Comments by "Grenade Tennis" (@hughjass1044) on "DW News" channel.

  1. In my entire lifetime, I can't remember a single time when Lebanon wasn't in a crisis of some sort.
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  2. Freedom for Belarus!
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  3. I really enjoy the work that DW puts out. It's 1st rate! I wish we had this kind of journalism / dialogue in the US. I don't have anything more than the most rudimentary knowledge of Kevin Rudd and what he's all about but this was a great interview. He seems to have a great depth of knowledge of what he's talking about and a good level of communication skill to be able to put it across.
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  4. True, but I'd say the same about the people who've been saying for 6 months that Ukraine will win and that Russia is finished. I wish that were true but Ukraine hasn't won diddly yet and Russia is far from finished.
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  5. As former French colonies, and also since "independence", they were exploited by France. Now they'll be exploited by their own generals on behalf of Russia. Same prison, different warden.
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  6. Well done, Denmark! I knew we could count on you.
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  7. What you describe is not an exclusively American phenomenon.... but it's mostly one. News outlets in Europe and elsewhere are not so far removed from understanding what their jobs actually are.
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  8. You're not far off the mark there but it's really the US that China is testing.
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  9. Army - "Where's our money?!" Government - "Wait... surely you didn't take that promise seriously, did you? You can't all be that dumb, can you?"
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  10.  @Loreless  Really?? Syria and North Korea?? Well my God, why didn't you say so? That changes everything!
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  11. Host - asks question, Guest - gets 1/3 of the answer out and, Host - Oh, sorry; we gotta leave it there. Gotta go, bye! Journalism at its finest!
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  12. As a Canadian, I'd simply like to point out that you folks in Europe are blessed to have journalistic outlets of the quality you do. I won't comment on which are the best because I've only just begun to watch any of them in any significant way but over here, absolutely everything has to get spun as being the fault of one side of our own political spectrum or the other. Maybe you folks have that too and I'm just not seeing it but it's just so refreshing to watch real news and quality analysis without the constant innuendo, finger pointing and shouting.
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  13. It happens in some form, everywhere.
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  14. It is recommended that people in Belarus keep away from sidewalks next to tall buildings for the next while. One never knows when some bald Russian guy might thunder in on top of you.
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  15. I hope the families are satisfied with this little bit of theater dressed up as justice because it's all they're going to get. No one will ever be held to account for this or any other crime of the Russian Federation or its leadership because no one in Europe has the balls to do it.
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  16. Me too, but if you're really going to thank God for anything, thank him that the armed forces of Russia has proven itself so incompetent for if it actually was even a fraction as capable as people feared it was, they'd roll across Europe in a few weeks. I have confidence in the Finns, the Swedes, the Poles and God love them, the Baltics, who couldn't do much but by God, they'd try damned hard. If we had to rely on the Germans, the French and the British to stop them, God help us all!
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  17. If you think Putin is a reasonable men, it's you who needs the prayers.
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  18.  @josephjouil2761  I went to high school in the early 70s with two brothers, sons of Lebanese immigrant parents. They both went back to Lebanon to fight in the war and both were killed. That was at least 10 years before Hezbollah was even a thing. Hezbollah might have worsened Lebanon's problems but there were plenty of problems long before they came along.
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  19. Lindsay Graham is going to "unleash the fury" is he? Sure, why not? That worked well in Afghanistan and Iraq. I think ole Lindsay might need to up his prescription. He sound like he might be experiencing a bit of trouble unleashing his own fury.
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  20. Any conflict within the borders of a country in which the participants are indigenous to that country, can accurately be called a civil war, especially if it has a distinct political element to it which this one undeniably has. These can take many different forms and the one you describe is just one of them.
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  21. It was a research balloon conducting a scientific experiment and its mission was successful. The Chinese now know with certainty what happens when they fly balloons over US defense facilities. They got the answers they were looking for. They should be happy.
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  22. If there's a level below "failed state," Haiti is 5 levels below even that.
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  23. Did I hear correctly? They're going to send...... 14? Well, that's a little like the busload of lawyers going off a cliff joke.... both are a good start. I hope that between the German Leopards, the Polish Leopards, the British Challengers, the French light tanks and whatever else has been pledged, it'll be sufficient. I don't want to see Ukraine just "hold the line" against Russia, I want them to crush them, humiliate them. To do that, you don't just need stronger forces in the field, you need overwhelming forces. I appreciate what you did here, Germany. You're a bit late to the party but I think we've all been, to some degree. So now that we're in this, let's do what needs to be done and END THIS THING! There's been far too much preventable, unnecessary death and destruction in Ukraine already.
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  24. I have a friend in France whose son is in the special forces. His unit is preparing to depart for Africa. What, if anything, that ends up meaning, we'll have to wait and see.
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  25. If they were of no significant importance to the block, then why were they in it? Russia certainly considers them significant.
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  26. I knew this would happen. You can't do the kinds of things he's talking about; necessary as they may be, and not expect it to result in blowback.
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  27.  @alpine_newt  True, but there are always two parties to an interview and many times, I've seen "journalists" try to browbeat and harangue people like him and try to corral them into parroting their narratives. That doesn't seem to happen nearly as often with European outlets as it does with American ones.
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  28. "Trying to find a face-saving way out for Putin....." This is why I keep saying that Ukraine hasn't won anything yet because with friends like Macron and Scholz, who are more concerned with photo ops and fluff pieces in the press about how great of a "diplomat" they are, who needs enemies?
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  29. "The solution is simple..... We just have to do all of these incredibly difficult, expensive and complex things all at once and immediately."
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  30. The staff immediately springs into action...... by grabbing the screens they had at the ready (??) and blocking the view.... but not stopping the vandals. Uh-huh.....
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  31. Watching in Canada, that's the first thing I thought of too.
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  32. Armenia - "Russia; send help!!" Russia - "Uhmm... bit tied up at the moment, in fact, but we'll get to ya just as soon as we can. You hang in there now!"
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  33. Canada secured its border. Maybe it's time the US did likewise. You can't do everything.
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  34. Why wouldn't Russia try to de-stabilize Moldova? That's what they do, that's who they are and they know full well that the west will do nothing but sit on their hands and fret. If NATO had any foresight and more importantly, balls, they'd have had 2 divisions stationed in Moldova already. The NATO leadership knew this was likely to happen but once again, we see them reacting instead of proacting and then doing the bare minimum if anything at all. It's no wonder the Russian leadership has so little fear of, and disregard for, NATO's capabilities because for all their material strength, they lack the will and the courage to step up and meet these challenges head on and prevent them from happening.
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  35.  @anayarey  I think that we can probably dispense with this nonsense notion of WW3 or nuclear weapons. Russia can't even manage to get food, fuel and ammo to the troops they've already got deployed. They can't even get the best of a bunch of Ukrainians never mind spreading it farther.
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  36.  @obiwankenobi661  I think you're right. I just finished watching a couple of other videos and she does it with others there.
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  37. A pope is a pope. Emeritus simply describes current status. He doesn't stop being a pope.
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  38. Column of Russian armor rolls up.... Commander calls back to HQ - "Sir, we should seriously rethink this. I'm seeing concertina wire up here. These guys mean business!"
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  39. If the war ends in say, about mid-year or so, (doubtful, but let's just say) what do you want to bet all these rosy promises will go right out the window? You want to know what would really get their attention, though? The Americans pulling up stakes and moving everything east. And along with that, perhaps reducing their NATO status to something like an "associate" member or similar. If Germany suddenly was without American protection and all that sweet, sweet American cash they pump into the German economy...... ya think Poland might like a chunk of that?... maybe that might lead to oh, let's say a moment of clarity and perhaps a bit of a change in attitudes.
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  40. 74% believe this? What kind of imbeciles are the other 26%?
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  41. Time to cut China loose! Bring jobs home and stop funneling money to our enemies!
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  42.  @KIA-MIA-POW  Is everyone in your family this naive or is it just you?
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  43.  Pronto  I'm sure the Russians are just terrified about that prospect.
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  44.  @KIA-MIA-POW  Really? Tell me then; what "outcomes" were achieved?
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  45. How can you be a president but not a party leader?
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  46.  @jackd42o  Thanks. A lot of people mention it... for some reason. Beats me why.
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  47. Why bother? All these nations suffer the exact same weakness that America does - Lack of will and resolve. The very fact that they're all fretting about what might or might not upset or provoke China and China isn't the least damned bit concerned about who they provoke tells you all you need to know about who has the balls and who doesn't.
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  48. Israel has apparently moved another brigade from the south to the north. Could be just for a BBQ or a birthday party, though. I guess we'll see.
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  49. I would put them well ahead of many within those countries too.
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  50. They don't have to invade at all. De-stabilizing and then ultimately toppling their government and replacing it with a friendly, cooperative, submissive, satrap client state would satisfy them just fine. This is why there's a war going on in Ukraine right now. If the Ukrainians had been willing to bend the knee and take orders from the Kremlin, there'd be no war but since they refused, here we are.
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  51. Such a refreshing and welcome change from the tripe that passes for news in the US.
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  52. I sure hope you're right, especially as regards Germany since there's not a leader anywhere in Western Europe that I trust less than Scholz. Maybe I'm reading the guy all wrong but he very much gives me the impression that he's only doing what he's doing because he's being pressured and shamed into doing so. I get the feeling that he'd give Putin anything he wanted if he could and that he'd be at Putin's feet groveling and begging for oil and gas within hours of a ceasefire. Another important point to remember.... There have been countless times throughout history when "a clear majority" of a population group supported or wanted something and it still didn't happen.
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  53. He should avoid tall buildings.
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  54. People on both sides are taking a look at the youngsters and saying..... NOPE!
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  55. You are indeed correct. Russia was every bit as much a colonial empire as any of the other big European powers and, to a considerable degree, they still are today. It's just that most of their colonies just happened to be adjacent to their own territory instead of across the seas. The whole of NE Asia is conquered territory. @considerthis9007 
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  56. I hate to say it but I don't believe that Germany has the slightest intention of following through on any of its commitments to revitalize its armed forces. I don't care what they've promised. Politicians throw promises around all the time and not only do they not keep them, in many cases, they never have any intention of keeping them. For one, the political class as well as a very sizable chunk of the citizenry simply does not believe in maintaining a strong, competent military. There is a not insignificant proportion of German policy makers who want to completely and permanently eliminate any form of military capability and Scholz, being both a socialist and a committed "peace at any cost" pacifist, is at the head of that class. Secondly, actions speak louder than words. This money was promised over a year ago and practically nothing has been done. Also, you can't convince me that any country which was so late, so hesitant and which had to be arm-twisted so badly to send its equipment (not even its troops) places any real priority on a strong military. Finally, there is just so, so, SO much to do and it would take an efficiently run country decades and tens of trillions to catch up but with a country that moves at the speed of frozen molasses like Germany, they'll lose interest long before anything meaningful happens.
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  57. Why would Al-Sisi attempt something like this? Because he can. Because he knows he can get away with it. Because he knows there are zero consequences. Middle Eastern countries have been playing the US for fools for decades and the US knows it and they let them.
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  58. Points to consider - 1) Putin is into this thing WAY over his head. He's now well past the point of no return. There is NO turning back now. He couldn't quit now even if he wanted to. He'd be dead in a week. 2) There is now no way for him to achieve an outright victory on the battlefield so what's left? What advantages does he have and what can he use? The answer - numbers. And he has those in abundance! 3) When you don't care about cost, when you're prepared to throw away a million lives if that's what it takes, and when you see that your enemies' allies are only giving them penny packets of weaponry and are fussing and fretting about even doing that much and have to be arm-twisted and badgered into every single arms shipment because they're stark, raving terrified of you and collectively soil their clothes whenever anyone says the word... gasp!... escalation!... what do you do? How do you leverage that fear and turn it in your favor? 4) You wear them down, that's what you do. You send wave after wave of bodies and wave after wave of vehicles. Yes, the bodies are barely trained and even worse equipped and the vehicles are complete junk but they all make the Ukrainians use up ammo to defeat them and make the west have to supply more. It's called attrition and the Russians can keep this going practically indefinitely. 5) I've been saying it for a year and I'll keep saying it. Russia WILL drag this out as long as they have to UNLESS we in the west stop pissing around, step in and put an end to this thing, once and for all!
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  59. Let 'em have it, Ukraine!
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  60. This is why I've always said that sanctions are basically useless. They'll get you so far but no more. If a rogue nation or person is determined to follow a certain course of action, and you want it stopped, you have to demonstrate that you are more determined than he is and that means the use of force.
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  61. Peddle fear, suspicion, hate; otherize minority groups, tell people their problems are all someone else's fault and generally feed and nurture every base instinct they have and you'll never suffer for an audience nor will you ever go bankrupt. It's always been based on the premise that people will believe what they want to believe and search for any way to rationalize it. Of course, it doesn't help when traditional media... you know, the kind we're continually told we HAVE to trust.... continues to incinerate their own credibility on the alter of ratings and ad revenue.
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  62. "Even the Labour Party has ruled that out." Why? Politicians are such craven cowards.
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  63.  @Crashed131963  Two entirely different weapons systems for two entirely different jobs, my friend. One is artillery, the other is armor. And it's not an either / or situation. You don't win by using just one, you need both.
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  64. German chancellor - "Russia will not win this war!" Well, neither will Ukraine unless you and your pals get off your butts and start sending something a little stronger than encouraging words.
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  65. I'm sure that "strong condemnation" she speaks of will have Putin soiling himself. Add in a "UN resolution" and that would just about finish him.
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  66. Yes.
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  67. An attack on the Suwalki Gap is an attack on NATO. 50 years worth of Soviet leaders were smart enough to know what that would've meant and their army was many times stronger then. It seems today's Russian army isn't capable of much other than smashing civilian targets and having their own equipment destroyed. I'd be prepared but not terribly concerned.
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  68. Understand that what you just watched was a compilation of clips from actual live TV news broadcasts and not a made for internet product. The live TV format is always time sensitive unfortunately. They can be a little bit flexible but not much.
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  69. In fairness, I think they had a lousy internet connection with a long delay. They were cutting each other off and I don't believe either one was intending to do so.
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  70. "Russia is getting ready for a long war...." This is exactly what I've been warning about. Way too many people have been doing victory dances thinking this thing is over or near over. IT IS NOT!! Russia is essentially one very big North Korea at this point and North Korea has been under sanctions since Christ wore short pants. Has it slowed them down? Altered their behavior? NO! Putin doesn't care about sanctions, he doesn't care about his economy, he doesn't care about lives; anyone's lives, he doesn't care about reputation, he doesn't even care about the future of Russia. All he cares about is himself and his own power and he won't hesitate to do whatever it takes to hold onto both. He will co-opt every citizen, every industry and every scrap of raw material he needs to to prosecute this war. He's running out of advanced munitions, true enough, but he's got limitless amounts of old stuff and limitless capacity to produce as much as he needs. There's nothing high tech about a howitzer and the shells that go into them don't need microchips. Even if Ukraine drives every last Russian out of their country, Putin still has the capacity to reduce it to rubble from his own territory and he certainly has the will to do so too. He hasn't got many friends or allies but he has enough to keep himself going indefinitely and he can still sell all the oil and gas he can produce. At reduced prices, yes, but he doesn't care about that. This war will NOT end until NATO steps in and ends it.
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  71. And long live Vietnam!
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  72.  @krollpeter  "Sometimes weakness is a strength in the end." That's the most ridiculous statement ever made!
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  73. Societal breakdown, institutional collapse, inability to keep a roof overhead or food on the table, crushing debt levels, corruption, greed, polarization, political paralysis, being shoved aside in favor of illegals, told you're every kind of evil imaginable..... Why are people unhappy? Gosh, beats me.
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  74. This war will not end as long as Putin is alive. I hate to be that blunt but it's unavoidable. That's just the reality. They said at the end that Putin's strategic goals haven't changed and they're right, they haven't changed.... power... at ALL costs... at ANY costs! He doesn't care about lives; Russian, Ukrainian or any other kind. He doesn't care about how poor or cold or destitute his people are, he doesn't care about cost because he's got plenty of money in his own banks that sanctions can't touch and he's selling more oil than ever so he's as flush with cash as he ever was. He cannot possibly prevail on the battlefield as long as the west is supplying weapons to Ukraine so what he needs to do is cut off that supply and as wars by tyrants throughout history have shown us, the best, most sure fire way to do that is to exhaust their patience which is what these missile strikes are designed to do. Everything he's using are just old fashioned "dumb" bombs and he has literally millions of those in his stockpiles so he can keep this up indefinitely. The ONLY way you stop this is to eliminate Putin.
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  75.  @dunzhen  Then don't hang around. No one here will miss you.
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  76. The main reason why the allied powers demanded unconditional surrender from the Germans and the Japanese in WWII was because they knew exactly what kind of people they were dealing with and anything less than an absolute defeat followed by an unconditional surrender would guarantee a resumption of hostilities at a later date once they recovered and rearmed. There was absolutely zero chance of anything good or positive ever getting the chance to take hold in either country until every last fragment of the old regimes had been exterminated. The same holds true for today's Russia. I've read many times that Russians all throughout the last century craved nothing more than to live normal lives in a normal country. They will never get that chance until every single fragment of Putin's regime is dragged out of the Kremlin, locked and welded into a cage or hoisted onto the scaffold. It's going to be painful and expensive to accomplish but it MUST be done. Putin's government, and every single person associated or affiliated with it must be destroyed or else they'll be back to do this all over again.
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