US Erection 12 *AND* 16 *AND* 20 *AND* 22 *AND* 24 *AND* Beyond

[Chef Boi RD]

I do find it amusing that when UW points out the single-mindedness of the woke subscriber that they immediately jump in on the same page and prove his point.

I do agree with Per’s take that Russia will always be a problem in regards to aggression towards Europe. But it’s not just Putin. You could defeat Russia right now and have the Russian people lay the blame at Putin’s feet…..but his replacement would likely be someone who would rally the Russian people behind his banner by saying he could do it better than Putin.

Well, we don’t know that.

Some would disagree. Everyone is an expert nowadays…google is everybody’s friend.

[Chef Boi RD]

If Russia would stop fighting, that would be the end of the war.
If Ukraine would stop fighting, that would be the end of Ukraine.

No truer words, well said.

[UWSaint]

Incredibly fascinating video of a man that completely lacks backbone:

https://youtu.be/xw3RFzX4AW4?si=0KY9a9IAmFZfCqmZ

[mod edit: Mark Kelly Asks Top Defense Official Nominee If Russia Invaded Ukraine, And He Cannot Respond ]

It is not lack of “backbone” that has this question avoided. It is easy to say Russia invaded Ukraine. It is harder to bite your tongue when saying it is true but works against your end goals.

The question is asked while *knowing* the answer and *knowing* that getting to peace is less likely if our conversations always include relitigating the start of the war. The question is performative bullshit. But it’s the truth, you might say. I agree! Russia invaded Ukraine. But you don’t make progress with your spouse by starting every discussion with “the reason we are here is because you did this and this and this and this.” You do move forward by listening to your spouse’s perspective and acknowledging it, even if you don’t agree with that perspective.

There are decent arguments on both sides of the question of whether Russia is better isolated and ostracized or included and talked to. The same arguments as there are with the communist Chinese (who are actually more fascist than communist these days) (and by fascist, I don’t mean Nazi). The same as there are with Cuba. Or Saudi Arabia.

But this administration has decided that isolating and ostracizing Russia doesn’t work, isn’t a long term answer. And so it isn’t going to engage in theater designed to isolate Putin. Disagree with the orientation or the clear decision to end the blame rhetoric to achieve an instrumental end. But it’s not “lack of backbone.”

You know, when Tochett gives a presser, he’s got a number of audiences. The players are one. Sometimes things are not said to the media because the players are an audience. So he might not call out a player to not alienate him. He might use diplomatic language with the press and tear the players a new asshole.

The same is true with foreign affairs. The person answering the question has many audiences, and the answers will be geared to the audience who can practically make the biggest difference towards the goal the answerer wishes to achieve.

[UWSaint]

Well, for the record I think we should send troops. It is unfair that Ukraine has to go it alone.
But the very least we can do is to continue to support them in their fight for freedom.

Russia could end this war today by pulling out their troops. But they won’t.

If Russia would stop fighting, that would be the end of the war.
If Ukraine would stop fighting, that would be the end of Ukraine.

Okay, now we are getting somewhere, Per. I’ve tried to ascertain whether you support your boys shooting and killing and dying and I hadn’t seen this clear of a response until now.

I think adding European troops to Ukraines (outside of mercenaries) might expand the war terribly (the ww3 scenario), or it might cause a Russian withdrawal. At least it’s confronting the reality—if we expect Ukraine to win, we have to do a lot more and more people will die but at least it has the possibility of victory.

[rikster]

I’d like to say that I’m surprised by how chicken shit the mighty red MAGA Trump fucks are when it comes to Putin but I’m not. Their “fearless” leader was given a “doctors note” for “bone spurs” so he didn’t have to go fight for his country thanks to dear ole Daddy Trump.

Most of the Republican Party leadership with few exceptions understand that Putin is the enemy and should be tried for war crimes, but they are afraid of Trump and his influence on the MAGA base...

That's why you have an alter universe where a Rubio will say one thing in public for the benefit of Trump and say something totally different in private away from Trumps ears...

As I've said before, Trump shouldn't be anywhere near the negotiations because he is so far up Putins ass and is beholden to him that his role in the process should be limited to signing the final agreement...

It would be tempting for anyone, let alone a convicted felon and sexual preditor, to not be biased towards Putin if he had saved their financial ass going back to the 80's and his political ass in 2016...

The Americans for years have played king makers and in the process have pretty much screwed up everything they have touched so its probably best that they sit the Ukraine situation out and let Europe and other NATO countries deal with it...

NATO is sitting on $ Billions of seized Russian cash and other assets that it can afford to assist Ukraine and the GDP opportunites are immense for companies within their countries.

Speaking of those seized assets, my guess is that Putin has told Trump he wants the money back so look for Trump to bring America back into the negotiations asap and before those assets are all gone...

Meanwhile, where does China fit into all of this? They have their BRI inititive which is well underway ...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AF6NV6X_Lg and as compared to the US is China the boogey man or is it our "friends" to the south of us....

[Chef Boi RD]

Interesting

https://www.facebook.com/10000501393874 ... l/?app=fbl

[Megaterio Llamas]

Mëds/Meg, do you not think the previous administration of the USA and maybe even 1st term of DT wanted Ukraine to poke the bear? After all war = $$$. Probably not DT as he is bed with Russia.

They probably didn’t expect it to go this long. I do agree Europe has relied to long on USA and it’s time they manage their own affairs. Same as Canada.

100% Reef. And Ukraine is getting the shittiest deal imaginable, the old hegemon has abandoned the proxy and has cashed out, leaving the Europeans holding the bag. Everybody is getting screwed here. But they absolutely need to adapt to the situation. Ukraine doesn't need to give away it's mineral wealth to negotiate terms of surrender wih Putin. They need to get rid of the Z-man somehow and sit down with Vlad.

And there's nothing stopping the Europeans from working out a security arrangement for their continent with the Russians. But they need to be willing to drop the Biden/Blinken/Nuland narrative and look at the facts on the ground. They could really benefit from reopening trade with the Russians, the place can provide all the energy and resources they need as well as a big market for their products.

I guess we will see if anyone has the imagination it takes to work something out. Hopefully a new European political elite eventually emerges from the wreckage of this failed policy.

[Megaterio Llamas]

Europe won't be sending troops to Ukraine. You heard it here first.

[Chef Boi RD]

Warren Buffet - “tariffs are an act of war”

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/03/business ... index.html

[Strangelove]

Most of the Republican Party leadership with few exceptions understand that Putin is the enemy and should be tried for war crimes, but they are afraid of Trump and his influence on the MAGA base...

That's why you have an alter universe where a Rubio will say one thing in public for the benefit of Trump and say something totally different in private away from Trumps ears...

Interesting that you know what "most of the Republican Party leadership" want.

Also interesting that you know what Rubio says in private... yet Trump doesn't.

Take Care

[Strangelove]

Warren Buffet - “tariffs are an act of war”

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/03/business ... index.html

Finally a billionaire Chef can get onboard with.

Save the Billionaires. They love you!

[Chef Boi RD]

Yeah don’t think Warren is apart that exclusive club, Doc Trumplove.

[Strangelove]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett

"According to Forbes, as of 17 February 2025, Buffett's estimated net worth stood at US$149.6 billion, making him the seventh richest individual in the world."

[rikster]

Most of the Republican Party leadership with few exceptions understand that Putin is the enemy and should be tried for war crimes, but they are afraid of Trump and his influence on the MAGA base...

That's why you have an alter universe where a Rubio will say one thing in public for the benefit of Trump and say something totally different in private away from Trumps ears...

Interesting that you know what "most of the Republican Party leadership" want.

Also interesting that you know what Rubio says in private... yet Trump doesn't.

Take Care

Do you disagree?

The existence of an alter universe has been widely reported going back to Trumps first term, what is concerning about recent reporting is that its not just the threat of being primaried that has politicians going underground with their true feelings, its the threat of physical harm from MAGA ...

Rubio has completed a 180 on both his opinon of Trump and his well documented feelings about Putin and the war in Ukraine...

Gotta love John Stewart to call it like it is...

https://youtu.be/LrQkZSJ31AI

[Megaterio Llamas]

Well, for the record I think we should send troops. It is unfair that Ukraine has to go it alone.
But the very least we can do is to continue to support them in their fight for freedom.

Russia could end this war today by pulling out their troops. But they won’t.

If Russia would stop fighting, that would be the end of the war.
If Ukraine would stop fighting, that would be the end of Ukraine.

Okay, now we are getting somewhere, Per. I’ve tried to ascertain whether you support your boys shooting and killing and dying and I hadn’t seen this clear of a response until now.

I think adding European troops to Ukraines (outside of mercenaries) might expand the war terribly (the ww3 scenario), or it might cause a Russian withdrawal. At least it’s confronting the reality—if we expect Ukraine to win, we have to do a lot more and more people will die but at least it has the possibility of victory.

I think the Europeans are reading the room wrong if they think the Russians will be cowed by the very presence of Western boots on the ground. Putin has said any troops on the ground under any guise will be treated as enemy combatants. I don't think he's bluffing, i think the Russians will hit them with a barrage of missile strikes the moment they arrive. And they will will shoot down British anf French planes with Kinzhal, Zircon and Onyx missiles.They might even take the ground troops out with the new Oreshnik hypersonic mega weapon. And Trump has said they will not receive US backing. That means no AWAC and satellite intel and targeting for their advanced weapons and no Starlink. No air cover and certainly no US troops on the ground. Trump might be getting ready to withdraw all of that anyway given the state of relations with Kiev.

And if Trump is foolish enough to backstop these tripwire forces then it's WW3 and we're all screwed.