imperial Russian army went home after shooting its officers. The Oktober Revolution started soon after. Then you have Operation Faustschlag when the Germans inflicted a MAJOR defeat on the Soviet Red Army who at that time was under the command of Leon Trotsky.
    2
  1270. The fact that Kiev is still independent is already a victory over Russia. The problem is that people have moved the goalposts for what constitutes victory.
    2
  1271. That also assumes that Russia isn't dedicating troops to protect its borders with China and Kazakstan. Those are NOT like the US-Canadian border.
    2
  1272. Alpha Strike. Or a WELL prepared defense tailored to defeating its specific weaknesses.
    2
  1273. And they don't consider that Russia still has to protect its borders with China and Kazakhstan. Those are not like the US-Canadia border.
    2
  1274. I think Ukraine has been inflict that 10 to 1 loss on Russia both in Bakhmut and Advika. The problem is that outside of urban conflict, Ukraine cannot sustain those ratios on open fields. It isn't a lack of ability on the part of the Ukrainians, but rather on the myopia of the Russian MOD towards urban conflict but a more coherent perspective in open fields.
    2
  1275. So you don't think that Kiev has a say in the matter? if that were the case, then why hasn't the UAF folded like the Afghan National Army or the ARVN of South Vietnam?
    2
  1276.  @01Sassoon  The problem is that Logistics didn't win Afghanistan. Generals like Donahue forgot how to actually fight a battle and lost because tactics CAN be employed to defeat logistics. The whole rock-paper-scissors meaning you need ALL parts working otherwise logistics alone won't save you.
    2
  1277. Indeed. How many hoax reports from "anonymous sources" have to be proven false for people to realize that "unnamed sources" is NOT credible and is no better than internet gossip.
    2
  1278. Ukraine can still conduct trench warfare during Rasputisa. Once they make the breakthrough the last line, they can then roll up the trenches and destroy the Russian forces in echelon and enfilade. The big part will be getting enough gravel to lay down roads parallel to those trenches so the vehicles can support the slow trench clearing operations.
    2
  1279. Bakhmut was Stalingrad 2.0, with the Russians playing the Wehrmacht and the Ukrainians playing the Soviet Red Army.
    2
  1280. I am all for emptying out the old stockpiles. This SHOULD be the perfect excuse for the DoD to do an inventory (ie audit) of the guard units and supply depots to see what all is in the arsenal. The stuff that is expiring or out of date can quickly be transferred to Ukraine.
    2
  1281. You said the same thing about Bakhmut. And Advika. Pyrrhic victories are not the win you think they are.
    2
  1282. Not really. Trump delivers. Putin makes empty threats.
    2
  1283.  @edwinmartin9120  Poland and Czechoslovakia tried that in the 1930s. Didn't work out so well. Israel tried that in the 1990s and it also failed to bring peace. "Land for peace" is just another way of saying "appeasement".
    2
  1284. I think Ukraine should demand a return to the 1918 borders.
    2
  1285.  @bfa-xi1py  Wow, triggered much? You have lost the plot. You contradicted your own argument claiming that the whole point of WW2 was WW1. "If it takes a lot of words to say what you have in mind, give it more thought," -Dennis Roch
    2
  1286.  @bfa-xi1py  What colonies did Germany try to retain or acquire in WW2? Part of the reason why the ideology of the Third Reich never gained wide traction is because unlike with Bolshevism, there was nowhere for them to export it. Germany's Asian possessions were swallowed up by Imperial Japan. France and the UK took over the African territories. Russia was NOT a colonizing power leading up to WW1, so your whole argument is moot.
    2
  1287. Yeah, my Air Force MTL at Keesler was deployed to Iraq. His helmet which had a number of shrapnel scratches on it was affectionately called "The Brain Bucket". There was a certain level of reverence for it since it prevented him from becoming another notch in a Jihadi's belt of kills.
    2
  1288.  @stephenglover8828  Thank you. My previous post pointing out that he was promoted out of the MoD to another position in Putin's inner circle got deleted.
    2
  1289. He also blatantly ignores that Putin gave Shoigu a more prestigious role in his inner circle. Calling this a firing completely misses the bigger picture.
    2
  1290. He wasn't fired, he was promoted out of the MoD. He is still a part of Putin's inner circle.
    2
  1291.  @SerendipityChild  US Aid expiring in October means that no new material is being pledged or budgeted for. That does NOT mean that what is already pledged and in the pipe is not going to be delivered. That is where you are being disingenuous. There is still at least a year's worth of materials still in backlog. The issue isn't the gear, equipment, and physical stuff being sent. The biggest problem is the pallets of cash being sent to Ukraine much like Obama did with the cash sent to Iran. Ukraine is still as corrupt as it was in the 2000s with companies like Burisma acting as money laundering fronts for corrupt western politicians and their family members like Hunter and James Biden. Even Ukrainian born Congresswoman Victoria Spartz is asking where all of the money has gone.
    2
  1292. Indeed. The Ukrainians don't have to cross in Kherson, they can simply come down the East bank in Zaphoresia.
    2
  1293. Yup, I think the trope is called "Ass-kicking Christmas". And yes, Ukraine is ready for cold weather combat, unilke the Russians.
    2
  1294. General Forst favors the prepared. And both Norway and Canada have been sending cold weather gear since August.
    2
  1295. The Ukrainians have been supplied with cold weather gear from the Canadians and Norwegians since August. They are ready for a winter offensive.
    2
  1296. Then why all of the winter gear from Norway and Canada? If anything, the winter is the best time to make use of the momentum. General Frost favors the prepared and Ukraine is ready for winter ccombat.
    2
  1297. @Comabt_Veteran_Reacts Paul, dude, do you not realize that the Siege of Petersburg and the Weldon Railway during the US Civil War was basically Trench Warfare? The Battle for the Crater, Globe Tavern, Reams Station, New Market Heights, Peebles Farm ,et. al were all attempts to get out of the stalemate of the trenches. As an Army Officer, you should know these things.
    2
  1298. Not without the consent of the governor releasing them. This was part of the issue when Oklahoma refused to mandate the Wuhan Virus shot and the Feds threatened to decertify the guard.
    2
  1299.  @julius7539  Exactly. History has shown that people simply replace one set of tyrants with an entirely new set, and the cycle of violence and recrimination continues. Very rarely does that negative feedback get broken. And the US is following down the same path.
    2
  1300. They have been saying tanks are obsolete since the end of WW2 and the development of the Helicopter. It wasn't true then, and it is not true now. These naysayers are making the same blunder as the "experts" then. Namely that as technology develops, so does doctrine. The idea of massed tanks was flawed in WW2 and still is. The Tank is SUPPOSED to be used in combined arms. Even Heinz Guderian said so in his book. The Blitzkrieg was combined arms, armor with air power supported with infantry.
    2
  1301. These people also forget that Guderian always called for a squad of infantry providing support for a tank.
    2
  1302.  @minimaxi6173  Didn't the Japanese try that with their type-3 beehive shells? American pilots found them to be nice pyrotechnics, but not very effective.
    2
  1303.  @joepetto9488  You are making a distinction without a difference. Most historians and military enthusiasts don't split hairs the way you are.
    2
  1304. Tanks were always meant to be in combined arms with infantry support. Even Heinz Guderian foot stomped this.
    2
  1305. Heinz Guderian always argued for combined arms. The German Blitzkrieg was basically CAS backing up tanks and infantry.
    2
  1306.  @Canoby  Nor do they realize that Blitzkrieg which he had a hand in formalizing was essentially combined arms. People have this false idea that it was massive tank Collums.
    2
  1307. That is pretty much what Heinz Guderian said.
    2
  1308. After WW2 people said that the Helicopter would make the tank obsolete. Wasn't true then and is not true now. The problem is, people haven't read Guderian's book. He even said that tanks NEEDED infantry support at all times.
    2
  1309.  @kruggmichaels8958  Saving face and honor are actually two different things. One can have honor and publicly lose face, while someone with NO honor or integrity can manage to have face and great clout. The contrast is a favorite topic of Samurai dramas. The example I would use is Tojo and Yamamoto. Tojo had face but no honor. Yamamoto had honor, but not enough face to challenge Tojo. I do agree with you that both are alien concepts to folks in the west.
    2
  1310.  @johnshite4656  And yet the world was safer under Trump with no new wars. As Bin Laden said, "the world respect a strong horse". Trump is that strong horse.
    2
  1311.  @ivanfiorani1363  Kiev still stands independent and free of the Kremlin. Two years now into a Three-Day operation. Yeah, Russia is losing when they are on their THRID army because their elites were all killed off in the first year of the war.
    2
  1312. Put down the Sherry, you are drunk.
    2
  1313. Sure you did. If you voted for Trump is 2016 and 2020, there is zero reason to vote against him again.
    2
  1314. On what charge? The Georgia electors' case is imploding due to misconduct.
    2
  1315.  @truebluereef419  Where? California? Here in Indiana, they didn't change at all. The ONLY places they MIGHT have dropped is in blue areas that were locked down.
    2
  1316.  @gingernightmare9152  In the New Hampshire primary? Clearly not, but it DID account for over half of Haley's voters, which clearly invalidates WSJ's numbers.
    2
  1317. @jlm6448 Her message is hard to swallow when she refuses to admit her mistakes. Only when you own your failures does it become easier to hear your new perspective.
    2
  1318. Overton Window.
    2
  1319. Welcome back to the light. We all make mistakes, and you prevented it from becoming a blunder. That is worthy of praise.
    2
  1320.  @actionjksn  It also means you have no principles and shift as the wind blows.
    2
  1321. Which shows that people like him are bigoted against the women in their own racial community. Ironic.
    2
  1322. Iran is doubtful. Especially as they have some hostile neighbors of their own (Azerbaijan in particular). China is more likely to use the opportunity to retake "Outer Manchuria" (aka the Amur Oblast which was once part of Imperial China).
    2
  1323. General Frost has favored Russia in the winter. And the Soviet Red Army made its greatest gains against the Wehrmacht in the winter. Do bear in mind that Canada and Norway have been sending cold weather gear to Ukraine since August. Russia is having trouble equipping for summer combat operations. I agree with your assessment about Russia's gambit and strategy. But I think Putin will find that much like with the initial invasion and the subsequent "partial mobilization", he has grossly miscalculated.
    2
  1324. Jason Borune and James Bond are not realistic. That is not how spies and assassins operate; too flashy and too obvious.
    2
  1325.  @Roger_Gadd  I agree on both counts. Oh, and those they consider Russian are likely the collaborators. Those who consider themselves Ukrainians are likely staying because they don't want to be under Russia's authority.
    2
  1326. Agreed. Mr. Spaniel thinks he can rationalize a settlement using numbers and statistics when wars are just as much about morale and emotions.
    2
  1327. There is some merit to those points aside from the "unintentionally provoking Russia". The whole bit about NATO expansion (not your argument, but the one often made) fails to consider that FInland, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, Czechia, and the Baltic States all have agency of their own and would choose to join of their own free will. One has to ask why both historically neutral countries as well as former Warsaw Pact nations would choose to join.
    2
  1328. Which is ironic considering that NATO has not sent any troops into the area. Putin is jumping at a figment of his imagination. Nato's expansion is a result of his own paranoia driving the former Warsaw Pact into the Western camp.
    2
  1329. And it wlll take at least one season for that to happen with how large the area is. I predict this war will go on for at least another year.
    2
  1330. Yeah, something tells me that General Frost will favor Ukraine, not Russia. And the nuclear option is a dangerous one while the air defenses around Moscow and Petrograd have been stripped bare and sent to Ukraine.
    2
  1331. He certainly does have a Napoleon complex. Recent pictures of him show he is actually rather short. So is Zelensky, but the president of Ukraine never pretended to be tall.
    2
  1332.  @kevinmoffatt  Which is sad because as an American, I had high hopes for the QEs to be conventional back-up for our nuclear Carriers.
    2
  1333. Doesn't follow typical actions of western governments. It DOES comport with jihadi modus operendi.
    2
  1334.  @UnaliverOfChildren  As if Russian and Chinese agencies don't also engage in such black ops activity. Spare me your moral grandstanding.
    2
  1335. Al Qaeda attacked the US in 9/11 from Afghanistan. Checkmate.
    2
  1336. They are throwing anything and everything at the wall and see what sticks. It is an unhinged derangement.
    2
  1337. Russia leasing Sevastopol is not what keeps Ukraine out of NATO, it was territorial disputes. Same goes for Georgia's application to NATO.
    2
  1338. Put down the vodka, private conscriptovich. You are so drunk you are hallucinating.
    2
  1339. Russia lost two of their A-50s (Soviet AWACS). The Russian air fleet is going in blind, not knowing if there are interceptors lying in wait.
    2
  1340. Agreed. The price of oil and gasoline has been decoupled since the 1980s. I guarantee that big Oil has storage for refined gasoline so that they are insulated in both directions from the fluctuations in price. One only needs to look at CITGO and its connection to Venezuela to understand this.
    2
  1341.  @RoshanKumar-br6op  Religious zealots often start out as revolutionaries. Iran for example was under the Shah until religious revolutionaries under Khomeini overthrew the government and instituted its theocracy backed by, yes, THE IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD. Iran today doesn't just support anyone. The specifically back ISLAMIC resistance moments. So, while your contentions on the surface may be logical, they are predicated on false assumptions that blatantly ignore critical details and miss the bigger picture.
    2
  1342. US Military vessels were not in the Gulf of Aden before the Houthis started harassing ships. In that you are putting the cart before the horse. I do agree with you that there is no point wasting treasure and blood in Yemen. It is the Egyptians who should be invading Yemen, not the US.
    2
  1343. Agreed. Anything less than there total annihilation would be viewed as they defeating the decadent West. That being said, the US should NOT get too involved in Yemen. Coordinate the actions of local forces, but the US does not need to waste blood and treasure in a part of the world that provides nothing of value.
    2
  1344. Yeah, DeGaulle and company have been ungrateful jerks since the ANGLO (US, UK, and the commonwealth nations) world rescued them.
    2
  1345.  @Gnomezonbacon  A month is a lifetime in both politics and war. You are rationalizing (making excuses fallacy).
    2
  1346.  @sergarlantyrell7847  Yes I did, and it is all hypothetical. Or did YOU miss that part?
    2
  1347.  @FlorinSutu  Dein Bein Phu reinforced that perception.
    2
  1348. Even Russia doesn't believe that. Put down the vodka, you are drunk.
    2
  1349. If that were true, Kiev would have welcomed the Russians with flowers instead of Molotov Cocktails.
    2
  1350.  @shueyk2320  The fact that the Russian Black Fleet has fled Novorossiysk for the safety of Rostov-on-Don, completely abandoning the Black Sea to a country with NO active Navy, yeah that IS winning.
    2
  1351. Your rebuttal is cope for the Russia is winning crowd. Put down the Vodka, you are drunk.
    2
  1352.  @u2beuser714  Actually, it is a VERY accurate analogy. Because it DOES quantify unknows such as the unpredictability of irrational human behaviors. I failed to see you provide a counter-example which means than my point still stands. Try using an ACTUAL argument instead of emotional outbursts.
    2
  1353. That would be a very interesting question. I think the ruble would reveal its true value unless China fixed the conversion rate, which comes with its own problems.
    2
  1354. Don't forget the French. Macron has a score to settle over being humiliated in Africa.
    2
  1355.  @Nightss  Ukrainian casualties are recoverable, especially when the time from frontlines to emergency trauma centers in rear areas is AT MOST 36 hours. Contrast that to Russian casualties when their EVAC time is a MINIMUM of 3 days. Tank numbers don't mean anything when what Russia is sending to the front lines are T-64 and T-72 tanks built almost have a century ago. As for artillery, Ukraine makes EVERY shot count by limiting to counter-battery fire. Rarely do they miss. Conversely, Russia has to use as many as 20 shells to hit a target. With drastically different accuracy rates like that, Russia's artillery advantage becomes irrelevant. You need to stop listening to KREMLIN propaganda and start reading the Insitute for the Study of War as well as the Royal United Services Insitute analysis.
    2
  1356. A bigger issue is if Ukraine choose to even let those areas go. They many not and may instead opt to fight for six or seven years in an attritional battle to gain them back. That is where the author miscalculates with his fancy lines on a map. Ukraine's yellow line may be at the original Russian-Ukrainian border. On another tangent, if their offensive in Kherson is successful, they may turn south to Crimea rather than north to Donesk. From a strategic point, Crimea gives Ukraine more strategic options than simply pushing into Donbas.
    2
  1357.  @mitri5389  Useless fronts? The fact that Ukraine has managed to fight a numerically superior foe to an effective draw show that their actions are anything but useless. If anything, Russia is the one dividing its forces making them weaker overall.
    2
  1358.  @juicebox86  As George S. Patton famously said, "you are not defeated until you admit defeat". Ukraine refuses to admit defeat and why should they? The fact that they fought a numerically superior foe to an effective draw show that Russia is NOT in a very strong position. The author of the video is wrong about wars only lasting a few months. MOST wars actually last for at least THREE years. The Ukrainians are barely six months into this war. As many have pointed out, all of Ukraine was overrun by the Germans in less than six months during Operation: Barbarossa. The Soviets stopped them at the tractor factory in Stalingrad. And a little more than two years after that, the Third Reich fell. Try looking at the battle maps of WW2 in that part of the world. The Ukrainians today have defended a number of cities using almost the exact same strategies as the defenders did in WW2. In many cases, they have been MORE successful than in WW2. So, no. You are counting your eggs before they have hatched. This war is FAR from over and you need to open your mind beyond your flawed preconceived notions.
    2
  1359.  @juicebox86  Then you don't believe in treaty negotiations. History has shown time and again that you DO have to sit at the table with an aggressor to officially end hostilities. The only question is, do you have the stronger position or do they?
    2
  1360. Yeah, considering that in capturing cities like Sevrodonesk, the Russians basically reduced it to rubble. Scorched Earth is they typical pattern of Russian forces. You do make a good point about possible third-party attacks. Would hurt Ukraine more if someone outside their control did the deed, but you are wise to keep that scenario in mind. I wish more people considered third party attacks being responsible for the Nordstream pipe explosion.
    2
  1361. I agree that they should move to Zaporizhya and cut down to Melitopol to divide Russian forces in two and cut the land bridge.
    2
  1362. Putting the cart before the horse. The USSR didn't join the war until TWO DAYS AFTER HIROSHIMA and one day before Nagasaki. You are engaging in an anachronistic fallacy. If anything, the Japanese wanted the Russians to act as mediators between them and the Allies. Stalin only declared war because he knew the war would end before he could claim war spoils.
    2
  1363.  @karineroumache9124  Nothing wrong with asking questions with the purpose of gaining a better understanding. I applaud that. Sadly, most discussions of American use of nuclear weapons degenerates into insipid recriminations and loaded questions rife with anachronistic claims. To your first question, the US had already used large scale incendiary weapons in Tokyo. Compared to that, the use of nuke was actually LESS destructive than the firebombing. As for legislation, there was none specifically regulating the use of nukes and so their use actually fell under the auspices of the local commanders. They just happened to choose to defer to the POTUS, setting the standard by which modern nuclear use doctrine follows.
    2
  1364.  @karineroumache9124  Your questions are an example of presentism (chronological fallacy). You are judging their actions based on today's standards which is an inappropriate way to analyze that situation. By the laws in place for that time (both American and international), it was absolutely justified. And yes, they did test the trinity device before they dropped it on Nagasaki.
    2
  1365. I agree with all except for the testing part. Hiroshima was the location of an Army barracks used to train newly conscripted soldiers making it a valid target under the Law of Armed Conflict. Further, Nagasaki was the primary munitions production site, with ALL of the torpedoes used by the IJN and most of the artillery shells having been produced there. Munitions production is also a legitimate military target under LOAC.
    2
  1366.  @znail4675  And yet Stalin said he needed 30 days before he would enter the war. He moved up the timetable because the second nuke made it clear that the Japanese would surrender before his deadline.
    2
  1367.  @jgw9990  That is a very even-handed assessment, and I cannot refute anything you point out. What is just as telling is how many blindly followed them, knowing full well what they were doing was wrong. "The Banality of Evil" must also be applied to Japan. So, if we are to condemn the German people for their complicity in the Holocaust, so should we also blame the Japanese for allowing the brutalities inflicted not just on China but on the Okinawans, Guam, and Saipan (Banzai Cliff and Suicide Cliff). "Japan's future is bleak if it is forced to kill one of its best pilots. I am not going on this mission for the Emperor or for the Empire ... I am going because I was ordered to!" -Yukio Seki before he took off on his Kamikaze attack which sank the USS St. Lo at the Battle off Samar.
    2
  1368.  @patclark2186  Yeah, if only those same wargamers would pay attention to the warning by Michael Pilsbury about China. Much like how Erich Marcks played the Americans in Wehrmacht wargames and correctly predicted the Normandy invasion (and was ignored by German High Command), when Pilsbury plays Team Gold/Red (China) how the Chinese actually operate and behave, he NEVER loses. I fear American war planners have grossly mis-judged the Chinese almost as bad as Putin misjudged the Ukrainians.
    2
  1369. Indeed. I am glad he pointed out the fuel and waste storage pools. Fukushima's leak came for those and NOT the reactors as the sensationalist falsely claim.
    2
  1370. Only one country is fighting Russia, and that is Ukraine. If NATO actually joined the fight, it would be over in a week. The entire might of the West is NOT engaged in Ukraine. Put down the Vodka.
    2
  1371. India is getting irritated with Russia's failure to deliver on its weapons deals.
    2
  1372. Negative Nancy. I think you greatly underestimate the Ukrainian logistical situation. NATO has given them what they need to sustain themselves, with Russia graciously donating the Soviet equipment they need.
    2
  1373.  @marvinegreen  I agree with you on that. Take the option nobody expects.
    2
  1374. A direct assault on Belograd would NOT be supported by the west and it would be too costly for the Ukrainians. However, there is nothing against striking military targets in that area with HIMARS.
    2
  1375. The problem with the peninsula is that it is marshy, meaning it is NOT good ground for combat operations. I suspect the Ukrainians are there simply to harass the Russia position from the flank and force them to commit resources to an area of otherwise no significant value.
    2
  1376.  @TheSkyGuy77  Then explain why Putin never invaded Ukraine during Trump's presidency. Explain why he chose to steal Crimea when Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy. Biden is no hardliner, having dragged his feet since day one of the invasion.
    2
  1377. You blame the US after pointing to Zelensky's comments. That is a non-sequitur. The US is tired of war after the disastrous fall of Kabul. The US didn't even want to give Ukraine war material when the invasion started. It was only the desperate defense of Kiev that convinced the US to start backing Ukraine. Your problem is that you refuse to accept that Ukraine has any agency in this fight. The fall of the Afghan National Army or the Failure of the ARVN is what happens when the US backs a side that doesn't want to fight. Why hasn't the UAF folded like they did?
    2
  1378.  @shaneb315  From the Kremlin no doubt.
    2
  1379. There are a number of jokes out there regarding the sized of his kahonas. One joke has a plane crew removing him from the flight because they (his balls) put the vehicle over its weight threshold.
    2
  1380. Makes you wonder about some of the other militaries. Namely the North Koreans and Chinese. Don't underestimate them, but don't overestimate either.
    2
  1381. The Russian Bear is Geriatric.
    2
  1382. If the Ukrainians forces can take Melitapol, then they can pepper it with HIMARS from the beach.
    2
  1383.  @handmadehearts  Hence why I ask the question. Knowing Russia's proclivity for Potemkin Villages, are IAEA inspectors really seeing the true state of the Russian arsenal?
    2
  1384. Makes you wonder about the state of their nukes. Will they detonate in the silo instead of launching like they did on K-129?
    2
  1385.  @cruzcflores  And incompetent when they stormed Grozny. TWICE.
    2
  1386.  @zefft.f4010  Honey badger was my first thought.
    2
  1387.  @WingkKong  Funny, because America never colonized Central or South America the way the Spanish did. Every opportunity to do so and yet the US declined. Learn your history before you shoot off your mouth in ignorance. Interestingly, Korea has managed to survive being caught between both Japan and China. That kind of disproves your contention.
    2
  1388.  @nerdyali4154  Usually it does. However, Europe is less democratic and more hereditary Republic which differs from feudalism mostly in name. Aristocratic nobility of a different kind.
    2
  1389.  @truckwarrior5944  I don't think you have actually read the documents. But alas, you are shilling for her which is to be expected by people who will cherry pick and cast things in the most optimistic light rather than look at it through realpolitik and Machiavellism. Occam's Razor still sides with my analysis.
    2
  1390.  @TheDotBot  Except, her family were West German visitors connected with the embassy staff, NOT permanent residents. THAT is where your "everyone did it" argument falls apart. She joined for ideological reasons.
    2
  1391. It also helps to know the leader's background and motivations. Angela Merkel for example was a member of the East German Communist Youth League.
    2
  1392.  @arty5876  "Volunteeers"? I guess you missed the mass FORECED mobilization back in September of 2022. Conversely, Ukraine was so overwhelmed with volunteers in 2022 they had to send many of them back home. Put down the Vodka Private Conscriptovich, you are so drunk you are hallucinating.
    2
  1393.  @kartikeyatiwari2502  Ukraine never stated that their goal was to take the City of Kursk. That is the Kremlin talking point you are regurgitating on cue like Palov's Dog.
    2
  1394.  @kartikeyatiwari2502  How far away is Kursk City from the Ukrainian border? That was a big ask and not very practical. What they HAVE achieved IS comparable to the Kharkiv breakout in which Izyum fell and 1st Guard Tank Army, the Pride of Moscow was humiliated.
    2
  1395.  @vez3834  The Russian Bear is GERIATRIC!
    2
  1396. Considering that Zelensky was used as a campaign prop, he SHOULD be looking uncomfortable. Despite the overall anti-war position of Trump supporters, many are actually VERY sympathetic to Ukraine's plight. They just don't want American blood spilled over the whole affair. Zelensky shilling for Que-mala greatly damaged that sympathy.
    2
  1397. The man in the Kremlin is to blame for ALL of those deaths.
    2
  1398. Pyrrhic victories are NOT the "win" you think they are.
    2
  1399. You think Ukraine has the ability to manufacture replacement gear for what they have already lost? Look into Perun's defense production videos and you will find your answer.
    2
  1400. So you are saying that the Russian Army is so blind as to not see Ukrainian Frogmen place demolition charges on the Dam? And that they were powerless to stop it? That level of damage can ONLY be done by demolition charges, not missile strikes.
    2
  1401.  @neutralevil1917  The Crimea Reservoirs were down to 3-5% capacity when Russia invaded. The fact that securing the Dam was the FIRST objective of the invasion proves you wrong.
    2
  1402.  @balaclavabob001  I think he prefers Vodka.
    2
  1403.  @bigmoe9856  You are moving the goal posts to justify your position which is undercut by objective fact. Your argument is lost and now you are flailing to justify yourself.
    2
  1404.  @bigmoe9856  Does it? Russia never used nukes in Afghanistan when they lost badly to the Mujahadeen. Also, the US chose not to use nukes in Vietnam so your claim that a nuclear power will never lose is historically ignorant.
    2
  1405. I don't believe the claim about Crimean Reservoirs. It takes YEARS to fill them up. And if it only took one year to fill up, it would not last a full year.
    2
  1406.  @rjfaber1991  Indeed. While this makes the reconnaissance in force beachheads on the south untenable, they were merely landings of opportunity to begin with.
    2
  1407.  @asmo1313  I'm not sure that is the answer either. However, making the military base outside of Moscow a smoking crater WOULD be a good response.
    2
  1408. I disagree. The Ukrainians should NOT endanger Russian citizens but instead make it absolutely clear their dispute is with Putin and the Kremlin, not the Russian people. If doing that means helping the local population with small acts of kindness such as refilling someone's tank of gas who ran out.
    2
  1409.  @drzavnalutrija  You don't seem to realize that international law is nothing more that what people agree to recognize. And it is only their force of arms that upholds those agreements. To your bloviating point, for 30 years ALL of the world recognized Taipei as the legitimate Chinese government. Even the USSR agreed to that. That only changed because the US chose to recognized Beijing after Nixion visited. Then everyone changed to conform to that. Jerusalem was NOT recognized as the official capital of Isarel until Trump changed US policy and then suddenly the rest of the world stopped calling Tel Aviv the Israeli capital and acknowledged Jerusalem as the official capital. As far as the UN, the ONLY reason why it continues to exist is because of the US. The minute the US chooses to boot them from their compound in New York City is the moment the organization implodes just like its predecessor the League of Nations did. Learn your history.
    2
  1410. That was proposed early on, but the Russians rejected it.
    2
  1411. Are you implying that the Russian Army is blind to Ukrainian frogmen placing demolition charges?
    2
  1412. Something tells me she will lose in a blowout after this case is finished.
    2
  1413. And yet the banks who are supposed to be the victims said they got paid back in full. You don't actually care about justice, you just want to see the people you disagree with suffer to sooth your ego.
    2
  1414. Railroaded? Yup. Ironically, they are making Trump the Nelson Mandela of America.
    2
  1415. I wish he, Ben Carson, and Herman Cain were considered Black Icons alongside George Washington Carver, Madame C.J. Walker, Elijah McCoy, Garrett Augustus Morgan Sr. and Alfred L. Cralle. Barak Obama is not worthy to even hold their coat and act as valet to them.
    2
  1416. They want us to live in pods and eat the bugs. Developers WANT to build single family homes, but the politicians through obnoxious zoning laws prevent it. The Housing crisis is entirely artificial scarcity purposely created by corruption in government.
    2
  1417. They didn't know butter was $7 and you expect them to suddenly recover from the Marie Antoniette mentality?
    2
  1418. The state of the Arabs in Gaza is a direct result of Hamas. Israel is being unreasonably scrupulous with regards to crimes against humanity, yet people like you turn a blind eye to the war crimes of Hamas.
    2
  1419. "Back in the USSR, you don't know how lucky you are. Back in the USSR." -The Beatles.
    2
  1420. Agreed. Just another John Boehner.
    2
  1421. You posting the exact same comment as elsewhere only shows you are Pavlov's Dog. Who is the Russian asset now?
    2
  1422.  @TheBigfattuna  You are projecting. But then that is typical of what Vlad Lenin described as "useful idiots".
    2
  1423.  @Loucfr  Necrophillia is even more disgusting. My mother has been six feet under since 2011.
    2
  1424.  @Loucfr  TDS is not a good look.
    2
  1425. Picard's quip, "Shut up Westly!" comes to mind.
    2
  1426. I stand behind Baldwin.....becasue I sure as hell won't stand in front of him!
    2
  1427. Indeed. Most US Flag officers today are as worthless as a Russian General. There are not enough "mustangs" in the highest positions of the military. For those who don't know, a Mustang officer started out as enlisted, ie a Private in the Army or Marines, Airman in the USAF, or sailor recruit in the Navy.
    2
  1428. Yeah, I think this guy needs to look at the reason why folks in Guatemala in the 1980s spent money as quickly as they got it; the value halved by the end of the day.
    2
  1429. Guatemala in the 1980s. When the value of your currency at the end of the day is half of what it was at the start, you try to spend it as quickly as possible.
    2
  1430.  @rferg1533  The problem is that while there may be more dollars in people's bank accounts, those dollars are worth MUCH less than pre-pandemic. Which means the buying power of the saving is LESS. "Figures don't lie, but liars figure," -Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain.
    2
  1431.  @rferg1533  He is only telling half the story. People are spending like Guatemala in the 1980s. Meaning that they are trying to convert their currency to something of REAL value before the inflation makes the currency worthless. Total dollars in people's bank accounts may be up, but their value and buying power is LESS than pre-pandemic.
    2
  1432. BINGO! Think Guatemala in the 1980s.
    2
  1433.  @Mackalkka  When even leftist lawyers say that Merchan's behavior was out of line, you parroting the talking points of the DNC shows you have lost the plot. As for Hutner getting a pardon, well, there is a reason why "Biden Incorporated" is a meme.
    2
  1434.  @chatteyj  The problem is still the same: mass. The waste products still have the same mass as the original unspent fuel. And remember, both Uranium and Plutonium have more mass than lead. The Plutonium cores in NASA spacecraft are small, but still account for a significant portion of the mass and hence the Delta-V.
    2
  1435.  @katarn848  That sounds like a false canard. Typical drivel you would expect from people who subscribe to Lysenkoism and Michurinism.
    2
  1436.  @dadikkedude  Nitrogen in the soil doesn't cause it to lose live, it actual ENAHNCES it. Plants like Alfalfa have nodes on their roots that contain nitrogen fixing bacteria which helps to prevent depletion. That is why crop rotation is so important. The desire to reduce soil nitrates will actually cause it to become as barren as the Sahara.
    2
  1437. Yeah, since Turkey doesn't even meet the standards for joining NATO anymore, it's membership should be put on probation. Namely, the ability to block new members or have a say in strategic planning is suspended until they are once again in compliance.
    2
  1438.  @Sphere723  Extremely well in the short term, but the long-term costs actually stifle it. Countries with LOW levels of debt see boom-times. Countries with large amounts of debt are hamstrung by the interest.
    2
  1439. I was just thinking about that. And while initially Alex Hamilton's idea of consolidating the debt within the national treasury sounded nice, reality was, Hamilton had zero intention of ever paying off that debt. He and Henry Knox along with their stock jobber (ie gamblers) buddies who caused Shay's Rebellion in Massachusetts were going to game the system and extract lots of money from the taxpayers by leveraging that debt to line their pockets. Those that say a nation makes money off its own debt are liars who would directly benefit while bilking the taxpayers.
    2
  1440. Wishful thinking.
    2
  1441.  @TheIceCream1  I do, it is called "The Prince" by Machiavelli or "Von Kreige" by Carl von Clausewitz. That is how I understand what people like you blatantly ignore. You should try reading yourself, you might learn something.
    2
  1442.  @TheIceCream1  How WESTERN and Eurocentric of you to think that. Niccolò Machiavelli is actually the norm in the world. One only needs to look at the rulers of the disparate factions in Africa to understand that peace is the aberration, not the norm.
    2
  1443.  @jonmacdonald5010  Agreed. This looks just as bizarre as Operation: Mincemeat.
    2
  1444. They said the same thing about Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and those cities were rebuilt after 30 years. Stop fearmongering and exaggerating the effects of nuclear fallout.
    2
  1445. Indeed. Kyshtym was far worse than Fukshima. So was the Windscale Fire.
    2
  1446. False flag. Militaries do it all the time.
    2
  1447.  @Juho221  It shows that the Russians blatantly lie about who is responsible for shelling. In the Azov POW case, how come only the prisoners died and none of the guards got a scratch? Same applies to shelling at the nuclear plant.
    2
  1448.  @nonyabisness6306  Agreed. Which is why I say the IAEA classifying it as a seven was NOT based on hard science but rather politics. More people died as a result of the Windscale fire and the Lucens Reactor in Switzerland than did from Fukushima.
    2
  1449. Good catch. Most people don't realize that much of the radiation from Fukushima came for the waste storage pools. I am glad you pointed that out with regards to this power plant.
    2
  1450. Not possible. Tropical systems don't develop in the Black Sea. And the wind patterns are not conducive for an Atlantic Hurricane to travel across the Mediterranean to that part of the world.
    2
  1451.  @probium2832  It should even be a 7 as both the Kyshtym disaster and the Windscale fire were MUCH worse than Fukushima. Further, most of the leaked radiation from Fukushima was from the waste storage pools, not the core itself.
    2
  1452.  @ivrearde3236  Not really. The US could have helped them to dismantle the weapons for their component parts.
    2
  1453. Yeah, the claim that it was a truck bomb ignores the damage patter which indicated that the explosion occurred UNDER the bridge deck.
    2
  1454. The fact that the bridge sections were lifted up and sideways is indication that the explosion was UNDER the deck, not above it.
    2
  1455.  @Mr.Septon  I guess that is what is irritating me the most. The blasé attitude of Western leaders who care more about financing their little pet project (and laundering a cut off the top) rather than securing the liberties of their posterity. Again, I see Western leaders on BOTH ends of the political divide being spineless Jellyfish because posturing and grandstanding is easy when they are not the ones being fired at in anger. A bunch of damn peacocks, the whole lot of them. PS: thanks for putting up with my ranting and raving.
    2
  1456. I like your nuanced perspective. Yes, I believe the people of the West still support Ukraine, but the political leaders of the West are looking for excuses to leverage the conflict to gain more power. Rather cynical that Western "leaders" are willing to gamble Ukraine's freedom from Neo-Soviet oppression just to score a few cheap political points. And this goes for BOTH sides of the equation, not just Republicans but the pandering to the anti-war left.
    2
  1457.  @Andreas_42  Was is Fukushima or was it the Lucens Reactor Disaster in 1969 that killed the Swiss appetite for nuclear power?
    2
  1458.  @ArawnOfAnnwn  Don't need to have the arming codes to be useful or threatening. The US designed those control mechanisms, so the Ukrainians could have asked for assistance in cracking them. Further, just because they could not be armed, doesn't mean they couldn't be dismantled for components, namely the cores to be repurposed. And for those throwing barbs at the US for ripping up control agreements, might I remind you of the failure of the Washington Naval Treaty attempting to do the same thing? The US was the LAST nation to stop observing it.
    2
  1459.  @tetraxis3011  Doesn't matter. They could have disassembled them for components. When the arming device won't work, simply remove it and replace.
    2
  1460.  @HotAI-1990  The yield may be bigger, but the physics haven't changed. The radioactive byproducts are NOT significantly worse just because the yield is larger. The decay products are short-lived on the order of days to months unlike the years to centuries resulting from the fizzle of a nuclear reactor core accident. Fearmongers like you capitalize on people's ignorance of that. Some of us actually study nuclear physics and know the truth.
    2
  1461. Indeed. Even Michael Crichton used the WW2 firebombing campaigns to show that fears of nuclear winter were exaggerated. Even Pinatubo which released energy equivalent to the world's stockpile barely made a dent in the climate.
    2
  1462.  @GhantaToGhantaal  Even Oppenheimer observed that had he not created it, someone else would have. This was a genie that was never going to remain in the bottle forever.
    2
  1463. Agreed. The Chernobyl exclusion zone shows that extinction is highly unlikely. And nuclear weapons produce short decay products unlike a nuclear fizzle of a reactor core accident.
    2
  1464. You basically described the Washington Naval Treaty.
    2
  1465. Indeed. Some people don't realize that nuclear control treaties have a precursor that failed spectacularly: The Washington Naval treaty restricting battleship construction.
    2
  1466. Yeah, the irony is that life is THRIVING in the exclusion zone. Species on the verge of extinction are now in numbers not seen since antiquity. So much for nuclear devastation causing extinction.
    2
  1467.  @thekaiser1156  Wow, you don't know anything about seaworthiness, do you? The Navigator at the helm SHOULD have run directly into the Iceberg; the ship's foreword compartment would have been smashed, but the rest of the ship would have been saved. IN EXTREMUS, you WANT to turn into the crash when in a ship on water. Your proposal is not serious, it is just an excuse to do nothing and dither. You don't want to face the problem; you would rather attempt to side-step it like the pilot on the Titanic did. And that cause more problems than it solves. You do NOT negotiate with terrorists. They are just as fanatical as the Japanese Kamikaze. How did the West defeat Imperial Japan? Same concept applies here.
    2
  1468.  @thekaiser1156  That is not a solution. That is what Sudan basically did (sending him to Afghanistan) and it achieved NOTHING. Your "compromise" was simply moving the deck chairs on the Titanic.
    2
  1469. How long do you think it took the Tsunami to reach Fiji? It is most likely that wave which damaged the communications cable connecting Tonga to the rest of the world.
    2
  1470. Eating the eye candy, eh? I don't blame you, but I tend to prefer East Asian women.
    2
  1471.  @directordigitaldiscoursefo4171  I think Pinatubo was classified as a 6. But I do agree with you that this is another good way to factor in volcanic effects into the equation.
    2
  1472. Humans cannot control volcanic eruptions. It is pure hubris to think we can.
    2
  1473. How is Russia going to escalate? They already have been lobbing missiles at the power grid since the first Kerch Bridge attack.
    2
  1474.  @augustinemadukwe9335  Like what? Didn't they waste Iksander Missiles going after the power grid in response to the first Kerch Bridge attack. I think the Ukrainians know what to expect.
    2
  1475. The great restraint and scrupulousness of the Ukrainians in attack Russian targets shows that NATO SHOULD let them start using NATO weapons against military targets in Russia.
    2
  1476. Seems like even Marshall Mud will not stop Ukraine.
    2
  1477. State the crime. Even Merrick Garland chose to pass on prosecuting Trump.
    2
  1478. What for? The Prosecution has failed to even state what the crime is, a violating of 6th amendment due process.
    2
  1479. That dam is what ensures water gets to Crimea. They would be shooting themselves in the foot if they did.
    2
  1480. With the air defenses around Moscow and Petrograd completely dismantled and sent to Ukraine? Why would he do so while he is vulnerable like that?
    2
  1481. The Russian Bear is Geriatric. They should have captured Kiev in just three days. It has been six months, and at the rate they are going, it will be next century before they return to the gates of Ukraine's capital.
    2
  1482. They still made pushes in Kherson, it was just slower and more methodical. Too many people expect a Blitzkrieg when war is usually a slow slog.
    2
  1483. With the Moscow and Petrograd air defenses having been completely removed and sent to Ukraine? Why leave himself exposed like that if he is going to use a nuke?
    2
  1484. Not with Moscow and Petrograd's air defenses dismantled and sent to Ukraine. Why leave himself vulnerable like that if he plans on using nukes?
    2
  1485.  @MrB1923  Yeah, the retreat of the Russian Army in Kharkiv speaks for itself. The Russian Bear is Geriatric.
    2
  1486. Wishful thinking. The tide has turned against Russia. The fall of Isyum and the complete route of the First Army Tank Guards, the pride of Moscow is proof of that.
    2
  1487.  @thetaexali9550  So how does Russia evacuating Kherson make any difference? What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
    2
  1488. Why did the US evacuate Kabul? Why did the US evacuate Saigon? Use your head.
    2
  1489. Yes it is. It is hate by proxy. Fashionable anti-Jewish hate.
    2
  1490. Because there is not logic behind it. They are acting purely on emotion because they want to be part of the "in crowd". This is exactly how the German Nationalist Worker's party came to power.
    2
  1491. One Western tank while losing over 2,000 of theirs. Not the victory people are making it out to be.
    2
  1492. All four are alive and well. Can't say the same for a turret tossing T-72.
    2
  1493. I also find myself asking why the Canadians didn't shoot it down either. Then I remember that pretty boy Trudick is also in China's pocket.
    2
  1494. Loiter time over the target. Also, the resolution is much better from 60,000 feet.
    2
  1495. A Day late and a dollar short.
    2
  1496. It is called a land-swap. Russia gets back Kursk while Ukraine gets back Kherson, Zaphoresia, Luhansk, and Donesk.
    2
  1497. Name one. Specifics, not generalities.
    2
  1498. This time Russia doesn't have the US and UK providing them supplies to fight that battle like they did in WW2.
    2
  1499. My guess is that Western Logistics has been a factor in their planning of this. While the Soviet system heavily relied on rail (as we have seen with Russia), the Ukrainians have been depending more on wheeled and tracked vehicles to deliver supplies (the M113 battle taxi can deliver supplies just as easily as troops.)
    2
  1500. The battle of Kiev says otherwise. So does the collapse as Izyum. And the evacuation of Kherson City.
    2
  1501.  @ishakkyusuf8784  Cleaner. We don't just butcher people on a whim. Kimmy had been known to do that. So has Putin, particularly with Polonium.
    2
  1502. Except that they are the breadbasket of the world. Most of the grain they produce goes to feed Africa and the Middle East.
    2
  1503. The problem is that Bejing will not let it happen. They want to use North Korea much like how the Soviet used Poland after WW2.
    2
  1504. Anyone who doesn't believe Beijing has designs and ambitions for "Outer Manchuria" doesn't understand that China plays the long game.
    2
  1505. Anglophobes never fail to disappoint me.
    2
  1506. It does constitute a War Crime under the Geneva and Hauge conventions. But good luck getting the UN to enforce those statutes.
    2
  1507.  @tbird4a  Prove it. The burden of proof is on those accusing Ukraine because the preponderance of evidence implicates Russia.
    2
  1508. Antonovski Bridge says otherwise. THAT is the extent of the damage HIMARS could deliver to the dam.
    2
  1509.  @zelenskyy-the-blackmailerh5920  HIMARS doesn't create large holes. Look at the Antinovski Bridge.
    2
  1510. Wagner was complaining that MOD troops were shelling their own forces. This is actually par the course for Russian "friendly fire".
    2
  1511.  @a564-c3q  No joke. Most of them remember what the Palestinians did to Lebanon in the 1980s. And the Jordan before that in 1970. They are terrible house guests.
    2
  1512.  @annviolet4727  How? Specifics. I seriously doubt that Egypt allows Israel to dictate their border policies.
    2
  1513.  @trussmonkey5910  The Romans deported them from JUDEA in 73 AD after the Roman sacking of Jerusalem during the Jewish-Roman war. They then made up the name "Palestina" in an attempt to erase the history of JUDEA. The Jewish population was really only allowed to return to the region during the British Mandate period after WW1. The return only happened in earnest during WW2 and the period afterwards when Stalin started quietly persecuting Jews.
    2
  1514.  @Hereford1642  Putting crap out of your rear end? The Kremin doesn't get to dictate to Ukraine whom they can associate with. They are not slaves of the Russians.
    2
  1515. Except, Ukraine ISN"T targeting civilians in Russia. Putin's buddies are doing false flag attacks to promote sympathy. Except, it isn't working.
    2
  1516. How has Russia been threatened? The only wars Russia has been involved in are the ones that the Kremlin started. Georgia and Ukraine were and are no threat to Russia. Japan is no threat either.
    2
  1517.  @Lezzyboy87  Words are cheap. Actions speak louder.
    2
  1518. Because the word fits the situation.
    2
  1519. They tried that when they attacked Israel in 1948, rejecting the UN two-state solution. They tried again in 1967 and 1973, failing both times. The problem isn't that Israel doesn't want to live in peace, it is that the Arabs, particularly the Arabs who call themselves "Palestinian" who refuse to live in peace.
    2
  1520. Japanese send bombs to the US via balloons in WW2. Started several forest fires.
    2
  1521. The Japanese did the same thing in WW2. The incendiary bombs started a number of forest fires.
    2
  1522.  @ltipst2962  The SR-71 was replaced with.....the U-2 Dragon Lady. No joke, the plane that the SR-71 was supposed to replace has since replaced it!
    2
  1523. Yes. It actually has better loiter time than the U-2 Dragon Lady.
    2
  1524. I'm guessing that like the Zeppelin, the balloon actually has several separate gas bags so that if the exterior is punctured, the whole thing doesn't come down at once.
    2
  1525.  @stevedenis8292  Fidel's illegitimate son is effectively in President Poohbear's pocket.
    2
  1526. Hunter had business dealings in China. This is a known fact that the media would have your forget.
    2
  1527.  @anton9002  Descendants of Ishamel as Muslims claim are HAMITIC, not Semitic. Ishamel was born to Egyptian Hagar. Ishamel's 12 sons were also born to Egyptian women. That makes them Hamites, not Semites.
    2
  1528. Apologizing for Joseph Stalin, are we? Ask Eisenhower what he thought of Marshal Zhukov's human wave assaults. The Soviet Red Army was handing out medals for acts of brutality against German women.
    2
  1529. On what charge? The Georgia case is imploding under prosecutorial misconduct.
    2
  1530.  @sammymcfone8281  Funny, because Biden hasn't taken a single question from any audience since 2020.
    2
  1531. As opposed to the invalid currently in the White House?
    2
  1532.  @michaeldeierhoi4096  "Fairy tale"? You are arguing with Sir Issaac Newton! Namely the second law of thermodynamics often invoked in chemistry. Namely you cannot create nor destroy matter, nor can you create nor destroy energy. It very much is a zero-sum game with regards to physics and chemistry. Any high school chemistry student can tell you that. But I get it, you are pushing your neo-pagan Earth mother (Greco-Roman Gaia) worship.
    2
  1533.  @jasonlarsen4945  "Master's degree in environmental science"? You mean a degree in political activism pretending to be science. Biology degrees falls into two categories: Zoology and Botany. Earth Sciences typically fall into either geology or meteorology. Your "environmental science" is too broad to be a specific scientific discipline, hence it is political activism degree. It is also the appeal to authority logical fallacy, which is always used to stifle any discussion because those who invoke it know their position is weak on substance.
    2
  1534. That explosion was orders of magnitude larger than Tsar Bomba. Don't fool yourself.
    2
  1535.  @Danny451  Funny, because existential nihilism leads to madness and insanity. It is NOT the path one wants to take when they are spiritually shallow. But hey, you do you. Just don't be surprised when you meet your maker, and he holds your lack of faith against you.
    2
  1536. Could be possible it was damaged by the tsunami. Under the surface, there is much turbulence that goes undetected.
    2
  1537. The Earth doesn't even notice us. We are a blink of an eye to her 4 billion years of existence.
    2
  1538. Volcanic lighting is more common than thunderstorm lightning.
    2
  1539. The Deccan Traps were laid down around the same time as the K-T extinction event.
    2
  1540.  @decimusrex92  Pure hubris. To quote George Carlin, "The planet will shake us off like a bad case of fleas". Man is not nearly as powerful as you would like to believe.
    2
  1541.  @jasonlarsen4945  Moving the goal posts. Typical. But then I expect that from alarmists like you who have such hubris you think you can tame the planet.
    2
  1542.  @jasonlarsen4945  And how quickly have those environments recovered on volcanic islands? If Surtsey in Iceland and Mount St. Helens is any indication, it will be a lot faster than you think.
    2
  1543. The Ocean water quenched the lava. Might also explain why the eruption cloud was so large.
    2
  1544.  @meandyou2046  The combustion temperature of most plastic polymers is around 850 Celsius. The temperature of molten magma and lava is three times that. Doesn't take a scientist to know that your theory about plastic blocking volcano vents has no merit.
    2
  1545.  @djewynne9638  Completely missed the visible pressure wave that outran the eruption column huh? You could see it deform the clouds you claim were not affected.
    2
  1546. Plate Techtonics. This volcano predates human existence by several million years.
    2
  1547. I come from an American Military Family, and we are all about punctuality. Hell, for us, to arrive less than 15 minutes before the appointed time is considered crass. All has to do with the idea that you do NOT want the miss the boat when it pulls out of port without you. In that regard, we are much like our Germanic forbearers. Ironically, during my time in Korea, I would often irritate potential love interests with my anxiety over timeliness. Even today, my Chinese Indonesia wife gets irritated with me when I am urging us out the door because we are 5 minutes past the time she said she wanted to leave.
    2
  1548.  @lazmanariffsulaiman7569  What? Holding grudges? As I recall, the Singaporeans and Hong Kongers tend to remember their time as British subjects quite fondly. And American pilots fought alongside the Chinese as part of the Flying Tigers unit. If there is any grudge to be held it should be against the French who managed to foul up most of their holdings around the world.
    2
  1549. No, we cannot see the sun's core. What we can see and treat as "the surface" is called the Photosphere. But to your point, the Chromosphere and the Corona are transparent to visible light.
    2
  1550. More to do with understanding how stars operate and exist. Knowing the characteristics of our star makes it easier to look for other stars capable of hosting life.
    2
  1551. Part of it comes from how diffuse the particles are. Individual ones can have lost of energy but be so spread out that they barely raise the mercury on a thermometer.
    2
  1552.  @parmmohan4603  With regards to the "East Turkmenistan" movement? You bet. The Taliban already supports that Islamist revolution in Xinjang, it is only a matter of time before they drag Pakistan into the spat. And I hope both them and China choke on the sands of the Taklamakan Desert. Fitting that the Tarim Basin where Europoid mummies were found shall once again be the site of conflict between powers. PS: incidentally, the mitochondrial DNA of those mummies are East Asian meaning that their closest living descendants are Chinese and Korean, not Muslim-Turk.
    2
  1553.  @Rnankn  While I nominally agree with you. Your rejection of how the Indians see it shows a certain lack of historical understanidng. The Indians have always had more in common with the West than the Communist Block. But history as a colony of the UK has caused them to reject BOTH sides and advocate for the Third World movement.
    2
  1554. China has no interest in emancipating Tibet. Strategically, most of China's water comes from the Tibetan Plateau, so whoever controls the Plateau controls the Chinese heartlands. THAT is why they will never tolerate India or even an independent Tibet in the area. Keep in mind that while I agree it SHOULD be independent, that does not blind me to the geo-political realities of the situation.
    2
  1555. The power of nukes is in their deterrence. Once you use them, they lose the effect. An opponent unfazed by threats of nukes against them will not be stopped once they have actually been used.
    2
  1556.  @rob-8928  Ukraine does not have nukes because they gave all the ones they had to Russia at Bush's urging. But to your point about retaliation, I do agree that if Putin uses one, then the West has every incentive to give Ukraine a few to use as they see fit.
    2
  1557. The value of nukes is in their deterrence. Use them and they lose about 80% of their effective power. Someone unfazed by threats of first nuke against them will not be stopped once they have been used.
    2
  1558. Sure, keep telling yourself that. Just like the Bltizkreig on Kiev was "just a diversion". First Tank Guards, the pride of Moscow is effectively non-existent as of now.
    2
  1559. A railway hub IS a strategic asset. But I understand that you folks in the Middle East don't have regular rail service so i forgive you for your gross ignorance.
    2
  1560. If Ukraine becomes for Russia what Afghanistan was for the USSR, well then that is Putin's fault. There is a lesson to be learned: people defending their homes have the force multiplier advantage of terrain.
    2
  1561.  @70dreadnought  He doesn't trust American news sources, the very people to railed against Trump. But I get it, you are a shill for the establishment power mongers who want the "global reset".
    2
  1562.  @captmack007  I am familiar with the tungsten-carbide rods. And they have NOT been deployed as it would be a violation of the international treaty regarding the weaponization of space.
    2
  1563. If it was, then why are people not dropping dead like flies from radiation poisoning? Stop pushing hysteria.
    2
  1564. As I recall, they were some of the most effective troops in the Pacific Campaign despite the mistrust the British had in them.
    2
  1565.  @jimmywest8684  You numbers are cherry picked. First, you did NOT differentiate gun violence from other kinds of violence. You are trying to be clever by half. Then you ignore that some violent crimes which do not result in serious injury (such as fist cuff fights) are not reported. You are a totalitarian shill who wants a disarmed population so you can exploit. A disarmed population is easier to abuse.
    2
  1566.  @jimmywest8684  Because other countries have a stabbing problem instead. When guns are banned, people resort to knives, tire irons, and other implements of destruction. Seriously, stabbings are FIVE TIMES HIGHER where guns are banned.
    2
  1567.  @ekaterinalokshina2043  "Crimea voted to stay in the USSR in 1991. But they were betrayed." You mean like how the people of Iraq voted for Saddam at 98% of the votes cast? Or Kim Jong Un getting 99% of the votes cast in his election? Spare me you Kremlin talking points.
    2
  1568. I think you have been drinking way too much vodka.
    2
  1569.  @Iknowthismeme  You must not be paying attention. The US supplied the Mujahideen with weapons in the 80s to fight the Soviets. When the Taliban took power in the 90s, the US had long since stopped giving weapons to that part of the world. The Taliban was in for a rude awakening when they thought they could use US made Stingers against US aircraft; it only gave away their position for a retaliatory strike. The more recent weapons the Taliban acquired were CAPTURED, not given. Why the hell would we give weapons to an active aggressor? Your logic is fatally flawed on that. But I get it, you want to blame the US for all of the world's woes instead of considering that there really is true evil in the world. You cannot possibly contemplate that the US is the only one trying to actually do something to address them, unlike most countries in the world. You may despise the US, and that is fine. But the world is less safe without the US. You bite the hand that feeds you.
    2
  1570. They will not. They had 20 years to secure their rights and did nothing. They did not lift a finger to prevent the Taliban from retaking power. They made their bed, now they can sleep in it.
    2
  1571. Yeah, I think that does more harm to the trees. But then that is classic virtue signaling; do more harm than good to score cheap political points.
    2
  1572.  @7F0X7  Everyone today calls their opponents authoritarian despots. Does not make it true through. I will agree that Democrats in the US today have gone full Bolshevik. And they have dragged the GOP into the socialist sphere as well. TORY socialists, much like the UK's neo-conservative party which has abandoned the precepts of Margaret Thatcher.
    2
  1573. US DoD communications also cause issues in Japan and Korea. Which is why not all of the equipment used stateside can be employed in East Asia.
    2
  1574.  @theobserver9131  Trump was simply better at playing the establishment's game than they were. Politics is always about capitalizing on the ignorance of the masses. You are just pissed he put your tribe to shame.
    2
  1575. The US Air Force has known for decades it could be, which is part of the reason why the frequencies were reserved by the DoD. Unfortunately, Obama sold them off to the highest bidder.
    2
  1576. Not just the FAA, but also the FCC. Didn't help that American politicians (namely Obama), sold off those frequencies to the highest bidder. The DoD has known about these issues for decades, but the politicians and Bureaucrats simply ignored the warnings.
    2
  1577.  @mggentry  Believe it or not, aircraft trails do show up on water vapor metstat channels. So do ship trails in the ocean.
    2
  1578. Then how do you explain the frequency bands overlapping with water vapor emission? Meteorological satellites use those wavelengths to detect and identify atmospheric features. The US Department of Defense has known about this for over a decade, but the data has been ignored by the politicians who approved the implementation of 5G.
    2
  1579. Yes, they are. Public office seems to attract the worst of humanity, particularly the sociopathic and narcissistic. Throw in Machiavellianism and you have the Dark Trifecta of destructive personality.
    2
  1580. I blame the politicians and bureaucrats. Both have their heads up their rear-ends fighting over turf. This could have been resolved years ago but ego, pride, and arrogance of people preoccupied with protecting their little fiefdoms got in the way.
    2
  1581. Could have been far worse. Krakatau has a nasty habit of killing thousands with its tsunamis. Tonga is fortunate that they did NOT get something that deadly.
    2
  1582. As if the Wuhan Virus hysteria didn't already cause mayhem for their tourism industry. But you are correct that this is going to hurt them even more.
    2
  1583.  @maggiemae7539  The Chinese tried to screw around in the Solomon Islands, but it blew up in their face (no pun intended).
    2
  1584. They could and they have in the past. The problem is that now, that would be a declaration of War. In the Eyes of the CCCP, that becomes an occupying force that must be driven out.
    2
  1585. That is possible. But there IS a ceiling to the number of aircraft and naval vessels they can field. Provided you know that absolute ceiling, underestimating the capabilities of individual vehicles becomes less of an issue.
    2
  1586.  @jimlewis1332  I would agree, but the Japanese threw a temper tantrum when it was revealed that the Air Force placed Strategic Nuclear armed Bombers on Okinawa. While I trust the Japanese with nukes, THEY don't trust nukes.
    2
  1587. "War is unavoidable. It can only be delayed to the advantage of one side," -Carl von Clausewitz. Remember the lessons of Munich. Appeasement NEVER works.
    2
  1588. The Tongan government had already put out warning due to the eruptions from earlier in the week. That means most of the population was already on high alert to the danger. It is actually a credit to them and their disaster preparedness that there was not a higher fatality rate.
    2
  1589. No joke. He seems to forget that Trump can and HAS turned off the bombast at will. It is as if he forgot the debates against Hillary where he was calm and measured.
    2
  1590. She has no idea what awaits her in the afterlife. "I never knew you, begone from me you workers of evil!" -Jesus of Nazareth to the false agents of the Pharisees.
    2
  1591.  @pale_saint  Science is agnostic. Atheism in science is how you get unethical experiments in the 1930s which eventually resulted in the Nuremberg Code.
    2
  1592.  @hamfistsman6267  He refused to take them up on it in the first place. Don't be so dense.
    2
  1593. Graham is just another big government totalitarian who tells conservatives what they want to hear while selling them down the river.
    2
  1594. Judges were put on trail at Nuremberg for allowing the legal system to be used as an instrument of terror. We need those trials here in the US.
    2
  1595. Voting hasn't solved the problem. For over 12 years the Tea Party has been trying that only to fail spectacularly. Getting new people into office will not fix the problem because as soon as they get there, the receive the frontal lobotomy and become part of the problem. Time to change up what we are doing.
    2
  1596. All of the flag officers need to be tried for treason. They broke their oaths and sabotaged our ability to defend ourselves.
    2
  1597. "John Brown’s body lies a-moldering in the grave. His soul is marching on....."
    2
  1598.  @danielpurcell7395  Indeed. There is a reason why Manchin fled to the hills when Hildabeast said she would put coal miners out of business.
    2
  1599.  @oldmanretro949  I hope you are joking. China would be to America what Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians were to Jerusalem. If you truly believe that China will be your savior, I hope you are one of the first ones they carry off to Babylon.
    2
  1600.  @natedowns5  You realize how huge a loophole "religious exemption" is? You can drive an 18-wheel semi-truck through it.
    2
  1601. She is my Congress critter, and I can tell you from meeting her in person she is scared. She is scared to call the ACA what it is: Soviet medicine she grew up under. She refuses to call the leftist what they are: Bolsheviks. Just like everyone else who goes to DC, she got the frontal lobotomy and became part of the swamp.
    2
  1602.  @wharfrat9707  Have you actually met her in person? Have you actually considered how my points cut to the heart of how she is all talk and no action? Use your own advice and address MY message rather than deflect.
    2
  1603. Yeah, but she is unwilling to call the ACA what it is: Soviet medicine which she grew up under. Just like everyone who goes to DC, she got the frontal lobotomy and became part of the swamp. Granted, that process started when she was a state senator.
    2
  1604.  @wharfrat9707  No I did not. I pointed out a valid complaint. But like a typical emotionally driven partisan, you took it for something it was not. But I get it, you don't care to debate in good faith, you only want your tribe to win.
    2
  1605. You wouldn't if you got her glossy campaign flyers paid for by your tax dollars. She is unwilling to call out the CDC and the ACA what they are: Soviet style Medicine. Just like everyone who goes to DC, she got the frontal lobotomy and became part of the swamp.
    2
  1606.  @zenobiaookpik  Innocent until proven guilty. You are arguing from Laverenty Beria's position of guilty until proven innocent.
    2
  1607.  @Bitchen1  Because you regurgitate their talking points on cue like Pavlov's Dog. Who is the Russian asset now?
    2
  1608. Sic semper tyrannis
    2
  1609. It is still medical discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities act. Indeed, that is precisely WHY Ben Shapiro's company is taking the government to court: they have created an unconstitutional catch-22.
    2
  1610.  @demigod1013  Criticism of Israel is tacitly consenting to everything Hamas does. The IDF is THE MOST RESTRAINED military in the world. No other force has EVERY purposely tied its dominate hand behind its back the way they do. Oh, and holding Israel to a completely different standard than Hamas is blatant antisemitism. PS, you insult only shows you know you have lost the argument. "When the debate is lost, slander become the tool of the loser," -attributed to Socrates.
    2
  1611.  @jerroldrieger5345  Funny how the Trump haters conveniently forget that little detail, isn't it?
    2
  1612. Vote CONSERVATIVE, not red for ed as that is a communist slogan.
    2
  1613. It isn't. They are what Orwell was talking about when he said the more the talk about freedom, the louder their chains are rattling.
    2
  1614. She is a pigeon that thinks it is playing chess.
    2
  1615. Ruled for thee, but not for me. They never believed in turning down the heat, only ratcheting it up.
    2
  1616.  @grahampaterson4368  I never said you did. However, the fact that you immediately went to Jan 6th "RIOTERS" means you are regurgitating the exact same talking points of the people who claim those flags are racist. Further, being on the SCOTUS does NOT mean that they surrender their constitutional rights, nor that their family must do so either. The fact that Kagan, Sotomayor, and Jackson ALL regularly engage in conflicts of interest and the same kind of behavior yet NEVER recuse themselves means that you cannot hold Alito to a stricter standard than the one you hold them to. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
    2
  1617.  @lesmowhomever174  That is not an argument, that is an ad hominin personal attack and a sign that you have no valid argument. “I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.” ― Margaret Thatcher
    2
  1618.  @frankpaya690  Funny how most BLM protestors are white, isn't it? And you are correct, if you are jumping at shadows, you will see racism around EVERY corner, whether it is there or not.
    2
  1619. Actually, his mother Wendy should be the one going after them first. She has a MUCH stronger case with regards to the lies about her helping him transport a firearm across state lines. Viva Frei and Robert Barnes dug into why her potential cases are very robust. Unlike Kyle, she is NOT a public figure and so that "exemption" does not apply. Further, she is MUCH more sympathetic than most of those folks in the media which will play well with a jury.
    2
  1620. At least 10 years if not 20. I expect his hair to go completely white before age 40.
    2
  1621. The "shy" Trump voter is why he won the first time. It will be why he wins the second time.
    2
  1622. Yeah, funny how that works. These people don't contemplate the ramifications of what they intend to unleash.
    2
  1623. I guess you have never heard of cruel and unusual punishment. I guess you blatantly ignore the fact that the "crime" has never before been prosecuted in this fashion. Nor that there has NEVER been a bond issued in the amount that is being demanded of him. Your problem is that you don't actually care about justice, only that your tribe winds at any cost, even if it means burning the nation to ashes around you.
    2
  1624.  @Nothingcomestomind124  He is the second largest developer in the US after Trump. It is his business to know what kind of bonds and loans are possible.
    2
  1625. What was the crime? The was none. Even Real-estate developer Kevin O'Leary says this is fraudulent prosecution.
    2
  1626.  @michaelmartinez9622  Funny, because that is exactly what the Kamala campaign is doing.
    2
  1627.  @arthurvandermark5397  They already do that. At least make them play musical chairs instead of being in the same office for 20+ years.
    2
  1628.  @AmundHof  That isn't an argument, it is an emotional outburst by someone who can't debate the merits. Go touch grass. "I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left." -Margaret Thatcher, UK's Iron Lady.
    2
  1629. Term limits have been a good thing for the POTUS since FDR. Why would it not be the same for Congress? I agree with you on the 17th amendment.
    2
  1630. I wanted term limits BEFORE the recent rulings. And I DO think most of the ones in the last 2-3 years are good ones. Yet I still stand by my position on SCOTUS term limits. I have principles, you do not.
    2
  1631. The prosecutor who used black inmates as slave labor in California.
    2
  1632. And we have seen how well that works out. They need to be 20-year terms, staggered every four years. Shrink the court down to just five and you have one nomination per presidential term which isn't much different than it is now.
    2
  1633. No, he cannot. You clearly didn't read the ruling that said immunity only applied to OFFICAL duties. Stop parroting DNC talking points on cue like Pavlov's Dog.
    2
  1634.  @Makeitstorm  Catholic? I seriously doubt that. Catholics have NOTHING in common with the DNC today. They have EVERYTHING in common with the Trump platform.
    2
  1635. Says the non-Christian.
    2
  1636. One should not have to ask that question as it should be irrelevant. But to your point, the fact that they would laugh rather than give an honest response is a serious problem.
    2
  1637. NATO war in Ukraine? Um, it was Russia that invaded. No NATO soldier had died in the fighting. The cost in blood is being paid by the Ukrainians. And as far as the weapons, most of the former Warsaw Pact has handed over their surplus stockpiles. As for Singers, they stopped making them in the late 90s because it is actually an obsolete system that has since been replaced in NATO arsenals. As for post war, I can assure you that once LONG-TERM stability has been achieved, the revenues from the oil and coal deposits in Donbas will ensure a steady stream of money for the rebuilding process.
    2
  1638.  @crhu319  Dude, they just did. Turkey rescinded its objection. It is a done deal.
    2
  1639. Yeah, Sweden and Finland tell another story. So does Poland and the Baltic States. On the surface, your contention sound good, but you conveniently ignore some dirty little details such as what Putin wanted from the West that made his offer of partnership untenable. Yes, post 9/11 was an opportunity to partner with the Russians against jihadism. But the asking price was more than the west could accept. And it was certainly beyond what the former Warsaw Pact was willing to stomach.
    2
  1640.  @elaineread15  Someone around the time of the American Revolution said that only an Englishman could talk another Englishman into being a slave.
    2
  1641. Oh, I don't disagree that the WHOLE truth about Ukraine is being obscured. But I think you are also being deceived. How much do you know about the oil deposits that Shell was contracting for in Donbas and off the coast of Crimea? How about the Coal deposits in Luhansk? Ukraine with western backing could have become the THRID largest oil producer in Europe after Norway and Russia. They had a good possibility of undercutting Russia's near monopoly on European energy. All of that came to a halt with the theft of Crimea.
    2
  1642.  @callsigndd9ls897  Indeed. When the fighting breaks out, you cannot afford to turn away ANY assistance. But during the fighting the wheat is separated from the chaff, and the ideologues are separated from the professionals such that only the competent soldiers remain.
    2
  1643. Or perhaps they just don't agree with being part of a European collective where the best interests of the Island take a back seat to the desires of the technocrats in Brussels. What is good for the European continent may not be what is best for the Island.
    2
  1644. You are ignoring the fact that Poland and the Baltic States joined of their own accord. And so has Finland and Sweden. If Russia didn't menace their neighbors, they would not have felt a need to join up.
    2
  1645. Yeah, there is much talk about trying to stop him when he militarized the Rhineland. Alas, France and England did not want to experience the butchery of World War One (aka the Great War) all over again..
    2
  1646. I think it was a combination of factors. Do keep in mind Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty was broadcasting across the Iron Curtain to put the word out in the Warsaw Pact of another option. But to your point, it took the peoples of Eastern Europe to rise up against their Soviet Oppressors. And rise up they did in Budapest 1956, Prague in 1968, Gdańsk in 1970, and all across Eastern Europe in 1989. It took 40 years, but the encouragement from the West most certainly helped them stay in the fight.
    2
  1647. And Merkel was not much better. She was a member of the East German Communist Youth League, after all.
    2
  1648. As opposed to occupied by a neo-Soviet Union? Nice to see you are parroting the Kremlin talking points. When the historically neutral Swiss, Finns, and Swedes don't believe you, you have lost the plot.
    2
  1649.  @TheAmazingAdventuresOfMiles  Judges have ALWAYS been political animals. You just chose to be ignorant of your own history. Who appointed the judges to the Admiralty Courts in the 1700-1800s? Those were POLITICAL appointments. And nothing has changed in the British system since that time. "A Judge is a lawyer who once knew a politician, " -English proverb.
    2
  1650. Because no government office in the world is nonpartisan. Pretending there is no politics in law is refusing to acknowledge the blatantly obvious.
    2
  1651. Nelson Mandela was in jail before becoming the president of South Africa.
    2
  1652. Yeah, funny how those same countries criminalize political opposition. How is this any different than Alexander Lukashenko did in Belarus?
    2
  1653. "Wisdom seems like madness to the fool" -attributed to Confucius. Infantilizing people you disagree by calling them insane with doesn't make you correct; it only discredits your own argument because you refuse to debate the merits.
    2
  1654.  @DXD2004-  Ah, but the Taliban the US fought, and the Mujahadeen the Soviets fought were two different animals. The Muscovites lost far more men in Afghanistan than the US did.
    2
  1655. Russian paid troll.
    2
  1656. Well, and for almost 50 years, the US had a defense treaty with Taipei. This is clearly seen with Dean Acheson's infamous "Pacific Defense Perimeter" which INCLUDED Taiwan but not South Korea. Only with the recognition of Beijing as "official China" has the position changed to ambiguity.
    2
  1657. I tend to agree. Ukraine is something of a trail run for the defense and logistics of Taiwan.
    2
  1658.  @noahway13  Don't forget Vietnam. The US was there for just shy of 20 years and the locals also refused to fight for their own country. And much like Afghanistan, the local government was more interested in settling petty feuds than actually fighting the real threat. Now contrast that to the Koreans who DID fight for their nation.
    2
  1659.  @benachiesween  Human waves is the WORSE attack one can make against a fortified position. You get mowed down in a shooting gallery. Just look at Vuledar.
    2
  1660. There are weak spots in the Russian line, particularly between Vuledar and Zaphorezia. Punch through and either roll up behind them or make a split dive towards Melitopol and Mariupol.
    2
  1661.  @livingtribunal4110  Yeah, you sure showed me. Try actually debating what I said rather than acting like a seal barking and clapping after getting a fish.
    2
  1662.  @mattburns8839  Thank you for proving that you don't actually have an argument worth making. If auto-correct putting in the wrong word is the best you can do, you have already lost the debate. Learn to debate as well as to code. “I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.” ― Margaret Thatcher
    2
  1663. Not is it not. Even Democrat lawyers say that you cannot count each transaction as if it were a separate crime. How about you try reading the RICO statute before you speak in complete ignorance.
    2
  1664. No, you have zero clue how the legal system works. Time on the statute of limitations does NOT suspend just because he leaves the state. Even Democrat lawyers refute your claims. You are grasping at straws.
    2
  1665. So it is okay to just accept the failures of autocracies but not the inherent weaknesses of capitalism? Nice to see you are not interested in honest debate.
    2
  1666. Are there two Korean nations or only one? Taiwan and mainland China have been separated far longer than the Koreans. That alone is reason enough to justify Taiwan's independence.
    2
  1667.  @CountDuckEgg  Perun, a defense logistic channel got into that very topic and if you actually watch his videos, he even cites the sources. Yes, Russia can produce shells, but even by Russia's own numbers, they are burning through shells faster than they can produce them. It nicely explains why the number of fires at the start of the war have now dropped to barely a thrid.
    2
  1668.  @boink800  True that. But I consider it good debate practice to wrestle with them.
    2
  1669. Tacitly, they have made gains, but on a strategic level, they have lost spectacularly. NATO is not more united than they have ever been since the 1980s. More members, and now with Finland as a member, Russia is even MORE vulnerable.
    2
  1670. I tend to think the latter. As a British flag officer, he KNOWS that there is zero difference between "tactical" and "strategic" nukes. ANY use of nukes is a strategic escalation resulting in launch of Trident ICBMs.
    2
  1671.  @brokenrecord3095  Sadly, that is the madman scenario. In that someone with nothing to lose will take the whole world with him in an atomic Armageddon.
    2
  1672. The euphemisms were originally Russia making excuses. The Ukrainians adopted it to mock and disparage them.
    2
  1673. I take claims of Russians destroying Patriot batteries as seriously as I take their reports of destroyed HIMARs and Bradleys.
    2
  1674. Or as Teddy Roosevelt said, "speak softly, but carry a big stick".
    2
  1675.  @michaelmazowiecki9195  I agree with you on all of that. Going forward, the best situation would be a partitioning of the Russian Federation. Several smaller national boundaries would help to quell violence and animosity between the local populations. Chechnya and Dagestan should be a single Republic. Tuva should be a separate country. Yakutia should be independent. And several more could be listed as well.
    2
  1676.  @douglastaggart9360  Russians flew Egyptian aircraft during both their wars with Israel. That was simply a continuation of the practice started in Korea.
    2
  1677.  @spidif2544  Yeah, several military experts laughed at Billy Mitchell when he argued for Air Power and warned that there was a glaring weakness in the defenses of Pearl Harbor. Exactly 15 years (minus 10 days) after he was court-martialed, the Japanese conducted the attack on Pearl Harbor exactly as he predicted.
    2
  1678. I would argue that burning down Twitter is just as important to human survival as space travel. Social media has become a net negative on stability in the world, and the people previously running Twitter were purposely throwing gas on the fire.
    2
  1679.  @davidcjupp  All people on the left think they are in the center. If you believe in censorship, you do NOT believe in open dialogue. If you have to silence people you disagree with, it means you can't effectively debate nor refute their augment. And no, just because someone disagree with you does NOT mean they are a "right wing extremist". "When you tear out a man's tongue, you don't prove him a liar, you just show to the word that you fear what he has to say," -George R.R. Martin, author of "A Song of Fire and Ice", more popularly known as "Game of Thrones".
    2
  1680. Calm down. Half the hype on BOTH sides of the conflict is overblown. But what you can be assured of is that the Ukraine being able to hold out as long as they have against a numerically superior foe, defying ALL expectations is itself a victory. The fact that Russia failed to take Kiev or advance anywhere except in Luhansk is already a win for Ukraine. Keep things in context.
    2
  1681.  @ajaykumarsingh702  When it comes to amphibious operations, it favors the defenders. Taiwan isn't trying to cross the strait.
    2
  1682.  @QwadLuzr  "Si vis pacem, para bellum; If you want peace, arm for war," -Flavius Vegetius Renatus. That is a truism that has remained constant since antiquity and will remain so until eternity.
    2
  1683.  @bgandjsco1  And what if Americans decide to go over there like many did in Ukraine? Are you going to stop them?
    2
  1684.  @hgv1883  Taiwan doesn't have to go through the strait. They can bypass it.
    2
  1685.  @ascoop22  When Trump took office, the economy soared in just three months. The economic decline came with the lockdowns of which Turmp had zero control. That was LOCAL governments acting fascistic. It NEVER improved under Democrats, only ever getting worse. If everyone knew about Europe's over reliance on Russia, why didn't they DO anything about it? Why did it take Trump stating the blatantly obvious out loud? And why even then they mocked him rather than change their ways? Your problem is that your personal contempt for the man is blinding you to logic and reason. You can't let the man have even one good day which only discredits you, not him.
    2
  1686. Agreed. South Korean, Taiwanese, and Japanese students are a safer option as contrasted with mainland Chinese. Heck, even diaspora Chinese populations such as Indonesian and Malaysian Chinese are a safer option.
    2
  1687.  @badluck5647  "Asian" in the Commonwealth and the US mean different things. For those who still count the late Queen as their monarch, "Asian" tends to mean Pakistani/Hindu/Indian. For the US, it tends to refer to Northeast Asia, particularly Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan. Both tend to agree on "Indo" as referring to Southeast Asia.
    2
  1688. Agreed. People seem to forget that even Nelson Mandela served time in Jail.
    2
  1689. You mean the guy that even CNN doesn't think is believable?
    2
  1690.  @gigikontra7023  Yeah, that was part of my point about dismantling the devices. You and I have the creativity to think outside the box. But this guy clearly can't think outside of his official talking points. A clear case of Pavlov's Dog.
    2
  1691.  @thepoliticalanalyst5684  Your point being? I guarantee you that with American help, those codes could have been compromised. At a bare minimum, they could have been dismantled for components, particularly the radioactive material to be used in power plants. If giving them up was so symbolic, then why make such a big deal about it? You are trivializing the hand-over. That Russia got to keep the warheads instead of them being dismantled IS a big deal.
    2
  1692. Nobody forced Poland, Finland and the Baltic states to join NATO. It was Putin who invaded Ukraine. Stop blaming the victum and apologizing for the bully.
    2
  1693. "This Harpy"? How sexist of you. Ad hominin insults like that don't make your argument, it discredits it.
    2
  1694. And Konigsberg!
    2
  1695. What are you talking about? Both the Kharkov and Kherson offensives occurred without air superiority. While it will greatly facilitate an offensive, that does not mean it is impossible to happen without it.
    2
  1696. Considering that it didn't start under Turmp, but Ukraine DID under Biden, I think you are blaming the wrong person.
    2
  1697. Wishful thinking. Not surprising from people who listen to the legacy media.
    2
  1698.  @besmartvoteblue2702  They said that in 2016. They said that in 2020. Keep drinking the copium dude.
    2
  1699.  @danmayberry1185  Pence was Grima Wormtounge. He whispered poison into his ear.
    2
  1700. How? Details, not just emotional hyperbolae.
    2
  1701. My guess is that they simply violated Ukrainian airspace to reinforce their forces in Transnistria. Before the invasion, who was going to risk shooting down an aircraft like that? Now however, there is ample justification by Ukraine to shoot down anyone who tries.
    2
  1702. One can only hope that future generations of Russians remember it as such.
    2
  1703.  @prometheusjackson8787  Out of the mouth of babies. The Tartars are NOT Russian, they are not even Slavic but Turkic. The Koryaks are not Russian either, they are a blend of East Asian and Inuit/Eskimo. Buryats are not Russian, they are Mongolianic. Your problem is you are trying to be clever. There is Russian nationality, and then there is Russian ethnicity. With regards to what I said, I was pointing out that the ethnic minorities of Russia which would be majorities pre-Tsarist times don't particularly care for Moscow and its ethno-nationalistic policies.
    2
  1704.  @Pierluigi_Di_Lorenzo  Would make sense to me. I suspect many of the Trans-Ural areas, such as Siberia, Irkutsk, Kamchatka, and Yakutsk are not particularly fond of Moscow. And I refer to the native populations, not the Russian "colonizers".
    2
  1705.  @-whackd  Not entirely true. Achaemenid Empire was a very militaristic power, hardly the pacifists you claim they were. Four bloody long years and thousands killed to bring it into his dominion, culminating in the Siege of Sogdian Rock or the Rock of Ariamazes. The fact that you don't know those details shows you have zero credibility.
    2
  1706.  @wabalaladabdab  Indeed. After pushing the Russians out of Luhansk and Donetsk, their targets should be as follows: reclaim Crimea, pacify Transnistria, liberate Belarus. After that, take a breath and see what develops next.
    2
  1707. Russia had one until it met a determined defender. Now it has become something of a paper tiger. That is the great irony; the invasion has shattered completely the image of Russian invincibility. The "god" has bled and now the sharks will start to gather.
    2
  1708. That was something my father and I always pondered on. The Ukrainians and Moldovans should add a third rail to their lines so as to be able to handle carriages from both east and west. Granted, the biggest hang-up would be the switches, but that can be dealt with on an individual basis as the needs arise.
    2
  1709. Bonkers, isn't it? Marshall Zhukov would not have failed as spectacularly as these guys have.
    2
  1710.  @prometheusjackson8787  Pot meet kettle. Like a good neo-Soviet mouthpiece, you accuse me of what you are guilty of doing. And again you are trying to deflect from the issue of Moldova and Ukraine with red herrings. STAY ON TOPIC.
    2
  1711.  @monkeydank7842  Look at the US states that have already legalized marijuana. Colorado Democrats have already admitted that they made a terrible mistake in legalizing it. In place of incarceration, they have drug rehab which is ironically MORE expensive. Do keep in mind that prior to this, the Department of Corrections was the biggest drug rehabilitation agency.
    2
  1712.  @assertivekarma1909  What would it take to call them evil by your measurement? Was not the brutal crackdown of the student protests in Tiananmen Square enough? Was the disappearance of political dissidents not enough? Was welding people's doors shut and leaving them to starve to death in their apartments and home to prevent the spread of the Wuhan Flu not enough? Was the fascistic crushing of Hong Kong not enough? Is the forced sterilization of particular minorities not evil? What will the CCP have to do before you finally acknowledge that they are truly evil.
    2
  1713. Xiaoping had the humility to acknowledge weakness and when he or the CCP was wrong. Something both Mao and President Poohbear don't have.
    2
  1714. How is Taiwan and the KMT colonial humiliation? It was the Chinese Nationalists who overthrew the Qing Dynasty and asserted independence from European colonialist ambitions.
    2
  1715.  @sharwama992  I expect that. But better they fight among themselves AFTER China is told to take a hike, because if they keep fighting amongst themselves now, China will take everything.
    2
  1716.  @theoutlook55  Youtube/Google is notorious for shadow-banning people and stealth deletes of posts that don't conform to the official orthodoxy. And yes, outside links seem to automatically get dropped, so you have to be clever about sharing it.
    2
  1717. Probably something with him falling alseep.....and off his chair.
    2
  1718. The Parcel Islands prove otherwise.
    2
  1719. All of Asian has co-existed? Have you even read a book on Asian History? The continent has only really seen true peace in the last 50 or so years. Whether it is the Chinese and the Japanese, the Vietnamese and the Cambodians, the peoples of Asia have constantly been butchering each other over the millennium.
    2
  1720. @Wilhelm Eley Hydro elected is also heavily dependent on rather drastic elevation change, storage capacity of said reservoir, as well as consistent rains to maintain that reservoir supply. While Bavaria can make use of damns (assuming their greenies don't make a big stink, and they invariably do), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schleswig-Holstein, and Lower Saxony being relatively flat cannot make use of hydro-electric damns.
    2
  1721.  @_TeXoN_  Actually, you have that bass ackwards. Per kilowatt hour, nuclear is hands down the cheapest and safest. Solar and wind have NEVER met claimed expectations.
    2
  1722.  @antonella6317  They are all in South America. How many nations in South America are there to compare against? Unless you only want to contrast it with is immediate neighbors and nobody else on the continent.
    2
  1723. Yeah, I am of the opinion that they should have handed over Hong Kong to Taipei in the late 1960s. Basically, negotiate a new agreement by which the UK could have had free-trade with Hong Kong and other perks, but that control would revert back to the Republic of China (Kuomintang) as the crown would be terminating their original lease early.
    2
  1724. I tend to agree with you about French Indo-China and West Africa. However, I will refute one point about former French colonies in the United States. My home state of Indiana was first colonized by France before it was captured by the British in the Seven Years War. We are most certainly NOT among the poorest. Fort Wayne (Fort Miami under the French) is one of the boomtowns of our state, having transitioned from an early tech factory town to a medical device city. Lafayette (Fort Ouiatenon) is the home of Purdue University, where many of America's Astronauts graduated. It is also at the forefront of bioengineering with regards to soy diesel and bee cultivation against varroa mites (Hoosier Ankle biter bees).
    2
  1725.  @golagiswatchingyou2966  I would prefer "WEST-CENTRIC" rather than "Euro-centric". As an American, I have mostly contempt for Europe, save for the Baltic States and Poland. By saying "West-Centric" we are also including our East Asian allies Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. I really wish the West and Europe would listen more to those Asian allies than some of the folks in Europe who want only capitulation to those who seek to destroy western civilization.
    2
  1726.  @kolerick  "In those countries where income taxes are lower than in the United States, the ability to defer the payment of U.S. tax by retaining income in the subsidiary companies provides a tax advantage for companies operating through overseas subsidiaries that is not available to companies operating solely in the United States. Many American investors properly made use of this deferral in the conduct of their foreign investment.” -President John F. Kennedy.
    2
  1727.  @eurobonapartiste  I agree with your first post about the French and American Republics being sisters. Though France's continued contempt for the Marquis de Lafayette will sour my opinion until his statute is returned to its rightful place of honor. As for modern Poland, I suspect it WOULD have been restored after WW2 even had Napoleon not established the Dutchy of Warsaw. I will agree with you that Napoleon was something of a populist which struck terror into the hearts of monarchists across Europe. As for Latin American independence, you realize that most of the Declared Independence not out of support for Napoleon, but in fear of him? it goes to the fall of the Spanish monarchy. Most of those Latin independence movements were to preserve the status quo of the nobility and continue the Spanish CASTA system without the crown. Yes, France helped Mexico, but Santa Anna was a monarchist of a different kind.
    2
  1728. Thank you for pointing out how much Charles DeGaulle's influence is what drives France's relations with its overseas territories. He had an opportunity to establish a French equivalent to the English Commonwealth, but instead insisted on a very centralized system with him at the center of power.
    2
  1729.  @adrien5834  He had every opportunity to emancipate the region and chose not to. He instead chose to continue the status quo as an occupying foreign power. You haven't disproven my point.
    2
  1730. He also doesn't like to point out Charles DeGaulle. During WW2, many of these overseas territories had an opportunity to break away with the establishment of the Vichy government by Petain. While Petain was no saint, DeGaulle insisted on being the second coming of Napoleon. The fiasco of Vietnam in particular at Dien Bien Phu was in large part because DeGaulle refused to accept that the French Empire was finished as an institution.
    2
  1731. Or on the British Commonwealth.
    2
  1732. Talking about Zaire? That was one messed up situation.
    2
  1733. Wow, racist much? The fact that you think you know a person's race simply from their comments shows you lack in the wisdom department.
    2
  1734. Indeed. His hospital orderlies who call themselves "white house staff" are the ones running the show, and he is going off script faster than they can stop him.
    2
  1735. It also happens to be Davos collectivism when they claim, "international community".
    2
  1736. Indeed. That is Keysian neo-Marxist economics. And just like its predecessor, does more harm than good. Art Laffer proved that. So did Karl Meneger, Fredric Hayek, and Fredric Bastiat Baistait.
    2
  1737. The 1980s was the start of the "lost Decades" which the West seems hellbent on replicating.
    2
  1738. Not everyone in your list wants to live in peace. Tell me, have you actually met a Wahabbist from the Saudi Kingdom?
    2
  1739.  @baronvonlimbourgh1716  And where did that consumerism stem from? RESPONSIBLE spending resulting from the hardships for which I mentioned. 1950s Americans were not running up massive credit debt on day-to-day luxuries like we are today. They could splurge here and there because they were managing what they had so they could afford those consumerist goods. Again, for someone who complains about others, you show a distinct lack of knowledge about nuance and details that completely blows your neo-communist premise completely out of the water. You accuse us of re-writing history when that is exactly what you are doing with your half-truths that lack CONTEXT.
    2
  1740.  @olajong2315  Comparing modern Japan to Imperial Japan is an apples to oranges false analogy. The culture is significantly different. Nice anachronism on your part.
    2
  1741.  @beng7654  I can trace my lineage to King Asa of Judea through my Pennsylvania Deutch Ancestors, the Schettles (anglicized to Shuttles). BUT I do NOT claim to be Jewish in any way. They fell away from the faith generations ago and so my family no longer has any right to claim to be a Jew. I bring this up because I am reminded of the promise given to Father Abraham that "through you a blessing to all the nations and families of the world". The Jewish people of Imperial Germany WERE a blessing on that nation, one that the leadership of the Weimar Republic chose to forsake. Men like your grandfather and Otto Frank who were loyal, patriotic Germans who happened to be Jewish. It is THEIR example to which I choose to honor Kaiser-Recht Germany.
    2
  1742.  @beng7654  Indeed. Not many realize that Otto Frank, father of Anne Frank was a decorated officer in the Kaiser's Army and had endeared himself to the men who served under him. That made for something of an awkward situation for the Gestapo and SS who arrested him. As easy as it was for the Nazis to scapegoat Jews for the WW1 defeat, those who served with them knew the truth and could not be so easily fooled by the pogroms and libels.
    2
  1743. Indeed. They need to re-embrace the Imperial Germany Kaiser-Prussian heritage and return to SOME of the better elements of Hindenburg's era, but WITHOUT the rampant antisemitism and jack-booted fascism.
    2
  1744. Because Angela Merkel was a communist collaborator. In the 1980s she was a member of the East German Communist Youth League. So, it is no surprise that when she got into office, her first order of business was to prostitute Germany to Putin and Russia.
    2
  1745. There is very little that the Kriegsman has to be ashamed of. Indeed, submariners like Gunther Prien (Bull of Scapa Flow) conducted themselves with immense compassion and restraint during the war, often rendering survival aid to the crews of the ships he sent to the bottom of the Atlantic. Indeed, Even the Wehrmacht itself acted with great restraint and honor as contrasted with the PARAMILITARY Schutzstaffel (SS). And before anyone goes on about "Wehrmacht war crimes" might I remind them that outside of the Field Marshalls of the OKW, NONE of the rank-and-file members face the Nuremberg Trials that the SS, Doctors, and Lawyers all faced.
    2
  1746. The devil is always in the details. Part of the problem is that the organization who loses the contract bidding can and does sue the government and it is the major reason for the cost overruns and logistical backups.
    2
  1747. Exactly. They are like spoiled children, complaining about the big scary Daddy keeping the wolves at bay.
    2
  1748. Not going to be the same this time. More likely, it will be Poland who is more militarized than Germany.
    2
  1749.  @Omer1996E.C  "The Magic Kingdom" is hampered by the Sharia police. That has NOTHING to do with the expenditures of oil revenues. Nice deflection.
    2
  1750.  @daniel86250  "British stealing Latin American lands" I think you mean SPAIN stole the land from the natives, not the Brits. Nice job deflecting the blame their Jose. Anglophobia is not a good look, especially as most of the modern word benefits from the pervasiveness of English values. And I hope you get to personally experience the "tender mercies" of the Red Chinese government firsthand. In fact, I invite you to visit the Uygur camps in Xinjang.
    2
  1751. Indeed. Between the hydroelectric dam project, improving their medical system, and then investing in water purification and sanitation, they could very well become the Singapore of South America.
    2
  1752. It is interesting that some think of "Coolies" as being South Asian/Indian, while others think of Chinese railroad workers or Thai rice farmers.
    2
  1753.  @faelirra  So, "Trust me bro"? Yeah, that doesn't give me confidence. Do keep in mind that Prigozhin had Putin's full interest, faith and confidence as you describe. How did that work out when it came to the field rations troops were supposed to be supplied with?
    2
  1754.  @piotr2951  Say the guy with an obviously Russian name for his account handle. Pot meet kettle. Now how about you actually debate the merits rather than resort to guttersniping. PS, my ancestry is Lorraine German, from the province of Alsace. which is now French “I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.” ― Margaret Thatcher
    2
  1755. That is the very question I have been asking since the sinking of the Moskva. Between the Black Seas Flagship and the Admiral Kuznetsov, I wonder if the nukes will detonate in the silo like they did on K-129.
    2
  1756.  @gugulethuzangwa8358  He threatened nukes if the West supplied Ukraine with HIMARS and failed to deliver on that threat. He is bluff and bluster at this point.
    2
  1757. Oil from Russia used to go through Ukraine. Me thinks that if the oil is still flowing, the Ukrainians are syphoning off a portion.
    2
  1758. I am all for the Indians taking advantage of Russia.
    2
  1759. West choses to work with winners? Tell that to Iran or the Taliban.
    2
  1760.  @ArchonLicht  I am comparing ANY nationalization or government confiscation of private business to Venezuela. The result is ALWAYS the same.
    2
  1761. Funny, as I recall, the US save you guys from having to speak German. TWICE. Oh, and we kept you from speaking Russian as well. If not for the US, Europe would be in constant conflict just like sub-Sahara Africa.
    2
  1762.  @sal-the-man  The fact that there are Harams (aka no-go zones) and areas of Europe that are governed by Sharia law outside of EU law proves otherwise. If anything, YOU are showing your own racism because you chose to ignore hard irrefutable facts which contradict your preconceived biases.
    2
  1763. What ship? My father loved when his, the USS Elliot pulled into Pusan.
    2
  1764. Indeed. Korean men marrying foreign spouses (typically Vietnamese, Filipino, Thai, and Indonesian) is still something of a culture shock. And this is DESPITE there being a history of their nobles and monarchs bringing home foreign brides (notably Heo Hwang-ok or Suriratna of India).
    2
  1765.  @YouYou-sm8tf  The problem is that in the West where single parent families due to divorce is on the rise, they are becoming more and more unstable both socio-politically and economically. There is a reason why Confucius said, "The strength of the nation is derived from the integrity of the family".
    2
  1766. East Asian counties very much consider ethnic identity to be a part of what constitutes a citizen of their country. That is why they are so averse to immigration. Which is sad, because if they were more open to allowing citizenship to the mixed children of one of their citizens and a foreign spouse, that could go a long way towards fixing their demographic problems.
    2
  1767. South Korea under the Chaebols system IS neoliberal capitalism (ie corporate oligarchism). What Yoon is proposing is more akin to classical free market capitalism which the West hasn't seen since the 1950s.
    2
  1768.  @johnsmith-cw3wo  You only THINK you did. You are like the pigeon playing chess: it knocks the pieces over, craps on the board, and flies back to its flock to claim victory.
    2
  1769.  @anonkiddo  Now that context, I will accept. You presented a more nuanced analysis than your first post, and I have a much harder time disagreeing with the follow-up. I retract my accusation of Anglophobia.
    2
  1770.  @r0b0coffee  False. "Wealth tax" just means legalized theft. It is more that confiscation of assets without compensation. And no, income inequality is NOT a destabilizing factor because not all work is equal. Trying to make unequal things equal IS the destabilizing factor. The reason being that if regardless of effort everyone gets the same result, then the incentive to work completely disappears. "They pretended to pay us, and we pretended to work," -Joke about the reality of Soviet Socialism.
    2
  1771. Okay, how about you take the locks off your doors and windows and let anyone who wants to enter your personal home. See how that works out for you.
    2
  1772.  @Student0Toucher  Precisely.
    2
  1773. The elitists in Washington certainly TRY to centrally plan the way the Soviet Politburo did. A pesky little think called innovation keeps getting in the way. The Shale Oil Fracking boom in particular threw a wrench in their plans.
    2
  1774.  @gingernutpreacher  Honestly? Biden. When he made the money printer go "brrrrr", it made the problem EXPONETIALLY worse.
    2
  1775.  @scottryals3191  True that. But at least some cultures ritualized it and attempted to channel it towards more productive ends. It is the Samurai of Japan in particular that I am thinking of, but you would be correct to point out how many chose to become ronin and act all the fool abusing the peasants and merchants.
    2
  1776. Indeed. The Solomons were a major campaign in WW2. With the Japanese based in Rabaul and gunning for both Guadalcanal and Port Mosbey, there was a serious possibility that the Land Down Under would be cut-off from the supply lines to and from the US. That context is critical with regards to China's current ambitions in the region.
    2
  1777. PWA has some great jokes about the EMU shadow government down under. And the Laser Kiwis.
    2
  1778. Short answer: yes. They rarely bother to look into the long-term ramifications of their proposals. And most of them are anti-nuclear which is the only viable cheap energy to achieve their claimed goals.
    2
  1779. And yet capitalism is also what lead to the explosion in population side. Have you considered that the system is simply self-correcting?
    2
  1780. What is the old saying? "You can't legislate morality"?
    2
  1781. Nobody is allowed to leave the "Korean Workers' Paradise". Seriously, try looking up the history of the Korean War before you make such an intellectually lazy comment.
    2
  1782. "The strength of the nations is derived from the integrity of the family," -Confucius, author of "The Analects".
    2
  1783.  @koushikdas1992  That is the definition of invasion. And the Koreans know full well that from experiencing the Japanese and Chinese forcing their culture on the Koreans every time the two went to war. The US is the ONLY military to have come to Korea, fight a war, and then go home WITHOUT forcing new cultural values on the locals.
    2
  1784. Without assimilation, immigration is not a solution. It just replicates the same problems inherent with a caste-based society.
    2
  1785.  @Obscurai  That is wishful thinking by someone who has zero understanding of the culture. Or of history for that matter. 6,00 years of history from KoChoseon to the Republic and you are trying to claim that a recent development somehow is caused by the very thing that kept Korea a cohesive society against invasions from the Japanese and Chinese. You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. You are clinging to a false belief in neoBolshevism which has only had a track record of destruction as contrasted with Asian conservatism which has thousands of years of stability.
    2
  1786.  @Obscurai  You are grasping at straws. Korea's population decline has very little to do with cultural contempt for single parent households. You are advocating for societal collapse.
    2
  1787.  @Obscurai  Yeah, the US tried that with Lyndon Banes Johnson's "Great Society" program. It has been an unmitigated disaster that has made the situation worse, not better. Those social pressures stigmatizing single parent households serve to discourage deleterious and destabilizing factions.
    2
  1788.  @antoniomromo  Sure, blame the society rather than hold individuals to account. Blaming society is just a cheap cop-out to avoid taking personal responsibility.
    2
  1789. Good luck with that. I tried for two years to find a Korean wife while stationed at Osan AB. My experience is that many think they are too good for Western men. Ironic when so many older couples would have loved for me to marry their daughter.
    2
  1790. I do NOT agree that it is a good thing. However, you may have hit on a point I will agree with. The population decline will reach an equilibrium level eventually. The idea that these populations will go extinct is farcical.
    2
  1791.  @francisquebachmann7375  mandated nannies? I think you need to re-evaluate what public schools actually are. Parents constantly at work is the problem. Going full Bolshevik and demanding that they continue to slave away in the labour market is only doubling down on the problem, not fixing it.
    2
  1792.  @frankierayo6291  Well, word is that they have already GPS and geolocation marked numerous locations and landmarks so that when the Russians move into areas that the Ukrainians have move out of, the Ukrainians can punch in the pre-calculated coordinates for maximum simultaneous impact from multiple guns. And this is also great for counter-battery operations.
    2
  1793. The problem with redlines is that Obama drew so many that most of America's geopolitical rivals viewed the US as a paper tiger. The Fall of Kabul to the Taliban only further reinforced that assumption. But the Ukrainians have proven once again that someone defending their homeland greatly enjoys the advantage of terrain and intimate knowledge of the home field.
    2
  1794.  @moviesunified6746  Repeating the same disclaimer makes that hard to believe. "The Lady doth protest too much, me thinks," -Queen Gertrude; Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
    2
  1795.  @tacticalcenter8658  I don't have to prove anything. The burden is on you, not me. Don't try shifting responsibility because you can't debate merits, instead relying on logical fallacies.
    2
  1796. How do you know a politician is lying? Their lips are moving.
    2
  1797.  @ImGodSoAreYou  How? The Sagan Standard (Philosophical Razor) states that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Hitchen's Razor says that which is asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence. Put up or shut up. And circumstantial hearsay isn't evidence.
    2
  1798.  @DavidHalko  Indeed. The Koreans, Japanese, and Taiwanese are filling the vacuum create by woke ideology. And I for one welcome their domination. May they be to the West what Greece and the Greeks were to the Roman Empire.
    2
  1799. Wow, talk about not being able to see the forest for the trees. You do realize that in the US, the Koreans have the HIGHEST small business ownership of any ethnic group at about 30%? I would argue that we should want MORE of that and less of the woke shit.
    2
  1800.  @sociolocomtsac  Indeed. Some of the best movies and TV series that came out of Hollywood were made on shoestring budgets. The classic Cowboy Western is archetypical of this, low budget and so focused more on story and plot than effects. And also, why those same productions also have more staying power over time. There is a reason why the Spaghetti Westerns are still watchable today.
    2
  1801. Because Hollywerid decided to take a page out of 1930s Soviet "ministry of culture" where ideology and "right think" took priority over telling a good story. The Japanese, Koreans, and Taiwanese have managed to aquire that "secret sauce" of storytelling that Tinseltown has forgotten. And I hope our Asian allies bury the American industry.
    2
  1802. I think you miss the greater context of why the US had overseas bases. 1991 was when the USSR fell and the Iron Curtain came down. Until that point, there WAS a very real and justifiable reason. The nearly 50 yearlong Cold War didn't just occur in a vacuum.
    2
  1803. No joke, you would think after almost 200 years, they would realize that Joseph Conrad was correct in describing Africa as "The Heart of Darkness".
    2
  1804. Oryx has the most accurate count as they require visual confirmation.
    2
  1805.  @AmitCYT  That was not an argument, that was an ad hominin personal attack. It is the act of someone so desperate they have lost the debate. Saying someone needs to see a psychologist is a typical response from a petulant man-child (or woman child as the case might end up being). "When the argument is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser," -attributed to Socrates. "When your argument is weak, abuse the Plaintiff," -Marcus Tullius Cicero "I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left." - Margaret Thatcher
    2
  1806.  @ARVINDKUMAR-dt1iy  And so quickly you forget about OTHER colonial powers in the world. Have you so quickly forgotten Japanese colonialism? How about Chinese colonialism BEFORE the 1700s? Zheng He's "treasure fleet" was all about projecting power and colonizing for China's emperor. Or how about the Muslim colonization of Iberia by the Moors? Or the colonization of Africa by the Arabs? Spare me your moral outrage, you are just grandstanding for your own ego.
    2
  1807. Russian nuclear subs almost started WW3 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was the level-headed Vasily Arkhipov, admiral in charge of the whole fleet that countermanded the order to launch nuclear torpedoes.
    2
  1808.  @randommonkey4900  Ah, my mistake.
    2
  1809.  @TechNinja_420  What, you mean how the PLA said that its goal is to drive Israel into the sea? How about calls by the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah to finish the Holocaust? I think you need to re-evaluate your blood libels.
    2
  1810.  @DavidHalko  Indeed. Iraq should have been partitioned back in 1914 after the Arab Revolt. The European powers should have listened to TE Lawrence. The West had yet another opportunity when Colonel Lawrence's map showing the proposed borders based on HISTORICAL TRIBAL lines was rediscovered, but arrogance prevented that because we just HAD to not piss off Turkey by allowing an independent Kurdish state. Nevermind that the Turks could have deported all of the Kurds in their territory to that new state, solving their problem.
    2
  1811. Indeed. The Suni-Shia spat is better described as a Persian-Arab divide. Or a Farsi-Arabic divide.
    2
  1812.  @DavidHalko  Don't forget that as Hamas and Hezbollah gain in influence as proxies of Iran, that pushes the other Arabs into closer relations with Israel.
    2
  1813. It is JUDEA, not Palestine. Also, Gaza is a free and independent nation of Arabs in the former British Mandate.
    2
  1814. Indeed. They have become mouthpieces for the power mongers and the legacy media.
    2
  1815.  @thetruthsetsyoufree1492  Some truth to that.
    2
  1816.  @dennisholliday2454  Watch the pennies nickels and dimes, and the dollars take care of themselves." -William Lowndes "Those who wish to move mountains start by carry away the pebbles." -Confucius Author of "The Analects" "You let one ant stand up to us, then they all might stand up. Those puny little ants outnumber us a hundred to one. And if they ever figure that out, there goes our way of life!" -Hopper, "A Bug's Life Minor things add up, dude. It is called "Death by one thousand cuts". Grains of sand that add up to a heap.
    2
  1817.  @wallace44able  I do travel, because I am on the road and can see the vehicles on the interstate. It is mostly family sedans or minivans on the road, not H2 or H3 hummers. Also, an F-150 is a full-sized truck, not and SUV, so you are being completely dishonest when you imply, they are the same thing. While an SUV nominally has a truck chassis, their performance is radically different. And it is apples to oranges false analogy to compare the US to Europe. For one, Europeans don't commute an average of 15-20 miles to work every day. -Secondly, their population density is an order of magnitude larger, which is why mass transit is viable in Europe, but not in the US outside of cities over 200,000 in population. -Third, unlike in the US, Europeans don't view driving as a right the way Americans do. Americans don't pay $200-300 processing fees to get a license like they do in Europe. It is clear you are only looking at the worst aspects of the US and only looking at Europe through rose-colored glasses. You are NOT debating in good faith, assuming that some such as myself isn't and well versed on the topic as you are, and it shows.
    2
  1818.  @wallace44able  I drive an economy car that is supposed to get 30 miles per gallon. Most Americans don't drive gas guzzling SUVs. Especially as Obama's energy polices made them untenable. But I get it, you want to blame the victim because it defects for the real cause.
    2
  1819.  @TheWedabest  James Carville
    2
  1820.  @jjdelft3216  Dude, witnessing it with my own eye in those countries IS the evidence! Clearly you don't understand the term "self-evident". But I get it, you are a contrarian, no better than a petulant child.
    2
  1821. Do you even know what goes into making Lithium-Ion batteries? Just look up how they source Cobalt in Africa for it.
    2
  1822. Don't forget that the establishment really wanted Jameca Kamala only for Tulsi Gabbard to knock her out. And when Biden became their guy, they forced the one person NOBODY wanted as the VP on their base.
    2
  1823. 'If You Voted For Biden And Don't Regret It, You're The Problem' - Jake Paul
    2
  1824.  @HexerPsy  I pointed out the fatal flaw in your green agenda. And that glaring hole is Asia. Yesh, China is the great copier. But that does NOT mean they will copy green technology when cheaper dirtier options which have greater payouts are still available. You believing they will switch over is just wishful thinking. While I do agree that we should use biofuel options as alternatives, the cold hard reality is that soy-diesel as ethanol gas is no substitute for sweet crude when it comes to high performance vehicles like Jet Aircraft and Abrams Tanks. There is just no practical alternative that can deliver the high-octane levels required. As for Sea Level rise, apparently you have not heard of Glacial Isostasy and lithospheric rebound. Take a look at the Baltic, particularly in Finland and much of that area was UNDER WATER as little as 100 years ago! As the glaciers in Scandinavia recede, the land uplifts and the oceans actually recede. Same thing is happening at remote arctic beaches in Canada. All in all, your claims blatantly ignore critical data points which reveal fundamentals in your theory that undermine the whole equation. Climate change hysteria is born from the same false theories of Peak Oil. And much like Peak oil, claims of man being the cause of climate change have been around since the 1900s and failed to ever meet predictions.
    2
  1825. And yet you blatantly ignore the emissions from both China and India that make all of your laudable goals pointless. All of those years reductions you praise get wiped out each year by the increasing activities by Red China. All you are doing is trying to force people to give up their standard of living just so that you can feel good about yourself.
    2
  1826.  @deinonychus3421  Any Bureau that is part of the executive branch is NOT independent no matter WHAT they claim. ALL offices and bureaus in the executive branch are answerable to the POTUS. That is the whole point of the executive. In this case it falls under the Department of Labor. The secretary is Martin Walsh and he DOES answer to the president and that Bureau answers to him. Take a civics class dude and lean about how government actually works.
    2
  1827.  @deinonychus3421  Is that what Warren Buffet told you?
    2
  1828.  @chris0000924  BINGO! Most people are ignorant that Buffett was the major financer of the protestors against the Keystone XL pipeline.
    2
  1829.  @pratimabhattacharya1186  Touché! But I consider it good debate practice.
    2
  1830.  @levelazn  And there you go making assumptions. You know NOTHING about me. You think you are right even when evidences proves otherwise. This whole conversation has been about YOUR obsession with "Orange Man Bad". Try swallowing your pride and arrogance and actually start using your ears and eyes rather than your proverbial mouth.
    2
  1831.  @levelazn  Don't need to as the burden on proof is NOT on me but you. You are already so obsessed with him doing no right that he could cure cancer and you would still complain that he was putting doctors out of business. Your are guilty of your own cultish behavior when nothing will convince you as you have already closed your mind to different perspectives.
    2
  1832.  @levelazn  And the Democratic Party was one for Obama for 8 years. Still is in many ways, so what is your point?
    2
  1833.  @dusanpiscevic6213  When you use the talking points of the anti-colonialism movement (who are flaming communist BTW), you paint yourself as such. I don't need to make assumptions when you condemn yourself with your own words. And putting out a dissertation like that isn't an argument, it is a logical fallacy called proof by verbosity. See also: Gish Gallop.
    2
  1834.  @dusanpiscevic6213  "US colonies"? What US colonies? The Philippines was emancipated in 1945 after WW2. Guam, Samoa, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Norther Mariana Islands have all desired to remain US territories. Seriously, stop with this anti-colonialism bigotry. It is just poorly disguised Anglophobia in the same way anti-Zionism is "fashionable" Antisemitism.
    2
  1835.  @callmebigpapa  Buy it up slowly and then dumping it all at once is how you destroy an economy. Deng Xiaoping spelled that out in his 100-year plan back in the 80s. Michael Pilsbury and Richard Murdoch both wrote about Xiaoping's plan in the 90s. But our sell-out politicians didn't care. All they saw was the immediate payout rather than the long-term danger.
    2
  1836.  @beringstraitrailway  So? what is your point. Bridges make invasions that much easier. UN forces got pushed south from the Yalu River in late 1950 because Truman refused to let McArthur or any of his successors destroy the bridges over the Yalu.
    2
  1837.  @BeachSamuraiStudios  Yeah, the bats in the market were dumped there by corrupt lab technicians trying to make a few bucks on the side. Seriously, the Wuhan lab has been citied many times before for improper disposal of lab samples. The ONLY appropriate way to dispose of such samples is via incineration at temps well in excess of 1,000 Celsius.
    2
  1838. I dig it. A few issues come to mind. First, unless it is built running from the Canadian Coast up to Baffin Island-Greenland-Iceland and then to Ireland, that is some seriously deep water to build under. Secondly, the greenies will have a cow over the environmental issues.
    2
  1839.  @s9ka972  Asia is not just the Central part of the continent. South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Maylasia are also part of Asia. And India's relationship with Russia has soured, especially over the arms deals.
    2
  1840. Most expensive on the front end, but not on day-to-day operations. It very quickly balances out to become the cheapest per kilowatt hour.
    2
  1841. I understand the concept of wholesaler vs retail, but I tend to agree with you that by and large there is very little reason for a middleman if all they are doing is converting from one to the other.
    2
  1842.  @Jake12220  If the war in Ukraine has taught us anything, it is that Russia's military capabilities are GROSSLY overestimated. All of your points while based in merit do not comport with the level of competence displayed by the Russian military. Competent training is sorely lacking in the former Soviet State.
    2
  1843. But at what cost? The Russian war machines is being smashed by Ukraine. The Russian Bear has been revealed to be geriatric.
    2
  1844. That is pretty much true of EVERY war ever fought. The US Civil War was just as much an economic one as a battlefield war. WW1 was a production war once trench warfare stagnated the fight. And finally, WW2 was won on both fronts because of American production outpacing everyone.
    2
  1845. Sounds like Czechia has the same problem with "low information voters" as the US. Namely too many overly comfortable armchair quarterbacks with silver spoons in their mouths who have never experienced real hardship. First world problems, I suppose.
    2
  1846. I think that yes, for the most part it would, save for having Russia not only return Crimea to Ukraine, but also pay reparations in the form of gas deliveries in place of cash.
    2
  1847. The problem with price capping energy is that it invariably leads to rolling blackouts. Don't tell me that is prefereable.
    2
  1848. Well, at the beginning Ukraine's mobilization was a cluster f(ire tr)uck. But to their credit, they quickly adapted and corrected their issues. Russia is 7 months behind the 8-ball and it remains to be seen if they get their act together. Something tells me that it will not without the same Western support that Ukraine enjoys.
    2
  1849. Captured T-90 tanks in Izyum prove that Russia is NOT holding back its best gear. Perun has a great breakdown debunking that myth, if you can spare 1 hour or so to watch it.
    2
  1850.  @andrewlechner6343  The Gripen is a 4.5 generation but its cost-value most certainly makes it a competitor. And the cost per flight hour completely demolishes the F-35. Just because something isn't made in the US doesn't mean it is automatically worse. That being said, you don't need to be the best, only good enough where numbers can make up the difference. That is how the allies on both fronts defeated individually superior German tanks and aircraft.
    2
  1851. Yes and no. The training of Ukraine has only gone on since 2014. And during the first two months Russia had both the numbers and the equipment to crush Ukraine but squandered it. You belittle Ukraine's comeback by claiming that the untrained Russian conscripts are anything like the professionals who lead the drive on Kiev.
    2
  1852. Today you would be correct. However, in WW2, the US shipyards were producing vessels faster than either the Germans or the Japanese could sink them. Just look at how many jeep and escort carriers were built in the war. Essex class fleet carriers alone outnumbered the total number of Japanese carriers.
    2
  1853. Graft and corruption. All of those kickbacks in the form of campaign donations.
    2
  1854. But how far behind schedule was that? And how grossly overbudget? The entire project is some 20 years behind schedule. Meanwhile, the Grippen was designed, tested, and perfected in that same time period.
    2
  1855. WW2 is NOT debatable. The Soviets would have never survived Operation Barbarossa without allied supplies coming into Murmansk. For 30 years after WW2, the annual Mayday Parades on Red square featured American built trucks.
    2
  1856. I agree about ending the handouts that encourage and reward large families. As for the world population, we haven't even come close to what the planet is capable of sustaining. That hysteria about overpopulation has been going on since the 1890s. And much like Peak oil hysteria, it has never come to pass because the doomsayers ignore technological innovation that changes the equation.
    2
  1857. Indeed. Regulations ALWAYS stifle innovation, no exception. That politician showed how out of touch he or she was with the R&D process.
    2
  1858. How? In most measures, Europe is VERY liberal, both socially, economically, and politically.
    2
  1859. Depends. Most of the convivences you enjoy are a direct result of military spending. The internet you are using now? Military under DARPA.
    2
  1860. I think you need to reexamine your claim. A US company can be a small as a local game store. There are still more brick and mortar companies than there are virtual ones.
    2
  1861.  @-whackd  Part of the problem in the US is that vertical integrated supply chains run afoul of the Sherman anti-Trust statutes regarding monopolies. Standard Oil was broken up in part because it had just as much of a vertical monopoly as well as a horizontal one.
    2
  1862. Indeed. The story of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand is echoed in the fall of Detroit.
    2
  1863.  @USAads2023  Wow, lots of word salad but very little on substance. Nothing in that was coherent except for "US is bad".
    2
  1864.  @SamSam-qk5zr  Because of NATO, duh. Europe fought two world wars because the US chose isolationism instead of interventionism. The US is in Europe because Europe is not responsible enough to NOT start a war that consumes the entire continent. I very much think the US SHOULD completely and unilaterally pull out of Europe. Even more so today seeing as how the Ukrainians in conjunction with the Poles and the Baltic States have taken on the Russians so successfully. But I guarantee you that as soon as the US does, the entirety of the NATO alliance will be begging the US to stay. Think about how quickly the anti-US anti-military protests in South Korea almost completely disappeared when Colin Powell and Donald Rumsfeld went there in 2003 to discuss the complete withdraw of US troops.
    2
  1865.  @USAads2023  Nukes are no replacement for boots on the ground. If you even bother to educate yourself on the use of nukes in a battlefield environment, you NEED infantry to capitalize on the deployment of such a weapon. ALL tactical level employment of nukes is predicated on using infantry as follow-up. There is just no getting around the fact that infantry is the fundamental and critical piece of ANY military. Without it, you can't do anything of value, as we have seen with Russia's lack of enough light infantry to support their tanks and artillery. And as far as turning enemies into friends, well, that is just wishful thinking. Some enemies NEVER want to trade or be your customer.
    2
  1866. And yet most European business that directly compete with the US are monopiles. Airbus is a government owned monopoly.
    2
  1867.    The problem with Europe achieving number three is the same as in the past: too many princelings overly concerned with maintaining their fiefdoms rather than doing what is pragmatic. Each country wants personal control over the process rather than setting up a framework where individual nations in the block could buy the equipment, they like from a shared procurement source. Perun has a great video on the basket case that is the German logistical procurement process.
    2
  1868. Completely out of touch with reality. 90% of the convivences you enjoy today are a direct result of military spending. "Climate migration" is just as first world comforting myth rich people tell themselves so as to feel good about their patronizing and racist behavior.
    2
  1869. Sad but true story. There is a reason why diaspora populations exist from Filipino to Chinese to Turkish, and everything in between.
    2
  1870. Please watch examples of how human rights get worse AFTER those colonial powers leave. Colonialism is bad, but the anti-Colonialist movement that comes to power afterwards is often far worse. India is the best example of things going right (but not perfect). Somalia shows what happens most often.
    2
  1871.  @alexsveles343  Yup, the Barbary Coast Corsairs. Not even the Sultan of Morocco's declaration of protection for American sailors could keep them safe from the Berbers. Word is that the Caliph of Algeria's favorite slaves were young American boys. Supposedly he found their screams form being lashed for the first time in their life to be particularly exquisite. That should tell you how messed up those people were (and still are in many cases). All of this would lead to the famous line in the Marine Corp song "From the Hall of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli". Steven Decatur is a man more Westerners should be familiar with.
    2
  1872. Yeah, fearmongering around 3-mile Island and Chernobyl created hysteria over nuclear power. Fukushima gave that same anti-nuke crowd a booster shot. That stands in stark contrast to the history of the US Navy's nuclear power porgram.
    2
  1873. The big problems, and one they didn't touch on is that dismantled Soviet nuclear bombs are having their cores reprocessed into reactor fuel. If we want to shrink the number of nuclear weapons, we cannot sanction the companies that are engaged in that process.
    2
  1874.  @gargoyle7863  Indeed. And we are seeing the same thing today in Hollyweird. It is like they took a page from Stalin's "Ministry of Culture" circa 1932.
    2
  1875. The problem is that nationality and ethnicity are often intertwined. The idea that a nationality could have different ethnicities is only a recent development in large part because of the United States. Historically, your ethnicity WAS your nationality.
    2
  1876.  @prioris55555  Watched the same video I did and then did the follow up research I see? Well done, better than most other internet "experts". And that is not sarcasm, it is sincere praise for you. I also like to point out that they moved SLOWLY. They built up and modernized at a controlled and methodical pace, not rabid modernization which always topples because weak fundamentals.
    2
  1877.  @Judaism44  I think you are conflating socialism with social democracy. The two systems are NOT the same. And yes, the claims that "capitalims has failed and socialism has never been tried" is the classic "No True Scotsman" fallacy.
    2
  1878.  @6thsense79  While I don't disagree about corporate hacks manipulating tax law to benefit them, ALL attempts to have a "progressive" tax structure makes the inequality WORSE, not better, which is what the neo-feudalists want. Attempts to "spread the wealth" and directly fight income inequality ALWAYS makes it worse, not better. Income inequality will ALWAYS exist as effort is the primary factor in a truly open and free market (namely, one that has ZERO government intervention).
    2
  1879.  @jcjaramillomo  Not as much time as you thing. The markets react to election results in less than a week. it is much easier to destroy an economy than it is to build it up. And all of that is true not just in the US but around the world.
    2
  1880.  @jcjaramillomo  Look at the US economy under Trump's first 2 years and contrast it with Biden's first two years and you tell me which one was better for the US.
    2
  1881.  @bang4buck326  Then explain China's invasion of Vietnam. How about their conquest of Tibet? And that doesn't even begin to discuss their violation of Indonesia, Malaysian, Philipine, and Brunei territorial waters, NONE of whom are part of the Quad.
    2
  1882. Don't forget that their financial institutes are a house of cards about to implode.
    2
  1883. You cannot possibly consider that eco-terrorism could be to blame?
    2
  1884. Except nobody is talking about eco-terrorism being a real possibility.
    2
  1885. I agree. Too much American blood and treasure has been squandered on those spoiled children in Europe who are not mature enough to fix their own problems.
    2
  1886. Oh Putin's was all about gas and oil. Just look at the assessed oil deposits off the coast of Crimea. Or the gas fields under the Donbas. Or the Coal fields in Donbas.
    2
  1887.  @Sam-tt6oz  For one, you are not outsourcing your sovereignty and rights to the Fourth Reich. But then I don't expect you to understand why the American colonies felt a need to break with the Crown in 1776. England's break with the EU was for the same reasons.
    2
  1888. Indeed. Calling hard line Brexit conservatives "Hooligans" shows a blatant bias that discredits him. Name-calling isn't virtuous in debate; it is a sign of desperation and shows one cannot effectively argue the merits. "When the argument is weak, abuse the plaintiff," -Marcus Tullius Cicero "When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser," -attributed to both Plato and Socrates.
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  1889. Death rate as compared to what? Malaria, Tuberculosis, Ebola, Japanese Encephalitis, Cholera, Typhoid, Botulism, Yellow Fever (the virus, not the fetish), Bubonic Plague, Legionnaires disease, and Rabies all have much higher death rates than the Wuhan Flu and nobody bats an eye at them. Spare us your moral outrage.
    2
  1890. The UK and the US haven't had REAL conservatives in office since the Reagan-Thatcher era. The so-called conservative politicians of the last 30 years are all liberals pretending to be something they are not.
    2
  1891. What was it that Winston Chruchill said? "If you aren't a liberal before age 30 you have no heart, and if you are not a conservative after 35 you have no brain"?
    2
  1892.  @aekanshaggrawal  The only people who believe that are people living off the misery of others.
    2
  1893.  @rehabwales  You would be surprised. Not everyone in the West is monolithic. Take the contrast between Neville Chamberlain and Winston Chruchill. There are MANY politicians in the west who are no different than the infamous appeaser.
    2
  1894.  @Rjsjrjsjrjsj  James Earl Carter was a lot worse than Trump. Unless you were born after 1980. But I get it, you have the myopia of tribalism and refuse to believe your lying eyes. "‘Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter (Joe Biden) loses his.’ -Ronald Reagan.
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  1895. Yeah, I suspect the reason why he is making propaganda clips for the CCP is because his son is facing prison for drug trafficking charges. "Indeed, as a policeman, I would say, get hold of a man's brother and you're halfway home." -Yevgraf, "Doctor Zhivago".
    2
  1896.  @fra604  Actually, in debate quoting a well-known source is the highest virtue. The fact that you chose to resort of name-calling (saying it is stupid) just proves you have already lost the debate. "When debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser," -attributed to Socrates.
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  1897. I want to point out that the BigMac size in both Japan and Korea is smaller than the BigMac in the US. So that as an analogy is not exactly an accurate measurement as the sandwiches are not exactly the same. Also, as far as productivity, keep in mind that subordinates in a company are expected to show up before their superiors and are expected to stay until AFTER those same supervisors have left for the day. So, while top management may get to enjoy a strict 8-hour workday, the bottom of the work pyramid might expect to be on the job for as much as 12-14 hours.
    2
  1898. Only because you have yet to experience what happens when China comes to collect their "pound of flesh".
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  1899.  @onlyfacts4999  The two positions are NOT mutually exclusive. But I expect such shallow false choice thinking from rabid nevertrumpers. Nuance goes right over your head because you are rule by your emotions rather than by logic and reason.
    2
  1900.  @itumo2645  Not entirely true. Many came into power with the help of the Soviets. Most of the ones since 2000 came into power because of the Chinese. Indeed, ALL of your anti-colonial despots came to power via communist revolutions because that anti-colonialism mantra was simply a vessel for anti-West resentment.
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  1901. Debt to control other nations was planned out by Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s. The Chinese have always played the long game. And they have the population to conscript into an invasion force to collect on their debt. I do agree with you that geopolitically it remains to be seen how it will play out. And how China responds if the whole of the continent stops fighting each other and unites against the Red Panda.
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  1902. Yes and no. You are correct about constant regime change and that IS biting China in the rear. The kicker is when they choose to back strongmen such as the ones who toppled Robert Mugabe instead of buying off corrupt local elected officials. Both sides are exploiting each other, but it remains to be see who comes out on the better end.
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  1903. Then where is the hate for Taiwan? Spare us your cries of racism, you are the boy who cried "WOLF!"
    2
  1904.  @jakedee4117  When you win a trade war through better quality products without putting your customer over a barrel, what is the problem? The UK was notorious during the 17th and 18th centuries of doing as China is doing today. The US during the 19th and 20th centuries didn't create a mercantile empire the way the British and the Dutch did through colonialism and military adventurism. We didn't create vassals beholden to us the way the British and the Chinese have done.
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  1905.  @butterfly7562  Sure, as if race has anything to do with it. But sure, try to deny that the CCCP has not been engaging in a cold war. Your own military leaders have been boasting about their "Cold War" efforts against the US for 30 years now. Some of us "white guys" like Michael Pilsbury and Richard Murdock took the words of your military's Senior Colonels and Generals seriously.
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  1906. Then why hasn't Russia steamrolled Ukraine yet? Spare me, Russia can't keep up with its losses. The Bear is geriatric.
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  1907.  @thundermarkperun1083  If you are talking about Russian conscripts, you would be correct.
    2
  1908. So you agree with Nevile Chamberlain that appeasement is the best option?
    2
  1909.  @louisecorchevolle9241  How about you make a coherent argument instead of emotional outbursts?
    2
  1910.  @sonneh86  Mine come from Perun's defense logistics channel. He aggregates the data and doesn't just rely on one single source.
    2
  1911.  @sonneh86  Poland IS the top provider in Europe, bar none. The UK is number two. Your numbers are a shell game to make yourself feel better about Europe's dithering. "Figures don't lie, but liars figure," -Mark Twain.
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  1912. The Russian MOD has yet to actually face Polish, German, or US troops. Ukraine is fighting this essentially alone. The Foreign Legion doesn't count as NATO forces; it is more akin to the French Foreign Legion, but for Ukraine.
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  1913. How hard it is to explore the bottom of the Ocean? It is easier to get into orbit than it is to get to the bottom of Challenger Deep (Mariana Trench).
    2
  1914. Ironically, it was the US who proposed the Antarctic Treaty. The White House at the time realized the extreme difficulty in trying to join any competition for claiming the continent. So instead they opted to take a different approach.
    2
  1915.  @LesOubliesQuebec  Most people don't think like you. Most people are inherently selfish and can only think about the immediate payout rather than the long-term gains. Case in point: casino gambling.
    2
  1916. In theory he could tell the Canadian Parliament to disband and hold new elections to form a new government, but the likelihood of that happening under Castro Jr. is slim.
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  1917. Yeah, he has always come across as a spoiled child, even in his later years. The best thing he could do for the institution is to keep his mouth shut and stay sequestered in the palace like a recluse or hermit. Let his son William be "The People's Prince" and carry out the role of the crown in state ceremonies.
    2
  1918. Thank you for pointing all of those facts out. People conveniently ignore that Stalin's Soviet Union was a psudo-Axis member up until Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa. And almost everyone on BOTH sides were content to continue that amicable and VERY profitable relationship. It was purely "Der Furher's" ego that sank the alliance of the Hammer and Sickle with the Swastika.
    2
  1919.  @octoslut  Logistics, dude. You can't fight a war on ONE front with bad logistics as Russia has shown. The fact that the US could even fight two against an inferior foe on two fronts already shows a capability that far exceeds any other power. What is it that US Generals love to say? "Amateurs talk tactics, but professionals talk logistics"? Guess who is an amateur? Cope harder.
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  1920.  @octoslut  You are just wildly speculating. The fact that US forces were fighting in both Afghanistan AND Iraq at the same time is proof that the US CAN fight a two-front war. The full might of the US military has not been brought to bear since Korea in 1950-53.
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  1921. Yeah, the idea that China's industrial and production capacity would not be targeted in a war with the US is naive. The video's assumption of that point is not based on reality.
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  1922.  @marcbuisson2463  Oh, I am not saying that it isn't grown there. Only that the local authorities take it seriously and deal with it harshly.
    2
  1923. There may be some truth to your suggestion. Look at how South Korea, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Maylasia, and Indonesia deal with drug trafficking. They don't play around.
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  1924. Guns didn't create the problem. But I do agree with you about not laundering money to the cartels. Hell, the US was basically facilitating the narcotics trade by protecting Afghan poppy farmers who were using the profits to fund the Taliban and Al Qaeda!
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  1925.  @wesleapenknife1755  Except the CDC, FDA, and FBI statistics prove otherwise. Just because you claim something is not true doesn't mean it isn't. In this case, you have to prove a negative while I simply have to point to objectively verified data sets. Data sets you would rather pretend didn't exist.
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  1926.  @wesleapenknife1755  Nice strawman argument. Not everyone drinks Coffee. And caffeine is found in naturally in other food products like tea and chocolate so your argument there is total rubbish.
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  1927. Agreed. Pills should be the LAST choice, and only for those that are a clear danger to either themselves or others. If they are not at risk of harming someone, they don't need mind altering chemicals.
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  1928.  @2KSnSLifestyle  Oh, I am sure that there is a coming economic crisis. Command economies invariably experience a brutal one when they try to control market forces. But I do agree with you that if you are a developing country, you don't have any justifiable reason to build nuclear boomers and carriers.
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  1929. What do you mean by "mature" developed economy? The Chinese play fast and loose with that description. Case in point: a "developing" economy doesn't really have the resources to finance a space program. it is a luxury that only a developed economy can afford.
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  1930. Makes one wonder how Josif Bros Tito was able to unite the disparate factions as Yugoslavs, overcoming the historic differences and animosities. Yes, Visual Politik has a video on Tito, but while the platitudes of Tito sound nice, there is something more to his mojo. And I suspect it has to do with him being something of a dictatorial strongman because emphasizing unity on share human experience (shared Yugoslav identity in Tito's case) is not a very strong glue, unfortunately.
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  1931. I think a better option is to simply let the country further divide into smaller countries rather than force everyone to be under one flag and government. San Marino, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and Andorra all get to be independent countries, why can't the same thing occur in Bosnia?
    2
  1932.  @1233-d3h  That would be the French you are talking about. Ever heard of the Vichy government?
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  1933.  @1233-d3h  The idea that you keep Serbians in Bosnia under a pro-NATO government is a pathetic justification. Again, it is predicted on 18th century chauvinism rather than reality on the ground. There is very little threat to European stability if Republika Srpska is annexed by the Republic of Serbia. If anything, it may actually bring MORE stability.
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  1934.  @Mohankeneh  All wishful thinking. Yugoslavia was NEVER a superpower. India, United Kingdom, and Maoist China had a better claim than Yugoslavia ever did. So just on that point everything else you claim can be discounted.
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  1935.  @mikevarga6742  Unrest under Maduro in Venezuela is a direct result of Hugo Chavez' death. Yes, it can take as much as 9 years for a country to come apart. Things don't just happen overnight. And in Yugoslavia's case, it took some time for Tito's successors to screw things up.
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  1936.  @Mohankeneh  How? Yugoslavia broke up NOT because of the US but as a direct result of Josif Bros Tito's death. He failed to groom an effective heir who could keep the disparate factions operating in harmony.
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  1937. Wow. As bizarre and off the wall as that is, I just might actually work!
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  1938.  @maximusgrandus  How would such a small state be a problem? If San Marino, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and Andorra can all be independent nations, there is no excuse for not letting the local regions of Bosnia do the same.
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  1939. How? Details. Don't just spew CCP talking points either.
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  1940. They do have experience in amphibious assaults, it just isn't good experience. Hainan Island was a success, but Kinmen Island was a total disaster. I do agree with you that China would need quite a few boats to pull this off, and the Battle of Guningtou shows that wooden ferry boats will not cut it.
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  1941. Guns behind every blade of grass as often misattributed to Admiral Yamamoto.
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  1942. Sadly, firearms training is also lacking in the US military. As part of the USAF, I only trained on the range TWICE in my 8 years of service. One time at basic at Lackland AFB, and the second time at Scott AFB right before I went to South Korea. Even after going from Korea to Fort Carson where deployments to the sandbox were a regular occurrence, there was still very little firearms training.
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  1943.  @kimandre336  I blame romanization. One of the things that frustrated me the most during my time in East Asia is how many extra silent letters are put into Korean, Japanese, and Chinese word. Between American phonetic spelling and European romanization, nobody can properly pronounce when given the "official" romanization.
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  1944.  @junkeatng  Land wise, yes. Share of the international market, not so much. You really think that 75% of the worlds nations which together account for less that 50% of the world's total trade are going to be a big enough offset? You are smoking some pretty strong reefers if you think so.
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  1945. Sounds to me they have a similar problem as Russia, namely the development of an NCO corp. That is going to be a major problem especially as Mainland China has spent the last 20 years nurturing one.
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  1946.  @xiphoid2011  Thank you for enlightening me. I knew that Singapore was part of the Malay Union at one time, but I thought it was a mutually amicable parting of ways. That it was not gives me a new perspective on that part of the world.
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  1947.  @xiphoid2011  Hostile country? Maylasia or Indonesia? I was under the impression they are on good terms with their neighbors.
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  1948.  @tianxiabai1185  Nice bloviating and goal post moving. Fact is, your PLA got its clock cleaned in Vietnam. Everything they learned fighting the US they put to effective use against you.
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  1949.  @tianxiabai1185  Human wave attacks. Yes, when you have a swarm of bodies overrunning your position, you are going to run out of bullets long before they run out of bodies. But that is an amazingly large butcher's bill to pay.
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  1950. Indeed. The disastrous amphibious landing attempt at Kinmen Island in 1950 shows the extent of poor planning by the PLAN (People's Liberation Army Navy). Unless their Navy builds dedicated landing craft, they will not succeed. Using wooden ferry boats is a recipe for another embarrassing defeat.
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  1951.  @xt7519  For sake of argument? That is a fair point.
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  1952. And yet Ukraine rejects your notion and insists on continuing to fight. If they believed as you think, then they would have simply allowed Russia to capture Kiev without a fight.
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  1953. Indeed. People forgot the lessons of Munich. At least JFK didn't forget them during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
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  1954. The fondness Japan has for its former prized colony still remains. Formosa was the crown jewel of the Empire of Japan and that affection hasn't diminished.
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  1955.  @Chou-seh-fu  I saw that too. Which is why I contend that the ethnic Chinese population of Taiwan is becoming a separate ethnic identify. The Two Koreas at least nominally both claim the same culture and heritage. Taiwan having blended Japanese, Chinese, and the local aboriginal elements has become something completely different from mainland, having more in common with the overseas diaspora populations (such as Singapore) than they do with the mainland.
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  1956.  @Rob_F8F  Don't need an Aegis, you just need the Vulcan Phalanx. While not specifically designed for anti-drone, it more than meets the challenge.
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  1957.  @maritaschweizer1117  You are confusing Brandon with Orange Man. Everyone knows Trump is sharp as a tac while Joe Bite-Me is suffering from Dementia.
    2
  1958.  @chrisdecokere2899  Or maybe his former advisors were all backstabbers. Everyone goes after the king if they see an opportunity to usurp his throne.
    2
  1959. On what charge? The criminal cases are all falling apart under prosecutorial misconduct. And the ones he has "lost" are civil cases that don't result in prison. Even those will get overturned on appeal.
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  1960. You confused tactical and operational but are otherwise correct. The funnel is tactical -> Operational -> Strategic.
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  1961.  @justmenotyou3151  Isostatic rebound. It is why Scandinavia's shorelines are receding after their ice caps melt. Much of Finland was underwater just 500 years ago.
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  1962.  @maritaschweizer1117  North Korea is no threat. And Russia has ALWAYS been in bed with Iran. Nothing has changed in the balance of power.
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  1963.  @yellowcard7139  Wow, talk about creepy psycho-stalker behavior on your part. Do you always behave like this to someone who has gotten under YOUR skin?
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  1964.  @theman9048  You didn't disprove his points.
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  1965.  @jeffbob1776  Indeed. For the longest time, generals kept their politics to themselves. Somewhere along the line they broke that unspoken agreement.
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  1966.  @selindenizcebi9952  Yeah, funny how becoming a shill for Putin suddenly makes the threats go away. There is a word for that: STOCKHOLM SYNDROME.
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  1967. Indeed. The Donbas insurgency followed the exact same playbook as the one in South Ossetia.
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  1968.  @ernestkhalimov1007  Yeah, it is easy to say that when you have the government effectively under your thumb.
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  1969. The Insurgency in South Ossetia followed the same playbook as the one in the Donbas. The invasion of Georgia had more to do with preventing NATO ascension of Georgia than it did about protecting minority populations.
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  1970. Indeed. Caspian Report out of Azerbaijan has an interesting video on the conflict, but I would like a different perspective from someone NOT a part to that conflict. For my own part, I greatly sympathize with the Armenians, but their poor choice in "friends" with both Moscow and Tehran sours it.
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  1971. Deutschland remilitarizing is a joke. The Teutonic Knights have forgotten their legacy and refuse to embrace the parts of their history which were NOT dishonorable (such as the Kreigsmarine, particularly the U-boat fleet).
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  1972.  @leihtory7423  China hasn't invaded in 40 years? May I remind you of their invasion of Vietnam where Charlie kicked their ass? Then there are the numerous border fights China has picked with India. Don't fool yourself, the Chi-Coms are just bad at War. The ONLY thing going for them is their superior numbers, but as Ukraine has shown, that can easily be overcome.
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  1973. @lati long Keep repeating to yourself your fictions that reinforce your delusions. Facts on the ground matter, and indisputable fact is that Japan and Taiwan's economies are intertwined in a way that the Chinese CCCP envies and detests. That would not happen if not for the population being closer to Tokyo than they are to Beijing.
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  1974. @lati long Wow, no concept of history, do you? You think that anything before August of 1945 never happened. You ignore anything that does not fit your myopic politically driven narrative.
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  1975.  @user-pn3im5sm7k  Negative population growth is NOT fine. You need two babies per woman to break even and maintain a stable society. Demographic collapse leads to societal collapse.
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  1976.  @unklmonk651  Fishing, and natural resource rights. If they can claim the Island, then everything between it and the home Islands can be claimed as sovereign Japanese territorial waters.
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  1977.  @ivan7453  The problem is that the age of battleships is over because of guided missiles. Between ship-based rockets and carrier-based aircraft, engagements are at distances well beyond the horizon and outside the range of cannons. In fact, the last time ships did engage in a direct fire-fight was in the Battle of Samar which featured Yamato being dueled by tin-can destroyer-escorts that fought as if they were battleships. It resulted in about the only carrier ever sunk by naval gunfire: USS Gambier Bay. Now, I DO believe there is a place today for battleships as a mobile artillery platform, especially for shore bombardment and close support (think USS Nevada during Normandy). But Heavy Cruisers fill that role on the rare situations it comes up. Battleships could also serve as a command and control (ship version of an AWACS ), but today Cruisers also tend to fill that role. Finally, they can also act as an anti-aircraft platform to protect the carriers on the off chance that enemy planes do get past the Combat Air Patrol. But since US doctrine calls for air dominance, it is not considered a justified use of resources.
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  1978. Japan converting hulls into aircraft carriers is not a new thing. That being said, I would love to see a modern IJN Akagi, IJN Kaga, and IJN Shinano nuclear super-carriers.
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  1979. Considering the Japanese propensity to adopt new technologies quickly and maximize their efficiency, I have no doubt they would quickly be on par with the best of the NATO block.
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  1980.  @rsuriyop  More drivel from someone who thinks word salad is "educated". Some of us have actually been to Japan and South Korea and know the truth having experienced it firsthand.
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  1981.  @rsuriyop  Japan's economic downturn has NOTHING to do with the US and everything to do with their own bad economic choices. When the Yen is typically strong against the USD, your claims of America keeping the Japanese on a leash is utter garbage born of Ameriphobia. Incidentally, since Anime is eating Disney and Hollywood's lunch, that is further evidence that Japan is its own master.
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  1982.  @eirikarnesen9691  You are correct. I mistakenly tagged you instead of rsuriyop. My apologies.
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  1983.  @eirikarnesen9691  Wow, seems like I triggered you. You are clearly an Anglophobe pretending to be an anti-colonialist (which is just fashionable anti-European racism)
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  1984. "Cold hard fact" huh? I think you conflate opinion for fact. Do keep in mind that Japan has NOT always been in agreement with the US. There have been numerous situations when the Japanese have stabbed the US in the back (selling of the F-15/F-16 to unapproved third parties such as the Chinese). You calling the Japanese puppets effectively denies that Japan has any agency to make its own choices. That is a very myopic perspective and frankly, a lazy infantile one.
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  1985. Can they be trusted? Well considering they have experience first-hand nuclear weapons; I trust them more with nukes than I do the French.
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  1986. Yeah, the definitions today are jacked compared to WW2 standards. The retired Spruance-class Destroyer was easily TWICE the displacement of a Fletcher-class of WW2. In the wake of WW2, the Frigate/Destroyers and Light Cruisers became one mission profile while the Heavy Cruisers took over the role of Battleships as artillery platforms.
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  1987. Indeed. The hacked details of the F-35 are showing that it is the modern equivalent of the Norden Bombsight: overblown and its failures classified to protect the corruption in the industry.
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  1988. I saw it too. Are they implying that the giant of South America condones piracy?
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  1989. Unlikely that they would use the names of their Super Battleships for mere destroyer-escorts. I could see them using those names for Heavy Command Cruisers (which have basically replaced the WW2 battleship).
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  1990.  @user-pn3im5sm7k  Have you considered that they are only counting those who stayed in the country? Many Japanese who marry foreign spouses LEAVE the country. And considering how Hafu children have historically been treated, even since the end of WW2, I don't blame them. What Japan needs to do is NOT castigate their "half-caste" children and instead embrace them as one would a prodigal son who has returned.
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  1991.  @user-pn3im5sm7k  I vehemently disagree with the mass migration argument as a solution to any nation's demographics problem. That is NEVER a workable solution. What I DO wish the Japanese would consider is to allow the naturalization of those who marry a Japanese national. Expedite the process should the couple actually produce half-Japanese children.
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  1992.  @user-pn3im5sm7k  Declining population makes it impossible to get out of debt. It makes defaulting a dangerous possibility. Or are you one of the Klaus Schwab acolytes who believes in population control?
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  1993. I would have more respect if he used the nickname "figlettes". Most sea dogs know what that means.
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  1994.  @wroughtforge7547  I seriously doubt you are Japanese. You are pushing hysteria and hyperbole which only serves to create anti-Japanese bigotry.
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  1995. Fukushima was nothing compared to the Windscale Fire in England. Or the Swiss Lucens accident. Or Kyshtym disaster in the USSR. Stop the anti-nuclear fearmongering by people who have political agendas.
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  1996.  @user-pn3im5sm7k  How do you get from Texas having 2 million bullets to all 50 states having over 12 billion? Your math does not compute, for it is off by 900 million. Or are you having difficulty with the zeros and commas? If you are trying to use Texas per capita bullets, I would remind you that states like California, Illinois, and New York are effectively gun-free states so you cannot honestly apply the numbers for Texas to those states' population.
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  1997.  @user-pn3im5sm7k  Texas has 2 million bullets. And how many bodies does China have? Something on the order of 1.5 BILLION. Almost three orders of magnitude larger?
    1
  1998.  @user-pn3im5sm7k  You missed my point. You don't have to be the best. You just have to be good enough and then numbers make up the difference. You also don't seem to understand that the Chinese have more bodies than we have bullets. The CCCP doesn't care about taking massive casualties. To them life is cheap and expendable so long as the goal is achieved. You would think their lockdown policies that starved people to death would make that abundantly clear. And as far as 1940s strategies being obsolete, might I remind you that in the 1980 Iran-Iraq war, the Iranians used human wave attacks and almost overwhelmed the then Western backed Saddam military?
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  1999.  @songhan1586  Indeed. It is the opponent you underestimate that defeats you and cleans your clock. So, it is better to assume they are more competent than they might actually be so that the only surprises are good ones.
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  2000.  @user-pn3im5sm7k  Yes, they overstate their capabilities. But as Stalin said, "quantity has a quality all its own". The Chinese fighters only need to be good enough such that their numbers can overwhelm the F-35. There are only so many AtAM that a fighter can carry; the Chinese can put up more planes than the west has missiles to shoot them down.
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  2001.  @mosh.4245  Yeah, i wasn't talking about the ship sunk at Midway. I was talking about the Izumo hybrid carrier. Context, dude.
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  2002. Command economies always end up a disaster. Cuba, Venezuela, USSR, DPRK, et. al. Soviet Central Planning NEVER achieves what true open markets accomplish.
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  2003.  @hughmungus2760  Is it a flaw of capitalism or is it a result of unscrupulous local governors and bureaucrats who took kickbacks to look the other way when they saw the money laundering going on? Those same politicians and bureaucrats were obligated under Chinese law to put an end to it. Much of that "private speculation" was encouraged and rewarded by the local municipalities who were incentivized to accelerate it. Now, I do agree that it may very well lead to more top-down authoritarianism, but then that is often the whole point of the exercise: create a panic and crisis so as to clamp down and centralize power.
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  2004. Yeah, the Soviets did implode under their own weight. Since 1955, a majority of the Soviet GDP came from oil and gas sales to Western powers like the Federal Republic of Germany (west Germany). It was Western Europe propping-up the Soviet Economy all of those years. Hell, the ONLY reason why they were able to defeat the Nazis in WW2 was BECAUSE of American supplies to the USSR. Ask yourself why for 50 years all of the trucks in the Mayday parades were of American manufacture.
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  2005.  @Vaeldarg  I am asking you to think outside of the box instead of simply accepting an misotheist perspective. Religions do not exist to enslave people; they act as guard rails to prevent societal collapse. But sure, show your contempt for the anti-religion "humanist" movements are responsible for some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century.
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  2006.  @Vaeldarg  Wow, historically revisionism. You seem to ignore the cynical actions of Emperor Constantine and the Council of Nicene. You fail to realize that they were just using the popularity of the faith to grow their own base of power. Constantine continued to make burnt offerings to the Greco-Roman pantheon long after supposedly converting in flagrant defiance of Christian precepts. How about you ACTUALLY READ SCRIPTURES from an academic perspective. The gospels and the words of the Nazarene are VERY anti-establishment. They are HIGHLY critical of government and organized religion. "It is said my house shall be a temple of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves!" -Jesus of Nazareth; Matthew 21:12, Mark 11:15;' Luke 19:46; John 2:13
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  2007.  @danilolabbate  Again, you are just making excuses. Like a typical cultural Marxist, you blame a perceived "oppressor" rather than admit that there are internal, domestic problems. And in doing so, you completely buy into the racist "noble savage" stereotype. When you have Generals like Zho Zongtang, the Marquis Kejing putting down the Taiping Rebellion, you can't claim that it was the Opium Wars keeping China down. Indeed, all of the Rebellions against the Manchu Qing Dynasty shows how corrupt and terrible their rule was. And as far as Japan's invasion of China, do keep in mind that Chairman Mao cut a separate peace with Japan such that they could move through each other's territories unmolested. It was only the KMT who was seriously fighting the IJA as Mao was more interested in fighting his fellow Chinese. My perspective isn't strange, it is taking all of the facts into consideration, not cherry picking what you like to confirm your own biases.
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  2008. "State capitalism" is merely Soviet Command Economics by another name.
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  2009.  @containedhurricane  What you fail to point out is that full 70% of those listed deaths are self-inflicted homicides. Mostly suicides. Nice try buddy.
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  2010.  @ArawnOfAnnwn  The more you protest, the less believable you are. That is the problem with wokescolds like you; you seem everything as racist and cast it as such. Intersectional praxis drives your choice of words which betrays your true nature. Case in point is your getting triggered over the phrase "calling a spade(a type of shovel) a spade". Only racists automatically assume a spade is not a garden tool but instead a racial epitaph.
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  2011.  @ArawnOfAnnwn  You just hate the cold hard truth. Reality is, you yourself are judgmental and look down your nose at people you disagree with. You are doing it with your gutter sniping posts. But then that is typical of people who cry wolf on racism because they can't argue MERITS.
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  2012.  @FalconfromRF  Funny you mention the Armenians because the Azerbaijanis are curb-stomping them. That province they have been trying to "liberate" has remained tightly under the control of Baku. Russia is MUCH larger and more spread out. The ONLY reason why China or the other Islamic Republics haven't invaded is because of the blow back if they did.
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  2013.  @allenk6373  That isn't an argument, that is a deflection because you don't want to debate the merits. The fact that you chose to ignore my examples of San Marino and Lesotho shows your insincerity. But I guess for someone who complains about Americans being ignorant of Alaska, you have never heard of those two countries. Pot calling the kettle black.
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  2014.  @allenk6373  Russia doesn't like that Ukraine and the Baltic States are independent, so what are you complaining about? The bigger issue is the local's willingness to engage in an insurgency to achieve independence.
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  2015. Chechnya and Dagestan together could make for an Independent Islamic Republic.
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  2016.  @joseraulmiguens6699  That they were trying to reach out to the Soviets to negotiate peace instead of the Allies showed a complete insincerity. You don't go to a neutral power to ask for terms.
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  2017.  @danielhutchinson6604  Have they now? What is your source? RT? India and China have been buying up oil at a steep discount, much lower than the cap price set by international agreement.
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  2018.  @HgHg-yp6ft  Russian nukes are more likely to detonate in the silo than actually launch. Ever heard of K-129? It was a nuclear ballistic sub that tried to attack Pearl Harbor in the 1960s. The missile blew up in the silo sending the ship to the bottom of the Pacific. So, your nuclear threat is meaningless at this point. Putin has already threatened the West with Nukes for sending weapons to Ukraine. They threatened to use nukes if Russia was attack and nukes were NOT launched after the attack on the Kerch Bridge.
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  2019.  @benghazi4216  Israel's neighbors better fit the description of apartheid and regularly engage in the very behaviors you accuse Israel, but of course you don't care because the truth doesn't matter to antisemitic bigots like you. Again, you show you are not interested in truth, only in pushing blood libels and hatred against Jews. Jospeh Gobbles loved people like you.
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  2020.  @benghazi4216  You didn't but the narrative quickly becomes that and thank you for proving that. There is nothing funny nor joke worthy of casting blood libels at Israel. Jews are treated FAR worse in Arab states than Arabs are treated in Israel. That is a provable, objective fact.
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  2021.  @benghazi4216  Israel is NOT like Nazi Germany. The Arabs in Judea are NOT being exterminated, though the Arabs would love nothing more than to complete Grand Mufti Haj Amin Al-Hussein's promise to "drive Israel into the sea".
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  2022. Indeed. Nobody wanted to ally with the Arab party in the Knesset because of the rabid anti-Semitism. In ousting Bibi, this was the first time they EVER allied with anyone. That should tell you how rabidly jihadi they are.
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  2023.  @cthoadmin7458  Funny you mention paper because every peace agreement Israel has made with the Arabs has been shredded by either Fatah, Hamas, or Hezbollah. Not once has the international community punished them for breaking the land for peace agreements.
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  2024.  @sshender3773  Please parse down your points into bite sized paragraphs that are easier to read. I agree that there was at one time an attempt to establish a socialist utopia (the Kibbutz), but that was hardly the majority view and more a result of misguided idealism. The fact that they collapsed in no small part to their "it takes a village to raise a child" and the collectivist approach to rasing children showed its folly. I do agree that the demographics have changed, especially with the Sephardi, Ethiopian, Bene Israel, and as you point out Mizrahi being allowed to hold citizenship has brought these groups into a cosmopolitan and eventually mixed heritage pool. It is kind of interesting that Patrick J. Buchanan pointed out much of this and almost all of your points in his book "Suicide of a Superpower". He predicted these results back in 2011.
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  2025. What genocide? Isarel is NOT rounding up nor exterminating the ARABs in Judea. On the contrary, it is the Arabs who want to "drive Israel into the Sea" as Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini said he wanted to do.
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  2026.  @guvviyulg4821  Israel and Hebrew claims to the area is much older than that, closer to 7,000 years. Your Africa comment is pure hyperbolae and does not help; it shows insincerity and intellectual dishonesty.
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  2027. @Guvv_iyulg To answer your question, the Jewish people have a history in the land call JUDEA. The word" Palestine" was created whole cloth by the Romans in AD73 in an attempt to erase the history of Jews in the region.
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  2028. Considering that Bibi came to power with the religious right, perhaps the lesson that should have been taken is that the opposition should have been more thoughtful than just "anyone but Netanyahu". Be FOR something, not simply against. Bibi was pushed into the hands of the religious faction by the actions of his opponents.
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  2029. Eh, it is kind of par the course. Bulgaria was an unreliable ally to the Axis in WW2. They were also not very dependable to the Central Powers in WW1.
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  2030.  @diktrejsi8214  Tade and commerce isn't stealing. The US hasn't stolen anything. Unless you believe in unhinged and psychotic cultural Marxist strawmen claims.
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  2031. I don't know about kicking them out, but Hungary and Turkey's membership should be put in either a "suspended" or "probation" status. In that they cannot block entry of a new member, nor can they have a representative as the chairman. The latter point also driving home the point that their ability to direct or have a say in strategic goals and objectives is also suspended.
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  2032. Looking at the historical record, Bulgaria was at best an unreliable ally. Whether WW1 with the Central Powers or WW2 with the Axis, their forces were usually among the first to break or switch sides.
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  2033. And yet Bulgaria sides with the Germans against Russia in both WW1 and WW2.
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  2034. JUDEA will be free.
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  2035. Israel is way worse? Israel has ALWAYS fought with one hand tied behind its back. If they were as bad as you claim, then the Arabs who call themselves Palestinian would have been wiped off the map decades ago.
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  2036. There is a major difference between the Russians and Hamas. At least the Russians PRETEND to abide by the Law of Armed Conflict and do NOT stockpile their guns, missiles, and mortars in hospitals. The Russies DO use schools as barracks much like Hamas does.
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  2037.  @yakovdan  What part of "gun free cities" do you not understand? The problem isn't gun ownership, the problem is politicians that disarm their citizens so that criminals can butcher them much like Hamas did to the unarmed Israelis. Try looking up Bill Whittles" Number One with a Bullet" video. He goes point by point why your anti-gun positions are false and why "gun nut capital" Plano Texas is the safest city in the US.
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  2038. Free JUDEA!
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  2039. Free JUDEA!
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  2040. Yeah, sure. Make up any excuse you can to justify your irrational hate of Bibi.
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  2041.  @jeanmoke1  Free JUDEA!
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  2042. Free JUDEA!
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  2043. Free JUDEA!
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  2044. Didn't even bother to do your due diligence. Elon Musk isn't even censoring them instead allowing Hamas to hang themselves with their foolish broadcasting of their atrocities.
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  2045. Why? They left it in 2005 and had no desire to return. No, this was just an intelligence blunder much like the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.
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  2046. Indeed. The greatest victory of the Jewish people is when Jews like Werner von Klemperer, John Banner, Leon Askin, and Howard Caine played Germans to mock and ridicule the Nazis. To make a farce out of those who tried to kill you isn't belittling the horrors, it is showing how much greater you are than those who seek your obliteration.
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  2047. There are Arab Muslim members of the Knesset. Apartheid South Africa didn't have a single black member of that government. On that alone your claim is nothing more than an antisemitic blood libel.
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  2048.  @jeanmoke1  Free JUDEA!
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  2049. Free JUDEA!
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  2050.  @Marvlesz  Wrong. In the 1948 partition, the Arabs got all of the good farmable land and the Jews were given the swamp and desert. In the time since, the Israelis turned the desert into a pastoral paradise while the Arabs polluted and spoiled their land.
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  2051. Free JUDEA!
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  2052. Free JUDEA!
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  2053. As I recall, the Eastern Chruch views St. Mark as the founder of the faith rather than St. Peter.
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  2054.  @joeybwalsh  That is not an argument, it is a logical fallacy. And it is you tacitly conceding that I am correct. Learn to debate and make better arguments. "When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser," -attributed to Plato. "When your argument is weak, abuse the plaintiff," -Marcus Tulliuc Cicero "I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left." - Margaret Thatcher
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  2055. Your first mistake is that "Evangelical Fundamentalism" is NOT monolithic. Secondly, it does NOT the institutional power that either the Eastern Orthodox Chruch, nor the "Western Orthodox" (ie Catholicism) has enjoyed. But as typical, people like you grossly misunderstand nationalism and patriotism. Just because the philosophy is simple doesn't mean that its adherents are simple minded. Sometimes a simple concept can have vastly nuanced interpretations.
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  2056.  @LittleNoiseBoy  The Baltic States and Poland would point to the invasion as specifically WHY the joined NATO. Hell, the leader of Lithuania even said that they would be occupied by Russia now if they hadn't joined.
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  2057.  @DanSolowastaken  ​ @Dan Herr Clown boots? You resorting to insults makes you guilty of the very thing you accused me of doing. it is also a sign of desperation showing that you know you have lost the debate. Thank you for effectively throwing in the towel and admitting you have lost the debate. Yes, Putin is an ethnonationalist, but that does NOT make him a conservative by American standards. But considering that the Euro-Centric view of conservatism has been skewed by a bias towards monarchism, I can understand your confusion. Oh, and Religious supremacy may also be a Euro-centric view of conservatism, it also happens to be the preferred position of Islamists whom the left on BOTH sides of the Atlantic love to apologize for. Are you referring to Giovanni Gentile or Mussolini? Because Gentile is the FATHER of Fascism. Any definitions that deviate from his principal points is Soviet-Communist disinformation to hide from the fact that they share much in common. So, are you going to actually debate merits or are you going to continue to parrot leftist talking points on cue like Pavlov's Dog?
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  2058.  @DanSolowastaken  Wow, take a dose of your own medicine.. Putin combines the WORST elements of every totalitarian dictator. But that does NOT make him a Fascist by precepts laid out by Giovani Gentile. Tell me, are you aware of the Molotov-Ribbentrop alliance? It was only possible because Stalinism and Naziism have so much in common. But of course, leftists like you want to ignore that alliance of the Hammer and Sickle to the Swastika because it reveals leftist ideology for what it truly is. And funny you accuse me of ad hominins when you do exactly that. Again, you throw around the term Fascist with the same intellectual dishonesty as those who accuse black conservatives of being White supremacists.
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  2059.  @DanSolowastaken  Calling people who disagree with you fascist only proves you don't even know the meaning of the word. Kind of like how calling someone racist has lost its meaning. Name calling doesn't make your point, it simply proves you know you have no argument left to make. "When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser," -Attributed to Plato "When your argument is weak, abuse the Plaintiff," -Marcus Tullius Cicero "I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left." - Margaret Thatcher
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  2060. Oligarchism and Plutocracy. To claim that it is Fascism shows a clear misunderstanding of what Fascism is. Italy under Mussolini was Fascistic. Spain under Franco was Fascist. Germany under that Austrian Chancellor was NOT Fascism, it was "German National SOCIALISM".
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  2061.  @DanDanJanJanJP  Yeah, I don't think Dugin is as influential over Putin as the media likes to pretend. Dugin is simply a Russian talking head, not a policy advisor. To the more to the original point, it is highly unlikely that Japan would trade the US for Russia if only on the grounds that the US supports Japanese claims over ALL of the Kuril Islands. By joining Russia, they would relinquish their claims over any of the Islands.
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  2062.  @nsevv  You didn't read the part "OF THE BALTIC"? Basically, the city should be for that region of the world what Singapore is for Southeast Asia.
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  2063. I am all for KONIGSBERG becoming the Singapore of the Baltic.
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  2064. Don't play the blame shifting game or whataboutism.
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  2065. Indeed. Putin simply reinstated the very same system they had under Leonid Brezhnev.
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  2066. Indeed, Soviet Russia under a different name, but all of the same Hallmarks of what Reagan called "The Evil Empire".
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  2067.  @scottwillie6389  I agree that normal countries don't allow unauthorized entry. So tell me why Joe Bite-Me and his cabal are allowing that on the US-Mexico border? Those Russia ex-pats don't support US, genius. They just don't want to die in a pointless war started by a man who has a "Short Man" Napoleon complex. Just because Beijing CLAIMS their disputes are settled doesn't make it true. To this day there are still spats between Pakistan and China over their border, you just don't hear about it because neither side wants to talk about their embarrassments.
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  2068.  @scottwillie6389  Pure copium. Either that or you are a paid shill for either the Chinese CCCP or the Kremlin. China wants Outer Manchuria back. And the fact that they have reinforced their border to prevent Russians from fleeing Putin's conscription only drives home the point that they are NOT friends, merely "business partners" with no love lost between them.
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  2069. I tend to agree. Thought I think China would be the biggest danger for them. Out of the Russian orbit and into the Chinese.
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  2070. Indeed. Putin managed to unite almost all of the Slaves.....agianst HIM!
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  2071. It does seem like he has as Napoleonic "Little Man" Complex.
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  2072.  @FlamingBasketballClub  You are not making any logical argument, only words salad in an attempt to claim that correlation is somehow causality. Yet again you are pointing to events that occurred AFTER the invasion to justify Putin's invasion. That is called putting the cart before the horse and is an example of intellectual dishonesty and anachronistic fallacy. And you thinking you repeating my snide little remark makes you smart only shows once again that you do not have a single original idea in your head, instead parroting others in a poor attempt at mimicry. Every time you repeat it, you are praising me and engaging in a self-own.
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  2073.  @FlamingBasketballClub  I DID make legitimate points, you just refuse to accept them. You think that by not even dignifying them that it somehow renders them irrelevant. I got news for you, it does not. If Zelensky is a Jew, why the hell would Nazis in Ukraine support him? They would not, disproving your claims about Nazis in Ukraine. Even the Kremlin has dropped that blood libel. American support for Ukraine's resistance didn't start until almost a month AFTER the invasion. It was POLAND and the Baltic States that were supporting Ukraine exclusively during the first month. ANWSER THAT POINT! The EU's fast tracking of Ukraine's application does not in any way abrogate the fact that Ukraine has to first meet all of the requirements of a member, something they still have not achieved. You seem to ignore that their previous applications were rejected. It being considered now is a direct result of Russia's invasion. Hell, just you pointing it out is a red herring (logical fallacy) meant to distract rather than make a coherent point.
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  2074.  @FlamingBasketballClub  Pot meet kettle dude. But then what should I expect from a Troll with zero original ideas in his head? Learn to debate. You are only making yourself look foolish. "Better people THINK you a fool than to open your mouth a remove all doubt," -Sameul Clemens, aka Mark Twain. "I learned long ago never to wrestle with pigs. You get dirty and the pig enjoys it," -George Bernard Shaw.
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  2075.  @FlamingBasketballClub  Put down the Vodka, Comrade. For one, the US didn't provide direct military aide to Ukraine until two weeks AFTER the start of the Invasion when it became clear that Ukraine was not going to be overrun. Secondly, Zelensky IS A JEW! Nazis would NEVER support a Jewish leader. Conversely, the Wager group are unrepentant Nazis, if you bothered to pay attention. Your claims are easily debunked, and you are not convincing ANYONE.
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  2076. I tend to agree. Under Yeltsin, there was a real possibility of engaging Russia in a meaningful way and help transition them away from their centralized command and control out of the Kremlin. Putin, unfortunately, went back to the very same system under Brezhnev, undoing the reforms started under Gorbachev. Islamic terrorism was yet another area that Russia and the West could have allied, especially in the wake of the Beslan School Siege. That should have been the moment when Bush and Putin locked hands and made the effort to put down radicalism. Russia's long history with central Asia would have been of great value to the West.
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  2077. Sounds to me like Kiril has done what the Kims have done in North Korea: perverted faith into a cult of personality. In North Korea, they believe in the Trinity: Kin Il-Sung the Father, Kim Jong-Il the Son, and the Holy spirit of Juche (Korean Communism).
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  2078. ICBMs may have global reach, but zero staying power. Blue Water Navies are mandatory to be considered a Superpower, and Russia hasn't had once since the collapse of the USSR. China wants one, but still isn't there yet. The UK and France have one, but theirs are not nearly as powerful as the US Navy. India COULD build a blue water Navy but has no aspirations hence no desire nor need to build one.
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  2079.  @Tespri  Again false narratives, strawman arguments and blatantly disingenuous claims. Much like Nicolo Machiavelli, I am pointing out the blatantly obvious, but rather than see it for the critique it is, you improperly see it as a tacit endorsement. Such is typical of the worst readers as Fredrich Nietzsche observed. Actually, I did if you bothered to even pay attention. Cicero was highly critical of the people who empowered first Pompey, then Julius Caeser then finally Mark Anthony before the last one had him put to death. "So mass murdering people on basis of their ethnicity/class/opinions is less bad than "selling of own people". Yet another strawman argument and a non-sequitur. But I get it, you are trying to act virtuous while achieving nothing. "A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." as Shakespeare aptly said.
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  2080.  @Tespri  That is NOT what I said, and you know it. How about you actually read what I said instead of trying to twist and contort meaning that doesn't exist in what I said. I said those who CAUSE the fall into despotism are worse than the tyrant. Why? Because they are slavers on a national level, having sold their own people into slavery to the whims of an autocrat. An inherited despotism, whether Monarchy or Shogunate is less terrible. "Do not blame Caesar, blame the people of Rome. Julius was always ambitious, but he was just one man," -Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman orator, lawyer, and politician: 45 BC.
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  2081.  @Tespri  You are making a distinction WITHOUT a difference. And those who cause the descent into despotism are WORSE that the despot himself.
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  2082.  @rejvaik00  Where did I defend Russia? I didn't. You simply jumped to that conclusion because I offered a different perspective. I was simply pointing out that as much as the West like to hubristically praise its form of government, it is not the typical state of human existence. I agree that Russia needs to break the cycle. But them breaking that cycle will not matter if the West degenerates into the very same despotism as the old Soviet Union.
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  2083.  @rejvaik00  The Greeks whom the West love to claim descent from are who arguably pioneered both modern Democracy and Republican governance. And as Aristotle pointed out, they invariably degenerate into despotism. Even the Hebrews who started out as a decentralized confederation of tribes eventually became a dictatorship under an absolute monarch.
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  2084.  @freetolook3727  Indeed. Reminds me of some funny insults to WW2 German vehicles: A Mess of Messerschmitts. A Junk of Junkers. A Putridity of Panzers.
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  2085.  @Student0Toucher  I have done some of that research for you. Here is one of those commercials I pointed out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11NMhVdbD0E
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  2086.  @Student0Toucher  Wow, can you actually name a specific example or are you simply parroting what the media tells you? AFN makes commercials specifically about military service and citizenship, ones that are VERY easy to look up if you bother to actually search for them. And they make a big deal about talking to base legal office for the details on how to go about it. No, those "veterans" that you claim get deported, IF THEY ACTUALLY EXIST, didn't bother to do the bare minimum of simply filling out the paperwork to maintain their status. If you can't be bothered to actually do that, then it is clear that citizenship doesn't mean anything. If anything, your example proves that they have only themselves to blame for not doing their due diligence. It is clear you know NOTHING about the process. My wife is a naturalized citizen, and she can tell you how obnoxiously easy it is. to do the paperwork. The hardest part is actually the interview process.
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  2087.  @dylanwight5764  Indeed. At that point the enemy at the doorstep makes all other considerations fall by the wayside. Further, very quickly the incompetent politicians in uniform will find themselves either forced out because of their lack of effectiveness, or they will find themselves among the list of casualties. War when one's homeland is threatened weeds out the weak and what remains can become a very effective force as we are seeing in the Ukraine. The wokeness will evaporate in the face of an opponent who doesn't give a damn about feelings.
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  2088.  @Student0Toucher  Foreign nationals who serve in the US military DO get citizenship. It has been a law on the books since the 1970s at least. And it arguably goes back to the Irish who fought in the Civil War. This myth that military service doesn't equate to citizenship for foreign nationals is a lie told by the left to fool folks on the right to agree to something that is already in place. Further, the naturalization process is not only fast tracked (2 years instead of ten), BUT ALL OF THE REGISTRATION FEES ARE ALSO WAIVED.
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  2089.  @schumanhuman  Why doesn't supply increase to meet demand? Simple: governments prohibit further construction of housing. California is particularly bad about that. And when they do allow for building more, it tends to be high cost/low-density single-family homes rather than affordable high-density high-rises.
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  2090. How much of that is actually STAGFLATION? Before the Carter years, inflation and economic stagnation were considered opposing factors. But then the two started to occur in tandem defying the common wisdom of economics up to that point.
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  2091. Inflation won't ever get under control until the Federal Reserve stops printing money. The interest rate is less of a factor that "quantitative easing" (ie Weimar German monetization of debt). It is impossible to simply print your way out of debt without making the currency completely worthless. Just look at Zimbabwe.
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  2092.  @user-hf2dr7sh4y  Which is sad considering that the Chinese way of anti-capitalism authoritarian coupled with nepotistic corruption has fatally infected the West. In many ways, the US government has become a mirror image of the Chinese CCCP.
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  2093. Indeed. General Frost may actually favor Ukraine this winter with an ass kicking Christmas. It won't end by Christmas as the battle for Crimea will take at least an entire season, but with the winter gear that Canada and Norway have been sending since August, they will be in a good position to exploit the cold.
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  2094.  @Bradimoose  Yeah, but then that would mean they are weak enough for the Ukrainians to break through their lines. It is a balancing act where you don't cluster you guys, but then you do want to spread them out too thin either.
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  2095. The Soviet Red Army made its greatest gains against the Wehrmacht in winter. I could see Ukraine doing the same, especially as Canada and Norway have been sending cold weather gear since August.
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  2096. Indeed. Cut down to Melitopol to sever the land bridge and divide Russian forces.
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  2097. Yeah, but I think he is underestimating the potential for a winter campaign. Canada and Norway have been sending winter gear since August, so that means Ukraine will be in a good position to capitalize on the cold weather.
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  2098. Indeed. It is as if they forgot that the Soviet Red Army made its greatest advances against the Wehrmacht during the winter. With all of the cold weather gear Canada and Norway have sent, I see Ukraine doing the same.
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  2099. Don't forget that the Soviet Red Army made its biggest gains against the Wehrmacht during the winter months. I can easily see Ukraine doing the same, especially when you consider that Canada and Norway have been sending cold weather gear since August.
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  2100. Oh, I have no doubt that China desires "Outer Manchuria". The bigger question becomes Sakhalin Island.
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  2101.  @dave.p153  Yeah, funny how ALL of those school shootings occur in gun free zones. And in BLUE STATES with the strictest gun laws. You don't see school shootings in red states where the gun laws are less restrictive. A disarmed population is easy to massacre. An armed population can never be subjugated.
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  2102. If Belarus wouldn't join in the fight at the start, they wouldn't be able to do a damn thing now. For one, Russia has been stripping Belarus of its supplies for months now.
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  2103. Yeah, but they ignore details about winter fighting in Ukraine during WW2. Winter does not stop combat on the plains of Ukraine.
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  2104. Canada and Norway have been sending winter gear since August. That puts Ukraine in a good position to exploit the cold, unlike the Russians who don't have proper gear for even summer/fall.
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  2105.  @GolfNut867  How many proxy wars were fought from 1950-1990 that did NOT escalate into nuclear war? If anything, proxy wars PREVENT nuclear arms exchange. Get your head out of your rear and actually crack open a history book on 20th century warfare.
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  2106. Training, yes. NATO special forces actively participation, not so much. Make no mistake, this is a Soviet-Ukrainian miliary fighting a Soviet-Russian military. Only, the Soviet-Ukraine military is being augmented with NATO technology and tactics. But the grand strategy is still very much Soviet doctrine.
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  2107. After ejecting the Russians from both Crimea and the Donbas, they should consider marching on Minsk. With the Belarusian partisans who fought alongside them taking the point, of course.
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  2108. The Russians don't have the proper gear for a summer/fall campaign, what makes you think they are properly equipped for winter combat?
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  2109.  @earlofmar7987  No joke. I value loyalty, but as part of that requires one to be brutally honest; I want to be told what I NEED to hear, not what I want to hear. Without sincerity there is no loyalty. Too many of these people told Trump what he wanted to hear, not what he needed to hear. They were being dishonestly sycophantic to benefit themselves, not do what is right by the American people as you so succinctly pointed out. Part of what has frustrated me to no end with the conservative movement since I ran for office is that as a John F. Kennedy Democrat, I would tell them cold hard truths that they NEEDED to hear, but they chose to ignore me in favor of the "lies, tell me sweet little lies". And time and again I am vindicated when the local GOP candidates sent to the state house or DC behave exactly as I warned. Not that it matters, because being invited to legislative breakfasts or GOP Christmas parties is more important to them than supporting candidates of principle regardless of political affiliation. Likewise, Trump allowed establishment operatives into his camp and the behaved exactly as many of us such as Steve Bannon had warned. He was far too trusting of people who are in the business of deception to defraud the people. "Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else." -Fredrich Bastiat Anyhow, sorry for my rant.
    1
  2110.  @NewTypeDilemma01  Exactly! I have made that same analogy. Grant had both Mark Twain(Samuel Clemens) and William Tecumseh Sherman warning him about the dangers of politicians. Trump was also warned, but ignored them. His loss in 2020 had just as much to do with getting rid of the team that helped him win in 2016 as it did with election fraud. His team from 2016 would not have let 2020 election go without a serious fight.
    1
  2111.  @BLUEYGILA  The Arabs in JUDEA were put they by the Romans after the Jewish Revolt of 66-73AD. "Palestina" was a made-up word by the Romans to erase the history of the region.
    1
  2112.  @BLUEYGILA  They are not descended from the Caanites. They are Bedouins settled there by the Romans after the Jewish Revolt of 66-73 AD. PS, my previous post refuting you got deleted. Apparently youtube doesn't like when people talk about "inconvenient history".
    1
  2113.  @BLUEYGILA  False revisionist history? You need to actually do your homework. All of the Canaanites were put to the sword. Not a single one survived. The Arabs who lived in the region before 1948 were of Bedouin heritage most of whom were settled there by the ROMAN EMPIRE after the Jewish Revolt of 73AD. The region has ALWAYS been called JUDEA since antiquity. Even Egyptian documents dating to the Pharaohs refer to it as such. "Palestina" was a work invented by Emperor Vespasian Caesar in an attempt to erase the Jewish history of the area.
    1
  2114. Because the Holocaust DID happen and is a direct result of NOT stopping this kind of hate. Jews have always been the proverbial canary in the coal mine.
    1
  2115. Actually, freedom of speech is being eroded by the antisemites who don't broker any criticism of their cause. Ask yourself why Islamists parties are for passing blasphemy laws in Western societies?
    1
  2116. Yeah, not joke. Parents shouldn't be worried about what their kids are accessing online? Then don't give them access in the first place! That is called BEING A PARENT. This lady is yet another "big government is your sugar daddy" liberal.
    1
  2117.  @nirit1ngr  Preach! Anti-Zionism is simply repackaged and fashionable antisemitism.
    1
  2118. You can be critical of Israel. The problem is that most people use it as a cover for hatred of Jews. Anti-Zionism is simply repackaged and fashionable antisemitism.
    1
  2119. Don't let the government drop the charges and get away with this. The defendants need to demand that their cases go before the courts. Get a precedent set that such actions are unlawful until AFTER final ratification.
    1
  2120. Fascist bootlicker.
    1
  2121. The banks should worry. Let them collapse for capitulating to the Fascist dictator.
    1
  2122.  @chrisfournier6144  I think you need to re-read my post again. Just because I reject Hoplite Luke's moral relativism augment does NOT mean I agree with Truedick. If you actually look at the nuance, I am in agreement with you that Turdeau subscribes to Chairman Mao's mantra that power comes from the barrel of a gun.
    1
  2123.  @hopliteluke1452  Again more strawman arguments. Theft and murder are CLEAR moral values that cut across ALL cultures. As does the right of self-defense. You haven't proven your point; you have instead chosen to engage in scurrilous anti-religious disparagements. You point to one example and then pretend that is the norm rather than the exception. Your problem is that you can't accept that there are very few absolutes in the world. And those that have been so since antiquity and will remain so until eternity. Those few absolutes DO make up the objectively verifiable morality. But because everything isn't black and white to you, you assume nothing is. That is the problem with your moral relativism argument. It is the false choice dilemma taken to the extreme. PS, the Categorial Imperative formulated by Emmanuel Kant conclusively proves you wrong.
    1
  2124.  @hopliteluke1452  Nice strawman argument. The right to self-defense is an OBJECTIVE argument, not subjective. Why? because killing in self-defense is NOT murder but justified homicide. Major difference. Subjective morality would say that there is no right to self-defense because to moral relativists, ANY killing is murder. Unless said murder advances their political goals. I didn't walk into a corner; you are simply using logical fallacies to defend your untenable position. Use of logical fallacies show you don't have much merit to your arguments.
    1
  2125.  @hopliteluke1452  No, morals are NOT subjective. Murder is OBJECTIVLY wrong, and that is a MORAL value. Theft is OBJECTIVLY wrong and is also a moral value. You are advocating that might makes right, and that those who have the power define morality.
    1
  2126. Needs to be taken to court. Don't let the government simply drop the charges. Force them to defend their actions and set a precedent that such actions are unlawful until AFTER final ratification.
    1
  2127.  @eyewideopen9083  You are making a distinction WITHOUT a difference. Stop engaging in the bait and switch of the left. Only the corrupt play word games. "When words lose their meaning, people lose their lives," -Confucius, author of the Analects.
    1
  2128. Which is why the court cases should still proceed. Don't let the government drop the charges. FORCE them to face legal proceedings and set a precedent so that there is no legal authority until AFTER the act is ratified by both chambers.
    1
  2129. Won't happen with the NDP collaborating with the Liberals. Have to wait until the balance of power changes.
    1
  2130. The defendants should still demand to have their cases heard in court so as to set a precedent that such actions taken before ratification are unlawful and those who do so will be held accountable.
    1
  2131. He will not step down. And the Queen is unwilling to use her power to tell him to stand down.
    1
  2132.  @richardlafleur8389  Indeed. As he clamped down in Ottawa, Quebec City and Toronto spurn up. Then Calgary. I would say he is playing whack a mole, but then that is insulting to moles.
    1
  2133. Indeed. Which is why the defendants still need to take their cases to court even if the government tries to drop the charges. Set the legal precedent that nothing is lawful until the act has been ratified.
    1
  2134. Don't let them drop the charges. Force them to defend those charges in a court of law. Demand that the cases be heard in court so that a precedent is set that such actions are unlawful until after final tratification.
    1
  2135.  @genxer74  Indeed. For all of the flaws of the British Empire during the age of Discovery and the Colonial period, one thing that stood true was to judge one based on the merits of their actions. The American Revolution was a painful reminder to the Empire of why it should not judge one based on pedigree rather than actions.
    1
  2136. I was hoping Putin would clap back at him. Alas, it didn't happen.
    1
  2137. Fascist bootlicker.
    1
  2138. Spare me. Most of the products imported into the US are heavily subsidized by the nation of their origin. THAT is why Trump is threatening tarriffs; to ENFORCE reciprocity.
    1
  2139.  @edwinrodeo  Yup, that is the main reason why Trump is threatening tarriffs-to stop people from ripping off Americans. And the VAT tax is often used as a stealth tarriff.
    1
  2140. And by doing that, you make yourselves subservient to China just like Germany was to cheap Russian energy. Don't be that daft.
    1
  2141. Domestically sourced and produced isn't affected by tariffs. Hence the poor buying local don't ever pay tarriffs. Stop using the globalist elite's favorite strawman argument (logical fallacy).
    1
  2142. Tarriffs don't apply to domestic and locally produced products. If the Subaru plant in the US sources its parts from American manufacturers, then it becomes a domestically produced, foreign branded product and is not affected by tarriffs. Stop making the strawman argument of the globalist elites who want you to live in the pod and eat the bugs.
    1
  2143. Hamas thanked Iran for their financial and material support. In any court of law, that would be admissible evidence/testimony.
    1
  2144. Agreed. Leaders like Ahmadinejad are "Twelvers"; followers of the 12th Mahdi and believe it is their divine mission to cause as much death and destruction to hasten the return of the Mahdi.
    1
  2145.  @cjay2  That is you OPINION. And opinions are like buttholes: everyone has one and they all stink.
    1
  2146. Not all Israelis are Jewish, though most are. It may surprise you to hear that there are Muslim Arabs in the Knesset. That fact alone disproves the "Apartheid state" lie.
    1
  2147.  @Goyimsagainstzionazis  Ever heard of gaslighting? Guess what, you and they are seeing a carefully cultivated and curated facade by Arab-Muslim extremists. The word to describe it is "Potemkin Village", only it is one made to look bad rather than ideal.
    1
  2148. Iran finances Hamas and Hezbollah.
    1
  2149.  @stavrosaristidou5779  Israel defeated in Lebanon? More like they tired of pissing around and rather than wipe out the innocents being used as human shields, they chose instead to go home.
    1
  2150. 20 years ago, you would be correct. But Obama and Biden paid the ransom for Bergdahl and now terrorists everywhere know the US WILL paid ransom if a Democrat is in the White House.
    1
  2151. And CNN or MSNBC isn't one sided? Spare me.
    1
  2152.  @Soipelez  All indications say otherwise.
    1
  2153. It is insane to defend yourself from people who want to drive you into the sea?
    1
  2154. Israel is acting to protect its people like it always has. Hamas is exploiting theirs, like they always have. Don't be disingenuous.
    1
  2155. Hamas was elected by the people of Gaza.
    1
  2156. FREE JUDEA.
    1
  2157. Sure, blame the victim for being a victim.
    1
  2158.  @stavrosaristidou5779  They "got defeated" because they realize it was becoming a pointless quagmire. Even the US gave up in the 1980s. it isn't that they couldn't annihilate the terrorists, it is that they chose not to kill innocents being used as human shields.
    1
  2159.  @cjay2  You don't know that. And you "Deal with it" is just the emotional outburst of someone who is spiritually bankrupt and wants to make others as miserable as you are.
    1
  2160.  @denningmp37  Spoken with the ignorance of a child. MAN caused this with bad choices, not the Almighty. You better hope you don't have to face him and account for your contempt. Even I do not dare blatantly insult and disrespect Shiva despite being a Christian; I just don't want to tempt fate like that.
    1
  2161. Just like they always do.
    1
  2162. But did Ghandhi kill women and children when he resisted British rule? You spit on his legacy when you compare India's past with Hamas.
    1
  2163.  @albertroberts5929  Nice Strawman argument. Israel has spent six years fighting for its very survival against people who want to wipe them off the map. Your "occupation" claim is hogwash because there are Muslim Arab members of the Knesset. Occupiers don't allow those they are subjugating to have representation in the government.
    1
  2164.  @albertroberts5929  Yes, and the Palestinians threatened to drive Israel into the see first in 1948, then again in 1967. They have NEVER renounced that and have ALWAYS rejected Israel's right to exist. Also, the IDF pulled completely out of Gaza in 2005. So calling that area "occupied" is totally disingenuous.
    1
  2165. The problem is that they elected them.
    1
  2166.  @justjustjustify  The Rajahs of India are more civilized than the rabid dogs who call themselves "Palestinian".
    1
  2167. Murdering women and children indiscriminately and taking hostages is NOT legal. NO LEGAL SYSTEM IN THE WORLD ACCEPTS THAT.
    1
  2168. They have a border with Egypt. It is a prison of their own making. And NOTHING justifies murder when breaking out of prison. Even the Law of Armed Conflict forbids escaping POWs from killing anyone while escaping.
    1
  2169. Sure, blame the victim for being a vicitm.
    1
  2170. "Very little separates man from the animals. And most people throw that away," -Confucius Author of "The Analects". Yes, that is a dangerous mindset. But when you act like a rabid dog, don't be surprised when you get treated like one.
    1
  2171.  @ronwinkles2601  The problem is that the women are nursing their children on the very same hate that Hamas cultivates.
    1
  2172. Funny, because for the longest time, the media and Europe were hating on Israel. I guess Hamas so overplayed their hand that they turned even there most avid supporters in Europe against them.
    1
  2173. He tried to do the same in Jordan. Had assassins try to murder King Hussein (House Hashim, the only living descendants of the prophet Mohammed). After the Dawson's field hijackings he kicked them all out.
    1
  2174.  @mya4126  Israel didn't exist until 1948, genius.
    1
  2175.  @A-15-v2c  "Attacked for decades"? You realize the IDF completely pulled out of Gaza in 2005. And since then nearly non-stop rocket attacks fired from schools and hospitals. You don't care about the people, you only want justification for your anti-semitism.
    1
  2176. JUDEA. Palestine was a made-up name by the Romans to erase Jewish history.
    1
  2177. "Si vis pacem, para bellum: To prepare for peace, arm for war" -Roman adage.
    1
  2178. What complete drivel. Eye for an Eye was a rejection of the Code of Hamurabi which stated that a noble's eye was more valuable than a slave's eye. Hence you put out the eye of the noble's slave instead. Try learning your history instead of such sophomoric responses.
    1
  2179. Don't give them that kind of publicity. It will become a media circus and humanize them.
    1
  2180.  @CoreyANeal2000  “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—Charles Baudelaire Those who apologize for evil by pretending it doesn't exist are the favored servants of the card-carrying villain. They are the "useful idiots" that Vlad Lenin talked about.
    1
  2181.  @timookello3822  1948, 1967, and 1973 all say otherwise.
    1
  2182. Bullshit. That is disinformation by the anti-Semites who want Israel delegitimized. Your scenario would hurt the Ukrainian war effort. Such corruption has been played as hurting their efforts against the Russians by Zelensky's government.
    1
  2183.  @EL_Duderino68  Only people who hate freedom of speech call corporate oligarchism "free-markets". Musk while not a free speech absolutist, is the closet thing to it in Big Tech. The fact you chose to attack him says more about you than him.
    1
  2184. Cope harder.
    1
  2185.  @atownofbigheads  The fact that the organization disbanded only days after the filing is tacitly admitting that they know they violated the law and would lose in court.
    1
  2186.  @atownofbigheads  Considering that it was organized under the auspices of the WEF, that is clearly a violation of Sherman Anti-Trust Statutes. Stop parroting the talking points of the people who hate free speech.
    1
  2187. Actually, the two go hand in hand. This isn't free-market, it is corporate oligarchism, the anthesis of free-markets.
    1
  2188. Really? Because this Australian division is actually politically to the right of FoxNews. They are closer to One America News, Tucker Carlson, and Bill O'Reily.
    1
  2189.  @EL_Duderino68  In this case it isn't that simple. The fact that they organized into a body to leverage power is what makes it a cartel and in violation of Sherman Anti-Trust law.
    1
  2190.  @EL_Duderino68  Forming a cartel to control advertisers so as to hurt a business is called a Trust and is monopolistic. Just because you don't like Elon doesn't mean he is wrong.
    1
  2191.  @EL_Duderino68  Not paying attention are you. It is a collusion between companies to hurt him which is a violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Law.
    1
  2192.  @bil8647  Because the west walked away from capitalism in the 1950s and chose to embrace "soft communism".
    1
  2193. Who Trump? Regardless of who wins, it is clear we are looking at an election of 1860 situation.
    1
  2194.  @pwillis1589  Lean to code. And don't quit your day job.
    1
  2195.  @pwillis1589  Again you accuse us of doing exactly what you are doing. That is call psychological projection and is a classic tactic of a Saul Alinsky disciple. Go touch grass.
    1
  2196.  @pwillis1589  Don't confuse opinion for objective fact. Everything I said is objective. And no, the preponderance of evidence doesn't prove you correct, it actually refutes you. I have your plate of crow ready for you to eat.
    1
  2197.  @pwillis1589  They were acknowledging what they could no longer deny. Keep in mind that before the disastrous debate, they still had Biden leading. Shows you how worthless they really are.
    1
  2198.  @pwillis1589  And all of them are biased towards the left. Further, if you actually look at the question they ask, they are skewed to drive a narrative rather than actually get a pulse on the electorate. Civics in particular has been really bad about that as of late which is why I stopped participating in their questionnaires.
    1
  2199. Agreed. Neo-Feudalists who take Umbridge that political upstarts would "steal" their "birthright". As if holding onto power was an inheritance.
    1
  2200. Agreed. They fancy themselves America's feudal lords and are pissed upstarts like Trump would take away "their birthright".
    1
  2201.  @pwillis1589  "Figures don't lie, but Liars figure"- Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. "Lies, damn lies, and Statistics," -Mark Twain. He was talking about people like you who use garbage surveys to push snake oil onto the unsuspecting.
    1
  2202.  @pwillis1589  "Figures don't lie, but Liars Figure," -Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. "Lies Damn Lies, and Statistics," -Mark Twain. He was refereeing to snake oil salesmen like you peddling your polls to drive a narrative rather than gauge the pulse of the electorate. You are doing the exact same things as the lead up to the US Civil War.
    1
  2203.  @pwillis1589  Posting the exact same post over and over again is the very definition of trolling. The ONLY reason why it isn't auto deleted by the youtube shadow banning algorithm is because it supports their agenda.
    1
  2204.  @pwillis1589  "Figures don't Lie, but Liars Figure," -Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain "Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics," -Mark Twain. Don't conflate opinion with facts. Those "polls" are simply confirmation bias if you bothered to actually look at the questions they asked.
    1
  2205.  @pwillis1589  "Facts" are not open to interpretation, which is what they narrative driving push polls are. "Figures don't lie, but liars figure"- Mark Twain "Lies, damn lies, and statistics," -Mark Twain.
    1
  2206.  @RicardoZ590  The Cheneys are the War Mongers who bamboozled the West into invading Iraq. You think they have anyone but their own pocketbooks at the forefront of their concerns?
    1
  2207. Liz Cheney is a washed-up has-been from a dying breed of political feudalists.
    1
  2208.  @RasCricketSmallAxe  Funny, because Vladdy Daddy Putin endorsed Harris.
    1
  2209. Liz is a washed up has-been. A product of nepotism and she is angry that upstarts like Trump "stole" her "birthright"(ie inherited feudalism).
    1
  2210. All of the polls are biased towards democrats. Don't forget the "shy Trump voters" from the 2016 polling. That is still in play.
    1
  2211. He may actually get the US back to the moon, unlike the feckless establishment critters who have squandered America's advantage in space travel.
    1
  2212.  @glellio88  Most of them are garbage push polls anyhow.
    1
  2213. Most modern governments of the West are less popular than venereal disease, yet only marginally better than authoritarian states.
    1
  2214.  @thosdot6497  You realize all of those things make the situation WORSE, not better. When you cap prices all you do is create artificial scarcity. When you raise wages you artificially create inflation and devalue the currency. Everything Marx claimed was debunked by Menger, Misses, and Hayek.
    1
  2215. "You will own nothing and be happy," -WEF slogan. "Live in the pod and eat the bugs," -Tim Pool describing the plans of the globalists.
    1
  2216. Describing what we call "Californication" here in the US. When lefty Californians bring their deleterious politics to flyover states.
    1
  2217. I doubt any labour party has been for the working man. The Russian Labor party of the 1910s was run by "intellectuals". The German Labour of the 1930s was run by petty criminals who were good at rabble rousing a book burning. Modern labor parties are run by people who haven't punched a timeclock in decades, if ever.
    1
  2218.  @ricochet2977  And how much worse would it be without guns? Do keep in mind that Tsarist Russia was more armed and had higher per capita gun ownership before the Oktober Revolution. First thing the Bolsheviks did was institute 100% gun registration. Guess what happened next?
    1
  2219.  @Blackjack_Official  If you stack up all the nuclear waste created since 1940, it would not even cover a cricket field one meter deep. And to your question of where the waste would go, Japan was going to send it to Yucca Mountain nuclear repository in the US. But then Dingey Harry Reid along with Dan Coats of Indiana killed the facility only days before it was to receive its first shipment.
    1
  2220.  @endangerdenglish  Predation, as in one organism consuming another, not predate as time. Read context. And as to why the two Sky News are different, I suspect has to do with local politics.
    1
  2221.  @genkiferal7178  And once again you show your myopia. Just because you declare something doesn't make it true. If Vitamin B12 comes from bacteria, why does that nutrient come ONLY from the consumption of meat? And don't conflate emotional wishfulness with thinking, the two are not the same. "Those whom the gods would destroy, they first drive mad," Sophocles,
    1
  2222. Cost per megawatt hour, Nuclear is CHEAPER than the next cheapest Hydro-electric by a wide margin. You are just looking at the up-front cost of construction, not the long-term savings.
    1
  2223. 75% of the world doesn't give a dead rat's butt about what she is saying. They are more worried about putting food on the table than her drama queen antics.
    1
  2224.  @davegoldspink5354  Welcome to the counter-revolution.
    1
  2225. You have pathetically low standards to like her. The Aryian Princess look is so 1930s Germany.
    1
  2226. More like Aryan Princess. She matches the preferred phenotype of 1930s German National Socialists.
    1
  2227. I prefer to call her the Aryan Princess. After all, the Jew haters of the 1930s loved using Blonde, blue eyed, rosy cheek girls like her to push their propaganda.
    1
  2228. Appeasement NEVER works. Munich should have taught people that.
    1
  2229.  @decepticonxhunter4850  That is precisely the mantra of Neville Chamberlain appeasers. It is also how Stockholm Syndrome justifies itself. The logic of your premise dictates that there is no right to self-defense. Stop making excuses for capitulation and submission. Reciprocity is NOT escalation, it is appropriate proportionality.
    1
  2230. @PunyMonkey You are conflating activation with escalation. Tit for tat is NOT escalation as you falsely presume. Tit for tat is reciprocation. You are advocating appeasement while presenting a false choice between that and escalation.
    1
  2231. The more things change, the more they stay the same. In 12,000 years of history, we are making the exact same blunders that were made in ancient Egypt, Ancient China, Ancient Persia, Rome, and many other examples. Technology only makes it easier for us to live down to our base animalistic natures.
    1
  2232. And he had quite a wit too! "You are drunk, Mr. Churchill!" "Yea, but in the morning I'll be sober and you will still be ugly!"
    1
  2233.  @robertmusil1107  And get invaded next. Cope harder private conscriptovich.
    1
  2234. Agreed. Most people don't realize she was a member of the East German Communist Youth League.
    1
  2235. Because of their critical overreliance on cheap Russian energy. That is a direct result of Angela Merkel's pro-Russian policies (she was a member of the East German Communist Youth Leauge).
    1
  2236. Brussels is where the 4th Reich currently rules.
    1
  2237. The Fourth Reich already rules in Brussels.
    1
  2238. So you don't think that the US election could be the straw that broke the camel's back? Is it not possible that the ruling coalition knowing that Trump will require Deutchland to pony up to the table regarding NATO and the Ukraine war will blow up the delicate budget negotiations that had deadlocked? Much like the Eschede train disaster in 1998, a single factor doesn't cause a collapse, but rather a sequence of events in a chain lead to a catastrophe.
    1
  2239. Wow, harsh and to the point. I hope I am never on the receiving end of your pithy observations.
    1
  2240. To quote Megyn Kelly, "She is a Pig!"
    1
  2241. I love watching the arrogant eat crow.
    1
  2242. They did, and didn't care. Look at the makeup of the SCOTUS when the Sullivan Case was handed down.
    1
  2243. LOL! Nice!
    1
  2244. Megyn Kelly said it best (about Rachel Zegler, but it also applies to them): "She's a pig!"
    1
  2245. Indeed. What kind of positive press would she have gotten by offering to assist them in their difficulty? Too bad she doesn't have a little something called COMPASSION. Something the left claims to have a monopoly on but rarely displays.
    1
  2246. A big payout over a slander and libel sue would go a long way.
    1
  2247. I hope so. Grant the local affiliates a 30–60-day grace period to file new ones if they were only operating under the corporate umbrella.
    1
  2248. To quote Megyn Kelly, "She's a pig!"
    1
  2249. The dumb thing is, had it been Whoopie coming back, they might have given her a discount for the inconvenience. But she chose to make it personal.
    1
  2250. "Current ones"? The only thing the Congress investigated were the very same ones the DOJ looked into and chose not to pursue.
    1
  2251. I would suggest scrubbing toilets , but I don't think she is even qualified to do that.
    1
  2252. How one treats the staff is often an indication of their true character.
    1
  2253. I would never push those two like that. However, having both of them on at the same time would put the crones of the View in their place.
    1
  2254. And as AG, I hope it is part of a greater push to overturn the Sullivan Case.
    1
  2255. To quote Megyn Kelly, "She is a Pig!".
    1
  2256. Bored housewives with nothing better to do that gossip like hens.
    1
  2257. Yeah, I stopped paying attention to her after her sit-com show's jokes stopped being funny. The Persian maintenance guy was the best part of that show.
    1
  2258. It is how you act on it that can make it unlawful. If it is not based on merit but immutable characteristics, then that is where it is unjust.
    1
  2259. What man wants to get in bed with that? Who could put up with it?
    1
  2260. She was a party to it for years. She got smart and retired before the blowback.
    1
  2261. And yet several more signed an affidavit saying that Trump was a Russian agent and that Hunter Biden's laptop was a hoax. I am waiting to see them go to prison.
    1
  2262. The monstrous Sullivan case needs to be overturned. That is why they think they can get away with such flagrant malice.
    1
  2263. For me she stopped being funny during her Hotel Sit-com show. Ironically, the Persian building maintenance guy was the best part of the show.
    1
  2264.  @jeffsong5653  The South tried engagement with the North during the Sunshine Policy from 1998-2008. All it accomplished was to finance the North's nuclear program. That is the very definition of spectacular failure. There is ZERO benefit for the South to assist the North in any capacity. Also, their VX and Sarin gas laced SCUDs are not to be ignored. Neither is the largest collection of artillery assembled in the world; enough to make Russia and China's seem like an "also ran".
    1
  2265.  @jeffsong5653  And yet there are thousands of SCUD missiles pointed at Seoul. There have been a number of infiltration and assassination attempts over the years. And you also have the uncounted number of skirmishes. If anything, YOU are underestimating the DPRK. The idea of engagement was attempted with the "Sunshine Policy". It failed spectacularly.
    1
  2266. Agreed. They are parroting propaganda leaflets of DPRK on cue like Pavlov's Dog. There is more going on than the media is admitting.
    1
  2267.  @wannabeangus7105  What is popular is not always right. We found that out in the wake of the Wuhan Virus outbreak; while masking and lockdowns were popular, they were the WRONG response.
    1
  2268. Agreed. When his critics are parroting the propaganda leaflets that DPRK are accusing him, there is more to the story.
    1
  2269.  @Delilah-zd3em  I have, you just don't like it because it takes away your attempt to use religion as a tool of control. Communism is antithetical to the teachings of Christianity. There is NOTHING charitable about the use of government force. "Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, render unto God what is God's," -Mark 12:17.
    1
  2270.  @Delilah-zd3em  No he did not. There you go again preaching false doctrine. You don't know him because like a bad reader, you take things completely out of context to push a temporal agenda. That is a blasphemy for which even he called out the Pharisees for. "On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness!" Matthew 7:22-23
    1
  2271.  @Delilah-zd3em  Spoken by someone who reads CliffsNotes instead of the scripture itself. You know NOTHING about the Christian faith. You misquote the scripture as it was about the sin of MATERIALISM, not wealth. There were many rich people with whom Jesus gave praise. The Centurian in particular who asked for Jesus to heal his servant for example proves your false claims wrong.
    1
  2272.  @Delilah-zd3em  The Jewish Carpenter from Nazareth was NEVER a socialist. The early church experimented with it and quickly repudiated it. Now you have committed your own blasphemy.
    1
  2273.  @martin_9774  You are bloviating. Stop defending the indefensible. The fact that the IOC is slapping people with infringement take-down notices in an attempt to hide it speaks volumes.
    1
  2274.  @Delilah-zd3em  It can be. And the best way to counter it is with BETTER speech. Which is exactly what the people criticizing it are doing.
    1
  2275.  @martin_9774  It isn't the "far right" who are rioting in France. It is the Islamists and leftist-communists who Macron allied with to deny Nationale Rally ANY say in the French government. Stop apologizing for the people who refuse to accept that their own actions are the cause of social unrest in France. The "Far Right" boogieman isn't convincing anyone anymore.
    1
  2276.  @martin_9774  The "Far Right" are not the ones rioting across France. It is the leftist-communist and the Islamists who are rioting.
    1
  2277. Wow, you have no concept of nuance do you? "If you are not with us, you are against us". Isn't that what Bush said?
    1
  2278.  @stevekane4922  Pot meet kettle. Europe has had over 60 years to build and maintain itself, but instead acted like a wastrel noble's son, squandering his inheritance on wine and women. But then there is also the little issue where TWICE the US has had to save Europe from itself because the continent can't stop from acting like quarreling children. Part of why there is a War in Ukraine is because Europe refuses to clean up a mess they helped to create by appeasing Putin just like Chamberlain did to the Austrian Painter at Munich in 1938.
    1
  2279.  @mcnultyssobercompanion6372  Nice proof by verbosity (logical fallacy). No, Zelenksy is jailing ANYONE who is critical of him or the war effort. Even people pointing out the corruption in the hopes of Zelensky acting to put an end to it is being jailed. Stop apologizing for that. What is laughably mystifying is how you think securing Ukrainian borders is more important than securing America's. We have to put our own house in order before we can do anything about Ukraine.
    1
  2280.  @mcnultyssobercompanion6372  Nice false choice dilemma on your part. It is NOT a simple yes/no situation. We "helped" our allies in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan and what did it get us? Ukraine may turn out like South Korea, but the probabilities are NOT in the favor of the West. I believe in REPUBLIC governance, not Democracy which is mob rule. as freedom of speech, it is non-existent in Ukraine, especially when Zelensky jails his critics. Ukraine has a LONG way to go before it is even remotely similar to the West in terms of civil rights and individual liberties. As far as "only caring about myself" is myopic on your part. Martyring yourself for others achieves NOTHING. If the US balkanizes and implodes, then we are of no use to anyone, least of all Ukraine.
    1
  2281. @ckandrew6016 Russian claims on HIMARS is the analogy for claims about Western tanks. And claims that they arrived in March are dubious at best. To use your standard, where was the photo evidence for them in March if their first appearance on the battlefield is not until August? Why is this an issue you ask? Because you keep making wildly absurdist claims about Ukrainian capabilities. The naysayers are notoriously bad about using only Russian sources and blatantly ignoring sources like ISW, Oryx, and War Spotter. And it is funny that you only served to prove my original point that the turnaround time for Western supplies is no less than 6 months.
    1
  2282.  @limedickandrew6016  The Ukrainians delayed their spring/summer offensive specifically so they could get those Western Tanks. So, your claim of them arriving in March is just as bogus as Russian claims of HIMARS destroyed months before they actually arrived.
    1
  2283.  @limedickandrew6016  Your timeline is as dubious as the Russians claims about HIMARS. It follows the EXACT same formula that the Kremlin used. It does NOT take 5 months from Tanks delivered to Ukraine to show up on the front lines. The training on those tanks was already occurring BEFORE they were promised. Same goes with the F-16s. In both cases, Ukraine can and DOES deploy them almost as soon as they get them.
    1
  2284.  @limedickandrew6016  Your "facts" are poorly disguised opinions. ISW and Oryx refute your claims. And if you want to argue with them, then that only discredit you, not them.
    1
  2285.  @limedickandrew6016  Sound like you are parroting Kremlin talking points. Same claims were made about Himars being destroyed before the first one even arrived in country. Also, it takes time to repair a tank that has been taken out of service. That is the major difference between Western Tanks and Soviet Legacy tanks which toss their turrets.
    1
  2286. If they were promised in March and arrived in August, that is 5 months turn-around which confirms my point that there is a backlog. Meaning that even with supplies theoretically ending now, they still have about another year's worth of material that is still flowing in.
    1
  2287. Supplies from the West are on a six month to one year delay. How long was the turnaround time between the pledge of Challenger Tanks and them appearing on the Battlefield?
    1
  2288.  @williamalexander9485  It took Russia 10 years to take Advika from Ukraine after the UAF retook it in 2014 from Putin's "Little Green Men". Tell me again how Ukraine is losing, and Russia is winning.
    1
  2289.  @williamalexander9485  Actually, it does. You just refuse to accept reality. Time to put down the Vodka.
    1
  2290. Nice false dichotomy logical fallacy. Just because one prioritized the US doesn't mean they are for Putin and Russia. Some of us have a more nuance view and don't fall for the black and white insanity of propagandists.
    1
  2291.  @verdict2602  It is sad you are blind to how much the US government under Biden resembles Stalin's Soviet Union. Political prosecutions of rivals were typical of Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria's NKVD/KGB.
    1
  2292.  @yabbo5138  That, and they were inflicting at least 3 to 1 casualties on the Russians and possibly as much as 7 to 1. Paul calling that "questionable" shows that for a foreign policy wonk, he can't seem to see the forest for the trees. I kind of get why he didn't get promoted higher into the ranks with that kind of short-sightedness.
    1
  2293. I have always been irritated by "romanization" of words not native to English. Much like you suggest, I prefer phonetic spelling. American phonetic of Korean place names are actually pronounceable unlike the official Romanization where they add in so many silent letters.
    1
  2294.  @stefansekulic7903  Didn't they say the training was going on in high school? Also, children with responsible parents can handle firearms as young as 9 years old. The maturity of both the child and the parent are the deciding factors.
    1
  2295. Knowing how to properly handle a rifle is actually good skills that everyone SHOULD know for self-defense (think 2nd amendment). First-aid is useful in an auto accident, and not just on the battlefield. I will agree that teaching the use of hand-grenades crosses the line. I don't know how I feel about teaching the use of Molotov cocktails.
    1
  2296. 4 months? Put down the Vodka private Conscriptovich, you are so drunk you are hallucinating. it has been just over a month into the operation. You don't get to count the prepatory fires as part of the offensive.
    1
  2297.  @enriquelaroche5370  You are panicking with hyperbolic and hysterical what if scenarios. The louder you whine, the less believable you are. Your desperation is showing.
    1
  2298.  @enriquelaroche5370  More bluff and bluster from someone who has checked out from reality. Using nukes will only guarantee that Moscow becomes a glass crater. Even China won't stand for Russia using nukes. "The lady doth protest too much, me thinks," -Queen Gertrude; Act 3 scene 2: Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
    1
  2299.  @enriquelaroche5370  Yeah, the first one ever. No tank is invincible, and there is something as "acceptable casualties", which is usually on the order of 1 in 3. Again, looking at how many T-72 kills as contrasted with Challenger and you are clearly grasping at straws to make a mountain out of a molehill.
    1
  2300. I actually applaud them training both firearms and first-aid. The use of grenades is a bridge too far though. If only our own schools taught firearms safety as a requirement for graduation.
    1
  2301.  @NyCardConnect  Don't conflate truth with opinion. You are clearly being ratioed and are drinking some very strong copium to compensate for the harsh reality hitting you like a ton of bricks.
    1
  2302.  @michaelfaraday8391  Depends on who you talk to. Yes, there were a lot of green zone "secretaries" who were basically enjoying a taxpayer financed vacation. Then you have the guys who pulled convoy duty outside the fence and were actually shot at.
    1
  2303. There are plenty of Iraq and Afghan War vets. However, I will agree that ALL of the US flag officers are shit and should be replaced with SNCOs who have actually been in combat.
    1
  2304.  @johnwebster5005  Nice ad Homin attacking my intelligence rather than debating the merits. Perun did a fantastic job debunking your claims about massing artillery barrages being more effective than targeted munition strikes. The fact that Ukraine is NOT trying to replicate Russia's artillery war and instead saving most of their shells for counter-battery fire speaks volumes as to why numbers alone don't mean a damn thing beyond consumption rates. As for alternatives, what alternative is there? None as Russia certainly isn't capable of providing one. China is greatly reassessing theirs in light of Russian deficiencies. And India has come to realize that Russia can't be trusted to honor any agreement.
    1
  2305.  @johnwebster5005  Rounds that don't hit their target is just wasted ammunition. If you were making a point, all it achieved was to point out how pathetically bad the Russians are with what limited munitions they have. Again, you are using Petraeus as a strawman argument. He has never actually fought a real war against a near peer adversary, merely pretended to be a gentleman solider while diddiling his biographer. And how many times must it be said? BLITZKREIG IS NOT TYPICAL. It is an aberration that rarely reflects actual combat.
    1
  2306. How has Russian Artillery helped during Kherson and Kharkov? They are using significantly less of it than they did even 6 months ago. Also, you chose to quote Petraeus? A man with zipper problems and whose judgement on the War in Afghanistan contributed to the fall of Kabul??? I think the Ukrainian general staff knows better than the NATO generals who have never actually fought a near-peer adversary in any serious capacity.
    1
  2307. Says the keyboard warrior who is being paid to shill for the Kremlin.
    1
  2308. I agree with the first aid and firearms operation. I wish the US would teach those as part of graduation requirements alongside the citizenship test. The use of grenades I find more troubling. Do we teach the use of Molotov cocktails?
    1
  2309. Firearms safety is not a bad thing. In fact, it is good for self-defense (2nd amendment?). First aid is also useful in the event of an auto accident or natural disaster. It is the use of hand grenades that is more troubling.
    1
  2310. The average Russian citizen isn't stupid, and I think most folks in the West know that. It is their incompetent leadership that is dumb as a box of rocks. The day they get a George S. Patton or an Erwin Rommel leading them is the day Russia finally takes over the world.
    1
  2311. New lines where? If they hadn't built then during the last 6 months, they are never going to.
    1
  2312. The only ones not hit with strikes are the ones by legacy media. The power mongers and political insiders ALWAYS get a free pass. "Rules for thee, but not for me!"
    1
  2313. Nothing to be ashamed of Der Teufel Hunden!
    1
  2314. Perun has a great video digging into German readiness or lack thereof.
    1
  2315. We in the west have enjoyed the comforts of a peacetime military. They fully expect to return to the fight and so are not there to piss around.
    1
  2316.  @arturobianco848  Writing a long dissertation doesn't make your point, it only serves to show your own lack of confidence in your argument. When you employ logical fallacies like the Gish gallop, you only discredit yourself.
    1
  2317.  @arturobianco848  Nice proof by verbosity. (logical fallacy) I get the point, you are just trying to act superior rather than acknowledge someone else's point. I acknowledged your has merit but that now was not the time for it. Why is it so hard for you to acknowledge my point?
    1
  2318.  @arturobianco848  Your problem is that you are neglecting the here and now so focused on standardization. If you are paying more attention to what is down the line rather than what is in front of you, you will end up tripping over your own feet.
    1
  2319.  @arturobianco848  And you can't see the forest for the trees. To quote the line from Apollo 13, "There are thousand things that have to happening order we are on number 8, you're talking about number 692."
    1
  2320.  @arturobianco848  I did read. And I am telling you, they are not at the point where they can afford to start doing that. It is a luxury of peace time that a nation cannot afford during active hostilities.
    1
  2321. You are talking about a luxury that comes after the war ends. Right now, they need everything and anything they can get. They can worry about standardization when their equipment is not being shot at and destroyed by the Russians.
    1
  2322. Germany does have a military tradition that it should be proud of. Sadly, in the wake of WW2, it seems German political leaders have chosen to piss on the legacy of Prussian greatness. The Kreigsmarine has NOTHING to be ashamed of. The U-boat fleet in particular produced men of honor and valor such as Gunther Prien, the Bull of Scapa Flow.
    1
  2323.  @rolandscales9380  Two words: Legacy media. The machine protects its own and crushes the competition.
    1
  2324.  @JKK_85  Keep dreaming. The Germans were only stopped at Stalingrad which started in August of 1942, almost a year after the US had joined the war. Germany was FAR from defeated at that point. And to the Original Poster: Almost one year of supplies running to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk before Stalingrad kind of demolishes your claim.
    1
  2325. The Mustang Officer is the greatest treasure that Western Militaries have in their inventory. Sadly, not enough of them rise to the top levels where they are really needed. Too many of the Academy Ring dominate and it shows in the revelation of the West's UNPREPARED state revealed by this war.
    1
  2326.  @UncleStepon  Sure, discount the Ukrainains. Pretend that they have no choice in the matter when in fact it is ONLY because of their choices that the war is continuing for as long as it has. The fact that the Russians were NOT welcomed into Kiev as liberators proves you completely wrong. But sure, keep drinking Putin's tainted Vodka, because your intoxication induced hallucination is quite powerful.
    1
  2327. It is the Ukrainains who are choosing to fight. The US is simply proving them the tools to continue that fight. You seem to want to ignore Ukraine's own agency in this matter. They DO have a say, and they WANT to fight.
    1
  2328.  @vrado441  That isn't an argument, that is a logical fallacy. Try using hard data instead of emotional appeals.
    1
  2329.  @LloydBrodrick-ne5ei  Depends on the mines. Do keep in mind that some of the demining vehicles are not much more effective than using cluster munitions to detonate mines. Ultimately, NO demining procedure is going to be 100% effective. As the Dutch poster mentioned above, they are STILL finding WW2 mines in Flanders some 80 years later.
    1
  2330.  @michaeldy3157  Demining is more effective when you are not being fired on. Ironically, these same cluster munitions at a 2% dud rate actually make for an effective demining tool, though not originally designed for it.
    1
  2331. Funny how the dud rates are assumed to be the same when they are not. It is generous to give the Russian rate at 10% when I have seen evidence of it being as high as 40%. Contrast that with the US having it in the range of 2%. The US makes a point about having high reliability (ie low failure or dud rates), unlike some other defense industries.
    1
  2332. And folks don't seem to realize that actual anti-personnel mines are a FAR greater threat than bomblets from cluster munitions. Southeast Asia is still recovering from the ones planted by communist forces during Vietnam War era. Ukrainian fields are littered with the mines the Russies placed to slow them down.
    1
  2333. Which is why you want to change locations after taking the shot. "Counter battery fire" as it were.
    1
  2334. Without a buttoned up amphibious Armored Troop Carrier, I certainly wouldn't try it.
    1
  2335. Yeah, I don't know why they didn't immediately relocate after he took the shot. You risk retaliatory strike when if you stay in place after sending that round downrange.
    1
  2336. Your point? As long as they move after firing and remain under cover, the artillery can't get a fix on their position. "Rattling the rubble" is a waste of munitions.
    1
  2337.  @seanburke997  Don't be too sure. When you make assumptions, that is when you get owned.
    1
  2338.  @StephenBoothUK  Try separating that entire paragraph down into bite-size pieces. Doesn't take much to send in an artillery barrage when it comes to the Russians. They would simply shell the entire area just to get one sniper.
    1
  2339. But at what point do you move? If you stay in one place too long after you send the round downrange, you risk a retaliatory strike from an RPG.
    1
  2340. Smart move. Dangerous to think you can send multiple rounds downrange from the same spot when acting as a sniper. More likely to get hit by a retaliatory strike if you do.
    1
  2341.  @jamielondon6436  Written by people who are NOT telling you the full story. How many times have journalists inverted the details and left out critical facts in their reporting that completely flips the story? You sir, are being taken for a ride. The SCOTUS has already ruled on this particularly in Hamdi vs. Rumsfeld (2003). The SCOTUS told the DoD that his rights as a US citizen supersede POW status. In effect, they said either charge him with a crime, or release him. With that ruling, they upheld the legality of holding POWs until the end of hostilities while at the same time demanding that any US citizens held had to be charged or released.
    1
  2342.  @jamielondon6436  No, you refuse to understand how POW status works. Or even how international law operates. NO COUNTRY CONDONES the murder of civilians by terrorists which is the LEGITAMATE justification for the Afghan War. As a POW, you CANNOT be prosecuted for combat acts such as killing of soldiers or the destruction of legitimate military targets such as equipment and barracks. Further, the detaining power has EVERY RIGHT to hold POWs for the ENTIRE DURATION of the conflict. That you would want to change that shows a complete contempt for the Law of Armed Conflict already in place. No, you have not made a single valid nor coherent argument instead resorting to emotional outbursts because you cannot be bothered to actually look up facts or the dirty details of the topic you are pontificating on.
    1
  2343.  @jamielondon6436  "If you seriously think that anybody outside of the US considers its treatment of the prisoners in the "war on terror" lawful, you're deluding yourself." That is NOT an argument, that is a logical fallacy, namely appeal to consensus. It is an emotionally based appeal with little in the way of hard facts to back it up. "They were explicitly placed in Guantanamo so as not to get POW status, because that would've afforded them rights that the US didn't want them to give." Actually, you have that bass ackwards. Being held at GITMO can only occur if they DID have POW status, without which there would be no legal justification for holding them there. The SCOTUS was very clear on this matter in the case Hamdi vs. Rumsfeld (2003) if you bothered to do your due diligence. And in that case, Hamdi was released specifically BECAUSE he had rights that superseded POW status as a US citizen. If the US lost credibility as you claim, then why is the US still in NATO? Why is the USD still the currency of trade? People of virtue would not continue doing business and the US would have experienced what Russia is going through now if your claims had any validity.
    1
  2344. The very article he pulls up specifically spells out what is an is not a lawful combatant. Rather that shooting your mouth off in ignorance, try actually reading the statute. Being held at GITMO IS POW status. By all legal rights, unlawful combatants can be executed on the spot for war crimes as if they were a spy or saboteur.
    1
  2345.  @chrisoakey9841  Yeah, the thing about the media.....THEY LIE ON PRINCIPLE. They almost NEVER give the facts that would contradict their political narrative. I would think that the behavior of the legacy media over the last 8 years would have made that abundantly clear. "If it bleeds, it leads" -Matra of the Media.
    1
  2346.  @chrisoakey9841  "facts are facts." That is the favored line of propagandists. You discredit it yourself by using that line. Military tribunal? Again, you show a complete misunderstanding of how military law and the Law of Armed Conflict operates. You are no soldier; you are a civilian who thinks they are morally superior to people who actually wear the uniform. All of your arguments are emotionally based. And no, OPINION and emotions do NOT an objective fact make.
    1
  2347.  @chrisoakey9841  You trust the CIA? The professional, pathological liars? Do keep in mind that when government officials lie to Congress, they never get punished.
    1
  2348.  @chrisoakey9841  " the US were not were selective on the people they grabbed. things like wearing a casio watch was reason enough in some cases." Got proof of that? No, you don't. That is just pure wishful thinking and hysterics on your part. But I get it, you are a chickenhawk who has never worn a uniform and presume to lecture people who HAVE what the Law of Armed Conflict entails. People like you are who create the conditions for terrorism to thrive and succeed.
    1
  2349.  @chrisoakey9841  Yes the US was doing them a favor. Keep in mind that some of the countries that we did send their citizens back to executed them as soon as they returned. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman in particular are known for putting terrorists to death. Don't tell me that is preferable.
    1
  2350.  @Akehiko_Urabaya  It doesn't hurt to have supporting details buttress your argument. Most people are not aware of the significance of the French Foreign Legion's carve out in the Law of Armed Conflict. Or of how it sets a precedent for similar groups that scrupulously emulate it.
    1
  2351.  @Akehiko_Urabaya  The Interational Legion of Ukraine specifically modeled itself after the French Foreign Legion and with good reason. The FFL is specifically addressed by the Geneva and Hauge conventions and elaborates on WHY it is permitted under Law of Armed Conflict.
    1
  2352.  @boris8577  How many of those videos actually come from Syria? The "Palestinians" are notorious for using videos out of Iraq or Lebanon to falsely accuse the Israelis. I suspect Russia is using the same propaganda tactic.
    1
  2353.  @nikolay9584  Yeah, I am not a fan of calling them that either, but many have EARNED that disparagment. Those Russian conscripts that surrender to Ukrainian forces I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt. But the looters stealing washing machines and microwave ovens very much are Orcs.
    1
  2354. Got proof of your claims? The Indians who have no dog in this fight send observers to verify your claims. They have found no evidence supporting claims against Ukraine, nor have they found the Ukrainians obstructing their investigation.
    1
  2355. GITMO complies with Geneva and Hauge. Jacque Chirac and the French sold Saddam his mustard and Sarin Gas as well as the VX chemicals. Also, there were a number of Sarin Gas attacks used on US forces during the assault on Bagdad, but the media and the DoD covered it up.
    1
  2356. If you are referring to the Israeli politician's claims, you have been completely bamboozled. Nothing in his story comports with either Putin's motus operendi, nor does it check out with Ukrainian sentiments. A cursory examination will reveal fatal flaws in the entire story that causes it to come crashing down.
    1
  2357. Because he is explaining to people who are no initiated into the details of the profession of arms.
    1
  2358. You do realize that unlawful combatants IS specifically spelled out in the Geneva and Hauge conventions? Bush didn't make that up, it is in Article 4 of the Geneva Convention. Ironically, Bush gave them POW protections most were NOT entitled to receive. Gitmo prisoners should have been shot as saboteurs, not held as prisoners.
    1
  2359.  @magicbeans1975  I don't know about torture, per se. But you are correct that they are NOT given the protected status of a POW, namely the legal immunity to killing in a combat situation.
    1
  2360. Same article he pulled up but overlooked.
    1
  2361. No, they are not. The only exception is the French Foreign Legion (FFL). Two reasons for this are that the organization has existed for decades before the conventions, and the second reason is that they are treated as an auxiliary to the French Military and are held to account as if they were a uniformed military. There is a very good reason why the Georgian and Belarusian Legions in Ukraine are modeled after the FFL.
    1
  2362.  @petergerdes1094  Make no mistake, the North Koreans and North Vietnamese using captured Americans to make public statements WERE war crimes. As were the attemps by both the Japanese and Germans to do the same (they typically had to resort to fakers like Lord Haw Haw putting on a falsetto voices). Fortunately, some of the prisoners were able to subvert that, particularly the Pueblo crew with the "Hawaiian good luck sign" or John McCain naming off the defensive line of the Pittsburg Steelers as his squadron mates.
    1
  2363. Arguably, if a prisoner does not get a say. If his nation wants him forcibly repatriated, the incarcerating power is not obligated to act one way or another. But typically, if they can trade for higher value prisoners or a larger number, they will do so. Examples to look at is the POWs who crossed the Bridge of No Return in Korea. Some of the allied held POWs were forcibly sent back while others were not. Likewise, some NATO POWs held by the communists were not repatriated.
    1
  2364. Indeed. The Ukrainians are extending a courtesy they are not entitled to.
    1
  2365. No, they do NOT. The ONLY "mercenary" group that is allowed is the French Foreign Legion (FFL), and for two big reasons: First it existed for decades before the Conventions, and secondly, because it is treated as an auxiliary to the French Military and as such is held accountable as any other uniformed military would. There is a reason why the Georgian and Belarusian Legions (and other foreign volunteer units in Ukraine) have modeled themselves after the FFL.
    1
  2366. GITMO is in compliance with Geneva and Hauge. You don't know what you are talking about.
    1
  2367. Indeed. The survival rate on the front lines for Wanger is about one month, so they don't have to worry about paying them after that.
    1
  2368. Russian leadership certainly uses their troops as if they were roaches. I pity the enlisted man and the conscript.
    1
  2369.  @michaelpettersson4919  Staged. Keep in mind that the Russians invented the term "Potemkin Village".
    1
  2370. The reason for their existence is predicated on reciprocity. The idea is that we will follow these standards in the expectation that the other side will abide by them as well. Many of Japan's and Germany's documented war crimes were or were not prosecuted based on the individual officer complying or nor complying. Admiral Karl Dönitz for example was actually exonerated on a war crime charge at Nuremberg because he scrupulously obeyed the treatment of prisoners despite his personal and public sentiments arguing against it.
    1
  2371. Yeah, he is playing fast and loose with the categories in the Geneva and Hauge Conventions. He also blatantly ignores that there IS a category of unlawful combatants who are NOT entitled to POW status.
    1
  2372. The Ukrainian withdraw from Soledar was a complete screw-up. The Russians were able to use that blunder to gain momentum and pour through the gap in the lines.
    1
  2373.  @leonhardthomasius8872  Paul explains that to you if you bothered to actually listen to his commentary.
    1
  2374. Yeah, the frontline survival rate of only one month is discouraging further volunteers.
    1
  2375. That was the Dilemma of US and Commonwealth soldiers in the Pacific theater. The Japanese were blatant in their violation of the rules governing the treatment of prisoners. Ironically, Admiral Karl Dönitz was exonerated on the charge of prisoner abuse at Nuremberg. Despite his personal and public statements on NOT following the Geneva convention, he scrupulously obeyed them.
    1
  2376. "Innocent"? I guess you think that Islamic terrorism is a nothing burger. Taquiyya, Tawriya, Kitman, and Murna.
    1
  2377.  @Akehiko_Urabaya  Sure, dude. The US plays just as fast and loose as everyone else does. There are still French Generals that have outstanding warrants for their participation in the Rwandan Civil War.
    1
  2378.  @off6848  Put down the vodka Colonel Kleptovski, you are drunk. The alcohol is making you hallucinate.
    1
  2379. The "Professionals" sure. Not the prisoners and conscripts. There are really two tiers of Wanger fighters: those who are free men and under contract (professionals), and those who have been forced to be part of the organization (prisoners).
    1
  2380. Prisoner battalions have never been the most effective use of troops. And the use of them is of questionable ethical and moral value.
    1
  2381. Technically, Wagner as a mercenary group is NOT protected as POWs. That they are treated like regular military is a courtesy being extended. And yes, they SHOULD be brought up on charges. Or at least their leadership should be.
    1
  2382.  @Texas240  The thing with "stop loss" is that if you read the fine print of the contract when you enlist, there is a clause that says "needs of the nation" which allows them to extend it in certain situations. Yes, legalize speak, but it is how the DoD covers its ass. I doubt Wagner or the Russian MoD even bothers with it.
    1
  2383.  @Texas240  Apples to oranges false equivalence.
    1
  2384. One month life expectancy once they are on the frontline.
    1
  2385. One month life expectancy on the front line for Wagner.
    1
  2386.  @pliashmuldba  Same here. I post 10 times just like you making many of the same arguments only to have them deleted.
    1
  2387. My comments keep getting deleted! Tim Pool dug into the actual bill and it is NOTHING close to what conservatives wanted. It does NOTHING to secure the border and instead facilitates the inundation of unlawful entry.
    1
  2388.  @vladthecon  I agree with you that EUROPE needs to be picking up the slack for Ukraine. While I have little issue cleaning out the Armories of out-of-date equipment and handing it over to Ukraine, that is a long way away from paying for the rampant graft and corruption (Hunter BIden and Burisma?) that occurs daily over there. And the "border bill" was nothing more than codifiation in federal law CBP's actions of facilitating human smuggling. Tim Pool dug into the bill and exposed the bait and switch farce. Gaslighting is what the advocates of the bill are doing. "Have to pass it to find out what is in it" as Nancy Pelosi infamously said.
    1
  2389. Paul, you think this was conservative bill? You clearly didn't read it at all. Tim Pool went through the bill and confirmed that it took the asylum decision making out of the hands of the courts and placed it into the hands of unaccountable functionaries. It didn't stop the flow, but simply redirect people picked up by CBP and send them to crossing checkpoints instead of the detention centers as they are supposed to be process under current rules. This bill basically codified the human trafficking by CBP.
    1
  2390. @Paul I know you like shilling for the incumbents, but be honest, BOTH sides are guilty of this posturing and grandstanding. Further, "Biden is working tirelessly?" Spare us the hyperbolae. The Biden Administration is basically the same as the Obama team. They had no clue on how to react to Putin stealing Crimea, and they have no clue on how to deal with the current threat. As Osama bin Laden observed, "When people see a strong horse and a weak horse, by nature they will like the strong horse". Everyone knows Biden is a weak horse.
    1
  2391. Paul, I think you are grossly underestimating the Ukrainians. If the guys on the ground think they can hold the line, let them. This whole "the experts say Bakhmut should be abandoned!" sounds an awful lot like the claims that Kiev would fall in three days. While I understand the concerns about getting overconfident, the fact that greenhorn Ukrainian troops are holding off what is left of Russia's elites and exacting a 7 to 1 kill ratio means that even with heavy casualties, they are still pulverizing the Russian War machine.
    1
  2392.  @smokedbeefandcheese4144  Oh, in practice Soviets and Nazis were not that much different. Which is why the Molotov-Ribbentrop Alliance was even possible. Oh, and the camps the "Third Reich" used for their "final solution" were modeled after Stalin's Gulag Archipelago.
    1
  2393.  @brokeandtired  And word is that those conscripts are already being rushed to the front with barely three days of training. We are seeing a repeat of the Russian Front during WW1.
    1
  2394. The breakdown of military cohesion in the Russian army coupled with the impotence of local law enforcement is eerily similar to the French Army Mutiny in 1917 and the collapse of the Germany home front in 1918 in WW1.
    1
  2395. If there was a mobilization option, Putin would have pulled the trigger. The last attempt was a disaster.
    1
  2396. The Russian Bear is Geriatric.
    1
  2397.  @ColourRevolution666  By that logic, then Mexico is part of Spain. Bill Whittle did a video carrying that insane troll logic to its extreme conclusion. Yeah, don't be a retard.
    1
  2398.  @Bass_attack7755  Put down the vodka private conscriptovich, you are so drunk you are hallucinating.
    1
  2399. Donbas IS Ukraine genius.
    1
  2400.  @bjornregts8202  You are falling for the classic example of posturing and grandstanding. People put on a show to make you think something is greater than it actually is. Poland for example already gave as much as 30% of their stockpile to Ukraine. They are waiting for resupply from the US and South Korea before they send the rest of their Soviet era gear to Ukraine. They are just putting on a show pretending to stop the flow so as to gain more political clout.
    1
  2401.  @bjornregts8202  "Fading rapidly"? More wishful thinking. The stuff promised almost a year ago is now arriving at the front. The supply line is on about a three to six month delay. This was evident with the Kherson and Karkov offensive which was made WITHOUT Western gear or equipment. They only had access to HIMARs, Javelins, Stingers, and little else.
    1
  2402. Technology changes, but the basic fundamentals of war never change. And you have no idea what Ukraine has in the pipeline. Just as you underestimated them during the Siege of Kiev and the Kherson offensives, you are underestimating them now.
    1
  2403. Bakhmut is in front of Russian Trench lines, not behind them. Paul seems to ignore that dirty little detail.
    1
  2404. Part of the problem is that the Zaporizhian front is more like WW1 rather than WW2 warfare. In WW2, there was a disincentive by both sides to dig into fixed positions. Patton famously quoted as saying that they were monuments of Man's stupidity.
    1
  2405. You assume all things being equal. But your numbers are just a shell game with now objective validity, nor any solid data supporting them.
    1
  2406.  @JerehmiaBoaz  The first point is true. The second one his hogwash. Political grandstanding is typical in international relations, and you fell for the classic example of it. The hard empirical data does NOT support your claim. Youi have been bamboozled by your own biases.
    1
  2407.  @JerehmiaBoaz  That is some insane troll logic on your part. It blatantly ignores the facts on the ground is purely an emotional argument. Don't conflate opinion with facts and realize that facts don't care about your emotions.
    1
  2408.  @JerehmiaBoaz  You are focusing on the wrong country if you are worried about a new military powerhouse. POLAND is the military superpower of Europe, not Ukraine.
    1
  2409.  @kenhamaker  Oh, I agree. We should have allowed them to use the weapons we sent against legitimate military targets ON Russian soil.
    1
  2410. In WW1, French and British Generals did exactly as you suggest, and the results were catastrophic. Ukraine is NOT going to repeat those foolish tactics. They are being wise in their employment of their units.
    1
  2411. Indeed. The focus on holding territory is the same mistake made by most Union Generals in the US Civil War. Grant went against the prevailing wisdom by focusing on the destruction of the Confederate Army instead of holding territory.
    1
  2412. They can still roll up the trench lines once they make a breakthrough. Destroy the Russian forces in echelon and enfilade.
    1
  2413. The New York SLIMES are ivory Tower elitists who can't be bothered to do anything more than a cursory look at military history.
    1
  2414.  @Bass_attack7755  You clearly can't argue the merits because you have zero source of data supporting your delusional fantasy. So, you engage in ad hominins. That is a sign of desperation on your part.
    1
  2415.  @Bass_attack7755  Lost a bunk of Leos? Only in your wet dreams. And most of the losses Ukraine has suffered are recoverable. Very few of the Russian losses are. After all, Ukraine can scavenge parts from the wrecked hulls that the Russians leave behind when they retreat.
    1
  2416.  @Bass_attack7755  The damaged Leopards have already been repaired and returned to the front line. Can't say the same about turret tossing Russian Tanks.
    1
  2417. You guys said the same thing about the Kherson offensive. You were wrong then, and you are wrong now.
    1
  2418. Among other things. The ATACMS should have been given early on as well as tanks (FINALLY being deployed) and other equipment that there has been a reluctance to release.
    1
  2419. Blitzkrieg is an aberration. not the norm. Stop expecting the Ukrainians to emulate WW2.
    1
  2420. They said the same thing about the battle for Severodonetsk. Turns out that the Russians burned too much taking that city, being a factor in the Karkov breakout. Ukraine used Bakhmut to grind down the Russians much like how the Soviet Red Army used Stalingrad to pulverize the Wehrmacht. Or US Grant did to General Lee at Richmond in the US Civil War.
    1
  2421. That is Kremlin propaganda not supported by anything. Even the Indians don't believe those numbers.
    1
  2422. Well, the logistical factors for a Russian win have been grossly overblown. The failed siege of Kiev revealed to the world how terrible the Russians are at supplying their forces. And Demographics can be countered with force multipliers such as equipment, tactics, terrain, and morale.
    1
  2423. Indeed. Destroying Russian combat power is a greater long-term success than simply recapturing land. They failed to destroy it during the Kherson advance and so are facing it now in Zaporizhia.
    1
  2424. They are a bunch of Ivory Tower elitists with no real-world experience. Nor can they be bothered to do their due diligence regarding studying warfare.
    1
  2425. The press is a bunch of Ivory Tower elitists who can't be bothered to study warfare.
    1
  2426. And even if Rasputisa sets in, they can roll up the trenches to destroy Russian units in echelon. Shattering their combat power is more important than capturing territory in the long run.
    1
  2427.  @brandonstanley9125  You think Iraq was a peer adversary? That is some really strong Vodka you are drinking. Iraq never was a peer. Next you are going to tell me that Grenada was a military peer. Oh, these are the same fools who allowed the Islamic State to organize. They are the same guys who let Afghanistan degenerate to the point that it became a repeat of the fall of Saigon. They never learned from the failures in Vietnam when they were Lieutenants and repeated them when they became generals. So tell me again how these guys are experts in the field? The Majors and Colonels such as Alan West are the true master strategists, not the flag officers who are nothing more than politicians in uniform.
    1
  2428.  @brandonstanley9125  Nice proof by verbosity (logical fallacy). While the Hungarian government is unreliable, it does not negate the fact that munitions they produced within the last year ARE in Ukrainian hands. Western Generals today have never fought a near peer adversary. Most of them are armchair quarterbacks who have consistently been wrong about Ukraine. They were wrong about Kiev falling in 3 days. They were wrong about the fighting retreat from Severodonetsk. They were wrong about Kherson. And now they are wrong about Bakhmut. Kherson didn't have a river crossing because the Ukrainians did NOT want to be in the very position, they had put the Russians. With the bridges across the river blown, the logistics were not possible. Only within the last two months have they been able to secure a beachhead on the East side. As for Karkov, they likewise did not want to overextend themselves. You are correct that it is two soviet armies duking it out. However, the Soviet-Ukrainian Army is being supplemented and augmented by NATO weapons and training which IS making a decisive difference, otherwise the Ukrainians would not have been so successful.
    1
  2429.  @brandonstanley9125  Ukraine is receiving shells produced in Czechia and Hungary within the last year. Ukraine doesn't need to produce its own so long as the west is proving it for them. And you are only parroting the Kremlin's talking points on Bakhmut. Insitute for the Study of War gives a more nuanced analysis and they tell a much different story. Ukraine isn't using combined arms correctly? You clearly have not been paying attention. Combined arms is EXACTLY how the Kherson and Karkov fronts were spectacular victories for Ukraine. Russia does NOT have another mobility pool despite the claims. The last attempt was an unmitigated disaster that Putin is in no condition to duplicate. Yes, he got his body boost, but it was a short-term gain and a long-term loss.
    1
  2430. No Fly zone means NATO planes shooting down Russian planes, an act of war. Unless you want to bring the West directly into conflict with Russia in a shooting war, you don't fool around with "no fly zones".
    1
  2431. So you blame the victim? You are an appeaser no better than Nevile Chamberlain.
    1
  2432. Only in your wet dreams. Kherson and Karkov prove you wrong.
    1
  2433.  @rickpilhorn  Same reason why they can't really push in Andrivka. Zaphoresia was about the ONLY place they could make a push other than north of Luhansk, which wasn't useful other than swinging wide behind Russian lines. Paul even talked about that six months ago.
    1
  2434. He also ignores that the Russian trenches are BEHIND Bakhmut. The Russians don't even consider the rubble to be part of their defense line.
    1
  2435.  @raytaylor3077  True, but not at the rate that MiGs and Sukhois fall out of the sky. No aircraft or tank is invulnerable.
    1
  2436.  @xiahan1698  Sure buddy, keep drinking the poison laced Kool-Aid from the Kremlin.
    1
  2437. It was written by someone who never learned about WW1 trench warfare. Typical of an Ivory Tower elitist. There is a reason why many call them the "New York SLIMES".
    1
  2438. And that is what should be taken from studying the American Civil War. Early on, Union Generals were focused on holding territory and constantly got defeated by General Lee. Only when Grant came in and chose to make the destruction of the Confederate Army more important than capturing territory did the South start to break.
    1
  2439. This is the New York SLIMES we are talking about. They have always been a surrender monkey rag.
    1
  2440. They are getting some T-90s, but it is on the order of only 10% of the tanks being sent to the front. The vast majority is refurbished Soviet era. Russian production can't keep up with the attrition rates.
    1
  2441.  @dogemccoin8318  "Thousands of tanks" is just not true. That is pure propaganda from the Kremlin. Oryx will give you an accurate account only 450 tank losses by Ukraine. Your using hyperbolic numbers that just don't hold up to close scrutiny.
    1
  2442. Yeah, so they claim despite the fact that none of them have even arrived yet. Nice anime reference too! You are a person of culture.
    1
  2443.  @brooklynlass2196  AH, fair point.
    1
  2444. He is giving Obama too much credit. The president's unwise withdraw from Iraq allowed for the Islamic State to fill the vacuum.
    1
  2445.  @EclipseDGreat  Agreed. In this War, the Ukrainian Soviet Army has incorporated Western Tactics and technology to create a very effective hybrid-fusion of both East and West.
    1
  2446.  @b12n23  Is it? You have no idea how deep the NATO stockpiles actually are. And when Russian stockpiles pulled out of deep storage are 80-90% unusable, that makes your claims about Russia farcical. Also, Russian has proven times and again that they absolutely SUCK at logistics. Yes, when they have rails they can keep up, but as the channel PERUN has demonstrated, the rot and corruption in the Russian military combined with their inability to properly equip those on the front lines with what they really need and suddenly the Russian Bear looks Geriatric.
    1
  2447. Keep dreaming. The Russians have spent months trying to take the city. It will not fall so easily.
    1
  2448.  @moiseshuerta3984  Yeah, I think Russia has shown that they don't know how to do combined arms. Hell, they are not even using the same tactics that the Soviet developed with the T-34 at the end of WW2. Ironically, it is Ukraine who is employing the Soviet idea of infantry riding on top of the tanks.
    1
  2449.  @marrchy2682  Autocratic dictators encourage strife in their own ranks in order to protect their position. They often fear the internal threat more than the external one. How about you look at historic examples such as Joe Stalin or Chairman Mao.
    1
  2450. BINGO! Google/Youtube is shilling for Legacy media because they are on the same political team.
    1
  2451.  @myopinion2733  Yeah, Putin's election has the same legitimacy as when Saddam got 99% of the vote. Or when Kim Il-Sung got 100% of the votes.
    1
  2452. "Russia doesn't have gulags, they have Siberian labor camps" Penal Labor Camps, mostly located in Sibera ARE what the Gulags were. You are making a distinction WITHOUT a difference.
    1
  2453. Indeed. Politics has so corrupted the military that it has become easier for foreign actors to penetrate deep into national Defense.
    1
  2454. No proof of that. You are showing that Orange man lives rent-free in your head.
    1
  2455. If he was in uniform, but he was a civilian contractor at that point. However, he COULD be recalled to active duty to face a court-martial for this so that he is demoted and lose his pension.
    1
  2456. Until Oryx or War Spotter confirms it, that is just rumor.
    1
  2457.  @sillysad3198  Touche! But the point is the same: too many people (both men and women) let hormones and libido drive them to do stupid stuff.
    1
  2458. The generals forgot what the proper priorities are. They are more concerned about pandering to "two mommies" crowd rather than actually ensuring the combat readiness of the force.
    1
  2459.  @OnTheSpotsilver  Putin is a third-rate tin-plated dictator. His actions in Ukraine have shattered the image of Russian invulnerability. At this point he is as impotent as Saddam Hussein or Hugo Chavez. Yes, a threat to immediate neighbors, but not much beyond that.
    1
  2460. They are not the existential threat the USSR was. But they are certainly a threat to regional peace as we have seen in Ukraine.
    1
  2461. Top ranks are the ones responsible for creating the conditions where situations like this happen. Remember the Minot-Barksdale B-52 nuke incident that got Genral Mosby fired?
    1
  2462. Yeah, I think the Chinese are a bigger threat than the Russians. And have been since the fall of the USSR.
    1
  2463. "Be all you can be" was a better slogan that the boneheaded "Army of One" nonsense. That shows you how brain-dead Army recruitment got in the 2000s.
    1
  2464. There is a fan video of the AC/DC song "Thunderstruck" that uses clips from several War themed Anime such as "Girls und Panzer", "Azur Lane the Animation", and "Kantai Collection (Kancolle)" that would probably be more effective at recruiting young men to serve. I even make a joke in the comments that the JSDF (Japanese Self-Defense Forces) must be recruiting.
    1
  2465. Better than me. I got out with a medical retirement after 8 years and am still struggling after 10 years trying to get a new career. My training as a Weather Forecaster for the USAF has done NOTHING of value for me. Nobody wants to hire one.
    1
  2466.  @Canoby  More word salad by someone on the outside looking in. Yeah, on the way out as in waiting for my time to end before my medical discharge was approved. Funny how you call everyone else a troll when you are engaging in that very behavior. That is called psychological projection and is typical behavior of a leftist propagandist.
    1
  2467.  @Canoby  I did serve, and DEI was already on its way in as I was leaving. Foreign Cultural Sensitivity training was replaced with "Diversity and Inclusion" under the guise of Equal Opportunity training. You have failed to provide ANY proof to back up your position, instead resorting to logical fallacies such as ad hominins. How about you make an ACTUAL argument instead of emotional appeals (logical fallacy)
    1
  2468.  @Canoby  The fact that you can't see the correlation is a YOU problem. How about you actually debate the merits? For someone worrying about repeating talking points on cue like Pavlov's Dog, you seem to be doing that yourself.
    1
  2469.  @Canoby  There is truth though. If one can't deal with a Drill Sergeant 2 inches from your face, how will you handle a firefight with ordinance exploding all around you?
    1
  2470. Agreed. The Hardcore survival stuff that a solider in combat needs.
    1
  2471. I'm glad that 8 years and a medical retirement makes me ineligible to be drafted.
    1
  2472. Most of your Democrats in the military are senior officers who don't go into combat themselves but send others. Not much different than the politicians when you think about it.
    1
  2473. The GSA and government Purchase Cards are a money laundering scheme. But if you try to report it, they prosecute you for false reporting. And if you try to bring it to the attention of your Congressman, they retaliate against you.
    1
  2474. Most of the officers don't deserve on either. Too many with "zipper problems".
    1
  2475. That has a bigger impact than folks want to admit.
    1
  2476. Isn't Segal now a Russian Citizen? I think I heard that it was Putin who personally conducted the ceremony.
    1
  2477. Military service didn't open any doors for me. The training they gave me is worthless in the civilian job market.
    1
  2478. How many US soldiers are stationed in Israel? Now how many are stationed in Germany and South Korea? I'll wait.
    1
  2479.  @finnishview2933  Wrong on both counts. On paper it might appear that conscripts and non-volunteers are cheaper, but one must realize that to pay them requires taking from those who are NOT in the military via taxes. And even if you put them to work doing manual labor, they are less productive than non-conscript labor. Perun did a great video on this topic. Secondly, Vietnam was during the draft and HIGHLY divisive. And it was quickly learned that you waste manpower and resources on people who don't want to be there and will actively sabotage if you don't watch them.
    1
  2480. Smaller countries like Finland and South Korea are under existential threat from their neighbors, which justifies it. What existential threat faces the US?
    1
  2481. Or any combat related game for that matter.
    1
  2482. Every treaty Russia has signed under Putin, he has shredded. Anyone who thinks you can negotiate with the Kremlin in good faith is blatantly ignoring history. There is a reason why many members of Russia's "Central Asian NATO" are seeking closer ties with the west, snubbing Putin in the process.
    1
  2483.  @dzonikg  "US Crimea"? Nice hyperbolic and unhinged claim. Put down the Vodka, you are so drunk you are hallucinating.
    1
  2484. Just going to ignore the fact that Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy when Putin stole Crimea?
    1
  2485. Put down the vodka. Biden is responsible for Putin stealing Crimea and getting away with it in the first place. it was Trump that sent lethal weapons when Obama and Biden only sent blankets.
    1
  2486.  @mikewilkerson936  Yes, go woke, go broke, which was what was happening to Twatter before Elon purchased it. "Everything woke turns to sh*t" -Donald J. Trump.
    1
  2487. Twatter is a mess, but that was a result of previous leadership before Elon. The tide is turning against the corporate woke.
    1
  2488. He said the video was watermarked by RT (Russian television).
    1
  2489. Pot meet kettle. It was previous leadership that crushed dissenting views and shadow banned people. If you think that the despots are wining on Twitter, then you need to get more convincing arguments. The best answer to bad speech is MORE and BETTER speech. "When you tear out a man's tongue, you don't prove him a liar, you simply show the world you fear what he has to say," -George R.R. Martin, author of "A song of Fire and Ice" more commonly known as "A Game of Thrones".
    1
  2490.  @Soldmysoulforablurayplayer  Ah, but that's the kicker. If they are NOT scared of it, then using it becomes pointless. An opponent unfazed by threats of use will not be dissuaded after it actually is used. The effect is expended.
    1
  2491.  @Soldmysoulforablurayplayer  Because that is not an effective use of nukes. As a weapon, you either use it in conjunction with an offensive to exploit the gap it creates in the lines, OR you use it as an area denial, i.e., to block an avenue of attack or operation. If you want to wipe out a concentration of troops. there are more effective conventional bombs that can do the same thing.
    1
  2492. I agree that they should be more specific. I refer to it at either "Northwest" Bank or "Southeast" Bank. The line is a diagonal, so using the secondary compass directions is more accurate.
    1
  2493.  @CoffeeAndPaul  And yet Paul shills for the deep state and the status quo in government. Spare us. Most of Tim Pool's critics don't even watch his show and only read what media matter falsely claims he says. Ask yourself why Timmy is suing the Kamala/Waltz campaign.
    1
  2494.  @Tamachii12  You practice how you play. The fact that you think an exercise isn't reflective of how an actual engagement will play out shows that you have never actually participated in one.
    1
  2495. And China has pathetically bad ASW capabilities.
    1
  2496.  @Buckeye6161984  Today's DoD, you would be correct. They care more about pandering to get promoted rather than actually doing their job. HOWEVER, there ARE some brilliant planners in the company grade ranks who ARE gifted and know what the hell they are doing. Once the lead starts flying, THEY will be the ones to replace the pieces of shit who currently run the Pentagon.
    1
  2497. I think you need to refresh your understanding of War Plan Orange, which was essentially the US's blueprint for fighting WW2. It was predicated on the concept "tyranny of distance". I guarantee you that the Pentagon has already made several battleplans for the defense of Taiwan/Formosa.
    1
  2498. Proof of concept is not the same as combat operations. Japan learned that the hard way in WW2 at Midway.
    1
  2499. Lysenkoism is alive and well, sadly.
    1
  2500. Putin accusing his hypersonic missile scientists and technicians of treason is exactly what Stalin did. Lysenkoism is alive and well in Russia. What is more troubling is that Lysenkoism is infecting the West.
    1
  2501. Molotov-Ribbentrop Alliance. Communist apologists don't like to acknowledge what Hannah Ardent and Eric Hoffer both observed: the two ideologies complete for followers from the same group of people.
    1
  2502.  @triggerwarning5762  Not really. I made a statement, you tried and failed to refute it, and now you are trying to move the goalposts (logical fallacy). How about you learn to debate?
    1
  2503.  @triggerwarning5762  Don't be intellectually dishonest.
    1
  2504.  @triggerwarning5762  No, they are not exclusive to the UK. It just happens that the British units are the most famous. Other nations that employ Gurkhas include India, Brunei, and Singapore. In theory, any country could organize a Gurkha unit provided that they used the same recruitment standards as those listed above.
    1
  2505. Putin better hope they are not Gurkhas. Don't want to get on their bad side.
    1
  2506. Put down the vodka private conscriptovich, you are drunk.
    1
  2507. Put down the vodka private conscriptovich, you are so drunk you are hallucinating.
    1
  2508. Indian propaganda? I highly doubt that Gurkhas are susceptible to that. Putin BETTER be paying them, because he does NOT want them marching on the Kremlin if he knows what is good for him.
    1
  2509. More evidence because it is easier to collect than the same information from Russia. Sampling bias, look it up.
    1
  2510. Russian collusion WAS A HOAX.
    1
  2511.  @LasseEklof  Slow down, most of those Palestinians weren't forced from their homes, they left at the urging of Haj Amin Al-Husseni, Fawzi al-Qawuqji, Ahmed Ali al-Mwawi, Hasan Salama, and many other Arab leaders. They promised to "drive Israel into the sea" and give their fellow Arabs (now called Palestinian) all of the land and possessions of the Jews. Yet again they tried to do the same with the Palestinians voluntarily leaving in 1967, but this time Israel taking possession of the West Bank. And in 1973 they did it again. So no, you grossly exaggerate the expulsion of Arabs from the region by Israel. The fact that there are members of the Knesset who are Muslims completely disproves your contention.
    1
  2512.  @LasseEklof  No, Israel is NOT occupying Gaza, not yet. And do keep in mind that Israel was the one attacked this week. Just like they were in 1948, 1967, and 1973.
    1
  2513. Your thing about the hospitals treating Taliban fighters requires a nuance that is not understood by the average person. Namly, that under both the Law of Armed Conflict, AND medical Triage rules that medical personal are REQUIRED to treat the most injured REGARDLESS of whose side the patient is on. There is a famous example in WW2 during the African campaign where Rommel was SO scrupulous about following those rules that many of the patients and doctors didn't actually know whose hospital they were in at the time of their treatment. Even the doctors at one point didn't know who controlled the hospital they were working in. Bringing that to the current conflict, Hamas has shown a willingness to use hospitals as ammunition dumps in clear violation of Internationa Law (ie a War Crime). With that context, do you really believe they will give Jews the same unbiased medical treatment that they would an Arab or Muslim?
    1
  2514. Going after Bin Laden was wrong? The failure was that the Bush neo-cons lost sight of the real mission and got distracted with pissing around like the British did before them.
    1
  2515. Free JUDEA!
    1
  2516.  @mtnregnar198  What is so complicated about Hama storing guns, missiles, and bombs in hospitals?
    1
  2517. The problem is that the "American model" wasn't even a plan. It was a half-baked, ill-conceived, and not at all thought out wish by people who foolishly though they could do better than the British did after WW1. Ironically, if the political leaders had actually read T.E. Lawrence and followed his proposal to divide the region along historic tribal lines, the situation could have stabilized. But that would require an independent Kurdistan and the splitting of Iraqi into separate Sunni and Shia states, none of which was desired by outside powers.
    1
  2518.  @UnknownUser-rb9pd  Wow, you have taken myths about Islam hook line and sinker. Try reading the Hadiths. The Kafirs and Infidels are considered no better than animals and are to be treated as such. And your claims about Muslims being more tolerant is yet another myth. The Moorish invasion of Iberia has lots of examples of Muslim barbarity. And the Crusades were actually a response to Islamic aggression.
    1
  2519.  @LasseEklof  I tend to agree. It is disinformation on the part of Hamas and the Kremlin to demoralize the West.
    1
  2520. It is well documented that Hama uses schools and hospitals as ammunition dumps. Stop letting yourself get gaslighted by anti-semitic blood libels.
    1
  2521.  @tahaddi2005  And ignore the fact that despite every land for peace deal, the Arabs who call themselves Palestinian have violated those agreements? They get the land they want and STILL attack and murder Jews. To this day they have not renounced Haj Amin Al-Husseini's call to "drive Israel into the Sea".
    1
  2522. Hamas controls Gaza. Fatah controls the portions of the West Bank inhabited by Palestinians. The two are effectively as separate as East Pakistan was from West Pakistan after the first war with India.
    1
  2523. Something tells me they do NOT want to go through what Jordan did in the 1970s and Lebanon in the 1980s.
    1
  2524.  @fingal113  That is true. The problem is when they are allowed to have power. Even scarier is when the population agrees with them. Also, the term Fascist has been so deluded over the years that most don't know the meaning. I assume you are referring to Vichy Franch, Duce's Italy, and of course the Third Reich.
    1
  2525.  @fingal113  I wasn't disagreeing with your assessment, and I apologize if my comment came across that way. My vitriol was because the behavior of the French during WW2, particularly the anti-Semitism is often overlooked.
    1
  2526.  @dbird1356  Yes, much simplified, but keep this fact in mind: French Jews suffered fatality rates at the same rate as German, Polish, and Czech Jewish populations. That was in no small part due to their willing participation in the Holocaust. Vichy France was actually MORE dangerous for Jews than Eastern Europe was during that same time period.
    1
  2527. Not necessarily. Did the Germans disband the local police after the fall of Paris? Petain's Vichy government were willing collaborators with most of them being members of the previous government that fought the Germans.
    1
  2528. Before Israel built the walls, something like 100 terrorist attacks occurred daily. They ranged from stabbing sprees to suicide bombing. I think you need to look at the behavior of the Palestinians before you criticize Israel.
    1
  2529.  @LasseEklof  Funny, because you are only looking one-sided at the conflict over that very same time period. You blatantly ignore the terrorism of the PLO under the leadership of Haj Amin Al-Husseini and later Yaser Arafat. Back in the 1980s, most Westerners would avoid Jerusalem because Palestinians bombings occurred on a daily basis. That stopped once Israel built their wall. NOTHING justifies ANY of their actions since 1948. You are making excuses for jihadism.
    1
  2530.  @stephengerena8848  Need to learn your history. The US has engaged in nation building since its founding with mixed results. The first attempt was Liberia in the 1790s, nominally giving emancipated an opportunity to leave America. I grant you it was a mixed result. But despite that the Liberians still hold an affection for the US that is not entirely justified. The next Major attempt was with Panama in the 1920s. That one was a MUCH better result, and the stability of Panama today speaks volumes. Then you have the Philippines which were on their way to emancipation before the Japanese invasion postponed that. Not as good as Panama, but again another success that kind of predates Japan and Germany. The problem with Afghanistan is that only TWO people brough the region to heel. Alexander the Great of Macedonia, and Genghis Khan of the Mongolian Empire. The West does NOT have the stomach to go to the extremes they did to pacify the region. Iraq's problem stems from the failures of the British and French after WW1. They ignored T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) proposal which drew lines based on historical tribal divisions. Much like with Africa, the European powers put historic blood enemies within the same governing areas.
    1
  2531.  @LasseEklof  You keep jumping to false conclusions and it is blinding you. I find it interesting how you try to use scripture to defend your position, particularly your antisemitism. That is blasphemy. Also, not all laws are just. Do keep in mind that the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 in Germany or the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 in the US were both unjust. And inconsistent enforcement of the laws onto one side, but not the other is a further miscarriage of justice. You are calling for blind obedience which is WORSE. You are contorting yourself into a pretzel to justify your indefensible position with classic soviet "whataboutism". When you find yourself in a hole STOP DIGGING.
    1
  2532.  @Tha3rdworldghost  So you are saying that those who perpetrated the holocaust are not objectively evil? You are saying that the Holodomor which killed so many Ukrainians is only subjective? Stop embarrassing yourself. You are trying to rationalize your indefensible position.
    1
  2533.  @kalliaslands9938  You may be surprised to hear that there actually ARE Palestinian members of the Knesset. They refuse to work with anyone, with the only time they formed a coalition was to oust Bib Netanyahu. But then they were the first to withdraw causing the collapse of that government opening the door for Bibi to return to office.
    1
  2534. The real war criminals are Hama who uses children as human shields and hospitals as ammunition dumps. Stop blaming the victim. Stop apologizing for the abuser.
    1
  2535.  @donaldcarey114  There is a lot of that among the commenters of this channel.
    1
  2536.  @jamesSmith-im5jo  It might have been youtube/google who loves to monitor this channel and delete comments that run counter to the establishment narrative.
    1
  2537. Because Putin's mouthpiece calls her extreme, you take that as an endorsement? Trump supporters mocked his critics by saying that if "Orange Man" said he was for oxygen, those who oppose him would suddenly be against breathing. You have fallen into that trap if you think Putin's criticism of Kamala is an endorsement. If anything, he is counting on that kind of a response.
    1
  2538. Anglophobia is just as irrational, yet it is quite fashionable these days.
    1
  2539. Russia today has the same problem as Tsarist Russia: bad leadership. If one day the people of the Volga River had a leader like George S. Patton, then not even the USMC could stop them from taking over the world.
    1
  2540. You mean the same administration that dragged their feet on day one? Keep in mind that Tulsi Gabbard knocked Kamala out of the 2020 race before the Iowa Caucus. NOBODY likes her.
    1
  2541.  @Svveet69  About the only part of Russia I would be interested in visiting would be Yakutia for the reindeer sled rides (and maybe the cute Asian-Russian girls). Beyond that I have little intrest.
    1
  2542. Kamala is the sacrificial lamb. The DNC knows she is going to lose, so they are going to let her fail to preserve Newsome and Whitmer for another election cycle.
    1
  2543. Indeed. I have seen a similar thing for Azerbaijan. Azeri refers to the ethnicity while Azerbaijani refers to the nationality.
    1
  2544.  @TenylegMinekez-uc7co  Talking about yourself now? You are clearly drinking Kremlin kool-aid and can't even be bothered to read actual analysis of military systems of the west. Put down the Vodka, you are so drunk you are hallucinating.
    1
  2545.  @TenylegMinekez-uc7co  Loner range, better accuracy and resistance to countermeasures such as chaff and flares prove you wrong. Try again Private Conscriptovich.
    1
  2546.  @TenylegMinekez-uc7co  Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, and Albania prove you wrong. ALL were Warsaw Pact members who defected to NATO.
    1
  2547.  @TenylegMinekez-uc7co  Okay Private Conscriptovich. Explain to me why NATO POLISH MIG-29s exist. You can't. Because you are living in denial (which is not just a river in Egypt).
    1
  2548.  @TenylegMinekez-uc7co  Calling me a clown isn't an argument, it is you tacitly conceding that I am correct. Learn to Code. "When the debate is lost, slander become the tool of the loser," -attributed to both Plato and Socrates.
    1
  2549.  @TenylegMinekez-uc7co  The Mig-29 really came into its own when the Warsaw Pact joined NATO. Being able to use superior Western Munitions allowed it to gain the best attributes of both East and West.
    1
  2550.  @patrickdkingjr  No, they don't. The planes can be service in Poland by NATO maintainers, allowing Ukraine to prioritize manpower on their own Legacy Soviet aircraft. Training Ukrainians to maintain NATO aircraft can occur AFTER the war is over when they are better able to spare the manpower.
    1
  2551.  @avarion9538  You realize that Naval Aviation in WW2 was doing all of that as well? The principles don't change despite technological advance. And you didn't even touch on me pointing out that MiG Pilots should have little difficulty in switching over. It is simply a matter of familiarizing oneself on the new airframe. Thank you for proving that you don't actually have a substantive rebuttal.
    1
  2552. Because the Russians drove out anyone with overt Ukrainian sympathies after the stole in in 2014. You are blatantly ignoring how Putin has deported "undesirable" people just like Stalin deported the Tartars from Crimea before him.
    1
  2553.  @bradhombre6912  Allowing Trans into women's sports defeats the whole purpose of having Title 9 in the first place. If biological men who think they are women are allowed in, then why even have a women's division at all? Look beyond simply the chronological timeline and at the REASON for the program's existence.
    1
  2554. That exactly part of why people are making a stink. Trans people get thrown off tall buildings in Muslim countries.
    1
  2555. Don't underestimate the importance of the Chaplain Corps.
    1
  2556. The T-34 surprised the Germans because they didn't pay attention to what the Soviets said during the Tank factory inspection in 1940. The Soviets didn't believe the Germans were showing them everything. THAT should have been a cue that the Soviets had something MORE advanced than the Wehrmacht.
    1
  2557.  @Lancetdrone  Every weapon has a weak point. That is the engineer's dilemma. There is no such thing a s a "perfect" weapon. And many of the most effective designers simply accept a certain level of vulnerability lest their design never actually makes it into production. So if you were trying to make a point, you failed.
    1
  2558.  @frankdwyer7051  Nice apples to oranges false analogy. Those 1980 Abrams designs have been updated within the last 10-15 years, unlike the T-72s which haven't been in 50 years. You are coping Private Conscriptovich.
    1
  2559.  @Lancetdrone  1983 updates is not the same as the 2010 version of the T-90s. Nice try. A 1983 update is still 50 years old.
    1
  2560. The irony is that it was never designed to be a tank killer and yet here it is doing what nobody on its design team anticipated.
    1
  2561. I was going to say it looks like the undershirt most associated with Soviet and Russian soldiers, whether Army or Navy. Edit: I didn't realize he changed out of his tank-top. I agree it kind of looks like a hula/luau shit.
    1
  2562. Sneding men in their 40s means they have already had children. Can't say the same for men killed in their 20s. Look at the butcher's bill Marshal Zhukov inflicted on the Soviet population and its direct correlation to Russia's demographic crisis and you understand why Ukraine is NOT sending men to the front until AFTER they have reproduced.
    1
  2563.  @HikmetDemirci-l9y  Like they did in Izyum?
    1
  2564. The Kharkiv plant? They were switched over to the T-80 before the fall of the USSR. For decades that plant has not been producing much of anything.
    1
  2565. Yeah, I'm thinking it is like trying to take the German Kamphwagon II up against a T-34.
    1
  2566. Not really. The ONLY reason Russia is using them is because they have such a surplus. The T-90 production lines can't keep up with the attrition. If it could, then you wouldn't see anything else.
    1
  2567. But the F-16 has been modernized over the years. These legacy tanks have not.
    1
  2568. The US is a Republic. Vote CONSERVATIVE, not Republican or Democrat.
    1
  2569.  @1337flite  You listed modernized versions of the older tanks. I had already pointed out that it didn't count. T-72s Russia is using are NOT modernized. Apples to oranges false analogy.
    1
  2570. What is the "most modern" tank in the West's arsenal? Later models of the same series is moving the goalposts.
    1
  2571. Easier said than done. Even the US is having issues automating tanks.
    1
  2572. They are already out there, interestingly enough. Perun has gone through the documentation and Oryx has compiled the number lost.
    1
  2573. Yeah, there is a reason why people are paying attention to what North Korea is sending to Russia.
    1
  2574.  @Gumpmachine1  I tend to agree. About the only Shermans that might be useful would be the Israeli "Super Shermans" aka "Isherman". Good luck getting the IDF to hand those over.
    1
  2575. Indeed. The T-72Bs are being pulled out of storage but the T-72A are almost completely untouched.
    1
  2576.  @lilsmoke5999  How many Muscovites are now pushing up sunflowers?
    1
  2577.  @skgfuryf4569  The Kharkiv Plant. Same with the T-80s
    1
  2578.  @discombubulate2256  And yet another apples to oranges false analogy. It is Anachronistic to compare the US's three nukes in WW2 to the nuclear weapons of today. Thank you for proving you can't debate without resorting to logical fallacies and improper comparisons.
    1
  2579.  @discombubulate2256  It would be dishonest to claim that ONE nuclear weapon constituted a credible threat, much less deterrence. Thank you for nicely proving my point.
    1
  2580.  @discombubulate2256  Yes, from a military and effectiveness standpoint it is being out. To claim you have not completely run out because you have even one tank in the field is intellectually dishonest. That is what propagandists would argue.
    1
  2581.  @discombubulate2256  My point went completely over your head. When you only have two or three tanks in the field because that is all you can produce in a month, you are out of tanks.
    1
  2582.  @discombubulate2256  When you can't keep up with the loss rates, you are running out. There WILL come a point when the tank that rolls off the line is the ONLY tank left.
    1
  2583. There is a limit to the deep reserves of Legacy Soviet systems. The production rates of T-90s CANNOT keep up with the loss rates, holding steady at about 10% of all losses.
    1
  2584. There is a limit. They have already exhausted ALL of their T-80s from storage. They are down to about half of the T-72Bs and T-62s. But there are still plenty of T-64 and T-72As that haven't been touched yet.
    1
  2585. Yeah, Perun was noticing them way back in 2022.
    1
  2586. Agreed. As soon as the war started, the DoD should have ordered an audit and inventory of all armories and artillery parks. The stuff that is nearing or past expiration date could then be sent to Ukraine.
    1
  2587. So is the Gephardt, but it is getting a new lease on life.
    1
  2588.  @williamjones7821  That was James Lafayette Armistead, wasn't it?
    1
  2589. The Israeli "Super Shermans" might be useful, but good luck getting the IDF to part with them.
    1
  2590. The M113s are surplus the US was going to get rid of. At first the Ukrainians were not pleased with them, but they have since grown on the UA as a decent personnel carrier. They become even more useful when you bolt a ZU-23-2 making them a good anti-drone platform.
    1
  2591.  @Likeaworm  And even the Nuclear threat is dubious now. Will they detonate in the silo like they did on K-129?
    1
  2592.  @MrBeagleblue  Sure he is. That is why he is doing to Russia's population what Marshal Zhukov did to the Soviet population by obliterating an entire generation thereby making the demographic crisis worse.
    1
  2593.  @KittyKittyCat-vf8zd  Wishful thinking. Pure copium. T-55s are not being automated.
    1
  2594.  @MrBeagleblue  How are you defending your country when you send you young men to die in pointless mass attacks? Marhsall Zhukov did that in WW2 which resulted in the very demographic crisis Russia is suffering today!
    1
  2595. And Market Garden was a complete disaster. The French and Belgians told the Brits that they were walking into a trap, but Monty and company was so overconfident that they ignored the warnings.
    1
  2596. The F-16 today is NOT the same as the A block. These tanks have not been modernized the way the F-16 has.
    1
  2597. Ukraine has the West who hasn't even geared up for wartime production backing them up. Russia already at full wartime production is like the Japanese at full production in 1942 after picking a fight with the US.
    1
  2598. Yeah, the fools don't realize that the best spies and partisans are the ones that do nothing but observe and listen, sending the information to military intelligence. You NEVER want to put those particular assets at peril by having them engage in sabotage or assassination activites.
    1
  2599.  @harleyquinn8202  Absence of video is not proof that it isn't happening. Forbes, Business Insider, Newsweek, and many other news outlets have been reporting for months about the use of Gephardt as an anti-drone weapon.
    1
  2600.  @harleyquinn8202  Then you have not been paying attention. Anti-Air Machine guns ARE the viable counter to drones. Up to now, the preferred anti-air asset was missile, but you cannot justify that against drones.
    1
  2601. A Gephardt, Bofors, Oerlikon, or ZU-32 alongside a tank makes the drone merely annoyance.
    1
  2602. But there is nuance. SOME of these tanks are getting modernized. But most are not. Many are sent in "as is" so long as they can move and fire.
    1
  2603. But have been updated over the years unlike these tanks. The moder F-16 is a far cry from the original A block.
    1
  2604. The T-72 ambushed the Abrams. That wasn't a head-to-head match.
    1
  2605. Probably when they send that "Terminator" platform.
    1
  2606. I suspect the remaining operational M-60 are the Israeli "Super Shermans". Good luck getting the IDF to part with them.
    1
  2607.  @whatever8411  "Nuke will fly"? Even Red China, Russia's ally doesn't accept that. Referendums at gunpoint are not valid. 1991 borders are the ONLY acceptable solution unless you subscribe to right of conquest which would mean than Gaza and the West Bank are forever Israel's. It would also mean that Taiwan is forever a territory of either the US or Japan since Chang Kai-Shek's government is no more. Put down the Vodka private conscriptovich, you are so drunk you are hallucinating.
    1
  2608. And yet Kiev still stands free of Kremlin control. They have already won, it is just whether a complete victory (1991 borders) or not.
    1
  2609. T-72As in storage are not being touched. But T-72B are disappearing. T64s are also untouched, but the T-62s are disappearing from artillery parks.
    1
  2610.  @liberTvalance  Yet the Ukrainians are inflicting 5 losses on Russia for every casualty they take. In urban fighting where they do take higher losses, the ratio is ten to one. That is devastating and unsustainable on Russia's part.
    1
  2611. taking land isn't the metric you measure to know if you are winning. The Germans captured almost all of the Ukraine in 1942.
    1
  2612.  @jessehachey2732  Have you even looked at how much money the US invests in education? The return on investment is abominable. Higher literacy rate than in the 1850s and yet much less wits and common sense.
    1
  2613. Was greatly changed in South Korea after those two school girls were run over by a tank. The fact that he ended up in a Korean prison instead of being sent back to the US immediately is because of that.
    1
  2614. Or Bergdahl?
    1
  2615. And not force out the good ones just because they fail to run fast (PT test) or have been in too long.
    1
  2616. I wonder if that is worse than "Rejected by Somolians"
    1
  2617. They clearly believed it was not worth it to waste a bullet on him.
    1
  2618.  @llywrch7116  Fair point. Got to get creative in avoiding the censors.
    1
  2619.  @llywrch7116  He spent time in a SOUTH Korean prison. He was convicted of assault TWICE. That isn't just being a jerk. And the reason he ended up in that prison is because the US government allowed the ROK to prosecute him under the Status of Forces Agreement.
    1
  2620. Nor was he worth the bullet.
    1
  2621.  @johnshite4656  No, he does not participate anymore, despite me more than willing to give him a ride to the games. And this is in Indianapolis, Indiana, heart of the Midwest. it isn't unique to the deep south. I have also encountered this when I visit St. Louis or Chicago.
    1
  2622.  @johnshite4656  I think I did. You just didn't like the answer. Just because you know black people doesn't mean your anecdotes reflect the vast majority. I used to play tabletop games with a gentleman of color. Even gave him free rides to the tournaments because I valued him as a fellow player and his participation was worth it to me. He cut off participation and communication with me because he got flack for a white guy giving him a ride. I was actually told in his neighborhood to get the f*ck out of there because I didn't belong there.
    1
  2623.  @johnshite4656  Happens all the time in blue cities. Indianapolis, the heard of Democrat Power in Indiana is rampant with that kind of victimhood mentality.
    1
  2624.  @donaldcarey114  Was that a Daewoo Bus you just ran him over with? That's going to leave a mark. Brutal!
    1
  2625. Considering how racist China and North Korea are, I am not surprised they didn't want to put up with his entitled woke attitude.
    1
  2626. This was worse than the Bird-dog deserter. They could spin and sugar-coat someone walking outside the wire. They can't spin an obvious defection.
    1
  2627. Considering that he was playing the wokista race card, it is absolutely fair to mock him.
    1
  2628. They probably realized he was not worth wasting a bullet.
    1
  2629. Same with Bergdahl.
    1
  2630. Just another disparagement from politically illiterate internet personalities. The GOP is not monolithic as they would have you believe.
    1
  2631. Indeed. People don't realize how racist the North Koreans actually are. The prisoners who refused to repatriate after the end of the Korean War were kept in a village near the DMZ and were NOT provide women to procreate with.
    1
  2632. I guess you forget that Putin stole Crimea while Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy. I guess you also forget that Putin didn't mess with Ukraine while Trump was in office; he waited for Biden's blunder in Afghanistan before he made his move.
    1
  2633. Yeah, he has an anti-GOP, anti-Trump bias while ignoring facts like Putin stealing Crimea while Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy. The fact that he boasts about working for the Department of Homeland Security after getting out of the military tells you he is a shill for the DC machine.
    1
  2634. Putin didn't invade Ukraine while Trump was in office. It is no coincidence Putin stole Crimea while Biden was in charge of Obama's foreign policy.
    1
  2635. Yeah, funny how they ignore that dirty little detail. Or the fact that it was Biden who was directing Obama's foreign policy when Putin stole Crimea.
    1
  2636.  @denisavdeev8148  K-129 proves you wrong. So does K-171. The difference is, the West owns up to their nuclear accidents while the Communist Bloc attempted to conceal them.
    1
  2637. And they forget that appeasement doesn't work. There is a reason why the Czechs, Poles, and Slovaks are so adamant in supporting Ukraine.
    1
  2638.  @zoranilic9450  To you have a point or are you just going to troll?
    1
  2639.  @tilapiadave3234  See? Now you are just as racist as those who put out signs that said, "Irish need not apply".
    1
  2640.  @engliterra355  If Russia implodes and balkanizes like Yugoslavia, do you really think Moscow can maintain control over the city?
    1
  2641.  @danielallan8061  I'm not advocating for the city to be given back to Germany. Either Gorbachev or Yeltsin offered to give it back in the last 80s/early 90s but the German government declined. What I would rather see is it become the Singapore of the Baltic. Singapore is an independent city that blends Chinese and British culture and is a trade city. Konigsberg could likewise be a trade city combining German, Russian, Polish, and Lithuanian culture yet being outside of the jurisdiction of any nation. Think Luxembourg or Lichtenstein.
    1
  2642.  @GerrardPique2010  WRONG. Slaves are NOT settlers. Get your facts straight. And yes, the IRISH were slaves, particularly the ones who fought against Cromwell and were captured at Dunbar. It was YOU who chose to engage in the Anglophobic anti-colonialist arguments. Konigsberg has ALWAYS been German, It was Stalin who evicted the German population of the city just like he did the Tartars of Crimea that turned the city Russian. Stop being intellectually dishonest.
    1
  2643.  @thomaslunde5014  Got to love how these woke activists and anti-colonialist don't think out their arguments. Nor the fact that they are direct beneficiaries of that which they complain about. Further, it is funny how the supposed crimes of an Italian (Columbus) working for the Spanish Empire are placed at the feet of America. It shows intellectual laziness on their part.
    1
  2644. Then why did Putin wait until Trump left office to invade? He stole Crimea while Biden was in charge of Obama's foreign policy.
    1
  2645.  @bassbuffricky  Yes, it is.
    1
  2646.  @ccruler  So you are just going to ignore how Danzig lead to the invasion of Poland? Or how ALL of those steps, from Anschluss through Sudetenland and Danzig were part of a pattern? A pattern that Putin is emulating?
    1
  2647.  @engliterra355  You haven't been paying attention. Stop burying your head in the sand like an ostrich.
    1
  2648.  @timothygibney159  Physical size doesn't mean anything. Russia has to guard its ENTIRE border, to include China, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Baltic States, and even the Arctic. Ukraine doesn't need to garrison its border with Poland as the Pole will provide the security along that border.
    1
  2649.  @theartguy6776  When Hunter Biden was on the board of RUSSIAN energy company Burisma, I think that is clear evidence that the Bidens are in Putin's pocket. Everything Trump was accused of doing, the Bidens have done to a greater degree.
    1
  2650.  @uria3679  Biden's team has been slow-walking and dragging their feet since day one. Remember, it was TRUMP who sent Javelins and Stingers to Ukraine while Obama and Biden only sent blankets.
    1
  2651.  @uria3679  Are you joking? Biden's administration has been dragging its feet since day one. They expected Kiev to fall in just two weeks!
    1
  2652.  @Souls7908  And yet again another strawman. You are not debating in good faith; you are engaging in classic social engineering. You may succeed in gaslighting some people, but it won't work on me.
    1
  2653.  @Souls7908  And right there you again set up another strawman argument. You can't help yourself, can you? My point is yet again proven that you don't want to debate, you just want to grandstand for clout by using easily knocked down strawmen.
    1
  2654.  @Souls7908  You clearly need to look up the meaning of a strawman argument because you have no freaking clue what it means. And you need to learn to debate.
    1
  2655.  @Souls7908 '"u cant hit ur girl friend and tell the police that "she started by tearing up about getting yelled at!" Those are YOUR words buddy. And it is also a strawman argument. If fails completely to even address my point about Nixon and how he dealt with the USSR. You are deflecting. I am in no way making excuses for Putin and his belligerence towards his neighbors for which he has a pattern (2008 Georgia invasion). YOU are making EMOTIONAL arguments, not ones based on objective facts. STAY ON THE POINT. PS, it doesn't help that my posts keep getting deleted and shadow banned.
    1
  2656.  @Souls7908  No, you are engaging in logical fallacies instead of debating. You are doing classic social engineering to set up. You insert a conclusion outside the conversation so as to anchor a footnote outside of the conversation. It is a classic gaslighting technique used by intellectually dishonest propagandists.
    1
  2657.  @Souls7908  "Do you still hit your girlfriend" is the favorite strawman argument of the metoo movement. Learn to debate with REAL points, not emotional hysterics.
    1
  2658.  @Souls7908  Strawman arguments are easy to knock down talking points you set up when you don't actually want to debate the merits. It is what propagandists outfits like Pravda loved to use. The "beating your girlfriend" is the CLASSIC example that the MeToo leftist cult loves to use.
    1
  2659.  @Souls7908  Nice Strawman argument. Now how about you make a REAL point instead of engaging in hyperbolic hysterics?
    1
  2660. Ah, but there lies the rub. NATO has become so spoiled with air cover, that they will not move at all without it. These skills are not useless, they could be quite critical in a war on the Korean Peninsula when the local airfields are incapacitated by DPRK shelling.
    1
  2661.  @robertpatrick3350  Not acting without air cover is NOT a generalization, it is a specific weakness in NATO doctrine. How about you learn what the definition of a "glittering generality" logical fallacy is before you misapply it in a debate?
    1
  2662. Azerbaijan is a Russian ally? I thought they were in bed with Turkiye. They certainly have no love for Iran, who IS Russia's ally. And they have been at war with Armenia who was begging Russia for aid.
    1
  2663. Only one person can put an end to this war and he is in the Kremlin.
    1
  2664.  @CakeofWisdom  What was it Lincoln said of Grant? "In him I found a man who can stomach the awful arithmetic of war".
    1
  2665. Yeah, DoD leadership is not the brightest bulb in the package. They fouled up in canceling the F-22 prematurely. They screwed up in sending unarmored Hummers to Iraq. They fled from Afghanistan like dirty cowards (the men at the top, not the enlisted on the ground). The entire Pentagon needs to be cleaned out.
    1
  2666. The idea that only the poor serve in the military is a gross misunderstanding of the US military. It is actually a VERY accurate cross-section of the US both ethnically and socio-economically. But I do agree with you that politicians who vote to send soldiers off to war should have their own children be part of the vanguard that leads the charge into the fight.
    1
  2667. Not just military. Being called a giga-Chad in the anime community is a major complement.
    1
  2668. In every war, there is never enough equipment and ammunition. But you are correct that it is a logistics blunder that folks on the front line don't have enough bullets. They should not have to be asking for more as proper leadership would be sending it expecting the soldiers to burn through it like a chain smoker does a pack of cigarettes.
    1
  2669. You would think that they would, but aside from Russia invading Ukraine, they were wrong about almost everything else regarding the start of the war. They grossly underestimated the Ukrainians.
    1
  2670. Last year was an aberration. The Fall Rasputisa never ended instead merging with the Spring Mud season. Nobody was expecting that, not even the Russians.
    1
  2671. Funny how technology changes, but this war is essentially emulating WW1 trench combat.
    1
  2672.  @davidhowse884  I think it is pretty clear that international law only applies when nations chose to observe it. Russia and China have shown that they will ignore it when convenient.
    1
  2673.  @yellowtunes2756  Nice proof by verbosity. It just proves my point that you have no idea what you are talking about. You are just using word salad to try and sound smart. As for the multiple lines, there is a VERY simple explanation. 1st line is the prisoner battalions. 2nd line is the conscripts with orders to shoot any of the prisoners who try to retreat. 3rd line is the professional and contract soldiers with orders to shoot any of the conscripts who try to flee.
    1
  2674.  @yellowtunes2756  You assume everything is linear. That is a classic false assumption by amateurs who have zero understanding. But the fact of the matter is, the last 27km is not nearly as strongly defended as the first 3km. As they advance, the resistance becomes weaker and the progress speeds up.
    1
  2675. Put down the vodka Private Conscriptovich, you are so drunk you are hallucinating.
    1
  2676.  @WatcherCCG  Indeed. The Beach outside Melitopol puts the Kerch Bridge easily in range of the GIMLRS they have now.
    1
  2677. Indeed. I think many are looking for that breakout similar to what happened in Kharkov. This time, if the Ukrainians can push, it may very well become a three-pronged push to Mariupol, Berdyans'k, and Melitapol. Just getting to Berdyans'k would sever the land bridge to Crimea.
    1
  2678.  @MartinMaarva  Are you referring to the Russies? Because you basically described what happened in Kharkov.
    1
  2679. First line is the prisoner battalions. Second line is the conscripts who have orders to shot those who retreat from the first line. Third line is the career/professional contract soldiers who have orders to shoot those who retreat from the second line.
    1
  2680. Yeah, much has been made about the population advantage, but that assumes that everything else is equal. Russia has MORE than three times the land territory to defend. Do you really think China is just going to give up its claims over Outer Manchuria? Russia HAS to defend that as well as their other rebellious areas such as Dagistan and Chechnya.
    1
  2681.  @drudru5992  Pure delusional fantasy on your part. if the ones fighting now are professionals, then why did Putin need the Mobilization last winter? Why is there talk of him doing it again? The cold hard truth is that both the 1st Guards Tank Army, the Pride of Moscow, and the 155th Naval Infantry Battalion, the Pride of Vladivostok have both attritioned to the point that they no longer exist. THAT proves your narrative wrong.
    1
  2682.  @ДанисСкорыга  And discounting a source just because it is pro-Ukrainian is also a bad idea. Don't fall for the "shoot the messenger" fallacy.
    1
  2683.  @ДанисСкорыга  Learn and adapt? You mean like they did at Verbote doing into the same ambush five times with the same result?
    1
  2684.  @Rtg5637  Sure Negative Nancy. You are the kind of person that said Zelensky should have fled on day one.
    1
  2685. Last winter was a fluke, being a continuation of the fall Rasputisa into the Spring mud season. Don't forget that the Soviet Red Army made its greatest gains during the winter.
    1
  2686. Source for that claim? Kremlin bots regularly say he said something that never came out of his mouth.
    1
  2687.  @enriquelaroche5370  You realize that Russia using nukes isn't the "I win" button, but rather an admission of utter defeat? If Putin uses them, then even the Chinese will turn completely against him.
    1
  2688. Pot Meet Kettle. You sure are doing your part in the battle for clicks and likes.
    1
  2689. What is the old saying? "If you encounter heavy flak, you are over the target"? I suspect that is why the trolls are acting so desperate.
    1
  2690. Don't turn around, wa-uh-oh (yeah-yeah) Der Kommissar's in town, wa-uh-oh You're in his eye and you'll know why The more you live, the faster you will die
    1
  2691. The problem was that last year the ground didn't freeze causing the fall Rasputisa to be almost nine months instead of two. Let us hope that this next winter doesn't repeat that.
    1
  2692. What was it that Patton said about fixed positions?
    1
  2693. There is one good upside to having these videos demonetized: NO IRRITATING COMMERCIAL ADS! For me that is a major boon.
    1
  2694. And the politicians who are in their pocket will facilitate that. Political leaders hold just as much of the blame as the corporates.
    1
  2695.  @bobjones-bt9bh  You are simply inverting the numbers you have heard from independently confirmed sources. Put down the Vodka comrade, you are drunk.
    1
  2696. Then why have they not done so already? The Russian Air Force has been conspicuously absent so far.
    1
  2697. Indeed. And the F-35 has quickly become what the F-4 Phantom was belatedly realized in Vietnam: jack of all, master of none, sucks at everything.
    1
  2698.  @haraldhardrade7539  Not really. You are living in Putinland.
    1
  2699. China's hawkish actions in the South China Sea and against Taiwan are NOT the fault of the US. That is President Pooh-Bear acting like a Chinese Emperor. And your claims about balloons are NOT supported by any hard data. When retired DoD officials come out and refute that claim, the burden of proof is on the people making those outlandish claims to provide hard evidence. The "feeding false intel" is just a sour grapes cover your ass excuse.
    1
  2700.  @johncasilli849  India has been playing neutral third party since WW2. This is nothing new. In fact, the US relationship with Pakistan poisons any relationship the US could have with India. Personally, I would ditch the Muslims to ally with the Rajahs.
    1
  2701. And yet outside observes like India have concurred with much of their assessments. When neutrals have their confidence, that should tell you something.
    1
  2702. "Edelweiss, Edelweiss Every morning you greet me Small and white, clean and bright You look happy to meet me Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow, Bloom and grow forever Edelweiss, Edelweiss Bless my homeland forever" -ANTI-Nazi song.
    1
  2703.  @d3faulted2  Indeed. Why shells from even Russia's nominal allies in the CIS is not often commented on.
    1
  2704. "War is good for business," -Ferengi rule of Aquisition #34.
    1
  2705.  @CakeofWisdom  He means the Russians marching across the open fields south of Bakhmut towards Chasiv Yar is eerily similar to Pickett's Charge up Cemetary Ridge.
    1
  2706.  @trevorshea1930  Complete and total fabrication. Stop watching Russian State TV. They are gaslighting you.
    1
  2707.  @trevorshea1930  Delusional fantasy and wishful thinking on your part.
    1
  2708.  @trevorshea1930  OPINION is NOT fact. Don't conflate the two. Sorry Private Conscriptovich.
    1
  2709.  @trevorshea1930  Put down the Vodka comrade, you are drunk and having hallucinations.
    1
  2710. I agree with an ISW article that said Ukraine should fight like Ukraine. The idea was that they should play to their strengths and supplement (NOT replace) it with NATO doctrine and equipment. They seem to have done that becoming a hybrid of Soviet and NATO. The author of that article further said that it is NATO who should be learning lessons from the Ukrainians.
    1
  2711.  @jeffpkrueger  Stop believing fringe conspiracy theories from MSNBC. You are not proving anything other than that you are an unhinged tribalist who believes whatever his feudal master tell him. George Orwell pegged you perfectly. "It is easier to deceive people than it is to convince them they have been lied to," -Mark Twain.
    1
  2712.  @jeffpkrueger  More of your MSNBC myths because you refuse to actually read the legal documents. And you call me a cultist. You are guilty of the very thing you accuse us. Your Saul Alinsky "Rules for Radicals" won't work anymore.
    1
  2713.  @jeffpkrueger  "It's not the people who vote that count, it's the people who count the votes." -Joseph Stalin. The numbers just do NOT add up. When precincts report 120% of registered voter turnout, that is irrefutable proof of fraud. Do keep in mind that the court have NOT actually heard the merits of the case, merely dismissed them on technicalities which means NOTHING HAS BEEN LEGALLY ADJUDICATED. That is where you are gaslighting yourself.
    1
  2714.  @jeffpkrueger  Again with your false compassion, false love. Nobody believes your clout chasing posturing and grandstanding. As for Trump's lawyers, defending the man for using the legal system for a redress of grievances is NOT a crime. You are basically cheering for the criminalization of legal defense. That is what tyrants do. You call me a Putin supporter yet you are engaging in the same behaviors as the dictator of Russia.
    1
  2715.  @jeffpkrueger  Cognitive dissonance? Pretty big words from someone who clearly lacks the self-awareness to realize he is suffering from it. But again, you are only making yourself look foolish, and I am enjoying your emotional outbursts. "I learned long ago never to wrestle with pigs. You get dirty and the pig enjoys it," -George Bernard Shaw.
    1
  2716.  @jeffpkrueger  Prosecutorial is the rule of the day for your hero. Fruit of the poison tree is grounds for complete dismissal of a case and overturn on appeal. ALL of the supposed crimes you list are tainted by that which is why most of it is getting wiped out in the appeals process. But then that is the deal isn't it? Since you can't actually make anything stick, you abuse the process as punishment in violation of the US Constitution. You don't care about Due Process. You don't care about "cruel and unusual punishment" You don't care about unlawful searches (4th amendment). I HOPE you get to experience firsthand the treatment you demand for your critics and opponents/
    1
  2717.  @jeffpkrueger  Yeah, that is called the "Rachel Maddow" defense. You know, the one made famous by the slander and libel cases brought against her. You are basically admitting that you know the legacy media is nothing but opinion and gossip mongering. Tabloids have more credibility.
    1
  2718.  @jeffpkrueger  Wow, again more deflections and ad hominins. Keep it up, you are only making yourself look foolish and driving other people away with your unhinged derangement. "I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left." - Margaret Thatcher
    1
  2719.  @jeffpkrueger  More of your patronizing and condescending attitude. Your false compassion is as transparent as glass. You don't love anyone but yourself, chasing clout by pretending to care for others. IF Trump was as guilty as you claim, then were is the prosecution? Burden of proof is on the accuser, not the accused. INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT. Mueller report have ZERO actionable evidence, only hearsay and SPECULATION. The John Durham report on the other hand DOES have actionable evidence of criminal malfeasance on the part of Mueller and his Clitonista Andrew Weissmann.
    1
  2720.  @jeffpkrueger  That has NOTHING you do with Russian collusion, it is pure whataboutism again from MSNBC who is gaslighting you. You are parroting Rachel Maddow's words. Oh, and you don't love me, you love yourself. You are posturing and grandstanding for clout. Yuri Bezminov was right about people like you, the hard irrefutable facts can hit you in the face and you still refuse to accept it because you have already been conditioned like Palvov's Dog. The more you protest, the more you are guilty of the very thing you accuse your critics and opponents of doing. "The Lady doth protest too much, me thinks" -Queen Gertude, Act 3 Scene 2, Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
    1
  2721.  @jeffpkrueger  You didn't read the Muller report, you simply read what MSNBC told you was in it. But I get it, you are suffering from Trump Derangement syndrome. "Orane Man Bad" is not an argument, it is a mental health sickness.
    1
  2722.  @jeffpkrueger  Where did that come from? Christopher Steele is under criminal prosecution in the UK for his fraudulent dossier on Trump. Hunter Biden's laptop has been confirmed by the Bidens themselves, otherwise they wouldn't even dignify it with a response. When you parrot debunked DNC talking points on cue you are no better than Pavlov's Dog. Who is the Russian asset now?
    1
  2723.  @jeffpkrueger  "Russian collusion was a hoax. Even the Grey Lady has admitted that. KGB asset? Stop listening to unhinged delusional fantasies. Now, if you want to talk about how Hutner Biden is owned by both the Chinese CCP and the Russians via Burisma, then you have something with HARD DATA to back it up.
    1
  2724.  @jeffpkrueger  I think you grossly misunderstand the GOP. Joe Bite-Me and his Obama staffers can't understand Putin at all, which is why Putin stole Crimea while Obama was in office but did nothing while Trump was. It wasn't until AFTER Biden came into office that Putin decided to act in Ukraine.
    1
  2725. Exactly, which is why the Baltic States are so full throated in ramping up the support. Many of them have completely empties their stockpiles knowing full well what is at stake.
    1
  2726. "I fear our efforts are for naught, for we have awakened a sleeping giant, AND FILLED HIM WITH A TERRIBLE RESOLVE," -Admiral Yamamoto after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Putin BADLY miscalculated Ukrainian resolve. Whether the West continues support or not, the Ukrainians will NOT give up the fight.
    1
  2727. Which begs the question: who is defending their borders? Particularly the Far East district around Amur.
    1
  2728.  @joellemaster998  Yes, Americans pay for the astronomical R&D costs because the rest of the world won't. They WILL steal it causing a stagnation in development. Ask yourself why in the last 80 years very little innovation occurs in Europe.
    1
  2729.  @rring44  When the government nationalizes healthcare, you have communistic medicine. Also, Demark, Norway, and Sweden REJECT the idea that they are socialist. They will point out that they are SOCIAL DEMOCRACIES. That unlike those who clamor for nationalization of medicine, they still have a private sector. "The end goal of socialism is communism," -Vladimir Lenin.
    1
  2730.  @MarvinWestmaas  And oligarchy isn't socialist? Then what the hell was the Kalashnikov company in the USSR? Or how about "state owned enterprises" in Red China? You are not debating, you are trying to deflect.
    1
  2731.  @MarvinWestmaas  Wow, completely off-base. You do realize that Europe and those "socialized medicine" countries greatly benefit from America's "best healthcare money can buy"? Or have you forgotten that those same countries extort and threaten to engage in corporate espionage violating international patent agreements should they not play ball? As for the obesity problem, that has more to do with the Health and Human Services Department (the wannabe NHK in the UK) along with the FDA playing favorites and pushing the medically dubious "recommended diet" programs. I never blame all of this on China. You jumped to that conclusion because it makes for a nice strawman argument you can beat mercilessly. How about you actually make coherent arguments instead of appeals to emotion (logical fallacy). "Rampant capitalism" and price gouging? You realize that true Laissez-faire capitalism hasn't occurred in the West since Calvin Cooldge? You are using a typical communist disparagement because you can't actually argument the merits. Price controls NEVER work, only creating artificial and entirely avoidable scarcity. As for companies acting more "socially", well, they already do if you have been bothering to pay attention to the wokeness. In practice the difference between a socialist oligarchy and a corporate oligarchy is purely academic.
    1
  2732. Or like you, he is taking a nip at the drink of defeatism. By that same logic, the US should have surrendered to the Japanese after Coral Sea.
    1
  2733.  @xxLAKOTAxx83  No, I mostly agree with your assessment, but an air interceptor like the F-16 can still kill ground support aircraft like the Su-25. An A-10 pilot would still like to have F-16s protecting them from Mig-29s and Su-27s. Not that the A-10 couldn't handle them in a dogfight, it just makes it easier to focus on the ground support mission when you don't have to worry about the interceptors.
    1
  2734. A-10 is specifically a close air support platform. The F-16 is an air-to-air interceptor. Both are better in their respective roles than the F-35 is.
    1
  2735. Indeed. The Fall Rasputitsa season continued into the winter. It remains to be seen if it last through the traditional spring mud season.
    1
  2736. You don't trust Putin's word except for whom he claims to want in the White House? That is the one thing you actually believe him? Could it be entirely possible that he is lying about that too?
    1
  2737. You don't like being called out for your hypocrisy on what Putin says so you delete my comments? Why is it that the ONLY thing you take Putin at his word is his claimed preference for Orange Man? Why should that be accepted at face value without question when everything else he says is considered complete hogwash?
    1
  2738. Paul, don't pretend that Putin is being honest about which US presidential candidate he supports. Look at his ACTIONS during the last two (three, really) presidencies and ask yourself who has really facilitated the Kremlin. Crimea was stolen in 2014 when the current occupant of the Oval Office was calling the shots on foreign policy for Obama. The Russian invasion of Georgia also happened during that same presidency.
    1
  2739.  @nik6759  More bloviation by a Kremlin propagandist. You are not proving anything other than you are well trained like Pavlov's Dog.
    1
  2740.  @nik6759  You are not a specialist either. In fact, you're using the logical fallacy of "appeal to authority" when you invoke specialists. The Ukrainians people have ALWAYS been distinct from Russians. If they weren't then the USSR would never have allowed Ukraine to be a separate Soviet. Under the rules of the Soviet Constitution, in order to be a separate Soviet Republic, it has to have a simple ethnic Majority. Hence why Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Tajikistan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Moldova were all distinct instead of simply "Autonomous Oblasts" of the Russian Soviet.
    1
  2741.  @nik6759  Wrong again dude. There are MANY Slavic groups. And all of them have been turned against Putin and the Kremlin BECAUSE of the ethno-nationalistic chauvinism of the Muscovites. Ukrainian culture is just as distinctly separate from Russian as Serbians, Slovaks, Czechs, Croats, Macedonians, and Belarusians are from each other.
    1
  2742.  @nik6759  Words have meaning. You are purposely mischaracterizing to push Muscovite racial supremacy. "Only a German can be a Czar of Russia," -approbation told to Napoleon.
    1
  2743.  @nik6759  Kiev predates the Muscovites. And only propagandists claim that Kievan Rus was part of the Russian state. Especially considering that much of the area was once part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Again, you are parroting the Potemkin Village claims of Cathrine the Great.
    1
  2744.  @nik6759  Sure he does. Many mythical figures exist on early coins. Still doesn't change the fact that Moscow's claims on Ukraine are just as fake as Gregory Potemkin's Villages.
    1
  2745.  @nik6759  Still doesn't change the fact that all of the claims of Moscow over Ukraine are complete fabrications. Ukrainians themselves reject Putin's arguments that they are not a separate ethnicity, one that they even rejected during the Tsarist era.
    1
  2746. Indeed. The Russians are notorious for "rattling the rubble".
    1
  2747.  @joydeepghosh9215  You are grasping at straws. If Russia did as you suggest, they will be caught in an enfilade crossfire.
    1
  2748.  @joydeepghosh9215  Your point with Sloviansk and Kramatorsk only made sense when the Russians held Izyum. Without Izyum, there is no point in driving towards those two cities.
    1
  2749.  @obstreperous1113  Indeed. Jet fuel has higher octane so burns hotter and longer. Which means that on a full tank, the Abrams can go MUCH farther with jet fuel than with diesel.
    1
  2750. While taking Melitopol may create a Salient, it makes it entirely possible for the HIMARs to target the Kerch Bridge directly. That is in addition to cutting the Landbridge. Russia cannot support an attack from the West towards Melitopol or Mariupol they way they could at the start of the war.
    1
  2751. Please keep in mind that Canada and Norway have been sending cold weather gear to Ukraine since August. I don't think the fighting will stop when the snow starts. If anything, it may actually increase. The Soviet Red Army made its greatest gains against the Wehrmacht during the Winter months. General Frost may very well favor the Ukrainians as the Russians are not properly equipped for even summer operations.
    1
  2752. Paul, stop holding Israel to stricter standards than Hamas. That is gross antisemitism when you blame Israel but give Palestinian guerrillas who hide among civilians a pass. As to Biden supporters, of course they are anti-Israel, but that does NOT mean they represent the majority of Americans. Dearborn Michigan is majority Muslim, so it is no surprise that Biden it trying to pander to that crowd. The fact that you fail to parse out the nuances of the electorate shows at best incompetence.
    1
  2753. So, you would rather see the country burned to the ground. There is a reason why the Dems are in a panic, because you do NOT represent a normal rational thinking person.
    1
  2754. No joke. This has been known about for years, almost 2 decades and they are only now pointing the finger at Russia? This is sus.
    1
  2755.  @dellseasandoval8187  His editorializing puts a political spin on it. That isn't on youtube, that is on him.
    1
  2756. He puts too much editorializing into though.
    1
  2757. That has alwasy been the problem with the "diplomatic corp". Most of them today are hippy-type peaceniks who look down their nose at the military and those in the profession of arms. They don't actually understand the cost of MAINTAINING the peace.
    1
  2758. Wikipedia launders opinion pieces as if they were objective fact.
    1
  2759. No joke. Havanah Syndrome has been known for almost 2 decades now. Why is it only now that Russia is being accused in an official capacity?
    1
  2760.  @sirgaz8699  That is socialized medicine for you. Canada is proscribing assisted suicide for depression.
    1
  2761. This has been known for years, almost 2 decades, yet only now are the starting to publicly accuse Putin. Only two reasons for that: Casus Belli and Rally around the Flag.
    1
  2762. Havana Syndrome has been known about for years, why is it only NOW that it is being attributed to Russia?
    1
  2763. They why didn't they do something 2 decades ago when it first started occurring?
    1
  2764. No joke. Technologically, the Russians have always been behind the US, playing catch-up.
    1
  2765. Have you asked people who go to the VA what they think of such "government health coverages"?
    1
  2766. Sure, and let us ignore the irrefutable fact that Hunter Biden was a board member of Russian controlled Burisma. The GOP isn't controlled by Russia, the White House is. "If you have a man's brother, you are halfway there," -Yevgraf Zhivago, "Doctor Zhivago" (1965 film)
    1
  2767. "If you don't read the news, you are uniformed. If you read the news, you are misinformed," -Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain.
    1
  2768. The problem is that the 5 permanent members cannot be ejected. It goes to show how broke the UN truely is.
    1
  2769.  13ased_American  NATO didn't invade Ukraine, Russia did. NATO merely provided the weapons and training. ALL of the fighting and heavy lifting is being done by Ukraine. Get your facts straight. So long as you refuse to acknowledge that Russia is the sole aggressor, you will continue to be living a delusional psychotic fantasy.
    1
  2770.  @marcoszavala8435  CNN and NBC? That is your problem right there. They are America's equivalent of Soviet Pravda. Case in point is Nicholas Sandman and the Covington Catholic Students.
    1
  2771. North Korea has had ICMBs for quite a while. They just have a nasty habit of breaking up mid-flight before reaching their target.
    1
  2772. Yup, basically a Russian equivalent of the Kaesong Industrial Complex where the South was exploiting their norther cousins.
    1
  2773. The Chinese are likely to launder through DPRK. Kimmy will give Putin his old stuff while keeping the newer stuff from China. At least until his local stockpiles have been completely cycled out, then he might start sending new items.
    1
  2774. Article V is the biggest hurtle. Namely, that they cannot be in active border disputes.
    1
  2775. I have no qualms against India plundering Russia at the pump. Good for them.
    1
  2776. The sad truth is that War is the continuation of Politics by other means. Your points are valid, but that means nothing to the man in the Kremlin. His ego is why this war is continuing. If he recalled his dogs of war, it would be over by the end of the month.
    1
  2777. Well, South Korea is already getting in bed with the Poles regarding arms exporting. Not too far for Poland to then hand those Korean weapons over to the Ukrainians.
    1
  2778. Do you count the almost year long build up for the Normandy Landing part of the European offensive? That is what you do when you claim that the two months of prepatory fires are part of the official offesnvie. Ukraine has had all of a month and a half of dedicated engagement. It took 5 months from the Allies to get very far from the beaches (in part because Bernard Mongomery was a sloth).
    1
  2779. The Caucuses beg to differ.
    1
  2780. Apples to oranges false analogy. Russia loves to claim to be a superpower with global reach. Ukraine has never even attempted to be a regional influencer. South Korea has some of the more advanced weapon systems that even Poland is getting in bed with them. North Korea's most advanced tech is Soviet made from the 1980s. Domestic production is 1960s at best.
    1
  2781.  anthonytaylor7590  And how are the Ukrainians going to reach the Trans-Siberian Railway? Unless they get help from the Central Asian nations, that is not an easy task.
    1
  2782.  @vinct7023  Indeed. It is NATO that effectively enforces compliance with the Montreux Convention; anyone who violates the rights of Türkiye invites the country to invoke article 5 of the NATO charter. That and the threat of Stalin putting pressure on Turkiye for special rights to the straits for the USSR is why they joined NATO.
    1
  2783. There are two critical flaws in BRICS that people fear mongering don't care to acknowledge: First is that major members such as India and China are geopolitical rivals who don't particularly like each other. Second is that aside from India, most of the members are economic basket cases with unstable economies. And some of them also engage in currency manipulation which undermines the purpose of BRICS.
    1
  2784. It was reported very early on that the DNR and LNR had force conscripted the local population to fight and that those were the cannon fodder that the Russian leadership was using for them most hazardous frontal assaults. And that is why the population in the Donbas has effectively turned AGAINST the Russians and have been surrendering to Ukraine, the phony referendums, notwithstanding. So as far as "force conscripting" Ukrainians into the Russian military, well, that has already been done and there are very few able-bodies men left in the Donbas for the Russians to press-gang or shanghai for their cause.
    1
  2785. And yet it was Trump who first sent Stingers and Javelins to Ukraine in 2017 when Obama and Biden only sent blankets.
    1
  2786. And yet it was Trump who first sent stingers and Javelins to Ukraine in 2017 when Biden and Obama only sent blankets. If you take Russian TV at face value, then I have a bridge to sell you. Putin's mouthpiece is pusposl5y causing confusion, just like they did with the hoax Steele Dossier.
    1
  2787.  @FinianLohbar  Funny because that is exactly how the German National Socialists talked about those they politically disagreed with. When you dehumanize those who oppose you, it makes it easy to engage in pogroms and gulags.
    1
  2788. Good because the globalists don't actually care about you. You are what they call "useful idiots". But if you want to live ion the pod, eat the bugs "Own nothing and be happy," then that is YOUR problem.
    1
  2789.  @cactusjack1943  It is certainly a Crime against Humanity. But ask yourself why the International Court didn't actively pursue the case. Ask yourself why they only opted to start pushing Putin's War Crimes until AFTER the invasion of Ukraine. Europe is feckless, and it shows when the global south chose to blatantly ignore and defy the International Court with regards to bringing Putin to justice. Yes, I can be pro-Ukraine and America First at the same time. They are NOT mutually exclusive positions despite what the progs who shill for the globalists may think. False Choice Dilemma is a favored logical fallacy of the intellectually lazy.
    1
  2790. Sure, and you probably believe in the Trump pee tapes. People like you will fall for anything.
    1
  2791. It is hard to find any Democrat who is not in the pocket of Red China.
    1
  2792. If you take Russian TV at is word, I have a bridge to sell you. They are only saying that to purposely muddy the water and cause confusion.
    1
  2793.  @markwalton8644  You realize that Putin jails those who politically oppose him? That you call for Trump to be jailed makes you no different than the man in the Kremlin.
    1
  2794. Russian collusion was a hoax. So are claims of Johnson being a Russia asset.
    1
  2795.  @shorgoth  And I blame Youtube for making a politically motivated algorithm rather than honestly doing manual verification.
    1
  2796. Military tech can often have a significant role after a conflict has ended. I am wondering how this drone technology is going to change space exploration. The Soviets had Lunokhod and the US has the Mars rovers. How would this military innovation be leveraged into programs like those?
    1
  2797.  @Rtg5637  Again, I would say somewhere in between like at Hulyaipole or Malynivka. Nobody is talking about activity at those locations.
    1
  2798.  @Rtg5637  The half-way point between Kam'yans'ke and Novoukrainka may be the weak point. When they break through, split forces both east and west to drive behind the Russian defenses and push towards BOTH Melitopol AND Mariupol.
    1
  2799.  @fifi23o5  The 155th Naval Infantry Brigade IS from Kamchatka, genius. And they got demolished in Vulhedar several times over.
    1
  2800. Yeah, the fall Rasputitsa season never really ended, running into the winter season. Remains to be seen if this is a dry spring allowing for an out of season drive.
    1
  2801.  @attilamarics3374  Except, you have NOT actually made arguments, you have engaged in logical fallacies. And your continual use of insults and disparagements only shows your desperation as you are flailing. Your problem is that you conflate opinions with hard facts and play fast and loose with both to push a partisan agenda. You don't care about facts, only narrative so long as it advances your tribe. Nothing will convince you because you are beyond the realm of reason. You are so invested in your narrative that irrefutable evidence smacking you in the face would not make you admit defeat. "Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." -John Adams
    1
  2802.  @attilamarics3374  You have made zero points, and when you claim that you have checked, you prove to everyone that you have not. You are convincing nobody here, only trying to convince yourself of your own deceptions since nobody else believes them.
    1
  2803.  @attilamarics3374  "Better people Think you a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt," -Mark Twain. And yet again you prove you are guilty of the very thing you accuse me of doing. You are not a very sophisticated troll. I have debated better.
    1
  2804.  @attilamarics3374  You are conflating Russian milblogs with Oryx. Again, actual pictures and videos, REGARDLESS of twitter can very much be hard evidence. No, you just don't want to admit that you are wrong because it means your whole identity which you have stakes on being a shill for the Kremlin will be shattered creating an existential crisis for you. So you double down on your fictions in a vain attempt to keep convincing yourself of your own deception.
    1
  2805.  @attilamarics3374  FALSE again. Confirmation of Ukrainian losses actually comes for RUSSIAN sources. It just happens that a lot of the videos coming out of Russia happen to be images of either already accounted for equipment or the Russian's own equipment they are claiming is Ukraine's. Ukraine has a motivation to downplay their losses, and Oryx don't play that way.
    1
  2806.  @attilamarics3374  That isn't an argument, that is an emotional outburst. India confirming Oryx IS independent verification which means the burden of proof is on you to now prove that they are not. And you have presented NOTHING to prove their unreliability except empty declarations. "That which is asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence," -Hitchens's Razor.
    1
  2807.  @attilamarics3374  You are moving the goal posts. Oryx is VERY scrupulous about what they confirm from video and photos to make sure that there are not cases of double counting.
    1
  2808.  @attilamarics3374 Oryx requires photo or visual confirmation before they count a loss or gain. "Don't believe you lying eyes" I guess. When the South Asian Indians consider Oryx a trustworthy source and you don't, then you are clearly out of touch with reality.
    1
  2809.  @attilamarics3374  "Without evidence" Except that Oryx visually confirmed a lot of it. If you have to use the qualifier "without evidence" you have tacitly admitted that there actually is evidence. "Without evidence" has been proven conclusively true so many times now that it has lost its meaning.
    1
  2810.  @attilamarics3374  And promptly squandered those advantages in the Bakhmut meatgrinder. Pyrrhic victory at best.
    1
  2811. If they can get to Melitopol then the HIMARS rockets can reach the Kerch Bridge.
    1
  2812.  @hellgates_javed6451  Better than the turret tossing Russian tanks.
    1
  2813.  @sofronijelehorn9440  Cherry picking your data point and ignoring the full context doesn't lend credibility to your contention. And claiming that Patton never really fought the Germans blatantly ignores the fact that His primary opponent on the battlefield was Erwin Rommel.
    1
  2814.  @sofronijelehorn9440  First you say that Ukraine can't advance across open fields because of Artillery. Then you say that they are spread out making that same artillery ineffective. Pick your story. I take not that the Russians take as long as three days to lay down fire on a target once identified. And the follow up fire mission hitting that same spot can be as much as five days later. In that situation, the Ukrainians CAN use mobility to get under Russian guns. Conversely, the Ukrainians will act very quickly to bring down fire on a target after it is located. The follow up strike can be as little as one hour after the first volley because of rapid post fire mission damage passements. With those major disparities, advancing under fire very much favors a more mobile Ukrainian force than it does the Russians. Patton's quote is still very much valid. And Kharkov proves it.
    1
  2815.  @sofronijelehorn9440  Drone simply replace people as far as artillery spotting goes. Drones have not actually changed the equation beyond making the target identification process safer (and perhaps faster). And you grossly misunderstand how the Kherson offensive was conducted. It was a slow squeeze and positioning unlike the Thunder run of Kharkov. To claim that they used the same tactics shows ignorance of the situation.
    1
  2816.  @sofronijelehorn9440  Thunder Runs. It is ENTIERLY possible. The whole point of mobility in war is to get around trenches and evade artillery (artillery has trouble hitting a moving target). "Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man," -General George S. Patton.
    1
  2817.  @sofronijelehorn9440  Yeah, most of the trenches the Russians built in Zaphorisia and on the East side of the Dnipro in Kherson run parallel to the roads and are of dubious defensive value. Most can be outflanked quite easily by going offroad. And offroad is what tank warfare is all about. Hence why the wait for the mud season to end.
    1
  2818.  @edhargquest8710  "Way more troops"? Dude, the conscripts that Putin drafted were already in Kherson before the Russians fled across the Antonovski Bridge. The Russian "surge" has had very little effect beyond adding more bodies to the pile of corpses.
    1
  2819.  @papakael8247  The thing is, the fall Rasputitsa never really ended. Mid to late February is when the ground is supposed to be frozen solid, yet just like last year, it never really did. Remains to be seen if the current mud situation continues into the spring of if this is going to be a dry one allowing for an out of season drive.
    1
  2820. The HIMARS can reach the Kerch bridge if they capture Melitopol.
    1
  2821. If they can retake Melitapol, then the HIMARS can strike it with impunity.
    1
  2822. If they capture Melitopol, then the HIMARS rockets can strike the Kerch bridge directly from the city.
    1
  2823.  @annewhitney8809  Yeah, I think it is clear that the Indians are a bigger military power than Russia.
    1
  2824.  @bradevans7935  Which part of the Kerch bridge did you put your starting point? I placed mine on the arch just below where the bridge was damaged and got 80.4KM to the beach at Stepanivka Persha. From that same arch span to the beach at Kyrylivka I got 79.5KM. I find myself questioning your methodology. Did you pick the farthest distances between? Did you measure it from Taman on the southeast Russian side to the center of Melitapol? Now, I will admit that I confused GMLRS with the ATACMS missile. But my point that what the Ukrainians have right now still stands. GMLRS is MORE than capable of striking the Kerch bridge from the beaches at Melitopol.
    1
  2825. MythBusters have proven that within 3 meters, the sword IS more dangerous than a gun. There is a reason why use of a combat knife is part of Marine Corp training.
    1
  2826. Trump isn't the president, Biden is. It is his Biden-Obama White House that have been dragging their feet by not emptying the armories of the old and soon to expire gear. Don't need congress to approve that. Congress's only part in this is to finance the replacement of that gear.
    1
  2827. Securing the American southern border is MORE important than Ukraine. Russia isn't going to invade the US, but the cartels engaging in human trafficking ARE invading us. Blame the Dems for not doing a single subject bill; they refuse to even contemplate doing such legislation.
    1
  2828.  @Zuluknob  And Russia is facing a demographic catastrophy because of that. When you lose 4 out of 5 boys from an entire age cohort, you get the situation Russia was in during the 90s where birth rates can't maintain population growth. Putin's War is going to do the same thing on top of the disaster of Stalin's "Great Patriotic War".
    1
  2829.  @Zuluknob  Zelensky is a Jew. Nazis would never fight for a Jewish leader. Nobody is buying your Kremlin propaganda.
    1
  2830.  @ivayloaladzhov9476  New York SLIMES. Those guys have zero credibility, especially when they were purveyors of the Russian Collusion Hoax.
    1
  2831.  @ivayloaladzhov9476  While it is true that the West is not keeping up on the ammo production, the Idea that Russia can as well is also delusional. Perun dug into this on his video about Russian defense production and it is clear that by mobilizing, Russia actually hamstrung its production capabilities. Hence why they are begging North Korea for munitions.
    1
  2832. The problem which both Broe and Paul ignore is that the "Border Bill" is nothing more than a codification of the invasion on the southern border. Tim Pool has dug into the actual details and exposed the fraud and farce that the bill actually is.
    1
  2833. All three issues (border, Israel, and Ukraine) should be separate single-issue bills. Yet BOTH sides are playing games to posture and grandstand.
    1
  2834.  @gamera5160  Except that "border bill" simply gives mass amnesty and codifies the complete demolition of any control over the border. It is a farce.
    1
  2835. I would think that Polish and Czech MiGs are already equipped with NATO munitions adapters. How else would you explain Ukrainian MiGs using AGM-88 HARM but for parts the Poles gave them?
    1
  2836.  @CakeofWisdom  Gulf of Tonkin doesn't mean anything to you huh? That was significantly less.
    1
  2837.  @Battlenude  " But what has this to do with Polish migs. They are not flyable. End if story" Just because you say that doesn't make it true. If anything, you bringing up India's MiGs only further proves my point. Polish MiGs ARE flyable otherwise they would never even be offered. That you can't get that basic fact shows a clear disconnect of logical thinking.
    1
  2838.  @Battlenude  You would be surprised how easy it is to use alternative components in Soviet equipment. MacGyvering is practically a Polish tradition. The fact that MiGs are even able to equip NATO AGM-88 HARMs is proof of that.
    1
  2839. You would be surprised how many MiG spare parts foundries sprung up in Poland and Czechia after the fall of the USSR.
    1
  2840. Ally with China? Have you not seen how Chinese back governments in Europe abused you with the Wuhan Virus lockdowns? A deal with China is a Faustian Bargain.
    1
  2841.  @glitchinthematrix9306  Put down the vodka comrade, you are so drunk you are hallucinating.
    1
  2842. Just outside of Turkish Airspace?
    1
  2843.  @user1qaz2wsx3edc  Keep dreaming dude. Russia's dreams ended with the Kharkov and Kherson offensives. China's ambitions ended about that time as well because their entire plan to invade Taiwan was predicated on a swift Russian victory. Without Russia to support them, the Chinese are fracked.
    1
  2844. The Drone was just outside of Turkish airspace, so you are making an apple to oranges false analogy. Not even North Korea has the balls to shoot down a U-2 over the East China Sea.
    1
  2845. What is there to hold back? 1st Army Tank Guards, the pride of Moscow is effectively no more. The 155th Naval Infantry Brigade, the most elite Russian infantry unit got butchered at Vuledar. What is there left of Russian elite units?
    1
  2846. Those nukes are more likely to detonate in the silo like they did on K-129 than they are to actually launch. The sinking of the Moskva puts into question the condition of Russian nuclear forces.
    1
  2847. "Duck hunting" is unprofessional. Bullets that go up still come down at ballistic speeds. Better for a misfire to ricochet off the ground than to still be at lethal speeds.
    1
  2848. Cheap has always been the Soviet way.
    1
  2849. And yet it already has. Put down the Vodka, it is pickling your brain.
    1
  2850. Yes, it is only now we are getting footage. OPSEC would be compromised if they had released these any sooner.
    1
  2851. Team colors. It is a quick way to ID friend from foe.
    1
  2852. The Russians are, the Ukrainians are not. Why would the Ukrainians use mines in the field they intent to plant with wheat?
    1
  2853. Heh, I suspect simply keeping your change of clothes up in your helmet could act as extra padding.
    1
  2854. Yeah, that is what always confused me about mandatory reflector belts in Afghanistan. Might as well be wearing a giant "shoot me" sign.
    1
  2855. Indeed. They are coming out of this battle tested. A military with actual combat experience is a force to fear.
    1
  2856.  @Mortablunt  Calling people names doesn't make your argument, it is an act of desperation. Ad hominins such as the one you just used are logical fallacies when one cannot win the debate on the merits.
    1
  2857.  @Mortablunt  Dude, the NATO weapons didn't arrive until two months after the war started. And as far as numbers of troops, the Russians have ALWAYS enjoyed at least an 8 to 1 advantage. The Ukrainians are lucky when they are fighting at 1 to 1 parity.
    1
  2858.  @3o3tigger  NATO didn't supply a 700,000-man army. There is no independent third-party organization that can confirm that. Winter has not always favored Russia, or have you forgotten the Finnish Winter War? Or how about Operation Faustschlag where the Kaiser's Imperial Germany Army just annihilated the Soviet Red Army? This time it is Ukraine with the winter gear while the Russians die of frostbite hiding in the trenches. By Christmas you will be eating your hat as once again you have underestimated the Ukrainian underdog. Ukraine is no Vietnam nor Bactria.
    1
  2859. Sure, you keep telling yourself that as you guzzle down the vodka to cope with the cruelty of reality. Numbers are easily defeated with force multipliers.
    1
  2860. When I was in uniform, they made a big deal about not "duck hunting" (ie not letting the barrel point up in the sky). That is actually another sign of their discipline; what goes up must come down, so it is better a bullet ricochet off the ground than go on a ballistic track.
    1
  2861. Death by GPS. No joke, a lot of people die in Death Valley, CA because of it.
    1
  2862. Death by GPS is a real thing, particularly in Death Valley, CA.
    1
  2863. Death by GPS is a real thing, especially in remote areas like Death Valley, CA.
    1
  2864. Ukraine is also fighting for survival. But in this case, it is a fight for survival in their very homes. And that is what makes the difference.
    1
  2865. Nobody knows how nuclear war will turnout because there are too many variables to make a reasonable prediction. What IS known is that fears of nuclear winter are predicated on junk science. Michael Crichton and Freeman Dyson disproved it by pointing to how the "science" fails to show any significant effect from the bombings of Japan and Germany in WW2.
    1
  2866. Nobody knows how nuclear war will turn out because there are too many variables to quantify. That makes predictions about it nothing more that wild speculation. Nuclear winter for example was proven to be a hoax based on bad science by Michael Crichton and Freeman Dyson.
    1
  2867. Nobody knows how nuclear war will turn out as there are too many variables to make a reasonable prediction. The fear mongering over nuclear winter is hyperbolic hysteria. Freeman Dyson and Michael Crichton both demonstrated why it is predicated on junk science.
    1
  2868. Nobody actually knows how nuclear wat will turn out as the variables are too unpredictable to even quantify. What IS known is that fear of nuclear winter are hyperbolic fearmongering based on junk science. Both Freeman Dyson and Michael Crichton demonstrated that the ash in the stratosphere theory should have been demonstrated during the firebombing of Japan and Germany, but the results of those didn't produce what folks like Sagan claimed should have happened.
    1
  2869.  @theo3030  The idea that arms control treaties work is a delusional fantasy. The Washington Naval Treaty of the 1920s was the precursor version of nuclear arms treaties. Italy, the UK, and Japan all flaunted and violated the treaty with only the US truly abiding by it.
    1
  2870.  @emmettkeyser1110  Now you are just pulling out terms to try and sound smart without actually succeeding. It is clear you are a dilettante on the subject. Nuclear Triad is a doctrine regarding deterrence, NOT Mutually Assured Destruction. The concepts are NOT exclusive to each other. You can have MAD without a Triad and you can have a Triad without MAD. Yes, the UK and France work win concert with the US, but they are NOT subject to the POTUS regarding their use. In that Russia has THREE people to worry about, not just one. Just because you placate the US and UK doesn't mean that France is dissuaded from using theirs. Also, the UK doesn't need to completely destroy Russia as you falsely assume. They just need to have enough to cut the head off the snake. It is clear you have never played actual wargames such as Risk, Axis and Allies, or War in the Pacific (board game). Your knowledge is limited to pop culture interpretations which fall far short.
    1
  2871.  @emmettkeyser1110  You don't need parity to achieve MAD. You just need to have the ability to guarantee a successful counterstroke. That is where the nuclear ballistic submarine fleets come into play. They have the best survival in a nuclear arms exchange. And nuclear subs are the primary component of the British Nuclear Deterrent.
    1
  2872.  @bkh8528  Dr. Strangelove IS satire. It is a shame YOU don't understand that. The whole part about selecting those with the best "sexual characteristics" to be given priority in shelters should have been a dead giveaway. Kubrick may be a good storyteller, but he is hardly an expert on the topic. A Dilettante at best. The poster who said "satire I hope" was referring to the OP's "more the better".
    1
  2873.  @emmettkeyser1110  Don't need parity for MAD. The fact one side of the cold war outnumbered the other by a factor of ten (the US initially, the USSR towards the end) makes "parity" in number of weapons pointless. The real factor to make MAD credible is the ability to ensure a fatal counterstroke. That is where nuclear boomer subs really shine. You only need ONE to survive the first strike and it will guarantee that the survivors don't get to enjoy their victory for long. That is where the UK's nuclear deterrence really shines.
    1
  2874. So far it hasn't happened. France didn't use nuke in Vietnam, nor did the US. Either the USSR nor the USA use nukes in Afghanistan. And Nukes have yet to be used in Ukraine.
    1
  2875. And he seems to forget that nuclear arms control treaties are just as foolish as the Washington Naval Treaty of the 1920s.
    1
  2876. Or that insiders at YouTube/Google are responsible for this, pretending to be hackers when in fact this is a company directed actions to silence the pro-Ukraine creators.
    1
  2877.  @boink800  "Very little separates man from the animals, and most people throw that away," -Confucius, author of "The Analects". "Democracy consists of choosing your dictators after they have told you what you want to hear," -Alan Cohen.
    1
  2878.  @boink800  "Do not blame Caesar, blame the people of Rome who have so enthusiastically acclaimed and adored him and rejoiced in their loss of freedom and danced in his path and gave him triumphal processions. Blame the people who hail him when he speaks in the Forum of the 'new, wonderful good society' which shall now be Rome, interpreted to mean 'more money, more ease, more security, more living fatly at the expense of the industrious. Jullius was always ambitious, but he was just one man" -Marcus Tullius Cicero
    1
  2879.  @boink800  "Summum ius summa iniuria; More laws equal less justice" -Marcus Tullius Cicero
    1
  2880.  @boink800  "It is the sign of an enlightened mind to entertain an idea without embracing it," -Aristotle.
    1
  2881.  @boink800  Much better quote source. Now you are starting to build credibility. "If you don't read the news, you are uniformed. If you read the news, you are misinformed," -Mark Twain.
    1
  2882.  @boink800  Quoting a TV personality? You realize they are fake? As is most of their so-called wisdom as it is often written by people smarter than them. Seriously, you need to actually study human emotion and how it drives history. Hate, like Anger is one of the intrinsic facets of human nature. Yes, it is often destructive, but that doesn't make it any less a natural part of human existence.
    1
  2883.  @boink800  Quoting a modern internet personality doesn't make a point, especially if nobody has ever heard of him. Try quoting people who ARE known. As to his quote, it is incoherent babble. Word salad that may sound intelligent but lacks any coherence. Hate is a VERY power emotion that is part of human nature. Hate is what drives blood feuds that last centuries.
    1
  2884.  @boink800  I call it debate practice. And I have faced off against better. "I learned long ago never to wrestle with pigs. You get dirty and the Pig enjoys it," -George Bernard Shaw.
    1
  2885.  @boink800  Laughing is not a response, it shows you cannot actually debate the merits, so you attempt to infantilize it with emotional outbursts.
    1
  2886.  @joshuapaul2022  You made that up. While your quote from the BBC about Russian numbers is what the RUSSIANS report, that doesn't make it true. Conversely, the numbers about Ukraine are completely fabricated by you and you are trying to pass them off as if they were from the same source. The BBC NEVER made that claim. Your poor attempt at propaganda is fooling nobody.
    1
  2887. When you compare this to the WW1 Battle of Somme, the Ukrainians are actually moving FASTER.
    1
  2888. Put down the Vodka private conscriptovich, you are so drunk you are hallucinating. Russia's best chance to capture Kiev was at the start of the war. It is now impossible for them to ever get as close as they did then.
    1
  2889. Indeed. Shtrafbat from WW2.
    1
  2890. I'm more inclined to believe it is insiders at Youtube/Google who are using the cover of hacking to deflect from them purposely going after pro-Ukraine channels.
    1
  2891.  @markhepworth  You realize that Putin's greatest benefactor in the US was Joe Biden, not Trump? Putin didn't steal Crimea while Trump was in office, he did it while Joe Bite-Me was directing Obama's foreign policy. Putin attack Ukraine AFTER Trump left office. The idea that Trump is a Putin agent is Kremlin disinformation paid for by the Hillary campaign.
    1
  2892.  @NK-ne9uf  Ever heard of Forbes? How about the US Department of Defense itself in their official press releases which are then echoed by Newsweek and the Hill (establishment rags). While previously it was given to police, in the slimming down of police budgets and the urgency of the situation in Ukraine, they have been redirected.
    1
  2893.  @NK-ne9uf  Got a source to refute his claim? Most of the stuff showing up in Ukraine (body armor, small arms, etc.) is already past the use by date and would be criminal to send US forces into combat with. But that expired gear is better than nothing for Ukrainian forces.
    1
  2894. Failed huh? Perhaps you need to read about WW1 engagements like the Battle of Somme. Blitzkrieg is an aberration, not the norm.
    1
  2895.  @robertpatrick3350  I don't disagree on both it taking time and them cracking down. However, the corruption is STILL rampant. Holding Hunter Biden accountable for his actions with Burisma will send a VERY strong message to the rest that they better clean up their act.
    1
  2896. I am all for sending them the old equipment that would otherwise be trashed or disposed of. What I take issue with is the lump cash payments which are supposed to be going to pay salaries for the soldiers and government employees but instead are being laundered. Victoria Spartz, who grew up in Soviet Ukraine has been digging into this and nobody has been able to adequately answer her questions.
    1
  2897. There was not any need to dig up dirty in Biden as his son Hunter and Burisma is the dirty laundry air itself.
    1
  2898. We let career politicians take control of the levers of power. And much like with the Roman Republic, they drove the ship of state into terrain.
    1
  2899.  @justmenotyou3151  Funny, because it is the American left who have a slobbering sycophancy for the old Soviet Union.
    1
  2900. Sound like the Storm Z unit is the modern equivalent of the Soviet Prisoner Battalions, such as Shtrafbat.
    1
  2901.  @chrischuba5037  I'm pretty sure Putin is cherry picking anything that supports his delusional fantasy. His claims on Crimea are those of Cathrine the Great who used Crimea as the pretext to claim that the Romanovs were descended from the Greek Byzantines.
    1
  2902.  @limedickandrew6016  Actual testimony or just Russian milbloger claims?
    1
  2903. How? Putin didn't invade Ukraine while Trump was in the White House. He stole Crimea when Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy. He invaded Ukraine AFTER Trump left and Biden was in the Oval Office.
    1
  2904.  @charleshixon3558  Art Laffer proves you wrong. Even Paul Krugman has been forced to admit Laffer was correct.
    1
  2905.  @kylie_h1978  Considering that Trump entering office cause an economic recovery Obama could never address, and the fact that it slumped as soon as he left and Biden reinstated Obama's polices is proof positive that the actions of the President has a MASSIVE effect on the economy.
    1
  2906.  @charleshixon3558  Yeah, looking at just the numbers is meaningless without context. Inflation, U6, and debt means that you are living in a delusional fantasy if you believe the US is better now than it was 6 years ago.
    1
  2907.  @sillysad3198  I agree that Putin fears Trump getting into the White House. That is why he is pushing so hard now; he wants to be in a better position should Trump play hardball. It was Trump who sent LETHAL aid, unlike Obama who only sent blankets.
    1
  2908.  @dickbakker1035  "Figures don't lie, but liars figure" -Mark Twain. "Lies, damn lies, and statistics," -Mark Twain. Your metrics are a sham, just as the metric system is.
    1
  2909.  @economiccrisis9267  Sure, blame the people who speak truth to power. Keep parroting the talking points of your feudal masters on cue like Pavlvo's Dog. Who is the Russian assent now?
    1
  2910.  @jameslove5457  You realize it is the Biden administration that has been dragging its feet since day one? There were calls to send F-16s and Abrams after the Russians retreated from Kiev. It wasn't until the BRITISH gave Challenger tanks and their own aircraft that Biden finally relented. It doesn't take an act of Congress to release those assents, it takes a Commander in Chief to do that.
    1
  2911.  @niktoinikak  Delusional. When it was at $20 a barrel, they were fulfilling contracts that were paid at HIGHER prices. They sat on the "petty cash" oil which you are referring to, letting it store up. And as pointed out, now that they have reached max storage capacity, they are in a world of hurt.
    1
  2912.  @niktoinikak  That is wishful thinking. India is ripping off Russia. And China is also extracting a deep discount from Russia or they would go elsewhere for oil.
    1
  2913.  @hendrikvanleeuwen9110  Yes, Pallets. Just like the ones that Obama sent to Iran before he left office.
    1
  2914. The Palestinians have NEVER honored their peace agreements. Every "land for peace" treaty signed by them has been violated, time and again. There is ZERO justification for the unprovoked attack against Israel. Hamas and Hezbollah are finances and supported by Iran.
    1
  2915.  @Danger-six.  Only in your and Putin's wet dream. Russia is LOSING territory in Zaporizhia. Robotyne, Verbote, Andrivka, Novoprokopivka, Kopani.
    1
  2916. Nukes are overblown. And their use in a tactical environment is dubious at best. There is a reason why most "tactical" nukes have been removed from the NATO arsenals.
    1
  2917.  @Brolli106  Not according to Ukrainian born House Representative Victoria Spartz.
    1
  2918.  @moiseshuerta3984  Hardly, unless you are watching pirated RT propaganda. But then again, most legacy media in the west have zero difference from Pravda or Russian State TV.
    1
  2919.  @moiseshuerta3984  One hundred thousand? Boy you have been drinking too much vodka. Those numbers out of the Russian Ministry of Defense are grossly overestimated.
    1
  2920.  @economiccrisis9267  What were the objectives of both wars? Vietnam failed LJB was more interested in getting into a dick measuring contest rather than defeating the Communists. The war would have ended if the US had marched on Hanoi. Afghanistan failed because the DoD forgot how to actually fight a war. If the goal was to bag Bin Laden, then mission accomplished, and all of the time after his death was waste. Only two men have EVER brough Bactria to heel: Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan.
    1
  2921.  @abc-coleaks-info  So you are basically advocating for appeasement. How did that work in 1938? Stop apologizing for Neo-Soviet tyranny.
    1
  2922. Then why hasn't it happened yet? The fact that Putin is buying back equipment from India, North Korea, and sub-Sahara Africa tells you that the wheels are coming off the Russian war machine.
    1
  2923.  @kostaanestopoulos5189  Put down the vodka private conscriptovich, you are so drunk you are hallucinating. ISW rejects your Kremlin wishful fantasy.
    1
  2924. Agreed. Too many freeloaders in NATO. Poland and the former Warsaw Pact members are the only ones honoring the obligations of the NATO charter. The only non-Warsaw Pact nation(not counting the US) that even comes close is the UK.
    1
  2925. You do realize that it was the Biden White House that was dragging its feet in regard to Abrams and F-16s back when the war started? Don't blame Republicans for the dithering of the Biden administration.
    1
  2926.  @steven4315  That only works if the bare minimum of quality is achieved. Below that threshold, numbers become meaningless. Case in point is the lop-sided engagement between the Spartans and the Persian Immortals on the first day at Thermopylae.
    1
  2927.  @eltonmuchemwa2276  And Ukraine is doing the same in Zaporizhian. It is like two snakes trying to eat each other from the tail up.
    1
  2928. And Russia has failed to do any of that in twice the time. So what is your point?
    1
  2929.  @sillysad3198  There are undeveloped resources under the ground that have not been developed because of the remoteness of the region. China's proximity makes them better situated to exploit them than Moscow.
    1
  2930.  @sillysad3198  Vladivostok is the home of the Russian Pacific fleet. That is why China doesn't have influence over it. I can believe you on Habarovsk as it is on the border between the two countries.
    1
  2931.  @sillysad3198  China want "outer Manchuria" back. Publicly they may say otherwise, but Chinese memory is long. And they may support an independence movement within Yakutia if that region shows evidence of wanting to move closer to Beijing.
    1
  2932. They also assume that Russia doesn't also have to watch its back door with China and Kazakstan. Those borders are NOT like the US-Canada border.
    1
  2933. Indeed. Let the tyrant in the Kremin spew his vitriol. THINKING people can parse out valuable information from it and counter the BS with coherent rebuttals.
    1
  2934. Put down the vodka private constriptovich, you are drunk.
    1
  2935.  @cyruslupercal9493  Indeed. It is called "Dutch Oil Disease" for a reason.
    1
  2936. Ah, but the Ukrainians are inflicting more on the Russians than the Russians are on Ukraine. Also, Perun went into Russia's military production capacity and they are NOT keeping up. Only 10% of the equipment Russia sends to the front is new build. The rest is legacy Soviet stockpiles.
    1
  2937. The Russian Bear is Geriatric!
    1
  2938. Indeed. Which is why NATO War Planners need to stop wagging their fingers at the Ukrainian General Staff and instead start taking notes.
    1
  2939. Russia had all winter and most of the summer to "dig in". If they are not dug in now, they never will. As soon as the Ukrainians break through the line, it will be a repeat of the Kharkov blitz.
    1
  2940. The irony is that Ukraine is winning a modern war against a nominally superior foe WITHOUT air supremacy. If anything, this war has DISPROVEN some faulty assumptions by Western War planners. PS Japan and the US were counting on "Decisive Battle" to resolve WW2's Pacific Theater. It never happened, at least not in the way that War Plan Orange predicted off the coast of the Philippines.
    1
  2941. OR, you just have not given them enough time. The Kherson Offensive was no less than three months of slow slog against a numerically superior foe. This Offensive has barely had over a month of serious engagement. The prepatory period is often misconstrued for dithering.
    1
  2942. They have blended both equipment and tactics from East and West into an amazing Hybrid War machine. NATO should start taking notes.
    1
  2943.  @PonutsAreGreat  Again, you are showing that you can't refute his points, so you attack the messenger. That show how pathetically weak your complaint about pronunciation really is. "When your argument is weak, abuse the plaintiff," -Marcus Tullius Cicero.
    1
  2944.  @PonutsAreGreat  So basically you want a raw, unprofessional, and prone to errors feed? All while complaining about mispronunciations which WOULD occur in such an unscripted process? You are barking up the wrong tree. Worse, it shows a certain myopia on your part. "The Lady doth protest too much, me thinks," -Queen Gertrude; Act 3 Scene 2. Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
    1
  2945.  @PonutsAreGreat  Nice ad hominin. It shows that once again, you can't debate the merits and are deflecting. Speaking and proper pronunciation of a radically different language than your own is not something easy to do. Most native speakers are surprised when people actually do get it correct. And Cyrillic languages such as Ukrainian and Russian are radically different than English.
    1
  2946. Grammer and Spelling Nazis don't make a strong argument, it just shows that you cannot debate the merits of their point.
    1
  2947.  @geoffreyward2945  How long did Kherson take to liberate? That is the problem with you shills. Anything less than a Blitzkreig is a failure.
    1
  2948.  @haraldhardrade7539  Don't need to. The facts on the ground speak for themselves.
    1
  2949.  @charlesrichardson8635  S300 and S400 make for some nice AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile targets. And Ukraine is already using the HARMs on their MiG-29s, courtesy of the Poles and Czechs.
    1
  2950. If the USAF is do dead set on retiring the A-10 Warthog, I'm sure the Ukrainians would LOVE to acquire them.
    1
  2951. Remind the Russian partisans that their most elite units, 1st Guards Tank Army, and the 155th Naval Infantry both no longer exist as a serious fighting force.
    1
  2952. Cope harder. You can't fake the leaks from the Russian side that confirm much of what is reported in the West.
    1
  2953. Cope harder private conscriptovich.
    1
  2954. Yeah, some folks don't understand why Steelmanning your opponent can actually cause the ENTIRE LINE to collapse. If you shatter the strongest point on the line, the rest will realize they have no chance when the steamroller turns towards them.
    1
  2955. You realize that the US is not the only country to start wars? Hell, when has sub-Sahara Africa NOT experienced a Bush War? That continent is in perpetual conflict since antiquity.
    1
  2956. Special attention needs to be given to your point as the Chinese military has the same Achille's Heel.
    1
  2957.  @jimyost2585  So you cherry pick your information? ISW is more credible than your preferred blogger. And THEY have well documented the obliteration of Russia's elite units. If you can't be bothered to read ISW's reports, you really don't have any business commenting on the Ukraine War.
    1
  2958. How did that work out for Russia's Elite 1st Guards Tank Army? Lst time they were seen was with their tail between their legs graciously donating T-90s.
    1
  2959. Zelensky is a Jew. Anything else you say has no value.
    1
  2960.  @V01DIORE  You may have read my comment, but you didn't comprehend it. Soviet Pravda was the mouthpiece of the Kremlin. BBC is the mouthpiece of the British government. ANY government funded media is nothing more than an organ of pollical policy. And the American media are also no different than political organs with their incestuous relationship with politicians and elected officials. Putin is NOT stupid as Paul pointed out. He knows the game, being a old school Soviet. He knows that those legacy media are nothing more than propaganda outfits much like how he and his buddies use RT or Russian Pravda. So, with that context, your comment about Putin and legacy media sounds immature and naïve.
    1
  2961.  @PaulLefebvre  MSNBC, CNN, and ABC have ALL been caught peddling hoaxes. They lied about Kyle Rittenhouse. They lied about Covington Catholic and Nathan Phillips. They lied about Russian Collusion. How many times do you have to be bamboozled before you will accept that your "trusted sources" are nothing more than America's version of Soviet Pravda?
    1
  2962.  @PaulLefebvre  Russian collusion hoax was based on anonymous sources. So was "Ukrainian collusion." No, journalists today do NOT because "journalistic ethics" is DEAD. The idea that you need three independent sources is considered "antiquated". What you see in media today is circular reporting bases on gossip and scuttlebutt.
    1
  2963.  @bobshelton37  The thing is, there ARE other fossil fuel sources other than Russia and the Arab Gulf states. Africa (Nigeria) and South America (Guyanna) have recently discovered deposits that can be utilized.
    1
  2964. Another possibility is that the Greenies saw it as the best opportunity to get the West off fossil fuels. But nobody wants to talk about eco-terrorism because it is not as sexy.
    1
  2965. "Unnamed sources" basically means the "journalist" completely fabricated the story. Time and again over the last 8 years "anonymous sources" have been completely wrong. Especially with regards to the Russian and Ukrainian collusion hoaxes.
    1
  2966. And when "journalists" today cite "anonymous source", they are really saying that they made it up whole cloth. How many of these "anonymous sources" proven to be completely wrong during the last 8 years? Russian collusion hoax in particular comes to mind.
    1
  2967. Indeed. How often have "anonymous sources" proven to be completely fabricated stories? Russian Collusion in particular comes to mind. You would think people would learn to be skeptical, but alas, Mark Twain was correct when he said it is easier to lie to someone than get then to admit that they were lied to.
    1
  2968. Indeed. How often over the last 8 years have new outlets cited "anonymous sources" with regard to the Russian and Ukrainian collusion hoax? You would think that people would be more skeptical.
    1
  2969. Discrimination by Israel Paul? Stop parroting the talking points of people who have never been to Israel. The fact that Arab Muslims have sitting members in the Knesset conclusively disproves the false allegations that Israel is an apartheid state.
    1
  2970. In the US Air Force our "nom de guerre" was known as the person's "callsign". Usually, it was some kind of trait that they displayed early on at the assignment. In Korea, mine was "Juicy D" because I frequented the bars with the Juicy Girls hard during my first month. Ironically, after I got that callsign, I stopped frequenting them as it became pointless trying to develop a relationship with any of the girls. One of the A-10 pilots I regularly briefed was called "Warble" because his voice sounded warbly over the coms. Another was called "Butters" because his speech pattern sounded like the South Park character.
    1
  2971. As if the Democrats don't do the same thing. Who is it that holds military pay hostage during EVERY government Shutdown?
    1
  2972. Writing a blank check WITHOUT oversight is aiding Putin more as it undercuts the war effort. Victoria Spartz who grew up in Soviet Ukraine has been asking for accountability and NOBODY has given a straight answer.
    1
  2973.  @ДанисСкорыга  Few in the West ever claims that Bakhmut was strategically valuable when the Ukrainians held it. That is just revisionism by Kremlin shilling, which you are blatantly doing. Yes, the West has a goldfish short memory which irks the hell out of me. And propagandists like you are counting on that to attempt to gaslight those of us who know better. it is funny how you chide me for the very things you and yours are just as guilty of doing. Classic Soviet whataboutism.
    1
  2974.  @ДанисСкорыга  Thank you for proving my point. What Russia has taken is of no strategic value, much like Bakhmut. When you find yourself in a hole, STOP DIGGING.
    1
  2975. All the data points show that Ukraine has the upper hand. All the data shows that Russia is NOT the military powerhouse it wishes it was. The Russian Bear is Geriatric.
    1
  2976. You said the same about Kherson. And just like then, you count it a defeat before the die is even cast.
    1
  2977. Western aid is on a three-to-twelve-month delay. The stuff promised a year ago is only now arriving on the frontline. A sudden end to the aid will still give Ukraine about a year to take action before it dries up. And as far as Russian breakthrough, why didn't they achieve it during the early summer? If it didn't happen then, it will not happen now.
    1
  2978. More meat for the butcher's bill. Putin doesn't care about having effective, quality troops, only that he has the bodies to replicate General Zhukov's waste of manpower.
    1
  2979. I am all for sending military equipment and physical aid. I am NOT for sending pallets of cash. That is essentially what Hunter Biden was doing before the invasion. Victoria Spartz, who grew up in Soviet Ukraine has been asking for accountability on the money being sent and so fan nobody has given her a straight answer.
    1
  2980.  @danishmandi4134  You can't count the prepatory fires with HIMARS as part of the Offensive. It only counts when they are fully engaged, which didn't occur until mid-July. Are you going to count the nearly two-year strategic bombing campaigns before D-Day as part of the Normandy Invasion?
    1
  2981. "Bottom of the barrel" is not a specific, quantifiable number. it could mean anything from 30 shells to 30,000 depending on consumption rates.
    1
  2982.  @dracoboomin6511  You mean the Ukrainians should have accepted the Munich Conference of 1939 and surrendered the Sudetenland? To Third Reich Russia? Putin is doing EXACTLY what the Austrian painter did. Learn your history. Appeasement NEVER works.
    1
  2983.  @BasilAbdef  I don't disagree that the West has been dithering from day one. However, much like the experts who swore that Kiev would fall in less than a week, you keep underestimating the Ukrainians. If this war has proven anything, it is that people grossly downplay what the UAF can accomplish.
    1
  2984.  @BasilAbdef  keep coping. Ukraine's "largess" from the West is mostly old and outdated equipment that was going to be trashed anyhow. The fact that it is running circles around the best Russia can field shows that force multipliers absolutly makes up for the disparity in manpower.
    1
  2985.  @BasilAbdef  "Largess of the west"? You realize that Ukraine has been given OLD and soon to be trashed equipment? And if the out-of-date Western equipment is running circles around the best Russia has to offer, then that just proves that FORCE MULTIPLIERS more than make up for the disparity in manpower.
    1
  2986.  @karilang9377  Trump told Putin he would nuke Moscow if he invaded Ukraine.
    1
  2987.  @karilang9377  Putin waited until Biden was in the White House to invade Ukraine. He didn't fool around and find out while Trump was in office.
    1
  2988.  @karilang9377  Putin Stole Crimea while Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy. That is an irrefutable FACT.
    1
  2989.  @karilang9377  Hunter Biden on the board of Russian energy company Burisma is a proven FACT. But I guess you will simply ignore that.
    1
  2990.  @karilang9377  Since this is now the FORTH time Youtube/google keeps deleting my posts, I will have to piecemeal it.
    1
  2991.  @karilang9377  Then explain why Putin stole Crimea while BIDEN was directing Obama's foreign policy? Why did Putin wait until Biden was in the Oval Office to invade Ukraine? And are we going to simply forget Hunter on the Board of Russian Energy Company Burisma?
    1
  2992.  @karilang9377  Then explain why Putin didn't fool around with Ukraine while Trump was in office. Why did he steal Crimea while Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy? Why did he wait until Biden was in office to invade Ukraine? And what about Hunter Biden being on the Board of Directors for Burisma?
    1
  2993. Two snakes eating each other.
    1
  2994.  AGoodGuy76  Words salad regurgitated on cue like Pavlvo's Dog. Who is the Russia asset now?
    1
  2995.  @bfa-xi1py  That isn't an argument it is a logical fallacy of Reductio ad Hitlerum. it is also admitting that you have lost the plot. PS, there are VERY lovely Asian Russians (Yakut for example). But the Muscovites look down on them as sub-human.
    1
  2996. Fairly typical Muscovite mentality. The world revolves around RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA. Muscovites have earned the "Orc" disparagement. Sad really, as there are so very lovely Slavic and Asian women in Russia.
    1
  2997. "I hear ya, Tychus. But I was bankin' everything on that I'd be quit already. 'Cause here we are in the mouth of hell, an' we made it this far by leanin' on each other." -Jim Raynor, Wings of Liberty.
    1
  2998. Cope harder private conscriptovich.
    1
  2999. Paul, as a former service member, you should know that under NATO doctrine, ANY use of nuclear weapons is considered Strategic escalation. Hence, while people colloquially differentiate based on size, military planners do NOT make a distinction.
    1
  3000. Putin didn't fire Shoigu, he promoted him out of the MoD. Don't play the propaganda line. If Shoigu was fired, he would very quickly catch one of those infamously fatal "Russian Colds".
    1
  3001.  @SerendipityChild  US's pledge to send more aid ended in October. That doesn't mean the stuff already in the pipe won't be delivered. Nice try being disingenuous on that. Ukraine still has about one year's worth of material in backlog. While I have little issue sending the GEAR, I take MAJOR issue with sending them pallets of cash. The country is still as corrupt as it was in the 2000s. While Zeleksy is making progress, companies like Burisma are still operation, acting as money laundering fronts pilfering aid money to line the pockets of corrupt politicians like Hunter Biden.
    1
  3002. That would probably be for the best. The heart of Russia could be renamed "The Volga Republic".
    1
  3003. The funny thing is, many of the ethnic Russians in the liberated areas of Kharkiv welcomed the Ukrainians as liberators. Seems like even they were not pleased with Putin's soldiers abusing them alongside the ethnic Ukrainians.
    1
  3004. Indeed. Cutting off the landbridge is more significant than being flanked on two sides.
    1
  3005. Indeed. If they can cut to the coast, then the HIMARS can reach the Kerch bridge from Melitopol.
    1
  3006. Yes, the Ukrainians are better at crossing rivers than the Russians. That being said, I don't think the lower Dnipro is a good place to cross. Use the ones around Zaphorizia and come down the East bank.
    1
  3007. The Russian Bear we all feared is Geriatric.
    1
  3008. I tend to agree. Cutting down to Melitopol via Tokmak is strategically the better move. And if they can get to the coast, then the GMLRS rockets fired from there can easily reach the Kerch bridge.
    1
  3009. I tend to agree. Redeploy the Kherson forces on the East side of the Dnipro in Zaphorezia and cut down to Melitopol before the Russians can reinforce that front.
    1
  3010. Might just be better to come down the East bank of the Dnipro from Zaphorizia. No need to cross the river under fire when you can do it from an area already under Ukrainian control.
    1
  3011.  @Werrf1  Don't be too sure. The Soviet Red Army made its greatest gains against the Wehrmacht during the winter. And in Ukraine, no less.
    1
  3012.  @DannyB-cs9vx  If you are done, then why do you keep responding. Your attempt to act superior only shows your lack thereof. "The lady doth protest too much, me thinks," -Queen Gertrude; Act 3 scene 2; Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. PS: and the quote you are looking for but failed to properly quote is by George Bernard Shaw: "I learned long ago never to wrestle with pigs, you get dirty, and the pig enjoys it".
    1
  3013.  @DannyB-cs9vx  Thank you for resorting to insults, it proves that even you know you have lost the debate. it is the last gasp of the desperate who have nothing else. "I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left." - Margaret Thatcher
    1
  3014.  @DannyB-cs9vx  And now you are moving the goal posts (logical fallacy). You are desperately trying to prove you are correct such that you are now in the original position fallacy. Your own argument can be used to reject your original premise.
    1
  3015.  @DannyB-cs9vx  I guess you don't bother to actually read sources like the Insitute for the Study of War (ISW). They are NOT self-appointed experts; they ARE THE EXPERTS with retired general Jack Keane as the Chairman. When people whose business it is to know and understand warfare says your scenario is a pipedream and yet you still persist, then you have completely lost the plot.
    1
  3016.  @DannyB-cs9vx  Wow, put down the copium dude. I gave you solid example when I pointed out the 1st Guard Tank Army. That is an irrefutable example proving how out of touch you are with reality. And nice red herring with the attack on Poland. Most folk think it was NOT intentional, simply a product of Russian incompetence because it is ample justification for Article V bringing all of NATO down on Russia. Putin is NOT that stupid; his subordinate certainly are though.
    1
  3017.  @DannyB-cs9vx  I never said I have all the answers. What I do have is enough conclusive evidence to definitively state that Russia CANNOT mount another attempt against Kiev. At least, not if they want any chance of success. It is a fool's errand to try now. You are just in denial of reality of the hard facts on the ground that prove Russia does NOT have anywhere near the combat power they enjoyed at the start of the invasion.
    1
  3018.  @DannyB-cs9vx  You clearly have zero understanding about combat, or even the situation on the ground. You are simply engaging in wishful thinking. Belarus did NOT join at the start of the war because Lukashenko had a serious threat of his armed forces defecting to the Ukrainian side. If they would not join then, why would they join now when opposition to the war by the Belarusian population is greater than it was at the start of the war? Second, most of those troops pulled out of Kherson will take time to relocate to the Norhtern Front. And intelligence would reveal that movement. And their actual combat effectiveness is questionable at best. Conscripts don't make for good soldiers. Saying something can't be done does make it so when the data points support that. I am not speaking in ignorance like you are, I am speaking with knowledge about the situation and not being fanciful and idealistic.
    1
  3019.  @DannyB-cs9vx  What logic? By the simple fact that Russia's combat power is significantly weaker now than it was at the start of the war. Simple attrition explains it. The tip of the spear in the drive to Kiev was the 1St Army Tank Guards, the pride of Moscow. That unit was effectively eliminated as a fighting force when they fled Izyum. And that is not the only elite unit of Russia that has no remaining combat effectiveness. So, while you are correct that situations change, you are misapplying it here. The change that has occurred has been against Russia and in Ukraine's favor.
    1
  3020. Thye couldn't take the capital during the first two weeks of the war, they sure as hell can't do it now.
    1
  3021. Patreon is still settling the legal dispute with Carl Benjamin (Sargon of Akkad) and Mark Meechan (Count Dankula). Anyone who sends money via Patreon is basically funding the legal liability they are still paying over their loss in court. I don't really know why you were even using them when it is well known that they regularly engage in what amounts to banking fraud when they suspend accounts and pocket all of the money.
    1
  3022. Then why did Putin not invade Ukraine while Trump was in office? Why did they steal Crimea while Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy?
    1
  3023.  @rice83101  Calling out logical fallacies is the second highest virtue in debate, right after quoting a well known source. Learn to debate. Yeah, your no true Scotsman fallacy doesn't apply here. He is saying thigs that just don't jibe with what is historically true about the US military. Namely that it overwhelmingly leans to the right. Try again. As for your populist argument, you fail to accept that the US is a REPUBLIC. Trump won 2016 because he worked the system as it was meant. Biden won 2020 because his team essentially did the same thing by changing the rules at the 11th hour in the states that Trump originally carried. And it may surprise you to know that sometimes a liar will actually tell the truth because it serves their purpose better that an outright lie. You are so caught up in the liars paradox that you have gaslighted yourself. And with your final point, you make the appeal to absurdity because you cannot effectively refute me calling out emotional arguments. Learn to Debate.
    1
  3024.  @barba928  "Proud American and Republican"? The Lady doth protest too much. First, Republicans who do NOT support Trump are essentially RINOS at this point. Those GOP congressional candidates that throw him under the bus have basically ended their career in the party. What people like you fail to understand is what one Saudi prince observed: "people only respect a strong horse. The weak horse is held in contempt". Biden is a sickly horse. Speaking of Xi, have you forgotten that Hunter Biden was paid millions by the Chinese Communist Party? It is well documented which is why the Feds have been working overtime to bury his crimes.
    1
  3025. More like blatant ignorance on the detail and trivializing critical details that make all the difference.
    1
  3026.  cubefreak123  "Conservative supermajority"? Don't make me laugh. Justice Roberts is a flaming liberal who carefully cultivated a false image to fool conservatives. Don't forget, he was appointed by Bush, big government liberals who happen to be Republican. Amy Barrett was the same, always endorsing the expansion of federal power in every case she handled. The only justices that can truly be called conservative is Thomas and Alito. Gorsuch and Kavanaugh have proven to be moderates. In Kavanaugh case, he was selected by justice Kennedy as part of Kennedy agreeing to retire.
    1
  3027.  cubefreak123  The SOCTUS is NOT infallible. Nor it is absolute. The logic in the ruling makes as much sense as the Dred Scott decisions, or the Plessy vs. Ferguson case.
    1
  3028.  @LordEjnar  Sounds to me like you don't actually want to debate the merits. BTW, you did respond, thereby legitimizing me. How about Paul refusing to address the human smuggling component? How about the fact that there are legal crossing points these people REFUSE to cross at? How about the fact that Mexico is a "first port of refuge" meaning that most of these people are obligated to stay in Mexico rather than come to the US. But sure, act high and mighty. You only discredit yourself. That I acknowledged my hyperbolic comment when I made it actually mitigates any damage it may have caused to my credibility.
    1
  3029. And "economic refugees" are simply migrants. Refugees are fleeing political persecution, not poor economic conditions.
    1
  3030.  @isomerize  Funny, because the SOCTUS is NOT infallible as you would pretend. The SCOTUS ruled on Dred Scott case denying him personhood. The SCOTUS ruled under Plessy vs. Ferguson that segregation was legal. Also, the CBP Union has said they will not oppose the Texas Guard. Biden has already lost control of his subordinates.
    1
  3031.  @alexlarsen6413  I agree that the US government is acting completely unconstitutionally. I also agree that the Army is corrupt because the flag officers are all as worthless as a Russian general (Both Tsarist Russia and Putin's Russia). As far as "democratic", that is an obfuscation by demagogues who want to muddy the water. Republic by definition means laws that protect the minority, specifically the smallest minority: the individual.
    1
  3032.  @alexlarsen6413  I don't disagree about the unconstitutional actions of the US government. And yes, the military is corrupted because all of the Flag officers are just as shit as Russian generals (both Tsarist Russia and Putin's Russia). The whole "Democratic" is an obfuscation that demagogues love to use to muddy the water.
    1
  3033.  @MelissiaBlackheart  No it isn't. Democracy is the tyranny of the majority WITHOUT any respect for the rights of the minority with the smallest minority being that of the individual. A Repulic respects the rights of the individual and protects them from the whims of the fickle mass.
    1
  3034.  @MelissiaBlackheart  Nice emotional outburst. You have done NOTHING to disprove my contention. YOU have simply engaged in name-calling which is an act of desperation by someone who has lost the debate and they know it.
    1
  3035.  @MelissiaBlackheart  And what says they are not upholding the law and serving the people? Just because YOU disagree with them doesn't mean they are not acting with the will and mandate of the people.
    1
  3036.  @LordEjnar  Tell that to the CBP who is blatantly ignoring federal law and engaging in human sumggling.
    1
  3037. Paul, you need to get out of your echo chamber. Tim Pool formerly of Vice and Fusion has been covering this for years now. He correctly points out that CBP has become a criminal enterprise facilitating human trafficking. Just because they have a badge doesn't mean they get to break Federal Laws.
    1
  3038.  @nocturnalverse5739  I do have a point, but you refuse to even address it. The fact that you think you have to respond saying that you don't betrays your claim. Learn to debate. Your problem is that CBP's collaboration with cartel engaging in human trafficking is an indefensible position. So, knowing that, you try to delegitimize it by attempting discount it out of hand. That just serves to show your insincerity.
    1
  3039.  @nocturnalverse5739  That isn't an argument, it is an ad hominin (logical fallacy). It also shows that you can't refute my point. "When the debate is lots, slander become the tool of the loser," -attributed to Plato. "When your argument is weak, abuse the plaintiff," -Marcus Tullius Cicero.
    1
  3040. Does the job description include facilitating human trafficking? CBP is actively aiding and abetting human smuggling.
    1
  3041. I think the Bofors and Oerlikons of WW2 are going to make a comeback.
    1
  3042.  @mrvwbug4423  Firing glide bombs from 30 km behind the front lines isn't close air support. When the Russians have elected to get their KA-52s or Su-25s into those engagements, the loss rates are nearly 50%.
    1
  3043. You clearly have not read Heinz Guderian's book. The best use of a tank is in combined arms, not in massive tank on tank battles.
    1
  3044.  @nickjohnson811  Completely missed the context huh? The loss of IJN Hiei was because the Benson Class USS Laffey (the War God of Solomon) engaged her at point blank range, something that is NEVER supposed to happen with battleships. And that was more because the skipper got stupid lucky, no thanks to the incompetence of Daniel Callihan (his posthumous Medal of Honor was basically to cover up his criminal incompetence that got him and Norman Scott killed). The Destroyers of Taffy 3 would do the same in the Battle off Samar. As for IJN Kirishima, she almost took out USS South Dakota before being sunk herself. USS Washington was able to attack with impunity because she had concealment protecting her from reprisals. Don't pretend that the US battleships and their escorts didn't come out of that unscathed. My father was a Pacific Sailor, and I am invested in a game that is based heavily on the WW2 Pacific campaign and the lore around it.
    1
  3045.  @nickjohnson811  Wow, you just showed complete naivety on the subject. Japan was the MASTER of night engagements. They had practiced it so well that nobody could match them. The four Savo Island Engagements more commonly known as the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal were unmitigated disasters for the US Navy, only managing to win the last one by the skin of their teeth. If anything, it was the relentless Marines abandoned by Jack Fletcher are who made further engagements by the Japanese meaningless. Surigao Strait was a turkey shoot because Admiral Nishimura foolishly sailed his Southern Force right down the middle of the gauntlet Rear Admiral Jesse Oldendorf set up. ALL of the American ships were in perfect formation with their guns, both from the Destroyers in the front to the Battleships in the back were lined up in the perfect crossfire such that nothing could move without getting hit. Further, there was almost no air power involved in the Surigao engagement.
    1
  3046. And yet the WW2 battleship still played a role in WW2 despite the prevalence of carriers. Surigao Strait. Look it up.
    1
  3047. Newsweek has been a rag for snobbish elitist "intellectuals" since the 2000s. It is no surprise that they as dilettantes wouldn't understand the nuances of warfare.
    1
  3048.  @anguswilliam2141  Wow, drinking the Beijing Kool-aid huh? China has not demonstrated any ability to hit a moving target in the middle of the Pacific. Even the US has difficulty in doing that. In no small part because satellites at that level of detail are not real-time; the best coverage you can get in about 30 minutes with polar-orbiters. Geostationary can give real-time, but you don't get the resolution needed to track a moving ship. Like a typical dilettante, you spout off nonsense thinking you sound smart, but those who actually understand how the kill-chain works can spot the fatal flaws in your argument.
    1
  3049.  @minerran  You are just wildly speculating there. Turns out that infantry that is situationally aware is actually quite effective against drones. It is the people in fixed positions that are susceptible to drop drones.
    1
  3050. I can agree with that nuance. I wish more people would think outside the box like you do instead of making declarative blanket statements.
    1
  3051. And the Russians are absolutely bad at tank combat. Maybe if they actually read Heinz Guderian, Erwin Rommel, and George Patton instead of holding them in contempt.
    1
  3052.  @joepetto9488  Brody only had 750 German Panzer against 3,500 Soviet Tanks. Kursk had over 7,500 tanks against 3,200 German Panzers.
    1
  3053.  @joepetto9488  Then which was the largest? Most historians consider Kursk to hold that distinction. Battle of Prokhorovka is considered a part of the greater Kursk engagement.
    1
  3054. There is still a role for battleships as artillery platforms for shore bombardment. But the need for entire fleets of them has indeed passed. If anything only one is needed to play escort for the carriers in the event that someone gets past the sentry pickets and trys to melee the carriers. Likewise, the Tank is suppose to be used in combined arms, backed up at all times by a squad of infantry. People need to stop fanboying over massive armor engagements and realize that Guderian advocated combined arms, not mass battle.
    1
  3055.  @rick-be  Sure you did. You can claim to be anything behind the anonymity of a profile. Your problem is that you don't talk nor act like a Vietnam veteran. It is a pretty dead giveaway. People who are in the know can easily spot a fraud.
    1
  3056.  @rick-be  Not useless as the battle of Verbote proves. You are just another dilettante making a declarative blanket statement without any nuance or understanding of the situation.
    1
  3057.  @rick-be  You haven't been paying attention. Despite all the western tank losses, not a single crewmember from those tanks had been killed in their tank. Crew survivability is the single most important requirement under NATO doctrine.
    1
  3058.  @rick-be  Wow, I think you are triggered. How many more Soviet Tanks have been destroyed as contrasted with Abrams again? Put down the vodka, you have had too much.
    1
  3059. Soviet legacy tanks, yes. Western Tanks, not so much.
    1
  3060.  @johncogswell715  There has been lots of discussion on China's kill-chain. China has yet to demonstrate an ability to track and hit a moving target in the middle of the Pacific. The US has proven to have that ability.
    1
  3061. The modern supercarrier is the most expensive naval ship, eclipsing the WW2 Iowa-class Battleship. And despite China's claim, their anti-ship missile actually needs to track its target during flight if it wants to actually kill a carrier.
    1
  3062. The Gephard anti-air gun of Germany has been given new life. We might actually see a return of the Bofors and Oerlikon AA guns of WW2, but with upgrades.
    1
  3063. lol! I like the cut of your jib!
    1
  3064. And people using them need to realize that they are ALWAYS supposed to have an infantry squad backing them up. That is what Heinz Guderian observed.
    1
  3065. That has always been the case. Even Heinz Guderian believed that tanks should be supported by a squad of infantry.
    1
  3066. Soviet legacy tanks, sure. Western tanks, not so much. Armor was never suppose to be used in mass engagements, but instead in combined arms supported by an infantry squad at all times. That is what Heinz Guderian advocated.
    1
  3067. The problem with all of these "tanks need to be reinvented" is that it completely misses the point of WHY tanks are most effective. They excel when they are used in combined arms, as Heinz Guderian observed. The idea of massive engagements of armor is a Soviet Red army wet dream.
    1
  3068.  @bretrudeseal4314  I tend to agree. CAS is artillery delivery by other means.
    1
  3069. Indeed. It is amazing how many people blow off the truism that EVERY tank needs an infantry squad to act as cover as well as an extra set of eyes for the crew.
    1
  3070. Something tells me the Bofors and Oerlikons are going to make a comeback.
    1
  3071. They believed it was dead with the advent of the helicopter after WW2. Wasn't true then and is not true now.
    1
  3072.  @dudeinanofficechair7662  They have amphibious tanks for landings, but they don't need many. And those are only meant to be used in a VERY specific situation, not as general-purpose tanks.
    1
  3073. They said the same thing about Helicopters after WW2. Wasn't true then and is not true now.
    1
  3074. There were anti-tank guns in WW2, Korea, and Vietnam. It isn't that the tank has outlive its purpose, it is that the people using them have forgotten how they are best employed. More people should read Heinz Guderian who always advocated for combined arms.
    1
  3075. Indeed. More people should read Heinz Guderian rather than Georgy Zhukov.
    1
  3076. It is BS because it is absolutely unlawful. Wives do NOT get to wear their husband's rank though a number of obnoxious ones believed they could. My father always discouraged that behavior in his Navy unit. Seems like SFC Cook's superior officer was not doing his job of keeping that behavior in check.
    1
  3077. "Loose lips sink ships"
    1
  3078.  @andrewnicholas9079  Yeah, a lot of that is happening at the hands of the Russians. As much as I hate the dehumanizing moniker, Russian soldiers have earned the disparagement "Orcs".
    1
  3079. Hell, it has been reported that the US used cell phone spoofers in Afghanistan. The idea was that they would intentionally support jihadi phone calls with these spoofers so that they could track both the source and the destination.
    1
  3080. "Bravely ran sir robin, Sir Robin bravely ran"
    1
  3081. Do you really think you can answer the phone while under continuous fire? Try looking at it from his perspective. You can't just stop a war to take a phone call from your wife when you are getting shot at.
    1
  3082. Why? Because Ukraine ASKED for weapons to fight. You seem to think that the Ukrainians have no agency or say in whether this conflict continues or not. Their defense of Kiev made it quite clear that they will NOT roll over and surrender to Russia or the Kremlin.
    1
  3083. Because the expense and blowback from trying to fake them just doesn't justify it. Why create a fake when you can use the real thing?
    1
  3084. Sure. Go to great expense and blowback to fake something when an actual phone call will achieve the same result. You clearly have thought this one through, have you?
    1
  3085. But how many Russians were "settlers" (ie colonized) during the Soviet era?
    1
  3086. Is that what the Russian Ministry of Defense claims? You realize that everything they claim is complete hogwash?
    1
  3087. Yeah, the Ukrainians very quickly cleaned up their act within the first two months, while the Russians have been horrifically bad about it.
    1
  3088. Indeed. Most units down to the company level in the Civil War were from the same town or county. The Pennsylvania Bucktails for example, each of the letter companies was from a specific county, with my ancestor Wallace Mordechai Moore part of the Taioga Rifles company (from Taigoa county, PA)
    1
  3089.  @petem.3719  Sure, you keep telling yourself that. Photo evidence says otherwise.
    1
  3090. He has stated on other videos that it isn't disrespect, but so that he is not covering up any of the text.
    1
  3091. They are not. The IAEA's report blew holes in the Russian claims. Particularly the bizarre claim about rockets changing directions at the last second before impacting the ground.
    1
  3092. It also takes a certain discipline to discourage wives from prying into the details of an upcoming or in progress mission. Not all units are good about that.
    1
  3093. Agreed. The NSA is SUPPOSED to get a warrant, but we all know they tap first and ask permission later. And the FISA courts are simply a rubber stamp subverting the "unlawful search and seizure" clause of the US Bill of Rights.
    1
  3094. More like Yangire.
    1
  3095.  @brobro1659  Nice attempt at gaslighting. Neo-Nazis are defined by their unhinged hatred of Jews. Hence the etymology neo(new) Nazis.
    1
  3096.  @Рашка-у8й  There is no mechanism genius. And nobody believes the delayed effect claim anymore. Not after Trump turned around the bad Obama economy in just three months.
    1
  3097.  @Рашка-у8й  What "mechanism"? You are imagining things. Peace can VERY rapidly deteriorate in the face of weak leadership. Just ask Neville Chamberlain. Same for economics. Trump turned around a bad 8-year long economy under Obama in just three months. Cavlin Cooledge did the same thing. Nobody believes the delayed response argument anymore. Fish or cut bait.
    1
  3098.  @Рашка-у8й  Actually, it DOES work that way. Peace can RAPIDLY deteriorate in the face of weak leadership. Economics is the same way with good or bad policy. Trump turned around an 8 year bad economy in just three months. Nobody is buying the delayed reaction argument anymore.
    1
  3099.  @ChicagoDB  And they forget that some of these systems have lock on jam, meaning that they convert to a psudo-HARM in flight.
    1
  3100. Some of the munitions can lock onto the thing trying to jam them.
    1
  3101.  @gogudelagaze1585  Vidoes from inside Ukrainian Sukois and MiGs show that the HARM is spoofing the Soviet R-27 anti-radiation missile. It very much CAN communicate with the pilot and is NOT self-contained. That is just the story that is being told so as to downplay its abilities. Do keep in mind that the Poles have had 25 years to work this problem.
    1
  3102.  @ross3022  That is the story that is being told. Yet videos from the cockpit of Ukrainain MiGs and Sukois show that the HARM is spoofing the Soviet R-27 anti-radiation missile, indicating that it has much more capability than is being told. I suspect that the Poles have already figured out how to get the two platforms and the munitions to talk to each other so that the pilots DO have full range of capabilities. They have had 25 years now to work that problem.
    1
  3103. Many of those systems are able to lock on jam.
    1
  3104.  @efxnoise  NASAMS can use ANY aircraft based munitions. So yeah, in theory a HARM can be launched from the ground if someone reports jamming and once in the air, the HARM can independently find and target a jamming source.
    1
  3105.  @seekrengr751  Most American munitions have flexible targeting systems. Heat seekers can often change to visual targeting if it recognizes that flares or chaff has been deployed for example.
    1
  3106. Their methodology is suspect. They assume that the New Hampshire voters are lifelong Republicans. Over half of Haley's voters there were cross-over Democrats. Even CNN acknowledges that.
    1
  3107. You are no Republican. Jan 6th was an inside job as capitol police LET THEM IN! Ray Epps was an FBI agent. The fact that you care more about Trump's personality than the state of the country shows YOU are part of the problem.
    1
  3108. hey have always been nevertrump establishment shills.
    1
  3109. Ironic considering that the Ideology of European Fascism is currently in the White House under Obiden.
    1
  3110.  @LUCHO12407  No, NONE of those accusations were proven. But as typical with you partisans, just being accuses makes you automatically guilty. As far as ethics, the reason why the power mongers in DC hate him so much is that he is CLEANER than any of them. They hate that he looks like a choir boy compared to them.
    1
  3111.  @viewer-of-content  And yet the nevertrumpers like you are losing left and right. The ONLY reason why the GOP didn't take the house in 2016 was because of people like you.
    1
  3112.  @TileBitan  By "paraphrase" you mean "misquote" and "take out of context".
    1
  3113. You sound like a 5-year-old who snickers when someone uses the word "but" in a sentence.
    1
  3114.  @ICreatedU1  You haven't actually addressed any of my points. You chose instead to engage in ad hominins (logical fallacies) LEARN TO DEBATE. "When your argument is weak, abuse the plaintiff," -Marcus Tullius Cicero "When the debate is lost, insult becomes the tool of the loser," -attributed to both Plato and Socrates. "If you can't win the debate, attack the messenger," -Saul Alinsky.
    1
  3115. Funny because the weaponization of the legal system, a hallmark of fascism is being done by the leftists in the Democrat party. @SwiftJustice 
    1
  3116.  @tedmarley4341  How about the fact that they blatantly ignore that only 30% of the Haley voters classify themselves as Republican while the other 70% call themselves "independents"(which means most, but not all were cross-over Democrats). These numbers come from CNN!
    1
  3117. Agreed. The fact that they ignore how many Haley voters in New Hampshire were cross-over Democrats explains why there was lower numbers of gun owners in her voting block. They are cherry picking their numbers to push an agenda. "Figures don't lie, but liars figure," -Mark Twain.
    1
  3118. By most measurements that is the case. However, the left thinks anything to the right of Joseph Stalin is a "right wing nazi".
    1
  3119. "If You Are Not a Liberal at 25, You Have No Heart. If You Are Not a Conservative at 35 You Have No Brain" -Winston Chruchill.
    1
  3120.  @raggedybritches5798  You realize that Biden's White House team are the same people who ran Obama's White House? Biden is Obama's third term as they are simply reinstating the very things they were doing under Obama.
    1
  3121.  @arwenstrong2818  "Conservatives didn't care about the environment?" You realize that the father of the US National Park Service was Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican? It isn't that the right doesn't care, it is that the right takes a more hands off approach to environmentalism. A "let nature take its own course" perspective and almost always have. They believed then as now that the liberal approach was a waste of effort and resources chasing a phantom. No, the problem with centrism is that the "center" is a phantom. Heard of the story of the frog that only jumped half the distance towards the edge of the table? He never actually makes it. The "center" is pretty much the same when BOTH political parties are moving to the left.
    1
  3122. You were never a Republican in the first place. RINO at best.
    1
  3123. Reagan was a John F. Kennedy Democrat. Ask the rabid party partisans today and they say "we have moved beyond JFK". And they wonder why they have lost the middle.
    1
  3124. "If You Are Not a Liberal at 25, You Have No Heart. If You Are Not a Conservative at 35 You Have No Brain" -Winston Chruchill.
    1
  3125. If You Are Not a Liberal at 25, You Have No Heart. If You Are Not a Conservative at 35 You Have No Brain -Winston Chruchill.
    1
  3126. I hope so. She really burned herself during the 2016 primary debates when she chose to fall on the sword for the establishment. She didn't have to pick an unnecessary fight with Trump. In that regard, Chris Wallace was more professional (at least in 2016).
    1
  3127. For the longest time, the left was the creative types. They knew how to adopt new ideas and new messaging. But under Obama they got complacent and forgot how to be creative. They got drunk on their own self-importance.
    1
  3128. I still tell people I am a registered Democrat and get some really interesting responses. From the party partisans, they call me a fake and a fraud. From the GOP, they call me a unicorn: the last of the JFK Blue Dog Democrats. I REGULARLY trash both parties. I am harsher on my own BECAUSE it is the party I ran as for Congress. They have betrayed the legacy of the men (my maternal grandfather and JFK) who I looked up to as the ideal Democrat.
    1
  3129. "If You Are Not a Liberal at 25, You Have No Heart. If You Are Not a Conservative at 35 You Have No Brain" -Winston Chruchill.
    1
  3130. Ironic, isn't it? He is basically admitting that he is bigoted against his own race.
    1
  3131. They will just turn the places they move to into a copy of the slimehole they left. Consider what happened when Dailey tore down the Cabrini Green Projects.
    1
  3132. Because race color being used as a bludgeon is why Chiraq is the mess it is. People in that slimehole need to stop thinking that skin color is a job qualification.
    1
  3133. While the White Husband-Black Wife cohort is one of the SMALLEST interracial marriage cohorts, I find it incredibly telling that those marriages are THE MOST STABLE, edging out White Husband-Asian Wife and White-White Marriages for most successful.
    1
  3134. Indeed. He thought that by Blitzkrieg on Kiev, he could take the whole of Ukraine. It didn't work out and now he finds himself in a mess.
    1
  3135. And yet he completely stripped the air defenses around both Petrograd and Moscow. Why would he leave himself vulnerable to retaliation like that if he intends to use nukes?
    1
  3136. Kind of like in WW1. Gen. Yevgraf Zhivago : [narrating; on World War I] By the second winter, the boots had worn out... but the line still held. Even Comrade Lenin underestimated both the anguish of that 900-mile long front... as well our own cursed capacity for suffering. Half the men went into action without any arms... irregular rations... led by officers they didn't trust. Officer : [to soldiers] Come on, you bastards! Gen. Yevgraf Zhivago : And those they did trust... Pasha : [leaps out of the trench and begins leading his men in a charge] Come on, Comrades! Forward, comrades! Earth-shakers! [an artillery shell explodes in front of him; he falls to the ground, and the soldiers retreat to their trench] Gen. Yevgraf Zhivago : Finally, when they could stand it no longer, they began doing what every army dreams of doing... [the soldiers begin to leave their trenches] Gen. Yevgraf Zhivago : They began to go home. That was the beginning of the Revolution.
    1
  3137. Ukraine is a playground? So, you think that Ukraine doesn't have any agency of its own? The defense of Kiev was 100% a Ukrainian effort with ZERO Western support.
    1
  3138.  @thenameisx  Sure, because a treaty signed by a dictator installed by the Kremlin is legal and binding. Spare me. No democratically elected government is bound by agreements made in bad faith.
    1
  3139. Yeah, Putin could have let Mendeleev have a second term and continue as Putin's Puppet. But "Mad Vlad" couldn't tolerate being the power behind the throne; his ego demanded he rule openly.
    1
  3140. Indeed. Ukraine and Russia have yet to see which side General Frost favors. Then you have the fact that Western production rates are vastly outpacing Russia's. WW2 was won by and large because the US outproduced not just the combined Axis powers, but also the other Allies COMBINED.
    1
  3141. Belaus' artillery supplies and tanks have been stripped and sent to Ukraine. They can't launch an offensive because they have no gear. Further, if the fool in Minsk does send his troops into Ukraine, they are more likely to defect to the Ukrainian side than the Russian conscripts.
    1
  3142.  @deadmanwalking2572  Yeah, creating a "nuclear buffer zone" is not how nukes are used or actually work. As an area denial weapon, the effect is only good for about one month (Rule of Sevens).
    1
  3143. First, Western equipment didn't arrive until almost two months into the war. Before then, most of the resupply was from Poland with former Warsaw Pact stockpiles. And even the Western gear sent is not the best, but rather gear that is at least 20 years old. When the best Russia has is being defeated by gear created and optimized in the 90s, that is devastating. As for the nukes, why would he use them while the air defenses around Moscow and Petrograd have been stripped bare and sent to Ukraine? Putin's proverbial pants are down.
    1
  3144. Yeah, something tells me the Ukrainains have not pushed in Zaporishiza for a reason. They may have purposly let it stagnate in the hopes of returning to it later in the hopes that much like in Kharkov, the Russians have allowed the defenses to atrophy.
    1
  3145.  @mrmr4622  Why does it have to be the US? The UK has Trident ICBMs. With the promises to Ukraine, THEY could easily be the one to retaliate. That being said, to enforce the nuclear taboo, there HAS to be a price paid, a response delivered otherwise NOTHING will prevent another nation such as North Korea from using them.
    1
  3146. And yet both the pushes in the northern Kherson front as well as the liberation of Izyum and Lyman prove that Ukrainian momentum is NOT an illusion.
    1
  3147.  @Roger_Gadd  I don't doubt it, all as a false flag as the ISW points out.
    1
  3148.  @MrAntice  And I think that analysis is more realistic than the folks who think there can be a negotiated peace.
    1
  3149. Trust me, the Ukrainians will NOT stop for the winter, they will press on. The Soviet Red Army made its greatest gains against the Wehrmacht during the winter. Then you also have to consider that Canada and Norway have been sending cold weather gear since August. The Russians have been having great difficulty equipping for summer operations. That is going to make for a VERY Red Christmas (aka and Ass kicking Christmas).
    1
  3150. Yeah, but do keep in mind that the Ukrainians initially welcomed the Germans as liberators......until the Germans started butchering them alongside the Russians.
    1
  3151. The US isn't the country who invaded Ukraine, Russia is. Russia didn't have to violate Ukrainian sovereignty.
    1
  3152. Not really. Russia didn't need to get aggressive towards its neighbors. Putin didn't need to invade Ukraine. Nato's expansion is a result of Putin's own bellicosity.
    1
  3153. He tried that at the start with his Blitzkrieg. It failed spectacularly.
    1
  3154. Wishful thinking. Kiev will never agree to that proposal.
    1
  3155. Well, there is also the issue that South Vietnamese leaders were complete dogshit. Diem was more interested in fighting the Buddhists than the Commies. And those that came after him were pathetically weak, unlike Zelensky.
    1
  3156. Trump was trying to make NATO members live up to their obligations. If you call that collapse, then you have a very odd definition. There is a direct correlation between NATO members who kept up with their commitments to the alliance and the amount of equipment those nations supplied to Ukraine.
    1
  3157. BINGO!
    1
  3158. In the heart of winter, tanks are actually MORE effective than they are in summer. The Soviet Red Army had some of its best tank battles during the winter counter-offensive.
    1
  3159.  @start3215  Dudem you keep digging yourself into a deeper hole. Some people don't feel a need to feed your narcissism.
    1
  3160.  @start3215  Learn to debate. Quoting a well-known source is the HIGHEST virtue in debate and is practically unassailable. But you, however, chose to upend the table and throw a hissy fit like a child because you are losing. You have lost the plot.
    1
  3161.  @start3215  Yeah, quoting yourself doesn't count in debate. For one, it is blatant hubris and narcissism. But thank you for admitting that you can't defend your position and instead resort to self-aggrandizement.
    1
  3162.  @start3215  "To be ignorant of the past is to remain always a child” – Marcus Tullius Cicero And with that, your claim that only personal experience is the only truth is debunked. "By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." -Confucius, author of "The Analects"
    1
  3163.  @start3215  Pot meet kettle. Accuse your critics of the very things you are doing to cause confusion. Also known as psychological projection. I aggregate data points from various sources and then run it through logic and reason. You chose to cherry pick your information and filter it through emotions. Which one cleaves closer to the truth?
    1
  3164.  @start3215  You can't argue the merits so you attack the Messager. Typical response from an unsophisticated troll pushing ideology rather than truth. You wouldn't know truth if it bit you on the nose.
    1
  3165.  @start3215  Clearly I am living rent-free in your head because you have provided not a single counterargument of substance, only engaging in ad hominin personal attacks and logical fallacies. You have lost the plot and you know you can't argue the merits.
    1
  3166.  @start3215  Hyperbolae doesn't make your argument, it is yet another logical fallacy, this time appeal to emotion. When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.
    1
  3167.  @start3215  Wow, pot meet kettle. Rather than debate merits, you just engage in logical fallacies such as non-sequiturs. That proved you know you have lost the plot. PS, your copium over the loss of the Muscovite Flagship shows that you can't accept the fact that the Russian Navy is so incompetent that they can't be bothered to do proper maintenance, much less effective damage control. There is ZERO excuse for that ship now imitating a submarine.
    1
  3168.  @start3215  Yeah, on paper that might be true, but theory is not always reality. Case in point is the sinking of the Moskva. On Paper there is no reasonable possibility of her being sunk by just two Neptune missiles. And yet sunk she was. Same with the Russian Air Force. It should be the second strongest in the world and yet their birds keep crashing due to poor maintenance.
    1
  3169. Isn't it amazing how rapidly the Ukrainians have become a professional Western military? And the best part is, they are using the best aspects of both their former Soviet doctrine and NATO tactics into a highly effective hybrid.
    1
  3170.  @u2beuser714  And that is why this happened. Hell, the US was warned by Putin and Israel both that Al Qaeda was going to attack before 9/11. Just because you're in conflict doesn't mean your enemy isn't being truthful.
    1
  3171. Trash taking out the trash, kind of like the Eastern Front in WW2.
    1
  3172.  @AmaterasuOjo  I think you are projecting. if the US wasn't top dog, you would be bitching about the British. Or the French, or whomever was the strongest nation out there.
    1
  3173.  @UnaliverOfChildren  Spare me, jihadism has existed since the 15th century. The movement for a global caliphate has been around since Saladin sacked Jerusalem.
    1
  3174.  @UnaliverOfChildren  The CIA is too busy going after American citizens to be bothered with attacking Russia. Besides, they are both too stupid and too incompetent at this point.
    1
  3175.  @TomTomicMic  How would this help Ukraine? It anything, it would turn the West against them. Then you are forgetting the fact that the Ukrainian partisan actions have been VERY scrupulous as to avoiding civilian casualties. This was more typical of jihadi actions.
    1
  3176.  @dexgrease5820  Anti-Zionism is nothing more than repackaged antisemitism. Holding Israel to a completely different standard than anyone else isn't virtuous, it is bigoted.
    1
  3177.  @mcrand7887  India investigated those claims and found ZERO evidence to support them. When you can't convince either them or the Chinese, you have lost the plot.
    1
  3178.  @Langermar  The Indians investigated those claims about Ukraine shelling the Donbas and found them to NOT be credible. What they did note was that civilian casualties increased by 400% AFTER Russia invaded, and that number never went down. If anything, RUSSSIA has been bombing civilians in the Donbas
    1
  3179.  @lkklMakOffKa  Which doesn't discount the possibility of it being a false flag by the GRU or FSB.
    1
  3180.  @richdobbs6595  I was more or less agreeing with you. Venezuela has a certain type of oil that has limits on how it can be processed and how much effort is needed to refine it into other products. They bought CITGO specifically so they could have access to those technologies. After the sanctions, they were put in a pinch having ownership of CITGO, but no practical way of using the assets for refining those various products.
    1
  3181. An interesting example of this involves CITGO and the Venezuelan connection to the refineries owned by that company.
    1
  3182. That is probably the best explanation I have heard which fits the data points. And it is one that neither the Ukraine shills, nor the Russian Bots want to acknowledge.
    1
  3183. "Smoking accidents".
    1
  3184. Cheap oil at a steep discount, which means India and the Saudis are ripping off Putin. That is still a net win.
    1
  3185.  @ZHOUKINGS  More copium? Boy you can't even bother to make a coherent point without engaging in another logical fallacy, this time apples to oranges false analogy. But then that is typical whataboutism from shills who are bigoted against the West.
    1
  3186.  @ZHOUKINGS  Yeah, okay Vladmir Conscriptovich. Or is it Sergi Kleptovsky? You keep telling yourself the same comforting lies and myths if you think it helps you sleep at night. If the West and the US in particular is so bad, then why are so many people from the former Soviet bloc trying desperately to become like the West? Why are ethnic Chinese trying so hard to get out of the mainland and become US citizens? The truth points to itself.
    1
  3187.  @ZHOUKINGS  Thank you for infantilizing me by accusing me of being fatigued. it shows that you have lost the plot and cannot argue the merits. The most effective lies use elements of the truth to appear legitimate. While some of your point have historic evidence, you grossly mischaracterize them and put them out of context to drive the bigoted anti-West narrative of the Kremlin.
    1
  3188.  @ZHOUKINGS  Nobody is buying the Kremlin propaganda. Put down the Vodka Comrade.
    1
  3189.  @elliekwong3180  Pure delusional psychotic fantasy. But hey, if that helps you sleep at night, that is your problem.
    1
  3190.  @wolfgangpagel6989  Indeed. They violated every accord they have ever signed. And those hacks like this Russian troll will never admit they are wrong. The Russian people deserve better. Hell, the ethnic minorities in Russia deserve even more.
    1
  3191.  @ЭЮЯ-о3к  That facts speak for themselves. Threatening to nuke Sweden or Poland is a clear act of aggression and escalation. Invading Georgia in 2008 was an act of aggression. Their theft of Crimea in 2014. was an act of aggression. You are drinking neo-Soviet kool-aid.
    1
  3192. Wow, never actually read a book, have you? Israel accepted the 1948 partition of the British Mandate. Gamal Abdel Nasser and Haj Amin Al-Husseini rejected it and acted to "drive Israel into the Sea" (Husseini's own words). The Arabs who did NOT obey Nasser's order to flee were left and their children are STILL on the same land that their grandparents owned in 1947. They are represented in the Knesset by the Muslim Arab block. Your claims of "illegal occupation" flys in the face of objective facts and is predicated on a myth.
    1
  3193.  @yakov95000  Thank you. That made it much easier to read.
    1
  3194.  @yakov95000  I think he means separate that into digestible bits. Put some paragraph spacing so that it does not cause readers to get glass-eyed.
    1
  3195. I tend to agree. It is foolhardy to think that wars in any war are "rational". WW1 was started because of pride. Pride of an Archduke who visited a city he had no business in. Pride of a man who believed assassinating a monarch would somehow liberate his city. Pride of the Triple Entente Alliance that believed it was their business in intervene in an internal affair of another country. Once war starts, leaders can become so caught up in the weeds, they lose sign of the bigger picture. Case in point is Russia's fixation first on Bakhmut, and now Advika. Or McClellan's fixation on thinking he didn't have enough troops to take Richmond during the first peninsula campaign of the US Civil War. When peace does come, it is usually because one side or the other is pushed far past their breaking point and the whole thing comes crashing down.
    1
  3196. Apples to oranges there. The Serbians were trying to EXTERMINATE the Bosnians. Same with the Ottomans trying to EXTERMINATE the Chirstian Armenians. Israel is NOT trying to exterminate the population of Gaza, and to imply that they are shows gross intellectually dishonesty.
    1
  3197. Yeah, the whole "just end the war" is gross naivety. Unless the underlying issues are addresses, it is simply banking the coals until the right conditions occur for it to come roaring back to life.
    1
  3198.  @ashvio  You don't even know what a Nazi is. You realize that Hitler's heir was Haj Amin Al-Husseini, the first Chairman of The Palestinian Liberation Organization?
    1
  3199. I think you got that bass ackwards. Much of the Arab world was willing to engage with the Houthis after Saudi Arabia decided they were not succeeding in Yemen. Now, the Houthis have managed to piss off the Arab world, especially the Arab Oil states who are directly threatened by Houthi actions. And the Houthis have been indiscriminate in their targeting.
    1
  3200.  @GaryGraham-sx4pm  Yeah, that will not solve the issues of "From the River to the Sea" and "Drive Israel INTO the Sea". The leadership of the Palestinians have time and again called for the total annihilation of Israel. As for the Golan Heights, that is a strategic issue. Syria had previously used them as high ground to shell Israel. That won't happen again while Israel controls them. Further, the Druze population in the Heights WANT to remain under Israeli jurisdiction. The Knesset has given the residents of the Heights all of the benefits of citizenship, so why would they turn down those entitlements?
    1
  3201. The Indians have gone into Gaza and have not found any evidence substantiating the claims of Genocide. And of course, the IDF doesn't tell the full story because you NEVER tell your opponent what you are up to if you intend to win.
    1
  3202.  @GaryGraham-sx4pm  Not while Russia is in bed with Iran. Try as hard they have, the Israelis can't stay out of the Russo-Ukraine conflict BECAUSE of the Iranians. and their logistical support to Russia
    1
  3203. The US has supported Israel since its founding in 1948. The idea that the US's standing in the Middle East will suffer because of support of Israel blatantly ignores that historical fact. As far as accusations of genocide, the Indians sent in investigators, and they failed to find any evidence of those claims. Also, it was the US that pressured the South African government through sanctions to release Nelson Mandela and end Apartheid. Your rewriting of history shows you have no clue about what you are talking about.
    1
  3204. Yeah, he is completely off the mark today.
    1
  3205.  @ckm-mkc  Isolationism had nothing to do with the cause of the Great Depression. That had more to do with fractional banking, bad credit policy, and disastrous monetary policy. Add to that, DC trying to overregulate the agricultural sector. What is causing today's economic problems? Many of the same things.
    1
  3206. Mike Pence is Grima Wormtongue.
    1
  3207. It was a master strategy to get Finland and Sweden to join NATO? I fail to see how the benefits Putin.
    1
  3208. Belarus is a puppet, not independent. Anything they do will be at the direction of the Kremlin. Hence the implied threat is not credibile.
    1
  3209. Wow, seems like my comment about DeGaulle's France being ungrateful got deleted.
    1
  3210.  @jean-pascalesparceil9008  "I am a historical researcher and hold a NATO 4444 english qualification for both British and US forces." So you have a fancy piece of paper that tells everyone you are a well-trained monkey. You are engaging in the appeal to accreditation (variation of appeal to authority) logical fallacy. I am not going to defend the hubris of Arthur Percival who disgraced himself by surrendering his men. His blunder was no different than MacArhtur at Corregidor. But that was BEFORE France blew it in Indochina, not after. And BTW, the French didn't do any better against the Japanese either. In fact, France was a non-factor in the Pacific theater.
    1
  3211.  @jean-pascalesparceil9008  Remember Dien Bein Phu?
    1
  3212. The territorial dispute was specifically to PREVENT the alliance from being dragged into an ongoing conflict.
    1
  3213. Turkyie is trying to play both sides. They won't go to war with the West for Putin's pride.
    1
  3214.  @MN-vz8qm  Wow, racist much? YOU chose to bring up skin color, not I.
    1
  3215.  @pomperidus  French Foreign Legion, I would agree are loyal as they are earning citizenship via service. Some of the other folks I would not be so confident with.
    1
  3216.  @marcofava  When one is trying to engage in neo-colonialism as France has in Africa and the Pacific, yes you would need to have a large force to project power. However, having a large force and actually being competent are two different things. France only just edges out China and Russia in that ability. And they do in large part because of their Blue Water Navy. Land forces still leave much to be desired.
    1
  3217. @tekinfomedi The two tyrants of Eastern Europe were more alike than they were different. Strongman totalitarians usually get along and even cooperate on a regular basis. "National Socialism" and "Democratic Socialism" are simply two sides of the same coin, and their representatives are also mirror reflections of each other. As for the dissolving of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Alliance, only Der Furher was for that. Most of his field marshals and civilian government were against abolishing it because it was too lucrative to simply trash on a whim. The Soviets were fueling their war machine against England and they were exchanging military technology.
    1
  3218. @tekinfomedi Nice revisionism. German-Polish relations from 1934-1939 is a joke. The Poles knew they were walking a tightrope between two behemoths that were out to obliterate them. If you think Józef Beck was liked by either the Germans or the Soviets, you have been drinking some really powerful vodka.
    1
  3219. @jacquesdemolay4516 Blaming Poland for ww2 is victim shaming. But then that is typical of Kremlin shills.
    1
  3220.  @timtrewyn453  Ah, but in NONE of those cases are they wearing the uniform or flying the colors of the United States or NATO. THAT is the major difference. No, the foreign volunteers in Ukraine are more akin to the French Foreign Legion.
    1
  3221. The problem is that to enforce a "no-fly zone", requires NATO aircraft to fire on Russian aircraft, an act of war.
    1
  3222.  @DaDa-ui3sw  No, you are being patronizing and condescending like a typical French snob. For someone who thinks France has great historians, you are particularly ignorant of your own history. And people call Americans dense.
    1
  3223.  @DaDa-ui3sw  Ifr you are going to ritique my spelling, then you don't actually have much of an arugment. As for French history, well, the French love to rewrite their own history much like the Bolsheviks. "Year One" is emblematic of that.
    1
  3224.  @MN-vz8qm  DeGaulle was replacing one tyrant (Petain) with another. Not much different than replacing king Louie with Robespierre.
    1
  3225.  @TheSkyGuy77  Oh, the Bourbons were great. The French Republic, especially under DeGaulle's leadership leaves much to be desired.
    1
  3226.  @GuyShōtō  Wow, complete historical revisionism as well as goal post moving. I guess you don't seem to realize that the conflict with the Barbary Coast corsairs was a direct result of kidnapping and piracy committed against AMERICAN flagged ships and AMERICAN CITIZENS. Part of the reason why the US went to War with the UK in 1812 was for the very same reasons. Those conflicts DIRECTLY involved us. Now where we stayed out was that we did not directly support Napoleon's European conquest despite sympathy for him.
    1
  3227.  @senatorjosephmccarthy2720  Nice hyperbolic over the top hysteria. Russia has already bit off more than it can chew with Ukraine. THEN Russia has to go through Poland, Germany, France, and the UK. And in doing so, Article V gets triggered bringing the US in at that point. So tell me again how Russia is directly threatening the US?
    1
  3228.  @dwaynekeenum1916  You don't know that. You are just wildly speculating base not on facts but emotion. Do keep in mind that Washington was one of the richest land owners today. If anything, Washington would be rejecting the treatment of Trump as being no different than the Star Chamber Admiralty Courts. 6th amendment due process and 8th amendment cruel and unusual punishment were to address the very same treatment that Trump is now facing being done by the crown then.
    1
  3229. Same with China, I fear.
    1
  3230.  @FlorinSutu  Almost 100,000 men and 20,000 dead British is not an insignificant loss. And those numbers being 1/3 and 1/5th of the French forces committed doesn't change that fact either. Seems to me that YOU need to put things into perspective.
    1
  3231.  @FlorinSutu  You consider the disastrous charge of the light brigade to be a "minor" participation? I think you need to recheck your sources.
    1
  3232. They blur the line between religious and political. Salafism in particular IS a theocratic political ideology.
    1
  3233.  @urlauburlaub2222  I feel the pain. Many of mine get shadow banned on certain channels.
    1
  3234.  @joanmikeska8484  I agree. The difference in values leads to some interesting takes on what is essentially the same theme or concept.
    1
  3235. Just like the Checka/NKVD/KGB before them. They don't exist to protect the state, they exist to protect the leadership cabal, much like the Praetorian Guard of Rome.
    1
  3236.  @shueyk2320  Sure, private Conspritovich. When even the South Asian Indians can confirm the casualty ratios in favor of Ukraine, then you have lost the plot.
    1
  3237. Capitalism and free markets have raised more people out of poverty than any other economic system. Even the Keynesians now admit that. You can't steal your way to national prosperity.
    1
  3238. Putin wants ALL of Ukraine. His NovoRussiya philosophy proves that.
    1
  3239. Then how do you explain that the DoD is a very accurate cross-section of the US population at large? The whole "blacks make up the military" is a myth from the 1970s that wasn't true then and isn't true now.
    1
  3240.  @shueyk2320  Put down the Vodka Private Conscriptovich, you are so drunk you are hallucinating.
    1
  3241. Bootlicker.
    1
  3242.  @ArlindBraka  Yeah, tell that to MacArthur during the Solomons campaign. Or Patton in Tunesia. Or Rommell in Libya. There IS some merit to landing further down the coast and surrounding the opposing force. That being said, I don't think Russia can do it because they are nominally a CONTINENTAL military, and their Navy power is drastically weaker that the old Soviet Union.
    1
  3243.  @koreystuart7054  Yeah, that would be nice, but it is wishful thinking. The Ukrainians have proven that they will settle for nothing less than the complete liberation of the occupied territories. Russia has shown they want nothing less than the complete subjugation of Ukraine. It is the unstoppable force meets the immovable object.
    1
  3244.  @koreystuart7054  That is for Ukraine to decide, not you or some outside force. If the Ukrainians want to fight for six or seven years to take back the occupied territories, that is their choice.
    1
  3245. @Kasper Hunger makes people desperate. Do keep in mind that during the North Korean Famine, they were eating their dead.
    1
  3246.  @randomdude8202  Well, and it would violate the Montreux Convention.
    1
  3247. One can only hope.
    1
  3248.  @mitri5389  Boy you have that bass ackwards. Your description applies to Russia, not Ukraine. It is Putin who is getting desperate to find recruits. Russia has been stopped dead in its tracks on the Kharkiv front, and they are boxed in at Kherson; there are no more intact bridges that can sustain heavy vehicles. Then you have the fact that bases in Crimea are now under fire.
    1
  3249.  @yam2050  You don't have to live in Russia to know what is going on inside the country. Information OUTSIDE of official mouthpieces of Putin's government is filtering out.
    1
  3250.  @juicebox86  You clearly have zero idea about what you are talking about. Russia will only have that power if they crush Ukraine, which is highly unlikely at this point. I would compare it to the jingoist boast of Admiral Yamamoto saying he would dictate terms from the White House, but then that is not being entirely honest about what Yamamoto meant.
    1
  3251.  @richardgray3112  And if Russia using a nuke, you can be guaranteed that Moscow will become a radioactive crater. Try playing the game "13 Days" based off the Cuban missile crisis. It will give you a better understanding of why such idle threats are just that. The first person to fire a nuke will be forever remembered and the person who alone caused nuclear apocalypse and the Post Atomic Horror.
    1
  3252.  @republica843  North Korea is not going to send soldiers to Ukraine. It is too great of a danger that they would defect like the guy who dashed across the DMZ. Further, once those soldiers saw what Russia and Ukraine was like, the Kimmies could never let them return home. It would shatter the lie told to the people that North Korea is the most technologically advanced society in the world. Those soldiers would return home knowing that their entire perspective of the world is a complete fabrication. Kind of like what happened with Soviet WW2 veterans who were all sent to the gulags after the war. Also, North Koreans love Choco Pies, and will gladly defect for them.
    1
  3253. Transnistria? They can't even hold Snake Island, let alone capture Odessa. Keep drinking the vodka buddy, it is the only way you can keep from facing reality.
    1
  3254. Nope. Thye just resort to classic Soviet tactics and strategies, which are VERY easy to predict and hence defeat.
    1
  3255. Sadly, I fear you are correct. Long past are the days when the most thoughtful, most considerate rulers of nations. Instead, the world is ruled by petulant children who have grown up with a silver spoon in their mouth. World rulers today are weaklings who have never personally experienced hardship and difficulty.
    1
  3256.  @edwhite7078  Triggered again. Calling someone a bot doesn't make your argument, it is just another ad hominin logical fallacy. Here is a hint: if you find yourself in a hole, STOP DIGGING. "I learned long ago never to wrestle with pigs. You get dirty and the pig enjoys it," -George Bernard Shaw.
    1
  3257.  @edwhite7078  I have clearly "triggered" you with you putting three posts one after other. Once again that shows you are making an emotional outburst rather than a coherent logic based argument. mic drop.
    1
  3258.  @edwhite7078  I am not missing the point, you are moving the goal posts because I refuted your argument and now you can't defend your position. By saying you don't want to argue about certain things, you are basically admitting that you know you have lost the debate.
    1
  3259.  @edwhite7078  Calling me a bot means you don't have an argument; it is just tacit admission you can't argue the merits. I am talking about transport of one thing and one thing only: the wheat and grain which was the original point of discussion. You, however, are trying to move the goal posts (logical fallacy) by trying to make it about arms imports which was NOT part of the original discussion. But I get it, you are making excuses because you can't defend your position. You engage in ad hominin attacks (logical fallacy, again) because you know you are wrong and so attempt to discredit the messenger because you can't debate.
    1
  3260.  @edwhite7078  Uh, dude, you clearly don't understand that the cars themselves can't change gage unless they have been specifically built to operate on more than one. And even then, the wheels take time to be adjusted from one to the other. Oh, and since you don't actually understand what gauge is, it is the length of the space between the rails. In the former Soviet bloc, the gauge is 1,520 mm. In Western Europe, the space is 1,435 mm. The best thing Ukraine can do is simply lay down an extra rail so that Western cars can run on their rails. And while yes, you COULD unload from one car to another, that take time and time is money making the transition across the border more expensive in terms of labor costs. It is quite clear you have no understanding of logistics much less the economics of trade. Speed of delivery has a cost. Volume has a cost. Trucks are the fastest, and most versatile, but also the most expensive per kilo. Shipping via water is the cheapest per kilo, but also the slowest in terms of delivery. Rail falls somewhere in between those two extremes. And Air delivery is its own separate category.
    1
  3261. Ukraine's rail gauge is NOT the same as the West. Also, kilo for kilo water travel though slower and longer is VASTLY cheaper than rail transit. it is why shipping via rivers and locks is still widely in use around the world. Indeed, the largest transportation of Goods in the US is up and down the Mississippi River.
    1
  3262. I think Winston Chruchill said it best: " I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped inside a mystery inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest." -Radio broadcast, 1 October 1939
    1
  3263.  @pennyhardaway7491  Venezuela is a resource rich nation yet it is also a failed state. The problem goes down to the fact that strongmen (ie dictators and despots) tend to ruin their nations either through war or gross mismanagement. And while Putin was initially a good manager, since the start of the invasion, he has proven to the West that it was simply a shiny facade.
    1
  3264. How? Turkey under the Montreux Convention had already limited both Russia and non-Black Sea powers as to how many ships of military purpose could travel into and out of the Black Sea. Only members of NATO WITH a Black Sea Coast could have conceivably enforced such a blockade.
    1
  3265. @Aditya Chavarkar Land wise, yes. Population wise, not so much. The bigger issue is the legacy of the old Soviet Union.
    1
  3266. Indeed. They are just wishful thinking and fail to consider that Ukraine's line may be nothing less than all of the occupied territories, while Russia's line may be all of Ukraine.
    1
  3267. Lebanon seized a Russia ship suspected of carrying stolen Ukrainian grain. You don't think that ALL Russian shipments would not also be impounded?
    1
  3268. To paraphrase Winston Chruchill, "capitalism is the worst form of economics.... except for everything else that has been tried from time to time"
    1
  3269.  @mrmr4622  Nothing suggested that the Ukrainians were going to make such an effective push in the Kharkov region, and yet they did, capturing Izyum. A major part of war is deception. D-Day was only possible because of a brilliant plan by the British to fool the Germans into committing their forces at Calais. Ukraine did pretty much the same thing, getting the Russians to commit their forces in the south. Keep in mind that the Zaporizhian front has been quite for some time now. Not even probing attacks by the Ukrainians which leads me to believe they are planning to open a new front in that area once Kherson has been pacified.
    1
  3270. No dam not water for Crimea and the area becomes untenable. You need water for troops to drink and Russia shoots themselves in the foot if they do.
    1
  3271.  @embershadow2239  Not at all. Ever Hear of WION News? They are out of India. How about CaspianReport? He is out of Azerbaijan. DWNews, which is German, and of course all of the Ukrainian citizen journalists which you will simply discount out of hand automatically. But sure, stay in your little bubble of anti-West propaganda. When the South Asian Indians are not buying your claims, you have lost the plot.
    1
  3272.  @embershadow2239  Really? Nothing that has come out of the Kremlin remotely reflects reality on the ground. "More Truthful"? Only if you believe in Lysenkoism. Orwell pegged people like you perfectly. "Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right." -George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four.
    1
  3273.  @embershadow2239  No, you become a Kremlin shill when you take their talking points as truth without any critical analysis and thinking. And funny you should mention Tolkein because Mordor was supposed to be Kaiser Germany. And as much as I dislike people calling Russians orcs, the Russian military have very much earned the disparagement with their behavior. Even the Mongolian hordes acted with more professionalism. And dude, the Russians have been documenting their atrocities just like the Nazis did. They have not been shy about boasting about the war crimes they have committed.
    1
  3274.  @embershadow2239  Wow, you are clearly a paid Russian Troll. Third party observers such as the Indians have rejected Russian claims against Ukraine of using human shields. Ukraine is not perfect, but their behavior is in complete compliance with the Geneva and Hauge conventions unlike the Russians who blatantly massacre civilians (Butchery of Bucha) or engage in looting and pillaging (notice how they get caught stealing washing machines?)
    1
  3275.  @embershadow2239  Fallujah was not the norm, it was the exception. The fall of Baghdad was nothing like the fight for Fallujah. As to the point about civilians, you do realize that most innocents flee the city before the fighting starts? Usually those who stay are often collaborators. Usually, the besieging force will negotiate to allow any remaining civilians safe passage out. We saw that several time during the first months of the war. Only a dirty coward refuses to left civilians evacuate and instead use them as human shields.
    1
  3276.  @embershadow2239  The claims of Ukraine shelling of Donetsk is pure bunk, just like everything else the Russians claimed about the Donbas. De-Nazification operations? hogwash. How would I capture a city filled with enemy troop? It is called a siege; I would STARVE them out. Frontal assaults with building-to-building fights are the LAST thing that any western military wants to engage in. And considering that Ukraine has greatly strained the supplies across the Dnipro River, I think starvation is a very real possibility for the Russians trap in Kherson.
    1
  3277.  @embershadow2239  Because in the first week of the war, the Russians engaged in Blitzkrieg rather than artillery barrage. They rolled over Melitopol and Kherson because there was little in the way of opposition. As for Donetsk and Luhansk, they had effectively occupied those two cities since 2014 when they annexed Crimea. Seriously, are you just now learning about the war? Folks who have been paying attention since 2014 could have told you all of this. Even those only following since February could point out the difference between the Russian Blitzkrieg and the more typical artillery style.
    1
  3278.  @znail4675  I did prove my point, you just refuse to accept it. The burden of proof is now on you, not me.
    1
  3279.  @znail4675  Just because YOU don't think you are moving the goal posts doesn't mean that you have done just that. And like a good Alinsky acolyte, you accuse me of that which you have been doing. Here is a h int: when you find yourself in a hoe, STOP DIGGING. Your protestations only prove your insincerity. "The Lady doth protest too much, me thinks," -Queen Getrude; Act 3 scene 2; Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
    1
  3280.  @znail4675  Learn to debate. pointing out logical fallacies IS a legitimate critique of a flawed argument. And you moved the goal posts yest again. You are misattributing cause and effect, ignoring critical factors that change the equation.
    1
  3281.  @znail4675  Actually, it does. You are just moving the goal posts (logical fallacy).
    1
  3282.  @znail4675  Which means any claims that it was the Russians who convinced them to surrender instead of the bomb is completely bunk.
    1
  3283.  @znail4675  You conveniently forget that Stalin asked for 30 days before he would enter the war against Japan. Those bombs forced him to join sooner if he wanted war spoils before the Japanese surrendered. Any value the Russians added to Japan's surrender is a direct result of those bombs.
    1
  3284.  @1mlister  Russia joining the war immediately was a direct result of the bombs used. Stalin said at Yalta that he needed 30 days before he would join. He only sped up his timetable because the second bomb made it clear that it would be over before the USSR could gobble up war spoils like they did in Europe. Further, the "immorality" argument never came into play until the 1970s when it became fashionable to criticize the US. And incidentally, it was Soviet agents and sympathizers who advanced that, not the Japanese. You premise is predicated on an anachronistic fallacy.
    1
  3285.  @Kristof1  If you have learned anything about the War in Ukraine, it should be that the Russians are pathological lairs.
    1
  3286.  @djames693  Yes we will. One thing this war has taught us is to NEVER underestimate the Ukrainians. They were supposed to capitulate in a mere two weeks. It is now 9 months into the war.
    1
  3287. Haven't learned anything from history, have you? Did the German Blitz on London break the English? Ukrainians are used to cold winters; they will not break.
    1
  3288.  @Taletad  There is no reasoning with a madman. You would have better luck trying to convince a Jihadi to lay down his weapons and disarm the bomb strapped to his chest.
    1
  3289.  @maryginger4877  Not, cope, reality. Ukraine has been given TRUCKS, something the Russians have NOT invested in. Unlike the Russians, the Ukrainians know how vulnerable Rail is as the primary logistical supply line. Ask yourself how the Ukrainians were able to resupply when they cut their own rails to prevent the Russians from being able to use them? Ukraine is having problems redeploying their forces? That sounds more like gossip and rumor mongering by pro-Russian shills than actual reality.
    1
  3290. Sure, blame the victim (Ukraine). Even the IAEA during its visit disproved the claims that Ukraine was shelling the plant. The rockets changing direction 180 degrees at the last minute is too preposterous.
    1
  3291. Pure delusion. Those 300k "fresh troops" are just barely trained conscripts in no way equal to a six-month trained Ukrainian. Slaves and non-volunteers make for poor soliders.
    1
  3292. I disagree about cutting the canal being a war crime. Nothing obligated them to provide water for farms in 2014 when Russia stole Crimea.
    1
  3293.  @grafity1749  And yet Hunter Biden was on the board of Russian Energy Company Burisma. Care to respond to that?
    1
  3294. And polling data have historically had a leftwing bias, so what is your point?
    1
  3295. Double minority ticket? You know the racist party elites of the DNC won't support that.
    1
  3296.  @randalsaladbar  Trump is alive today by the grace of the almighty. Anyone who says that voting for him is satanic after such divine intervention shows their contempt for divine grace.
    1
  3297. Biden's first term was Obama's third term. Biden's entire White House team worked for Obama. This time people go to see what Obama's policies were WITHOUT being blinded by the race card.
    1
  3298. She was less popular than Biden before the announcement. And people are not going to like that the first candidate to drop out before the Iowa Caucus in 2020 is being coronated without having won the primary.
    1
  3299. The Fall of Kabul was basically the Fall of Saigon 2.0. And the ARVN fell for the very same reasons you outlined for Afghanistan.
    1
  3300.  @ActionAlligator  You realize people call Trump "The God-King" to troll you people? And you fall for it everytime!
    1
  3301.  @W4lt3r89  Yes, Putin stole Crimea from Ukraine while Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy. That Putin acted when Biden was calling the shots is no accident.
    1
  3302.  @unduloid  Russian collusion was proven to be a hoax.
    1
  3303.  @unduloid  Russian Collusion was proven to be a Hoax. Do keep in mind that it was Trump who sent Javelins and Stingers to Ukraine while Obama and Biden only sent blankets. Also, Putin Stole Crime while Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy. He waited until Biden was in the Oval Office to invade Ukraine.
    1
  3304.  @AdamMaxx  Turkey is an autocratic dictatorship. Sweden has rule of law. Turkey is demanding that Sweden act as capriciously as them with regards to the rights of political asylum seekers.
    1
  3305. The Ukrainian collusion hoax. And the Russian collusion hoax before it.
    1
  3306. Indeed. Angela Merkel was a member of the East Germany Communist Youth League. Once a Commie, always a commie.
    1
  3307.  @nomanor7987  You keep telling yourself that Private Conscriptovich. The complete and utter defeat of the 1st Army Tank Guards, the Pride of Moscow, shows who is really winning the battle of attrition.
    1
  3308.  @nomanor7987  Is that what the Kremlin has told you? IF YOUR claims were true, then Russia should have overran Dnipro last week. The lack of much movement shows that the Russians are shattering themselves on Ukrainian defenses much like Pickett's charge shattered itself on Cemetary Hill at Gettysburg.
    1
  3309.  @dal6984  Copium. Pure copium on your part. Of course Ukraine needs weapons. They cannot rely on Warsaw equipment forever. And if they want to retake Crimea, they will need the heavy armor and vehicles to do it. You are just making excuses like a typical hyper partisan, and the hard facts bedamned. You will make a mountain out of a molehill to deflect from the details that shatter your narrative.
    1
  3310. Begging for help? What rock have you been hiding under? Put down the Vodka comrade.
    1
  3311.  @GlennRA3  Marshal Mud, aka Rasputitsa favors nobody.
    1
  3312. The Indians (South Asian) sent in investigators. They could find no evidence to substantiate the claims.
    1
  3313. Or the Milankovitch cycles simply didn't line up for him.
    1
  3314. At the squad level, I think it is the platoon leaders on the ground making the tactical choices, not some fancy hat well behind the lines. What you are describing is the OPERATIONAL (mid-level) or Strategic (high level) choices.
    1
  3315. Then and now Schultz is eating crow because he is stuck holding the bag of feces that Angela Merkel left for him.
    1
  3316. Cookie Monster who became president of France. Sorry, I couldn't help but make a joke about it.
    1
  3317.  CipiRipi00  Did you hear the "hello asshole" in cypher joke? The punchline from the Aussies was epic!
    1
  3318. Russian collusion hoax proves you wrong.
    1
  3319.  @Lorenz1973  WRONG. You are making the argument of despots and tyrants. And armed society is a polite society. Plano, Texas, the gun nut capital of the world with the highest per capita gun ownership happens to also be safer than any European city. If it was its own country, it would be safer than Switzerland (whose population is mandated to own and maintain rifles for defense). Don't believe me? Look up Bill Whittle's video "Number one with a Bullet".
    1
  3320.  @baronvonlimbourgh1716  Sure, the best economy the WORLD had ever seen. But you don't care about that because you are a hyperpartisan tribalist.
    1
  3321.  @jamesng7320  You don't want to be convinced as your mind is closed to anything that does not confirm your biases. My rebuttals are not necessarily for you. It is for the audience that MIGHT be listening (highly unlikely at this point). I pointed specifically to the AMERICAN civil war, not the Chinese one. And even there your example failed to prove your point, only reinforcing mine. Yet again you are moving the goal posts to try and claim something I never said. If the West was scared of Russia's nukes, the West would have never even armed Ukraine in the first place. Every red line that Putin has threatened to escalate with nukes has not actually triggered the use of nukes. Russia's saber rattling is all bluster and no bite. And yes, you ARE grasping at straws because you can't make a coherent argument that comports with hard OBJECTIVE facts. You have to rely on emotional appeals to back up your claims.
    1
  3322.  @jamesng7320  I did refute and disprove your arguments. You just didn't like the answers BEACUSE they debunked your claims. You don't care about the facts, you care only about your tribe winning.
    1
  3323.  @jamesng7320  Says the pigeon who thinks he has accomplished something by knocking over the chess pieces.
    1
  3324.  @jamesng7320  It is what I say when I am counting coup against someone who refuses to admit defeat even though they know they can't win. You are now just like a pigeon who think he is playing chess.
    1
  3325.  @jamesng7320  You are grasping at straws now. You have lost the plot.
    1
  3326.  @jamesng7320  Pyhrric victory dude. Look up what that means. And no, not all wars are fought over territory. That is simply your myopic view. What territory did the US gain in the Civil War? Or how about WW1? Oh, and if Ukraine can survive the current Russian offence, it WILL be all downhill from here. The Russian war machine is spent. And no amount of bodies for the meat grinder will fix that. As for the nukes, they are more likely to detonate in the silo than actually launch like they did on K-129 when the KGB hijacked that sub and tried to nuke Pearl Harbor.
    1
  3327.  @jamesng7320  Your premise assumes all thing are equal.....which they are not and never are. Ukraine fighting against a numerically superior and nominally better equipped Russia and fighting to a draw is itself a victory. That they can retake lost land from a superior foe IS text book definition of winning. Lines on a map are NOT everything. By your own assessment, The USSR should have simply surrendered in 1942 after Germany completely overran Ukraine. Guess who was beating down the door in Berlin in 1945.
    1
  3328.  @jamesng7320  "Russia isn't going to be weak anytime soon? Have you not heard of the Kharkov and Kherson counter offensives which pushed back the Russians? What about the much-vaunted Moskva? It is now pretending to be a submarine. Or how about the issues with the Admiral Kuznetsov? Not only does it have to have a tug following it wherever it goes, but its air wing also had to fly home on its own without the carrier in disgrace from Syria.
    1
  3329. Indeed. They wre playing down the threat so as to not cause a panic or tip their hand to the Russians that they knew what was coming.
    1
  3330. "When a free man dies, he loses the pleasure of life. A slave loses his pain. Death is the only freedom a slave knows. That's why he's not afraid of it. That's why we'll win." -Kirk Douglas as Spartacus.
    1
  3331.  @oohhboy-funhouse  Agreed. All things being equal, 3 to 1 is the norm. But the US NEVER relies on things being equal, choosing to leverage FORCE MULTIPLIERS. Training and Tactics coupled with technology and equipment can go a LONG way towards tilting the battlespace.
    1
  3332. "True evidence" of Iraqi chemical weapons? You do realize that Saddam used Sarin gas on both the Kurds and the Sunnis? You do realize it was France under Jacque Chirac who sold Saddam those weapons on orders from the White House? Then there is the Sarin Gas shells used on American Troops during the Battle of Bagdad. There is also the convoy that famously fled the capital for Syria the night of the invasion. The US Air Force was ordered to stand down and NOT attack it despite surveillance showing it WAS the trucks Collin Power described at the UN. Finally, where did Assad get his chemical weapons used in the Syrian Civil War? Both Saddam and Assad were Baathists. Their public spat was a spectacle for the international audience.
    1
  3333.  @commiemeth  How about you actually make a relevant rebuttal?
    1
  3334. Milley should be court-martialed and sent to Leavenworth for his gross incompetence. Worse, he has sabotaged the combat readiness of the military by playing woke games.
    1
  3335. And Germany for the longest time had chancellors who were shills for Bolshevism. Keep in mind that Merkel was a member of the East German Communist Youth League.
    1
  3336.  @hyhhy  Yeah, you "deal" is just wishful fantasy. The Soviet Union had zero power after 1991 and their collapse. There was NO obligation for NATO to honor ANY under the table dealings. And the members of the Warsaw Pact who joined NATO is proof that your claims are false.
    1
  3337. Don't downplay the fact that Angela Merkel was a member of the East German Communist Youth League. Know that, and suddenly her actions enslaving Germany to Russia makes perfect sense.
    1
  3338.  @Arcaryon  Yeah, more whataboutism and deflections. Typical talking points one would except from people who shill for the old Soviet system. You have not refuted nor debunked ANY of the points I have made. Here is a hint: when you use the arguments and tactics of Bolsheviks, it tends to suggest that you yourself are one.
    1
  3339.  @uschurch  Then why did her policies effectively act to assist Russia in rebuilding the Eastern Bloc power base? Poland and the Baltic States were warning for years against the actions taken by the German government. ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. Merkel's actions betray her true motives.
    1
  3340.  @Arcaryon  What is the assumption? Her membership in that organization is not disputed as the meticulous records kept by the organization and released after unification have proven. As for her motivations, well, it is pretty clear that once a commie, ALWAYS a commie. Her actions to make Germany cripplingly over-dependent on Russian cheap energy IS the evidentiary proof.
    1
  3341.  @OmmerSyssel  Yeah, a continent that waged near-constant war until the US came in and kept the peace for 80 years. As soon as the US looks to Asia, you guys manage to find yourselves in another land war. It just so happens that the Ukrainians are the ones dying for you instead of your own citizens.
    1
  3342.  @embreis2257  Too bad both China, all of sub-Sahara Africa, and much of South America disagree with you. Too bad that "decarbonization" is just a pretext for neo-feudalism because "green energy" is NOT financially viable. Cheap energy is the lifeblood of economics, no exceptions. Without economics, everything else is just a wishful fantasy.
    1
  3343. Yeah, Kind of funny how Hitler blew up the VERY lucrative Molotov-Ribbentrop Alliance. NOBODY in Germany actually wanted to end that agreement. Only the fool at the top did.
    1
  3344.  @thomasl.6960  Pot meet kettle. I debated merits. You are gutter snipping.
    1
  3345.  @truckwarrior5944  Sure dude, you keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep better at night.
    1
  3346.  @truckwarrior5944  Thanks teach, I think I know that already. Now how about you actually try practicing what you preach.
    1
  3347.  @TheDotBot  Naw, that would be you. But again, you can't argue the merits so you engage in personal attacks and logical fallacies like a typical propagandist. "I always cheer up immensely if one is particularly wounding because I think well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left. That is why my father always taught me: never worry about anyone who attacks you personally; it means their arguments carry no weight and they know it." -Margaret Thatcher.
    1
  3348.  @truckwarrior5944  I fulfilled the burden of proof. You just refuse to accept the evidence. That is a failing on your part, not mine. Learn to debate. And understand what it means to be ratioed. Liking your own posts doesn't count.
    1
  3349.  @truckwarrior5944  Sure you have. Just like every tom dick and harry will claim. Appeal to authority or accreditation is a logical fallacy and is a sign of desperation because you can't win the debate on the merits. And try looking up what Occam's Razor is, but I doubt you will.
    1
  3350.  @TheDotBot  That is not an argument. You are simply in denial and refuse to accept the cold hard facts that support my position. “I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.” ― Margaret Thatcher
    1
  3351.  @TheDotBot  Not really. The meticulous records kept by the organization is solid proof that would hold up in a court of law. And my "theory" as you put it has a preponderance of evidence supporting it that you would rather just blatantly ignore. If one is to judge a person by their actions, hers by Occam's Razor actually supports my contention.
    1
  3352.  @Iv4Bez  Why should the West be assisting Russia? Putin made it clear years ago he is absolutely against everything the West represents. The opportunity for reproachment ended when Putin replaced Yeltsin. That being said, Bush Jr. helped to slam that door shut when he rejected Putin's offer of assistance with Islamic Terrorism.
    1
  3353.  @Iv4Bez  Not really. WW2 made it quite clear that when you do business with people who engage in war, you are financing the War machine. The West's support for Ukraine mirrors the US support for the UK. Or the American support for the Chinese against the Japanese in the Pacific. There is historic precedent that justifies it.
    1
  3354.  @wellplayed6061  Not really. Putin is behaving NOT as a rational actor but as a typical authoritarian despot with delusions of Tsardom. He fancies himself Peter the Great despite the fact that the world is vastly different.
    1
  3355.  @sammiller6631  Oh, I agree it is more nuanced. But most people don't have the patience to watch his 1+ hour long videos. I was giving the Too Long Didn't Read summary.
    1
  3356.  @arty5876  Repeating the same lie to yourself doesn't make it true. It only proves you are no better than Pavlov's Dog.
    1
  3357.  @europeets  I don't read Cyrillic, Kremlin stooge. I hope the Rubles Putin bribes you with are worth it.
    1
  3358.  @arty5876  "Fighting with only volunteers"? NONE of those forced mobilized were allowed to leave the front lines genius. Right there you show intellectual dishonesty of a Soviet propagandist. Everything you accuse the UAF of doing, the Russian MOD has done is spades. That is called psychological projection and is the sign of someone who is either drinking their own kool-aide, or is living in an unhinged psychological delusional fantasy. And Russia is outnumbered? You have that completely bass ackwards. Go touch grass keyboard warrior.
    1
  3359. Indeed. Production can't keep up despite what the Kremlin shill claim. New T-90 builds only account for 10% at best of the "fresh" equipment being sent to the front line. And all the other categories show similar numbers. Perun went TWICE into the numbers for Russian military production.
    1
  3360.  @legrandfromage6450  The Russian Bear is Geriatric. They are throwing 60 year old equipment against NATO's second and third tier gear and are losing them after than Ukraine is.
    1
  3361.  @EduardO-gm7hx  You are counting your eggs before they have hatched. Kursk is a trap for Ukraine? That is copium. If it were true, then Ukraine would not have run roughshod over Russian troops and captured so many POWs. That proves you wrong automatically. The Russian push in the East STOPPED. That means the goal of diverting troops from the East was successful. And as far as barganing chip, they have even gotten to the table yet and you are already counting the poker winnings before the hand has even been dealt on the table. Put down the Vodka Private Conscriptovich, you are so drunk you are hallucinating.
    1
  3362. If Perun's analysis of Russia's military production is any indication, once the Soviet Legacy stockpiles run out, Putin will be up a creek without a paddle.
    1
  3363.  @avengerpz  You make a post and then delete it because it contradicted itself within your word salad? Does the Ukrainian government lie? Absolutely. The first victim in war is the truth. The Ghost of Kiev for example. I may support Ukraine's War of independence from Russia, but that doesn't mean I believe everything they claim. Hence why Oryx RUSI, and ISW only use photo evidence when assessing loss data. Because both sides grossly exaggerate their success numbers while downplaying their own losses.
    1
  3364.  @avengerpz  I don't need to prove you wrong, the preponderance of evidence collected by Royal United Services institute, Insitute for the Study of War, Oryx, and many others completely obliterated your Kremin narrative.
    1
  3365.  @avengerpz  Nice proof by verbosity. Too bad it is just words salad that Que-mala Harris would say.
    1
  3366. The fact that Ukraine has consistently been outmanned and outgunned by Russia 5 to one and STILL manages to fight to a draw is actually a victory. Your problem is that you use the "pop culture" measurement for victory rather than look at the whole situation. If Ukraine has already lost, then why is Kiev only occupied like it almost was at the start?
    1
  3367. Perun has done at least TWO analysis of Russia's military production. They are NOT keeping up with the losses and are burning through the legacy Soviet Stockpiles. When T-90 production can only cover 10% of the loss rates for tanks, that is unsustainable. Putin WANTS a ceasefire so he can rearm and re-equip over the next 5-10 years before going back on the attack.
    1
  3368. Perun did a deep-dive look into both Russian and Ukrainian logistics. Ukraine is essentially wholey dependent on Western resupply. Russia is only able to meet 10% of the loss rates with new builds. Something like 70-80% is legacy Soviet stockpiles with the remainder being what Putin can beg/borrow/steal from Iran, North Korea, and covertly from China. The million dollar question is which will give out first?
    1
  3369.  @vez3834  Harris is the better choice? Boy are you smoking some strong marijuana. The fact that Ukraine even got invaded was BECAUSE of the Harris/Biden White House.
    1
  3370. Poland has been Ukraine's greatest benefactor. People grossly undervalue their contributions to the war effort.
    1
  3371.  @RepublicaSindicalista_doBrasil  The fact that Ukrainian soldiers found parade uniforms among the abandoned Russian gear and equipment after they withdrew from the Kiev front speaks volumes.
    1
  3372.  @tusk3260  Wow, you are clearly triggered so you engage in a Gish gallop (logical fallacy) rather than actually acknowledge historical facts. France was SHATTERED by WW2 and the bitter animosity between Vichy and DeGaulle's forces are evidence of that.
    1
  3373.  @tusk3260  France won WW2? Have you forgotten that German Tanks rolled through Paris in only six weeks? And as a military power, France NEVER recovered from it. If they did, the US and UK would not have been the ones carrying their lazy butts during most of the Cold War (Dien Bien Phu).
    1
  3374.  @KolyaUrtz  That isn't an argument, it is a logical fallacy, namely appeal to novelty. Or have you forgotten that in 1918 Kursk, Belgorod, AND Rostov-on-Don were all part of the Ukrainian Republic?
    1
  3375.  @KolyaUrtz  Cope hard private conscriptovich. To the OP's point, Ukraine giving it up would be the same as Czechoslovakia giving up the Sudetenland at Munich.
    1
  3376.  @RepublicaSindicalista_doBrasil  And sometimes they do. Putin believed his own lies. He has also said that the collapse of the USSR was the greats geo-political disaster in history. We may not be in the 1940s, but the fundamentals of that era still holds true. Your refusal to realize that is to prove George Santayana correct: that those who refuse to learn their history are doomed to repeat it.
    1
  3377.  @RepublicaSindicalista_doBrasil  You haven't been paying attention to Putin's speeches.
    1
  3378.  @AzovSS  You are taking his words completely out of context. Stop pushing Kremlin propaganda.
    1
  3379.  @AzovSS  HIMARS doesn't do that kind of damage. At best it can only pockmark the dam (look at the damage to the Antinovsky Bridge). That kind of damage can only be done by placed demolition charges. Hence my point about Ukrainian Frogmen.
    1
  3380.  @yesyes3010  It doesn't make sense for Russia to waste its precision weapons on civilian infrastructure, yet that is what the MOD has been doing.
    1
  3381.  @probablyinconsistent4756  Wow, you regurgitated word salad in hopes of sounding smart. I am VERY well aware of the currents that flow through the Bosphorus and Dardallens and they ARE in equilibrium. So are the currents that flow through the strait of Gibraltar. Your problem is that reality doesn't confirm to your ideological narrative. You are no different than the Soviet leadership who downplayed the Chernobyl disaster.
    1
  3382.  @probablyinconsistent4756  How long do flood waters last in an area before it drains out to the Black Sea? The water level WILL reach an equilibrium level and things WILL return to where they were before the dam was breached.
    1
  3383. So you are saying that the Russian Army is so blind as to not see nor stop frogmen from placing demolition charges?
    1
  3384. If Ukraine did it, why did they wait? What is the null hypothesis?
    1
  3385.  @neutralevil1917  I have read what you wrote, and it is all hogwash. You are spewing the Kremlin narrative point by point showing your insincerity and intellectual dishonesty.
    1
  3386.  @kubauhlir1730  Didn't even read what he said did you? The Russians blowing up the damn is them shooting themselves in the foot, which is what they did.
    1
  3387.  @kubauhlir1730  I think we are on the same page, but different paragraphs. I agree with you that Ukraine didn't have a good way to demolish the dam (I keep making the Frogman argument to the Russian shills). I also agree that they want to force the Russians to disperse their forces so as to make a breakthrough. However, sometimes you DO want your opponent to concentrate their forces so you can either encircle them or smash them to pieces.
    1
  3388.  @kubauhlir1730  All things being equal, you might have a point. But not everything is equal. And Russia has proven that both equipment and training is inferior to Ukraine. The Advantage goes to Ukraine.
    1
  3389. Indeed. Fukushima is grossly overblown. More people were killed by the Windscale Fire than Fukushima. More people died from the Kystim Disaster than from Fukushima.
    1
  3390. Not really that hard. Most of Russian neighbors have always detested it. So have many of the endemic populations.
    1
  3391.  @tacitplague7079  Indeed. The Ukrainians reconnaissance in force beachheads are now untenable. While they were something of a surprise at first, this basically ensures that those forces have to pull back as it is unlikely that they will drive INTO the teeth of the Russians to hold a new position.
    1
  3392. People seem to forget that. It will reach a new equilibrium level and then the river will stabilize back to what it was at minus the reservoir.
    1
  3393.  @mitchyoung93  So you are implying that the Russian Army is so blind as to not see UK or UR frogmen placing demolitions on the Dam? Nor do anything to stop them?
    1
  3394.  @flapdrol  It means they were powerless to stop Ukrainian Frogmen from placing demolition charges.
    1
  3395. That is a good point. Will the river shift such that the area immediately below Kherson is now a flood plain, with the river further south?
    1
  3396. They didn't control the south side of the Damn. And most of those Kherson bridgeheads were not permanent locations. The flooding now renders them untenable.
    1
  3397. All wars have been over resources. WW1 was a direct result of the mad scramble for Africa's resources. WW2 was Germany gobbling up the resources of its neighbors. Same goes for Japan in the Pacific Theater. This war is about the coal and gas deposits under Donbas. And the oil just offshore from Crimea.
    1
  3398. Word is that after the fall of the USSR, most of the plants were refit by the IAEA to western safety standards. But saying they are and whether they actually are I concede to your point.
    1
  3399. Not really. Occam's Razor says that the scenario with the fewest assumptions is the most likely. And Putin doing it has the fewest assumptions.
    1
  3400. Backwards. It makes it easier for UKRAINE to cross since Russians have shown to be terrible at amphibious operations.
    1
  3401. How? With Frogmen placing demolition charges? That would imply that the Russian Army is both powerless and blind to stop them.
    1
  3402.  @peterlangan1181  Nice proof by verbosity. Your "logic" is mostly emotional arguments and predicated not on hard facts but wishful thinking. The objective facts and data points do not support your contention. You make too many assumptions. Occam's Razor says it was the Russians, not the Ukrainians.
    1
  3403. Considering how the waster precision weapons on civilian targets, you are not wrong that Russian leadership is dumb.
    1
  3404. You are assuming the Russian MOD is using logic. They have been wasting precision weapons on civilian targets instead of military ones. Blowing up the dam follows this short-sighted thinking.
    1
  3405.  @chuckchalmers4960  Shame you don't have any real argument besides logical fallacies and personal attacks. Resorting to insults is the tool of the loser.
    1
  3406. No, not really. The Bridge is still a legitimate target.
    1
  3407. Indeed. The Beachheads that Ukraine achieved were simply opportunistic situations, not dedicated landings. They will likely now abandon them rather than charge into the teeth of Russian defenses.
    1
  3408.  @bigmoe9856  All you are doing is pointing out how you moved the goal posts, thus proving my point. Your contention was that nuclear powers cannot loose. I pointed out historically that is false. You then contort yourself into claiming otherwise. You then go to change the parameters of what you claimed (goal post moving). Just admit that you are wrong.
    1
  3409.  @bigmoe9856  Wow, projecting your own use of logical fallacies onto me because you can't debate the merits. I gave examples proving your argument wrong. You then move the goal posts further proving my point with your own argument about proxy wars. You are now in the original position fallacy.
    1
  3410. No, the West does NOT need to get involved. However, I do think that the Baltic States and Poland should be allowed off the chain. They should be allowed to send in their troops to reinforce Ukraine but make the strict stipulation that they are NOT to set foot into Russia. As such, Article 5 can still be invoked if Russia attacks Polish and Baltic forces anywhere except on Ukrainian soil.
    1
  3411. The problem goes into the same reason why you don't use raw seawater to cool down a submarine or aircraft carrier nuclear reactor: corrosion. You NEED clean water to prevent build-up in the pipes. But I agree that if you can solve that problem, recirculation becomes a viable option.
    1
  3412. Why? To what gain? Further, are you implying that the Russian Army is so blind as to not see Ukrainian frogmen place demolition charges? Or was powerless to stop them?
    1
  3413.  @christianmeinert8806  I fail to see the point you are making. It takes lots of water to sustain both Sevastopol and Kerch. Those cities cannot be naturally sustained by Crimea's local water sources.
    1
  3414. Crimea's Reservoirs were at 3-5% capacity at the start of the invasion. it takes YEARS to refill them.
    1
  3415. You can only last 3 days without potable water. Crimea's reservoirs were down to 3-5% capacity when Russia invaded. It is unrealistic to think that they were refilled in just 1 year.
    1
  3416. Indeed. Almost all of the leakage from Fukushima came from the cooling pools, not the reactors themselves. That is the dirty little detail people don't like to talk about.
    1
  3417. Ukraine would have had to employ Frogmen to place demolition charges. That does not speak well for the Russian Army's ability to stop Ukraine.
    1
  3418.  @drzavnalutrija  That isn't really a legitimate argument. Ukraine could easily claim to be the successor state to the USSR. And originally with possession of over half then nuclear arsenal, they had strong legitimacy. Hell, the last Soviet Republic to even officially still remain part of the Union was actually Kazakhstan. Just because the US and others choose to recognize the Russian Federation doesn't make it true. The government in Taipei is the actual successor state to the Qing Dynasty despite having been toppled by Mao's communist movement in 1949.
    1
  3419.  @drzavnalutrija  Russia isn't the USSR. And PRC is not the China that signed the UN treaty.
    1
  3420. I agree. Replace them with Brazil.
    1
  3421. I agree. A MILITARY target such as that bridge, but not an exclusively civilian target.
    1
  3422.  @kain0m  Yeah, I think the Russians failing to cross the Severodonetsk River while the Ukrainians could proves that it advantages Ukraine.
    1
  3423. But why wait till now? Further, are you implying that the Russian Army is so blind as to not see Ukrainian Frogmen place demolition charges?
    1
  3424. Fortunately, most of the reactors have been in cold shutdown for months. You cannot just start one up without days to get it in standby mode. Only one Reactor is in a state to create a prompt critical situation.
    1
  3425. The problem with Fukushima was not the reactor core but the cooling pools. Same with Zaporizhya. It is the pools to store the waste that pose the biggest threat.
    1
  3426. Indeed. By blowing the Damn, they have written off Crimea.
    1
  3427. So you are saying that the Russian Army is so blind as to not see or stop Frogmen from placing demolition charges?
    1
  3428.  @timber750  You are grasping at straws. HIMARS cannot do that kind of damage. Only directed charges from demolition explosives can do that.
    1
  3429. HIMARS can only pockmark the dam, not structurally damage it. This was caused by Demolition charges.
    1
  3430. Indeed. A number of the minefields may now be rendered inert because of the flooding.
    1
  3431.  @WangAiHua  All things being equal, you would be correct. Except, all things are NOT equal. Russia has shown time and again that between equipment and training they are not the same as Ukrainian forces.
    1
  3432.  @bigmoe9856  It was unlikely they would attack into Kherson anyhow, so that argument is moot.
    1
  3433. With time yes. But in the near term the Crimea is screwed.
    1
  3434.  @bdcochran01  Yes, the problem with Russia has always been a LEADERSHIP issue. The Russian people have always been hearty and resolute, abused by their piss poor leaders.
    1
  3435.  @ALMAZ157  Cope harder Private Conscriptovich.
    1
  3436. "When your argument is weak, abuse the plaintiff" -Marcus Tullius Cicero Thank you for proving you can't refute his points but instead attack the messenger. Your desperation is showing.
    1
  3437. Indeed. And the case Lee vs. Unites States (1883) is why the Federal Courts would strike it down.
    1
  3438. What crime was committed? The banks got their money back. No victims here. You don't care about justice, you only care that your tribe wins at any cost, even if it burns the nation to ashes.
    1
  3439. You realize it was DEMOCRAT governors who locked you down, not Trump? And there were NO victims in this case. "Orange Man Bad" is not an augment, it is a mental psychosis.
    1
  3440. What crime did he commit? That you don't even know shows that you don't care about justice, you only care that your tribe wins, even if it buns the country to ashes.
    1
  3441.  @stevengoldstein114  Supremacy of the US Constitution, Article 4 section 2. Your argument has no merit. Or as you said, "deal with it".
    1
  3442.  @stevengoldstein114  Nice deflection. You clearly did not read the case. Nor have you read further Federal cases that uphold the supremacy of the Federal courts over the state courts. And that doesn't even begin to even touch on the fact that this case has no merits to begin with. The ruling was a summary judgement, which mean Trump didn't even receive an actual trial meaning that due process was violated.
    1
  3443. But State laws are still subject to Federal oversight. Lee vs. United States (1883) makes what the State of New York is doing unconstitutional.
    1
  3444.  @Useracct-m9s  No, it would not. As Kevin O'Leary has pointed out, what they are criminalizing is standard business practice ACROSS THE GLOBE. You don't care about ANY of the facts in this case, you just want your political tribe to win, the consequences bedamned. "The Lady doth protest too much, me thinks," -Queen Gerrtrude; Act 3 scene 2; Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
    1
  3445.  @patrickn3595  What happens in New York has ramifications across the entire United States.
    1
  3446. So is MSNBC because they know their fraud is not fooling the American people.
    1
  3447.  @allonelife699  That is NOT how criminal trials work under Article 3 and Sixth Amendment to the US constitution. Those jury instructions are NOT correct and WILL get the whole conviction nullified when take to Federal Appellate Court.
    1
  3448.  @EricaGamet  The problem is that the underlying crime has not been defined much less proven. The ONLY thing that has been proven in this case is that Cohen is a pathological liar. That the ONLY person who was defrauded was Trump himself. And that this novel application of the law has NEVER been attempted in court before. Also, SCOTUS case has said you HAVE to be unanimous on the underlying crime, for which the judge's instructions to the jury are unconstitutional under the 6th and 7th amendments and WILL get this completely overturned when it gets to Federal Court.
    1
  3449.  @EricaGamet  But the underlying crime has NOT been explained, demonstrated, much less proven. As Fareed Zakaria stated, the ONLY reason why this went forwards is because the defendant is Donald Trump. NEVER has this kind of crime been prosecuted in this manner EVER.
    1
  3450.  @EricaGamet  And that was never demonstrated. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF AN UNTERLYING CRIME. But keep parroting the talking points of your master's on cue like Pavlov's Dog. You are the banality of Evil.
    1
  3451.  @jorgecarrejo  Yeah, every one of those cases are imploding under the weight of prosecutorial misconduct. This case is NOT convincing the American people of anything other than the New York Judiciary is a Soviet Kangaroo Court. It WILL get overturned in the Federal appeals courts.
    1
  3452. The SCOTUS are cowards, save for Clarance Thomas. He is the ONLY person there who is worthy to stand as an equal to the likes of Deborah, Giddeon, Ehud, and the rest.
    1
  3453.  @honestdon1772  Touch grass.
    1
  3454. Make Nuremberg Trials for judges great again.
    1
  3455.  @cheftekniqakabuletteborn8127  How about you not cheer on this STALINIST political prosecution? "Show me the man and I will show you the crime," -Lavrentiy Beria, Stalin's head of the NKVD/KGB
    1
  3456. Impeachment never works. What we need is a Nuremberg Trial for Judges.
    1
  3457.  @honestdon1772  Thank you for proving that you are a basement dweller.
    1
  3458.  @honestdon1772  Put down the Sherry and touch grass.
    1
  3459. The Apelet court is running cover for Merchon. Every appeal has been struck down. Because of that, he is allowed to act with impunity.
    1
  3460. Because they are feckless cowards. Just look at how they are dithering on the presidential immunity case.
    1
  3461.  @jorgecarrejo  You don't understand how Federal Civil Rights cases work.
    1
  3462. Nuremberg Trials for judges.
    1
  3463.  @jorgecarrejo  Yes he has. Violation of Sixth Amendment due process. He denied Trump the right to call witnesses in his defense. He has NOT upheld the obligation to CLEARLY define the accusations against him. Your claims "he did nothing wrong" is simply empty words of your feudal masters at the DNC.
    1
  3464.  @jorgecarrejo  He already has ethics complaints filed against him to the New York Bar. Judges are NOT invincible.
    1
  3465. Nuremberg Trials for Judges.
    1
  3466.  @dianamcfarland1997  South Asia Indian. Meaning Hindu/Pakistani.
    1
  3467.  @gruntgamer4204  Busy vandalizing world cultural heritages sites like Stonehenge.
    1
  3468. Remember the Gold King Mine spill in 2015? I'll bet the same folks at the EPA who botched that were involved with this.
    1
  3469. Local politicians through zoning laws have created artificial housing shortages driving up prices.
    1
  3470. Part of the problem is that companies like Blackrock are buying up the homes as soon as they get on the market, purposely driving up the prices so as to create a feudalistic oligarchy not much different than in Russia or Ukraine today. Or Europe in the 1800s.
    1
  3471. Seems like google/youtube doesn't like me mentioning Marie Antoinette.
    1
  3472. MSNBC's Joe Scarborogh didn't believe butter was $3 and then got corrected that it was $7. That was their "let them eat cake" moment. Of course they haven't learned how expensive a Turkey diner really is.
    1
  3473. He could also stop gaming the system and bilking the taxpayers by "investing" in scams to launder government subsidies. The man is the very caricature that communist and socialist have on capitalists, but they LOVE him because he parrots their talking points.
    1
  3474. Boy who cried wolf.
    1
  3475. The pardoning of the Turkey was funny when Reagan did it. Now it is just an overused joke that has long past its expiration date.
    1
  3476. He feels guilty because he didn't work with his hands to earn his wealth. He got it by gaming the system. He picks winners and losers while using debt and Usury to bilk people out of their hard-earned gains by claiming "liquidity" is a virtue and asset. It is nothing more than extracting without putting back anything of value. He is EVERYTHING the communists and socialists hate, yet they love him because he parrots their talking points.
    1
  3477. "Butter is $7" was their Marie Antoniette moment and they still haven't gotten out of that bubble.
    1
  3478. Boy who cried wolf.
    1
  3479. And Usury is warned against. Yet today's society is built on it, and not in a good way.
    1
  3480. Buffett has never produced anything of value in his life. He just knows how to pick winners and losers while extracting value from the system and not putting anything of value back in. He is EVERYTHING the Communists hater, yet they fully embrace him because he parrots their talking points. And before the Buffett defenders balk, I point out that liquidity is only a virtue when you deal with Usury and financial slavery, and debt servitude. In a frugal, cash up front system, it is considered predatory and sinful.
    1
  3481. Wrong. Every vote for Robert Kennedy is a vote takes away from KAMALA. Trump won't lose a single voter to RFK Jr. Trump supporters should want him in the race.
    1
  3482.  @blackbass4315  Cope harder Jihadi Jonny.
    1
  3483. Johnson is just as worthless as John Boehner, Paul Ryan, and Kevin McCarthy.
    1
  3484. Vote CONSERVATIVE, Trump supporting candidates. Too many RINOs are trying to ride the wave into office only to collaborate with the left.
    1
  3485. Johnson colludes with the leftist Democrats just like John Boehner, Paul Ryan, and Kevin McCarthy before him. The Dems effectively control the House under Johnson.
    1
  3486. And yet he has allowed Pelosi to effectively run the House. Johnson is no different than John Boehner, Paul Ryan, and Kevin McCarthy.
    1
  3487. Controlled opposition.
    1
  3488. Agreed. Johnson is just another John Boehner and Kevin McCarthy.
    1
  3489. Agreed. Controlled opposition.
    1
  3490. And yet Johnson has been colluding with the Dems just like John Boehner, Paul Ryan, and Kevin McCarthy. With Republicans like him, who needs Democrats?
    1
  3491.  @beanMcboi  I never said it was. I was cautioning those who cheer this because they will be the next targets.
    1
  3492.  @ErnestClary  Laugh it up. This is how the Bolsheviks came to power in Russia.
    1
  3493. In New York? Do not hold your breath. Even if one man is righteous, the court is run by an evil man who will accept nothing but guilty.
    1
  3494.  @TheBigfattuna  Article 3 and Sixth Amendment to the Constitution, due process. Namely, refusal to allow him to call witnesses in his defense. Failure to clearly state what the criminal accusation against him is. Try reading legal documents instead of just parroting what your feudal masters tell you.
    1
  3495. Nuremberg Trials for Judges. We need that here.
    1
  3496. And if he returns to the White House, hold Judges trials like they did at Nuremberg.
    1
  3497.  @Ryan125y  That isn't a rebuttal, it is an emotional outburst. Nick Sortor broke it down.
    1
  3498.  @Ryan125y  Not with the jury instructions given by this judge. He only needs for guilty votes on three separate charges for the judge to declare Trump "unanimously guilty" on ALL charges.
    1
  3499.  @StephanieTruelove-z5n  Indeed. The policies of Biden entrench the elites and keep the little guy down. So of course, the neo-feudalists will vote for him.
    1
  3500. Yes they will, because he keeps them in the elite position and the rest of us in poverty as serfs.
    1
  3501.  @davidcleveland-yv6my  Or the money realizes that they are the next target after Trump. What do you think happened to the money after the Bolsheviks took power in Russia in 1917?
    1
  3502.  @Loucfr  You are just digging your own grave dude. But sure, keep acting like an Edgelord. it only shows your immaturity.
    1
  3503. He was saying the quite part out loud. Namely, that the fix was in with the Star Chamber Proceedings.
    1
  3504.  @hanshansen3885  Is the Pope Catholic?
    1
  3505.  @hanshansen3885  Promotion among the general ranks has nothing to do with performance and EVERYTHING to do with politics.
    1
  3506. "Figures don't lie, but liars figure," -Mark Twain, aka Samuel Clemens Yeah, these investment bankers are looking at the raw numbers but ignoring the context. Inflation halving the value of money means that the buying power is LESS despite having more currency in the bank.
    1
  3507. We didn't. The government simply gamed the numbers and changed how they are recorded in order to pretend that there was a recovery.
    1
  3508.  @blondelion7918  Yeah, inflation has caused the buying power to be as much as HALF of its pre-pandemic value. That is where this guy is lying through his teeth.
    1
  3509.  @rferg1533  But those dollars are worth significantly LESS. Which means the buying power and value of people's savings is LESS than pre-pandemic. He pointed out the spending, yet ignores that the reason for it is because people want to convert their currency into something of value before it depreciates. Guatemala experienced the same thing in the 1980s where people wanted to be paid in the morning and buy their groceries early before the hyper-inflation cut the value of the peso in HALF by the end of the day.
    1
  3510. I am going to try this again because Youtube/Google called it "hate speech". Agreed. This guy is a typical investment banker of the kind Thomas Jefferson warned about when he said that lending institutions were more dangerous than standing armies. While the image of the "Evil banker" is still true, the one part that isn't is ethnicity; today they are all IRISH, ironically. And shalom and blessings on you and your house. (nesiat kapayim or "vulcan peace sign")
    1
  3511. He is only telling half the story. He is blatantly ignoring how hyperinflation is devastating the actual value of the money in people's bank accounts.
    1
  3512. Yeah, the interest rates are 3% while the TRUE inflation value is closer to 12%. The people who put money away into savings are seeing their nest egg being pilfered by the banking system.
    1
  3513. He is a typical banker that Tommy Jefferson warned about. All interested in playing a numbers game with inflation and deflation to erode buying power and enslave the grandchildren of the men who built this country.
    1
  3514.  @jimmyw7291  Except that is EXACTLY what they did in New York. Invented no existent crimes to extend an expired procedural crime in a way that has NEVER been prosecuted before. Put down the alcohol, you are so drunk you are hallucinating.
    1
  3515.  @Arcayenneist  Really? Because the release of diatomic hydrogen is one of the byproducts of the reactor fuel chemically bonding with the casing and rendering the fuel inert. Basically a conventional hydrogen explosion was evidence of the safety designs preventing a nuclear fizzle. I am not disagreeing that the Japanese are notorious about violating established protocols. Hisashi Ouchi's tragic example is case in point. But don't feed into the hysteria and misinformation that Fukushima was anywhere near as bad as either Windscale Fire the Kyshtym Disaster, or even Chernobyl. In a side by side, it is worse than 3 Mile since there was a leak from the storage pools. But it didn't release nearly the level of radiation that Windscale did.
    1
  3516.  @ivanmonahhov2314  Somehow I seriously doubt your claim. While the power needs of a Nuclear Boomer or an Aircraft carrier may be smaller, that doesn't change the PHYSICS. Reactors large or small still need the minimum necessary to sustain a reaction. That value can be lowered by the use of neutron reflectors to make the neutron emissions more efficient, but it does not change minimum values for criticality. If anything, enriched fuel means smaller fuel rods, and hence a smaller safety margin. The point still stands that if you can create a small reactor for a Naval ship, you can easily repurpose it for civilian use.
    1
  3517.  @ivanmonahhov2314  Actually, it is cheaper now than it ever has been. The estimated costs given for building a new one assume you build the reactor first, then re-fit it with modern safety and containment features which is how they tabulated the cost for nuclear in the past. It is an apples to oranges analogy as the US Navy can bring a nuclear reactor for a ballistic submarine or an aircraft carrier for very cheap.
    1
  3518. The difference between the Western Boiling and Pressurized Water moderated reactors vs. the graphite moderated reactors. One goes promp-critical (nuclear fizzle) when you remove the water, while the other automatically shuts down due to the particle physics involved. Also, Admrial Hyman Rickover, father of Nuclear Navy Program set such exacting standards that the US Navy have NEVER had a reactor related incident. There is a VERY good reason why civilian nuclear agencies in the West take their cues from the US Navy Nuclear program.
    1
  3519.  @arthurdent6256  The problem is controlling it. We can already create a fusion of Hydrogen into Helium by using a fission bomb as the kick-start. In both of those cases, it is an UNCONTROLED reaction. Controlling that amount of energy is currently beyond our capacity. The materials sciences have not reached that level of engineering to harness so much power at once.
    1
  3520.  @derkleebaum  Yea, because Dingy Harry Reid was virtue signaling. Yucca Mountain is in the middle of the Nevada Test Range which is already contaminated and has restricted access. And then you have the fact that security is provided by the USAF. You know Groom Lake/Area 51? That is close by Yucca Mountain. So before you try and get all high and mighty, do your due diligence and research before you fire off in ignorance.
    1
  3521. Except the delta-velocity required to do that is extremely high. Easier to simply shoot it out of the solar system or crash it into Jupiter.
    1
  3522.  @Jamie_Johnson  At what cost? Famine of biblical proportions? That is the problem with you neo-Pagan Gaia worshipers (aka climate activists), you don't care about the suffering of humans so long as your goals are accomplished. Never mind that during the Mesozoic era the Earth was TEN DEGREES CELCIUS WARMER. You blatantly ignore the laws of thermodynamics, namely the conservation of matter and energy.
    1
  3523. You realize that farmers plant Alfalfa specifically to restore the nitrogen depleted from the soil?
    1
  3524.  @mormacil  Indeed. These fools in government don't seem to realize that farmers will often rotate with Alfalfa to replenish the nitrogen in the soil, thereby preventing soil depletion.
    1
  3525.  @Doubleranged1  I seriously doubt that there is too much nitrogen in the soil. Alfalfa is planted specifically to INCREASE soil nitrogen and prevent depletion; the node in the roots contain nitrogen fixing bacteria. It is clear that the politicians and bureaucrats in Brussels don't have a clue about farming nor basic botany. Again, city urban liberals trying to tell farmers how to do their job. And the results are always the same: from China's Great Leap Forward Famine to the Ukrainian Holodomor. Never dictate to a farmer how to do his job.
    1
  3526. Indeed. The people preaching don't seem to understand that farmers will often plant Alfalfa to restore nitrogen to the soil. These city urban liberals think they know more about biology and botany than the farmers.
    1
  3527.  @EraYaN  Your first paragraph is moving the goal posts, a logical fallacy. The second paragraph shows that you know very little about economics or how international trade works. You very much use Russia as a convenient scapegoat so that you can avoid defending the repercussions of your ideology. In effect, you refuse to accept responsibility for the consequences of your disastrous policy proposals. Typical behavior of a religious zealot. As for your third paragraph, your words show you are in ivory tower elitist with very little ground level perspective. You think you know all the answer from on high when that just shows how out of touch with reality you actually are. You are as Marie Anntonette telling the peasants to "just eat cake".
    1
  3528.  @EraYaN  And now you are engaging in the very same false choice dilemma you claim I was doing. Humans are OMINVORES which means we get sustenance for a variety of places. But there are some nutrients that can only come from plants, and there are some that can only come from animals. And Russia is an easy excuse. You seem to have forgotten that the UN was sounding the alarm back in 2020! And at that time, they were pointing to the supply chain disruptions caused by the Wuhan Virus lockdowns. And folks like you claim Americans have a short memory.
    1
  3529.  @EraYaN  I don't think you actually understand how the farming industry actually works. I don't think you realize how your proposed polices will actually make artificial famine because you are NOT actually looking at the chain of impacts and how they WILL cause food shortages. The Un has already assessed that there will be massive starvation across the planet, and you want to make that worse by shutting down productivity. Sri Lanka is simply your policies on a local-national level. Taken to the global scale as you propose will not solve the problem, it will increase it by several orders of magnitude. Much like in Sri Lanka, you are completely ignoring actual human behavior, assuming the best case rather than a realistic outcome. Such idealism causes more human suffering than it prevents.
    1
  3530.  @EraYaN  You say that, but I know you have not considered the unintended consequences. And no, famines caused by technocratic bureaucrats are NOT a strawman argument. They are but ONE of the unintended consequences I described. Again, you really need to look into how such central planning fails spectacularly. Sri Lanaka's collapse is a direct result of your proposals.
    1
  3531.  @EraYaN  That "livestock is inefficient so we should abandon it completely" argument has been made since the 1920s. It was wrong then and it is wrong now and is predicated on a THEORY of land use efficiency that completely ignores the nutritional needs of the human body. It is the same kind of flawed logic behind Lysenkoism. In fact, the proposals are the very cause of the Chinese Famine, if you bother to actually look at the root cause. Meat from livestock gives us the Vitamin B12 we will NEVER get from either plants or insects. And that is not the only nutrient deficiency that will be caused by completely eliminating livestock as a food source from the human diet.
    1
  3532.  @EraYaN  Just because the plans have been around for two decades doesn't mean they are actually good plans. Advances in agro-technology has made both animal and plant husbandry MUCH more productive, on the order of 5 to 10 times over "natural" farming. If you like having a full belly, thank a farmer. If you enjoy this modern lifestyle, thank a farmer for making it possible. Fact of the matter is, if you implement the polices you are advocating, you WILL cause a famine comparable to the Ukrainian Holodomor or the Chinese Great Leap Forward Plague. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. Don't engage in pseudo-science. Don't be Trofim Lysenko, the "expert" who is the cause of Soviet-Communist artificial famines.
    1
  3533.  @hnorrstrom  Perhaps, but not always. How many times has the US chose to fight to a draw rather than an outright win since the end of WW2? How many engagements have been waged where American forces curb-stomped their enemy yet chose to relinquish the battlefield?
    1
  3534.  @misterpinkandyellow74  How? Give details. The Ukraine is FULLY mobilized and on a war footing. Russia is not, pretending to not be and horribly understaffed because of that false pretense. The Russians are not fighting for their homes and livelihoods the way the Ukrainians are. The Ukrainians have much more at risk than Russia soldiers do. The Ukraine also has the supply lines that Russia does not. Those factors favor the Ukraine in the long game. Keep in mind, the Third Reich overran and occupied all of the Ukraine in just four months during Operation Barbarossa. They held it for just two years before the Soviets completely ejected them. The Ukrainians will do the same to the Russians. In three years' time, I predict that the Ukraine will have taken back the Crimea and will be marching on Minsk to liberate Belarus from Putin.
    1
  3535.  @askosefamerve  Salafists ARE Islamists, the only difference is degree of violence. You are making a distinction WITHOUT much of a difference. "Soft" or "Moderate" jihadism as contrasted with total war militancy.
    1
  3536.  @askosefamerve  Calling someone you disagree with a racist is not an argument, it just proves you cannot debate the merits. Further, I seriously doubt that you are from Turkey as your gay pride flag profile image calls that into question. The Muslims in that part of the world are well known for throwing gays off the top of buildings. And Erdogan is very much part of the Salafist take on Islam. "I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left." -Margaret Thatcher.
    1
  3537.  user  I don't blame the people of Turkey for the crimes of Erdogan's government. He has subverted the system established by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to become a dictator not much different from Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko of Belarus.
    1
  3538.  @English_Dawn  Indeed. And Ukraine having lived under Soviet Socialism along with Poland would quickly put a kibosh to the neo-communist policies of the Franco-German block.
    1
  3539. "The great problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of OTHER people's money," -Margaret Thatcher. Debt sharing is simply Soviet Socialism by another name. It has never worked because it rewards the lazy and irresponsible while punishing the productive.
    1
  3540. Yeah, but at what cost? Keep in mind that Alex Hamilton, Henry Knox, and their stock gambler buddies are who caused Shay's Rebellion in Massachusetts. Then Hamilton repeated it with his tax on whiskey leading to the Pennsylvania Whiskey Rebellion. It took Andrew Jackson following Thomas Jefferson's policies to finally retire the debt. Unfortunately, presidents after him repeated Hamilton's blunder leading to the American federal debt crisis we see today. The debt to GDP ratio is unsustainable.
    1
  3541.  @Jay...777  Something tells me the devil is in the details. Certain critical pieces of data that completely undermine your claims. "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money," -Margaret Thatcher.
    1
  3542. The F-22 line was cannibalized to make the F-35s. And it has been reluctantly admitted that Robert Gates made a strategic blunder in reducing the size of the US F-22 fleet. So no, not a single F-22 can be spared. If the hacks in the Pentagon and Congress hadn't been so stingy, they could have sold some to Australian and New Zealand thereby preventing this very problem.
    1
  3543. Don't conflate Saint Basil's Cathedral with the Kremlin. You displayed the Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed (Basil) when you referred to the Kremlin at 3:28.
    1
  3544.  @eduardazo  The positions are NOT mutually exclusive. Your absolutism is blinding you to the nuances of the situation. The US does NOT want hostility with Russia. The era of Boris Yeltsin was one of opportunity and cautious optimism. Many folks in the US expected to make a friend and ally with Russia on the assumption that much like the former Warsaw Pact, they were turning away from the Soviet-Totalitarian past. Then Putin came to power and brought back the ideology of Yuri Andropov, closing the door on the Détente between Russia and the West. The murder of critics like Alexander Litvinenko showed that Putin very much wanted confrontation with the West.
    1
  3545.  @Spacemongerr  Indeed. Even today when looking at Korean place names, the Gs and Ks are often interchanged. For example, to differentiate Gongju with Gyeongju, the former has the soft sound while the latter has the hard sound. The Y after the K is the distinguishing factor. Another example which is really frustrating is Palace of GnosisKnosis. Too many people incorrectly use the hard K rather than the soft G. Gnosis should be pronounced similar to Gneisenau.
    1
  3546.  @bloodfiredrake7259  Operation: Mincemeat. The Brits made a big stink on purpose so as to convincingly sell the false story they purposely dropped into the hands of the Nazis.
    1
  3547. What if it was intentional counter-intelligence? It looks to me like it was cooked up by the same kinds of people that implemented Operation: Mincemeat in WW2.
    1
  3548. As far as "leaks" go, it is up there with Operation: Mincemeat. There can be some truly bizarre counter-intelligence activities.
    1
  3549. It could be a British one. Look up Operation: Mincemeat. That was one truly bizarre counter-intelligence plot.
    1
  3550. Operation Mincemeat. The Brits PURPOSLY leaked bad intel to the Nazis in preparation for the D-Day landings. It is amazing people haven't considered that possibility in this situation.
    1
  3551.  @Polygon-yug-9581  Ukraine isn't in control of the power plant. Russia is. Ukraine can't deny the IAEA access to an area that they do not have control over. You are bloviating and deflecting. it is RUSSIA alone who is denying access to the power plant.
    1
  3552. False flag attacks. Russia is known for staging them.
    1
  3553. o @cdeford  I could say the same about you. Yu are so hell bent on the anti-NATO narrative that you refuse to look at anything but anti-Ukraine sources. And pointing to typically neutral sources such as India and Switzerland not buying your story isn't a strawman, it goes to the issue that the people most open to accepting your evidence and arguments remain unconvinced.
    1
  3554.  @cdeford  The UN or simply shills for Russia? Why is it that NGOs could not independently verify ANY of that? The UN is a playground for dictators and despots. Stop lying to yourself.
    1
  3555.  @cdeford  More Kremlin talking points huh? When the traditionally neutral Swiss, Finns, and Swedes don't believe anything you are saying, you have lost the plot. Even India doesn't believe your story!
    1
  3556.  @cdeford  WRONG. It is Russia who has turned Ukrainian cities into rubble and ruin, not the Ukrainians. Secondly, you have never heard of false flag operations, have you? It is a classic tactic to stage an attack on your own forces as justification and pretext for engaging in certain actions that would otherwise be verboten. Case in point is the murder of the Azov Steel Plant POWs.
    1
  3557. On, Ukraine did not, it was the Russians who chose to use the plant as a military strong point. In that, they are just as bad as the Germans at Monte Cassino in Italy during WW2.
    1
  3558. False flag, just like when they murdered the POWs they captured from the AZOV steel plant.
    1
  3559.  @Polygon-yug-9581  Common sense also says that False flag attacks are a great way to blame your opponent for what you are guilty of doing. You have been sold a bill of goods.
    1
  3560.  @nonyabisness6306  Except, most of the radiation leaks at Fukushima was specifically FROM the waste storage pools, not the reactor cores themselves. The reason why the pools exist is because the waste WILL get hot much like corium and melt through the bottom of the containment when the water is removed.
    1
  3561.  @Conclusius68  Because they are pathetic. Seriously, how many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris? Nobody know because it has never been attempted.
    1
  3562. False flag operations, just like they did when they murdered the Azov steel plant POWs.
    1
  3563. Never heard of false flag, have you? The Nazis did it quite often to justify their actions leading up to WW2.
    1
  3564.  @billjane5522  It is the Russians who are engaging in Genocide against ethnic Ukrainians in the Donbas. Ukrainian authorities have had zero control over the area since Russia used proxies to invade in 2014.
    1
  3565.  @ivrearde3236  What Ukraine waned was for Russia to keep its nose out of their country. Now tell me, how did they get what they wanted? Russia blatantly violated the terms of the nuclear weapon hand-over.
    1
  3566.  @popaog6786  Proof by verbosity is not an argument. And Ukraine is NOT shelling it because they gain nothing by taking the risk. However, the Russian General at the plant has unequivocally said that if they can't have it, they WILL go scorched Earth. You are an anti-NATO shill for the Kremlin, spewing their talking points on cue like Pavlov's Dog.
    1
  3567.  @Mr.Nichan  It is called basic structural engineering. A downward blast would have separated the collapsed bridge section in the middle, not folded it and shear off at the ends.
    1
  3568.  @Pystro  Then how do you explain the lack of scorching? I am focusing on the damage patters which do NOT line up with the use of a truck mounted explosive. Further, there are actually TWO separate collapsed sections with a completely intact section between them? The security footage doesn't show it, but the video of the aftermath shows a collapsed section further down where the bridge section sheared off cleanly.
    1
  3569.  @shadyhaze1559  Except, the damage patter doesn't indicate that it was a truck bomb. The fact that portions of the deck were lifted UP and sideways indicated that the explosion was UNDER the bridge, not on top of it.
    1
  3570.  @chickenfishhybrid44  While I agree with your sentiment, it does us no good to be sniping at each other. That is exactly what Putin wants: for citizens of Western Nations to be at each other's throats with recriminations and accusations. Oh, and let us be clear, the Poles have far and away outdone the US as far as support to Ukraine. And while the total value is smaller, what the Baltic States have given Ukraine is essentially total commitment at the risk of Russia invading them while they are waiting for NATO equipment to replace their depleted Warsaw stock. Let's keep things in context.
    1
  3571.  @majormoolah5056  Clearly you haven't though. Even the video calls out Macron. Just because YOU declare something isn't so, doesn't mean it is not true. How about you actually watch the video rather that going off half-cocked.
    1
  3572.  @majormoolah5056  Why is it so hard for you to find it yourself when it is so easy to use a search engine? I am not your wetnurse. PS: Google/youtube automatically deletes outside links so if I was to provide one, I would have to put in spaces to get around the censors.
    1
  3573.  @majormoolah5056  May 13-14. It is not hard to find.
    1
  3574. He has in the past. But being reminded of the 1939 Munich agreement tends to shut down any discussion, and rightly so.
    1
  3575.  @rogerstarkey5390  Look up the Siege of Lenningrad. The defenders outlasted the attackers.
    1
  3576.  @98091238  Simplistic, perhaps, But hardly propagandistic. And the only reason why it is so complex is because people insist on making it needlessly more complex than it has to be. "Life is very simple, people just insist on making it overly complex," -Confucius, author of "The Analects"
    1
  3577.  @logixxt9097  All of that is needlessly over complex. LESS government and centralize authority is ALWAYS the correct answer. Centralized power and control is NEVER the correct answer. You insist on upholding an overly complex system that disenfranchises EVERYONE. That is the textbook definition of tyranny.
    1
  3578.  @logixxt9097  Calling me a bot isn't an argument, it is an ad hominin (logical fallacy). It is also an act of desperation because it means you know you cannot argue the merits. How can you use genocide as justification for tyranny and despotism? How can you use the dead to justify doing the same thing to the other side? You clearly don't understand that MORE government and MORE centralize authority is precisely what causes crimes against humanity such as genocide. As for nations, built on ethnic cleanings, EVERY NATION has at some point engaged in ethnonationalism at the expense of minority populations. Don't pretend that Bosnian Muslims did not engage in the very same acts during WW2 as part of Haj Amin Al-Husseini's SS brigade; it is very well documented.
    1
  3579.  @logixxt9097  And new war will occur BECAUSE you won't let the area further balkanize into smaller local states. The Cantons are already effectively smaller states, so why not make it official? If you bother to even pay attention, NOBODY really likes nor wants the system in place, and it represents nobody except the interests of the power mongers. Your insistence on they are remaining under such as tyrannical governing body is no less wrong and evil as the bloodshed that preceded it. Perhaps YOU don't understand that you are using one tragedy to justify another tragedy. That is despotic and dictatorial, just as evil as the one you are moralizing over. Trading one evil for another evil, one dictator for another is still affirmatively choosing evil.
    1
  3580.  @Shortfusefilm  Do what? Invade another country? Threaten to finish the Holocaust? Promise to drive the Palestinians into the sea? For its entire existence, the state of Israel has fought just to survive. Stop apologizing for people who want to finish what Hitler started.
    1
  3581.  @Shortfusefilm  Israel has never confirmed nor denied that they have weapons. Most assume they do though it has never been independently confirmed. Yes, you can say the same about Iran, except Israel isn't threatening to wipe anyone off the map as Iran has.
    1
  3582. Would you trust a child with a loaded firearm? THAT is what differentiates who should and who shouldn't have them. Some are mature and responsible. Others are not.
    1
  3583. And who wants to be the first to violate the agreement on non-proliferation of space weaponization? The costs of getting caught red-handed far outstrip the benefits.
    1
  3584.  @bastiaan7777777  Under NATO doctrine there is no such thing as a tactical nuke. Only low yield and high yield. ALL nuclear weapons are strategic escalation regardless of size.
    1
  3585.  @bastiaan7777777  Tactical nukes are pointless which is why NATO doctrine eliminated their use in artillery and treat ALL use as strategic weapons. There are better uses that simply salting the soil.
    1
  3586. Chernobyl proves the claims of uninhabitability bunk. Nuclear weapons produce short decay products unlike the long decay products of fizzle caused by a reactor core accident. Further, life is THRIVING in the exclusion zone despite the radiation.
    1
  3587. Indeed. The Washington Naval treaty, a precursor to nuclear arms control treaties failed to prevent WW2 for the same reasons.
    1
  3588. Then explain genocide. Some people don't want your biology to perpetuate. That being said, I am all about making love instead of war, where possible.
    1
  3589. I agree. More likely to detonate in the silo like they did on K-129 than actually launch.
    1
  3590.  @ericp1139  Yeah, the "science" behind the claims is suspect at best. Emotional appeals (logical fallacy) like the one you are employing is what people do when the data doesn't support their contention. You chose to call Chernobyl one exception, yet you also ignore the fact that both Hiroshima and Nagasaki were rebuilt within 30 years when original expectations were that they would be uninhabited for 500 years. Again, the hard data disproves your hyperbolic claims.
    1
  3591. Nuclear Armageddon is overblown. Humanity will find a way to survive. The fact that wildlife thrives in the Chernobyl exclusion zone shows that the fears are grossly exaggerated. Keep in mind that most of the radioactive products in nuclear weapons have a short lifespan as contrasted with the long decay products in a fizzle of a reactor core accident.
    1
  3592.  @tinymike318  While ignoring Jihadism from the PLO. Yeah, anti-Zionism is simply repackaged anti-Semitism.
    1
  3593.  @tetraxis3011  Amd the Palestinians regularly target schools and hospitals for their terrorist attacks. Save your moral outrage for people who have chosen killing over letting their neighbors live in peace. “When peace comes we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons. Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.” ― Golda Meir
    1
  3594.  @someguy3766  You are talking about MRVs, and I guarantee you that the US has already addressed that dilemma and that Patriots are more than capable of handling that threat. Your problem is that you are engaging in hyperbolic doomsday scenarios that are just no longer possible. The USSR may have had the capacity you outline, the modern Russia and China do not. Right now, the ONLY country with the capabilities you describe is the US, and I assure you that the US knows how to defeat its own systems.
    1
  3595.  @tetraxis3011  Except Indian observers have confirmed it. ISW even cites them.
    1
  3596. Washington Naval Treaty tried to do the same with Battleships and Cruisers. Failed to prevent WW2.
    1
  3597. Funny how quickly that people calling for disarmament conveniently ignore the failure of the Washington Naval Treaty.
    1
  3598.  @CruWiT  I tend to agree. A good portion of the Pacific campaign was conducted from logistical hubs down under. China knows this from studying WW2 and as such eliminating that vector is critical to securing the South Pacific.
    1
  3599. Washington Naval Treaty shows the folly of such thinking.
    1
  3600.  @notastone4832  Considering that Poland is now a part of NATO, do you really want to call that bluff? The agreement has already been made and the die is cast. Putin doesn't think it is a bluff otherwise he would have already invaded the Suwałki Gap.
    1
  3601. Agreed. MAD has never been tested in a serious way. One side may simply play up the aggrieved and NOT retaliate instead relying on the nuclear taboo being so toxic as to turn the world against the first to use them. An example is the fool who goes into a gun store in Texas trying to rob the place. Not going to work the way people think.
    1
  3602. It has always been a way to politically grandstand by people with no other influence on policy making.
    1
  3603.  @goldbullet50  The 50 years of relative peace during the Cold War occurred specifically BECAUSE of the threat of nuclear annihilation. The world you know today would not exist had that not been the case.
    1
  3604. Agreed. The Washington Naval treaty failed to prevent WW2 as its advocates claimed. The balance of nuclear power has kept the peace like no other treaty before or since. And arms control agreements paradoxically degrade that peace quotient.
    1
  3605. There is a more pragmatic reason: Nuclear weapon cores can be reprocessed into power core rods. Swords into plows as described in scripture, ironically.
    1
  3606.  @alphagamer9505  Tell that to Commodore Matthew C. Perry
    1
  3607.  @bennybundi9671  The clock has always been political grandstanding, which is why it is just as worthless today as it was in the past.
    1
  3608. As do the French. The fact that THREE NATO members have independent nuclear arsenals means that you have to avoid pissing off not just one but all three.
    1
  3609.  @observeut  Some people take the threat of Salafism very seriously. Some don't just consider their threats an idle bluff.
    1
  3610. Except, there are some folks such as those who believe in the 12th Mahdi that think it is their mission to cause as much chaos, violence and destruction to quicken his arrival. Do you really want people like that in control of nukes?
    1
  3611.  @swankydanky8025  Why should the US give money to people who hate the Us and want to kill Americans? Some people do take Vladimir Lenin's quote to heart and will NOT finance their enemies. "A good capitalist will sell you the rope you eventually hang him with," -Vladmir Lenin.
    1
  3612.  @thekaiser1156  Actually, it shows that you have no business commenting on something if you are not knowledgeable about it. It shows that in trying to "own" me, you simply stuck your foot in your mouth for all to see. Here is a hint: don't try to be clever with an analogy if you have no clue about the fundamentals behind it. And your bloviation and whataboutism is typical tactic of anti-American, Anglophobic, burn the world down and rule over rubble mentality of Communist/Islamist apologists. It is what you do when you can't defend your position. Funny how you throw stones at the CIA yet blatantly ignore the NKVD/KGB. Or the East German Stasi. Or Mossad, though I have more respect for the Israeli organization than I do America's "intelligence" agencies.
    1
  3613. Indeed. Krakatoa volcano is about the only appropriate comparison/analogy we can make with the Hunga Tonga Volcano. Even if the sizes are not the same, the mechanics, physics, and fundamentals should remain the same.
    1
  3614. True that. Parícutin in particular is a cautionary tale.
    1
  3615.  @directordigitaldiscoursefo4171  A mud volcano is different than a magma volcano. And in that particular case, it was completely different mechanics than your typical mud volcano. Heck, there is still doubt as to the actual cause because the data is not entirely conclusive, merely circumstantial. Will Hunga Tonga's eruption cause a volcanic winter? No. But it WILL have a noticeable impact on temperatures.
    1
  3616.  @fortisrisuspater  That is always the claim by progressives, that "it want's done right, we will do it better this time!" and proceed to make the exact same blunders. At a certain point, one has to simply accept that some ideas which SOUND good are in fact disastrous when implemented and will never deliver on their promises. Another word for that is honey-trap.
    1
  3617.  @kristopherjon6496  The DNC was the party of obstruction during both Bush and Trump so you have no room to be throwing stones when you live in a glass house. And the DNC paying lip service is nothing more than empty rhetoric, also known as posturing, grandstanding, and virtue signaling. That is neither honest nor respectable. Your problem is that you are NOT holding both sides to the same standards. You are in fact NOT holding them to account but apologizing. That is called hypocrisy. You are part of the problem by engaging in the very hyper-partisan tribalism that President Kennedy was chastising. "The Lady doth protest too much, me thinks," -Queen Gertrude; Act 3 scene 2; Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
    1
  3618. Because if he does use them, even Red China will turn against him.
    1
  3619.  @canadaphil6068  The ones that remain have been more or less co-opted by the Kremlin connected groups such as Shogu's outfit.
    1
  3620. They are, it is just buried in the replies.
    1
  3621. Only one man is insisting on this conflict continuing. Blaming everyone BUT the Kremlin shows either gross naivety on your part of outright shilling for Putin.
    1
  3622.  @IronskullGM  It is a diesel-electric, not a nuclear powered.
    1
  3623. Only one man is responsible for this war and he is in the Kremlin. Make no mistake, it Putin gave up his ambitions, this would be over before the end of the month. Don't blame the people who are fighting back against an aggressor.
    1
  3624. This is what war looks like, unlike your sanitized Hollyweird fantasies. General William Sherman was right: War is Hell!
    1
  3625.  @Mogadypopz  Wrong. He was cutting through her propagandistic prejudice and cutting to the heart of the issue. If anyone was making strawman arguments it was the political activist pretending to be a journalist.
    1
  3626. Apples to oranges false equivocation. Nice try.
    1
  3627. Considering that the two countries having enclaves and exclaves in each other's territory is a direct result of Stalin, it is fair to say that the Russians do hold some of the blame. And while Stalin was ethnic Georgian, he was the head of the Russian dominated Soviet Empire.
    1
  3628. Don't forget Stalin's hand in the situation. The exclave of Naxçıvan was specifically his creation.
    1
  3629. The Russian Bear is Geriatric! Spread that meme around.
    1
  3630. From your mouth to Putin's ear. Only one man can stop this and he refuses.
    1
  3631. The power of nukes is mostly in the threat. Once they are used, they lose much of that power. And enemy unfazed by threats of use will not be stopped once they are used.
    1
  3632. Indeed. I think Putin's bluff was just called.
    1
  3633. Only one man can stop this war, and he refuses.
    1
  3634. The Wagner monsters certainly are Orcs. But allow those surrendering the dignity of being the Sergeant Shultz of "Hogan's Heroes".
    1
  3635. Equipment, training, terrain, and morale will act as force multipliers that make those greater numbers meaningless. Particularly in winter when the Russians are not properly equipped for cold weather combat.
    1
  3636. And it is about to get worse with the Crimean Bridge out of commission.
    1
  3637. Georgians Soviet Officers were pretty effective too. Funny how the best leadership in the USSR wasn't the Russians themselves.
    1
  3638. The classic throw down between the free peoples of the West (Greeks then, Ukrainians now) vs. the slave armies of the East (Persia then, Russia now).
    1
  3639. Semper Fi, Der Teufel Hunden!
    1
  3640. And yet Hiroshima was rebuilt in less than 30 years. The fears about radiation are overblown. The danger is real, but greatly exaggerated.
    1
  3641. Annyo haseyo!
    1
  3642. A man seemingly with a Napoleon complex.
    1
  3643. Because the Russians have been using civilian vehicles to move around troops.
    1
  3644.  @kcccc5682  The prosecution has failed to prove that. Hell, even the FBI and the DOJ refused to even pursue that charge. Even Fareed Zakaria has acknowledged this as a farce.
    1
  3645. With the air defenses around both Moscow and Petrograd removed and sent to Ukraine, why would Putin use a nuke while exposed to counterattack like that?
    1
  3646. Not with the Petrograd and Moscow air defenses having been removed and sent to Ukraine. Why use nukes when Putin is vulnerable like that?
    1
  3647. With Moscow and Petrograd's air defenses having been removed and sent to Ukraine? Why would they drop a nuke when they are vulnerable like that?
    1
  3648. With the Petrograd and Moscow air defenses having been stripped and sent to Ukraine? Why would Putin use nukes when he is vulnerable like that?
    1
  3649. Moscow and Petrograd's anti-air defenses have been completely removed and sent to Ukraine. Why would he use a nuke if his proverbial pants are down leaving him exposed to a counterstrike?
    1
  3650. Not likely with the Moscow and Petrograd air defenses having been dismantled and sent to Ukraine.
    1
  3651. Not with the anti-air defenses around Moscow and Petrograd stripped bare and sent to Ukraine. Putin's proverbial pants are down.
    1
  3652. Considering that the anti-air defenses around both Moscow and Petrograd have been completely removed and sent to Ukraine, that leaves Putin open for an unopposed counterstrike. Tell me, why would he use a nuke when his proverbial pants are down?
    1
  3653. Considering how many civilians they killed with their artillery shelling, I don't think civilian casualties matter to the Russian Army.
    1
  3654. Unlikely when the air defenses around Moscow and Petrograd have been removed and sent to Ukraine. Putin's proverbial pants are down.
    1
  3655. Consider this: the anti-air defenses around both Moscow and Petrograd have been completely stripped down and sent to Ukraine. If Putin were to use a nuke, his proverbial pants are down leaving him exposed to a conventional counterstrike.
    1
  3656.  @thetaexali9550  Russia doesn't actually care about the civilians. Them reducing Sevrodonetsk to rubble is proof of that. IF Kherson is to be flattened, they will use their artillery, not a nuke.
    1
  3657.  @levikaysan6150  Liberate JUDEA. Palestine is a word the Romans made up in 74 AD to try and erase Jewish history.
    1
  3658.  @taz09216  More blood libels? Hamas was created in opposition to Israel genius.
    1
  3659.  @silverx_1848  Yeah, and how many Jews in Germany supported the Nationalist Worker's party before it turned on them?
    1
  3660. Liberate JUDEA!
    1
  3661. Liberate JUDEA! Palestine is a word invented by the Romans in 74AD in their attempt to erase Jewish history.
    1
  3662. Students emulating the German Nationalist Worker's party in the 1930s.
    1
  3663. Liberate JUDEA!
    1
  3664. Just like Occupy walls street was correct? Blatantly ignoring the rapes that occurred in the "women's tents".
    1
  3665.  @r6573  Hamas is essentially a theocracy.
    1
  3666. The Temple mount predates Islam. How can Israelis occupy the land they owned since antiquity?
    1
  3667. Compared to Russian tanks acting like Roman Candle fireworks when their ammo cooks off, the Western tank is far and away better.
    1
  3668. Indeed. Operation Faustschlag and the Battle of the Bulge both occurred in winter.
    1
  3669. Weather balloons don't carry gondolas that large.
    1
  3670. Fu-Go balloon bombs are no laughing matter.
    1
  3671.  @jimjones9239  Or incendiaries like the Japanese tried with their Fu-Go balloon bomb.
    1
  3672. The Hanja script written all over it.
    1
  3673. I think most Americans are embarred by the government's lack of response.
    1
  3674. Or incendiaries like the Fu-Go balloon bomb.
    1
  3675. I know of another delivery system that a former hostile power considered. Look up the Fu-Go balloon bomb.
    1
  3676. Fu-Go balloon bombs are no laughing matter. The Chinese just proved their viability.
    1
  3677. Ever heard of the U-2 Dragon Lady? Spy vehicles don't need to be undetectable to still be effective.
    1
  3678.  @WastdTrashPanda  No they don't. Congress and the Pentagon specifically denied anyone from purchasing the F-22. The F-35 is basically the cheap version of the F-22, so there isn't really any new technology since the 22.
    1
  3679.  @steveb796  After it has already dropped its payload. Seriously, look up the Japanese incendiary Fu-Go balloon bomb. The Chinese just proved that it is still a viable weapon.
    1
  3680. Japan already beat them with Fu-Go balloon bombs.
    1
  3681. The Chinese were testing the theory behind Japan's Fu-Go balloon bombs.
    1
  3682. Fu-Go balloon bombs are not absurd. That is why this is a big deal.
    1
  3683. Seems like the US learned nothing from Japan's Fu-Go balloon bomb.
    1
  3684. Also proved that Fu-Go balloon bombs are still viable.
    1
  3685. Should have shot it down over Alaska.
    1
  3686. Fu-Go balloon bombs are no laughing matter.
    1
  3687. Still too little too late. A Day late and a dollar short.
    1
  3688. North Korea isn't going to mess with China's balloon. Neither would Russia. As long as it remained West of Japan as it traveled north with the Jet Stream, it can get to the US without crossing hostile territory.
    1
  3689. Weather balloons don't carry gondolas the size of three city buses.
    1
  3690. Fu-Go balloon bombs are no laughing matter. Besides, weather balloons don't carry gondolas the size of three city buses.
    1
  3691. Taiwan should be worried. The Chinese just proved that the US is a paper Tiger.
    1
  3692. Fu-Go balloon bombs. Look them up.
    1
  3693. Weather balloons don't usually carry a gondola the size of three city buses.
    1
  3694. Then why not shoot it down over Alaska where there is nobody around for miles? Or over Kansas or Nebraska which are also sparsely populated. Don't make excuses for incompetence.
    1
  3695. Fu-Go balloon bombs are no laughing matter.
    1
  3696. Sad that the Chinese succeeded where Japan failed. Fu-Go balloon bombs are now a viable threat.
    1
  3697. NORAD learned NOTHING from Japan's Fu-Go balloon bombs.
    1
  3698. Indeed. it should have been shot down as soon as it entered the US economic zone. The remote Alaska wilds would have been another safe place to bring it down.
    1
  3699. Weather balloons don't usually carry a gondola the size of three city buses.
    1
  3700.  @gregorylayne9044  Japan sent incendiary bombs to the US during WW2. Look it up. China just proved that it is still a viable vector of attack.
    1
  3701. Fu-Go balloon bombs are no laughing matter dude. They caused a number of forest fires.
    1
  3702.  @switchhit3774  Test NORAD's response to blatant violation of American airspace. Observe the American populace's response to such provocation. Judge whether the White House has the balls to actually take action. Pray for Taiwan because the message is clear: the US is a paper Tiger.
    1
  3703.  @RomanHistoryFan476AD  Cope harder private Drunkenski.
    1
  3704.  @georgesibley7152  Cope harder. Stop making excuses (rationalization fallacy)
    1
  3705.  @georgesibley7152  If the Russians knew Ukraine was coming, why have they failed to stop the incursion? Why is Ukraine easily 40km inside Russian territory? Your claims only beg larger and more embarrassing questions.
    1
  3706.  @ransertu7630  That is half of Ukraine. It is not a serious proposal.
    1
  3707. Generally, yes. But in this case, Putin left his entire frontier in Bryansk and Kursk undefended. Ukraine went for the soft underbelly.
    1
  3708.  @yelenashishkina8804  Yugoslavia was never really a viable country, simply a collection of mutually antagonistic ethnic groups kept together under the bootheel of Jozef Tito. And comparing Gaza under Hamas to Ukraine is apples to oranges false analogy, typical of propagandists being intellectually dishonest. Keep coping Private Conscriptovich.
    1
  3709. Maybe not in his pants because Ukraine caught him with his pants DOWN.
    1
  3710.  @lewiselliott9038  Everyone has bias. The issue is whether they admit it. Most of the West will acknowledge they are rooting for Ukraine. Simply acknowledging that means the bias is neutralized.
    1
  3711.  @MrJonathanainsworth  Finland and Sweden joining NATO means that goal is an abject failure. Those nations had zero reason to join until AFTER Russia invaded. NATO wasn't deterred, it was expanded.
    1
  3712. Then why didn't they do so at the start? Why does Kiev still stand? The Russian Bear is geriatric.
    1
  3713. More like Paul von Hindenburg. Russia HAS lost before. TWICE to the Kaiser's Army.
    1
  3714. Remains to be seen. Ukraine caught Russia with its pants down.
    1
  3715. Cope harder Private Conscriptovich.
    1
  3716. The Russian Bear is GERIATRIC!
    1
  3717. They are. NATO forced them to clean up their behavior during the first two months. Then the Ukrainians realized it was an opportunity to demoralize the enemy by feeding them and then letting them call home to momma.
    1
  3718. Funny, because ALL news agencies are by definition propaganda. Some are just more overt than others.
    1
  3719. I kind of agree with this. I also think he SHOULD hold elections and step aside. If he didn't have such as contentious relationship with the mayor of Kiev, I would think Vitali Klitschko would have been the natural successor, with Zelensky taking a step back to be a mover and shaker behind the throne.
    1
  3720.  @billywatts4689  False reports will only get yourself banned from Google/youtube. Don't waste their time or they WILL waste yours.
    1
  3721. Name one specific. Generalities don't count.
    1
  3722. Liberate JUDEA!
    1
  3723.  @georgesibley7152  It would appear that Putin ended up out playing himself. He tried to pull a Patton Fake Army complete with inflatable tanks in Kursk only for Ukraine to take it so seriously, they went on the offense in a preemptive strike.
    1
  3724. Then why were they not there in Kursk to being with? Putin got caught with his pants down!
    1
  3725. Operation Faustschlag says otherwise. Russia CAN be defeated in winter. And that was actually the SECOND time the Imperial Germans owned the Russians.
    1
  3726. The problems Russia had reinforcing Zaphoresia and Kherson says that they can't so quickly redeploy forces to Kursk.
    1
  3727. Operation Faustschlag says that Russia CAN be defeated in the winter. And that was the SECOND time the Imperial Kaiser's Army defeated Russia.
    1
  3728.  @s0ycapitan  "Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated," -Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. "Sir, I have not yet begun to fight!" -John Paul Jones, father of the US Navy.
    1
  3729. Stop shilling for Russia. Truth doesn't care about your feelings.
    1
  3730. And yet he is a retired general. Western Generals have to at least be competent, unlike Russian generals.
    1
  3731. Russia is sending its oil to China and India while getting ripped off at the Pump. Not even OPEC can save Russia's energy industry.
    1
  3732. "Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated," -Smauel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. "Don't count your eggs before they have hatched," -old proverb. "I have not yet begun to fight," -John Paul Jones, father of the US Navy.
    1
  3733.  @yelenashishkina8804  The only enemy of the Russian people is the Kremlin. Under Yeltsin, there was reproachment and a possible new future between Russia and the West. Putin slammed that door shut.
    1
  3734. Name one SPECIFIC thing he was wrong. Generalities don't count.
    1
  3735. Yet the Kaiser's army under Hindenberg humiliated both Tsarist Russia AND Soviet Russia. Putin's leadership is as effective as The Soviet Red Army was under Leon Trotsky.
    1
  3736. Ukraine is not so stupid as to shell a nuclear power plant. Unlike the Russians, they will NOT use it as an ammunition dump.
    1
  3737. I don't think Ukraine could annex Kursk. But they COULD help them to form a "Volga Republic" in opposition to Putin's "Russian Federation".
    1
  3738.  @margaretha907  Operation Faustschlag says otherwise.
    1
  3739.  @davidjohn8889  Drunkenski isn't just a trope, it seems to be a common defining feature of Russia and Shills for Russia.
    1
  3740. Agreed. Ukraine "welcomed" Russia with Molotov Cocktails. The Russian citizens of Kursk Oblast have not.
    1
  3741. Cope hard Private Conscriptovich.
    1
  3742. Communist Dictatorships LOVE to claim they are the "People's Republic" when they are anything but. It has become so cliche that it is now a trope in fiction.
    1
  3743. Communist dictatorships always claim to be the "People's Republic". It is so cliche that it is a trope in fiction.
    1
  3744. India doesn't like being bunched in with them. They are particularly irritated with how Russia is failing to meet its obligations. And the aircraft carrier has been a complete disappointment.
    1
  3745.  lolikbolik4818  Angolphobe.
    1
  3746. It was doubtful Russia was even observing them in the first place.
    1
  3747.  @sasobrume6866  Apples to oranges dude. When was the last time Bush killed someone with Polonium? Or when did Blair execute someone by using them for artillery practice?
    1
  3748. The world is a truly ugly place. And it takes good men willing to pay the highest price to keep monsters like them in check.
    1
  3749.  @mrjerzheel  Because the US doesn't manufacture Soviet caliber munitions. The US doesn't make replacement parts for Warsaw Pact equipment. Try to keep up.
    1
  3750.  @Jon962-h4i  True. I just wanted to point out that the media doesn't like to give the man a victory even when he earned one. Crossing unguarded into a hostile nation where they could have easily snatched him was significant.
    1
  3751. Most media hates Donald Trump. Consider that factor.
    1
  3752. Apples to oranges. Farming is not as intensive as munitions production. And Russia does have lots of land to farm.
    1
  3753.  @alexanderpepkin4110  "Ethnic Russians"? From 2014-2022 a grand total of 5 civilians were killed per month. Since the invasion, the number of civilian deaths in the Donbas increased by 155%. Under "Russian protection", MORE people have been killed. Even the Indians don't believe the myth of Ukrainian oppression of Russians.
    1
  3754. Potemkin Village. The systemic and targeted destruction of historical buildings is a crime against humanity.
    1
  3755. So explain to me my the Antinovski bridge was not destroyed in a similar fashion?
    1
  3756. Then why wasn't the Antonovski bridge destroyed to the same degree?
    1
  3757.  @zelenskyy-the-blackmailerh5920  Antinovski Bridge says otherwise.
    1
  3758. How about the damn the Russians destroyed just months prior? The blew up a few after the retreat from Kherson.
    1
  3759. They blew up other dams after their retreat from Kherson city.
    1
  3760.  @tbird4a  That is what Russia keeps doing.
    1
  3761. @Kale White Antinovski Bridge says otherwise.
    1
  3762.  @jp1431  Wishful thinking. Bibi has been the most consistent leader in Israel aside form Ariel Sharon. The opposition that ousted him couldn't survive long enough to keep him out of office.
    1
  3763.  @jp1431  Funny, because Palestinians are just Arabs no different from the Syrians, Jordanians, or the rest. And not even their Arab brothers like them anymore.
    1
  3764.  @syedaslam2780  LIBERATE JUDEA from ARAB-MUSLIM OPPRESSION!
    1
  3765. The problem is that the ARABS claiming to be Palestinian have NEVER negotiated in good faith. They have ALWAYS violated the peace terms they agreed to. much like Putin.
    1
  3766.  @annviolet4727  What invasion? Jew were NOT permitted to settle in JUDEA by the Ottoman Turks. It wasn't until after the British Mandate post-WW1 that Jews were allowed to settle in the area.
    1
  3767.  @kiprotichngetich8490  Nowhere near as long.
    1
  3768. More like the Ukrainians scuttled their own to prevent its capture. Much like the German Fleet at Scapa Flow, the Scuttling of the Peruvian Fleet at Callao or the French Fleet at Toulon.
    1
  3769. Consumption rates. Are the Russians using artillery the same as they were 9 months ago? That alone speaks volumes.
    1
  3770. There is an off-ramp for Moscow, it is just that the man who occupies that building refuses to take it.
    1
  3771. Blitzkrieg is an aberration, not the norm. It took the Allies six months to advance beyond Normandy in WW2.
    1
  3772. How long did the Normandy invasion take? Six months? Blitzkrieg is not the norm but rather an aberration.
    1
  3773.  @jonye7511 They have been doing that since the first attack on the Kerch Bridge. What more can the Russians do beyond the attacks on civilians they have already done?
    1
  3774.  @AndyM_323YYY  And then there is the Biden voters who can't even locate Ukraine on a map of Europe. Keep your pissing match to yourself. There are low information voters on both sides of the aisle. The career political class counts on the serfs being too dumb to walk off the plantation.
    1
  3775. Polls are crap. The 2016 election proved that beyond a reasonable doubt.
    1
  3776. Everyone but the most obvious suspect. Occam's Razor refutes your claims.
    1
  3777.  @lukilladog  Violence is in human nature. Refusal to accept that is to deny reality. Yes, even the great physicists can be wrong. Pure pacifism is to accept the fate of the Dodo Bird as your own.
    1
  3778.  @paulgibbon5991  Indeed. And Vranyo is a word that EVEYRONE in the world should become familiar with. For my own opinion, I think if Russia tried to launch nukes, they would detonate in the silo just like they did on K-129.
    1
  3779. Not really. It is the vultures, jackals, and other carrion eaters that benefit from the carnage of war.
    1
  3780. Wagner is Kaput without Utkin leading them in combat.
    1
  3781. Did blacks have representation in the Apartheid South African Government? Muslim Arabs have no fewer than FIVE elected members of the Knesset. Your argument has no merit.
    1
  3782. That pretty much describes ALL politicians.
    1
  3783. Considering Capitol Hill is a nest of preening Peacocks, that is a low bar to overcome.
    1
  3784. At this point the GOP and the Tories are exactly the same: big government hacks with no spine who regularly lie to their constituents just to maintain power.
    1
  3785. What aggression? NOTHING justifies what Hamas did. NOTHING justified the 1948 invasion of Israel. Nothing Justified the 1967 and 1973 wars which were all a result of ARAB aggression. Stop blaming the victim.
    1
  3786. Israel hasn't occupied Gaza since 2005. And Palestinians refuse to accept Israel's right to exist.
    1
  3787.  @csharpe5787  Why is that? Is it because Hamas once they took power refused to let go of it or hold new elections? Elections have consequences as Barak Obama infamously said.
    1
  3788. The US still uses the U-2 Dragon Lady to gather intelligence. Loiter time over the target is greater with a plane or balloon than with a satellite. Resolution is better as well.
    1
  3789. The Japanese did it in WW2. Wasn't very effective then, but the technology has gotten better.
    1
  3790. The Japanese used balloons to send incendiary bombs towards the US in WW2.
    1
  3791. Don't forget that the Japanese put bombs on balloons during WW2. Started a number of forest fires with them.
    1
  3792. Yeah, American "news" is in the tank for the Davos power mongers.
    1
  3793. Loiter time over the target. Also, resolution is higher at lower altitude.
    1
  3794. Loiter time over the target. Satellites only have a short window, even with multiple vehicles moving over the target
    1
  3795.  @ltipst2962  Stealth aircraft can still be seen on air traffic control radar. The significance of Stealth technology is NOT that it can't be seen, but that its signature is too weak to get an effective weapons lock on it.
    1
  3796. US presence in the Philippines? Not since they kicked us out after Pinatubo and closed down both Clark AB and Subic Bay Naval Station.
    1
  3797. Loiter time. Balloons can hover over the target longer than a Satellite. Better resolution as well.
    1
  3798. Or the cowardice of American leadership.
    1
  3799. Japan sent bomb balloons towards the US in WW2.
    1
  3800. 60,000 feet is well above the operating height of a drone.
    1
  3801. And I suspect that like a Zeppelin, there are several gas bags so if a few are punctured, it does not catastrophically fall to the ground.
    1
  3802. The Japanese sent hundreds during WW2. Started many forest fires.
    1
  3803. The Japanese used balloons to deliver bombs to the US during WW2.
    1
  3804. Japan used "Weather balloons" in WW2 to deliver bombs to the West Coast. Started a number of forest fires.
    1
  3805. The US still uses the U-2 Dragon Lady to gather intelligence. A balloon has longer loiter time over the target than a satellite. Better resolution too.
    1
  3806. Japan sent bombs to the US via balloons in WW2. Started a number of forest fires. This is not a joke.
    1
  3807. Japan sent bombs to the US via balloons in WW2. Started a number of forest fires.
    1
  3808. The reason is that those ridged airships has several separate gas bags so if it was punctured, it would not catastrophically fail. The reason why the German ones exploded was because they used Hydrogen rather than Helium.
    1
  3809.  @stevedenis8292  Indeed. I am less worried about such a balloon crashing in remote Alaska than I am about it going over the ICBM silos. The Pentagon's cowardice has only emboldened China to move forward with its plans to invade Taiwan.
    1
  3810. People have forgotten that the Japanese used balloons to send bombs to the US during WW2.
    1
  3811. The problem is the launch location. Would have to send it from Europe. But something tells me that Russia's central Asian allies would intercept it first.
    1
  3812. Anti-Zionism is simply fashionable antisemitism. Don't pretend the roots of anti-Zionism are not found in Soviet propaganda which simply repackaged the very same hate that Gobbels spread.
    1
  3813. Yeah, but HAMAS using human shields. By taking civilians hostage. By using hospitals and schools as ammunition warehouses. Stop making excuses for Jihadism.
    1
  3814. Because there is an intrinsic connection between the two. While not all Hebrews are Jewish, ALL Jews are Hebrews. The portion of non-Jewish Hebrews is painfully small compared to the number of Jews.
    1
  3815.  @liambowbrick3917  The 1948 invasion and rejection of the UN Partition.
    1
  3816. No, but to accept blatant lies against Israel at face value without looking deeper IS antisemitic. Antizionism is simply fashionable antisemitism.
    1
  3817.  @JonySmith-bb4gx  I fail to see what being Chinese-American has to do with the topic. My wife is Chinese-American. As for Unit 731, most of them were captured by the Soviet Red Army. While their flag officers were convicted at the Tokyo Trials for crimes against Humanity, the men who actually carried out the experiments were never handed over by the Soviets to face trial. More than likely, they were sent to some Gulag in Central Asia.
    1
  3818.  @Raza2483  And those that stayed in 1948 and refused to obey Gamal Abdel Nasser's order to evacuate are STILL there. The ones who fled did so fully expecting to take possession of what the Israelis built. They chose their fate.
    1
  3819.  @leslie-annmills-gomez8763  There were no Palestinians before 1948. There were ARABS who welcomed Jews. "Palestinian" as a word was coined in 1948 to describe the ARABS living in the British Mandate. Culturally and genetically, the "Palestinians" are indistinguishable from the Jordanians, Syrians, Lebanese, and Saudis.
    1
  3820. Because people are fooled by poorly disguised Soviet propaganda plagiarized from the Third Reich. The origin of antizionism is found in the antisemitism of Joseph Stalin.
    1
  3821.  @johnmcevoy3598  Troll.
    1
  3822.  @s0ycapitan  He is saying that the power mongers will try to have him assassinated. Too bad that will just make him a martyr just like Jullius Caesar was for Octavian.
    1
  3823. Dictators don't step down from power like he did in 2020. Try again genius.
    1
  3824.  @stewartkingsley  Putin didn't invade Ukraine under Trump, he waited until Joe Bite-Me was in office. If anyone has started WW3, it is the Biden team because of their fecklessness.
    1
  3825. Most people using them to describe him don't know what they mean. BTW, many people called Joseph Stalin a Fascist despite him being the leader of a communist country.
    1
  3826. Why? The world was safer under Trump. As Osama Bin Laden said, the world respects a strong horse, and Biden is a weak horse.
    1
  3827. The Murdock sons are flaming liberals who destroyed their father's marriage to Wendy Deng. Do YOUR homework.
    1
  3828. Georgia case against him is imploding under the corruption and malfeasance on the part of the prosecution.
    1
  3829.  @johnmcevoy3598  The Georgia case is imploding. Keep dreaming buddy.
    1
  3830.  @kanedNunable  He is speaking to the lowest common denominator. Politicians HAVE to if they want to win a large portion of the electorate.
    1
  3831. Considering the number of fraudulent investigations and court cases against Trump, I'd say his concerns are justified.
    1
  3832.  @theshimario253  On what charge? The Georgia case against him is imploding under the weight of the prosecution's own corruption and malfesance.
    1
  3833. As opposed to Weekend at Bernie's in the White House?
    1
  3834. As opposed to the dementia patient currently in the White House?
    1
  3835.  @UncleEbenezer77  Nelson Mandela served time in prison. So did the president of Brazil.
    1
  3836.  @UncleEbenezer77  Trump never actually said that. The media lied about that just like they lied about Nick Sandman and the Covington Catholic students, like they lied about Kyle Rittenhouse. like they lies about Jussie Smolette. Soviet Pravda has more credibility than the legacy media.
    1
  3837. Exactly. Just like every person fired by Trump, they have an axe to grind.
    1
  3838. And all the nevertrumpers are showing their derangement for all to see.
    1
  3839.  @CaballusKnight  Yeah, wikipedia has been caught red handed laundering opinion pieces as if they were objective facts. Just look at their treatment of Santorum or Tim Pool.
    1
  3840. Trump Derangement Syndrome is toxic.
    1
  3841. Fiji also experienced a significant tsunami, though not nearly as bad as Tonga.
    1
  3842. Solar will not work under an ash cloud. Adn the abrasiveness of the ash means it would damage the solar panels when you are trying to clean them off.
    1
  3843.  @michaeldeierhoi4096  To quote Michael Crichton, "the work of science has nothing whatever to do with consensus. Consensus is the business of politics. Science, on the contrary, requires only one investigator who happens to be right, which means that he or she has results that are verifiable by reference to the real world. In science consensus is irrelevant. What is relevant is reproducible results. The greatest scientists in history are great precisely because they broke with the consensus. There is no such thing as consensus science. If it’s consensus, it isn’t science. If it’s science, it isn’t consensus. Period." You resorting to claiming consensus is a logical fallacy called appeal to authority which makes anything else you claim based on that illegitimate. "Finally, I would remind you to notice where the claim of consensus is invoked. Consensus is invoked only in situations where the science is not solid enough. Nobody says the consensus of scientists agrees that E=mc2. Nobody says the consensus is that the sun is 93 million miles away. It would never occur to anyone to speak that way." -Michael Crichton
    1
  3844.  @michaeldeierhoi4096  Talking about strawman arguments, the ONLY argument for climate change being the result of man is consensus. That isn't science, that is appeal to authority. The data is inconclusive at best. "Finally, I would remind you to notice where the claim of consensus is invoked. Consensus is invoked only in situations where the science is not solid enough." -Michael Crichton's 2003 CalTech speech on Global Warming.
    1
  3845.  @jasonlarsen4945  Completely false. Volcanic emissions vastly outperform anything humans can do. Incidentally, fossil fuels come from carbon that was already on Earth since its formation 4 billion years ago. Stop this grifting over "man cause climate change". It is the same false argument about "human caused global cooling" in the 1970s.
    1
  3846.  @Danny451  You would reject the preponderance of evidence even if presented before you. Nothing will convince you because you have closed off your heart and your mind. Nietzsche talked about the death of faith and spiritualism in people like you. Notice, I am not trying to convert nor proselytize to you. But you are so dead set in you mesotheism that you have made it your mission to covert others to your faith hating non-theistic religion. That speaks volumes.
    1
  3847.  @Chepicoro  I think he needs a bigger boat.
    1
  3848. This explosion was several orders of magnitude larger than the most powerful nuclear weapons.
    1
  3849.  @jebablessysalomi3451  Look at Heaven Lake on Mount Paektu on the Chinese- Korean Border. It is about 4 km across. Crater Lake, Oregon is 8km across. Honga's caldera is at least 3km across. There are many others like that.
    1
  3850. British Colombia has numerous volcanoes. Ruby Mountain, Heart Peaks, Level Mountain, Mount Garabaldi, Hoodoo Mountain, Mount Meager, and Mount Baker just to name a few.
    1
  3851.  @analienmango8756  Actually, it is true. The depth of the area is comparable to the area around Beringia, Doggerland and the Sunda Land Bridges.
    1
  3852.  @meandyou2046  There were Earthquakes, the media just didn't report them. The eruption from the day before cause a Richter scale 4 tremor. As for the plastic, you are grasping at straws. Plastic BURNS at levels far lower than molten rock. Stop listening to the environmentalist grifters.
    1
  3853.  @FUBARGunpla  Who wrote the laws of science? Ever considered the "great clock-maker" explanation? And if you know anything about clockmakers and engineers is that they are CONSTANTLY fiddling with their creation.
    1
  3854.  @mikeb5664  And how much of that is self-inflicted gunshots? That is the dirty little detail that gun violence advocates fail to acknowledge.
    1
  3855. Anti-Zionism is simply fashionable antisemitism. It is hate by proxy.
    1
  3856.  @dacianbonta2840  What they don't also like to talk about is that the European slavers who arrived in West Africa purchased their slaves from black Muslims who enslaved their own people.
    1
  3857.  @roccoanthony8930  Wow, revisionist history. You are a good little Soviet Prog. Don't call force conscripts collaborators; they are victims who would have been murdered if they did not comply. And spare me your moral outrage and equivocation. European powers were NOT engaging is methodical genocide like the Japanese did. That is Marxist-Soviet lies.
    1
  3858.  Rogin  1911 Japan dispense with any pretense and brutally occupied the country for 35 torturous years. Don't pretend that the first 10 years of the 20th century was all smiles and unicorns. The Koreans were very much oppressed.
    1
  3859.  @elcidgranada3549  I don't disagree that Communism has killed more than the Imperial Japanese. As for the Moros in the Philippines, well, their actions speak for themselves. "Blackjack" Pershing was able to deal with them effectively. The Pig's Blood story was his predecessor, Colonel Alexander.
    1
  3860.  @elcidgranada3549  Actually, much IS known. The Samguk Sagi records the three Kingdoms period which predates the Mongolian occupation by a good 600 years. The native royalty Goreyo Dynasty was allowed to continue on the conditions that they not only pay tribute to the Khans, but that the sitting King had to marry a daughter of the Khans. That is part of why Admiral Yi Seong-gye's rebellion which lead to the foundation of the Choseon Dynasty was both popular and successful. After all of those years, the Goreyo royal family was more ethnically Mongolian than Korean.
    1
  3861. @grey momo "Whataboutism" is a deflection and a tacit admission you cannot debate on the merits of the argument. Pointing to bad behavior does NOT justify anything.
    1
  3862. @grey momo And there with the very same ethno-nationalism that fueled the Imperial Japanese. You are making the exact same blunder as them. You know who else shares your hatred of the West and western culture? The Ayatollahs of Iran. Let's face it, you are just as much of a tin-plated Stalinist as Mao, Pol Pot, Lenin, Tito, Franco, Pinochet, and yes even Joseph Stalin.
    1
  3863. @grey momo Mock me all you want. When your arse finds itself in trouble, you will be begging my country to save you and yours. We go above and beyond. Just ask the Koreans; ours was the only army that came to town and did NOT enslave them and force them to adopt our culture. Instead, we came in, did what was needed, then (mostly) went hope. THAT is why you find that Koreans have more affection for the US than many other countries. It also explains why most of the Vietnamese Boat people came to the US rather than remain in southeast Asia.
    1
  3864. @grey momo It is only megalomania if it is delusional. American might and the fact that we save the world from itself justifies American arrogance. It is you who harbors psychotic fantasies. Admiral Yamamoto, General Kuribayashi, Colonel Baron Takeichi Nishi, and many others who served with Americans in WW1 came to understand and appreciate Americans and our fighting spirit. They knew first hand that war with the US was a fool's errand that would only bring destruction on the Japanese Empire. I find it disappointing you, much like Togo and his cadre, refuse to learn the lessons they learned.
    1
  3865. @grey momo I will repeat from a Facebook post because it needs to be repeated here. The American chauvinism is well earned. Who liberated the European continent not once but TWICE? Who made all of the technological advancements of the 20th and 21st centuries? Not Europe. Only Israel and the Asian Tigers(South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore) can match the US for technological innovation. All others simply plagiarize. World War 2 was a direct result of how badly Europe concluded WW1. And World War 1 was because a bonehead monarch got himself assassinated in Sarajevo, a city he had no business visiting. And the US had to save Europe both times because that continent can't keep its house in order without outside intervention. As for POST WW2, if it was not for American GIs holding the line in West Germany, most of Europe would be speaking Russian today. France can't defend anything; not Paris, not Dien Bien Phu Falls, NOTHING. The last time the Brits fought a War on their own was over the Falkland Islands. So again, how am I misconstruing history? As Bill Mahar said, you guys were the ones asleep during history class. You may hate and despise the US and Americans, but that hate is born from envy, jealous, and a little bit of an inferiority complex. You want to be top dog, but only under the US's hegemony has the world experienced true peace. Without the US, the world would be a FAR more violent and chaotic place.
    1
  3866. @grey momo Speak for yourself. You seem to downplay and trivialize inconvenient parts and embellish the ones that fit your narrative. In the clash between the Japanese and Koreans I don't have a dog in the fight beyond wanting them to come together against a greater threat from Red China and their puppet in DPRK.
    1
  3867. @grey momo If you think I was justifying it, you were not actually reading my post. I was providing context, something you are oblivious to. And if you truly knew your history, you would be aware of said context. Japan has done little to address the War Crimes of the Military Leadership under Tojo. It is actually a credit to the Koreans and Chinese who chose to forgive and move on rather than perpetuate the cycle of recrimination. For that I am pleased to hear that many South Koreans called out their own countryman for his actions.
    1
  3868.  @ehmjay2892  Wow, seriously? You didn't read my post did you? Yes, I mislabel the Tohoku Earthquake as 2013 rather than 2011 when it did occur. I was at Osan AB in Korea when that happened. I saw the reactions of the Koreans. While those under 30 were sympathetic, those over 30 were still very bitter towards Japan and cheered. And apparently you overlooked my point about the aid the Park Geun-Hye offered to send which caused outrage in Korea.
    1
  3869. Well, the probe IS impacting the plasma of the Corona, but that part of the sun's atmosphere is so thin and diffuse that it is not strong enough to destroy or deorbit the probe.
    1
  3870. To a point. Do keep in mind that Vlad Lenin said a good capitalist will sell you the rope you eventually hand him with. Taqiyya, Tawriya, Kitman and Muruna philosophy in Islam teaches something similar. Expect an eventual betrayal.
    1
  3871. Bugged or full of bugs?
    1
  3872. "Testing the West"? Have you so quickly forgotten the 2008 Russo-Georgian War over South Ossetia? Or the 2014 theft of Crimea? They both followed the playbook Putin is using now. Difference is, the Ukrainians are putting up more of a fight than they did in 2014.
    1
  3873.  Moskva the Sinkable  Not really. American "intelligence" is more focused on Midwest "memaws" than outside threats. I trust British intelligence MORE than I trust American intelligence. And I say that as an American.
    1
  3874. If he does, Russian will have alienated even the nominally neutral nations. That is a bridge he cannot afford to cross.
    1
  3875. The power of nukes is in their deterrence factor. Once you use them you lose most of the strength of the weapon. Someone unfazed in the face of first-strike use against them is not going to be stopped once it has been used.
    1
  3876. A city of 25,000 pre-war is not small by Russian or Ukrainian standards. But I get that you have Western bias. Everything is big in the West making the cities of Eastern Europe seem small.
    1
  3877. Put down the copium. Remember Putin's "Not one Step back" order?
    1
  3878.  @propagandasheep  Pot meet kettle. The Russian Duma is nothing more than a rubber-stamp on Putin's agenda. Putin is an absolute dictator in the mold of Jospeh Stalin.
    1
  3879.  @bringbackthefruits3281  That may be true, but the fact is, the Russians are NOT demonstrating en-masse. The Ukrainians showed in 2014 what real resistance protesting is.
    1
  3880.  @keyfitter  You are engaging in the logical fallacy of presentism. Namely you are trying to apply today's mentality to when it was created. Jungle Warfare had NOTHING to do with the AK-47's production. It was made in response to Soviet performance in WW2, in the Ukraine, ironically enough. Now, I agree that today, the philosophy no longer applies because personal targeting systems have rapidly advance to the point that spray and pray is an ineffective tactic on the battlefield.
    1
  3881. Except, the AK-47 was never meant to be used for targeting. It followed the philosophy of "spray and pray". It was always nothing more than a buttle hose for the Soviet solider.
    1
  3882. Not used all of the toys? You realize that thanks to Russia's rout in Izium, they are now the largest supplier of tanks, artillery pieces, and bullets to the Ukrainian Army? 1 Guard Tank Army, the pride of Moscow gave away most of their equipment!
    1
  3883.  @rob-8928  Seriously doubtful. All of the activation and authorization codes were in Moscow so barring Western intervention in arming/disarming, there was no value in holding any in hiding.
    1
  3884.  @JohnDoe-hf4te  You give me WAY too much credit. I just happen to have a father who handled what the US Navy called "nuclear shapes" (ie simulated nuclear devices). To your first question: it is hard to say. if he thinks he has nothing to lose, he very well might (especially true if he thinks a coup from within is in progress). He also knows that he cannot afford to alienate folks like the Indians by using them. To your second question, it depends on what the target is. Should Putin nuke London, Berlin, Paris, or any American city, I guarantee you that Trident Missiles will be launched against Moscow and Petrograd. If not by the US, then by the British or the French (if Paris is nuked, they WILL do it). A Polish city will also likely trigger such as response, though at a slower pace. Ukraine being struck by nukes is a harder call. There WILL be a response, but not an automatic one. It could end up being something of a Potsdam Ultimatum. Third Question: The Indians will most certainly condemn their use immediate, the Chinese will be more reluctant, but will eventually also condemn the use but more likely several days later. India will find itself forced to act on sanctions or other economic means, but China will try to drag their feet like they always do. I hope that enlightens you.
    1
  3885. The power of nukes is in their deterrence factor. Use them and you lose that effect. Further, first-use WILL turn neutral powers like India against Russia.
    1
  3886. Nobody forced former members of the Warsaw Pact to join NATO.....except for maybe Putin himself driving them that direction. If you want to blame anyone for NATO's expansion, look no further than the Kremlin.
    1
  3887. Rail lines that supply the main areas DO make it more valuable than it first appears.
    1
  3888. The power of nukes is in their deterrence. Once you use them, that effect is expended. Further, it would guarantee that India and China would throw him under the bus, wanting nothing to do with a first-strike nation. Why do you think that China has never let North Korea nuke Japan?
    1
  3889. I don't know about Dagestan, but I would like to see an independent Sahka Republic in the Far East. Maybe even a Kamchatka Republic as well.
    1
  3890.  @assertivekarma1909  Indeed. My understanding is that while the Ukrainians have been shelling Belgorod, they have been VERY surgical in their strikes, hitting only obviously military targets and choosing to forego striking valid non-military targets such as power stations and war production factories. Me think the Ukrainians (with Western prodding) are trying to make it abundantly clear to the Russian people that their beef is with the Kremlin, not the population.
    1
  3891. Because they are TRYING to play the neutral third world position as they always have since WW2. Recent developments are making that more and more untenable.
    1
  3892. 15-year-old American equipment outperforming the best that Russia has. What does that tell you? The Russian Bear is Geriatric.
    1
  3893. "Hundreds of Years of Peace"? You do realize WW2 was less than 100 years ago? Further if by "peace" you mean under the bootheel of a dictatorship, you could be correct. But the Ukrainians have rejected that as a workable solution. They remember the days of the USSR and don't want to go back.
    1
  3894. The power of nuke is in their deterrence. Once you use them, that effect evaporates. And in doing so, it WILL alienate the neutral powers, turning them against Russia.
    1
  3895.  @vanlin9107  Actually it DOES matter. As a Korean you of all people should know that Democracy south of the DMZ is better than the squalor and famine north of the DMZ.
    1
  3896.  @Bizzare77777  You don't understand the Law of Armed Conflict. You are a moral equivocator with zero experience on the battlefield. There is a word for people like you: CHIECK HAWK. Try putting on a uniform and understand that the Uniform Code of Military justice WILL hold you to account. Just take a look at what they tried to do to Lt. Colonel Alan West.
    1
  3897. Pyrrhic victory maybe. And is that truly final victory?
    1
  3898. The problem is that airframes are easy to identify. Russia is never going to be flying a Boeing aircraft. Nor would they fly a British Tornado fighter. The inventories and operators of the various airframes are well known. The stickers are more to prevent "friendly fire" accidents.
    1
  3899. Sure, as if just laying down and surrendering would spare them. You have never had to fight for your home, so I don't expect you to understand. Pray that you never have to experience what the Ukrainians are living.
    1
  3900. Nevel Chamberan capitulation huh? I guess that means you should just roll over when Red China comes for your country.
    1
  3901. Yeah, there has not been much progress and development of former Soviet technology since the 1980s. The fact that the MiG-31 and MiG-33 are not that much different from the 29-Fulcrums is not a good sign for Russia.
    1
  3902. Yeah, there were fifth columns in the west during WW2, but they were not Japanese. Most were German and Italian but were quickly identified by intel such as MI-5. Western counterintelligence puts former KGB to shame. Only Mossad is better at that game than the West.
    1
  3903. Keep dreaming. He has already rejected offers of evacuation. In that he is more heroic that cowards like Charels deGaulle.
    1
  3904. But can he afford to simply hand over free weapons? The USSR believed they could but got out competed by the US.
    1
  3905.  @70dreadnought  The Davos group isn't even hiding it anymore. You are like the ostrich with its head in the ground. But I get it, you are a good little lickspittle for your feudal masters, regurgitating talking points on cue like Pavlov's Dog.
    1
  3906. Agreed. Feed them and arm them, but this is their fight, not ours.
    1
  3907.  @captmack007  Why? To what purpose? There is no logic in what you propose. It is just hysterical delusion.
    1
  3908. Agreed. Starvation and dehydration are bigger concerns than a virus with a 99.98% survival rate.
    1
  3909.  @TheDynamicmarket  Wrong. You do realize that Estonia, Lithuanian, and Latvia ALL share a border with Russia? And that NATO troops ARE already on that border and have been since their ascension? Your argument ignores hard facts which eviscerates your claims. Putin very much DID care about all of those former Warsaw Pact nations joining; it removed the historic buffer that the old Soviet Union enjoyed. You want to accuse NATO of belligerence and yet NATO HAS NOT invaded any country. And before you go "but Afghanistan!" I will remind you that the Taliban was given the option of handing over Bin Laden and could have avoided the hammer. By harboring an international terrorist, they violated the UN charter.
    1
  3910.  @georgewhite2469  Putin is a fascistic dictator who murders his critics and political opponents. If that is your idea of a hero, then you clearly love totalitarian despotism.
    1
  3911.  @Day.Of.The.GroundBreaker  Apples to oranges false analogy. Nobody forced Poland, Czechia, the Baltic States, Croatia, and Slovakia to join NATO, they joined of their own free will. Sweden and Finland joining NATO was a direct result of Russia's invasion. The expansion of NATO was a direct result of just one man-Putin.
    1
  3912.  @vincentlee7359  No, you were falsely trying to connect Trump to Epstein when in fact, Trump's Justice Department was the one trying to bring Epstein to justice. That was until he was murdered in prison by Mueller and company.
    1
  3913.  @vincentlee7359  Wrong perp dude. Trump was trying to bring people like these to justice. Your guy Biden let Epstein's handler, Ghislaine get away.
    1
  3914. They same reason why Epstein got away with what he did for so long; the establishment is in on it and is providing cover.
    1
  3915. The problem with this guy is that he would censor and silence reporters like those at WION.
    1
  3916.  @PiomiStrawhat  You would be surprised. My grandparents got me a knife for Christmas when I was 9. I turned around and had my parents hold onto it because I did not trust myself at the time. I was afraid I would cut my own fingers off with it.
    1
  3917. Blaming the parents is fine, but it is NOT the legalization of guns that is the problem. People will resort to knives in the absence of guns. Stabbings are five times higher where guns are unlawful.
    1
  3918.  @supergamergrill7734  Again a false narrative based on feelings and not on facts. Straw purchases are already unlawful, which is why most gun sellers will not permit them lest they lose their FFL. Second, it is unlawful to carry a firearm across state lines without an FFL. The problem isn't lax gun laws, it is that those laws are useless and would do nothing to actually prevent violent crimes. Again, you are blatantly ignoring cold hard facts because they run counter to your narrative.
    1
  3919.  @supergamergrill7734  You are deflecting. You somehow act like a POSSBILE higher chance of survival somehow makes things better. it does not. But I post this for you. Plano, Texas, the "gun nut capital" of the world with the highest gun ownership has the LOWEST homicide rate in the world. Now contrast that with "gun free-zone" cities like Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore, Stockton, Kansas City, St. Louis, Newark, Philadelphia, Memphis, and Atlanta where most of the killings in the US occur. Each of them by themselves would occupy one of the top 10 most deadly if they were their own country. Incidentally, Honduras and Venezuela have the highest per capita murder rates in the world, and BOTH have made gun ownership unlawful. The problem isn't gun ownership. The problem is politicians who take away gun rights.
    1
  3920.  @supergamergrill7734  Whether the stabbing results in death or not is irrelevant. That is a red herring argument. A murderer is still going to murder whether it is with a gun or a baseball bat. And I would argue that bludgeoning someone to death or stabbing them over and over is far more brutal than getting shot.
    1
  3921.  @supergamergrill7734  that is a red herring argument (logical fallacy). I do agree that "no tolerance polices" make the situation worse by empowering the actual bullies.
    1
  3922.  @Mark5mith  Criminals can use knives to kill. Just look at Londonstan.
    1
  3923.  @svanimation8969  Russia unofficially occupied Donbas in 2014. Ukraine had ZERO influence in that area. Further, the Finns, Swedes, Austrians, and Swiss don't believe your claims. The fact that both Russia and the local rebels in Donbas refused outside NGOs from investigating both those claims as well as the Malaysian Flight 17 crash site and debris further puts to lie your false claims.
    1
  3924.  @svanimation8969  More hyperbole from Pravda. Spare me. The deaths in Odessa were solely because of Russian artillery and airstrikes.
    1
  3925.  @svanimation8969  You have that bass ackwards. Most of the atrocities in Donbas were the RUSSIANS. They were purging the people sympathetic to Ukraine. It was ethnic Ukrainians who were being "cleansed" from the Donbas. Do keep in mind that since 2014, Ukrainian authorities had zero control over the area; it was Russian agents who were in charge. Kind of like Transnistria.
    1
  3926. Indeed. The Russian citizens could stay IF they accepted Ukrainian sovereignty and jurisdiction. Assimilate and become citizens of Ukraine that just happen to be of Russian heritage and I'm sure the Ukrainians would not have a problem.
    1
  3927.  @khaleesid5285  That is not an argument, it is an emotional outburst. Try actually looking up the Law of Armed Conflict. While power stations ARE legitimate targets for military strikes, using them as munitions dumps and supply locations IS a war crime if done by individual units and a crime against humanity if done broadly by military leadership. The nuclear component only further reinforces the fact that what Russia is doing occupying it as a strong point is criminal. It is no different than the Nazis in World War 2 using Catholic Churches in Italy as defensive positions.
    1
  3928. Russian military occupying that power plant is a war crime. Even the UN, particularly the IAEA has called it out for being verboten.
    1
  3929.  @ekaterinalokshina2043  Good, so don't conflate OPINION and wishful thinking for facts, which is what many propagandists do. The best (ie most effective) lies and myths contain half-truths to give it the appearance of legitimacy. Your is just that, partial truth surrounded by missing context and misrepresentations to make the preposterous components seem reasonable. "Tell a lie often enough and people will take it for the gospel truth," -Joseph Gobbels
    1
  3930.  @ekaterinalokshina2043  Proof by verbosity is not an argument, it is a logical fallacy. You are not convincing anyone; you are just putting them to sleep with the trite Kremlin talking points.
    1
  3931.  @ekaterinalokshina2043  You think democracy under the USSR is legitimate but that recent elections that reject a return to the old Soviet system are not? And with that you show your true colors. You don't actually care about the will of the people; you only care that elections act as a rubber stamp to legitimatize tyranny.
    1
  3932.  @svanimation8969  Actually, pointing out KONIGSBERG IS an appropriate analogy. In both cases Russia (because the Russian SSR dominated the whole of the USSR) forcefully ejected local populations and replaced them with colonists. Then you have other examples such as the forced expulsion of Poles from the areas annexed by the USSR under the Molotov-Ribbentrop alliance. Same goes for Romanians in certain annexed areas such as Moldova. Likewise, the Baltic States had lost of their population deported by the Russians after WW2. The point is, Russia and its various governments have a history of doing the very thing you accuse the Ukraine, yet the Ukrainians have NEVER done the same. You are a Bolshevick propagandist who is pathetically trying to rewrite history.
    1
  3933. Why were they not willing to risk their lives while the US military was there? Why were they not willing to defy the Taliban before this? Why is it only now when the US is gone that they now suddenly have buyer's remorse?
    1
  3934. They had years to help the Afghan government stabilize the country while the US was there. Why did they not lift a finger to help keep the Taliban from retaking power? Why did they stand by as the US was driven out? They made their bed.
    1
  3935. Brave? Where were they when the Taliban drove the Americans out? It was the blood of Americans who gave them their liberties and they didn't lift a finger to help preserve them.
    1
  3936.  @yusefdelacruz4811  Yeah, how many times have claims that something is non-toxic turned out to be incorrect? Just because people claim it is so is not always true. Some folks simply lie. This is especially true among the American leftists who push neo-Pagan Gaia worship disguised as climate activism.
    1
  3937. Yeah, it is a shame we don't have a better relationship. I get that India wants to be the champion of the third world/independent movement. But that doesn't preclude the US and India having a closer relationship.
    1
  3938. A lot of so-called experts not thinking things through these days. "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should," -Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park.
    1
  3939. Or American politicians just don't give a damn, selling off the frequencies to the highest bidder. The DoD has known about these issues for years, but their warnings have been ignored.
    1
  3940.  @theobserver9131  MetSat doesn't emit signals, it collects them. It is a passive system. So, the sensors can be washed out with signal interference, kind of like how light pollution in the night sky interferes with stargazing.
    1
  3941. Tell that to Pele's face.
    1
  3942. This was an andesite rather than basaltic lava. You are thinking of basaltic lava flowing. Strato volcanos rarely have that kind of lava. Typically, they have the dome building lava like Mount St. Helens, Mount Unzen, La Soufriere (Monserrat), or Vesuvius.
    1
  3943.  Jack Hui  I am fully aware of what they would consider a declaration of war. And some of them NEED to be crossed to call China's bluff.
    1
  3944. Not that it is the same, but Hanja and Kanji are variations of the same pictographic script. An analogy is English and German.
    1
  3945. There already is one. It is the Convention on the High Seas with 63 nations having signed it as of 2013. China, OPEC, North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Syria refuse to acknowledge it.
    1
  3946. You realize the Tongan's already knew there was a threat of a tsunami from the eruptions earlier in the week. They were already on high alert which means that when the boom went off, they already knew to run to high ground. it is actually a credit to their disaster preparedness that the body count is so low. They did practically everything right.
    1
  3947. Well, that area of the Pacific is usually patrolled by the Aussies and the Kiwis. The US Navy Pacific fleet rarely goes south of the Marshall Islands.
    1
  3948.  @user-fb2me3th6z  You are falsely attributing to Joe Bite-me what is really Trumpian policy. Don't forget, Hunter Biden, the president's son is bought and paid for by the Chinese communist party to the tune of $31 million dollars.
    1
  3949. DeSantis surrounded himself with nevertrump hacks who sabotaged his campaign. Add to that, he showed that just like Mike Pence, he would abandon Florida for a political promotion. That shows bad judgement. He would have been better served by waiting in the wings.
    1
  3950. No kidding. Trump CAN be calm and measured and it has NOTHING to do with the gag order. This guy is just another neo-fascist Rockerfellar RINO.
    1
  3951. Ignoring the fact that every member of the DNC and incumbent Democrats are also listed as riding on Lolita Express?
    1
  3952. Money doesn't buy votes. It buys name recognition. That is why Trump won in 2016: he didn't need the doner class. He really only needs them now to assist in the lawfare side.
    1
  3953. Does Trump really need to pander to the black community like that? Seems like he has already made inroads WITHOUT having to tokenize by picking Tim Scott.
    1
  3954. Funny, because Trump has made those inroads WITHOUT Tim Scott. Picking him becomes just as blatant pandering as Ubisoft making Yasuke a Samurai in Assassin's Creed Shadows. The WORST thing to do in making inroads with minority groups is by engaging in tokenism like the left does.
    1
  3955.  @jasonscott6174  You mean like Joe Bite-me sexually abused his daughter Ashley? Or how Bill Clinton sexually assaulted women?
    1
  3956.  @ruthhopfe7912  Yeah, that tends to happen when the media is funded by the government; it invariably becomes the mouthpiece of the government just like Soviet Pravda. The US Constitution's First Amendment about freedom of the press was supposed to put a clear divide between the two so that one would not become the tool of the other.
    1
  3957.  @americaisgreat-1  Trump is only getting stronger when people like you martyr him in this fashion. The black community is already calling him America's Nelson Mandela.
    1
  3958.  @Vaushgg  Keep clapping like a seal. This WILL boomerang on you people. "Strike me down and I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine," -Obi Wan Kenobi, "A New Hope".
    1
  3959. Agreed. Rove "the architect" is directly responsible for creating the conditions that allowed the Obama-Biden Mafia to come to power.
    1
  3960.  @jeffupton8898  Willful ignorance. She knows much of it, but choses to pretend she doesn't. Hanah Ardent called it the "Banality of Evil".
    1
  3961.  @martinasandoval5326  So you think that they should just surrender their children to the government? Surely you jest. NOBODY would fault the protestors for getting violent for protecting their children from kidnappers.
    1
  3962.  @chilkat_river  Violent to whom? if you actually know anything about how "child protective services" work they are a racist government organization. They consider white parents spanking their children as abuse while they turn a blind eye to minority parents beating their kids to the point of bruises. And when they DO finally act to remove minority children from parents, it is often for dubious reasons than actual harm to the child. YOU NEED TO STOP APPOLOGIZING FOR GOVERNMENT KIDNAPPING OF CHILDREN.
    1
  3963.  @debbielee2621  Where have I heard "they are not going to..." before? You are lying to yourself. "Where they begin by burning books, in the end they burn human beings," -Heinrich Henie.
    1
  3964.  @debbielee2621  It was an official statement from the Ottawa police's own official social media account. Who is spreading misinformation? Are you not going to believe your own eyes?
    1
  3965.  @lp2042  So you just let the government kidnap your children? if you believe that you should just allow that to happen without a fight, you have already lost. There IS a point when you HAVE to fight. I will not tell you when that point is, but it WILL come. And if you are unwilling to, then you might as well put your wrists out for the physical manacles and chains of your slavery.
    1
  3966.  @besmartvoteblue2702  What journalists? In court filings, MSNBC has basically admitted that they are nothing more that opinion tabloids. And CNN is reality TV with the Cuomo brothers.
    1
  3967. @Imbecillissimus I think you and I are on different pages. Republicans and the congress have very little control over foreign policy beyond the power of the purse strings (which they never actually use). I am referring to domestic policy which they CAN greatly affect.
    1
  3968.  @hamfistsman6267  If their roadblock keeps Brandon and the Dems from making the situation worse, that is actually a good thing. Gridlocked government keeps it from getting into mischief.
    1
  3969.  @ashlibabbitt8609  Mitch activitly collaborated with the people ruining this counrty. You are attacking the man trying to fix it. YOU are part of the problem.
    1
  3970. Most of the bigots are in the Democrat Party. The GOP is way too pragmatic to be bigoted. To be a bigot you have to hold a particular world view and the GOP won't even hold onto a flawed ideology.
    1
  3971. Indeed. Graham Nasty fails to realize that the best solution to big tech is to REMOVE their government protections from litigation. The courts will regulate them much better than any alphabet agency. Government created the problem.
    1
  3972. I would argue that once you get government protections from litigation, you become an extension of the government and so are constrained by the Bill of Rights and the Consitution just like the government is.
    1
  3973. Indeed. Everyone knows he is a grifter yet the establishment hacks at Fox can't help themselves.
    1
  3974. Fauci is the Joseph Mengele of the 21st century.
    1
  3975.  @nickporter4853  Perjury before congress. Medical Malpractice, Fraudulent expenditure of funds. Violation of the Nuremberg Code for ethical experimentation. The preponderance of evidence speaks for itself.
    1
  3976.  @slayeroftrolls1200  Was Jospeh Mengele just doing his Job? How about Adolph Eichmann. Fauci has engaged in the same kind of "science" as those who ran the camps in 1940s Germany.
    1
  3977. Name one. You can't because there was no crime. Paying hush money is something politicians do all the time and are NEVER prosecuted for it. Even Fareed Zakaria acknowledged that this is a farce.
    1
  3978. Then they should have let that happen. It would have only further discredited the legitimacy of the New York courtroom.
    1
  3979.  @sherlockhomo-ph4su  You will find yourself in one of those eventually. After you have outlived your usefulness to the left.
    1
  3980.  @davidnull5590  And they failed to prove that BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT. Also, it is not the judge's place to make that argument. There is a reason why ethics complains have already been filed against him to the New York Bar.
    1
  3981. What is the crime? Even the Judge himself admitted that paying hush money isn't a crime.
    1
  3982. Naturalized citizens are required to pass a citizenship test. The Constitution needs to be amended to make passing that test mandatory for voting. I helped my Chinese-Indonesian wife pass that test with a perfect score.
    1
  3983. Short answer: no. Longer answer: We MIGHT be able to fight one of them, but not both at the same time. My priority would be Taiwan as their defeat will be the first domino that then proceeds to knock over South Korea and Japan pushing the US out of the Asian-Pacific region.
    1
  3984. The only reason why Iran doesn't have them is because of the diligence of Mossad. It is the Israelis who are keeping them in check. That being said, we have no business getting into a spat with Iran. Let the Saudis deal with them.
    1
  3985. The problem is that people HAVE voted. For 12 years they have, and it is not moving the dial. Time to change up what is being done. Just voting in new people is not fixing the problem, it is simply moving the deck chairs on the Titanic.
    1
  3986. Yeah, but the issue goes to the 1991 agreement by which we pressured Ukraine to hand over their nukes to Russia.
    1
  3987. I am okay with drafting women.....Into the reconstituted WAACs, WAVES, and WASPs of WW2. Every woman manning the short batteries here on the home front puts another man on the front line.
    1
  3988. "John Brown’s body lies a-moldering in the grave. His soul is marching on....."
    1
  3989. Putin is NOT our friend. But he does not have to be our enemy either. We can have a "friendly" rivalry much like in sports where we try to outdo each other without getting violent (basically counting coup, but without militarily provoking each other).
    1
  3990.  Louise Bozagie  Spare me your moral outrage. I will NOT apologize for speaking the cold hard truth. You are simply being emotional like a classic Karen.
    1
  3991.  Matt Peterson  Old news but they are still exploiting children. Bad old news doesn't get better with time, it gets worse.
    1
  3992.  Matt Peterson  Netflix, the same company that brought you "Cuties" the glorification of paedofilia. Yeah, keep digging yourself into a deeper hole.
    1
  3993.  @stevenx399  Taiwan is never going to conquer the mainland. That is a fool's dream. Why it IS our concern has to do with our number four trading partner (number one before our politicians sold us out): Japan. If Taiwan falls, South Korea and Japan soon follow. If you don't think that the loss of them won't have a major impact on the US economy, then you don't know who supplies your fancy technology.
    1
  3994.  @stevenx399  The Chi-Coms have already declared they will reunite Taiwan with the Mainland before the 100th anniversary of the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War. It is not a matter of if but WHEN.
    1
  3995.  @zahrans  The plans for Germany, yes. In Turkey, no. Too many people embellish the Trukey angle, including Robert Kennedy.
    1
  3996.  @danielpurcell7395  I don't disagree that politicians are often only in it for themselves. But if you think the "green new deal" is anything other than an attempt to pillage the country to line the pockets of special interests no different from the oil and coal folks, then I have ocean view beach in Colorado to sell you. Nuclear power is the only viable "green" energy followed distantly behind by geothermal. And cheap energy is the fuel that drives economies. Without it, only poverty and unemployment occurs. You may hate fossil fuels, but "green alternatives" have failed to bear fruit after more than 20 years of taxpayer funding. The physics just don't support it as a viable, reliable source of energy.
    1
  3997. Berine cares more about advancing World Bolshevism than he does about Americans. After going to the USSR for his honeymoon, customs should have refused him admittance back into the country.
    1
  3998. She a typical communist pretending not to be.
    1
  3999. Indeed. What is so troubling is that it took Youngkin three days to realize that it is unlawful to protest outside a SOCTUS residence. Obstruction of justice, intimidation of court officials. et. al.
    1
  4000.  @natedowns5  Yeah, and they ARE getting satisfaction in the class-action court case against the DoD for the unlawful mandate.
    1
  4001.  @natedowns5  "I was just following orders" was rejected at Nuremberg. There is an OBLIGATION to refuse UNLAWFUL orders.
    1
  4002.  @drowe2  Ah, but there is the rub. This is called retaliation and is a FELONY under federal law.
    1
  4003.  @alex369likesTesla  I agree. But when even the commandant of the USAF academy falls for hoax hate crimes, the burden of proof is now on the senior leaders.
    1
  4004.  @tryscience  DEI is discrimination, PERIOD. Put in practice, it IS Jim Crow.
    1
  4005.  @rustyfolts3298  Of course you don't care because it is not you nor your kin who will be paying the butcher's bill. I have already put myself on the firing line for you. You have zero right to demand others do so against their will. You don't believe in freedom, liberty and self-determination if you think that it is appropriate to force others to fight in wars not of their choosing. That makes you a fascistic-totalitarian.
    1
  4006. How is the draft any different than vaccine and mask mandates? You are quick to send other people's children off to war but not your own? PS I am a retired vet, so don't you dare accuse me of being a "chickenhawk".
    1
  4007.  @lyndsaymacdonald2486  So great that she is becoming a clone of RINO Susan Brooks, the woman she was elected to replace.
    1
  4008.  @wharfrat9707  Hardly. But then such weaksauce arguments are typical of people who don't want to address the merits. Make an actual argument and refute me rather than act like a liberal leftist who attacks the messenger rather than the message.
    1
  4009. And yet she refuses to call out the Bolshevism in our own country. She refuses to call the ACA what it is: Soviet Style Medicine. She refuses to call the left what they are: Communists. Just like everyone else who goes to DC, she got the frontal lobotomy and became part of the swamp.
    1
  4010.  @BonnieBlue2A  Yes, she was born in Nosivka, Soviet Ukraine. And yes, she is the incumbent for Indiana 5th Congressional District.
    1
  4011. Really? Details, please. She won't even call out the ACA for what it is: Soviet Style medicine.
    1
  4012.  @ThunderAppeal  Getting in front of a camera or telling Tea party folks what they want to hear is all talk. Marjorie Taylor Greene HAS been doing something, namely FORCING the Congress to actually follow proper voting procedure. I don't see Spartz causing as many headaches for the establishment as MTG.
    1
  4013.  @wharfrat9707  Do you actually have something of value to add to the conversation or are you only here to troll and be tribalistic?
    1
  4014. Sadly, those who enforce the law think they are above the law.
    1
  4015.  @zenobiaookpik  And you are not actually debating, only making emotional outbursts because you cannot argue the merits. Your response is just that: nothing more than a temper tantrum.
    1
  4016.  @zenobiaookpik  So your opinion is that everyone has to prove their innocence? That nobody has the presumption of privacy and protection from unconstitutional searches? THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU PROPOSE when you say the innocent have nothing to hide. "Better 100 guilty go free than one innocent be punished," -Ben Franklin quoting Blackstone's ratio.
    1
  4017.  @MrLizardDude1  Have you forgotten Louis Lehner? How about the Executives of Solyndra? How about Patrick Cunningham with regards to Obama's "Fast and Furious" gun running program? What about Jeff Neely and the GSA embezzlement scandal? You want to talk about organized crime, look no further than the government itself!
    1
  4018. "Rules for the, but not for me" That is why they are doing this. You and they both know that Joe Bite-Me has so alienated the populace that they have to resort to these desperate Stasi tactics to win. When you have lost the support of the "normies" you have completely lost control.
    1
  4019.  @elijahbethea6313  Pot meet kettle. These are not acts of someone ahead of their opponent, they are acts of desperation because they know they are losing. If they were three steps ahead, they would not need to use such extreme Soviet-Totalitarian methods, they would just sit back and let things QUIETLY proceed. FEAR is what drives their actions.
    1
  4020. You just like Stasi/KGB tactics, don't you?
    1
  4021. Agreed. Daylight is the best disinfectant. “The very word “secrecy” is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions." -President John F. Kennedy.
    1
  4022.  @jeffwebster9036  That isn't an argument, it is an emotional outburst. Trump Derangement syndrome.
    1
  4023.  @samiam4544  That was the FBI and DOJ breaking federal law by even taking pictures. You don't even realize when you are witnessing a crime in front of you!
    1
  4024.  @Bitchen1  Maybe you should stop listening to "official sources" that have been approved by your feudal lords. Open minds listen to EVERYTHING. Closed minds refuse to consider anything that does not validate their own biases.
    1
  4025.  @Bitchen1  Could say the same thing about you and MSNBC or CNN. Tell me, how often does the establishment have to lie to you before you will stop letting them exploit you for power? What do they have to do to you before you realize that everything you think you know turns out to be a lie?
    1
  4026.  @jasonfuller1001  Troop movement, sure. Affidavits are NOT the same. The only reason why they would be is nominally to protect the privacy of the person they target; NOT protect the government form scrutiny. It is all supposed to come out during the trial anyhow as it is exculpatory, and they are REQUIRED to share it with the defense counsel. Reality is, secrecy is used by the government to cover up corruption and criminality by those in power. Secrecy is the favorite tool of totalitarian despots. "The best weapon of a dictatorship is secrecy, but the best weapon of a democracy should be the weapon of openness" -Niels Bohr.
    1
  4027.  @jasonfuller1001  Sycophants never consider the actions of their feudal masters to be sinister. "The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions." -President John F. Kennedy's Address before the Americans Newspaper Publishers association, APRIL 27, 1961
    1
  4028.  @jasonfuller1001  You are moving the goal posts. You don't redact entire sentences. Only one or two words at a time. You are simply justifying malfeasance.
    1
  4029.  @chrisr1226  So? You are bloviating, not making an argument. Also, most of the judge appointemnets by Trump came at the behest of Mike Pence, and deep state hack and the Grima Wormtongue of the Trump White House.
    1
  4030. You just love Soviet KGB/ East German Stasi tactics, don't you? Lavrentiy Beria loved bootlickers like you.
    1
  4031. They are DC critters. There is no honor among those crooks.
    1
  4032.  @zorkwork3841  The whole organizations should be disbanded. Remember, its founder J Edgar Hoover used the FBI to gather blackmail on politicians and bullied presidents; no president was willing to fire the man.
    1
  4033. The billionaires don't want the US constitution. They want to exploit the peasants and serfs. Follow the money and you will find that they have donated to practically every liberal-progressive activist group to upend the US constitution.
    1
  4034. Sic semper tyrannis
    1
  4035. Sic semper tyrannis
    1
  4036.    I love your breakdown of the "third parties". Only, it is missing the Socialist and Communist party's response.
    1
  4037. Sic semper tyrannis
    1
  4038. Sic semper tyrannis
    1
  4039. Sic semper tyrannis
    1
  4040. Sic semper tyrannis
    1
  4041.  @seanblankenship5404  That is merely your OPINION. And opinions are like buttholes; everyone has one and they all stink. I actually made a coherent argument. You simply engage in emotional outbursts.
    1
  4042.  @seanblankenship5404  Yeah, the minority said what the Nazis were doing in Europe was wrong. What is morally correct is not always popular. What is popular is not always morally correct.
    1
  4043.  @tussoon1390  Yes, Hamas are the modern Nazis and Israel is the Allies. Do keep in mind that Haj Amin Al-Hussein, chairman of the PLO was a member of the Swastika Party.
    1
  4044.  @vze23b6p  You told me to look the history of that slogan, so I countered by pointing out something similar. If you think I wasn't making a point, then by your own metric neither did you. Learn to debate. And to code.
    1
  4045.  @vze23b6p  And look up the flag of 1932 Palestine. It has the Star of David. We can go back and forth all day.
    1
  4046. Got that Bass ackwards. It is Hamas who is the bully that cries "oppression" when he gets popped in the nose after trying to steal lunch money.
    1
  4047.  @michaeldavid4572  So was Nelson Mandela. Black America is already calling Trump "America's Mandela".
    1
  4048.  @HollywoodConnection-jast  Huckabee is a partisan, which leads him to ignore certain things which don't advance his premise. But then most political commentators are guilty of that.
    1
  4049. Best economy since Ronald Reagan. Peace in the Middle East with the Abraham accords. But if you actually bothered to look at Jamecia Kamala's record in California, you would see she used black prison inmates as slave labor.
    1
  4050. It also shows that they don't understand fleeing FROM danger which is not the reason for the border crisis. Those people are ECONOMIC migrants, not refugees.
    1
  4051.  @RH-cv1rg  The classroom teachers are underpaid. The administration staff "teachers" are grossly overpaid. Especially the superintendents.
    1
  4052. The court cases are getting overturned. He should be in prison but survived an assassin's bullet. Put down the sherry you are hallucinating.
    1
  4053. Because he is.....to their power. They don't like that he can put a stop to their indoctrination.
    1
  4054. Because he is.....to their grooming, indoctrination and neo-feudalist power.
    1
  4055.  zappadallure  Orange man lives rent-free in your head.
    1
  4056.  @richardwendt9266  And yet you people have zero issue with Sonia Sotomayor doing the same. You don't care about truth, you only care about power and your team winning, even if it demolishes the nation in the process.
    1
  4057.  @grahampaterson4368  And yet you keep responding. You don't care about justice, you only want your tribe to win, even if it means burning this country to the ground. You are neither moral nor just. And you don't care about facts.
    1
  4058.  @grahampaterson4368  You are the one choosing to respond. But alas, you don't care about justice, you only care that your tribe wins, even if it means burning the nation to ashes around you.
    1
  4059.  @grahampaterson4368  Didn't meet your request? I more that EXCEEDED IT. You refusing to accept it only shows you have lost the plot. And you are correct, their situations are WORSE than Alito's, not that you care. All that matters to you is that your tribe wins, facts bedamned.
    1
  4060.  @grahampaterson4368  Keep lying to yourself. You only prove to everyone else how delusional you are. All you care about is your tribe winning. Vlad Lenin described you people perfectly.
    1
  4061.  @grahampaterson4368  Dude, I met your request, and you reject it. That is YOUR problem not mine. You don't get to change the criteria AFTER the fact. At this point I am counting coup against you because you chose to act like a petulant child.
    1
  4062.  @grahampaterson4368  And there you go moving the goalposts (logical). You asked for ONE example, and I provided three. You then proceed to trivialize the examples I provided. You just lost the argument and now you engage in logical fallacies thereby tacitly acknowledging that I am correct. Keep digging yourself into a deeper hole because normies can see right through you.
    1
  4063.  @grahampaterson4368  Kagan was called to recuse herself over the Obamacare mandates because she was the one that initially argued for them before it went to the SCOTUS. CLEAR conflict of interest. Sotomayor was called to recuse herself over the Penguin Publishing House because she had received over 3 Million dollars from them, yet she refused to step aside. The ONLY reason why Jackson stepped aside on the Harvard Affirmative Action case was because even folks on the left were calling her to stand down. Now that I have proven my position, the burden is on you to explain why those are acceptable.
    1
  4064. ​ @grahampaterson4368  When you parrot ONE of the talking points of the DNC you tacitly endorse ALL of them. Your problem is that I am calling your hypocrisy and blatant biases which you refuse to acknowledge yourself. Kagan was called on to recuse herself from the Obamacare mandates on the grounds that she originally argue for them in court before getting confirmed to the bench. Surprise, surprise, she did not step away. In the Penguin Random House case, all three times it went to the court, Sotomayor refused to recuse herself despite her 3-million-dollars from that company in a clear conflict of interest in the case. Justice Jackson only recused herself from the Harvard Affirmative Action case BECAUSE of the outcry of blatant bias if she didn't. When even folks on the left said she should step aside, she had no choice but to comply. Ball is now in your court. I have proven my point now it is time for you to pony up to the bar.
    1
  4065.  @vincegoupil  If it were not for double standards, you leftists would have ZERO standards. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
    1
  4066.  @lisal9829  What does it say about you that you regurgitate disproven talking points on cue like Pavlov's Dog? I have debated more sophisticated liberals than you. Learn to code, and touch grass while you are at it.
    1
  4067.  @lisal9829  Considering how many "Trump staffers" are willing to throw him under the bus as well as perjure themselves on the stand just to get clout, I think you hold a skewed idea of what constitutes credibility.
    1
  4068.  @lisal9829  Your pity and boos mean nothing to me because I have seen what you cheer for. Your false compassion is nothing more than clout chasing.
    1
  4069. @Jason Ah yes, the classic totalitarian strawman arugment. You realize you are making the exact same claims as Mussolini? "What is the harm of losing your freedoms so long as the trains are running on time?" Yeah, no, we can have most of what you claim comes from the government done better by private investors. Government doesn't do anything right. Government is just a legal form of organized crime. "Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else. Every one is, more or less, for profiting by the labors of others."- Fredrich Bastiat
    1
  4070.  @andrewy4761  More like the last of the John F. Kennedy Blue Dog Democrats. Right now, most would prefer 1 blue dog over 20 RINOs.
    1
  4071. Harold doesn't realize that it is the judge himself who is discrediting the court and faith in the judiciary, not Trump. If the judge really cared about the integrity of the court, he would either rescind the gag order or he would bring Cohen and company in and send THEM to jail.
    1
  4072. Harold is proof of why politicians care more about power than principle. And why Sharespeare was right about abolishing all lawyers.
    1
  4073. At first I was worried that sending Trump to Rikers would be an attempt to Epstein him. I think at this point, the inmates would be defending him from the corrupt guards.
    1
  4074.  @jwc1772  No law was broken. The prosecution has failed to even state the underlying crime which is required under 6th amendment due process. You don't actually care about law and justice, you believe that law is simply a tool to control people you disagree with.
    1
  4075.  @DigitallySaved  Presidential immunity was greatly limited by the recent SCOTUS decision. Don't need a Constitutional Amendment when the SCOTUS can exercise judicial review to limit the power of the Pardon. It is called enforcing the separation of powers clause.
    1
  4076. Agreed. The presidential pardon power should be specific and limited, not absolute, just like with presidential immunity.
    1
  4077.  @ahapka  Only telling half the story I see. The case actually went to the issue of loyalty oaths and eligibility to run for office, not the actual pardon power itself. Also, you are citing the dissent, not the majority opinion. Major mistake by the intellectually dishonest.
    1
  4078.  @willoem2  Funny, considering that the Biden administration has done EVERYTHING you accuse Trump of doing. We have seen 4 years of Trump and NOTHING of what you claim EVER came to pass. You are the boy who cried "wolf"!
    1
  4079.  @willoem2  "our crime is simply not agreeing with Trump... ITS SAD THAT WE CAN'T AGREE TO DISGREE. PEOPLE BEING PROSECUTED FOR DOING THEIR JOBS. " That is called psychological projection and is EXACTLY what the Biden administration has been doing by prosecuting whistleblowers. Engage in a little self-reflection because you are the pot calling the kettle black.
    1
  4080.  @DigitallySaved  The charges were pending the expiration of presidential immunity. Ford's pardon only covered those specific crimes and nohthing else.
    1
  4081.  @goldenbear8250  The charges were in the pipeline. We know that because the Congress was already taking up articles of impeachment which would have been the basis for the criminal case. You are trying to be clever by half.
    1
  4082.  @YZ250W1  All lawyers lie, even the one you hire to defend YOU against false charges. So what is your point? No, your problem is that you don't actually have a valid reason to justify this. You just want to watch the world burn to feed your vanity.
    1
  4083. When you prosecute lawyers for doing their job, you live in a Soviet Dictatorship.
    1
  4084.  @jerryjerry7561  You have no idea what you are talking about. Kevin O'Leary has even said that it isn't possible.
    1
  4085.  @wackywarrior001  Funny, because that wasn't an actual trial, it was summary judgement. Which means it was nothing more than a Star Chamber proceeding no different than a Kangaroo Court in a dictatorship. I have been in court to defend myself. And neither the prosecution against me, not the judge presiding acted as unprofessional as Letisha James and Arthur Engoron did. Both of them acted with prosecutorial misconduct which WILL get this overturned in the SCOTUS if not sooner.
    1
  4086.  @Nothingcomestomind124  That isn't an argument, it only shows you are self-reporting (ie psychologically projecting).
    1
  4087. That was AVERAGE age. Most of the signers died in their mid 70s to mid 80s. generally speaking, if a person made to age 25, they could reasonably expect to live to their 70s unless war broke out. High child mortality rates are what cases the average to be in the 50s.
    1
  4088. That is already what is happening. The Administrative State already owns and controls the politicians. If the "Rookies" don't fire the staffers, that is their problem, not the fault of the voters.
    1
  4089. Boy who cried wolf. You leftists have sounded false alarms so often people don't believe you anymore.
    1
  4090. I want ALL of the term limited. For SCOTUS, make them 20 year terms, staggered every four years. Shrink the court down to 5 and each president would get to nominate one during the middle of their term.
    1
  4091. Strawman argument. Madison tried and failed to impeach a SCOTUS justice. While the power to do so still exists, nobody has ever attempted it since. So aside from amending the Constitution, there is ZERO check on the SCOTUS. I am for making the justices ser 20-year terms rather than lifetime. Stagger then every four years, shrink the court down to just five and a president would get to nominate one justice every term which is not much different than what it is now.
    1
  4092.  @rageinbull  90% of incumbents are re-elected. There is no voting them out once they get in.
    1
  4093. And yet history has proven that is not the case. The Greek city-states only lasted about 200 years before they individually imploded due to corruption. Same case with the Roman Empire. "Republics degrade into direct Democracies, and Democracy invariably degenerates into despotism," -Alexnader Fraiser Tytler.
    1
  4094. The teleprompter was in front of him and undamaged. You are delusional.
    1
  4095. Kamala is SOUTH ASIAN INDIAN, not black. The black community rejects her as a fake.
    1
  4096. And you are going to ignore how Justice Sotomayor took money from a publishing company who brought a case before the SCOTUS? You are a hypocrite.
    1
  4097. Just like they did in 2016? Hall of the Mountain King, baby.
    1
  4098. It is, but the left is using him to send up trial ballons.
    1
  4099. I am for 20-year terms staggered every 4 years on the midterm cycle. Shrink the court to just five and a president would get to nominate once justice per term. That is not much different than how it is now, but at least it would be codified.
    1
  4100. They already do that. You spamming the same post doesn't convince anyone.
    1
  4101. You have been gaslighted. The SCOTUS didn't legalize bribery, they scolded the prosecution for using the wrong statute. Illegal gratuity which was the ACTUAL crime is still unlawful.
    1
  4102. The States can also initiate an Article V convention. They don't need Congress's consent.
    1
  4103. A woman whose entire career involved being on her knees.
    1
  4104. When 90% of incumbents are re-elected, your argument carries no water. If term limits are good enough for the president, they are just as appropriate for Congress.
    1
  4105. RINO, that's why.
    1
  4106. My proposal is 20-year terms staggered every 4 years. Shrink the court down to just five justices and a president would get to nominate one justice per presidential term which is not too far off from what it is now.
    1
  4107. Need them for both. I want to see the judges serve 20-year terms instead of lifetime. Shrink the court to just five members and stagger it every four years and a president would get to nominate one justice each term.
    1
  4108. Star Chamber Trial. And it will get overturned because of the SCOTUS ruling.
    1
  4109. How did that work out for them in 2016?
    1
  4110. How about 20-year terms, staggered every 4 years? If you shrink the court to just five justices, then you would have one nomination per president, which isn't that much different than how it is now.
    1
  4111.  @pefo1674  Changing the meaning of definitions is what the leftists do to create confusion. You are purposely creating confusion to achieve the same result.
    1
  4112.  @pefo1674  Splitting hairs like that doesn't make your point, it just proves you are gaslighting.
    1
  4113.  @pefo1674  There is no difference in that. You are trying to make a distinction where none exists.
    1
  4114.  @pefo1674  The original John Jay court was five justices. It is the hyper partisans who want to pack the court like FDR did. So, I am going to have to disagree with you about more justices equating to less partisanship.
    1
  4115. Pure delusional fantasy. The Shale Oil Revolution threatened Putin's near monopoly on energy in Europe. Ukraine was in a position to become the third largest oil producer due to shale fracking. This war has EVERYTHING to do with Russia under Putin stealing Ukraine's oil reserves under Donbas and the Crimea. Also, when the historically neutral Swiss, Swedes, and Fins don't believe your claims, you have lost the plot. Europe was about to emancipate itself from Russian energy when Putin started this war.
    1
  4116.  @a.r.stellmacher8709  He is referring to North Ireland.
    1
  4117. I tend to agree. European largess is predicated on the blood of Ukrainians and tax dollars of Americans. Time that the French and Germans put their troops on the front line in Eastern Poland and the Baltic states.
    1
  4118. Indeed. The Poles have been much better than Deutschland.
    1
  4119.  @mzansiwhatshappening8015  Germany is overrun with TURKS as in from Turkey, not Iraqi or Afghani refugees. And that was because of Angela Merkel's own policies encouraging them to move. Unsurprising as her pals in the East German Communist Youth League trained the Munich Olympic Terrorists.
    1
  4120.  @marioformosa4259  When was the last time the US started a nuclear arms exchange? Who was it that invited NATO to station nukes on their soil? Who is it that is saber rattling about using nuclear weapons? You want to talk about "Divine Right", Russia does NOT have a divine mandate over the Ukraine.
    1
  4121.  @johnhobbes2268  But both of them pale compared to Poland.
    1
  4122.  @danutarzymkiewicz6423  "Victim precipitation theory" is just a fancy way of saying "victim shaming". It is the aggressor and bully trying to justify their actions.
    1
  4123. And who honestly thinks that Russia is really the good guys? Tell me, how much do you know about the oil deposits just off the Crimea? How much do you know about the Coal deposits in Donbas? Or the Shale Oil deposits in that area? Before 2014 Shell Oil was going to exploit those fields and make Ukraine into the third largest energy producer in Europe after Norway and Russia, threatening Putin's near monopoly on oil and natural gas in Europe. Make no mistake, this war is all about oil and coal.
    1
  4124.  @marcelkurz134  Yeah, had almost any one of them taken Italy's initial route and chosen to stay neutral instead of going to war, things would have turned out much differently. The Germans could have chosen to not assist the Austro-Hungarians and considering how poorly they performed, it would have been justified. The French could have refused to aide Russia in her actions in Serbia and Germany would have smashed itself trying to occupy western Russia after the pasting Hindenburg delivered. The UK could have also stayed out of the fight and not much would have changed as the French basically left the British Expeditionary Force under Lord John French hanging and often outflanked during the war before trench warfare dominated. Any number of things could have completely changed how "The Great War" ended.
    1
  4125. Look at where the oil deposits in Ukraine are located. Look at where the coal deposits are located. Follow the money (or energy) and you understand 90% of the motivation.
    1
  4126.  @a.r.stellmacher8709  Nuclear holocaust is grossly exaggerated. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were supposed to be uninhabitable for 200 years. They were rebuilt in just 30. Prypiat was supposed to be a wasteland after the nuclear accident and yet nature is thriving, with many animals near extinction now at stable populations. Even the concerns about nuclear winter from dust particulates was later found to be based on fraudulent data. Now, I am not dismissing nor trivializing the horrors of a nuclear detonation, far from it. The sterilization of the Hibakusha is terrifying as is some of the descriptions of skin peeling off. But the scare tactics of the anti-nuclear crowd is based more on hysteria rather than hard facts.
    1
  4127. It is for grateful folks like you that the US military is willing to help. The rest of Europe is like spoiled children who hate the responsible parent that keeps them out of trouble.
    1
  4128.  @FrederickJohnSebastian  Wikipedia regularly launder political OPINION pieces as if they were objective fact. Take a look at which pages are open for public edit and which ones are locked. The ones locked out are very likely to be propagandistic and not actually factual.
    1
  4129. I tend to agree with you about the allies of the NAZIS (rather than Germany per se). Petain's "French State" (aka Vichy) was a WILLING collaborator with the Third Reich. The French Maquis underground represented a very small fraction of the French population though in post-war France everyone claimed to be a member. France doesn't get near enough criticism for what they did to their Jewish population.
    1
  4130.  @jansix4287  Look at you, you are not actually debating merits, you are only attacking the messenger. That is the logical fallacy of ad hominin and only proves you don't have anything worth saying. "When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser," -attributed to Socrates or Plato. "When your argument is weak, abuse the plaintiff," -Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman Orator and statesman 45BC.
    1
  4131.  @f1aziz  The Baltic States, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic don't matter? Wow, are you out of touch with reality. Where do you think a fight between the US and Russia will happen? Who do you think they would rather be a junior partner to after the dust settles? And as far as Russia being a land power, well that is clearly a gross exaggeration. Putin with his miscalculation has revealed the Russian Bear is in reality a paper Tiger. You talk about ground realities, try actually taking the situation on the ground into consideration. “You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing, after they have exhausted all the other possibilities.” ― Winston Churchil
    1
  4132.  @a.r.stellmacher8709  Because Hitler made it about the German people. You seem to ignore something called CONTEXT. National Socialism made German Identity a foundation of their ideology. So, by breaking the strength of the German people, it would cut the legs out from the ideology. Try to look at the bigger picture instead of jumping on deconstructionist revisionism.
    1
  4133.  @ayoCC  No, but one invariably leads to the other. "Republics degrade into democracies, and Democracies always degenerate into despotisms, "-Alexander Frasier Tytler.
    1
  4134. And that is fine. You don't have to like his style to acknowledge that he has valid points. Mostly, his boorishness is an act to tweak the nose of the establishment media in the US; he is trolling them.
    1
  4135. @St S The Spoiled European man-children. I agree with you that the America haters are all the same: all emotions and no logic. It is if they have read from the same script, written by the Kremlin in the 1960s.
    1
  4136. Yeah, the US is precisely why you have enjoyed 50 years of peace in Europe. Instead of spending money on weapons and defense, you spend it on social programs. Now the bill has come due and like a spoil child, you are pissed that you can't have that second scoop of ice creme.
    1
  4137. Wow, Trump derangement syndrome is strong with you. You realize the Share Revolution was in full swing under Trump? That seriously threatened Putin's near monopoly on European energy. Trump didn't shut down energy production, that was Obama and later Biden with the EPA mandates.
    1
  4138.  @tloutlou2655  That is simply trading one master for a different one. China very much has a history of colonizing and enslaving other peoples. Just ask the Vietnamese or Koreans.
    1
  4139.  @lv3609  I wish American journalists would do that. Less talking, more listening to their guests rather than leading them with loaded questions.
    1
  4140.  @lv3609  Yes it is their choice whether to open or close their nuclear power stations. But it is quite clear that by doing so, they made themselves completely dependent on Russia since Solar and Wind fail to meet their needs. I'm, sure you disagree with the assessments about the carbon footprint regarding wind turbines or the environmental costs of strip mining for the rare Earth metals used for solar. Because the advocates of it always misrepresent the actual costs, particularly for the Cobalt used in lithium-ion batteries. Take a look at Belgum Congo aka Zaire and you will find the horrible human cost to "green energy". And no, the infrastructure for green energy is NOT itself green. Again, that is the fallacy of circular logic. If it was truly economical, then governments would never need to invest in it because rich business tycoons would have already made millions doing so already.
    1
  4141.  @lv3609  The original plan was always unworkable. The war in Ukraine simply revealed the fundamental flaws in that plan. Not plan for ending fossil fuels is viable without civilian nuclear power. It is the ONLY carbon neutral energy source that is both cheap and efficient. Solar and Wind create more carbon on the front end than they ever save during its entire lifecycle. And that is not counting the carbon footprint from maintenance.
    1
  4142. While I agree with your premise about a strong country, the problem is that Russia has ALWAYS had bad leadership. Stalingrad had more to do with the NKVD (KGB predecessor) shooting anyone who tried to retreat. Seriously, go read Kruschev's accounts of the battle.
    1
  4143. No, the Russian government is NOBODY's friend. But if you love reading the talking points from government mouthpieces, that is your prerogative. "If you read the news, you are misinformed, "-Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain.
    1
  4144. Europe can survive without Russia. Russia cannot survive without Europe. The Shale Oil revolution which exploded under Trump threatened both OPEC and Putin. If the West is smart, they will unleash the franking industry and completely liberate themselves from the Oil Robber Barons. Interestingly, the Shale Oil revolution made Ukraine possibly the third largest oil Reserve in Europe after Norway and Russia, most of which were located under Donbas. This war is ALL about oil, namely Russian theft of Ukrainian reserves.
    1
  4145. Wow, really? Watching a little too much RT News? You do realize that Ukraine's president is a Jew?
    1
  4146.  @dambrooks7578  Did you enjoy putting the desires of foreign bureaucrats ahead of the needs of your own country and people? I know it is easy to blame people you disagree with politically, but it is quite clear that the citizens of the UK vehemently disagree with you. The biggest problem with the Tories is that they are just as corrupt as any other political party, holding populists in just as much contempt as the labour party leadership does. The Tories should have actually pulled Margaret Thatcher out of the grave rather than put up that faker Theresa Mary who was unqualified to wear the mantel.
    1
  4147. American Imperialism is the reason why Europe is so peaceful. But I get it, you are like a spoiled child when the responsible parent cleans up your mess.
    1
  4148.  @antel704  Your thinking that Biden fixed the problem completely misses the point that he is part of the leftist order trying to bring down the freedom, peace, and stability that the West has enjoyed for 77 years.
    1
  4149.  @garyfredrickson2301  What Himmler and his crowd did has no bearing on what came before them. You let them win even beyond the grave by shunning that which they stole from others.
    1
  4150.  @SA-ff9uc  He meant the conversation. Use a little common sense.
    1
  4151.  @johnhobbes2268  Don't forget that Angela Merkel was a member of the East German Communist Youth League, the same folks who trained the Munich Olympic Terrorists. Once a communist, always a communist.
    1
  4152.  @juergenernst1320  I am actually surprised by that. The way Germans seem to avoid the topic I come away thinking that denialism caused Nazism to be forced underground where it can fester like black mold. I am of the opinion that you let the fools who subscribe to that ideology speak their vulgar mind so that we can all laugh, ridicule, and mock them. Making them a joke or look like fools as the sitcom "Hogan's Heroes" did does much to disarm the toxic ideology. Even better, in Hogan's Heroes, the Nazi characters were played by Jews, the ultimate victory over the Third Reich. Werner Klemperer, John Banner, Leon Askin, and Howard Caine took it as a point of pride that they could effectively play and make fools of the people who tried to kill them (and did murder members of their family).
    1
  4153.  @outdoorolli5754  A bigger problem is that Angela Merkel was a member of the East German Communist Youth League. You know, the guys who trained the Munich Olympic Terrorists? Once a communist, always a communist. Merkel prostrating Germany to the Kremlin was no accident; it was planned with the malice of forethought.
    1
  4154. You mean occupied. But I get it, you are a shill for Putin. Joeseph Stalin would love lickspittles like you who propagandize for the glory of the Bolshevik Revolution.
    1
  4155. Operation Barbarossa was complicated, to say the least. The Ukrainians viewed the Germans as liberators from the USSR in the wake of the Holodomor famine. That was until the Germans started butchering, they alongside the Russians. At that point the Ukrainians figured that they were going to be occupied by either Germany or the Soviet Union and so chose to be on the winning side in the vain hopes that the Russians would remember that.
    1
  4156.  @itchyvet  Forbidden by the US? What kind of Schnapps have you been drinking? That may have been the case in the immediate aftermath of WW2, but by the 1960s, it was clear that George S. Patton was right: "rehabilitate" the Germans(sic) and use them against the Soviets.
    1
  4157.  @Sparks95  "You have the choice between dishonor and war. You chose dishonor and so you shall have war," -Winston Churchill. Hitler was furious after Munich. He was purposely trying to provoke France and the UK to start a fight by being outrageous in his demands. The German diplomatic correspondence is quite clear on that.
    1
  4158.  @Buzzillus  I think you are conflating the Warsaw Pact plan "Seven Days to the River Rhine" with NATO defense plans. The US and by extension NATO was committed to NOT being the first to launch nukes, only in retaliation. It is the Soviets who wanted to turn West Germany into a glass parking lot. To which NATO would have responded by nuking Communist capitals.
    1
  4159.  @crhu319  That isn't an augment, it is just an emotional outburst.
    1
  4160. Wishful thinking. The war in Ukraine was a foregone conclusion after Russia stole the Crimea.
    1
  4161. Indeed. For as corrupt as the Russian logistical situation is, they at least get SOMETHING at the end of the pipeline. The German administrative state prevents ANYTHING from getting to the Bundeswehr. Most German military hardware goes outside of Germany because the German government is a horrible customer, with payment for services being unreliable.
    1
  4162.  @crhu319  You have lost the plot. Nothing you have just posted has any data supporting it. There is no logic nor reason behind your rant.
    1
  4163. The Russian Bear is geriatric.
    1
  4164. How?
    1
  4165.  mark Mierzejewski  That is exactly what Joe Biden did.
    1
  4166.  @G_Demolished  Good, because foreign nationals don't get a say in American politics. And as for the American people, buyer's remorse over Biden is strong.
    1
  4167. And yet Trafalgar says otherwise. You clearly have never actually met a MAGA person.
    1
  4168. And the Dems are not? Spare me your moral outrage, the left is all about political retribution.
    1
  4169. Funny how the European elites hated Bolton in the 2000s, but now that he is anti-Trump, they just love him.
    1
  4170.  @TheAmazingAdventuresOfMiles  Trump fired Bolton, remember? Have you asked yourself why? Could it be due to the fact that Bolton tried to get Trump to invade Iran and Trump refused? Your Trump Derangement Syndrome is blinding you to hard facts that shatter your own narrative.
    1
  4171. The man who wants to invade every country in the middle East? If you love to send your own sons to die for John Bolton's ego, that is on you. Don't waste the lives of other people's children just for one man's vanity.
    1
  4172.  @paladro  Are you shill for the neo-feudalist global elite?
    1
  4173.  mark Mierzejewski  When was that? You realize the media completely fabricated that just like they did with Nicolas Sandman and the Covington Catholic kids? Just like they lied about Kyle Rittenhouse. Just like they pushed the Jussie Smollett hoax.
    1
  4174. Agreed. This is no different than the Star Chamber proceedings that were typical in monarchal Europe.
    1
  4175.  @yahyaelmi8435  Yes results matter. It should be clear from Afghanistan and Iraq that Richard Nixon's "Vietnamization" policy doesn't work, particularly if the locals have zero interest in fighting for their own country. It should also be clear that America's flag officers are all guilty of treason and are as worthless as the Russian MOD flag officers because they put their own promotion and prestige ahead of combat readiness. Pursing DIE quotas rather than Jihadis is why Kabul fell just like Saigon did.
    1
  4176.  @CGplay186 "Win the battle but lose the war" Ever heard of that saying? The US has rarely lost any major engagement since WW2. The problem is that feckless politicians and Miles Glorious Generals sabotage the men on the ground, then cut and run at the first sign of trouble. They waste lives and resources just to look good on camera.
    1
  4177.  @dambadaniel4389  Russia's arugments are essentially the same ones that the Germans claimed about the Jews. "Stop oppressing me!" while they are beating people.
    1
  4178. Why did Russia need to invade Georgia in 2008? You do realize that Sweden and Finland, historically neutral states only joined BECAUSE of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
    1
  4179. If the public doesn't support it, then why have the governments not been voted out of office or toppled? Unless you believe in the same autocratic despotism of Putin, the answer points to itself.
    1
  4180. Blatatnyl ignoring the NATO requirement of not having a disputed border or territorial disagreements huh? THAT is why the Georgia application failed. That is why Putin invades Ukraine.
    1
  4181. Yeah, their anti-American bias, fashionable antisemitism in the form of "anti-Zionism", and Trump derangement syndrome blinds them to critical details.
    1
  4182. Indeed. Just the requirements of an Amphibious operation to cross the Taiwan strait is enough to shut down most arguments.
    1
  4183.  @cfcheng8702  Those are fair points. I agree that if they locals will not fight, why should we. However, I DO think that the population of Formosa will fight.
    1
  4184. There are some MAJOR differences between Taiwan's defense and Ukraine's. For one, the Taiwan strait is NOT so easily crossed. The Chinese "People's Liberation Army" would have to conduct a MASSIVE amphibious operation that would dwarf not just the Normandy landing but also the proposed Kyushu landing (Operation: Olympic). Red China so far has shown zero capability of conducting such a massive undertaking. The few times they have attempted amphibious operations, they have been abject failures.
    1
  4185.  @frederikzinn5427  Which US president encouraged Putin to invade Ukraine? Might I remind you that the theft of Crimea occurred while Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy. Further, the drive to Kiev occurred while Biden was in the White House. The world respects a strong horse, and Biden is clearly an invalid with incompetent staffers who have zero understanding of realpolitik.
    1
  4186. No, not likely. Dean Acheson's infamous "Pacific Defense Perimeter" included Taiwan but not South Korea. Guess where the commies attacked?
    1
  4187. You do realize that Taiwan and Mainland China have been divided far longer than the Two Koreas? Unless you are advocating for the immediate union of the peninsula, I don't think you can deny Taiwan the same independence that South Korea enjoys.
    1
  4188. Have you forgotten the Korean War? No, the problem isn't the American GI not wanting to fight. The problem is feckless cowards among the flag officers and politicians who abandon allies at critical moments.
    1
  4189.  @ĐoànĐạiDương-f1n  Quantity is NOT quality. Lots of little fishing boats are NOT the same as a Ticonderoga-class missile cruiser.
    1
  4190.  @ĐoànĐạiDương-f1n  China is spectacularly bad at amphibious operations. Any attempt to take Formosa would require one so big that it would dwarf the proposed Kyushu Landing of Operation: Olympic. And all of those troop transports would be easy pickings for allies Subs because China's ASW capabilities are equally terrible.
    1
  4191. Yeah, people grossly underestimate the immense requirements to conduct amphibious operations. And the Chinese have proven to be terrible at even small-scale attempts.
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  4192.  @JC-ql3ld  While I agree with most of your positions, the WASP part was completely uncalled for. White Anglo-Saxon Protestants tend to be MORE favorable to Taiwan. It is the militant atheist elites who are favorable to Red China and would leave Formosa out in the cold.
    1
  4193.  @stephan2wolf  You are trying to apply logic in a situation dominated by emotions and passion. Wisdom has nothing to do with war and battle. You are engaging in an act of futility to try.
    1
  4194. What happens when one party refuses a peaceful solution? What happens if one side will accept nothing less than the complete subjugation of the other? A peaceful solution is no possible when those preconditions are in place.
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  4195. Taiwan doesn't have the resources to maintain a supercarrier. Japan might, and I would be okay with them having a couple.
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  4196. Who, what an rabidly anti-American way of looking at the world. Tell me, how does India play in that Hegemony? How about Brazil? Or Africa? And you blatantly ignore both Russia and China's own hegemonic moves. Spare the moral outrage, if it wasn't the US, you would be complaining about France or the UK if they were the big dog in NATO.
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  4197. You are trying to apply Western thinking to a communist totalitarian. Xi views the word through the same lenses as Joseph Stalin, not Winston Chruchill.
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  4198.  @PNH-sf4jz  It is a pity you refuse to debate merits. I was on topic; you just can't argue against any of my points.
    1
  4199.  @XxBloggs  This is the French we are talking about. The bloody cowards have still not handed over the French officers who activily participated in the Rwandan genocide.
    1
  4200. Just to thumb their nose at the west. NATO is burning equipment stockpiles supporting Ukraine, which actually benefits China in their plans to take Taiwan. The more gear sent to Ukraine, the less that is available for Taiwan.
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  4201.  @JesusSaysMAGAtrashMAGAfilth  Thank you for proving you don't actually have anything coherent to say. Engaging in ad hominins like you just did proves you have lost the plot. "“I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.” ― Iron Margaret Thatcher
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  4202. You said that in 2016 and were eating crow. Haven't you learned that it is not wise to bet against a Casino owner?
    1
  4203. Garland has EVERY reason to bring ANY case against Trump forward. The fact that he and the Feds chose NOT to go forward on the finance case shows that there was no case to be made. Yeah, the president has original authority to declassify any and all documents. Biden as VP at the time he removed classified documents did not, nor did Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. The Marilago documents were kept in a safe AND LOCK provided by the National Archives, so that alone blows up their case against Trump. January 6th is also proving to have been a false flag just like the Reichstag Fire. Federal agents have been proven to be among the primary instigators of the violence. Further, almost all of the people who actually made it into the chambers WERE ESCORTED BY CAPITOL POLICE. GA election is yet another nothing burger because it is NOT a crime to work the legal system if you have a complain about the election process. Criminalizing opposition is what they do in Belarus, not the US.
    1
  4204. Yes, because karma has a funny way of coming back to hurt those people who wish evil on others. "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it (and EVERYTHING that comes with it)"
    1
  4205. Yeah, their Trump derangement Syndrome makes the blind to critical details which completely shatters their narrative.
    1
  4206.  @livingtribunal4110  Sorry, my bad. So many people here are exactly what George Orwell described. Particularly with regards to blindly accepting what the inner party tells them to think. Again, I apologize for lashing out.
    1
  4207.  @JesusSaysMAGAtrashMAGAfilth  Grover Cleaveland's 1892 rematch against Benjamin Harrison. Trump WILL repeat that, and for the exact same reasons.
    1
  4208. Yeah, you people said the same thin in 2016. how did that work out?
    1
  4209.  @cooldudecs  Independents are having buyer's remorse over electing Biden. Further, they see this as a political witch hunt and are NOT impressed, further hurting the Dems. You are only making him a maryter. "Strike me down and I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine," -Obi Wan Kenobi, "A New Hope".
    1
  4210.  @JesusSaysMAGAtrashMAGAfilth  Grover Cleaveland rematch against Benjamin Harrison. Who won? Trump IS going to repeat Cleeland's feat for the very same reasons; buyer's remorse. Learn your history.
    1
  4211. Lost support with independents? You have not been paying attention. Turmp got MORE votes in 2020 than he did in 2016. Biden however, has only gone downhill since his inauguration. Buyer's remorse is strong among independents.
    1
  4212.  @hansvandermeer7635  Nominally, you feed them the rope the use to hang themselves. But Times Radio has chosen to be willing participants in spreading anti-West propaganda.
    1
  4213. I think it is MUCH deeper than just 30 meters otherwise nuclear supercarriers would not be able to travel through it. Nor would nuclear boomers.
    1
  4214.  @peterbeer8657  Rules vs. Law? You are trying to make a distinction where none really exists. You aren't familiar with Mao and yet you are shilling for his government? Not surprising for a blind partisan. And as far as bullying and threats, well, people like you are VERY familiar with it because that is what government is all about: the threat of violence against their own people. "All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns, that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party." -Chairman Mao Zedong, August 1927.
    1
  4215.  @peterbeer8657  Laws are only as strong as the force of arms that impose them. For a shill of the PRC, you should be familiar with What about Mao about Law at the end of a gun. Applies in this case, if Beijing wants that resolution (which is NOT a law) enforced, then they have to be willing to fight.
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  4216. Both Beijing and Pyongyang are Communist and effectively joined at the hip.
    1
  4217.  @peterflavian-ov4sh  The Arabs who call themselves "Palestinian" already have a country of their own in the Gaza. They have ruined it just like they did when they lived in Jordan or Lebanon. They can't blame Israel when it is their own rulers who have misused the foreign donations to wage war on their neighbors.
    1
  4218. Indeed. The two have been separated far longer than the Koreans have and there are two Koreas today, not one.
    1
  4219. Ukraine didn't have a choice in the matter. Are you saying that they should just roll over and accept slavery to Moscow? How very despotic of you. I hope you prefer living on your knees as a subject rather than on your feet as a free person.
    1
  4220. Don't forget, while Trump was in office, Putin didn't dare mess around with Ukraine. He stole Crimea while Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy.
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  4221. Quantity only has merit if it meets minimum quality requirements. 10 million flintlock guns are not going to be of much use against 1,000 M1 Grands.
    1
  4222.  @abrakadavra3193  Agreed. When the leadership of the US starts acting like the very autocrats, they accuse Trump of being, you know they are terrified of losing power, just like in those dictatorships.
    1
  4223. Abraham Lincoln was removed from the ballot in the state that would later rebel as the Confederacy and still won the election. You don't think that history might just repeat itself?
    1
  4224.  @PerceivedREALITY999  Wow, got under your skin did I? Also, you seem to forget that Putin himself violated the terms of Minsk, assuming that they had any legitimacy (and they didn't because NOBODY actually ratified them).
    1
  4225.  @TonyM540  Then why didn't Putin attack Ukraine while Trump was in office? If they were buddies, why did Putin wait until AFTER Trump left office to attack Ukraine? And don't go into that copium argument about "losing influence". He stole Crimea while Biden was Obama's Vice.
    1
  4226. If Trump is Putin's ally, then why did Putin not invade Ukraine while Trump was in office? Why did he steal Crimea while Biden was directing Obama's Foreign Policy? Why did he wait until Biden was in the White House to invade?
    1
  4227. Russia can produce shells but not at the rate of consumption. THAT is why they are begging for ammo from North Korea. Compare munitions expenditures from the first year of the war to now and it has dropped to less than a third.
    1
  4228.  @Jeromeeb  So basically it was PENCE, not Trump that said it. Considering that Pence was to Trump what Grima Wormtongue was to King Theoden of Rohan in Lord of the Rings, that tells you how credible Pence is. And explains why NOBODY in the GOP likes him anymore.
    1
  4229. And yet, Putin stole Crimea while Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy. Putin waited until Joe Bite-Me was in the White House before he invaded Ukraine. If Trump was Putin's agent, then why didn't Putin do ANY of that while Trump was in the White House? You don't have a rational answer that.
    1
  4230. The media doesn't actually want to report that American opinion on Ukraine is nuanced. Most don't oppose sending OLD and soon to be retired equipment. What they are absolutely adamant about is putting boots on the ground in Ukraine. And most Americans are skeptical about sending cash, whereas medical supplies are much harder to launder.
    1
  4231.  @michaeldunham3385  Because that General is being dishonest. Under NATO doctrine, there is absolutely NOT distinction between the use of artillery delivered nukes and ICBMs. ANY use of nukes is a strategic escalation with a reciprocal response, meaning a "tactical" nuke is answered with Trident ICBMs. Your "expert" is using his rank to act as an authority on the matter (logical fallacy), while he is misleading you by intentionally giving false information.
    1
  4232. Azov is an inland sea. Russia is in Ukraine because the Donbas has gas and coal deposits that would make Europe energy independent from Russia. Same goes for the oil deposits off the coast of Crimea.
    1
  4233. Explain to me why Putin stole Crimea when Biden was running Obama's foreign policy. Explain why Putin didn't invade Ukraine until AFTER Biden took the Oval office. Trump's boast about threatening to nuke Moscow may have had truth.
    1
  4234. Russian nukes are more likely to detonate in the silo like they did on K-129. The sinking of the Moskva calls into question the legitimacy of the Russian nuclear threat.
    1
  4235. The AI is only as smart as the people who program it. Ask Colonel Stanislav Petrov how reliable such missile identification programs are.
    1
  4236.  @hb9145  Yeah, so did Lyndon Banes Johnson. He called his "jumbo" and claimed that was why the US was in Vietnam.
    1
  4237.  @michaelmazowiecki9195  I never directly said it was a bluff. Only that Putin has chosen not to call it as if it was one. What happens in Poker when you call someone's bluff, and it turns out they were not bluffing?
    1
  4238.  @TheBandit7613  Putin has been given NUMEROUS off-ramps. He has rejected all of them. Stop trying to appease a bully. The 1938 Munich Conference should make it abundantly clear that such actions only embolden the aggressive.
    1
  4239. Yeah, those balloons carried incendiary bombs which started a few forest fires. If you were trying to make a point, you basically proved the counter-position.
    1
  4240. Look up Japan's Fu-Go balloon bombs from WW2. China just perfected that weapon. And with the tacit assistance of New Zealand, no less.
    1
  4241. NORAD's job is to protect the North American airspace from unauthorized entry. They failed in their mission spectacularly. "99 red balloons Floating in the summer sky Panic bells, it's red alert There's something here from somewhere else The war machine springs to life Opens up one eager eye Focusing it on the sky The 99 red balloons go by" -99 Luftballons by Nena.
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  4242. Breaking it out of spite, or revealing that it was a Ponzi scheme from the start? That the ONLY reason why it was even solvent was because the CIA was propping it up.
    1
  4243. The people running twitter before Elon WERE the vigilantes metting out justice as they saw fit. It is only now that they are behind held accountable for their actions.
    1
  4244.  @Jack-e5t  Your are projecting. That is what leftists in the media do. You are projecting your own flaws onto the right. There is a very good reason why nobody in media actually wants to debate actual Trump supporters and instead bring in fake conservatives like Billy Kristol, Liz Cheney, or Chris Hayes. They want controlled opposition they can dance around. Anytime the left foolishly brings on someone like Ben Shapiro, Bill Whittle, or Matt Taibi, they get their butts handed to them. There is a reason for that and Bill Whittle explains it: the left have bad ideas that are indefensible and they cannot win on the merits. They resort to screaming racism because they need to discredit the messenger in a vain attempt to discredit the message. "We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien concepts and competitive values. For a nation afraid to let its people judge truth from falsehood in an open market of ideas is a nation afraid of its own people," -President John F. Kennedy.
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  4245. There are really only three people who have a good understanding of the Dragon known as China: Michael Pilsbury, Gordon Chang, and Richard Murdock. All three have played as team Gold in Pentagon War games, and much like Erich Marcks in "The Longest Day", they ALWAYS win.
    1
  4246.  @Balenza345  I guess you have not heard of mutually assure destruction? If a NATO capital is nuked, you can bet that Moscow will become a radioactive crater.
    1
  4247.  @ajaykumarsingh702  And yet on the ground more and more they are self-identifying as Taiwanese. It is only among the over 50 population that has a majority who consider themselves Chinese.
    1
  4248.  @dpelpal  F-35s? No, they can't carry enough ordinance. A-10 Warthogs? Absolutely!
    1
  4249. Seems like a counter-intelligence operation much like Operation: Mincemeat.
    1
  4250.  @SterileNeutrino  The US Navy is specifically designed to project power across the Pacific. It is how we won WW2 against the Japanese.
    1
  4251.  @praetoriancorps  You clearly don't understand nuclear doctrine, particularly the how, when where, and why factors. Both examples are NOT justifiable employments of weapons, not even on a tactical level. Nukes first and foremost are an area denial weapon. Ideally, they also "salt the soil" as it were.
    1
  4252.  @praetoriancorps  Nukes are overblown. And to use them in Taiwan is self-defeating for both sides.
    1
  4253.  @TheSandkastenverbot  It isn't just WW2. Dien Bien Phu. The French were embarrassingly pathetic in Vietnam showing how much of a paper Tiger they truly were. Getting back to WW2, there is NO excuse for the French leaving the Ardennes undefended. Guderian was able to flank around the French because he had successfully marched a unit through the area in WW1. Further, the French put so much stock in the Maginot line, that ley left the low countries woefully undefended. The Dyle River Plan was spectacularly bad in that they overcommitted with no reserve.
    1
  4254. "Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated," -Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. Yeah, i think people like you said the same thing in 2016. How did that go? Underestimate the man at your own peril.
    1
  4255. Have people so quickly forgotten that Nelson Mandela served time in Jail? So did the President of Brazil. These European Elitists have zero understanding of anything outside the borders of their own country clubs and gated communities.
    1
  4256.  @XTSu-sl1bb  Indeed. It was Trump that got the ball rolling on NATO STARTING to ramp up their defense spending. Putin's invasion simply gave them the kick in the pants to pick up the pace.
    1
  4257.  @Stanley-px3bt  You are basically cheering for the destruction of the Western World then. Under Trump the WORLD experienced the best economic conditions since WW2. Your outburst just proves you are unhinged and completely divorced from reality and fact. You are exactly what George Orwell described when he wrote his dystopian novel.
    1
  4258.  @Stanley-px3bt  Yeah, you have the perspective of a coastal elite who has never visited "flyover country" (namely the Midwest). The whole Bud Light Debacle over Dylan Mulveni is but one symptom of that elitist tone-deaf mentality.
    1
  4259. Agreed. I am all for encouraging the Chinese students to defect to the West. But to do that something needs to be done about the CIs. So long as they operate with impunity, it will be impossible for the dissidents to live without having to watch their backs.
    1
  4260.  @quadq6598  Learn the lessons of the 1939 Munich conference. The Brits have vowed never to repeat Chamberlain's blunder again.
    1
  4261. And he didn't lose a single 2016 nor 2020 voter. Biden on the other hand has buyer's remorse among his voters.
    1
  4262. You realize that it will be a referendum on Biden and the 2020 election? Last time such a rematch occurred was the election between Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleaveland. Guess how that turned out.
    1
  4263. Yeah, even Alan Dershowitz has explained why those 34 charges are complete hogwash.
    1
  4264.  @danstrayer111  You forget 2016, dude. Trump is going to repeat Grover Cleaveland's feat of being defeated in a midterm only to return to the White House the following cycle.
    1
  4265. "Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated," -Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. I remember you people saying the same thing in 2016. How did that turn out?
    1
  4266. Democrats HAVE done the same thing and nothing happens. Chappaquiddick ring a bell?
    1
  4267.  @hmq9052  Yeah, and when Trump supporters do protest, you people call in an insurrection to overthrow the US government. Your hypocrisy is showing.
    1
  4268.  @barrywhitley7492  Yeah, bother were wrongfully prosecuted by a corrupt government. It is just as shame you people don't realize that this just gives Trump street credit among the black community.
    1
  4269. Yeah, Biden is lower now than he was when he was declared the winner in 2020. Trump hasn't lost a single voter from either 2016 or 2020 while Biden HAS lost voters over the abominable economy. Further, the way the 2020 election was held means that a Biden vs. Trump showdown will be a referendum on Biden and the electoral process. Last time such a showdown occurred was the rematch between Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleaveland. Guess how that rematch turned out?
    1
  4270. @UCisVv1XfV7rW6VAhc1RZEzg Clearly you are being a stereotypical "RUSSIA! RUSSIA RUSSIA!" partisan. Your first point falsely assumes that the Ukrainians would not bring in outside experts. It would not even have to be NATO, they could have brough in the neutral Swiss or Sweds. Your refusal to consider that shows your intellectual dishonesty. Your second point assumes that the US would retain that cold War mentality. History has shown that after the breakup in 1991, the US very much changed its thinking and calculus. Case in point is the Baltic States and Poland. So your premise is predicated on bad assumptions reddening it nothing more than wishful thinking. Your third point while initially has SOME merit, again fails to consider that the US, UK, France, or Japan would not effectively outbid anyone else who wanted to get their hands on those lose nukes. They all have a vested interest in acquiring them if for no other reason to keep them out of the hands of terrorists. Your arguments are nothing more than shilling for the Kremlin, not predicated on hard data. Your logic is weak and fatally flawed because of the glaring holes in your arguments.
    1
  4271. Under NATO doctrine, there is zero distinction between a tactical or artillery nuke and a Strategic or Ballistic nuke. The people talking about the specter of low yield nukes have to realize that ANY use of nukes is an automatic escalation and will NOT stop the fighting but instead result in vaporized cities.
    1
  4272. Indeed. Trump's solution would likely infuriate BOTH sides. The hacks at Time Radio fall into the false choice dilemma to make people assume that if you do not agree with one side, that automatically puts you on the other. There is ALWAYS a third option.
    1
  4273. Putin has been given NUMEROUS opportunities to exit the situation. He has rejected all of them. Stop appeasing fascistic leaders like Putin. You would think the Munich betrayal of 1938 would be a lesson conclusively proving that.
    1
  4274. Got proof of that? Do keep in mind that Putin stole Crimea while Biden was running Obama's foreign policy. Putin didn't invade Ukraine until AFTER Biden took the Oval office.
    1
  4275. You realize that Putin stole Crimea while Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy? Putin didn't invade Ukraine until AFTER Biden took the Oval Office. Trump threatened to nuke Moscow if Putin invaded Ukraine while he was in office.
    1
  4276. Details justifying your claim please. Do keep in mind that Putin stole Crimea while Biden was running Obama's foreign policy. Putin never bothered Ukraine during Trump's presidency, only attacking AFTER Brandon entered the oval office.
    1
  4277.  @johnathanx  The British lost the Revolution at Saratoga and Yorktown yet King George kept fighting on despite that. Putin is doing the same thing.
    1
  4278. Russian nukes will detonate in the silo rather than actually launch just like they did on K-129. The Moskva and Admiral Kuznetsov are proof of the poor maintainace of Russian weapon systems.
    1
  4279. You realize that Putin stole Crimea when Biden was running Obama's foreign policy? When Trump was in office, Putin didn't dare cause mischief. It was not until Brandon was in the Oval Office that Putin attacked Ukraine.
    1
  4280.  @WHS_reviews  Most of them have not. They are ideologues who are wedded to theory rather than practical application. Most of them have never had to handle a gun in the defense of their homes or lives.
    1
  4281. What rock have you be4en hiding under? Four Year of Trump meant NO NEW WARS. Remember, both of Putin's incursions into Ukraine occurred on Biden's watch. It meant the best economic conditions in 40 years. More of Biden means more of the graft and corruption that is tearing the West apart.
    1
  4282. Funny, because Putin's two incursions into Ukraine occurred on Biden's watch, not Trump. When Trump was in office, neither Putin nor President Pooh Bear dared to mess around. Dictators only respect a strong horse. Weakness in a president invites aggression. John F. Kennedy learned that the hard way.
    1
  4283. Indeed. Domestic policy tends to drive US elections, not foreign policy. That being said, the guest is intellectually dishonest in calling Trump a friend of Putin. it that were true, the Putin would have invaded during Trump's time in office, not in 2014 when Biden was leading Obama's foreign policy, nor in 2022 after Biden's disastrous withdraw from Afghanistan.
    1
  4284.  @Diggnuts  If you think Hitler's Holocaust is the answer, you are sadly mistaken. Nations that held their Jewish populations in esteem have prospered while those who revile them have invariably degenerated into barbarism. Incidentally, most of the banking industry is NOT dominated by Jews. WW2 basically drove them out of the business and back into their traditional roles as merchants and innovators. There is a very good reason why only Israel challenges the US as far as technological break throughs. "Those that bless you, I will bless. And those that cruse you I shall curse. And through you, a bless on all the nations and families of the world," -Genesis 12:3
    1
  4285.  @Diggnuts  These anti-Zelensky guys are obessed with Jewish conspiracy theories. They read Czar Nicholas 2's fiction book "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" too many times.
    1
  4286. Funny because it is ANTIFA who are engaging in brownshirt tactics against the political right. As for Trump, he IS a populist which is why he won in the first place. The power mongers and establishment underestimated hi in 2016 and that is why he won. The whole reason for the political prosecution attempts against him is because the political class is terrified of him. He threatens their largess and corruption.
    1
  4287. Yeah, it is like these people have never heard of Nelson Mandela, who spent time in prison before serving as president of South Africa.
    1
  4288.  @TheDavidlloydjones  2016 primary proves otherwise.
    1
  4289.  @Mr.Monta77  Keep dreaming. Trump got MORE votes in 2020 than he did in 2016. And he has not lost a single one. Biden however, HAS lost ground, down to less than 30% from his high on inauguration day. Buyer's remorse is strong among Biden voters, a problem that Trump does not have.
    1
  4290. And who will rise to replace? If you are putting faith in Red China, then I hope you enjoy the chains of slavery.
    1
  4291.  mark Mierzejewski  How can he have zero understanding of geopolitics when he has business ventures ALL AROUND THE WORLD? Do keep in mind that most world leaders knew what to expect from him as president because they had already interacted with Turmp the businessman. Your problem is that DESPITE having it explained, your fanatical mind refuses to process basic facts and details. You refuse to acknowledge critical details that compeltel undermine your preconceived notions. "For the great enemy of truth is very often not the lie--deliberate, contrived and dishonest--but the myth--persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. WE SUBJECT ALL FACTS TO A PREFABRICATED SET OF INTERPETATIONS. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -President John F. Kennedy; Yale Commencement Speech; June 11th, 1962
    1
  4292.  mark Mierzejewski  Be pragmatic as to why you would choose the Communist Republicans of Spain over Franco. Have you even bothered to ask WHY the Spainards chose to back him? Have you even bothered to ask why Franco REFUSED to join the Nazis during WW2? No, because you are acting EXACTLY like Stalin's dupes in Spain.
    1
  4293.  @Mr.Monta77  Russian collusion was proven a hoax. Further, Putin didn't invade Ukraine while Trump was in office. Putin stole Crimea while Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy. He invaded again while Biden was president. Seems to me that Biden is Putin's greatest asset.
    1
  4294.  @badlourising  While I agree that RFK Jr. is better than most of what the Dems are offering, the fact that he defied the lockdowns, and the vaccine mandates and was fighting against his own party on those issues means the DNC will NEVER let him win.
    1
  4295.  @Mr.Monta77  And you think Trum derangement syndrome is a good thing? Nevertrump is synonymous with fanatical cult zealotry.
    1
  4296.  @pokey5736  Sure, because Putin didn't invaded Ukraine between 2016 and 2020. He invaded while Biden was calling the foreign policy for Obama when Putin stole Crimea, and again when Biden became president. Do keep in mind, Trump threatened to nuke Moscow if Putin attacked Ukraine.
    1
  4297. Which is funny because Trump IS Dave, going to Washington and actually making a difference, shaking up the establishment. Too bad most people would rather live in comfortable slavery to the feudalism of global elitists rather than the uncertainty of essential liberty.
    1
  4298. As has EVERY elected official in the world, so what is your point? You get mad about "orange man" but then give a complete pass to the very liars you voted into office. "How do you know a politician is lying? His lips are moving."
    1
  4299. The failed siege of Kiev says otherwise.
    1
  4300.  @robsurname4054  Referendums at gunpoint are as legitimate as the election of Saddam Hussein with 98% of the vote or Kim Jong Un winning with 99% of the vote.
    1
  4301. How massively publicized was the Kherson counteroffensive?
    1
  4302.  @andyabuteo6084  Nice job Cherry Picking there. Kievan Rus and Muscovites are NOT the same. Just because they were under one ruling family during the era of the Czars does NOT mean they particularly like each other. Just ask the Poles. Yes, this war is about the Donbas. And the coal, gas, and oil deposits under them. Putin does not want Ukraine to be competition for the energy market. But of course, you don't want to talk about that because it lays bare Putin's cynical reasons for invading Ukraine.
    1
  4303. Cope harder dude. A force fighting on its home soil has the ability to take on as much as ten times their number. History is littered with examples of invading armies limping home in disgrace.
    1
  4304. "War is the continuation of politics by other means," -Carl von Clausewitz. Also, WW2 proves you wrong.
    1
  4305. F-117 nighthawk has been out of service for over a decade now. I doubt there are even any still in flying condition.
    1
  4306.  @nevig6557  Nice deflection buddy. You don't want to argue the merits of Ukraine's battlefield successes, so you bring up a non-sequitur (logical fallacy).
    1
  4307. Cope harder dude. The Kharkov and Kherson offensives showed that the Russian Bear is Geriatric.
    1
  4308. You have so quickly forgotten how public the Ukrainians made the Kherson counter offensive. That you can't remember what happened six months ago shows you are as ignorant as a small child.
    1
  4309.  @llewev  Yes, it is a mistake, one that the Russians have done when they miscalculated Ukrainian resolve.
    1
  4310.  @llewev  You are grossly overestimating Russian competency. Sergi Shoigu is no Gregory Zhukov. And this is NOT "The Great Patriotic War": the Russians don't have the same morale they did in WW2.
    1
  4311.  @NisuUuno  "only become popular by luck" You sir, have ZERO understand as to why religions take root. It is precisely BECAUSE of Roman persecution that Christianity took off. Today you find that Christianity gains the most followers in parts of the world where it is actively persecuted. There is a reason why the Chinese CCP is desperately trying to crush the faith. As to your other drivel, Dyson has the best counter-argument: "Trouble arises when either science or religion claims universal jurisdiction, when either religious dogma or scientific dogma claims to be infallible. Religious creationists and scientific materialists are equally dogmatic and insensitive. By their arrogance they bring both science and religion into disrepute." -Freeman Dyson
    1
  4312. Das Kapital was a piece of wishful thinking that led to the horrific bloodshed under communist Ideologies. Ironically, Marx was debunked and discredited by Karl Menger some 20 years before Das Kapital was written. Further, the likes of Fredrich Baistat, Fredreck Hayak and August von Mises also disprove point by point the labor THEORY of work. The Bible on the other hand has independently confirmed sources. The Torah (Old Testament) is conclusively confirmed by Persian, Egyptian, Babylonian, Assyrian, and Greek sources. As for the New Testament, Josephus, Pliny the Younger, Suetonius, and even Tactus have written about Christianity. You trying to refute them shows intellectual dishonesty and an insincere look at what constitutes history.
    1
  4313. And yet he STILL got elected in 2016 despite all of that. Underestimate him at your own peril.
    1
  4314.  @poo934  And they many very well vote him back in as a referendum on Biden. Ever heard of buyer's remorse? The American electorate is feeling that to a degree not seen since the election of Benjamin Harrison in 1888. Yes, Trump could be just like Grover Cleaveland.
    1
  4315. You will get it with the Democrats. And what is the old saying "be careful what you wish for, you just might get it"?
    1
  4316.  @spendor9377  I agree that Putin is the culprit, and I am in NO way attempting to minimize or trivialize that. But you cannot deny that Putin took his actions when Biden was the one calling the foreign policy shots for the US. Putin viewed Biden as pathetically weak. Dictators only respect someone who projects a strong image.
    1
  4317.  @maritaschweizer1117  Putin didn't invade Ukraine on Trump watch, it occurred on Biden's. Putin stole Crimea when Biden was Obama's foreign policy "expert". Hard facts prove you completely wrong. You a relying solely on the discredited Chrisotpher Steele dossier which was nothing more than Russian disinformation.
    1
  4318.  @maritaschweizer1117  Considering you believe fringe conspiracy theories like Russian collusion, that explains why you will never understand.
    1
  4319. The world has always hated the US, even with presidents you think make the US favorable. Everyone hates the top dog.
    1
  4320.  @lesdavies6846  Only in your mind have you proven anything. A typo in my post doesn't make your point. You are now like the pigeon who thinks it is playing chess.
    1
  4321.  @lesdavies6846  You haven't made an augment. You just prove my point. All you have is emotional outbursts.
    1
  4322. It worked well in 2016. Further, it was essentially the same message Biden ran on for the Democrats.
    1
  4323.  @lexluthor9509  So do the Democrats. Do keep in mind it was the Democrat states who kept the worthless and fascistic lockdowns in place the longest.
    1
  4324. Everyone said that in 2016. Care to repeat that upset?
    1
  4325. DeSantis running against Trump in the primary means Joe Bite-Me wins re-election. Anyone who doesn't know this isn't paying attention.
    1
  4326. I seriously doubt you ever voted for Trump in the first place. I guarantee you that Every 2016 Trump voter voted for him again in 2020. How else would explain Trump getting MORE votes the second time around? Doesn't explain the Clintonflation though.
    1
  4327.  @lexluthor9509  Nice Strawman argument. Now how about you actually debate the merits instead of resorting to logical fallacies like the intellectually lazy do? "I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.” ― Margaret Thatcher
    1
  4328.  @lexluthor9509  And some think that Orwell's dystopian novel was a blueprint rather than a warning. Are you one of those who idolizes Stalinism?
    1
  4329. George Soros WANTS DeSantis and Trump to mutually destroy each other in the primary. Also, DeSantis has publicly said he would not run if Trump did.
    1
  4330.  @sarahhillary7698  And with that, you just proved her point. Thank you for throwing in the towel and admitting that she was right.
    1
  4331. Yeah, calling people insult's doesn't make your point, it just proves you have lost the plot. “I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.” ― Margaret Thatcher
    1
  4332. And there are NO brains among the Dems. Or rather, they have people with broken brains like Biden and Fetterman.
    1
  4333. And Joe Bite-Me isn't?
    1
  4334.  @shadowbanned636  They occurred, but like a typical propagandist, you simply ignore that they occurred. I guess you don't remember, Trump was mostly self-financed in 2016, having run the CHEAPEST campaign in American history save for George Washington's in 1788. Hillary had one of the largest campaign collections in American history and it didn't do her a damn bit of good. Money doesn't buy elections; it simply facilitates a good message. All the money in the world will not save a failure of a campaign. Just ask Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, or GEORGE MCGOVERN.
    1
  4335.  @shadowbanned636  Or people have more important things to do that simply attend a really that they know will be the same as every other Trump rally. Also, NOBODY attended Biden's rallies and he still somehow won the 2020 election.
    1
  4336. Completely out of touch with reality. That is why you are going to be in for a big surprise.
    1
  4337.  @prometheusjackson8787  "Figures don't lie, but liars figure" -Mark Twain. Again, you are trying to be clever and not telling the full story, cherry picking your data.
    1
  4338.  @prometheusjackson8787  And again you are talking about yourself. The more you protest and try to affirm, the less believable you are. "The Lady doth protest too much, me thinks," -Queen Gertrude; Act 3 scene 2; Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
    1
  4339.  @prometheusjackson8787  No, you claim I said that. You put words in my mouth that I never uttered. I simply said that the ethnic minorities East of the Urals are not fans of Moscow. Everything else is your delusional fantasy. But then that is typical of people who believe their own lies.
    1
  4340.  @prometheusjackson8787  Talking about yourself again are we? Like a good little propagandist, you qualify what I say so you can claim victory when I never said what you claimed. You are trying to be clever by half and nobody is buying it. People see through your poor attempt at moving the goal posts.
    1
  4341.  @prometheusjackson8787  Pot meet kettle. The fact that you cannot differentiate between nationality and ethnicity shows you have no interest in truth only in pushing your agenda and then accusing others of doing what you are guilty of. But then that is typical of Kremlin stooges.
    1
  4342.  @prettitalented  Well, the US, Canada, Australia, and News Zealand WERE part of the British Empire. One fought a war of independence. The others were granted their autonomy almost a century later.
    1
  4343.  @prometheusjackson8787  More Kremlin lies. You are not convincing anyone, you are only showing you are a tool of Putin.
    1
  4344.  @prometheusjackson8787  Palestine was a word the Roman invented after they expelled the Jews following the revolt in 73 AD. Jews never stole land because it was already theirs to begin with. If anything, it was the Romans who stole it. But then again, you are pushing the same false narrative as the "Give back Texas" folks who themselves stole the land from the people before them. You are not an honest debater; you are a hack pushing political agenda. If anything, Moldova and Ukraine are as the Jews, defending themselves from the actual oppressor, namely their neighbors who refuse to let them live in peace.
    1
  4345.  @prometheusjackson8787  Palestine or JUDEA? Use the proper name for the region, not one given to it by the occupying British. The Turks NEVER called it Palestine when it was part of the Ottoman Empire.
    1
  4346.  @prometheusjackson8787  Sure, because picking on someone who was not part of the conversation is so mature on your part. You engage in a logical fallacy of non-sequitur: does not follow. It does not follow for you to bring Israel into the conversation except to crop-dust anti-Semitism just like Ilhan Omar does. No, Iran hates the US because the paedo Ayatollahs tell them to hate the US. You clearly don't understand Salafism. You don't understand how religious zealotry from the followers of the Twelfth Imam is what drives Iranian politics. You are precisely the kind of people they first throw off a tower when they get power. Learn a little about Islamic Conquests before you push infantile drivel about so-called interventionism by the west. That part of the world has been constantly overthrowing their local governments since antiquity.
    1
  4347.  @prometheusjackson8787  First, there was no reason to bring up Israel except to show you are a raging antisemite. Anti-Zionism IS Anti-Semitism no matter how much you try to pass it off otherwise. Secondly, you grossly mischaracterize the US. Neo-liberalism is simply a by-word for Soviet Fascistic Totalitarianism. America pushes CLASSICAL liberalism. And the fact that countries that previously lived under communism prefer America today over their past which you advocate for them to return to speaks volumes, Iran calls the US "The Great Satan" because our ideas and philosophies win the battle for the hearts and minds of the people. You hate that because your ideas are not convincing, just like Joe Biden's defenders are unconvincing. In short, you are engaging in sour grapes.
    1
  4348.  @prometheusjackson8787  Sure, because instead of actually fighting the enemy, the American generals were more interested in a body count; they made the exact same blunder as the Soviets did 30 years prior. Your explanation is just like the empty claims about the US losing the Tet Offensive. Words of an arm-chair general who actually has zero understand of battlefield tactics. The problem with Afghanistan is that Western powers refuse to emulate the two men who DID bring Bactria to heel: Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan.
    1
  4349.  @archeopterix22  Desert Storm/Desert Sheild doesn't ring a bell does it? Nor does Grenada? Your ignorance of recent history is astounding. Stop listening to neo-Soviet propaganda.
    1
  4350. @Asif Iqbal I never said you were from Russia. Only that you are being what Lenin called a "useful idiot" by repeating the Kremlin's talking points, all of which are bunk. And you want to talk about hypocrisy, there is plenty of it in your neck of the woods. The entire Gulf Petro-area is a living contradiction and hypocrisy.
    1
  4351. @Asif Iqbal Stop listening to Kremlin propaganda. Reality is vastly different than what you wish it was. What I stated in independently verifiable FACT. Don't believe me? Even Al Jazeera confirms it.
    1
  4352.  @jont2576  So 94 million people murdered by the Soviets is justification for spiting the US? You have lost the plot. You might as well be arguing in defense of Nazism and their policies. Soviets killed more people than the Holocaust.
    1
  4353.  @looseycanon  Certainly not all of the lines, but most definitely the major ones such as to Kiev as you point out.
    1
  4354. Yup, Commissar Putin has delusions of Stalin-hood.
    1
  4355.  @prometheusjackson8787  More Protocols of the Elders of Zion garbage. Zelensky's religion is Judaism, but he can't even convince the Kisanet to support him. It goes to show that you have lost the plot and are following fringe psychotic beliefs.
    1
  4356.  @prometheusjackson8787  Middle East Wars have nothing to do with the conflict in Ukraine possibly spilling into Moldova. You are deflecting again like a typical propagandist. Nobody is falling for your red herrings.
    1
  4357.  @prometheusjackson8787  Again, Israel has nothing to do with this conversation, you are just crop-dusting anti-Semitism like Ilhan Omar does.
    1
  4358.  @missmaddy  That does not surprise me. I am amazed at the number of people making excuses justifying the mooching by Transnistria off the Moldovan people. There is no such thing as squatter's rights.
    1
  4359.  @mmarques2736  I was using the criminality regarding alcohol as an analogy. That you can't understand that shows a lack of critical thinking skills on your part. I was using a frame of reference; one you clearly reject and so there is no point trying to explain something to someone who refuses to entertain an idea for the sake of argument. I HAVE answered your question, you just don't like the answer because it doesn't comport with your myopic view of the world. "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” ― Aristotle, mentor to Alexander the Great.
    1
  4360.  @mmarques2736  Because you falsely believe that by being legal, they would automatically change their "business practices". Bootleggers still flaunt the law despite alcohol being legal. And people are still murdered over moonshine. It will be no different with any legalized controlled substance.
    1
  4361.  @tylernorby4939  The devil is in the details. And the details paint a VERY different picture than the claims. Also, you seem to not realize that the local department of corrections is the biggest drug rehabilitation agency. Further, your long prison sentencings are a result of mandatory minimums pushed by the very politicians pushing for legalization. It is a giant grift and you are being played by the people purposely trying to tear down society. This comes straight out of the revolutionary's handbook.
    1
  4362. That won't solve your problem, it only creates an entirely new set of problems. Furthermore, the drug cartels don't stop literally murdering their competition just because you made it legal.
    1
  4363. Indeed. Narco-States are active participants in pushing the drugs as the politicians are often on the payroll of the cartels. Mexico better fits that description than Belgium.
    1
  4364. That will not solve the problem, it will simply make the government become the biggest drug dealer.
    1
  4365.  @monkeydank7842  As I said, you don't solve the problems by legalizing, you are simply papering over the underlying problem by creating an entirely new set. The problems society has with Alcohol and Tobacco shows that legalization only creates more problems. Data out of Colorado prove this with regards to marijuana legalization. You haven't made any coherent arguments for legalization. And my points only reinforce that.
    1
  4366.  @monkeydank7842  Bootlegging Alcohol still occurs. The media just doesn't report on it. NASCAR in fact is a direct result of bootleg culture. Eric Garner was killed by police for selling cheap cigarettes across state lines subverting the taxes on then. But the media wanted to only focus on his race, not WHY the police were really busting him up. Then there is the issue about Cuban Cigars. They can be made by Cuban expatriates in Florida, but big tobacco makes a stink about it not being "the real thing" and hence they can't sell or advertise them as Cuban Cigars. Hence the whole thing with smuggling them in from Cuba despite having a legal alternative that is exactly the same thing.
    1
  4367.  @monkeydank7842  Yes, they would. Legalizing it doesn't change that fact. It just makes it easier for them to conduct their business without worrying about the government actively shutting them down.
    1
  4368. No, it would not. It simply trades in one set of problems for an entirely new set. Also, the violence would not stop as the cartels will still murder their competition to maintain their monopoly.
    1
  4369.  @tyquonjackson7728  Except, the UN is NOT a world governing body. Its "laws" have zero force backing it beyond those willing to use armed conflict.
    1
  4370.  @manguanxu3612  Yeah, the classic deflection and logical fallacy of communist governments such as Red China's.
    1
  4371.  @manguanxu3612  Oh, I agree. China has historically been a colonizing power. Zheng He's treasure fleet was all about exerting colonial power over subject and vassal nations. And of course, Japan in the 1930s had colonialist expansionism, though they were quickly broken of those ambitions.
    1
  4372.  @hadtrio6629  Again with more false analogies (logical fallacy) comparing apples to oranges. Typical response from an ideological partisan who doesn't actually care about facts. Oh, a Moor huh? Don't get me started on the brutal Invasion of Iberia by the Muslim Moors.
    1
  4373.  @hadtrio6629  Wrong. For one, the "independence movements" of Doneski and Luhansk is nothing more than what Russia did in Georgia with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Nothing more than a pretext for stealing territory and rebuilding the old Soviet Empire. Your blatant disregard for that shows you are not acting in good faith. And for Catalonia, their beef with Madrid is NOTHING like the spat between Taipei and Beijing. But i get that you are completely ignorant of Franco's Spain and the history of that country since WW2. In short, you are guilty of doing exactly what you accuse me of doing. Your chronological snobbery makes your perspectives infantile and irrelevant.
    1
  4374.  @hadtrio6629  Apples to oranges false analogy. They are NOT the same and it is intellectually dishonest to claim that they are.
    1
  4375.  @hadtrio6629  "Mandate of heaven" is anathema to China's official atheist stance. "Mandate of Heaven" is monarchal doctrine and runs counter to the official ideology of Communism. So, no, but the CCP's own standards, they do NOT nor cannot claim to be the legitimate successor because they reject on principle that which would give them such a claim. And no, it is NOT hypocritical of the West to point this out. It is holding them to their own standards.
    1
  4376.  @hadtrio6629  Agreed. HISTORIC China first controlled it during the late Ming Dynasty. But the current Red Government is NOT the successor state to the Qing Dynasty despite their claims. That honor would fall to the Republic of China currently residing in Taipei.
    1
  4377. If you have learned anything about communist, it is that they ALWAYS re-write history. "Good facts" which uphold the fictions of the CCP are always more correct than "real-facts" which contradict the narrative.
    1
  4378. Nero did something similar. Had the Legions collect seashells on the beach as "tribute" from Neptune after swishing his sword in the Mediterranean.
    1
  4379. Taipei has never acknowledged the Red Government as legitimate.
    1
  4380.  @thomassecurename3152  Yeah, it is sad that the members of ASEAN would much rather squabble among themselves rather than present a united front against China. If they agreed to temporarily set aside their individual disagreements and mutually agree that China has no claims, they could present that united front in the Parcel Islands and effectively push China out of the area.
    1
  4381. Not always. It was only during the late Ming Dynasty that mainland China first took control over the Island. Before then, the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty never controlled it. Neither did Song or Tang before them.
    1
  4382.  @merlingeikie  Yeah, didn't Nero send the Legions down to the beach to collect seashells as "tribute" from Neptune after he swished his sword in the Mediterranean?
    1
  4383.  @winstonmaraj8029  That is a religious prayer based on wishful thinking and no objective data. You are a religious zealot.
    1
  4384.  @winstonmaraj8029  Apples to oranges false analogy. But then that is typical of con artists and snake oil salesmen. "Tell a lie often enough and people take it for the gospel truth," -attributed to Joseph Goebbels.
    1
  4385.  @winstonmaraj8029  I would take the bet, but you will never pay it out. Again, the advocates of green energy made the same prediction in 1970 and 50 years later it still hasn't come true. You will never admit you are wrong because this isn't about environmental protection, this is poorly disguised neo-pagan Gaia worship.
    1
  4386.  @winstonmaraj8029  I have, much Adu about nothing. These are the same empty headlines as the ones in the 1970s about the same topic. Almost word for word exactly the same, in fact. You are being sold a bill of goods. "A sucker is born even minute," -P.T. Barnum
    1
  4387.  @winstonmaraj8029  Famous last words, dude. Men and women smarter than you have said the same thing and have been wrong. All of the advocates of "green energy" for decades before you were wrong, and NOTHING has changed since then. If "Renewables" really were as you say, then someone would have already cornered the market and become the John D. Rockefeller of green energy already. It hasn't happened and is not likely to happen anytime in the near future.
    1
  4388. That prediction has been made since the 70s and still has no panned out. If "renewables" really were viable, someone would have already dominated the market and build a fortune like Rockefeller.
    1
  4389.  @kennethli8  The problem with that though is you get Weimar Germany or Mugabe's Zimbabwe. Just printing money with nothing to back it up makes the currency worthless.
    1
  4390.  @harun776  And the Baltic states of Poland joining did present a security threat? Spare us the Kremlin drivel. The ONLY reason why Finland and Sweden abandoned their historic neutrality was BECAUSE of RUSSIAN aggression, not NATO expansion.
    1
  4391. Al Jazeera is still heavily bias towards jihadism, though.
    1
  4392.  @winstonmaraj8029  Cool!
    1
  4393. You have hooked my curiosity. I am most certainly interested in hearing more.
    1
  4394. Okay, so why not fill in the land? That is what the South Koreans are doing to the areas of the sea they are targeting for reclamation.
    1
  4395. No, most people in the west are oblivious to the oil and Gas deposits off the coast of Crimea. Or the Coal and oil deposits beneath Donbas.
    1
  4396.  @khai96x  Finland and Sweden beg to differ. So do the Warsaw Pact nations who eventually joined NATO. Your blanket statement shows your myopic views.
    1
  4397.  @lachlanp3365  All of those are fair points.
    1
  4398. There has been talk about morphing ASEAN from a purely economic one into a military-economic block. Sadly, the disputes over the Islands have been too much of a hindrance for that. A real shame because if they COULD temporarily suspend their dispute and present a united front, they could form a defense line in the Parcel Island pushing the Chinses out at one spot instead of individually.
    1
  4399.  @Martincic2010  I would not be so proud to declare your support for communism. You ideology murdered more people than the Holocaust. And ask the Colombians how many people FARC murdered for your goals.
    1
  4400. There are easier targets to pursue than Taiwan. The Amur Valley and Outer Manchuria for example. The ONLY reason why China puts Taiwan first is because of national pride.
    1
  4401.  @5552-d8b  You do realize that it was the US backed government in Phenom Pehn that the Khmer Rouge toppled? No, the US NEVER supported Pol Pot or his terrorist movement.
    1
  4402.  @FarnhamJ07  Yeah. part of the problem was the Diem was more interested in fighting Buddhists than Commies. The Buddhists should have been natural allies, not enemies. President Pak of South Korea did NOT make that blunder.
    1
  4403.  @khai96x  That is not an argument, that is an emotional outburst typical of a myopic and childish mind.
    1
  4404. Wow, talk about drinking the Kremlin kool-aid. The US didn't force China and Russia together. China is simply taking advantage of a weakened Russia. For someone so worried aobut American Imperialism, you seem to ignore Russia's Czarist Ambitions in Eastern Europe and China's expansionist moves in Asia.
    1
  4405.  @danielch6662  You are delusional. China wants the whole pie and does NOT want to share. They have proven time and again with actions that they ARE willing to kill to take possession of those Islands.
    1
  4406.  @vietucofficial5813  Yeah, Vietnam after WW2 was one country just like Korea is just one country. Sit down and let the adults talk.
    1
  4407.  @lehoang3532  Sounds to me like you just want to lick the boot of Beijing. You cannot have an alliance with Japan and Australia without the US. It just isn't going to happen, particularly when the Japanese are so reliant militarily on the US. Second, do you really trust that the Indians would come to your rescue? Just because you may share a common enemy in Red China doesn't mean that they will risk nuclear war on your behalf.
    1
  4408.  @danghoangluong2942  Yeah, I am no fan of them either. They have proven time and again to be dirty cowards fleeing at the first sign of trouble. And yes, the US did initially help Ho Chi Mihn which is why his early works drew heavily from Thomas Jefferson.
    1
  4409. Yeah, I wish the ASEAN nations would temporarily put aside their disputes and present a united front against China, preferably in the Parcels and Northern Spratley. Once China has been disabused of their claims then they can hash it out.
    1
  4410.  @lehoang3532  If you don't put stock in it, then why are you here except to troll on behalf of your propaganda ministry?
    1
  4411. All dictators claim to be democratically elected. Just look at Alexander Lushenko of Belarus. The problem with Erdogan is that he has purged his political opposition and subverted the system of checks and balances that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk put in place to PREVENT a dictatorship.
    1
  4412. Because corrupt corporate leaders exploit the poor labor conditions in communist counties. They think that they can buy off the communist leadership. Do keep in mind that China's "State capitalism" is simply Leninist-Socialist oligarchism under a different name.
    1
  4413. @Wilhelm Eley Is that what the Kremlin told you? The oil deposits off the coast of Crimea alone would make Ukraine the 6th largest proven reserves in the world, just behind Norway. Shell had signed contracts in 2012 with Ukraine to exploit the fields under Donbas before Russia instigated rebellion in that area. Or have you forgotten those dirty little details?
    1
  4414. Russia doesn't like competition. Ukraine's oil, gas, and coal reserves threatened Putin's Europe monopoly. Get you head out of your rear; this war is all about oil.
    1
  4415. Indeed. Folks have forgotten the old saying "the bigger they are, the harder they fall".
    1
  4416. Merkel was a member of the East German Communist Youth League. Making Germany completely dependent on Russia for energy wasn't madness, it was by design. A communist is like a tiger; it never changes its stripes.
    1
  4417.  @TheMrgoodmanners  I was not trying to get into a pissing match with Alabama, or Crimson Tide for that matter. As far as Redstone goes, where do you get the technical knowledge to design and test those rockets? My point about Purdue still stands. And you trust US News? That legacy rag who hasn't published an accurate report in almost 20 years? How often have they had to issue a correction or retraction again? Only establishment shills read their publications. Also, I find it interesting that you only compare Indiana to other Midwest States and not the entire US. Contrasted to the Deep South, Indiana is luxurious.
    1
  4418.  @golagiswatchingyou2966  Wow, Nazi apologist now huh? You are defending the indefensable now. Oh, and I take the word of the Flanders over you. if they say the Butchers of the Rhineland violated their neutrality just to defeat France, I believe them.
    1
  4419.  @golagiswatchingyou2966  America is not the cause of the worlds problems. In fact, we solve more of them than we make, despite what you may claim. Ever heard of "The Great War"? We ended that. Ever Heard of World War 2? If not for the US, you would be speaking either German or Japanese. As the Billy Joel song goes, "We didn't start the fire, no we didn't light it but we tried to fight it"
    1
  4420.  @borhanuddin9715  Nature abhors a vacuum. what do you think will fill it if Western dominance disappears? Considering what most of the world was before Western dominance, I suspect that your proposed alternative will be harsh and brutal. "Human Rights" is a direct result of Western Hegemony.
    1
  4421.  @adrien5834  Pot meet kettle. Typical leftist.
    1
  4422.  @adrien5834  Neoliberal? I think you are describing yourself. Neoliberalism is just repackaged Marxist-Leninist-Maoist ideology. I am describing sound economic tax policy, one that has been proven time and again. And you reject it simply because you detest the idea of people keeping their own money, even if that means moving it to places with lower rates.
    1
  4423.  @adrien5834  Your refusal to acknowledge JFK's points about taxes and your obsession with tax haven shows you are not debating in good faith. Debate the merits, of which my point did NOT take GDP into consideration. You are bloviating because you hate people wisely investing their wealth in places that will not simply steal it via force of government. Taxation is legalized theft.
    1
  4424. France is no superpower. Their defeat at Bien Dien Phu was the end of France as a major global player. Even the UK was more significant until the Falkland's War.
    1
  4425.  @kolerick  Yeah, Papa Doc and Baby Doc really screwed up Haiti.
    1
  4426.  @eurobonapartiste  "First Democracy in the modern world" huh? Yeah, I think the French Terrors under the Robespierre faction shows us exactly what "French Democracy" entails. As far as Poland goes, I think the Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth predates "The Litte Corporal". All he did was to reestablish it as the Dutchy of Warsaw. As far as his "progressivism", it was also predated by the American Revolution. Much of what you attribute to Bonaparte finds its origins not in him but other people and movements. All he did that was good was to empower the average man. "In every private's backpack is a Marshall's baton" was his words. Words that simply echoed that of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
    1
  4427.  @thetrist333  And yet it has always been the US pulling France's bacon out of the fire. For someone who claims to be well verse in history, you sure are ignorant of it. ""To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?" -Marcus Tullius Cicero, 45BC.
    1
  4428.  @thetrist333  How many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris? Nobody knows, for it has not been attempted.
    1
  4429.  @maxcream6726  At this time, perhaps. But there is discussion of it becoming a free trade union among its members.
    1
  4430. Yes they do. And it is a major staging area for US forces in the Middle East and Indian Ocean theaters.
    1
  4431. Quorum. Even with a 70% yes vote, if less than 50% of the people participate, you don't have a simple majority of all residence agreeing to it. At best you have a plurality. Quorums are just as if not MORE important than having a simple majority.
    1
  4432.  @kolerick  And yet the US has held fewer overseas territories than France yet has "de-colonized" more of them than France. You just don't like the fact that France is the world's biggest hypocrite. Nor that it is getting called out for it.
    1
  4433.  @kolerick  What territories has the US colonized in the 20th century? Have you forgotten that the Philippines was given its independence after WW2? Vanuatu and Palau were US territories that were emancipated. Purter Rico so far has chosen to remain a territory and refuses independence. Guam and the Marianas likewise refuse independence.
    1
  4434.  @lakshaysingh9743  Therre is no pint in arguing with this paid troll. He refuses to accept hard facts and instead engages in progoms typical of religious fanatics.
    1
  4435.  @_Mohit_Joshi  You seem to conflate Washington DC with the rest of the country. Middle America cannot engage in international relations because the US constitution forbids it; all actions MUST go through the state department. I agree that Pakistan is trash and Washington's continued support of them shows how completely out of touch with reality they are. They really are the ivory tower hacks who hold the "unwashed masses" in contempt. As far as "human rights" Europe loves to lecture the US just as much as they claim we lecture them. Perhaps more so. The truth is, it has only been during the last 80 or so years that Europe even acknowledged them, while the Bill of Rights has been there since 1787.
    1
  4436. Sure, because in the absences of guns, knife stabbings simply replace it at a rate of 4-5 times. Just take a look at Londonstan.
    1
  4437.  @parthparekh9924  Where did I say it did? That is the problem with America haters like you. You are so blinded by your zealotry that you jump to foregone conclusions and engage in broad generalities without actually looking at the merits in their proper context.
    1
  4438.  @parthparekh9924  Yes, the "American Century" is basically a continuation of the Royal United Kingdom's prior Century. The US does indeed owe much to the Crown for without them, there would be no United States. Oh, and before you whine about Columbus, he was following the legends that the Vikings told of Vinland. And the Vikings were themselves preceded by the Irish with Saint Bartholomew. And before you bloviate about the "Natives" who crossed Beringia to the New World, there is discussion that Clovis people who preceded them by as much as 1,000 years may have followed the ice shelf along a similar route as the Vikings.
    1
  4439.  @terrestrialextra4790  Indeed. He came in there like a bull in a China shop, and then promptly acted like one (seriously, this has been tested, they act timid). But you are correct that most of the career politicians are basically copies of each other regardless of party. Which is why the American people will NOT be so kind next go around.
    1
  4440.  @iamaloafofbread8926  And Biden is the hang-over with the ugly bedmate surprise in the morning. If you think 2016 was the American people throwing a temper tantrum, you have yet to see what will happen in 2024. "I fear our efforts are for naught, for we have awakened the sleeping giant, AND FILLED HIM WTIH A TERRIBLE RESOLVE," -Admiral Yamamoto after Pearl Harbor.
    1
  4441. What coherence? The Biden folks have been completely flip-flopping on whether they would defend Taiwan from an invasion. Biden effectively invited Putin to invade Ukraine with his "limited incursion" statement. Trump emulating Richard Nixon's sending out the nuclear bombers every time a Soviet General sneezed did more to maintain peace and stability than Biden's James Earl Carter policies. But I guess mean tweets is more harmful to you than causing instability across the globe. The world respects a strongman and holds a weak one in contempt.
    1
  4442. His hospital orderlies, I mean staffers are the ones calling the shots.
    1
  4443.  @iamaloafofbread8926  Like what? Details, not bloviation. And "restore respect" is not a valid answer. Respect is EARNED not given. "Better to be feared than to be loved if you can't have both," -Niccolò Machiavelli.
    1
  4444.  @iamaloafofbread8926  And "Cheeto dictator" is living rent free in your head.
    1
  4445.  @ahmedlusajogibbonsmwaikamb6099  Wow, nice apples to oranges false analogy (and a logical fallacy).
    1
  4446.  @absolootely2571  Complete delusional fantasy on your part. You clearly haven't visited either of those cities, only watch the propaganda from Jihadi videos. "Those who can make you believe in absurdities can make you commit atrocities" -Voltaire
    1
  4447.  @ArawnOfAnnwn  Nice revisionist history. More people have died at the hands of the Russians in the last three months than have died in the entire 20 years of the US in the middle east. But I get it, you are a rabid partisan who refuses to acknowledge hard facts which contradicts your religious-political view of the world.
    1
  4448.  @kimandre336  It isn't that Western media censors what is going on in East Asia, it is just that they don't really care. APATHY is more dangerous that outright censorship. Why? Streisand effect. Censorship paradoxically gets the message out BECAUSE it is censored. As far as "rose colored glasses", I don't disagree that Japanese leadership has screwed the pooch with regards to their lost decade. I also agree that their currency manipulation at the behest of Washington elites is also ruinous. If the Yen is strong against the dollar, that is the fault of the Federal Reserve, not the Japanese economy. That being said, I much prefer the leaders of East Asia's economic Tigers over the feckless cowards of Washington who kowtow to the totalitarians in Peking.
    1
  4449.  @_Mohit_Joshi  The Bidens and Burisma? I can agree to that. Then there is Joe Bite-me's comment about "minor incursion" that was basically an invitation to Putin on par with Dean Acheson's blunder with the Pacific Defense Perimeter excluding South Korea thereby inviting Kim Il-Sung to invade the South.
    1
  4450.  @_Mohit_Joshi  I don't disagree that Putin lost the influence war over Ukraine and decided to use force instead of continuing to lose the soft power game. HOWEVER, the reason for Poland and the former Warsaw Pact joining NATO was precisely BECAUSE of Russia's history as the preeminent force in the USSR. In the 90s under Boris Yeltsin, there was an opportunity to bury the past and start anew with their former satellites. Russia could have rejected the Soviet past and sought to repair the relationship with its neighbors. Chechnya and Georgia's breakaway provinces showed them that the Bear was up to its old habits.
    1
  4451. Nice revisionism. When traditionally natural Sweden and Finland want to join NATO in response to this, your narrative falls on deaf ears. Not even the historically neutral Swiss believe your story.
    1
  4452. Indeed. They have become globalist shills.
    1
  4453.  @brandonhernandez116  Sure, keep lying to yourself, you are convincing nobody. People know how feckless Joe Bite-Me really is.
    1
  4454. Sure, because they are basically continuing much of what Trump started. Save for the fact that Biden basically invited Putin to invade with his "limited incursion" statement. Was just as much of a strategic blunder as Dean Acheson excluding South Korea from the Pacific Defense Perimeter, thereby inviting Kim Il- Sung to invade South Korea in 1950. And the administration's flip-flopping over whether they will defend Taiwan is only inviting Red China to call their bluff. But I guess "mean tweets" is worse than destabilizing the globe with uncertainty. Try to learn from history instead of relying on your feelings.
    1
  4455.  @parthparekh9924  Nice job cherry picking your information (logical fallacy). But I get it, you resent that we kept the peace for 80 years. You resent the fact that you can't keep your own house in order so you blame the very people you would otherwise demand to fix your problems because you are too stubborn to fix them yourself.
    1
  4456.  @_Mohit_Joshi  I as an American don't like nor trust the Pakistanis. They are two-timing, double dealing hacks. They sheltered Bin-Laden and lies about it. They regularly deal with China, subverting US interests in the region. I very much prefer the land of Rajahs over the land of Jihadis. It is a shame that our mutual history as a colony of the English Crown isn't a stronger starting point for a better relationship.
    1
  4457.  @parthparekh9924  Elected or installed? "Shadow campaign" ring a bell? Chaning the election rules one month before ballots are cast (11th hour rule change) is one example of cheating and stealing an election. But I get it, you folks in Europe are used to the parties picking who will rule you long before your ballots are even printed. Illiberal Democracy is what that is. And the reason why the world's problems are America's problems is that TWO world wars started because of American isolationism. You people can't keep your continent from exploding in violence without America's presence. The recent war in Ukraine is just further proof of this.
    1
  4458. They don't trust the US because we have weak leadership. People respect a strong horse. The hold weak men in contempt.
    1
  4459. Indeed. They have become sycophantic lickspittles to the globalist elites.
    1
  4460.  @kimandre336  You think Americans really elected Joe Bite-me? When precincts report turnouts at 120% of voter registration, that is glaringly obvious what happened. Trust the American people, not our "rulers". Our rulers lie to us as much as they lie to you.
    1
  4461. Yeah, in many ways their political system is similar to the UK's Constitutional Monarchy. Though unlike Queen Elizabeth, I don't think the Emperor has the power to dissolve the government and force the Prime Minister to form a new one with new elections.
    1
  4462.  @astrahcat1212  Agreed on almost all of those points. And Thomas Jefferson warned about the bankers acting like gamblers. He saw Alex Hamilton (father of the US Federal Bank) doing exactly that in conjunction with Henry Knox in Massachusetts sparking Shay's Rebellion. And then repeating that same dirty game in Pennsylvania with the Whiskey Tax, begging "big Daddy Washington" to save him. Same story since antiquity; wannabe feudal lord abusing the peasants and merchants who butter their bread by manipulating currency and the markets.
    1
  4463.  @jxz107  You are probably correct on all of those counts. Sakhalin Island is the more intriguing issue. As per the Treaty of San Fransisco, the Japanese have zero legal claim at this time because its southern reaches were capture in war, even though those conquests predate control of the Kuril Islands. And when Japan did occupy it, Koreans were settled there. South Korea and Japan together taking that Island from Russia would be quite the odd-couple situation. That is assuming that Red China doesn't try to take it first since it is considered part of "outer Manchuria".
    1
  4464.  @vorynrosethorn903  I am inclined to agree. Both the American Right and American Left care more about holding onto power than to right by the people. And while I cannot speak for Europe's left-right dichotomy, the fact that the same selected few families running the country in dynastic succession despite having an electoral process, I am also inclined to view those hereditary Republics with the same skepticism.
    1
  4465. There is a major difference between Japan and Nordic countries. Namely, Japan doesn't have the oil deposits the Swedes, Danes, and Norwegians have. Or have you forgotten that they fought WW2 because of their lack of native oil sources?
    1
  4466.  @dragonesryan282  I was stationed in South Korea from 2009-2011. I saw a much different presentation of Korean history than you imply. Yes, they are obsessed about the 35-year brutal occupation by Japan. But beyond that, there is a certain pride, not victim mentality in Korean history. particularly their defeat of the Japanese in the Imjin War over Hideyoshi.
    1
  4467. @H J DANGER as well as opportunity. Destruction is part of the nature of chaos. And without that destruction there would be no opportunity. Now, I do agree that pure chaos (ie entropy and enthalpy) is nobody's friend and is truly an "equal opportunity" agent. But one can take that into consideration when planning and minimize the harm as best they can while capitalizing on the opportunities.
    1
  4468.  @vorynrosethorn903  The nobility lost everything or they simply married into the "new money" so as to maintain the status quo? The dirty little secret is that marriage among the nobility was never about love, only about power. The nouveau riche wants the legitimacy of noble status, even if titles are meaningless, while the old guard landed gentry view such marriages as a way to maintain their lifestyles. When push comes to shove, nothing has really changed.
    1
  4469.  @vorynrosethorn903  Well, there is a very good reason why most of the ancestors of Americans today got out of Europe. The Feudal families who ruled back then are still effectively running things today with very little change in the stratification of society.
    1
  4470. True, a vote for Trump in 2016 was a middle finger to the establishment power mongers. It just happened to result in one of the most productive and economically saucerful periods in American history until it was killed by the liberal establishment regaining power. And the backlash against that will be even greater than the one that originally put Trump in office. "I fear our efforts are for naught, for we have awakened a sleeping giant, AND FILLED HIM WITH A TERRIBLE RESOLVE," -Admiral Yamamoto, "Tora, Tora, Tora".
    1
  4471.  @futureshocked  First, economic analysists have confirmed that FDR's policies made the Great Depression worse, not better. Government NEVER creates anything except debt. FDR's government spending only took resources from productive areas and wasted them in places that produced very little return on investment. It was World War 2 that brought the US out of the Great Depression, that is a FACT. The 1980s prosperity is fake? Art Laffer again proves you wrong. As does Fresrick Hayek. The Reagan tax cuts, modeled off the JFK tax cuts prove beyond a reasonable doubt that LESS government taxation creates wealth while more taxation kills it. And the Trump tax policy confirmed and validated the Reagan-JFK economic policies. I agree that debt-based economics made BANKERS and SPECULATORS wealthy because they were extracting and pillaging the economy without actually adding anything of value. That has nothing to do with less government, that is actually a result of MORE government reward such behavior via bail-outs and printing money. Read Thomas Jefferson and the problem with banking institutions. There is a reason why most cultures consider Usury to be an evil practice. Killing the golden goose NEVER pays out in the end. Sure, it may make you feel better depriving the Zaibatsu or Chaebols, but it only makes things worse in the long run. Why? Because those oligarchs end up controlling government when the government tries to take their assets. This is just as true of Japan as it is in the US. Oligarchism only exists BECAUSE governments regulate. Without government regulation, there would be no need for oligarchs to seize control of the government.
    1
  4472. Wealth redistribution never works. Giving something for nothing kills productivity and stifles economic growth. Japan was badly mismanaged in the 80s due to corporate cronyism, and the government intervening hasn't helped the problem, only prolonged it much like FDR's policies prolonged the Great Depression. Keysian economics is just Leninist-Marxist theory repackaged and rebranded. But it still failed spectacularly as Art Laffer's curve has proven time and again.
    1
  4473.  @baronvonlimbourgh1716  Not everything you read online is true. Any smuck can post anything. Go to the original paper sources. Anyone someone says "I read it online" I automatically discount it as hearsay and with good reason. A physical copy of Encyclopedia Brittanica is more reliable than anything you find online.
    1
  4474.  @baronvonlimbourgh1716  ​ Yes, they are. Tariffs are NOT placed on individual people bringing their possessions across national boundaries. It is levied on corporations carrying bulk good across boundaries. Congratulations, you show you have zero knowledge on the subject. You clearly have no economic experience because you are regurgitating Debunked Keynesian platitudes on cue like Pavlov 's dog. Karl Menger, and Fredrich Hayek completely disprove all of your theories and is backed up by hard data. Indeed, Art Laffer confirmed everything they described and time and again it is validated.
    1
  4475.  @prometheusjackson8787  And you are too foolish to realize that just because China claims to have "free trade zones" doesn't mean that they are. It is a gimmick referring to tariffs, not actual free markets. When 90% of the companies are "State Owned Enterprises" that means they are effectively organs of the government. Basically, Soviet Communism by another name. Good job, you have just proven to everyone you are a good little soviet that regurgitates talking points on cute like Pavlov's Dog.
    1
  4476.  @baronvonlimbourgh1716  Yeah, but how much of those business taxes were covered by TARIFFS? That is the dirty little detail you left out. Tariffs don't cover domestic business transactions, only international trade. And repeating your same slogan doesn't make you educated, it makes you a broken record (logical fallacy). You are guilty of what you accuse the rest of us. You are the one re0writing history according to your neo-communist THEORY which fails when it meets hard economic data.
    1
  4477.  @prometheusjackson8787  "Not relevant for 30 years"? The Chinese Communist Party begs to differ. But keep putting your foot in your mouth, please. It only makes you a laughingstock.
    1
  4478.  @prometheusjackson8787  "Higher Wages"? You realize the minimum wage in 1950 was $0.75? Not all of that 2,000% increase is attributable to inflation. For someone who claim to be intelligent, you show a distinct ignorance of objective hard fact.
    1
  4479.  @lyampetit144  At this point, I would the US was like Belgium. A few months WITHOUT the US government operating would do wonder for us. "Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one." -Thomas Paine.
    1
  4480. Yeah, their lost decade seems to be the one thing the West has become really good at emulating. And that is NOT a good thing.
    1
  4481. Just like China's "State Capitalism" is just Maoist communism with accountability that punishes the nepotism that infests all systems. The end result is still the same: Soviet communism and all of its horrors.
    1
  4482. Naw, what they need is another Hindenburg. Prussian-Kaiser Imperial leadership, not the National Socialist kind.
    1
  4483.  @bastisonnenkind  The problem with Democracy is that it is a hydra whose heads are trying to kill and devour each other. There is a reason why even Aristotle held it in certain contempt. As for Angel Merkel, she knew exactly what she was doing by prostrating Germany before Putin and making her country almost entirely dependent on Russia. She was an active and enthusiastic member of the East German Communist Youth during the 1980s, so it is hard to claim her actions were not by design.
    1
  4484. @M W Nice Anglophobia there. You do realize that the former Warsaw Pact VOLUTARILY joined NATO? Hell, when DeGaulle pulled out of NATO, American troops left France. Not that you would bother to actually know that dirty little detail. Your whole argument is based on a hysterical hatred of English culture.
    1
  4485.  @tavish4699  No, Russia was NOT the best option. You complain about American liquified gas so you would rather put a Russian leash around your neck? There ARE other options, you just refuse to consider them. How about the energy deposits under the Netherlands that were shut down? How about those oil deposits in Norway? Your problem is that you lack the creativity to think outside the box, instead following what the feudal elites in Europe tell you.
    1
  4486.  @kerstas10  So did the Ukrainians.....until the Germans started slaughtering them alongside the Russians. When it became clear that Stalin's Red Army was going to be unstoppable, they quickly changed back to the Soviets (begrudgingly).
    1
  4487. Germany today is not the Germany of even 30 years ago. Time to put the past in the past.
    1
  4488.  @rockyoh  Finances do NOT equate to personnel issues regarding volunteer verses non-volunteer. That is yet another red herring. The transition from compulsory military service to all volunteer is not an issue of finances unless you are purposely ripping off your young population by using them as a cheap labour pool below market value in the military. And Germany clearly doesn't have that problem as the military pay clearly shows, though Russia certainly does.
    1
  4489. That is a false canard. The US has been all volunteer since the end of the Vietnam War and the end of the draft. An all-volunteer force IS possible, but it requires a cultural change. The bigger point for South Korea has to do with making sure their male population is capable of taking up arms should the North march across the DMZ. German hasn't had the Sword of Damocles over their head that South Korea has.
    1
  4490.  @Delgen1951  That is a red herring and you know it. American blood and treasure have NOTHING to do with the incompetence and corrupt system of procurement regarding the Bundeswehr.
    1
  4491.  @thefool1086  Why? That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence (Hitchens's razor).
    1
  4492. I second that recommendation.
    1
  4493.  @difficiliscarere9838  The only people really surprised by Russia's invasion were the people who thought that Putin was just a swell guy that you could buy gas from. Most folks who advocated for a strong European defense (namely Poland and the Baltic States) were not at all surprised. That is in fact WHY they joined NATO in the first place!
    1
  4494. I tend to agree. The former Warsaw Pact has shown to have more of a spine than the traditional members of NATO. And I am actually all for Poland becoming the new 800-pound gorilla in Europe keeping the peace.
    1
  4495.  @williamlloyd3769  Same here. I have always heard it used in connection to railroad workers in the post-Civil War era. Or to refer to the hats worn by Thai rice pickers.
    1
  4496.  @shauncameron8390  I will not, but maybe they will surprise us. Best to keep expectations low, sadly.
    1
  4497. Indeed. What a wonderful turn of events if Guyana can avoid the curse of other oil-rich nations and becomes the Singapore of South America.
    1
  4498.  @robwongls4948  That is not a rebuttal if you fail to provide evidence or rationale to back up your contention. I used an analogy, but if you don't understand what an analogy is, that is your problem. "Life is VERY simple, people just insist on making it overly and needlessly complicated," -Confucius, author of "The Analects".
    1
  4499.  @ArawnOfAnnwn  If you want to talk about British colonialism, then it is fair game to bring up Turkish-Muslim colonialism. Shall we discuss the Moorish invasion and colonization of Iberia? What is good for the goose is good for the gander. And as far as drawing lines, if it wasn't the British who drew them, someone else would have drawn lines, and you would still be bitching about it. Spare me your moral outrage, you are the emperor with no clothes on.
    1
  4500.  @ArawnOfAnnwn  Sure, blame the Brits for the Persians and the Arabs fighting each other since antiquity. Blame the Brits for the Arabs finding any pretext to fight among themselves over water, land, or even which Imam is the true successor to the Prophet. About the ONLY thing the Brits are guilty of is ignoring T.E. Lawrence's proposals. Even he knew that dividing the region along tribal lines was no guarantee for peace. The Howeitat and Hashims had plenty enough reasons to fight.
    1
  4501.  @ArawnOfAnnwn  Sure, you keep lying to yourself about that. The Kuwaitis vehemently disagree with you.
    1
  4502. I agree with roads along with that hydroelectric dam. I also believe that after upgrading their medical system, they should also invest in water purification and sanitation. Doing that will put Guyana in a position to become the Singapore of South America.
    1
  4503.  @navinkv7024  Vassals, or equal partners? That is the problem with Americaphobes like you. You cannot possibly contemplate that Americans view the Brittans as half-brothers and the Norwegians as first-cousins.
    1
  4504.  @daggerin4life726  Sounds to me like you are engaging in wishful thinking yourself. Russia is finished as a world power. China is unreliable and treacherous as an ally, just ask the Solomons or Sri Lanka. And you would drink the water straight from the river? Who is joking now? You clearly have never heard of Cholera, Giardia, or Dysentery.
    1
  4505. I hope they are smart and use the revenues to first build that hydro-electric dam and then upgrade their medical system. They should then follow that up with sanitation and water purification so as to get a stranglehold on typical tropical diseases such as Malaria, Yellow Fever, Dysentery, Typhoid, and encephalitis. Once the water is safe to drink from the tap, then opening their beaches to tourism becomes a real viability, thereby diversifying their economy. There is great potential for Guyana to become the Singapore of South America.
    1
  4506. What is the old military saying? "A combat ready unit will never pass parade inspection, while a parade ready unit will never survive in a combat situation"? The Russians even have a name for it: Sukhomlinov Effect.
    1
  4507. Illusion of competition. When the government owns everything, you are not competing to provide the best product, you are competition to win the approval of your superiors. Case in point is the Trabant of East Germany.
    1
  4508.  @robderich8533  "Ability to cooperate"? Eusocial creatures include bees and ant colonies. One could argue that they display MORE altruistic and cooperative behavior than humans. But humans are NOT insects in a colony as socialists would have us be. Your argument is fundamentally flawed.
    1
  4509. Humans are creatures of conflict. We thrive in adversity and stagnate in periods of absolute harmony and cohesion. It is why when all of our needs are met, we STILL find trivial reasons to fight.
    1
  4510.  @ABanRocks  It may be hurting Europe, but Gas Station Putin is feeling it harder. India and China are ripping off Russia.
    1
  4511. And the fact that Russia doesn't have the storage capacity. Oil can freeze in the pipes.
    1
  4512. Nagorno-Karabakh is not Armenian. Sto pushing fictions.
    1
  4513.  @МаксимСоколов-д4я  Funny, because the deaths of civilians are a direct result of Putin's "little Green Men" entering the Donbas. Further, the casualties quadrupled AFTER the Russian drive to Kiev. If anything, that is the Russians fault, not the Ukrainians.
    1
  4514. US agents bride Putin? That is some really strong Vodka you are drinking. Putin's Invasion of Ukraine is no different than the German annexation of Czechoslovakia in the 1930s or their invasion of Poland shortly thereafter. The biggest advocates for Ukraine have been the Poles because they know firsthand what happens when you appease a dictator.
    1
  4515. Many went to the central Asian Republics where they were NOT particularly welcome.
    1
  4516. If sanctions don't work, then why has it been relatively successful with neutering Iran's Airforce? The point of sanctions is to make the cost of doing business more burdensome. It is basically economic warfare.
    1
  4517. If Russia could have ended the war, Kiev would not still stand. Putin could call home his forces and end it all but he won't. He is hurting Russia more than he is Ukraine's allies.
    1
  4518.  @dragosstanciu9866  Only because Putin can't accept that his dreams of imperial conquest are over.
    1
  4519.  @j.k.1239  Put down the vodka, Private Conscriptovich, you are so drunk you are hallucinating. Have you forgotten the mass exodus of Russian men to avoid the conscription (ie Putin's draft order)?
    1
  4520. Indeed. Unemployment doesn't take into account people not looking for work. Considering that the MOD is issuing draft notices to places of employment, that is an incentive by Russian men to NOT hold a steady job.
    1
  4521.  @ArchonLicht  Governments who seize private assets invariably destroy them. Or have you forgotten what Hugo Chavez did in Venezuela?
    1
  4522.  @igory3789  Nice gish gallop there. Big on fancy words but lacking in any depth nor actual understanding. Most of your talking points are the same ones used by the "White Monkey" shills that China's CCP regularly employs .
    1
  4523.  @igory3789  You are grasping at straws. An economy barely the size of Italy doesn't change global trade as drastically as you claim.
    1
  4524. Russia's economy is barely the size of Italy. Throwing them out of Swift hurts Russia more than it does the rest of the World.
    1
  4525. What you consider "proper alternatives" is not necessarily what they consider acceptable alternatives. LNG for the US is a viable one for many nations in Europe. Only Germany is against it because their insane green movement is also against nuclear power.
    1
  4526.  @memesofproduction3  You forget the secondary sanctions that get the rest in line. Your naivety is astounding.
    1
  4527.  @VladimirPutin-p3t  I see what you did there. My guess is that he honestly thinks Dihydrogen Monoxide is a poison.
    1
  4528. Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Philippines, and Taiwan are white? Dude, you need to get better talking points than just racism.
    1
  4529.  @aravgoel  That isn't an argument, that is an emotional outburst. It is also tacit acknowledgement that you can't back up your disparagement with facts. The truth points to itself and doesn't need your whinging to support it.
    1
  4530. Islamophobia is the disparagement used by people who refuse to accept the truth. It is slander meant to scare people into silent obedience. How often do you hear Christans, Jews, Buddhists, Sikhs, Zorastrists, or Hindus screaming "Allahu Akbar!" ?????
    1
  4531.  @MilanTheMan69  Yeah, and how many of those who joined ISIS were from Muslim dominated areas? How many were already radicalized in their local Mosques? Oh, and have you ever heard of the Bosnian SS? Lead by Haj Amin Al-Husseinini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, they did things that made even Himmler blanch.
    1
  4532.  @crusaderboi9659  Nice apples to oranges false analogy. The fact that the Muslim word has NOT advanced at all regarding civil rights since the 14th century means your contention has zero merits. Don't make excuses by point to Christianity's past when we are discussing Islam's current behavior. Unless you want to first acknowledge cultural and legal stagnation in the Muslim world during that same period.
    1
  4533.  @UnDEADToutom  "Christians in the middle east left because of conflict" So basically, you admit that they left because of violence from Muslims. If anything, you killed your own argument about generalization as you did exactly just that by making excuses.
    1
  4534. How? Seems to me that the leftist leadership of Europe caused this by importing people from countries that hold incompatible values.
    1
  4535. I don't think it did. The radicalism simply went underground to fester just like European Nazism had gone to ground.
    1
  4536. They would have you believe in the "Stand Alone Complex". Except, that is something out of Japanese fiction, not reality.
    1
  4537. "Evil" crusades? Don't make me laugh. The crusades were in response to raids by Islamic slavers on Mediterranean coasts. But the Islam apologists ignore those dirty little details. Ironically, Richard Lionheart and Saladin came to mutually respect each other. Makes you wonder how much different the world would be had their two houses been united as proposed before a sniper's arrow killed the King of England.
    1
  4538. All part of John F. Kennedy's push for reducing taxes. He famously said that cutting taxes now will paradoxically raise future revenues.
    1
  4539.  @bourbon4033  Wow, accuse me of what you did previously? You are only digging yourself into a deeper hole and convincing nobody. Now you try to act morally superior by saying you won't waste any more time. You are showing classic sour grapes.
    1
  4540.  @bourbon4033  Yes, seriously. And your three posts one right after the other just further prove it. You are desperate and it shows.
    1
  4541.  @bourbon4033  That isn't an argument, it is an emotional outburst. Also, you clearly don't understand the Laffer Curve which proves that raising taxes ALWAYS decreases revenues. It becomes something of an economic deathspiral when you try to raise taxes.
    1
  4542.  @jwillsher80  Keynesian economics is NOT honest, nor is anyone who claims to subscribe to it. It is very much a form of top-down economics of the Soviet Command-control type that pretends to be market driven. Austrian economics, conversely, disproves the false assumptions of Keynesian. Carl Menger, Ludwig von Misses, Milton Freidman, Fredric Baistat, and Fredrick Hayek have all been proven right time and again.
    1
  4543.  @jwillsher80  Well, President John F. Kennedy disagree with you on corporate rates. And most HONEST economists agree with him and Art Laffer.
    1
  4544.  @lukabosanac2671  Funny, because the Japanese and South Koreans actually like the US. Unlike the Chinese, the US is the only country that came in to fight a war, and then went home. Even the Japanese were shocked at the magnanimity of the US, having helped to rebuild them after practically bombing them back to the stone age.
    1
  4545. Indeed. The US needs to return to the tax rates John F. Kennedy advocated.
    1
  4546.  @craigkdillon  Devil is ALWAYS in the details. Infantilizing them like that is exactly how socialist utopias degenerate into kleptocratic banana republics.
    1
  4547.  @YouYou-sm8tf  Putting forward proposals that only exacerbate societal problems is NOT the answer; it only doubles down on those problems. Stop making excuses for policies that make the situation worse.
    1
  4548.  @YouYou-sm8tf  Your proposals are not actually solving the problem, just putting a new bandage on top of the dirty bandage. It isn't solving the underlying societal problem. If anything, it is at best treating the symptom. Worse, it is only covering up the problem.
    1
  4549.  @YouYou-sm8tf  The US National Park service warns NOT to feed the wildlife for it makes them dependent on humans and both a nuisance as well as a danger to themselves and the park guests. Same logic applies to welfare programs.
    1
  4550.  @YouYou-sm8tf  You completely missed the point. It isn't about foreign vs native. The issue is that government subsidies is NOT the correct answer to single mother's financial problems. It only encourages MORE of them. And there IS a measurable correlation to single parent children and higher rates of poverty and crime in adulthood. This isn't new; it has been well known since antiquity.
    1
  4551. There are benefits as well as drawbacks to a parliamentary system which you advocate. One only needs to look at the fiascos of Canada recently under Pretty boy Trudeau to see how a Parliamentarian fails spectacularly.
    1
  4552.  @aoh4905  Funny how greed gets blamed for the evil of GLUTTONY. Consumption culture isn't greed, it is gluttonous. And for those who don't know the difference, the greedy tries to maintain value so will eat the oldest product first (even if it really should be thrown out). Gluttony hoards to the point of allowing perishables to go to waste (rot) just because they can.
    1
  4553.  @Eric-jh5mp  Fair point. And I agree that a good patriarch (or matriarch is she was the brains behind the business) should teach their heir how to property manage the system. Even better when it is the grandchildren who are trained to run it and eventually inherit it directly.
    1
  4554. Clown show on the US right? Surely you jest. Most of these economic policies are what the GOP BASE actually supports. It is the GOP establishment who is economically left-wing along with the Dems.
    1
  4555.  @CoreIation  The problem is that most Asian countries still hold ethnic identity as defining part of what it means to be a citizen of that country. Years ago, there was a push in South Korea to adopt military service for citizenship, which the Korean population balked at. Even if you married a citizen of that country, there is no guarantee of citizenship. For my own part, they need to get out of the ethnic purity garbage and embrace the mixed children of their citizens who procreate with foreign spouses. Let the children born to a member of the US military and a local citizen have the choice of becoming a citizen of said country.
    1
  4556. Bourgeois capitalism is what created the computer you are using right now. Bourgeois capitalism expanded on the DARPA program to give you the internet you are enjoying. If you hate capitalism so much, I invite you to move to North Korea where the ruling Worker's Party shares your ideology.
    1
  4557. After the Ukrainians expel the occupying Russians from their territory, including Crimea, they should support the Belarusian rebels and dissidents with supplies and arms without going into the country themselves. Allow those dissidents to operate from their territory but do noy actively participate as it should be the Belarusians themselves that liberate their country from Putin's puppet.
    1
  4558.  @badluck5647  At a time when Americans were experiencing the greats growth in personal income. I think you are looking at numbers without actually looking at the whole picture. "Lies, damn lies, and statistics," -Mark Twain. "Figures don't lie, but liars figure," -Mark Twain
    1
  4559.  @KevinLyda  "Renewable energy" is a sham. If it was truly profitable, there would already be a John D. Rockefeller of green energy. That there is not one shows that it is a boondoggle.
    1
  4560.  @johnsmith-cw3wo  Learn to debate. You haven't proven anything except that you are ruled by emotions and can't be bothered to do your due diligence.
    1
  4561.  @johnsmith-cw3wo  Nice job attacking the messenger rather than debating the merits of the message. Thank you for essentially tacitly admitting defeat.
    1
  4562.  @Homer-OJ-Simpson  Wow, you just proved Perun's point about Russian propagandists. You fill out all of the checkboxes: 1: Lack of commitment of Objective Reality: you hold emotional claims that you agree with as automatically correct regardless of facts. 2: Unilateral Thinking: You cite as evidence things that directly contradict your narrative. 3: Lack of commitment to consistency: You will make contraditory and conflicting claims that are mutually exclusive. You ignore nuance in favor of absolutism. And the goal is to chaff the information space and create just enough confusion to make people simply disengage rather than debate.
    1
  4563.  @Homer-OJ-Simpson  You didn't even watch the video did you? At 15:25 they address all of that under the WTO's Favored Nation clause. But like a typical America hater, you chose to ignore the dirty little details that destroy your narrative.
    1
  4564.  @willjapheth23789  Intellectual laziness I take it? The Great Depression was caused by out-of-control banking institutions, not trade tariffs. Try reading the Glass-Stegal Act and you will understand the WHY that created the Great Depression.
    1
  4565. Wow, talk about an Anglophobic perspective. Purchasing power is only part of the equation. You seem to forget that in the trade, the partner nations DOES get something of equitable value DESPITE the purchasing power disparity. Where you are taking issue has more to do with the ruling elites of said trade partner not sharing the wealth with their laborers who are exploited.
    1
  4566.  @jeffreyschnedar8020  And yet again with the false narrative. You are only looking at the top 100 companies, not the vast majority of businesses. Trying to compare the Fortune 500 to the rest of the business world is apples to oranges false analogy. MOST small business CEOs are also the principle investor. Which means if the company loses money, THEY personally lose their shirt. If the business folds, the employees lose their job, but the CEO loses EVERYTHING. Again, don't pretend that the top 100 in any way represent the rest of the world.
    1
  4567.  @kasper2970  The grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence. For one, your "universal medicine" is abominably bad. Zero innovation and breakthroughs. You have to wait as much as six months to see a doctor. Affordability is NOT the same as accessibility; you experience medical rationing. As far as education, yet again you are being dishonest. The elites and well connected do get good education, but the regular citizen does not. You hide it behind testing that skews in favor of the elites at the expense of the working class. Education is treated just like medicine: those with power can get it, but the commoner doesn't. And don't get me started on the abuse of labor with regards to doing the bare minimum. When you can't get fired for incompetence, there is no accountability and much graft and corruption. "They pretended to pay us, and we pretended to work," -joke about the "workers' paradise" of the USSR.
    1
  4568. @Kam Exactly. The most vocal advocates of socialism have never actually had to live under it. And they contemptuously dismiss the experiences of those who have. Yeah, the Tytler cycle you quoted reminds me of George S. Patton's speech to the Third Army about how the cowards will breed like rats.
    1
  4569. And the fact that America's elites have benefited while allowing foreign interests to rip off the country hasn't helped either.
    1
  4570. When "free trade" partners are subsidizing their local industries to complete with foreign companies, that is NOT free trade.
    1
  4571. Free Trade is the Globalist's wet dream. Globalism cannot occur without it.
    1
  4572.  @kasper2970  Yeah, why is it that for all of those supposed "research" subsidies, very little in the way of actual innovation occurs in EU countries? Why is it that the US and Israel dominate with the South Koreans and Japanese a distant third? Actually, goes to a very simple answer, one explained quite well in the book "Wealth of Nations". It is the top-down model which stifles creativity and innovation because it upsets the status quo. You can make excuses and use all the deflections and verbosity you want, Europe just isn't competitive against the US without the local governments putting their thumb on the scale.
    1
  4573.  @gingernutpreacher  Oh, I agree that Obama was an Anglophobia. That was in part because of his man-bitch father and floozy of a mother who was just as rabidly anti-west. My point is that Biden is Obama's third term will ALL of the Obama activist radical staffers carried over. I also agree that the nations of the English Commonwealth ARE natural allies because of our shared heritage. Sadly, the precepts of English common law have fallen by the wayside.
    1
  4574. Chomsky isn't entirely correct, though. NAFTA has empowered the "workers of the world unite" unionist movement. In particular, his complete embrace of Marx's labor theory of value is rather bizarre considering that it has been completely disproven by the likes of Carl Menger, August von Misses, and Fredrick Hayek.
    1
  4575. Very well described. I wish more people realized what you see.
    1
  4576. Trump, yes. Biden, no. Biden's policies are basically a repeat of the Obama policies.
    1
  4577.  @DiviAugusti  TPP isn't a self-own, it was acknowledgement that the agreement was basically giving the store away to China. Keep shilling for the globalist elites who think of you as nothing more than chattel.
    1
  4578.  @skp8748  "Force Imperialism"? I don't think you understand what empire building. entails. The Soviets built and empire of "Democratic Socialism" by the sword. The US built a free world through trade, not by the gun.
    1
  4579.  @somethingelse9535  That is the logical thought process, but those who often start wars rarely use logical reasoning. They often think it is simply easier to conquer and steal by force than it is to trade. Just look at Russia's actions in its former colonies (namely the Central Asian States)
    1
  4580.  @davidtaylor351  Yeah, it is just a shame that MacArthur was such a prick that he didn't let the Aussies and Kiwis form parts of the vanguard during many of those battles. In particular, had Operations Coronet and Olympic been carried out, they would only have succeeded with the critical participation of Commonwealth troops. As Erwin Rommel said, if he was to take hell, he would use to Aussies to capture it, and the Kiwis to hold it.
    1
  4581. If only that were true. Australia is "little brother". And I say that with great affection. The relationship between America and the Land Down under is closer than the much talked about "special" relationship between the US and UK. In EVERY war the US has engaged in, Australia has ALWAYS been there watching our six.
    1
  4582. Where is the dividing line between the two? As the smallest Continent, it arguably blurs the line.
    1
  4583.  @dragosstanciu9866  As George Carlin pointed out, it is all a farce. The people whining about climate change were saying global cooling in the 1970s only to change their tune to global warming in the 1980s. Truth is, they are pushing neo-pagan Gaia worship.
    1
  4584. I think the US already has such an agreement with the Aussies and the Kiwis. But for the most part the US leaves everything south of the Equator to them making such stop-over mostly irrelevant.
    1
  4585. Indeed. These hysterics to the point of farce are not building any credibility to their points.
    1
  4586.  @phillipheaton9832  Paradox. Some things produce the exact opposite effect that you think will occur.
    1
  4587.  @nortonnevis7252  Yeah, some of what you read in books is complete fiction. Capitalism, for all of its flaws has improved the human condition in ways that no other economic system has. More people have been lifted out of poverty by capitalism than ever were lifted out by socialism/communism.
    1
  4588. Good for you. The planet can sustain more people and doesn't care about your feelings. As George Carlin quipped, "the planet will shake us off like a bad case of fleas".
    1
  4589. Claiming that Korea will go extinct is hysterical to the point of being a farce. The population will decline to an equilibrium point and then stabilize.
    1
  4590. What is bad for men is also bad for women. It takes two to tango. It takes both genders to sustain the species. Kill all of the men and the women will not have breeding partners, and vice versa.
    1
  4591. Good luck with that. My experience is that Korean women think they are too good for Western men. In many ways, they are just as picky as Western women, only they are not nearly as obnoxious.
    1
  4592.  @samthesuspect  Token concessions are grasping at straws. The Kaesong industrial complex was a sham that allowed the Kims to get hard cash to finance their weapons programs. And that is but one example of them playing people for fools.
    1
  4593. Yeah, something tells me you have zero knowledge about the Korean war and why your proposal is intellectually lazy.
    1
  4594. EXACTLY! More people need to read up what Confucius said about the strength of the nation being directly tied to the integrity of the family.
    1
  4595.  @divx1001  Increased productivity occurs whether governments want it to or not. Innovation occurs DESPITE government attempts to stifle it. And no, you thinking that a smaller tax base will produce more revenues is a misapplication of production formulas to fiscal policy. Increased productivity doesn't inherently increase the tax base as the pay compensation doesn't directly correlate. And no, you are completely wrong about government investment. Government doesn't do ANYTHING correctly, not even national defense which IS the one thing it is good at. Government is destructive force and the taking from one to give to another. Free Markets are ALWAYS more efficiently than top-down command ecnomics.
    1
  4596.  @Sol-ps8ox  Omnivores tend to be apex predators. However, the shift towards herbaceous heavy diets means that the classic predator pyramid doesn't apply anymore. We have become more like foraging herd animals: dumb and stupid as a group. You know how that population is kept healthy?
    1
  4597. "More food available"? You realize that the West has NEVER reached peak production capacity with regards to food production? And you are sounding an awful lot like Mao Zedong and Pol Pot. They got rid of several million people as you propose. Was that really a good thing?
    1
  4598. Right now, the ONLY way one can become a Korean citizen is if they are ethnically Korean. That kind of discourages any immigration. They should at least allow a foreigner who marries or is married a Korean national to have a path to citizenship. Fast track it if the marriage produces mixed children.
    1
  4599. As Ukraine has proven, technology, training, and terrain are force multipliers. The North may have the numbers, but the South has the same advantages that Ukraine is enjoying over the Russians.
    1
  4600. Not really. The planet can actually sustain MORE people because we have no gotten anywhere near full agricultural capacity.
    1
  4601. Immigration is only a solution when assimilation into the host culture is mandatory. That is why the East Asian immigrant populations are so successful in Western nations: they adopt the culture they move into, not try and completely replace it.
    1
  4602. You repeat exactly what Partick J, Buchanan points out in his book "Suicide of a Superpower". He got fired from MSNBC for making the same points you have.
    1
  4603.  @Latinoamerica837  Yeah, Partick J. Buchanan made a similar observation in his book "Suicide of a Superpower" which got him fired from MSNBC. He notices that orthodox and traditionalist families in Israel have 8-10 kids while the liberals rarely have 2 kids. That invariably means that in such a nation, the trend will be towards to politics that creates the most offspring. In Israel's case, that means the future belongs to Netanyahu's coalition.
    1
  4604. Yeah, Israel tried that with the Kibbutz system. It failed spectacularly, in no small part because the lack of genuine parental figures in the lives of the children. Further, the children raised communally failed to develop adult relationships within their cohort, treating them as siblings rather than potential partners.
    1
  4605. Yeah, I think that is already happening. Or have you not been paying attention to the flood of illegal aliens flooding into but the US and the EU?
    1
  4606.  @Obscurai  And yet again you engage in intellectual dishonesty. You conflate recent developments with historical norms and pretend that they are one and the same. You are NOT debating in good faith but instead engaging in moral relativism to push an ideology of destruction and devastation.
    1
  4607. No joke. Numerous studies have conclusively linked single parent families to a rise in crime, lower education and employment opportunities, teen pregnancy, societal collapse. It is a truism that Confucius knew from personal experience and warned future generations not to repeat.
    1
  4608. Indeed. As Confucius observed, the strength of the nation comes from the integrity of the family.
    1
  4609. Not going to happen while the Kims still rule DPRK with an iron fist.
    1
  4610.  @Obscurai  And yet most of the people holding the power in government are boomers, not the yougner generation. Boomers have held the levers of power longer than any other generation in history. They were the first of the silver spoon cohorts who never actually had to struggle just to survive unlike their predecessors.
    1
  4611. Koreans will not go extinct. The authors of this video are being hyperbolic to the point of being a farce. The population will decrease to an equilibrium point, then stabilize.
    1
  4612.  @casualsuede  And that is the kicker. Everyone wants to live in Seoul hence the high rates. Costs in smaller towns like Pyongtaek, Suncheon, and the like are much lower.
    1
  4613.  @vaccinatedanti-vaxxer  Yeah, Suncheon has a very stable population with plenty of young folks. I almost married a girl from there, but she wasn't ready. Most Korean wait until their late 20s, early 30s and she was just getting out of college in her early 20s.
    1
  4614. I tend to agree. Most social safety nets in the West are glorified Ponzi schemes. Japan has come to terms with their stagnant population and have accepted austerity, unlike the spoiled adult-children in the EU and the US.
    1
  4615. Yeah, the hysterical and hyperbolic statements about "extinction" is over the top to the point of farcical. The population will decrease to an equilibrium point. Either the system will implode FORCING people to have more children, or the pressures discouraging people having children will self-correct.
    1
  4616. Ah, but then there is a perverse problem in your proposal. By prioritizing mothers first and dads second, you actually DISCOURAGE proper child rearing. You actually destabilize the situation and make it worse. I don't fault you for trying to find a solution, but there are underlying factors that run counter to the foundation of your premise.
    1
  4617. I think they want to maintain their cultural identity. The US is having a bi-polar personality disorder with regards to its cultural identity.
    1
  4618.  @JohnCSmith-lp1qr  No, they don't. That is pure Kremlin propaganda. Most of the civilian casualties are a direct result of Russian artillery.
    1
  4619.  @tacticalcenter8658  Talking about yourself again? You clearly lack self-awareness.
    1
  4620.  @tacticalcenter8658  And you are a Russian troll.
    1
  4621.  @tacticalcenter8658  You would know, considering that you are a victim of the Kremlin's lies on a daily basis.
    1
  4622.  @tacticalcenter8658  You don't see both sides either. You reject anything that clearly disproves your myopic narrative. Learn to debate rather than use emotional appeals (logical fallacy).
    1
  4623.  @tacticalcenter8658  Yeah, the Russians, particularly Putin. Ask yourself why so many Putin critics end up dead under suspicious situations.
    1
  4624. Jews are the proverbial canary in the coal mine.
    1
  4625.  @matthiasmuller7677  Your logic is fatally flawed. Your claim that it is a moral issue is emotional argument. And your use of insults and ad hominins only shows you cannot debate merits and is a tacit admission that you have lost the plot. "When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser," -attributed to Plato. "When your argument is weak, abuse the plaintiff," -Marcus Tullius Cicero "I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.” ― Margaret Thatcher
    1
  4626.  @matthiasmuller7677  Wow, that whole post was nothing BUT emotion and lacked any logic. Your strawman about measuring territory in bodies is a logical FALLACY. That you keep clinging to it in the fact of data that disproves it is an emotional appeal. The fact that Ukraine successfully fought off the siege of Kiev against a better equipped and numerically superior foe is already a victory. That they fought the nominally 2nd strongest military in the world to a draw for three months is also a win. Your problem is that you are a defeatist and a negative Nancy. You are the kind of person that thinks the UK should have surrendered to Nazi Germany after the Battle for London. You are the kind of person who believed that after Coral Sea, the US should have gone to the negotiation table with Japan in the Pacific.
    1
  4627.  @matthiasmuller7677  That you think this is unwinnable for Ukraine shows your complete contempt for what they have already achieved. Takes a troll to know a troll dude, pot meet kettle.
    1
  4628.  @matthiasmuller7677  Typical response of an armchair Quarterback general who is completely ignorant of military history. Why do you try picking up a book about the Pacific Campaign in WW2 or the Battle of Verdun in WW1? Or even the costly battles of the US Civil War such as Cold Harbor or Stones River? "One death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic," -Jospeh Stalin. "In him I found a man who can stomach the awful arithmetic of War," -Abraham Lincoln when he refused to fire Ulysses Sam Grant.
    1
  4629.  @matthiasmuller7677  RUSSIA USES CONSCRIPTS. Most of Ukraine's frontline fighters are volunteers. Or have you forgotten that at the start of the war the Ukraine government was turning away volunteers? Funny how you accuse Zelensky and his government of the very things Putin and his government have been doing. Perhaps you need to reassess whom your vitriol is directed at.
    1
  4630. He has a domestic audience to consider. The international audience is secondary. And what foreign politicians think about how he looks is irrelevant.
    1
  4631.  @ImGodSoAreYou  Wow, triggered huh? Keyboard warrior, pot let me introduce you to Kettle.
    1
  4632.  @nobblkpraetorian5623  Didn't actually read my post, did you? What part of "AFTER HIS TERM" did you not understand? An honest reading of what my post was would assume that I was equating to Washington's presidential term and NOT his tenure as General of the Continental Army.
    1
  4633. Nice job victim blaming. Russia didn't have to invade. Don't make excuses for unjustified military incursions.
    1
  4634.  @user-jt3dw6vv4x  Wow, prance around the issue without actually addressing the elephant in the room. My flesh and blood heirs are mixed race. Fetishism only cares about sexual gratification, not about procreation, legacy or inheritance. I am glad we see eye to eye on the issue of open markets of ideas. John F. Kennedy was absolutely right that the American people CAN be entrusted with foreign ideas and alien concepts. And be able to judge truth from falsehood. (basically restructured his quote there) You touched on Greco-Buddhism wish is one of the great stories of antiquity that most people are not aware of. While I have no doubt that Buddhism did make it to the near East in Antiquity, I find myself wondering how much different the world would be if those Eastern philosophies had taken root in the West. A final interesting point relating to Greco-Buddhism is that Raiden(Rajin) in Japanese Shino myths is basically Zeus and Fujin is Aeolus/Zepher. Both evolved on their trip west to the land of the rising sun to what the Japanese remember them.
    1
  4635.  @user-jt3dw6vv4x  Your point? And yes, I DID marry an Asian girl. And have two mixed Hapa sons. To the operative point, I am VERY much a fan of cross-cultural pollination. It makes the gestalt greater than the sum of its parts. Modern Asia shows what the best of East and West can achieve when they play off each other.
    1
  4636. Tinseltown at one time had that power. But they have squandered it over the past decade. When ideology and "correct think" take priority over producing a quality product, you get something akin to the Soviet "ministry of culture" in Stain's 1930s USSR.
    1
  4637. How big is Central and South America? After Africa, Latin America taken together is the fastest growing part of the world, rivaling even India.
    1
  4638.  @maccurtis730  Nice copium. Woke is a LEFTIST ideology. Mindy Kaling (Velma showrunner) is a leftist. Most of your dictators in the world today are leftists. The right does not have the institutional power your ideology has enjoyed over the last three decades. If people are being driven to the right, it is because your ideology's failures have been exposed for all to see.
    1
  4639. Put down the vodka, comrade, you are so drunk that you are hallucinating.
    1
  4640. While it is never a good idea to handle radioactive materials with bare hands, not all radiation is the same. Alpha particle emitters CAN be handled safely as the radiation cannot penetrate the skin. The Beta emitters will easily penetrate skin. The bigger concern is the gamma radiation that both produce.
    1
  4641.  @LC-fe7be  " some incel American libertarian loser virgin pos" And with that you just proved that you are NOT here honestly. Calling someone an incel just proves you are yet another woke scold anti who can't debate but has to resort to insults because he has lost the plot. BTW, I have two biracial sons. How is that for a virgin incel?
    1
  4642. Yeah, and he was not particularly fond of blacks. A lot of people don't realize that he was a raging racist.
    1
  4643.  @internetzone165  Spare me. Even the French didn't think the Ukrainians had it in them. And the French are often the contrarian in the NATO alliance.
    1
  4644. And a lot of folks don't realize he was calling for genocide of blacks in the Americas.
    1
  4645. The Lower Planes Blood War between the Baatorians and Tanar'ri.
    1
  4646.  @M-J-qn8td  Yeah, I see lots of Anglophobic attacks and zero acknowledgement of France's own culpability. Were the British perfect? Hardly. But the record DOES show that the French were far worse. And they were just as exploitative as the Brits. Don't make excuses for French colonial atrocities and exploitation.
    1
  4647.  @M-J-qn8td  Yeah, I am calling BS on your claims. French Africa had its own resources (oil for example), otherwise the French would not have bothered with it.
    1
  4648. The point they are making is that early on the Brits did develop their colonies while the French dithered. Yes, you can say that the Brits had a head start, but that misses the point they were making in that you have to consider the respective timelines of the colonizing power. Compare 20 to 30 years into the endeavor as a side-by-side comparison and the difference is stark.
    1
  4649. I agree. Tuva and Yakutia should be independent nations.
    1
  4650.  @heralds5662  Just wait. A good commie will eventually act like the Venice Banker demanding that pound of flesh. And they will ALWAYS demand the most valuable cut.
    1
  4651.  @SBU_007  Just wait. The Ukrainians are chomping at the bit to take it back.
    1
  4652.  @robw6954  Yeah, and who was causing death and suffering before the US got involved in the Middle East? Ever heard of TE Lawrence and the Arab Revolt? Sorry, the Muslims have been fighting among themselves since antiquity, so you cannot place all of the blame at the feet of the US.
    1
  4653. I think a more nuanced perspective is better than an absolutist approach you are taking. While I agree that the French is Africa has been an unmitigated disaster, the American presences in Europe has kept the peace for almost 80 years. If not for the US, most of Europe would be speaking Russian today.
    1
  4654. The US has already experimented with "adventurism" in Africa, namely the nation of Liberia. After Doctor David Livingstone's misadventures, there has been little appetite in the US for playing around in the "Heart of Darkness".
    1
  4655.  @ernestkhalimov1007  That is a false choice dilemma you present along with a strawman arugment. I am for a third option: namely empowerment of the locals. They can self-finance WITHOUT needing to submit to a foreign colonizing power. But the only reason why that won't happen is because of corruption in local leadership, which has been a problem since antiquity.
    1
  4656.  @CharDhue  Debt is the chains of slavery by other means. Don't think that there is any actual difference between the two examples you used.
    1
  4657. Yeah, India is ripping off Russia by demanding a 30% discount on oil. Energy security has nothing to do with it, they are being opportunists, not that it is a bad thing. I actually applaud them for ripping off Putin.
    1
  4658. "Lastest technologies"? Have you not seen how Russia's most advanced MiGs and Sukhois have performed? Have you not seen how their beloved T-90 has fared? And as I recall, India is greatly disappointed in the carrier Admiral Gorshkov they received. Make no mistake, with Russia you get complete garbage.
    1
  4659. The enemy of my enemy can be an ally. if China chooses to go to war with India, it would be of great benefit to India if the West opened a second front with China to divide their power. India cannot face the Dragon on its own and hope for a certain outcome.
    1
  4660. @Reeshi Tas Considering that India is demanding a 30% discount on oil from Russia, I don't blame them for ripping off Putin. Further, if India takes Russian oil at a steep discount, it relieves pressure on the price of oil from other locations.
    1
  4661.  @akarshchandrashekar552  American has gotten over its historic exploitation of minority populations. Yours has not. Even the Japanese treat the former burakumin "untouchable" populations better.
    1
  4662.  @harshdata5784  And your post shows you are a pigeon knocking over the pieces of a chess board thinking it is accomplishing something. The highest virtue in debate is by quoting a well-known source. If you can't understand that, then you have no business even trying to engage in a debate.
    1
  4663.  @shobhanamishra8259  And the details of that case showed that he had a lethal dose of fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine. Your narrative is a complete lie.
    1
  4664.  @prajjwal1010  When someone makes a moral argument about and against the West, don't be surprised when the response (ie clap back) is in kind. If you can't understand that, then you have lost the plot.
    1
  4665.  @AmitCYT  Not really, Sure you can attempt to turn it in your favor all you want, but I am pointing out objective facts, while you are engaging in guttersniping. But then that is not surprising considering the cultural Marxist ideology you are espousing.
    1
  4666.  @nishantmaderna6295  More lies and myths to sooth your own ego huh? The easiest person to fool is yourself. "Belief in myths allows for the comfort of opinion WITHOUT the discomfort of thought," -President John F. Kennedy.
    1
  4667.  @madpete6438  Does not surprise me. I have found that Indians have their own haughtiness, though they try to deny it. It just manifests in a way less obvious to Americans or many Europeans. If one is familiar with East Asian concepts of "saving face", it becomes MUCH easier to spot Indian arrogance.
    1
  4668.  @madpete6438  Oh, they ARE doing something, just not as loud and boisterous. They are demanding a 30% discount on Russian oil. They are ripping him off at the same time they are throwing a life-line.
    1
  4669.  @adurpandya2742  There you go again shifting the blame. Exxon leaving was a direct result of Putin's war of aggression. He is responsible, not western companies. Also, there are NOT billions of people in Russia's Far East territories, much less Sakhalin. There isn't even a billion people in all of Russia! Nor is there a billion in the US. Your hyperbolae undercut your argument. Further, it is quite clear from the conscription and mobilization that Putin doesn't give a dead rat's butt about the people of Sakhalin. He is clearly an ethno-nationalist and couldn't give a damn about the Asiatic peoples of his Far East territories. I will point out that those people would be living a VASTLY different lifestyle if Sakhalin Island was under either Japanese or South Korean jurisdiction
    1
  4670.  @adurpandya2742  And you think Putin cares about any of that? It is Putin who chose to invade Ukraine. It is Putin who chose to engage in oil brinksmanship. It is Putin who could end all of this today if he just pulled back his army. Put the blame for all of those deaths squarely on whom it belongs: the Napoleon Complex in the Kremlin.
    1
  4671. India is demanding a 30% discount on oil from Russia. And since Russia has no other options, they comply. India is NOT experiencing the oil price crunch the rest of the world is experiencing.
    1
  4672.  @jont2576  I think you greatly underestimate the love of gold. Mammon's charms make even the most reasonable and principled men succumb. Just look at Washington DC. Rand Paul is about the only man in that city to remain untainted by the corrupting influence of money.
    1
  4673. Everyone is motivated by money in some fashion. Some are just more honest about it than others.
    1
  4674.  @garyish  Starting at 8:30 in the video, they cover ALL of this. Again, you prove that at best you were not paying attention and at worst not even bothering to see what the video even had to say. And yes, Russia being the beggar can't be choosy. Which is why the Indians are taking them to the cleaners.
    1
  4675.  @garyish  Just because YOU don't think it is an appropriate analogy doesn't mean I am wrong. The parallels are undeniable. Again, you have not even bothered to watch the video and EVERYTHING I have said is pointed out. And all of your talking points are debunked if you even bother to watch and do your due diligence.
    1
  4676.  @garyish  Wow, the analogy went completely over your head, didn't it? I didn't call Russia a rabbit, I was saying that its oil revenues were akin to eating rabbit. And no, some revenues is NOT better than no revenues. As you even concede, they could refuse to sell if they are taking a loss. You in effect proved my point.
    1
  4677.  @garyish  You have never heard of Rabbit Starvation, have you? Sometimes nothing at all is better than a sub-par diet. India buying Russia oil at a steep discount is just that, rabbit starvation. The prices that India is demanding is just barely above cost of production. And bulk will NOT make up difference because as the video points out, the gains selling to India does NOT make up the losses from elsewhere. Seriously, did you even watch the video in its entirely or are you just commenting to troll because you have nothing better to do?
    1
  4678.  @garyish  Except, they ARE ripping off the Russians. The buyers' market is just a flimsy excuse by people who are not looking at the whole picture. Russia should be getting a premium for their oil, but they are NOT. Anything less than full price on the open market is a net loss for Russia.
    1
  4679. Well, and India is ripping off Russia by demanding a 30% discount, so they are clearly not doing Russia any favors. The way I see it is that by India taking Russian oil at a discount rather than from other oil producers, it is effectively just moving around the deck chairs. The added benefit is that Indian demand being removed from the equation helps to keep things form being FAR worse.
    1
  4680.  @mr.nobody125  You are fooling yourself if you think you can stay out of war forever just by staying neutral. Sooner rather than later Red China will decide it is time to pluck the feathers of the Peacock of South Asia. And no, you will NOT lose your momentum by picking a side, that is a strawman argument. "War cannot be avoided, merely delayed to the advantage of one side," -Carl von Clausewitz.
    1
  4681.  @sharathnair642  Wow, high and mighty yet completely ignorant of your own history. All of the little Rajah principalities fighting amongst yourselves is precisely WHY the British conquered you. The unity against Alexnader the Great having been lost forgotten. Yes, your values are different. But not so different that one cannot understand them clearly. Again, your own history has shown that when not presented with an outside threat, you are more than happy to fight amongst yourselves. As far as the "Third World", the video even points out that your own leaders coined that term to describe their position of neutrality. While I disagree with neutrality for its own sake, I can applaud the message of empowerment and self-determination that India has wanted to champion during the Cold War.
    1
  4682.  @shashwatmaurya8599  Wow, talk about a response similar to petulant child. You would cozy up to China just to spite the West? Me thinks you are an Anglophobe. You gain nothing but doing that.
    1
  4683. Don't count your eggs before the hatch. How long did the Kherson offensive last? Longer than the current one, that is for sure.
    1
  4684. Territory that Russia stole from TUkrey, who stole it from Kevian Rus. We can play the very same game that La Raza loves to play regarding Texas and California.
    1
  4685. Funny how people conveniently ignore that Russia has violated every agreement it ever made with independent Ukraine.
    1
  4686. The Black Sea Fleet has already essentially relocated to Novorossiya. What remains there now is just a token force just to say that they are still there.
    1
  4687. Where have I heard that before? Oh yeah, the presumed fall of Kiev. Just like then you people vastly underestimate the Ukrainians.
    1
  4688. Kremlin propaganda will make you think the sky is green. Oryx tells a vastly different story. One that makes me ask where you even get your statistic of 30% from. BTW, Oryx uses visual confirmation, so your "Russian sources" unless they have photo evidence is just embellishment (vranyo).
    1
  4689.  @coderentity2079  Why is it that people think Trump wouldn't support Ukraine? Putin didn't dare do anything while "orange man" was in the White House. He stole Crimea while Biden was directing Obama's foreign policy. He invaded after Joe Bite-me got elected. If anything, it is the Bidens who have been Putin's greatest ally. It has taken the Brits to brow-beat the White House into getting off its duff. While the US has been supplying the most, it is only because the UK and the Warsaw Pact NATO members have shamed the White House into doing so.
    1
  4690.  @coderentity2079  The Russian Black fleet has essentially retreated to Novorossiya. Sure, they can lob missiles as Odessa, but the possibility of capturing it is astronomically small and would first require a complete collapse of Ukrainian morale.
    1
  4691. Since the sinking of the Moskva, the threat of Odessa being invaded from the sea evaporated. And the Kherson retreat closed the door on a land invasion of the city. So, to answer your question, there isn't even a reason to ask.
    1
  4692. So long as Russia holds Crimea, they threaten Odessa. That makes it a non-starter to any peace deal.
    1
  4693.  @skp8748  Yeah, I suspect your "Crimean celebrations" were staged just like Russia was going to do when they marched into Kiev. Look up what a Potemkin Village is.
    1
  4694. Russia already lost when they failed to capture Kiev. They failed to prevent the expansion of NATO since both Sweden and Finland are now members. By and REASONABLE metric, Russia has already lost as thoroughly as the Japanese did at Midway and Guadalcanal.
    1
  4695.  @jeremypuckett9533  Ukraine tried to set expectations low. The Russians will try to claim anything less than a rapid breakthrough is a failure. The Land battle for Guadalcanal in WW2 was several months long.
    1
  4696.  @apsurd.apsurda  Nice appeal to emotion logical fallacy. Also, Russia and the US are NOT the same. Apples to oranges false analogy. For one, Russia forbids private ownership of firearms. Second, the fact that Wanger got so far down the highway unopposed shows that not even the Russians are willing to defend their own territory.
    1
  4697.  @apsurd.apsurda  If over a thousand days go by of active combat, it is likely the UAF will be at the doors of Moscow. The elite units of Russia such as 1st Guards Tank Army and the 155th Naval Infantry have been ground to dust.
    1
  4698. Yeah, I think most of them remember how obnoxious the Palestinians were when they lived in Jordan and Lebanon. Hamas and Hezbollah are simply proxies of Iran, and the Arabs don't trust Persian puppets.
    1
  4699.  @dswynne  Those two points are something of a red herring, often used by the leaders of Arab countries as a strawman argument to distract their own domestic populations. To the first one, the "Palestinians" (really just Arabs in Judea) already have their own territory and government in the Gaza and what have they done with it? The Saudis, Lebanese, and Egyptians are getting tired of both Hamas and Hezbollah, especially as they have effectively become proxy agents of Iran. As for Fatah, they have shown to be just as corrupt and so the other Arabs have chosen to no longer waste money on them. As for the Al-Aqsa Compound, Israel has had ample opportunity to dispose of it yet have chosen not to do so. Time and again they have allowed it to remain unmolested, and it is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. So, no, those two issues are NOT obstructions but merely distractions and excuses.
    1
  4700.  @randommonkey4900  Israeli Army has time and again defeated numerically superior foes. They are about the only Western Nation that can truly claim to be battle tested.
    1
  4701.  @puntmannoor3403  Wow you ignore history. But I get that as you don't want peace, so you ignore the data points that refute your claims. Jordan and Lebanon have made peace with Israel because they have learned first-hand that Israel is no greater enemy, no better friend. Having been crushed by the IDF, they opted for trade instead and have flourished. Now contrast that to Iran who nominally does have a say in their government. How great have things really been for that nation? Your problem is that you refuse to accept living alongside the Jews because you refuse to let go of the legacy of Haj Iman Al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, commander of the Bosnian SS, and first chairman of the PLO. As Golda Mier pointed out, peace will only come when Arabs value their children more than they hate Jews.
    1
  4702.  @dunnowy123  Not denying that the US was a bridge. Simply pointing out the fallacy that peace is not possible between Israel and the Arab states. UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and Trans-Jordan ALL have formalized relations with the Jewish state.
    1
  4703. Large Hadrion collider, my friend.
    1
  4704. Arab NATO would fall apart without Israeli support. The Arabs fear the Persians more than they fear the Jew.
    1
  4705. Indeed. It is as if they blatantly ignore the fact that the Abraham Accords was on Trump's watch. They want to pretend it never happened so they can incorrectly attribute it to Joe Bite-Me.
    1
  4706.  @Cataclysm-08-36  As opposed to the Muslim Conquests of the past? How about the sacking of Constantinople? How about the Moorish invasion and occupation of Iberia? For all of the charges you throw at the west, I can point to five in the opposite direction.
    1
  4707. Apparently, you not aware that Arab Muslims are part of the ruling coalition government in the Israeli Knesset.
    1
  4708. Agreed. The ASEAN members need to temporarily set aside their disagreements among themselves and present a united front against China, preferably in the Parcel Islands. Stop the Chinese there with a joint coalition force consisting of Philippines, Vietnamese, Malayans, and Indonesians and it would force the Chinese completely out of the area.
    1
  4709. The closets Arab country to Isarel is Trans-Jordan. And they would be the first to tell you that they chose the Israelis over the Arabs who call themselves Palestinian. Most of them still remember the Dawson Field Hijackings of the 1970s.
    1
  4710. 'If You Voted For Biden And Don't Regret It, You're The Problem' - Jake Paul
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  4711. 'If You Voted For Biden And Don't Regret It, You're The Problem' - Jake Paul
    1
  4712. 'If You Voted For Biden And Don't Regret It, You're The Problem' - Jake Paul
    1
  4713. Exactly. PLAGUE ON BOTH THEIR HOUSES! At least Trump came in like a bull in a China shop and shook things up a bit. Status Quo in DC is death to the nation.
    1
  4714. 'If You Voted For Biden And Don't Regret It, You're The Problem' - Jake Paul
    1
  4715. You are correct that abominable monetary policies by the Fed are the main reason for American economic woes. Thomas Jefferson warned us about the dangers of banking institutions and those institutions taking control of the money supply. It is the same system manipulation that Alex Hamilton and Henry Knox engaged in that lead to Shay's Rebellion.
    1
  4716. 'If You Voted For Biden And Don't Regret It, You're The Problem' - Jake Paul
    1
  4717.  @johnmyster  Why? What is the rational? What is the reasoning? I have news for you, the average age for the Delegates to the Constitution Convention of 1787 were under 35. Those men were much smarter than you or I. You ignore them at everyone's peril.
    1
  4718.  @tauceti8060  Minimum is 45 years old. The US founder set it at that for a reason. Anyone younger doesn't have the life experience to be the executive of a country. Interestingly, GOVERNORS make the best presidents. Probably because the tow offices have many of the same responsibilities.
    1
  4719. 'If You Voted For Biden And Don't Regret It, You're The Problem' - Jake Paul
    1
  4720.  @nuclear1617  I will agree with your second point. The Boomers have held onto power far longer than any other generation in American history. it is long past time they hand over control to someone OTHER than their own kids.
    1
  4721.  @lSeKToRl  "Needs" like a Netflix or Amazon streaming subscription? Spare me. Yes, big business took advantage of the carveouts meant for small businesses. But then that was the point, wasn't it? It was corporate welfare for the campaign donors of the politicians who passed it. I agree with you about the market correction part though. And the more the government tries to interfere with that correction, the worse the rebound is going to be. Deflationary periods ALWAYS occur after artificial inflation caused by government and hedge funds manipulating the system to extract wealth while putting nothing of value into the system.
    1
  4722. No, inflation is cause by more paper money in the system than there is product to buy with it. In this case, the "Quantitative easing" (ie just printing money with nothing to back it ala Weimar Germany or Zimbabwe) programs in conjunction with the Covid stimulus checks put money in the hands of people not producing anything. Then you have the issue of people getting paid more to NOT work than they would by returning to their jobs.
    1
  4723. 'If You Voted For Biden And Don't Regret It, You're The Problem' - Jake Paul
    1
  4724.  @jeffersonwright9275  Yeah, none of those will actually solve the problems they claim to address. ALL of them are giveaways of tax payer money to campaign doners. Stop making excuses for the people stealing from you. Stop rewarding your abusers.
    1
  4725. Wow, what rock did you crawl out from? The facts don't support anything you imply.
    1
  4726. The GOP has not shifted to the right, they have actually shifted left over the years. It is the LEFT who has gone full Bolshevick. Trump on social issues was left of Both Bushes and Reagan. He was actually left of Bill Clinton on a number of issues as well. But starting with Obama, you had Democrat candidates who make Leon Trotsky look like a conservative.
    1
  4727.  @st.m7865  How? Details. Incidentally, Joe Bite-me through his son Hunter clearly undermined the US. As Yevgrav said in "Doctor Zhivago", if you have a man's brother, you are halfway to controlling him. Hence, if you have a man's son, you are likely 80% of the way to controlling him.
    1
  4728. In theory, yes. But The House has long given away the power over the purse to the administrative state.
    1
  4729. Look up Jonn F. Kenney's observations about taxing the rich. Your country, the UK tried taxing people at 90% during the 70s. How did that work out?
    1
  4730.  @fooo2241  Changing the rules at the 11th hour after early voting has already begun IS a form of cheating and stealing an election. Say you are playing a ball game and the other side changes the rules mid-game. Don't tell me you would not call that out as cheating. What the GOP establishment in conjunction with the Dems did to change election laws is exactly the same thing.
    1
  4731.  @fooo2241  People underestimated Trump in 2016. He lost in 2020 because the establishment GOP DID finally take his seriously and colluded with the Democrats to change election laws after early voting had already started (that IS a form of cheating, changing the rules mid-game). I think the thing most hamstringing the Democrats is that they never analyzed WHY Trump defeated Hilrod in 2016. Nor did they actually look at WHY people voted against Trump in 2020. Just because they vote against a candidate does NOT mean they are voting FOR your guy. Jake Paul said it best when he said that those who voted for Biden and don't regret it are part of the problem. And Jake Paul is a rabid leftist.
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  4732. Ah, but that is the rub. if you are running against something, that does not automatically mean you are for something. It is the danger of running a negativity campaign; when the other guy is out, only you are to blame for what happens next. In this case, buyer's remorse means that if Trump runs again, he is practically a shoo-in against Biden because it will be a referendum on Biden and the Democrats, one that Trump can easily contrast with his own term. "If you won't stand for something, you will fall for anything," -Attributed to Peter Marshall.
    1
  4733. Oh, I am SO going to wear a monocle when I need glasses. And pair it with an aristocratic British accent.
    1
  4734. Indeed. He practically invited Putin to invade with his "minor incursion" comment.
    1
  4735.  @wallace44able  Yes, I have gone outside the US. My wife is from Indonesia and left that country for the first time in her life to come to the US to marry me. I was stationed in South Korea for two years with the USAF. Unlike most stationed there, I went out and fully immersed myself in the local culture. I can confidently say that I know more about that society than anyone in the US baring South Korean expats and a few professors who specialize in Korean history. As to your points, you are making THOEIRTICAL arguments which while they make sense on a chalkboard, fail completely when put into practice. The devil is in the details, dirty little details you choose to blatantly ignore. The reason why fuel is more expensive in Europe is a direct result of VAT tax. European rulers mark up the cost on the order of 300% of wholesale cost. But I get it, you are an ideologue clinging to your agenda like a religious zealot. Indeed, your ideology IS your non-theistic religion. And much like the Spanish Inquisition, you demand blind obedience.
    1
  4736. And NATO expansion was more of Putin's doing than anything else. The former Warsaw Pact do NOT want to return to the 80s.
    1
  4737. Indeed. Nobody is talking about the elephant in the room, namely that there are more US dollars put into circulation in the last ten years than the entire history of the country proceeding that. We are talking about Weirmar Germany and Zimbabwe levels of insane monetary policy.
    1
  4738.  @ricardoospina5970  No, but "if it bleeds, it leads" IS the media's doom and gloom.
    1
  4739.  @tsuchan  Pot meet kettle. Just like a good acolyte of Saul Alinsky, you accuse your opposition of the very thing you are guilty of doing. Here is a hint: if you are attacking a person's cognitive abilities, you are engaging in an ad hominin logical fallacy, and it is tacit admission that you have lost the debate. "When your argument is weak, abuse the plaintiff," -Marcus Tullius Cicero.
    1
  4740.  @tsuchan  Your choice of words made it self-evident that you thought it was everyone's problem, INCLUDING MINE. But I get that you don't understand the very words you type and the unintended meaning you communicate when you speak in haste. To your second, while it may be true that your OPINION is subjective, presidential elections are anything but. And you choosing to look at them subjectively rather than objectively shows a certain flippancy. And don't move the goal posts about needing to agree on everything, that is a strawman argument used by apologists to justify their objectively bad choices. Nobody said you had to agree on the irrelevant issues. What matters is that you DO agree on the critical issues. Too many people say "I agree 80%" while blatantly ignoring that the 20% they disagree with is much more important than the 80%. As in fatal failure importance.
    1
  4741.  @tsuchan  Then you are looking at presidential elections the wrong way. And that is YOUR problem, not mine. I HAVE voted FOR a candidate like liked. I have voted for a candidate that I didn't like but felt was more qualified for the job. That you choose to throw away your franchise is your loss, not mine.
    1
  4742. 'If You Voted For Biden And Don't Regret It, You're The Problem' - Jake Paul
    1
  4743. 1: Machin is thinking about his constituents, certainly more than most of the GOP and all of the Dems. Those policies he blocked would have hurt the people hurt the citizens of West Virigina. You are just pissed he is actually being a statemen unlike most of the DC critters who are only out to line their own pockets. 2 Inflation occurs when there is more currency in circulation than there is goods. This massive printing of money with nothing to back in by the US Fed is devaluing the Dollar, which is the world's reserve currency. 3 Just because the treasure says so doesn't make it true. They have changed the inflation index no less than FIVE TIMES in the last ten years to hide how bad it really is. 4 Taxing the rich will never produce the revenues you think it will. Paradoxically lower rates INCREASE revenues. John F. Kennedy proved this. Reagan confirmed it. Trump codified it. Taxing the rich will only cause the rich to move to another country with a lower tax rate. 5 The child tax credit is just glorified welfare. And the purpose is nominally to encourage people to create MORE tax slaves (which is how the government views children who become adults). The system is a giant Ponzi scheme and the only way to keep it going is to create more suckers paying into the system (ie growing population). 6 I agree that Afghanistan was a debacle and there was not point to the waste of money we sunk into it. 7 COVID relief and infrastructure bills is just more graft and corporate welfare under the guise of an emergency. Never let a crisis go to waste.
    1
  4744. I think the MythBusters DID manage to polish a turd and make it shiny. But to your point, it was still just a turd.
    1
  4745.  @TheLordFrog  Indeed. Neo-pagan Gaia worship. And while I have no issues with people worshiping that Greco-Roman goddess, they should at least be honest about it rather than try and force the rest of us to participate under false pretenses.
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  4746. That is like saying that FDR's polices helped with the Great Depression. Honest economists will tell you ONLY WW2 wartime production pulled the US out of that. FDR made it worse. Likewise, there was ZERO reason for the lockdowns. And there was ZERO reason to put over half the population out of work. The bankruptcies were a direct result of top-down fascistic government policies.
    1
  4747. Would have Zero difference. The White House staff (aka Biden's hospital orderlies) would not change.
    1
  4748.  Hecktor RhyanM  Indeed it does because nothing of value backs it up. That devaluation on occurs faster when they simply print more money like they did with "quantitative easing".
    1
  4749. His policies are a continuation of the Obama years. The difference is, the Democrats don't have the GOP blocking them like Obama did. When ALL of the White House staff under Biden are the same people as Obama, you can't claim that it was a lack of foresight. The problem is more that the polices are just abominable, and that was the goal. or have you forgotten Obama's "energy will necessarily skyrocket" quote?
    1
  4750. 'If You Voted For Biden And Don't Regret It, You're The Problem' - Jake Paul
    1
  4751.  @deinonychus3421  They changed how unemployment is calculated no less than five times in the last three years. They changed how inflation is calculated just as many times. You can't trust anything that comes out of a mouthpiece of the White House. "Figures don't lie but liars figure," -Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. "Lies, damn lies, and statistics," -Mark Twain.
    1
  4752.  @deinonychus3421  Wrong on ALL counts. Trump was able to fix the economy in a mere two months. Obama couldn't fix it in 8 years. And Biden crashes it just as quickly as Trump fixed it. There is an old saying, "shit or get off the pot". The only thing liberals do when they have the white house is change how numbers are tabulated to make thing appear on paper better than they actually are. "Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter (Barak Obama, Joe Biden) loses his," -Ronald Reagan.
    1
  4753.  @DSTKO-w7z  If it wasn't viable, then why were folks willing to finance it? That is the problem with you greenies; you don't have any understanding of how market forces actually work. If it wasn't viable, nobody would have even tried to build it.
    1
  4754. Minimum age is 45 years old for a reason. Life experience. Biden's problem is that he has too much life experience.
    1
  4755.  @antixocialman  You don't win the argument by name calling. You just proved you are as out of touch with the people as Marie Antonnette.
    1
  4756.  @meneither3834  When you are not counting the people who have stopped looking for work, sure. That is the dirty little detail people are not being honest about.
    1
  4757.  @simonjones9455  Except, your own words betray your true colors. Anti-West IS anti-White. You talk about not dominating other peoples and yet it is the West and western ideals of liberty and democracy that sets people free. To be anti-West is to be against liberty and self-autonomy. It is to advocate for totalitarianism. Oh, and my wife speaks Hakka, not Mandarin. Though she is also fluent in Teochew. "The lady doth protest too much, me thinks," -Queen Gertrude; Act 3 scene 2; Hamlet by William Shakespeare
    1
  4758.  @simonjones9455  And your anti-white bigotry is blatant for all to see. For all of your arguments of colonial domination, you are just as guilty of it but in reverse direction. Anti-colonialism is simply fashionable racism against whites in exactly the same way anti-Zionism is fashionable anti-Semitism PS, my wife is Chinese-Indonesian. Which means my sons are bi-racial. Wokescolds like you don't have a response to the fact that my heirs are NOT white. But I expect you to make yet another racist disparagement about white men marrying Asian women.
    1
  4759.  @simonjones9455  The US NEVER controlled China. Mao was always his own man. If the US really did control "The Middle Kingdom", then it would have been Chaing Kai-Shek and the Kuomintang that won the Chinese Civil War in 1949. We don't hate the Chinese people; we just detest the totalitarianism of the Red Government. I think you are conflating Greed with GLUTTONY. The two while similar are NOT the same. Gluttony is about consumption while greed is about hoarding. Greed seeks to maintain value and so tries to be efficient while gluttony is wasteful. Why you are correct that the US is choking on its own vices, that doesn't mean we are finished. And by racism, if you mean liberal-progressive racism fanning the flames of strife, you are correct. If you mean racism against minorities, then you are clearly suffering from a psychotic delusional fantasy.
    1
  4760.  @levelazn  No, you can't admit that you are clinging to an urban legend created by the power mongers to fool you into submitting to their fascism. But then that is to be expected from a good Soviet lickspittle.
    1
  4761.  @levelazn  Pot meet kettle. You keep parroting the completely debunked myths of the liberal progressive establishment. But that is typical. Tell me, how much money is Georgie Boy Soros paying you? Your lack of creativity in your arguments shows you are using one of his canned scripts rather than coherent throughs.
    1
  4762.  @levelazn  You mean the ANTIFA folks who were the ones who busted windows? Doo keep in mind, the capitol police LET THEM IN. Hell, the officers were even posing for photos until one of them murdered Ashli Babbitt. But once again, you prove that you believe in psychotic delusional fantasies. NOBODY besides the ANTIFA activists saw themselves as rioters. They were simply citizens exercising their first amendment right to assemble and protest, not that you actually care about those rights.
    1
  4763.  @dusanpiscevic6213  And yet people like you NEVER cast disparagements at the French, Spanish, Dutch, nor Portuguese. Your drivel filled rant just proves my point that you are simply a hater of all things English.
    1
  4764.  @thequandlecultiston3157  Three posts in a row? You really are frantic. As Cicero pointed out, never underestimate the eloquence of brevity. Again, you are not debating, you are engaging in spurious personal attacks because you have been called out and you are panicking because your position and choice of words are indefensible.
    1
  4765.  @thequandlecultiston3157  Actually, properly quoting a well known source is the STRONGEST argument one can make in a debate. Just because you lack the humility to rely on the wisdom of men and women greater than yourself is why you lose. "Self-pride"? More like arrogance, narcissism, and self-aggrandizement. The fact that you have to put down and belittle others only goes to prove that you are trying to convince yourself.
    1
  4766.  @thequandlecultiston3157  The fact that I am quoting men and women smarter than you shows my wisdom and your hubris. If you think that quoting others makes me look stupid, that speaks more about you than it does about me. "I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left." -Margaret Thatcher.
    1
  4767.  @thequandlecultiston3157  No, you didn't answer ANY of my objections, merely presented logical fallacies. And if you are watching the clock for how long it takes to respond, then you really have no actual argument because you are simply trying to feed your own ego. And political spectrum has little to do with American or not. Looking at the politics of the UK, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan shows that the conservative-liberal split is very similar regardless of national affiliation. Once again you are using fallacious logic to make arguments because you lack substance. And saying I "deserved the insults" is only doubling down on your desperation. The more you lob insults at me, the more you prove my point. "The Lady doth protest too much, me thinks," -Queen Gertrude; Act 3 scene 2; Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
    1
  4768.  @thequandlecultiston3157  "The debate is over" Yeah those are the words of someone who cannot argue and so tries to silence any further discussion because they know they are losing. Typical liberal woke scold behavior. Insults are an act of desperation because you have no valid argument. It is a logical fallacy called ad hominin. it also means you have lost the plot. You mischaracterize the Opium Wars to push an anti-Anglo (and in effect an anti-white) bigoted narrative. Do NOT conflate the actions of the British Indian Trading Company (and by extension the British government) with those of European Heritage. It belittles you and discredits anything you have to say.
    1
  4769.  @thequandlecultiston3157  "Smart-ass"? That is the best you can come up with? Insults and disparagements are not arguments but tacit admission you can't debate merits. When you make all of your arguments about the "evil white man" you are engaging in race pimping. Your arguments are poorly disguised Anglophobia and anti-Europoid racism. "When you argument is weak, abuse the plaintiff,," -Marcus Tullius Cicero "When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser," -Attributed to Socrates.
    1
  4770.  @thequandlecultiston3157  Wow, really? Talk about racist canards. The Opium Wars which you allude to concluded over 100 years before Chairman Mao came onto the scene. No you clearly don't understand Recent Chinese history. You blatantly ignore the Civil War between Mao's Communists and Chain-kai Shek's Kuomintang Nationalist Party. You seem to forget that in CLASSIC Marxist theory China much like Russia was the LEAST likely place for a "worker's revolution" to occur. Imperial China was much like Tsarist Russia, which explains why Mao was able to make inroads much as Vlad Lenin did. Instead of race pimping, try making rational, coherent arugments.
    1
  4771.  @username65585  And yet the Japanese and South Koreans bring it in that way rather than a pipe that crosses half the planet.
    1
  4772. For almost 50 years after WW2, Europe has done just fine without Russia. Don't fool yourself; everything you say about Russia is a recent development mostly in the aftermath of the fall of the USSR. The former Warsaw Pact nations can attest to that.
    1
  4773. Not as cold as in Siberia.
    1
  4774. He is a real gasshole isn't he?
    1
  4775. Depends on where you build it. As the crow flies would put it under seriously deep water like the Laurentian Abyss (Transformers, Hunt for Red Oktober). But if you ran it along the Canadian coast to Baffin Island-Greenland-Iceland and then to Ireland, it might be more workable.
    1
  4776.  @Thorsten_Wiegand  Who would have guessed a year ago? You guys laughed at Trump when he warned you THREE years ago about this very issue. Part of your problem is that Germans kept telling themselves that Angela Merkel was no longer a member of the East German Communist Youth League (the same folks who trained the Munich Olympics bombers). Clearly a Tiger does not change its stripes, so she was more than willing to serve her country up on a silver platter to the Russian Bear (a geriatric bear it turns out).
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  4777. Yeah, because capitalism is so bad, it has raised more people out of poverty than any other economic system. It is even responsible for the computer you are using right now. The problem behind why there is so little investment in green energy aside from nuclear and hydro-electric is that they are just not viable on their own. If they were, then someone would already be the John D. Rockefeller of Wind and Solar.
    1
  4778.  @FrontLinePub  Nobody is forcing the Ukrainians to fight the Russians. They chose to fight when Putin marched on Kiev. If they didn't support this war, they would have simply rolled over and let Putin march in just like the French allowed Hitler to waltz into Paris in 1940. As to volunteering in Afghanistan, that is a strawman argument. I served 8 years and several times offered to be the next in the queue to deploy, but my leadership ALWAYS denied my request. You can imagine the frustration when the guy who has already been on three prior tours gets sent instead of me. I agree that Europe needs to learn to fix their own problems, yet two world wars started because the US felt it was not our business. Like it or not, we are there because we are the responsible parent to the spoiled children of Europe. In that I respect the Japanese and Koreans much more; they are worth defending unlike Europe.
    1
  4779.  @Jake12220  Well aren't you just the Debbie downer?
    1
  4780.  @Jake12220  There are MANY life hacks that you can employ to prevent pipes from freezing. For one, you can keep your sink cabinet doors open to let heat from the rest of the home circulate around the leads to the faucet. Further, even with heating particularly cold snaps can still freeze the pipes even with regular heating. Some people PURPOSLY allow the faucet to slowly drip as a nearly continuous flow through the pipes helps to prevent the water from freezing.
    1
  4781. I have always had difficulty with Chinese pronunciations. Peking or Beijing? It is not as crisps as a hard "P", but not as soft as a "B". And likewise, not a hard "K", but not as soft as a "J" either. For the longest time I mispronounced the j as a hard "Z". My time in South Korea fixed me of that.
    1
  4782.  @thegreatdane3627  And with that you prove that you never learned a damn thing. Obama in 2014 was telling the EU exactly what they wanted to hear. Mostly about how America is bad, and Europe needs to pay reparations to the third world.
    1
  4783.  @Jake12220  NATO and allies such as Australia, Japan, Israel, and South Korea are not going to attack their own infrastructure. I think you need to step back and look at the whole picture. Sure, Russian assets are VERY vulnerable, but the West is NOT going to cut its nose off despite its face. And crippling strike by the West will be very surgical and attempt to minizine the damage, unlike how the Russians have been operating.
    1
  4784.  @Jake12220  True, but REACH and capability factor into it. Russia has shown in Ukraine that their reach only goes as far as their artillery can reach. Even their strategic rockets have failed to deliver effective results.
    1
  4785. Because the media has no creativity. They have to be as melodramatic as they can so as to sell clicks and advertisements. it is a sloppy business strategy.
    1
  4786.  @potatofuryy  Can't possibly consider that the greenies could be to blame? The followers of the Chruch of Greta Thunberg have ample reason to sabotage that pipe.
    1
  4787. Indeed. Their hard-on for top-down command economics blinds them to the invisible hand of the market.
    1
  4788.  @thegreatdane3627  Trump has been correct about LOTS of things. Obama doesn't have an original idea in his head, particularly about geo-political factors, relying entirely on Joe Bite-me's "expertise" in 2014. Tell me, how has Biden's foreign policy acumen worked out?
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  4789. Gas produces less emissions than coal. If you are all for coal, then there is no excuse for being against gas.
    1
  4790.  @thegreatdane3627  "If it bleeds, it leads". That is the mantra of gossip mongers who call themselves "news reporters".
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  4791.  @stunimbus1543  Thank you for sharing!
    1
  4792. That is quite surprising. Then again, DPRK equipment is much older than the Russia arsenal. While the Russians are fielding the old T-72, the North Koreans are fielding the even older T-55!
    1
  4793.  @pond_people  The Japanese celebrate Christmas, and most of them are not even Christian, they are Shinto. Get a grip. You are just an anti-Christan bigot.
    1
  4794.  @Jake12220  I tend to agree, but I point out that the biggest opponents of both Hydro-Electric power and nuclear have been the greenies. THAT is why both has languished over the last four decades.
    1
  4795.  @Thorsten_Wiegand  I pray that you are correct on this point. You used an EXCELLENT analogy.
    1
  4796.  @chuapg1518  Considering that the Minsk PROPOSAL was never actually signed by the participants, you are using a strawman argument and a talking point of the Kremlin. And I find it quite telling that you blatantly ignore Russia's violation of the Budapest Memorandum which WAS signed by Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, United Kingdom, and the US. When are you going to demand that Russia be invaded for violating that international treaty?
    1
  4797. Ah, yes, always the "trust the government" argument. I got news for you, governments are corporations of a different kind, and often not interested in efficiency, only in protecting the status quo and nepotism.
    1
  4798. Wishful thinking. You simply make yourself dependent on TWO masters. And you know what they say about someone who has two masters: he loves one and despises the other.
    1
  4799.  @prettitalented  Pointing out your myopic disregard for hard facts is absolutely appropriate in debate. You are just getting pissy that your position is becoming untenable. Again, RUSSIA paying for the rebuilding of Ukraine from their gas sales very much is possible, especially if it is Western banking institutions who process the payments. Keep in mind that since the start of the war, Russia has had great difficulty with foreign trade BECAUSE they were cut-off from the banking institutions. While Russia tried to create an alternative infrastructure, both the Indians and Chinese have since pulled out of participating in it. Your problem is that you lack imagination, much less creativity. And you show a blatant ignorance of historical conflicts. Status quo ante bellum is a much more common outcome than you admit. Examples include the War of 1812, The Korean War, The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, and the Iran-Iraq War.
    1
  4800.  @prettitalented  Only from your limited perspective. You need to take the horse blinders off and look a little wider. The fact that Russia loses an entire generation of men (who won't have children) to the meat grinder of war coupled with the cost of paying the bill to rebuild Ukraine should be enough of a lesson to discourage future leaders in Moscow or Petrograd from ever again trying to subjugate the Ukrainian people.
    1
  4801. Because Russian success in those areas was so rapid as to make supporting the resistance not with the effort. Ukraine's first two weeks defying all of the expectations made supporting them a more viable prospect.
    1
  4802.  @pflernak  That is why you need strong contract laws. Signing one should be as airtight as a Faustian Bargain with Satan himself, to use an analogy.
    1
  4803. Wow, completely oblivious as to how nuclear energy actually works. You do realize that much of the fuel used in the west comes from dismantled Soviet nuclear weapons?
    1
  4804. The problem is that the Greenies are also anti-nuclear.
    1
  4805.  @tutotutot5193  You are making a distinction without a difference, race baiter.
    1
  4806. Uh, you realize that North Africans are considered "Mediterranean" and hence white? it is when you get into sub-Sahara that a racial distinction is drawn.
    1
  4807.  @aleksabenovic6046  I seriously hope you learn that Putin and Russia doesn't really care about you. They are using you just like they always have in the past. Whether the Czar in WW1 or Stalin in WW2, the leadership of the Russian Empire views you and the Serbian people as nothing more than expendable proxies in their war with Western Powers.
    1
  4808. Yeah, I am all for completely pulling out of Europe, save for a few forces in Poland. It is Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan who are worth spending blood and treasure protecting.
    1
  4809.  @groMMit1981  Yeah, something tells me that is merely what the defense industry claims, not the actually costs since politicians don't actually look at the fine print. The developers will tell you the materials and labor cost, but then conveniently leave out the premium they add to cover the R&D.
    1
  4810. I call hogwash on that. The system is still grossly overbudget and 20 years behind schedule.
    1
  4811.  @ClockworksOfGL  Just because propaganda says it has been debunked doesn't mean it is true. The F-35 has never been in actual battle conditions, unlike the F-22. And the few times the F-22 has seen combat, serious issues have come up, particularly with regards to potential "friendly fire". Truns out the stealth creates ambiguous situations were non-stealth airframes mistake allied stealth fighters as hostiles.
    1
  4812.  @andrewlechner6343  6 to one is nice, but the Chinese are planning on throwing 20 of their J-16s at each. F-22 or F-35. They will use the "throw bodies at the problem" mentality. And I guarantee you that American war planners are grossly underestimating Chinese capabilities. There is a reason why Michael Pilsbury playing as the Chinese in American wargames ALWAYS wins (just like Erich Marcks who correctly predicted the Normandy Invasion).
    1
  4813. At what overbudget cost and how far behind schedule? It is still a boondoggle, especially as there is very little reason why they could not have simply sold the F-22 Raptor to the Aussies and the Kiwis. In many ways, the Grippen is a better airframe.
    1
  4814. Switzerland requires mandatory two-year military service. And you are required to possess and maintain a rifle in your home at all times. How successful do you think Congress mandating small arms ownership would be?
    1
  4815. And that is why the West will lose to Red China. Much like the Soviet Red Army, the military is more interested in pandering to "the Boss" rather than being competent. It remains to be seen if there is an American Gregory Zhukov who will turn the US military around.
    1
  4816.  @tbyte007  Yea a dirty little detail you are overlooking is that the existing 777 frames have NOT been decertified. It is the modernization elements of the 737 that they are trying to put into the tiple 7 that are not getting approved. Which means it isn't the airframe but the upgrades that are causing issues. Keep in mind that the 767 shares the same cockpit and nose as the 777 and it has not been having issues.
    1
  4817.  @tbyte007  You are obsessing over a 55-year-old airframe and its recent modernization. And you blatantly ignore the much younger 20-year-old airframe with zero design flaws.
    1
  4818.  @tbyte007  WH o care about the triple 7? Only because it has become THE choice replacement for both the 737 and the 747. it is rapidly replacing the previous workhorses because it has found the near perfect balance of capacity, range, and efficiency.
    1
  4819.  @tbyte007  Yeah, you are talking about an attempt to modernize a proven design that first flew in 1967. What is the old saying? "If it isn't broke, don't fix it?" I noticed you didn't bother to even address the Triple 7's safety record, unmatched by any other airframe in history. It truly is the Magnum Opus of aircraft.
    1
  4820.  @howard6433  Funny you say that about Boeing because the East Asians passenger carriers have invested more in Boeing aircraft than they have in Scarebus. The A380 has NEVER delivered on ANY of its promises. And while the 787 has also failed to meet expectations, its immediate predecessor, the Triple 7 has become quite the ubiquitous airframe with its only accidents being exclusively operator errors. No other airframe can match the 777's safety record.
    1
  4821. Israel is everyday fighting for its very existence against hostile neighbors (Jordan has made peace and wants to keep it while Egypt is quietly undermining their official peace). Survival is a significant motivator for innovation.
    1
  4822.  @msimon6808  I don't disagree that Russia is worse. But that is no excuse for the largess in the West.
    1
  4823.  @JoelSalazarM  Yeah, no other military project in history has been given the indulgences that the F-35 project enjoyed. If we went by the 1970s or even 1940s standards, it would have long been abandoned in favor of alternatives that actually delivered. Hell, numerous WW2 era and Cold War airframes and ship designs were abandoned because of the cost overruns and delays that the F-35 was permitted.
    1
  4824. Pure bullshit. The airframe is 20 years behind schedule. There are supposed to be in excess of 1,200 airframes in service, yet only 360 are currently flying, mostly of the B configuration when they should already be on the F configuration.
    1
  4825. Because an Abrams tank is not the same as a Sherman. It is like comparing an economy car to a high-performance NASCAR vehicle.
    1
  4826.  @sirdo946  Don't conflate facts with OPINIONS. Truth of the matter is that Finland IS doing performance testing of both F-35 and Gripen as are a few other nations, not simply taking the hype at face value. While the results are not yet in, the F-35 is not doing anywhere near as well as the advocates claimed.
    1
  4827.  @sirdo946  And you have drank the military-industrial complex's kool-aid if you take their claims at face value. The F-35 is NOT as cheap as they claim as accounting gimmicks have been used to artificially reduce the numbers on paper. And yes, the Grippen is being seriously considered by Brazil, Ukraine, India, and Indonesia. and the Swedes and Fins have no intention of replacing theirs with the F-35 anytime soon.
    1
  4828.  @Intelligence_History  The Su-57 HAS been used in this conflict, but only over Russian controlled areas like Luhansk because they don't want the propaganda coup of Ukraine shooting one down.
    1
  4829. Collaboration on a project is NOT competition. The two are actually diametrically opposed. Right now, the only real competition with the F-35 is the SAAB Gripen. Not even the MiG-35 nor the Su-57 are in serious competition as their performance in Ukraine has greatly reduced their image.
    1
  4830. No, the F-22 and F-35 are not useless, but both are grossly overbudget. The F-35 was supposed to be the cheap and affordable version of the F-22 much like the F-16 was the cheap version of the F-15. but that has completely been ruined. In that regard, the Saab Gripen fighter is the better bang for your buck. And I agree with you about a War with China. Their j-16 interceptor was designed to be a F-22 Raptor killer. And the goal wasn't a one-on-one fight, but rather a 4 or more on one raptor fight. As you correctly point out, it would be a VERY messy fight for both sides.
    1
  4831. Asymmetric warfare. That is how all great Empires were defeated by an inferior foe. Much like with the Matador, you don't stand right in front of the bull; you let him pass just off to the side and wear himself out charging at a distraction.
    1
  4832. I tend to agree. SAAB with their Gripen has shown to be a very viable alternative to the F-35.
    1
  4833. Funny how that works these days doesn't it? The elites of socialist dystopias get fatter while their people starve to death. There was a line in the movie Spartacus about the worst dictators being skinny. They apparently never met the Kims of DPRK.
    1
  4834.  @redsamson0023  Spare me your moral outrage. The "Wrongs" of America are nothing compared to the evils done under the Red Star of communism. Oh, and Snowden lost all credibility when he got in bed with Kommissar Putin. You don't get to lecture America about censorship and spying when you ignore the former head of the KGB's totalitarian crackdowns.
    1
  4835.  @redsamson0023  So is your contention about Uncle-killer Kimmy being a nicer guy than Trump. Pot meet kettle.
    1
  4836.  @samanth.  No consistent war in Africa? Let me educate you. Pick an area of Africa. Any location. This list is hardly comprehensive. And all of them have cited sources confirming that they actually did happen. h t t p s :// en. wikipedia . org /wiki / List_of_conflicts_in_Africa PS, and calling me "Racist" for point them out only proves that you know I am correct and cannot win the merits of the debate. In effect by calling me racist you are admitting defeat.
    1
  4837.  @samanth.  By "stable" do you mean the nearly continuous Brush Wars? I suppose consistently in conflict is a stability of sorts.
    1
  4838.  @haroldmorris5901  Wow, you are completely delusional. First, guns are not the problem. Man will kill with spears, axes, or bows just as easily with guns. If anything, guns make people more polite. And before you bloviate about gun deaths in the US, keep in mind most gun violence in the US occurs in areas where the population is forcibly disarmed. Second, Africa has always been ungovernable by outside forces and remains so. Thomas Sowell has great documentaries explaining why this is. Geography, geology, and topography is but one reason as to why. Your last paragraph is nothing more than word salad of fancy words you think you understand, but clearly don't. Most of them are completely unrelated to each other. Put down the sherry and stop engaging in hysterics.
    1
  4839. You make a good point. The forecasts are seen through rose-colored glasses and ignores the issues that have plague the continent for decades. Hand-in-hand with the corruption is the proclivity for warlordism. The authors blatantly ignore the numerous brushwars that have plague the continent.
    1
  4840.  @stephanledford9792  Agreed. I think we are on the same page, just coming at it from different directions.
    1
  4841.  @samanth.  "Most fertile lands in the world"? I think you are sorely mistaken. It is a well-documented fact that volcanic soils are among the most productive rivaled only by the Chernozems of Ukraine and Russia. As for Rhodesia, I seriously doubt that they ever outperformed the Assam Tea plantations of India. Something tells me that those areas were growing cacao rather than tea.
    1
  4842.  @Farhan917  QUALITY is more important than Quantity with regards to supporting population. Japan's soils being volcanic in nature are VERY fertile. Can the same be said of areas of Africa? Something tells me the answer for most is no. There is a reason why the British Empire's Tea Plantations were in India rather than Africa.
    1
  4843. Indeed. They blatantly ignore the history of brushwars. Odd considering that they have discussed them in previous videos, but not here.
    1
  4844. I agree on Finland and Estonia. As for Germany, they are the epitome of bureaucratic monstrosity. The reason why the Bundeswehr is in such a decrepit state is BECAUSE of the bureaucratic bloat.
    1
  4845.  @Fantastika  Again, I just don't believe you. I have a sneaking suspicion that there ARE other sources, it is just that they don't have the market dominance that Holland has. Having 80% of the market doesn't mean you are the only source.
    1
  4846.  @Fantastika  I seriously doubt that the Taiwanese would only source that from a single supplier. If that was truly the case, Red China would not be so focused about capturing the microchip foundries on Formosa intact when the opposition can simply cut the supply lines for them from Europe. Think about their Achillies Heel regarding oil and the Strait of Malacca, and then remember that the Suez Canal as a second choke point makes it even worse.
    1
  4847. Microchips are made almost exclusively in Taiwan.
    1
  4848. Europe is regressing into the very same cesspool that colonists to the new world fled from. Look into why people left Europe in the 1700 and 1800s and you will see a similar pattern developing.
    1
  4849. And yet those very same proposals have resulted in the US beating out Europe every time. President John F. Kennedy pointed out that both taxation and regulation take away resources better used on research and development. But ignore his warnings all you want.
    1
  4850.  @AizenVonKleiss  Yeah, Japan's problems today are very much in large part a result of their titanic rise. Much like with WW2, they advanced rapidly only to be undone by their own hubris, resulting in the "Lost Decade" and the collapse of their workforce. Yes, Japan has great potential, but they need to find a way to moderate the excesses that have led to unproductive behaviors.
    1
  4851. I would agree with you on South Korea. Not so much on China. Even the Chinese themselves will admit to you that their "national skill" is copying, plagiarizing, and reverse engineering.
    1
  4852. Wow, listening to propaganda again huh? The media lied about everything he said. Inject bleach? Completely fabricated.
    1
  4853.  @brunolima7402  Considering that most Italians think they are too good to make Pizza, it is actually Libyan chefs in Italy catering to American tourists who make the pizzas there.
    1
  4854.  @miroslavhoudek7085  "Every GOP administration"? Spare me, the GOP doesn't dismantle government, they merely hold the growth of those ABC agencies where they are at the time they take power. Not ONCE has the GOP EVER disbanded or abolished a single government agency. Not Reagan, nor Trump. And the reason why private sector union membership have collapsed is because of the corruption. Those organizations have become more concerned about power than actually serving their members. What happens when you achieve all of the stated goals? Does the organization fade into obscurity? No, they find another reason to justify their existence. If they don't have one, they make one up.
    1
  4855. Yeah, cutting your nose off despite your face doesn't solve problems, it makes it worse. Just because US companies leave doesn't mean that a viable domestic one will spring up in its place. More likely than not, a government financed replacement with all of the associated nepotism and corruption will replace it.
    1
  4856. Europe with original ideas? Surely you are joking. The last time Europe had an original idea was when Otto von Bismark united Germany.
    1
  4857.  @fedexpress14  When everything is racist, nothing is. It has lost its meaning. That disparagement has been so overused that it is now a meme: "I won a debate against a Liberal; he called me a racist".
    1
  4858.  @fedexpress14  The accusation of racism today just means you can't win the argument. It is the same as the boy who cried "Wolf!". Thank you for effectively telling the world that you have lost the debate.
    1
  4859.  @fedexpress14  Not really. That is the problem with you globalist folks who detest nationalism and patriotism. You have no loyalty to your own people or to a homeland. And you hold in contempt people who do value such ties of kinship (since nations are made up of clans and clans are made up of related families).
    1
  4860. @Ovis Militaris And you think that anyone in that chain has the balls to defy the God-Kings of North Korea? Seriously, they worship the Kim family as if they are living deities.
    1
  4861. Don't fool yourself, the North Korean nuclear program was encouraged by both the USSR and PRC. In China's case, the Kim dictator can't fart without Beijing's permission.
    1
  4862. They would be doing the US a favor by fumigating the cockroaches.
    1
  4863. Delusional. The ONLY way the Kimmies will allow the two Koreas to unite is under their totalitarian bootheel. If that sounds like a good idea, then I invite you to move to DPRK.
    1
  4864. They did during the Soviet era. How many deaths at the hands of communist guerrillas and revolutionaries do you think are acceptable just to spite the US and the West? You are sick in the head.
    1
  4865.  @1neer5op99  "Every Dictator"? Ever heard of Park Chung-hee of South Korea? He WAS a dictator that managed to transition his country into a western Democracy proving you wrong. Then there was Ferdinand Marcos who was the dictator of the Philippines. The US harbored him after he was toppled from power. Then you have the Shah of Iran who was sheltered in the US after he was thrown from power. Augusto Pinochet was also a dictator and he managed to also transition Chile into a democracy, and he survived. So no, you are completely wrong.
    1
  4866.  @1neer5op99  Abusing, oppressing and exploiting his people is the only way to survive? Wow, you really do have a hard on for jack-booted totalitarian despotism. Maybe you need to experience it firsthand.
    1
  4867. No, the US does care, it is the corrupt Kimmies who don't care about the suffering they inflict on their own people. Keep in mind, that in over 60 years, the US has NEVER violated the DMZ nor the Armistice despite ample justification by North Korean actors (Axe murder incident just to name one).
    1
  4868. The West didn't have the example to follow that everyone else does today. You are making the presentism chronological fallacy.
    1
  4869. In other times that would have been an excellent solution. With the war in Ukraine, that is a less viable option.
    1
  4870. Nobody believed the Iraqi Olympic Stadium built by slave labour under Saddam was a good thing.
    1
  4871.  @sabbasdsouza  China does as well. Beijing and Moscow are cut from the same Marxist cloth.
    1
  4872. The UN is a playground for tyrants and despots. The last time they ever did anything of consequence was in 1950 during the Korean War. After that it became nothing more than a symposium for grandstanding by world leaders.
    1
  4873. Wow, chronological snobbery is strong with you. No problems with slavery and human rights abuses? Have you not heard of the Arab Slave trade? No enemies before Israel? Have your forgotten the Western Power's Mesopotamia Campaign of 1917? How about the American presence in Iran in 1942, running supplies to the Soviets via Persia? Keep parroting anti-West hatred.
    1
  4874. @Ghost Rider "Looking at someone wrong gets you shot"? Nice strawman argument. "Gun nut capital of the world" Plano, Texas is THE SAFEST city in the world BECAUSE of all of the guns. But I get it, you prefer the comfort of slavery over uncertain liberty. You would rather submit to a fascistic dictator rather than trust in free will. As for Singapore, only its history as a former Crown colony prevents it from becoming just as monstrous as the Tyrants in Beijing.
    1
  4875.  Handsome T  Most freedom loving people were against the Wuhan Virus lockdowns. Only the jack-booted totalitarians and wannabe despots and their apologists believed that locking people in their homes was a good idea.
    1
  4876. Was it the UK or was it an evolution from the Arab Slave trade? Not everything is the fault of the English.
    1
  4877. Yeah, it irritated me how blatantly bad he mispronounced it. It's not like we in the West has had some 20 odd years of familiarity with the word.
    1
  4878.  @danieleyre8913  Militant atheism shares many of the same values and fatal flaws as religious fundamentalists. Don't pretend that only the religious has a monopoly on incoherence.
    1
  4879.  @arslanrauf3641  It is funny how you choose to blatantly ignore anything that does not comport to your myopic view of the world.
    1
  4880.  @danieleyre8913  In Europe, that is correct. In the US, late-term, is the norm in States like Illinois, California, New York, Viriginia, Massachusetts, and Oregon. Don't forget the Ralph Northam (aka governor Blackface) said that abortionists should let a fetus from a botched abortion die on the table. Then you have the fact that Robert Gosnell was actually the norm, not the exception when it comes to abortion.
    1
  4881.  @danieleyre8913  After 24 weeks, it IS infanticide. And that is NOT Fundamentalist Christian, that is how Europe classifies it under their laws. So don't say it is not killing babies. I don't disagree that he is choosing to side with Salafist Wahhabism, but they are NOT allies of fundamentalist Christians. If anything, the hard-core left is who regularly allies with the Jihadis.
    1
  4882.  @danieleyre8913  I think he is referring to abortion. It is a stretch, and something of a non-sequitur, but I understand his angle.
    1
  4883.  @thomassecurename3152  Except, you said sustainable in your very first post. Don't try moving the goal posts or attempt to gaslight because you cannot argue against the points I made. Do keep in mind that Fukushima is grossly overblown. Chernobyl was almost 40 years ago and Prypiat's levels are only slightly greater than Fukushima. If you are following the rule of Seven, then that means that Chernobyl was several orders of magnitude worse (ie factors of ten).
    1
  4884. More sustainable? Have you not heard of US Navy's nuclear program? If it was not sustainable, then the US Navy would have abandoned it long ago. There is a reason why both the US Army and US Air Force abandoned their nuclear reactor programs. PS, Admiral Hyman G. Rickover set the exacting standards that even the IAEA follows. The man for all of his eccentricities (and rather abusive behaviors) was the foremost leader with regards to nuclear power.
    1
  4885. Funny thing is, under Yeltson, Soviet bombs core were being reprocessed into reactor fuel. You CAN have weapons for war and still use them for peace once those bombs reach their "expiration date".
    1
  4886.  @Yeomen1986  Wrong on ALL counts (sans Rickover's passing). Your claims show you know NOTHING at all about nuclear power. Don't try relying on the Gleman-Amnesia effect, because it is easy to debunk your claims.
    1
  4887.  @Yeomen1986  Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, father of US Navy's nuclear program disagrees with you. There is a reason why even the IAEA takes their cues from his legacy.
    1
  4888. Even the companies that are turning Soviet bomb cores into reactor fuel? Don't tell me that you would rather Russia sent those bombs to Iran or North Korea.
    1
  4889. Even the companies turning decommissioned Soviet bombs into reactor fuel? That kind of undermines non-proliferation.
    1
  4890.  @gregorymalchuk272  Agreed. And of course, Saint Greta is now against wind farms. There is not satisfying these theologians pretending to be scientific. Michael Crichton very accurately called them out for their behaviors which emulate zealots and fanatics of yore.
    1
  4891.  @gregorymalchuk272  "10 years ago, we were turning nuclear bombs into nuclear energy. We can do it again." Vox article Feb 14, 2023 by Irnia Wang.
    1
  4892.  @PavorVenetor  VOX has an article dated February of this year by Irina Wang detailing exactly what I am talking about.
    1
  4893.  @krasserTerror  While Thyroid increased in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, the numbers in Germany did not. Anecdotes are NOT indicative of trends. You are using a sob story to make an appeal to emotions (logical fallacy). Yeah, most sources claiming man is the cause of climate change are sus. The data is circumstantial at best, and completely fabricated in others. Particularly when you claim, "consensus concludes". "Today, one of the most powerful religions in the Western World is environmentalism. Environmentalism seems to be the religion of choice for urban atheists. Why do I say it’s a religion? Well, just look at the beliefs. If you look carefully, you see that environmentalism is in fact a perfect 21st century remapping of traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs and myths. " -Michael Crichton September 15, 2003 interview.
    1
  4894.  @gargoyle7863  I cannot say that I am surprised. The education system in the West has been infested by the ideology of the old Soviet Union, substituting reason and hard data in favor of feelings and emotions. "The cause" is more important than producing results.
    1
  4895.  @gargoyle7863  Indeed. German industrial innovation is second only to the US. It is sad that the leaders of Deutschland care more about pandering to globalist ideologues rather than encourage the people of the Rhine to do what they do best.
    1
  4896. The Communist Party has always been paranoid and distrustful of others, this is nothing new. Companies who are lamenting the situation have only themselves to blame. A Tiger doens't change its stripes, and communists are ALWAYS going to act in a VERY predictable manner, namely censorship and top-down totalitarian control over others.
    1
  4897. Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas. Anyone who got in bed with the Chinese Communists Party should not be surprised that they caught the legal equivalent of a venereal disease.
    1
  4898.  @lv3609  Not really. You are engaging in classic whataboutism typical of communist regimes who can't otherwise defend their position. Industrial theft and corporate espionage ARE international recognized crimes covered by reciprocity clauses in treaties. The Huawei executives arrested in Canada clearly violated those statutes. You are rationalizing (ie making excuses) to justify hostage taking and kidnapping by governemnts.
    1
  4899. There was material evidence showing Huawei was engaging in corporate and industrial theft. China simply took Canadian citizens hostage so as to pervert Canadian law. Such behavior is expected of criminal syndicate, not legitimate governments.
    1
  4900. Yeah, the keep doing business despite knowing the risks. THey have only themselves to blame. A scorpion can't change its nature.
    1
  4901.  @ttemp2631  China upholds its inherited traditions? May I remind you about the Cultural Revolution where Mao's Red Guards destroyed that history wherever they found it? Communists don't take care of the poor, they exploit them for personal gain while claiming to act with compassion. it is all a sham.
    1
  4902.  @ttemp2631  That is a bloviation. One can value hard work and merits but still be fascistic and authoritarian. For all of its flaws, the US has the Bill of Rights as part of the Supreme law of the land. China has no tradition. THAT is the actual difference.
    1
  4903.  @mojewjewjew4420  That isn't an argument, that is an emotional outburst. Xi believes and Mao that Law comes from a gun (might makes right). US tradition rejects that.
    1
  4904. The US Patriot Act is still NOMINALLY limited by the 4th, 5th, and 6th amendments as much as they have been curtailed. China has not such due process protections. In China there is not Supreme Court to overrule the government.
    1
  4905.  @wumaobot  Not really. It fails if it is easily identifiable. Even Gorbbels admitted that nobody does propaganda like the US. Even Lavrenty Beria had to admit that too.
    1
  4906. And this is why the US constitution's Bill of rights exists. China is doing today what King George III and his courts often did. Arbitrarily jailed and punished people on flimsy charges of treason (espionage is China's favorite crime to prosecute). Read the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th Amendments because they were written for this exact reason.
    1
  4907. The US has a bill of Rights which protects due process. China doesn't have that. This spying law is no different than the ones King George III used to incarcerate people on a whim.
    1
  4908.  @koushikdas1992  Their corrupt leadership is doing that, selling their fellow citizens into financial slavery to the Chinese government.
    1
  4909.  @titus_philemon  You seem to forget that the Catholic Church is anti-gay. So, in Catholic dominated Latin America, being pro-LGTBQ is VERY progressive and left leaning. There was a time in the not so distant past when gays in the Latin community were persecuted and, in some cases, murdered and the government simply looked the other way.
    1
  4910.  @wh34t_  You have clearly never read Karl Marx, Vlad, Lenin, Chairman Mao, or Pol Pot. Socialism by definition REJECTS private property ownership. "Workers seizing the means" is just a fancy way of saying theft of property which is the lynchpin of a successful economy. Without property rights, NOTHING can function properly. Instead of simply repeating empty slogans, how about you look at the country who have "Socialist" in their name. Most of the ones in Central and Eastern Europe will tell you EXACTLY what Socialism is because they lived under it. Incidentally, the Trucker and Farmer protests ARE the "workers revolution" you call for, but one that REJECTS your ideology and proposals.
    1
  4911.  @NickSteffen  Which isn't socialist. It is right wing capitalism. Socialism by definition is centrally controlled and planned command economy, while free-trade and Laissez-faire is capiitalist.
    1
  4912. Indeed. They don't actually dig deeper into the issues and the history of the region. They just take left-wing talking points at face value and ignore the nuance.
    1
  4913.  @ky6632 Yeah, their Trump derangement syndrome is blinding them to accurate analysis.
    1
  4914. Maybe because left wing politicians and policies never deliver on their promises? And don't say it has never been tried, because Biden is just continuing the disastrous left-wing policies of Obama and Carter.
    1
  4915.  @6thsense79  Pot meet kettle. It is clear you subscribe to the neo-Marxism of Keynesian economics which has time and again been proven wrong. I however am a follower of the Austrian school of economics pioneered by Karl Menger and confirmed by the likes of Fredric Hayek, Ludwig von Misses, Art Laffer, Milton Friedman and Thomas Sowell. You accuse me of not understanding and yet you keep parroting the talking points of theorists who have ZERO experience in economics. Your small business owner knows more about economics than your college professor. It doesn't take an "expert" to understand tax law and know that the bureaucracy which you are defending and the high tax rates that go with such a machine of government is what destroys an economy and a society.
    1
  4916.  @6thsense79  And you are not telling the full story. Investments, particularly capital gains are DOUBLE TAXED. First when the company makes the profit, then again when those profits are distributed to the shareholders. In effect, the government gets TWO bites at the apple. So, stop complaining about the very tax system you and yours demanded and got not producing the very revenues you foolishly believed it would produce. Your math never takes into account the human reaction to your attempts to steal their money via taxation. "It is increasingly clear that no matter what party is in power, so long as our national security needs keep rising, AN ECONOMY HAMPERED BY RESTRICTIVE TAX RATES WILL NEVER PRODUCE ENOUGH JOBS OR PROFITS" -President John F. Kennedy.
    1
  4917.  @cjlooklin1914  Yeah, and you seem to forget that there were numerous loopholes that made those claimed tax rates effectively lower than they claimed on paper. Ben Shapiro has time and again debunked your false claims about the 90% corporate tax rate. You are pushing the same great lie that all neo-socialists claim. For one, only people who made over $200,000 (1950s, not adjusted for inflation) paid that rate. The UK tried doing that in the 1970s and it practically demolished their economy. When effective taxes rates are greater than 50%, NOBODY works. Art Laffer and the Austrian School of Economics has been proven correct time and again, and not just with the US economy.
    1
  4918.  @cjlooklin1914  And your point? Wealth is not something to be ashamed of. As Confucius observed, in a country poorly managed, wealth is something to be ashamed of, while in a country wisely managed, it is being poor that is shameful.
    1
  4919. Because it is easier to fool people by claiming politics is a linear spectrum rather than a tesseract.
    1
  4920.  @peekaboopeekaboo1165  "The lady doth protest too loudly, mee thinks" -Queen Gertrude, Act 3 scene 2, Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Yeah, move the goal posts because you don't want to address the points I have made. You propagandists are not very sophisticated, regurgitating talking points on cue like Palvo's Dog.
    1
  4921.  @peekaboopeekaboo1165  I get that Bejing is paying you to shill for them, but at least get your facts straight. The US under Roosevelt gave Mao's forces the same weapons that were given to Chaing Kai Shek's forces. But unlike the Chinese Nationalists, the Commies used those weapons against their fellow Chinese instead of the Imperial Japanese Army. And during those 4 years, the Commies never stopped fighting the nationalists. The KMT was never given any time to rebuild. A good way to describe WW2 in China is a three-way Mexican Standoff between the Chinese Communist Party, the Kuomintang, and the Imperial Japanese Army. Only, the IJA and the CCP agreed not to shoot at each other.
    1
  4922.  @peekaboopeekaboo1165  Only because the Warlords were too powerful to crush and the CCP (a rebranding won't change who they are) didn't have the support to seize power yet. No, they waited until the Japanese did their dirty work for them.
    1
  4923.  @peekaboopeekaboo1165  The Communists were just as active during that period. Only difference is that they didn't have the international support from Lenin yet.
    1
  4924.  @peekaboopeekaboo1165  Tibet was an independent country until the Chinese invasion of 1950. The Warlord era that the PRC loves to ignore was when Tibet gain their independence. Nice try attempting to rewrite history. As for the Khymer Rouge, Pol Pot was a commie just like Mao and Ho Chi Mihn. But like all good communist leaders, they turn on each other when the opportunity arises. When they are not murdering "bourgeoisie swine", they are more than happy to butcher each other.
    1
  4925.  @peekaboopeekaboo1165  Then prove it. Explain exactly WHERE my information lacks proper context. "What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence" -Hitchens's Razor.
    1
  4926.  @deezeed2817  The US doesn't want War? Then why were wars ended under Trump and not a single new one started with him in office? Why did Putin wait until Obama's "foreign policy expert" Biden was in office to invade? Why under Trump Xi don't DARE threaten the US or Taiwan? The world respects a strong horse, and the US is lead by cowards and panty wastes. When the US is perceived as strong, the world has been at peace. When the US appears weak, the world explodes with violence.
    1
  4927. If Trump's Trade war was not well thought out, then why has the Biden administration continued it? Most of the targeted restrictions you attribute to Biden were proposed during Trump's time but were not executed because of pushback in the Congress.
    1
  4928.  @abcdedfg8340  Indeed. The numbers are juiced and manipulated. In many ways the Chinese system emulates the Russian/Soviet one where they simply pencil whip the numbers without actually checking.
    1
  4929.  @deebil8099  So you think Fu-Go balloon bombs are a joke? Let us see if you laugh when one starts a fire at your place.
    1
  4930. Fear over carbon emissions is a joke, and a bad one at that. The amount of carbon on the planet hasn't changed in 5 billion years. It was here when the planet formed, it will be here when the planet becomes burnt to a crisp by the Sun.
    1
  4931. Because of their infestation of militant greenies.
    1
  4932.  @bachelor3846  Can't possibly consider that it was done by eco-terrorists?
    1
  4933. Africa's problems have always been with their own leadership. Before the mad scramble for Africa, the tribes were fighting each other and selling their fellow Africans into slavery (typically the Arab Slave Trade). And when the European power left, it once again reverted to those very same bush wars. Don't blame outsiders for the sins of the locals.
    1
  4934. Indeed. I could see the Canadians simply building the infrastructure to pipe their excess supplies to American facilities rather than build their own.
    1
  4935.  @johnmuthan286  You keep telling yourself that. Truth is that your freedoms and liberty is protected by American hegemony. Don't believe me? Just ask the Baltic States and the Polish who lived under Russian Hegemony. Oh, and tell me, when was the last time the British, Canadians, Australians, Japanese, or South Koreans felt like they were being extorted by the US? Yeah, that's what I thought.
    1
  4936.  @coderentity2079  Which is more apt to energy blackmail? Depending on Russia or trusting the Spanish?
    1
  4937.  @anastasiab9506  Wow, parroting Putin's talking points about Ukrainians not even existing by applying it to the Baltic States? You really are a Bolshevik. Lithuania, one of the Baltic States was part of the great commonwealth of Eastern Europe. But ignore the historical documentation all you want; it doesn't make your delusional fantasies true.
    1
  4938. Yeah, you would think after two world wars and almost a century of peace under the US's defense umbrella, they would learn not to bite the hand that feeds them.
    1
  4939. Because the Russians veto every attempt to build a pipeline across the Caspian Sea. Moscow doesn't want its former subjects to enjoy independence.
    1
  4940. Evil capitalism has raised more people out of poverty than any other economic system. Hate it all you want, but profits are what drives innovation and technological advancement.
    1
  4941. Thorium reactors are overhyped. The US Navy experimented with them on the USS Seawolf and found they NEVER produced the predicted output. There is a reason why Admiral Hyman G. Rickover rejected Thorium reactors in favor of water moderated Uranium and Plutonium reactors.
    1
  4942.  @graham1034  You realize that the US has not had to mine uranium for decades because our power plants are running off the uranium and plutonium from dismantled nuclear bombs?
    1
  4943.  @108chapin  Funny how she lives in a nice warm home and expects the rest of the world to live in misery.
    1
  4944. They did it to themselves, so they have only themselves to blame. Of course, it also helped Putin that Angela Merkel was a member of the East Germany Communist Youth League. Once a Commie, always a commie.
    1
  4945. Okay wise guy, how many wars has the US pulled European power out from? How many messes have irresponsible Europeans created that we have had to clean up? You are just pissed that the US is the responsible parent telling you when you are wrong.
    1
  4946.  @rhythmicmusicswap4173  Yeah, keep up the petulant child act. You deserve to live under the bootheel of Putin, begging for his mercy. Incidentally, it is entirely possible that eco-terrorist sabotaged the pipeline, but you Anglophobes automatically blame the US and UK because you have unhinged derangement against anything English or American.
    1
  4947.  @johnmuthan286  Your myopia is blinding you to other possibilities. "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." -Sherlock Holems by Arthur Conan Doyle.
    1
  4948. Can't possibly consider that maybe the Greenies might have the motivation to blow up a gas pipeline?
    1
  4949.  @johnmuthan286  Wow, completely off base. The Franking boom was a result of $100 a barrel oil. Franking stops being affordable when oil drops to about $50 a barrel. Interestingly, that is also the price where Russian oil breaks even. You want to know who is the biggest rival to franking? Look no further than the gulf states. The slowdown of the franking boom is to their benefit. Most of the anti-fracking campaigns were financed by the gulf oil states.
    1
  4950.  @ThePoopsmith-12345  What do you think helped to bring about that innovation in fracking? High oil costs in the wake of 9/11 helped to accelerate that development.
    1
  4951.  @azz2  That I can get fully onboard with!
    1
  4952. Why? Cheap energy is the mother's milk of a thriving economy. All of the above is the best option, though I prefer the investment in nuclear power.
    1
  4953. Indeed. The results of the One Child Policy are just as drastic as the impacts of WW2 on Soviet Russia.
    1
  4954.  @freeman10000  The party elitists, particularly around Beijing and Shanghai got to that modern and wealthy status. But you are correct that the rest of the countryside did not. And China wants to claim they have the advancements and prestige of being a first world developed nation while demanding third world developing country status in regard to IMF, international trade, "climate change" agreements, and what have you. I wish more people would call them out on that.
    1
  4955. Ironic that China is now finding itself in a similar position as Japan did in the 1980-1990s.
    1
  4956.  @RUTHLESSambition5  You went to China and only saw what the CCP wanted you to see. Ever heard of a Potemkin Village? While not as overt as North Korea, you saw a carefully cultivated mirage. Laowhy86 LIVES in CHina and tells a much different story. He also explains point by point why your arguments are carefully scripted.
    1
  4957.  @fra604  Yeah, sometimes it takes an outside to point out the blatantly obvious. You are the frog isn't in a boiling kettle lying to yourself that you are in a jacuzzi. You don't have the objective perspective because you are so stuck in the minutia. And you criticizing me for not having a valid argument simply because I am an American is a logical fallacy of appeal to authority. it is the classic tactic of despots and tyrants to silence valid and legitimate criticism. So tell me, does Brussels really make policy for the EU or is it really Berlin and Paris wo dictate terms? Poland has made NUMEROUS valid objections to how business in conducted in the EU, specifically calling out the Franco-German overrepresentation in that block. After having lived under the hell of Soviet-Russian despotism, they are calling out the very same tyranny in Brussels.
    1
  4958.  @kazeryu4834  "Treason" is the favorite crime of tyrants and despots. It is funny how easily you throw that accusation around....much like a dictator does to dissidents. "Enemy of the state" are the words of villainy and evil. Seriously, you have an astounding lack of self-awareness. Support for the state is by definition support for fascism and totalitarianism. Your blind acceptance of the "official state narrative" speaks volumes about you. You are the very kind of person George Orwell was talking about in his famous novel. The only thing I DO agree with you on is that Trump was advised by some really bad people. Mike Pence was to Trump what Grima Wormtongue was to Thoden of Rohan in Lord of the Rings. And Jared Kushner was not that far behind.
    1
  4959.  @kazeryu4834  Decent people DID support Trump. It is the radical and violent leftist who oppose him. He said it himself; they are only after him BECASUE he is in the way. Elitists HATE populists like him. Are you an elitist who hold the "unwashed masses" in contempt? Me thinks you are.
    1
  4960. Yeah, something tells me that "Orange Man" will return to the White House with a landslide the likes of which has not been seen since the Reagan blowout of Mondale in 1984.
    1
  4961.  @andypeutherer4218  Who? BoJo or Corbyn?
    1
  4962. Indeed, the closest one COULD claim that England had one would have been Queen Victoria. Of all the British Royals, I think she could have claim to be Empress and it would have been acclaimed.
    1
  4963.  @ProlificInvention  Trolling and hijacking a thread on a non-sequitur isn't virtuous, it is a mental derangement.
    1
  4964.  @Rjsjrjsjrjsj  And yet your slobbering sycophancy over James Earl Carter proves my point. You are not grounded in reality because all of your pints and arguments are based exclusively on emotions, not data, logic, nor reason. Your "anyone who says otherwise is living in a fantasy world" is proof of that emotional derangement because it rejects the empirical data refuting your contention.
    1
  4965. Not if China implodes under the weight of its own corruption like the USSR did. The Chinese financial system is a house of cards just waiting to collapse.
    1
  4966. Indeed. There may very well be a de-Jingpinging purge in much the same way the USSR was "de-Stalinized" after Stalin's death.
    1
  4967.  Diego Lima  Yeah, you are making a distinction without much of a difference. Most comments on youtube videos become debates, particularly on ones involving politics.
    1
  4968.  @Hartley_Hare  What does Trump have to do with this? Oh, that's right, he lives rent-free in your head.
    1
  4969. Or learn the lesson of the Cabrini Green projects of Chicago. Namely, that government subsidized housing invariably becomes ghetto slums. It has nothing to do with ethnic background and has everything to do with the deleterious motivations created by handouts and "freebies".
    1
  4970.  @glitzerplastikchichi  The devil is in the details though. You don't get into debt, but unless you have the connections (ie nepotism), you don't get into the schools that will actually give you what you need to thrive. The vast majority are stuck going to third rate schools and then to dead-end jobs. As for "healthcare" the wait times are two to three years to get a major surgery. There is a reason why most people LEAVE Europe and come to the US for those kinds of treatments. Sorry, Soviet medicine is exactly what you guys have. And the rationing that is to be expected from such as system.
    1
  4971.  @b1kReviews  Not really. it enhances what is already there. If there is nothing there to begin with it will not create something out of nothing. Ever heard of "bridges to nowhere"? Many of China's infrastructure projects are just that, as useful as a bridge to nowhere.
    1
  4972.  @hloc  There was only a "possibility" that Poland would be invaded in 1939. The funny thing about extortion is that it typically starts out with a voluntary agreement. If you think the Sri Lankans could ask the Chinese to leave that they would you are fooling yourself.
    1
  4973.  @hloc  IMF has other ways of forcing compliance, ones that don't need the sword. And if you think Chinese bases in Sri Lanka are not in fact Damocles Sword hanging over their head, then you have very little understanding of international affairs.
    1
  4974. No joke. When one country is in debt to the other, the debt hold often comes with soldiers to collect their "pound of flesh".
    1
  4975. Debt and financial obligation are the first links forged in the chains of slavery.
    1
  4976.  @ankur.mahajan  Preach it brother!
    1
  4977.  @andysol.4593  Wrong. Putin's GRU was able to pull off the Fait Accompli in the Ukraine because they got their practice supporting guerrilla movements in Africa. Keep in mind that during the 1970s and 80s the KGB was a joke, but under Putin, the successor to the KGB, the GRU has become the effective force that Putin had always wanted while running the KGB during the Soviet era. And much of that is because they learned from watching others in action as well as practice doing it themselves. No, the CIA is too busy spying on American citizens overseas and at home (in flagrant defiance of US law) to be bothered to overthrow Africa governments. Since the 90s and the break up of the Soviet Union there has been no need for that kind of activity. Start thinking things through logically instead of reflexively blaming the US for Africa's woes. There is absolutely no gain for US interests overthrowing sub-Saharan African governments, certainly not when American politicians are in bed with the Chinese.
    1
  4978.  @onlyfacts4999  What world are you living in? 1942? Putin considers China a close ally. About the only thing that would turn Putin against China would be if they tried to take back Outer Manchuria (Amur Valley and Sakhalin Island) and everything south of the Stanovoy Mountain Range. You have been listening too too many people pushing the Russian Collusion Hoax. Christopher Steele and his Russian "source" are both under indictment for perjury.
    1
  4979.  @onlyfacts4999  Always the CIA's fault isn't it? You folks are just as paranoid about the West as the Arabs are about Mossad(though Mossad's reputation is well EARNED). You realize that most of those regime overthrows are being backed by RUSSIA? Yeah, Putin is the one choosing to check Chinese power in Africa, not the US or Europe. And more power to them. The Fait accompli he accomplished in Ukraine with the GRU was a result of backing similar actions in Africa against Chinese bought puppet governments. Seriously, you give the CIA too much underserved credit. They couldn't pull off toppling the Castros in Cuba. Nor could they dislodge Pol Pot in Cambodia. No, the CIA is spending most of its time spying on American citizens overseas and at home (in flagrant violation of US Law) than they are in messing with African governments. The CIA has become just as incompetent as the KGB was in the 70s and 80s. Maybe more so. If you were to blame Mossad instead of the CIA, I would be more inclined to believe you.
    1
  4980.  @sharjiljafric-3184  One is more sincere and honest. The other is a con-job. I prefer the "universal way of saying you don't like someone"(Geordi LaForge) over the smiling banker.
    1
  4981.  @Bolsonaro_em_Haia  They don't. Unlike the West, they are more than happy to do business with strongmen.
    1
  4982.  @funldn193  Lots of rationalizations there. Sure Chinese products may be cheaper, but what is the point if flooding the local market demolishes local businesses? And China is very much engaging in neo-colonialism. You are making an argument for trading one slave overseer for a new one. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Ask the Vietnamese, Laotians, Burmese, Cambodians, and Thai about their historic experiences with Chinese colonialism.
    1
  4983. They hate hearing it, but Joseph Conrad was correct when he called Africa "Heart of Darkness".
    1
  4984. It is funny how you think white as the only colonizers. Japan was a colonizing power in the 1920 and 30s. China was a colonizer in antiquity. Ever heard of Zheng He's treasure Fleet? They demanded tribute from East African kingdoms before the Age of Exploration.
    1
  4985. Considering that Patreon is going to be shelling out big cash in a settlement with both Owen Benjamin and Count Dankula, nobody in their right mind would put money through that laundering system.
    1
  4986.  @uydang9941  PLEASE TELL ME OF THE ARAB-MUSLIM EXPLOTATION OF WEST AFRICA THEN TALK TO ME ABOUT EUROPE's COLONIALISM. Spare us your racist anti-white moral outrage. Blacks in Africa sold their own people into slavery.
    1
  4987.  @kofia9716  If you are reading wikipedia for your sources of information, you are being gaslighted. That website has become a blatantly political propaganda outfit such that its founder has even called it out. As for Afghanistan, you are trying to blame America for a part of the world that has been in constant turmoil since the time of Alexander the great. You are just a blatantly anti-American, anti-west hack. You clearly fall for the original position fallacy.
    1
  4988.  @kofia9716  The attempt to oust Maduro was a domestic movement with ZERO support from either the US or any western power. I assure you, if the US had backed such as movement, it would not have failed. But that hadn't occurred to you, has it?
    1
  4989.  @kofia9716  More communist lies and propaganda by the anti-colonialist movement who wants to blame all of their woes on the US. China understands to "not interfere"? Tell that to ousted Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe. Tell that to the Solomon Islands. You are lying to yourself to justify accepting the chains of a new feudal lord.
    1
  4990. And you have only empty Kremlin talking points to back up your claim. By every reasonable measure, Ukraine is inflicting on Russia what the Winter War did to the Soviet Red Army.
    1
  4991.  @DaCaRy1  Russia is following EXACTLY the Soviet playbook when it comes to conducting war. They have not changed one iota since then, having repeated the exact same plans in Grozny that they did in Afghanistan. And as far as nukes, that is an often grossly overplayed argument that has lost much of its value, mostly because those who use it don't understand that the great strength in nuclear weapons is the threat. Once used, it loses most of its value.
    1
  4992.  @DaCaRy1  Overkill is the only thing the Russians know. Or are you not away of how Marshal Zhukov conducted the Eastern Front in WW2? And that doesn't even begin to touch of the Soviet "Seven Days to the River Rhine" plan.
    1
  4993.  @JL-tm3rc  Spoken like a child. Soviet Pilots exist. Thye just now claim Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh, Uzbek, of Tajik nationality. The breakup of the Soviet Union did NOT change the fact that they were Soviet Air Force. But you clearly just want to "win", regardless of the facts or details. The fact that I am getting flak from BOTH the Russian bots and the Ukrainian Shills tells me I am over the target.
    1
  4994.  @JL-tm3rc  Yea, do the math. Western Pilots fly more hours in one month that Soviet Air Force Pilots fly in their entire career. That has ALWAYS been the difference between NATO pilots and Communist Block Nations. It is why Chuck Yeager was able to do things in a MiG-15 that were believed impossible by Soviet Pilots.
    1
  4995.  @JL-tm3rc  I don't disagree that the MiG Fulcrum is the superior fighter in a DOG FIGHT. And that assumes the MiG can achieve an ambush. But that is not what Ukraine needs right now. What they need is airframe numbers and stand-off distance.
    1
  4996.  @zjpdarkblaze  Nice, resorting to ad hominin (personal attack) logical fallacy. I never said Ukraine didn't have an air component. Only that it was barely keeping up with the Russians, in no small part because it cannot afford to engage in the attritional battle that Russia insists on fighting. NATO aircraft, however CAN engage in that fight for a whole host of reasons.
    1
  4997.  @zjpdarkblaze  I didn't imply anything. That is you reading into something that just was not there. As for the Western Tanks, the UAF forces LOVE them, especially the crew survival rates. They HAVE made a difference. The offensive didn't make the breakthroughs last fall was not because the tanks didn't make a difference, it was because combined arms was missing the air component. And that just circles back to the original point.
    1
  4998.  @zjpdarkblaze  I didn't say that. Again, you are jumping to false conclusions. With the Soviet equipment they do have, they have fought Russia to an effective stand-still. Both sides have achieved air-denial to the other, but otherwise the air campaign has not been the decisive factor that NATO doctrine assumes. Knowing that NATO aircraft are in the pipe, Ukraine can now afford to take greater risks with the Soviet Equipment they have because BETTER equipment is on its way to replace any losses. And when that equipment finally makes it to the battlespace, it will tip the balance in Ukraine's favor, breaking the aerial gridlock.
    1
  4999.  @zjpdarkblaze  The current Ukrainian Air Force consists of 1980s Warsaw Pact airframes. It is near impossible to replace those or find spare parts to keep them flying. The East German MIG-29 Fulcrums were first handed over to Poland in the mid 90s. And then the Poles started transferring those same German MIGs near the start of the invasion. F-16s while from the same time period are VASTLY better than their Soviet counterparts. Only now is Ukraine getting access to them, and it WILL show in the air campaign going forward.
    1
  5000.  @zjpdarkblaze  I never said that they did not. But they cannot expose those assets to the level of danger that close-air support requires. Only now that F-16s are on their way have the Ukrainians started being more aggressive and taking risks with the airframes they do have. And if the USAF is so hell-bent on getting rid of the A-10 Warthogs, I'm sure the Ukrainians would LOVE to make use of them.
    1
  5001.  @AlmightyNOG  Where are the NATO troops deployed on the front line? The ONLY thing from NATO that Russia is fighting is the equipment, not the personnel. Put down the vodka, you are drunk.
    1
  5002.  @DougAldrichFan  It took them over a year to take Bakhmut. It has taken them over FOUR years to simply surround Advika. They still have yet to reclaim Isyium after their pathetic and panicked flight which resulted in the T-90s of 1st Army Tank Guards in the hands of the UAF. So tell me again how Russia is regaining lost ground in a matter of days.
    1
  5003. Then explain why Kiev still stands. Explain why Russia retreated across the Dniper with its tail between its legs. Explain the defeat of the 1st Guards Tank Army, the Pride of Moscow at Iysium.
    1
  5004. If the was war over as soon as it began, why does Kiev still stand? Besides, appeasement NEVER works; not in 1938, nor today. Put down the vodka private conscriptovich, you are drunk.
    1
  5005. Accuracy is more important than the number of shells fired. Even Russian Mill Bloggers are lamenting at how much better Ukrainian counter-battery fire is contrasted with Russia's own fires. If anything, you have been drinking the Kremlin's vodka. And it is making you hallucinate.
    1
  5006.  @youruncledarnell  Spoken like the fool. The fact that Kiev is still a free city not occupied by Russia is proof that you have lost the plot. "When the wise man points to the moon, the imbecilic examines the finger," -Confucius Author of "The Analects."
    1
  5007.  @youruncledarnell  Thank you for proving Confucius's point. "Better people THINK you a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt," -Mark Twain.
    1
  5008. If the war was lost on day one, then why does Kiev still stand? You are drunk private conscriptovich.
    1
  5009.  @UnKnownv5  So the EU is just supposed to roll over as Russia waltz to the Rhine River? Put down the Vodka private conscriptovich, you are drunk.
    1
  5010.  @oliveryt7168  I never claimed to own it, much less have a monopoly as propagandists often claim. That was you making a false assumption. I am simply dispelling myths and comforting falsehoods. And it would seem I clearly triggered you.
    1
  5011. @@user-sm5qt1sn7s Nice chronological snobbery on your part (logical fallacy). And your "nobody has a clue what is going on" is you simply admitting that you can't actually argue the merits. It IS possible to know what is going on as Perun takes a look at the logistics, particularly the consumption of armor and artillery on the Russian side, which is unsustainable.
    1
  5012.  @OLDACCOUNT740  You realize that any correlation IS an association? That doesn't immediately make it a fallacy. I did NOT make the insane troll logic argument that because Stalin liked dogs, that dogs are evil. What I DID point out is that ALL over the world's worst atrocities were caused by people who claimed they were on the right side of History, from Robespierre's Jaboins to the Third Teich, to the Soviet Union, to Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge. And the connecting thread is NOT a logical fallacy. So, learn to actually debate the merits. And touch grass while you are at it.
    1
  5013.  @-Faze-  "Lost more land"? You haven't been paying attention, only listening to Putin's propaganda machine.
    1
  5014.  @sonneh86  Yeah, that number includes the material that POLAND provided to Ukraine. That is the dirty little detail that you chose to ignore. Take the Poles out of the equation and your number falls painfully short.
    1
  5015. Indeed. The former Warsaw Pact members of NATO know what is at stake, and they have ALWASY been appreciative to the US. Can't say the same from Western Europe who have freeloaded off the US and been derelict in their responsibilities to NATO (save for maybe the UK)
    1
  5016. Israel has free and open elections. Hell, there are even Arab Muslim members of the Knesset. It is a shame you don't hold the Arabs who call themselves Palestinian to the same rigorous standard. Hamas has refused to hold an election in over a decade.
    1
  5017. Don't forget that they have pulled out the lessons from WW1's trench warfare (Bite and Hold ala Battle of Broodseinde), which has been much more effective than the media wants to admit.
    1
  5018.  @seanlander9321  I think you completely ignore historical context. Look up the history of the Antarctic treaty.
    1
  5019.  @freetolook3727  It has been a popular idea since the 1800s, particularly in fiction (specifically steampunk fiction).
    1
  5020. Indeed. Classi example of an out of touch elitist. At least William earned the trust and loyalty of the men he served with.
    1
  5021. If the Monarchy is dissolved, it will be Charles who caused it. Elizabeth 2 should have named William the heir on her deathbed and abdicated so as to place her grandson on the throne. A wasted opportunity.
    1
  5022.  @Rjsjrjsjrjsj  He is just showing Anglo-American phobia.
    1
  5023. The obsession with Nitrogen fertilizer causing climate change is just repackaged Lysenkoism.
    1
  5024.  @ArthurCSchaperMR  Because this channel are true believers in man-caused climate change. And I say believers because climate activists are theologians of neo-pagan Gaia worship.
    1
  5025.  @jimgaston9863  He is talking about the Holocaust and the sneak-attack on Pearl Harbour. Or did that not come to mind when talking about World War 2?
    1
  5026.  @user-jt3dw6vv4x  You regurgitate Cultural Marxist talking points. You bloviate with anti-colonialist drivel. You falsely ascribe hegemonic implications to words which carry none. You are clearly a social justice keyboard warrior trying to convince yourself rather than anyone here. You need to get off your own high horse. You need to touch grass. "When words lose their meaning, people lose their lives," -Confucius, Chinese philosopher and author of "The Analects".
    1
  5027.  @user-jt3dw6vv4x  Nothing I say will convince you because you are a zealot. You refuse to listen because you are close minded. THAT is why you need to touch grass. It is self-evident, and I was simply making a statement of fact. I understand perfectly the desire of isolationism. But that is NOT what we are talking about. You just want to virtue signal your moral superiority. It is a farce, and nobody is buying it.
    1
  5028.  @user-jt3dw6vv4x  Dude, touch grass. You are out of touch with reality.
    1
  5029.  @user-jt3dw6vv4x  And you haven't many any single point either. You are bloviating about how you think referring to a geographic area as someone's backyard is colonialist and hegemonistic. Your arguments are predicated on emotion, not reason. But of course, you brush off our rebuttals as "never understanding" because you are guilty of the very myopia you accuse us. And yes, Arizona, Texas, and California ARE in Mexico's backyard. As is Belize and Guatemala. But you can't accept that can you? You are engaging in Anti-Colonialist rhetoric, rooted in Cultural Marxism of "oppressor vs. oppressed". Nobody is being oppressed when a region is accurately being called "backyard". Get over yourself.
    1
  5030.  @user-jt3dw6vv4x  "Never underestimate the eloquence of brevity," -Marcus Tullius Cicero “Brevity is the soul of wit.” ― William Shakespeare, Hamlet. “It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what others say in a whole book.” -Fredrich Nietzsche “Be sincere, Be brief, Be seated.” ― Franklin Delano Roosevelt “If you can say it in a paragraph, don’t write a book.” ― Frank Sonnenberg "No weapons are more potent than brevity and simplicity." Katherine Cecil Thurston "The more you say, the less people remember." Francois Fenelon "If it takes a lot of words to say what you have in mind, give it more thought." - Dennis Roch "It is with words as with sunbeams - the more they are condensed, the deeper they burn." -Robert Southey "It is with words as with sunbeams - the more they are condensed, the deeper they burn." -Robert Southey If you need to write an entire dissertation to make your point, you have engaged in the logical fallacy of proof by verbosity. It shows that you can't actually make a coherent point because it lacks clarity and is not concise. And I have made substantive points, you just refuse to acknowledge them which discredits you. You however, engage in emotional guttersnping because you can't debate on merits. And of course, you are accusing me of doing exactly what you are guilty of doing. Typical Alinsky troll tactic. And unsurprising from someone who has Anglophobia. And I have made this post entirely too long. Each of the quotes was more than enough.
    1
  5031.  @user-jt3dw6vv4x  And again three posts one right after the other. You are proving that you are throwing a temper tantrum rather than actually making any rational point. Between your Gish Gallop, Proof by Verbosity, and appeal to emotions, your use of logical fallacies shows that you cannot actually debate the merits.
    1
  5032.  @user-jt3dw6vv4x  Your argument of "reeking of hegemony" is neo-Bolshevik, anti-West, Anglophobic hysteria. It is Marxist anti-colonialist dogma, light on substance but heavy on emotionally charged rhetoric. All of your arguments could just as easily apply to ANYONE. You are just reacting emotionally because you don't like the cold hard truth. We are using EXACT terminology that is quite descriptive. You just want to bloviate and whine. "When words lose their meaning, people lose their lives," -Confucius, author of "The Analects"
    1
  5033.  @user-jt3dw6vv4x  The Caribbean is America's backyard. The Yellow Sea is South Korea's backyard. The South China Sea is Maylasia's backyard. Perspective, dude. In lexicon, calling an area someone's backyard has less to do with exerting regional power and more to do with acknowledging the geographic location as being very close to them.
    1
  5034.  @typicalprocrastinator_1395  Why would the US bother with Sri Lanka when it is in India's backyard? American presence in the Indian Ocean Basin is much smaller than it is in the Pacific or Atlantic Basins. India is not the strategic threat that China is. In this, the US and India are natural if unlikely allies.
    1
  5035. Your Trump derangement is discrediting anything else you have to say. Trump's stance on NATO was because NONE, save for the former Warsaw Pact and the UK were meeting their defense spending quotas required by the terms of the alliance. He was doing what is called "The Big Ask". He was bluffing them into meeting their obligations by threatening to pull out of NATO. As far as military commitments, you seem to blatantly ignore the fact that Obama pulled out of Iraq against the advice of the neocons only to have to enact "The Surge" because what they predicted would happen came true. Afghanistan was a collapse in slow motion because nation building was NOT the goal, capturing or killing Bin Laden was. Afghanistan became a repeat of the very same blunders of Vietnam where in the body count was more important than any strategic or even tactical gains. Take a look at how much of the country the Taliban controlled in 2014 and it becomes no surprise that the fall of Kabul was only a matter of time because the generals didn't know what they were really doing. Further, under Obama, the US military shrank to numbers not seen since BEFORE WORLD WAR ONE. So don't blame Trump for the actions of those incompetent leaders before him. His biggest screw up was that he listened to the advice of "experts" in Washington rather than the input of the men on the ground and in the fight.
    1
  5036.  @succatash  You are not listening at all are you? No, you are so stuck on your woke ideology and identity politics that you would put the defense of Europe at risk because diversity is more important to you than showing a united front against an aggressor. It is people like you who break ranks and display cowardice before the enemy. It is people like you that use Americans as cannon fodder with no gains on the battlefield. YOU are the cause of strife that weakens the NATO alliance because your identitarianism takes priority over the lives of the men in the field.
    1
  5037. Or fixed to silver, then it would be the most reliable currency in the world.
    1
  5038. Don't forget France, The Franco-German alliance is what keeps it afloat as Deutschland itself can't do it alone. if those two turn on each other, then that is the end of the EU.
    1
  5039.  @j.m.palacios5318  "Failed" because they can't control their finances and have to rely on an outside force to keep them in check. Keep in mind that national banks are directly controlled by the governments that sponsor them. Often those nations simply print money until it is as worthless as the Weimar Deutschmark or the Zimbabwe banknote. ""The issuing power of currency shall be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs." -Thomas Jefferson
    1
  5040.  @Rjsjrjsjrjsj  New Spain is not modern Latin America. I fail to see how Age of Sail applies to today.
    1
  5041. The only way a Latin regional Peso would work if it was fixed to the price of silver.
    1
  5042. And THAT would be their salvation, a regional Peso fixed to a stable commodity likes silver as you propose. Hell, I would convert to using it if it was backed by Silver.
    1
  5043.  @danielch6662  And that 2-3 generation old US equipment being used in Ukraine is absolutely mauling the Russians and their Chinese made equipment. Cope harder.
    1
  5044.  @deanzaZZR  Garbage in, garbage out. The numbers that the IMF uses is based on the worthless numbers that China gives it. Money spent on bridges to nowhere may raise the GDP and LOOK like growth when in fact it does nothing of value.
    1
  5045. I suspect that the Taiwanese would use Erwin Rommel's plan for the defense of Normandy that Hitler rejected. The Taiwanese would make Bloody Omaha look like an elementary school slap-fight.
    1
  5046. China does NOT have a market economy; the government still controls everything. All business assets can be confiscated by the CCP without due process. And the implosion of the financial system in China only drives home that fact. Secondly, reason has nothing to do with invading Taiwan. It is about PRIDE. Xi thinks he is the reincarnation of Mao, and wants to forcibly reunite Taiwan for his ego and vanity.
    1
  5047.  @k.k.c8670  Didn't bother to read my other posts, only the first one huh? I addressed that. Power of Siberia is NOT connected to the oil and gas infrastructure that connects to Europe; they are two separate systems. The Trans-Siberian Railway has pittance as far as cargo delivery and completely incapable of fully replacing the sea-based transportation. Try do a little more research before you open your mouth in complete ignorance.
    1
  5048.  @olderchin1558  India and China are ripping off Russia, demanding a 30% discount on oil and gas. Don't pretend it is any way helping the Russians. If anything, it is hurting them. You are grasping at straws.
    1
  5049.  @LONEWOLF-rq5tl  You have no understanding of how either amphibious landings or airborne assaults work. China has shown zero capacity to do either effectively.
    1
  5050. Yeah, the idea that China's industrial capacity will remain intact after a conflict with the US over Taiwan is kind of naive. The whole purpose of strategic bombing campaigns in WW2 was to demolish the ability of the Axis to manufacture their war materials. I doubt that China has hardened their infrastructure to the degree that Ukraine has.
    1
  5051. Well, it doesn't help that the US is still in bed with Pakistan, despite them being in the Chinese orbit. I would gladly trade the Mullahs of Islamabad for the Rajahs of India.
    1
  5052.  @eddyr1041  No, it should not. If anything, government is responsible for creating the conditions that has lead to people using drugs to cope. Government does NOTHING right, not even national defense.
    1
  5053. Look at the Opium Wars between China and the UK and ask yourself why there seems to be a number of similarities between that crisis and the current Fentanyl crisis.
    1
  5054. The Chinese have long memories and play the long game.
    1
  5055. I like the cut of your jib!
    1
  5056. Ask the Chinese how that worked out with Opium in the 1840s.
    1
  5057. The fact that you immediately jumped to the race card shows you can't actually debate the merits.
    1
  5058. Indeed. The Chinese play the long game. They have simply shifted their animosity towards the Anglo-world from the UK to the US.
    1
  5059. The problem is when they start causing problems for the non-users while experiencing withdraw. Have you had a drug addict going through withdraw harass you for cash for their next fix? Scary.
    1
  5060. Compare this to the Opium Wars between the UK and China. It is as if the Chinese have taken the role of British traders and the US has assumed the role of China.
    1
  5061. The problem is that those idiots will harm the rest of us while going through their death throes.
    1
  5062.  @HappyHighwayman  Alcohol and Marijuana is an apples to oranges false analogy. Nice try buddy. Now if you were to have compared it to Tobacco, then you would be onto something. But ironically, the similarities to Tobacco reveal uncomfortable truths the marijuana lobby doesn't want to talk about.
    1
  5063. What says it hasn't? Afghan poppy farmers were growing it for the Talban and Al Qaeda, yet the US government turned a blind eye.
    1
  5064.  @2KSnSLifestyle  Yeah, and how much of that product was delivered BEFORE China shut down their ports? You clearly don't understand how logistics and delivery works. Closures of the ports have a delayed reaction. Waldo, do keep in mind that Russia used to be SECOND World order. The only reason why they are third world status now is because of the collapse of the old Soviet Union, something they never truly recovered from. And @K ', I have clearly triggered you. That fact that I got under your skin so easily shows how superficial you and your arguments are. Your problem is that you don't realize when you are wrestling with pigs; you get dirty, and the pig enjoys it.
    1
  5065.  @2KSnSLifestyle  Not really when you are starting from next to zero. Percentages are meaningless. What really matters is the raw numbers. Again, China's ports have been closed to outgoing trade for over a year now, and your numbers do NOT reflect that.
    1
  5066.  @user-jt3dw6vv4x  "It was a mistake for me to reply to you. I should have known this man doesn't have it in him to move on." Sour grapes dude. learn not to poke a bear unless you want to get mauled. Touch grass.
    1
  5067.  @2KSnSLifestyle  Yeah, up from what? Near zero in 2021 because of their zero Covid lockdown policies? Don't forget that the port of Shanghai was practically closed for almost an entire year. You are making a mountain out of a molehill. "Figures don't lie, but liars figure" -Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. "Lies, damn lies, and statistics," -Mark Twain.
    1
  5068.  @user-jt3dw6vv4x  Back for more trolling I see. You blatantly miss the point that money wasted on a space program could be better spent to improving the economy and the livelihood of the citizens.
    1
  5069.  @eduwino151  And rural parts of the US are also third world. Hell, the state of California is more third world than most of China now! So that argument doesn't cut it. PS, it isn't your wifie and cell phone coverage that makes you a modern country, it is the plumbing and sanitation that does. Can you safely drink the tap water?
    1
  5070.  @anartapoashan5714  You would be surprised to hear that most Socialist-Marxists call themselves humanists. As did a certain German National Worker's party. And before someone brings up the strawman, the US Constitution is NOT a Humanist document, it is based on Natural Law. Humanism is about MAN's law, not Natural Law.
    1
  5071. I tend to agree. There is no reason why they all have to be under one flag and in one country. If San Marino, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and Andorra can all be independent nations, there is no reason why the same can't occur in Bosnia.
    1
  5072.  @yolson2376  Possibly. What I know is that the "experts" often times have no clue how things will play out because they can't properly account for the unpredictability of human behavior. "Nothing is more unreliable than the populace, nothing more obscure than human intentions, nothing more deceptive than the whole electoral system." — Marcus Tullius Cicero
    1
  5073.  @williamthebonquerer9181  Apparently you have not heard of Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Hertog in Belgum. Nor the crazy border of Cooch Behar district between India and Bangladesh. You just lack creativity and imagination, as well as knowledge of examples that have come before of how it is possible.
    1
  5074.  @williamthebonquerer9181  I have a sneaking suspicion that very few of the villages and communities are ethnically integrated, especially AFTER the genocides of the 90s. I am rather confident in saying that you CAN partition out individual hamlets, so they are NOT in the same counties, which are nothing more than lines arbitrarily drawn on a map anyhow. All I am hearing is excuses from people who foolishly subscribe to 19th century collectivist arguments about national boundaries.
    1
  5075.  @1233-d3h  Your point being? So, the Serbs are aligned with Putin, so what? Keeping them under a government and system they don't particularly support nor care for is just as tyrannical and despotic.
    1
  5076.  @1233-d3h  It also says that foreign outsiders can dictate to them their lot and denies them agency and self-determination. Yes, crimes against humanity are bad, but if you use that as justification for forcing them into a union, they don't want to be a part of, you are no better than the butchers. America's biggest mistake in Iraq was not letting the Sunnis and Shias get the fight out of themselves. Probably in no small part due to the fighting in Bosnia. Yet the same interventionism was not done in Darfur. Nor was it engaged in Cambodia during Pol Pot's reign. The cynic in me thinks that NATO members care more about Slavs than they do sub-Saharan Africans or Southeast Asians.
    1
  5077.  @tarik6990  No, it is not common sense to become the very monster you are fighting. For one, the fascists don't actually care about the country being partitioned, they just want to be the ones with the power. So, that fear of giving them what they want is not occurring and will not occur because you don't even know what they really want and that is power and control. "As long as they live there and actively support their fascistic entity while threatening non-Serbs with new war crimes and massacres, to me they are just as guilty. " And that is guilty by association, a hallmark trait of fascism. For someone who is worried about fascist, you are certainly acting like one yourself. Perhaps YOU are the actual fascist. What is madness is your myopic and obsessed desire to control people you disagree with. You don't even see that you are advocating for the policies of the very ideology you claim to fear.
    1
  5078.  @tarik6990  That is a strawman argument (logical fallacy). You would punish the people who did NOT participate in the crimes against humanity for the actions of those who did? That itself is fascistic. You don't oppose fascism with more fascism.
    1
  5079.  @scooter21ba  That is not an argument, it is ad hominin personal attack. And for the record, my ancestors are Lorraine- German, thank you very much. My ancestors fled Europe for the very reasons now threatening to tear apart the Balkans yet again. Namely feudal elites who think they can dictate to the locals which flag they have to prostrate themself to. Incidentally, some of the Slavic girls in my middle and high school years were quite the lookers. Sadly, they would not give me the time of day on account of my strongly Anglo-German looks.
    1
  5080. Putin is trying to stir up trouble in the region. Just like the Tsars did in the lead-up to World War 1.
    1
  5081.  @scooter21ba  Nice bloviation and appeal to the extreme. I never said to dissolve Andorra, Liechtenstein, or the rest. I was simply pointing out the hypocrisy that you can rationalize those nations as being Sovreign yet Bosnia becoming several smaller nations isn't acceptable. And as far as the natives, might I remind you that many of them have their own local governments on reservations that while nominally subject to the US Constitution are effectively their own autonomous countries? You are making a red herring argument (logical fallacy) bordering on a non sequitur.
    1
  5082.  @scooter21ba  You are morally equivocating without actually addressing the question nor debating the merits. You are only reinforcing my point, not refuting it.
    1
  5083.  @scooter21ba  And now you are making the argument of Putin about Ukraine and Kazakhstan and applying it to Bosnia and the former Yugoslav constituent nations. It is also the same argument today as for why Poland and the Baltic States should not be independent nations but part of the Russian Empire. Most would reject your argument as denying the right of autonomy and self-determination.
    1
  5084. When you consider that Ukraine was expected to fall in three days and it is now three months in, I think it is quite easy to say they have already won. And this is hardly over yet. The Third Reich took ALL of Ukraine in just four months. They held it for about two years before the Soviets ejected them completely. Moral of the story: don't count your eggs before they hatch. Don't underestimate the Ukrainians.
    1
  5085. Once the lead starts flying, you don't think the Taiwanese would not return the favor?
    1
  5086.  @J_X999  The Pentagon was completely wrong about Ukraine. The Pentagon blundered in Afghanistan last year. American intelligence has no intelligence. I trust their analysis about as much as I trust gas station sushi. If it were Gordon Chang, Richard Murdock, or Michael Pilsbury who made that assessment, then I would be much more concerned. They HAVE played team China in wargames. And when they have been permitted to play the Chinese how the Chinese would fight, they ALWAYS win.
    1
  5087. The kicker is, WITHOUT US SUPPORT OF TAIWAN. Yes, Taiwan on its own cannot hold out forever against a giant, just like Poland could not against Germany in 1939. But China has not shown particular advancement in military doctrine. Innovation includes adaptability, which is not really something is known for.
    1
  5088.  @kimandre336  Democracy is a multiheaded hydra that is constantly trying to kill its other heads. REPUBLIC governance which the West has forgotten, works when people respect the rules of the system. As far as the UN, it is the playground of dictators and tyrants, so anything they say has zero value.
    1
  5089. WASPs, WAVEs, and WAACs of World War 2. Yes, that was the US, but the concept can be employed almost anywhere.
    1
  5090.  @MrPeng-yg9iz  Sounds to me like it was the lap dog Hong Kong government that escalated things, not the population of Hong Kong. And yes, the Hong Kong government is run by Beijing Sycophants who were basically appointed by the CCP. "Elections" in Hong Kong is basically the people voting yes or no to whom the CCP choses to lord over them.
    1
  5091. You can always draw lessons from the experience of others. But I will agree than the crossing of the channel is the first hurtle the PLA needs to surmount before any of the lessons from Ukraine come into play.
    1
  5092. Don't forget the collapse of the Japanese Empire. However, the fall of Imperial Japan as a military power ushered in a mercantile Japan very reminiscent of the Dutch during the 18th century. Probably not surprising since before Commadore Perry's expedition, the only outside contact was with the Dutch.
    1
  5093.  @fransdebruijn6763  The best answer to a deranged gunman is an armed population. By your logic, a semi-auto pistol is more dangerous than a revolver. And yet, a revolver with a smaller number of shots and slower reload time is often able to defeat a semi-auto in a fire fight. Also, the class three full auto weapons are NOT banned in the US. It is just so prohibitively expensive that most don't bother with it. The fact that those folks who have them have NOT gone on a killing rampage is proof that your fear is unjustified.
    1
  5094.  @FiveStringCommando  Now if only Taipei would acknowledge the merits of this an allow their population to arm themselves in the same way.
    1
  5095. Kicked American butt or Kick South Vietnamese butt? The problem with the Vietnam War is that LBJ and Nixon refused to invade North Vietnam and capture Hanoi. Had they done that, things would have been much different.
    1
  5096. Or Erwin Rommel's proposed defense of Normandy that the German High Command rejected.
    1
  5097.  @chrisdt2297  American service members, even the ones sent into a combat zone rarely get to fire off 300 rounds. I agree with you that they should. The funny thing is, many observers have noted that when a firefight occurs, the American side is rather quiet. Those with AKs often engage in "spray and pray" while the US forced show discipline and control by making sure every shot counts.
    1
  5098. Don't be so sure. You haven't read about the Warlord era immediately after WW2 have you?
    1
  5099.  @andia968  The Ukraine never had a defense treaty with the US. Taipei DID. Major difference buddy. Ask yourself why the Communists attacked in Korea but not Taiwan. Dean Acheson's Pacific Defense Perimeter INCLUDED Taiwan, but not South Korea.
    1
  5100.  @libertylivesin1776  Sadly, I fear you are correct. Or rather, Biden's "hospital orderlies" pretending to be WH staffers would not allow the US to assist Taiwan.
    1
  5101. Yup, you basically described the Erwin Rommel defense plan for Normandy which the German High Command rejected. Something tells me that Red China would be repeating the blunders of the Battle of Guningtou at Kinmen Island as they do NOT have the amphibious landing craft to handle all of the troops needed to take the island. And using wooden ferry boats to supplement their numbers would be a recipe for disater.
    1
  5102. The problem is that Beijing is in no mood to negotiate. War occurs because diplomats fail to properly assess the situation. The brilliance of Reagan at Reykjavík was that he was not going to piss around knowing full well that the Soviets had no intention of negotiating. Him walking out on them FORCED them to actually negotiate rather than play games.
    1
  5103.  @elmohead  I think you are selling Taiwan short. They are more that just their silicon chip factories.
    1
  5104. And that is one of the strategies for Taiwan. Scorched Earth to deny China those factories. It acts as something of a deterrent.
    1
  5105. The KMT of today is not the KMT of 1950. Chaing Kai-Shek and Sun Yat-Sen are rolling in their graves at what it has become.
    1
  5106.  @junkeatng  Again, you grossly underestimate the power of Eurasia as a market. Its size has NOT increased much since the 1980s when contrasted with the West. It will simply return to the same system that existed during the Cold War.
    1
  5107.  @gonzalos4379  I am not against European nations putting their own interests first. I actually sympathize with nationalist movements and sentiments. The nationalist mentality is VERY easy to understand. The problem is that American elitists and European Elitists are both globalists that don't actually care about what is best for their people. For 80 years Europe benefited from American might being projected on that continent. If Europe doesn't want the US there, I am okay with that. They just should not come begging the US to save them should their bad choices result in the Russian Bear marching through the streets of Paris.
    1
  5108. Indeed. They should temporarily table their disagreements over the islands and present a united front against China in the Parcel Islands. Stopping China there together secures their collective claims against China's aggression.
    1
  5109. My opinion is that they should actually up it to at least 5% GDP.
    1
  5110. Ukraine will not stop being a country. Poland will see to that, even if nobody else will.
    1
  5111. Don't forget Israel. They have been in a state of readiness since 1948 while still being a democratic society.
    1
  5112. Hey Jose, I think your nose is brown from kissing Putin's hind end.
    1
  5113. ANY use of nukes is a STARTEGIC escalation that WILL result in Trident missiles being fired in response. Western nuclear doctrine does not make ANY distinction between "low yield" and "high yield". Using a tactical nuke is crossing the Rubicon, which is why Putin, while threating it, has not done so.
    1
  5114.  @mokiloke  Not really. It would force the West to restart production in their own countries. Yes, it would hurt for about a year, maybe two, but you badly underestimate how motivating need can be to gear up a society for drastic change.
    1
  5115. Terrain, tactics, morale, and equipment all perform as force multipliers.
    1
  5116. Eh, the Koreans are the same on both sides of the DMZ and yet they are still at each other's throats.
    1
  5117. Ukraine was expected to fall withing three days. It has now been three months. While I don't disagree that there are domestic issues on Formosa that can cause problems, the same thing was going on in the Ukraine. The people of Ukraine stopped bickering amongst themselves and united against an existential threat. Taiwan could theoretically do the same and set aside their internal squabbles in the face of a greater threat once the lead start flying.
    1
  5118.  @papabetadine724  I was not contradicting you, I was in agreement and providing more evidence in support of your position. And you are completely correct about the Chinese Communists in WW2. They NEVER fought the Japanese. In fact, they signed a secret protocol with Japan wherein the Reds could evacuate through Japanese controlled areas. It was Asia's version of the Molotov-Ribbentrop alliance.
    1
  5119. One, the Red Chinese government has failed to effectively use soft power. The South Koreans and Japanese have made complete fools of China on that front. As for Taiwan itself, they could adopt Erwin Rommel's proposed defense plan for Normandy which the German High Command rejected (much to their later chagrin). Once they pull back to the mountains, adopt the WW2 Japanese strategy of digging in.
    1
  5120.  @elmohead  Actually, there is. The West foolishly followed Red China's directives via the WHO. Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea took a different path. I know because most Western media was slamming Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea for NOT following in lock step with Europe's disastrous policies.
    1
  5121. It may have been bad, but it was far better than what most of the West did. Europe and the US should have followed Taiwan's example, NOT Red China's.
    1
  5122.  @fromfareast3070  You seem to forget that the Japanese have already promised to come to the defense of Taiwan. They WILL fire torps at the Chinese. And THAT WILL drag the US into the fight, regardless of what the politicians may try to do. The US Navy WILL respond to any reports of Japanese ships under fire or engaged in hostilities as a matter of standing orders and will NOT wait for Washington to grant permission to engage.
    1
  5123.  @50megatondiplomat28  The subs are a concern, but then American subs are even better at it than the Chinese. Between the Los Angeles and the Seawolf class, nobody can match the American Attack subs.
    1
  5124. Reading Michael Pilsbury, Gordon Chang, and Richard Murdock? Sound like it, and if you have then you are 100 times more qualified to direct a war against China than the Generals in the Pentagon.
    1
  5125.  @John_Doe448  How does Russia transport that grain? SHIPPING THROUGH THE BOSPHORUS. No joke, it is cheaper for Russia to ship grain to China via the Turkish Straits, Suez Canal, and Strait of Malacca. You clearly have done little research on the topic.
    1
  5126.  @wangyaohan8824  Not as much comes from Russia as you think. Have you actually looked at the rail traffic along the Trans-Siberian Railway? And Thailand can be compelled through secondary sanctions to cease its trade with China. Choosing between the CCCP and the West, Thailand will choose the West hands down.
    1
  5127. Cuban Missile Crisis. Look to that should Red China try to blockade. If not for Admiral Vasiliy (Laim Neeson's character from K-19 Widowmaker), the American blockade would have been hit with a nuclear torpedo.
    1
  5128.  @k.k.c8670  The PLA may have shiny toys, but that doesn't mean they know how to use them. China's combat effectiveness is as trustworthy as claims of the Russian military in 2020.
    1
  5129.  @motowntaiwan9079  Not with a Green water Navy, they can't. Russia has a better claim to Blue Water Navy capabilities than Red China does. Just because you have nuke subs and Aircraft Carriers does not a blue water navy with global reach make. You have to be proficient with the use of those tools. Part of having that proficiency is a PERMINANT on-station presence 24/7/365. Only the US, France, and the UK have that kind of sea power.
    1
  5130.  @ninglu4846  How can China do that? Specifics and details please.
    1
  5131.  @kenh758  How easy do you think it is to transport billions of tons of food across the trans-Siberian railway from European Russia to China? It isn't the slam dunk you think it is.
    1
  5132. The US would not need to fight though a Taiwanese defense. But I agree with your assesment.
    1
  5133. Tell that to Czechoslovakia in 1938.
    1
  5134. Thucydides Trap. Look it up.
    1
  5135. Tell that to the Czcehs and Slovaks in 1938.
    1
  5136.  @ajaykumarsingh702  Put down the vodka, you are drunk. Russia has already maxed out its production capabilities. Only 10% of the stuff getting to the front line is new build with 80% being refurbished Soviet legacy equipment and the remaining 10% being recovered salvage front he battlefield. The West is only now starting to ramp up its production lines. Until now, defense production in the west has been bare minimum to maintain the technology, not to actually fight a protracted war. There is LOTS of room for expansion. After 2022. Europe has completely weaned itself from Russian energy. Only scabs like Hungary are still getting it from Russia. As for the "secondary means", even those are easily replaceable. And you got the trade issue backwards. Most nations are NOT helping Russia lest they get hit by secondary sanctions and feel the backlash of loosing trade with the West. Russia meanwhile, is begging China, North Korea, and Iran for supplies. Even the Indian's are reassessing their trade with Russia. They take the oil and gas because they are ripping off Putin.
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  5137.  @ajaykumarsingh702  The USSR had more production capacity in the 1940s than Russia does today. if you were trying to make a point, you failed spectacularly. "Backed by China"? China is doing the bare minimum they can without getting blowback from either side. If China really was supporting Russia, then Russia wouldn't be begging North Korea for shells. Sanctions are not an overnight defeat. It took months to years for economic sanctions on Japan and Germany to actually start making an impact on their WW2 performance. Yes, the West is facing a birthing crisis, but in this race to the bottom, Russia is ahead of only South Korea, Japan, and China. And as far as population, I don't think you are comparing the entirety of the EU with Russia.
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  5138.  @ajaykumarsingh702  And how did that work out in the long run? The USSR was LOOSING until the US joined the fight and started sending them supplies via Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. Without those American supplies, the USSR would not have even been able to launch their counterstroke. Russia is facing a demographic collapse today which is a direct result of 80% combat deaths of all makes born between 1920 and 1930. That is an entire generation that never hand children. And their grandchildren don't exist today either to fight Putin's war.
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  5139.  @ajaykumarsingh702  When the Russians are losing 7 men for every 1 Ukrainian killed, that is NOT victory by ANY measure. And don't get me started on the rapid attrition of their armor.
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  5140.  @peterpanini96  But it is going far worse for Russia. Bakhmut and Advika are what is called a pyrrhic victory.
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  5141.  @kenh758  European schools are not much better. Only the politically connected actually get the privilege to go to the prestigious schools.
    1
  5142.  @kenh758  Apples to oranges false analogy. But that is to be expected by products of a failed education system that doesn't actually teach history.
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  5143.  @TheRomanianRegent  How did Ukraine poke the Russian Bear? You are blaming the victim.
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  5144.  @walkingcarpet420  "The Poles are oppressing Germans", they cried right before the 1939 invasion.
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  5145. Nor have they heard of the term "pyrrhic victory".
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  5146. "Tyranny of Distance". The US Navy already figured out how to do it during the 1920s, coming up with "War Plan Orange" for fighting Imperial Japan. A modern war with China will play out very similar, which is why the Chinese are so keen on securing allies in the Solomon Islands.
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  5147. And be willing to fight. The fall of Saigon and the Fall of Kabul both occurred because the locals refused to step up to the plate. Kiev and Seoul both stand free because their populations DID fight for their country.
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  5148.  @Chou-seh-fu  Red China is an ethno-nationalist society despite their claims otherwise. Taiwan's Han Chinese population has evolved over the last 75 years into a distinct sub-culture much like the Hakka, Teochew, Hokkien and Tanka are a subset of Han.
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  5149. I agree on all except Russia's goals. Their march on Kiev was clear that at a minimum Putin wanted a puppet government much like in Belarus. It is an open debate as to if he would have simply annexed the entire country.
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  5150. "Fool you"? Ukraine CHOSE to fight, otherwise they would have let the Russians take Kiev without a fight. Also, the US has already worked out how to supply Taiwan. US war planners in the 1920s called it "The Tyranny of Distance". That is how they came up with War Plan Orange. And I guarantee you that modern war planning follows a similar formula.
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  5151.  @alex4863  You clearly missed the point. How long did Okinawa hold out? Or the Defenders of Iwo Jima? How many Japanese soldiers continued to fight long after Japan surrendered? Siege warfare takes YEARS to break the defenders. The Islands that fell fast in WW2 only did so because the US was willing to spend lives to take those mission critical Islands and bypassed the ones that didn't directly contribute to the war effort.
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  5152. Ask the Japanese how they held out against the Americans during the Pacific theater. Bloody Tarawa was but the beginning of the blood bath.
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  5153. The US is the ONLY way Taiwan can stand up to Red China. And Taiwan is NOT Ukraine. The US has a vested interest in Taiwan that doesn't exist for Ukraine.
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  5154.  @GothPaoki  Funny, because their attempted invasion of Kinmen Islands shows that mainland China had zero capabilities of invading Taiwan. They have yet to show any improvement in amphibious operations.
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  5155.  @chris0000924  Taiwan is ALREADY independent. This whole "declare independence" thing is simply a charade. Kuomintang refused to accept that they lost the Civil War. Mainland China doesn't want to accept that Formosa was never theirs to begin with. The whole situation is a farce. THERE ARE TWO CHINAS!
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  5156.  @chris0000924  The Chinese have been separate entities longer than the Two Koreas have been divided. The idea that they are one entity is a delusional fantasy. And the fact that you assume I am a neocon shows your political myopia. It is the neocons who want to maintain the status quo.
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  5157.  @chris0000924  Make a deal like was made in Munich on September 30 of 1938?
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  5158. Taiwan can't fight without US support. Do you really think the Kiwis and the Aussies can seriously supply Taiwan?
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  5159. Have you actually looked into their destroyer-escorts? The Kidd-class (aka Dead Admiral or Ayatollah class) is one of their best investments despite being a ship built in the 1980s.
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  5160.  @kenh758  I was talking about a historical truth. You chose to take it to mean that Japan wants to re-colonize which is so beyond the pale that it should not even be dignified with a response. I have no idea what you are talking about regarding "One China" and Christianity. That sounds like gobbledygook by someone who has no idea what they are even saying.
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  5161.  @kenh758  Puerto Rico has on several occasions been given the option for either independence or return to Spanish rule. They continue to choose to remain in Union with the United States. Your example is an apples to oranges false analogy (logical fallacy).
    1
  5162. Formosa was once the crown jewel of the Japanese Empire. The fondness still remains for its former colony.
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  5163.  @_Alfa.Bravo_  On what charge? The Georgia case is imploding. The New York case is going to get overturned on appeal and is so beyond the pale even liberal lawyers are calling it out.
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  5164.  @networkgeekstuff9090  The cracks in the US system have been chipped at since the Progressive Era of the 1920s under Woodrow Wilson. Same people then are pushing the same things now, only they are more overt about what they are doing.
    1
  5165.  @networkgeekstuff9090  It was a slow and painful fall. Cincinnatus, the Sulla tried to restore the Republic only to fail with Jullius seizing power.
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  5166.  @maritaschweizer1117  Russian collusion was proven a hoax beyond a reasonable doubt. Even the media who pushed it have given up on those claims. You are in complete denial.
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  5167.  @maritaschweizer1117  Everything. Not a single "fact" of theirs told the WHOLE story. Context matters.
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  5168.  @TheRealZeke2003  If you think "Human rights" are simply something that bureaucrats can legislate, you would be correct. But then what is the point of trials for crimes against humanity?
    1
  5169.  @GothPaoki  World Health Organization? The people who lied about the Wuhan Flu? The same organization that covered up a cholera outbreak in Ethiopia? THAT WHO? And you trust them to know what human rights are?
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  5170. Ah, but healthcare is NOT a right. If it were, then people of Africa would be able to enjoy it without leaving their continent. Rights are inherent to people, not entitlements handed down from government. Rights granted by government can easily be taken away at the snap of the fingers.
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  5171.  @doujinflip  When? The entire 2020 Biden campaign was that the 2016 election was stolen.
    1
  5172. Indeed. How quickly they forget that Hillary claimed the 2016 election was stolen.
    1
  5173.  @maritaschweizer1117  You are confusing Trump with Biden. Trump is sharp as a tac. Joe Bite-Me is clearly suffering from Dementia.
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  5174.  @Develpup  Propaganda hit piece no different that the Russian Collusion Hoax.
    1
  5175. You are no independent, you are a liberal who just can't bring themselves to vote for the party. Until now, because your cult has told you to drink the kool-aid.
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  5176.  @JT.Pilgrim  The DNC is left of Justin Trudeau. Don't fool yourself.
    1
  5177.  @JT.Pilgrim  Wrong on BOTH counts. The DNC is LEFT of Justin Trudeau.
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  5178.  @McClane4Ever.  Republicans still oppose abortion, and LEGAL immigration. The party base hasn't changed, its leadership has gone further and further left, abandoning the values held by the people they are supposed to represent. What has changed is people like you have moved the Overton Window far to the left.
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  5179. On what charge? The Georgia case is imploding, and even leftist lawyers admit that thew New York sham trial is beyond the pale.
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  5180. Same here. I joined the USAF in October of 2005 and already saw the wokeness and political motivation for promotion erode combat effectiveness. Our flag officers are all as worthless as a Russian General.
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  5181.  @Jonny-uu7wf  Then why didn't Putin invade Ukraine while Trump was in office? Why did he wait until AFTER Trump left the White House? We can wait for your answer.
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  5182.  @LibertyFirst1789  Pot meet kettle.
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  5183.  @maloted1111  I hope you are being sarcastic about actually liking that. It is stuff like that which cause me to realize the real enemy wasn't Haji in the Middle East but our own leadership.
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  5184. Indeed, That flag officers push diversity sensitivity programs to cover their blunders and buck for promotion has had a deleterious effect on the military.
    1
  5185.  @LibertyFirst1789  Funny, because dictatorship is exactly what we have under a judiciary that doesn't respect its own rules of decorum. When trust in the legal system implodes because of political prosecutions, you get civil war. This is what the left has called for (no justice no peace, remember?) and when you plant the seeds of conflict, expect to reap the whirlwind.
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  5186.  @justmenotyou3151  Storm surge has been around forever and known since antiquity. If people didn't build on stilts, that is on them. You would think people would have learned from Galveston, Texas after their 1900 super Hurricane.
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  5187. And it is all a farce. Isostatic Rebound is causing places in Scandinavia that were previously covered in ice to become higher elevation. Parts of Finland for example were completely underwater 500 years ago but are now high and dry.
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  5188. They can't be specific because all of their claims can just as easily be laid at the feet of others. They are suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome.
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  5189. Funny, your first part of the UCJM is correct, but everything else is complete fantasy. The veterans didn't change their positions, YOU changed while they remained exactly where they have always been.
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  5190.  @_Alfa.Bravo_  That isn't an argument, that is making excuses.
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  5191.  @_Alfa.Bravo_  From what? That is the same kind of justification all traitors make.
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  5192.  @brucegordon9007  The Senate acquitted him of insurrection during the January 6th Impeachment attempt.
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  5193.  @yellowcard7139  You didn't teach me anything. You conflated the two to try and move the goalposts (logical fallacy). And whether I have worked at an embassy or not is an irrelevant red herring that has no bearing on the topic. It is an emotional appeal. My quick response leading you to make assumptions is yet another logical fallacy, this time an ad hominin personal attack. Either way, your use of those fallacies shows that you are desperate because someone debating merits would not need to resort to them to "win". Learn to code and debate.
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  5194.  @yellowcard7139  The USMC has ALWAYS been responsible for Embassy security. Consulates, however, are a different matter. I can forgive you for not knowing the difference between the two. If you find yourself in a hole, STOP DIGGING. "Better people THINK you a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt," -Mark Twain.
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  5195.  @yellowcard7139  Embassy security is provided by the United State Marine Corp, a part of the Department of Defense. The fact that you don't know that shows your ignorance on the subject. And the State Department RARELY uses PMCs in no small part because of the grey area they fall into regarding Mercenaries under the Geneva Convention.
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  5196.  @yellowcard7139  You are making a distinction without a difference. Who provides security for the State Department? The DoD and State Department in some ways are independent of each other and in other ways act in unison. As for the withdraw of armed forces, that was entirely DoD.
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  5197.  @somerandomguy4919  Funny because the bulk of the military draws from traditionally conservative areas. Liberals servicing in the military are the exception, not the norm. Consider this: legacy military families are generally of the nationalistic bent, a hallmark of conservatism.
    1
  5198.  @maritaschweizer1117  Trump is sharp as a tac, but I get it that you can't tell the difference between Orange Man and the invalid currently in the Whtie House.
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  5199.  @sandromain  Yeah, the Ossetia insurgency has about the same legitimacy as the Donbas one. Namely NONE. Putin's "little green men" are who most of your Abkhazia fighters actually are. Oh, and your long dissertation posts are not an argument, they are proof by verbosity (logical fallacy). Brevity is the great eloquence of charm.
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  5200.  @samsungtv4u  Wow that Vodka you are drinking must be pretty powerful for you to hallucinate. Being occupied by the Muscovites does NOT mean that they own Ukraine. But then someone completely ignorant of history wouldn't bother to know that. PS, Mexico stole Texas from Spain, so no, Texas does NOT belong to Mexico.
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  5201.  @2211gk  No, but if the Kharkov and Kherson offensives have shown, the residual forces there are a paper tiger.
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  5202. Yeah, I found myself wondering why they didn't take the opportunity in mid 2022. Finding out that there is a compliant government in Tbilisi explains much.
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  5203. There was much opportunity in the Gorbachev/Yeltsen era. Sadly, that was lost with Putin's arrival in the Kremlin.
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  5204. Yeah, I was wondering why they didn't take the opportunity to expel the Russians in the middle of 2022. Now that I know they have a compliant government, it makes more sense.
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  5205.  @ernestkhalimov1007  Will they be able to again after Ukraine has mauled them?
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  5206.  @ernestkhalimov1007  Make a coherent argument. Your appeals to emotions show that you have nothing to back up your empty boasts. 1st Guards Tank Army, the Moskva, and now the 155 Naval Infantry show that the Russian Bear is geriatric.
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  5207.  @williamsherman1942  I never said anything about Georgian chances against Russia in a conventional war. I was pointing out that fear mongering over nukes is just that: fear porn based not of fact but emotional blackmail. Looking at the Moskva, Admiral Kuznetsov, 1st Guards Tank Army, and now the 155 Naval Infantry Marine Brigade, it casts great doubt on the state of the Russian nuclear arsenal. if the most elite units of Russia's military are having a pathetic showing, then what builds confidence in the nuclear forces?
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  5208.  @ernestkhalimov1007  ALL talk of nuclear war invariably degenerates into hysteria over a nuclear winter. You refusing to acknowledge that only discredits you, not me.
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  5209.  @ernestkhalimov1007  Michael Crichton demonstrated why "nuclear winter" is an unsubstantiated myth unsupported by ANY hard data. Further, the rebuilding of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after only 20 years shows that the radiation left after the detonation is significantly lower than predicted. The reason is that most if not all of the fuel is consumed, and the daughter products have only moderate duration hazards. For further proof, look no further than Bikini Atoll where people are able to dive on the wrecks of the Operation: Crossroads test subjects.
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  5210.  @ernestkhalimov1007  Russian nukes are more likely to detonate in the silo than actually launch. Get over yourself.
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  5211.  @georgekaradov1274  Yeah, where have I heard that story before? Oh yeah, the Russian pretext to invade Ukraine. Put down the vodka comrade, you are so drunk you are hallucinating.
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  5212. Pure copium. If the King of Artillery was a great as you claim, there is no reason why Russia is not in Kiev right now.
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  5213.  @bhaashatepe5234  "Internationally recognized peace keepers"? BY WHOM? Who recognized them? NOBODY. You are ret-conning history to support Kremlin fictions.
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  5214.  @markdowding5737  Fair points. A real mess indeed.
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  5215.  @markdowding5737  Yeah, I find myself wondering why they didn't reach out to Kazakhstan or China to help mediate the dispute. China isn't any better than Iran, but at least they have more credibility in guaranteeing the peace.
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  5216.  @georgekaradov1274  Not everyone born under the communist flag is a communist. Ever heard of Ayn Rand? How about Victoria Spartz? No, once one has declared their allegiance to communist ideology, they have made a Faustian Bargain. As Yoda once said, "If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will". Funny how quick you are to bring up typical leftist talking points not mentioned on cue like Pavlov's Dog. Who is the Russian Asset now?
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  5217.  @georgekaradov1274  Once a communist, ALWAYS a communist. A Tiger does NOT change its stripes. Further, Ukraine has EVERY right to have a national defense force (ie Army). Belarus has one, but I don't hear you bitching about that. And the Minsk "agreements" were never valid to begin with. They blatantly ignored the Budapest Memorandum which had legal standing. The issue about wokism infecting the DoD is a red herring (logical fallacy) and is a deflection on your part because you don't actually want to debate the actual issue at hand.
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  5218.  @georgekaradov1274  Angela Merkel? You cite the woman who was a member of the East German Communist Youth League who sold her country into slavery to Russian oil? But I get it, you are so hard on for Putin that you would blatantly ignore that the US alone could wipe the floor with Russia if they wanted to. The thing is, American's don't have the imperialist mindset of Muscovites.
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  5219.  @georgekaradov1274  You do realize that the first two months Ukraine WAS ALONE? Maybe they got some support from Poland, but with the exception of HIMARS and possibly the M777, the Kherson and Kharkov offensives were fought using only Soviet and Warsaw Pact equipment. NATO gear is only now getting to the frontlines in significant quantities.
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  5220.  @guydreamr  Indeed. In most cases, DipImn covers minor infractions like jaywalking or parking fines. Most governments take a very dim view of their diplomatic agents engaging in serious crimes such as drug trafficking or manslaughter. Usually in those cases the host country declares them persona non-gratta and they are deported to prevent claims of hostage taking.
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  5221. Why would they? How would that benefit them?
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  5222.  @leihtory7423  The CCCP telling you they are peaceful is like asking a shark not to take a bite of something in the water. China has not fired a single shot? India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tajikistan would disagree with you. They have ALL had incursions by China. ALL of them have traded lead with the "People's Liberation Army" who have acted like petty thugs rather than a professional military force. You are just an anti-West troll who cares nothing about actual facts, only what the CCCP tells you to believe. Gobbels would love people like you.
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