War in Ukraine

#53,802
#53,802
Rasputin_Vol said:
I never said corruption doesn't exist, genius. I asked if the opportunities for corruption and grift would exist more in Russia or in our bloated $800+ billion budget.
Click to expand...
It's a relative thing.

Why are you comparing the 60 billion Russian military budget to the 800 billion American one? I know why, because it's the only way your argument works.

These Russians arent taking 60 billion of our money. Or 800 billion of ours. 60 billion represents a larger percentage of the Russian GDP than our 800 billion does.

So for a Russian living in Russia making Russian rubles the opprotunity to grift is larger than an American living in America making American dollars.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tvolsfan, AM64 and NorthDallas40
#53,803
#53,803
DonjoVol said:
Not a conspiracy. It happened. Proof has already been provided.
Click to expand...
No it hasnt. The only 'proof" you presented, and actually you never did because I had to present the transcripts, lists 3 people we didnt put in power.

1 never held power. 2 had power under yanukoych, and then kept it after the coup until 2016 at the latest when Yats was gone.

All your evidence shows is that we had a preference, and those preferences didnt even play out long term.
 
  • Like
Reactions: USF grad in TN
#53,805
#53,805
Rasputin_Vol said:
So are they losing or is it a Pyrrhic victory? And why all of these headlines and visits by 3elensky over a stretegically insignificant town?

Analysis: Russia's grim battle for Bakhmut may yield pyrrhic victory at best
Click to expand...
Do you understand that the difference between losing and a Pyhrric victory is razor thin? It's what the term even means. So its valid to use both conditions to describe the battle AS ITS ONGOING.

And a stepping stone to two cities smaller than Knoxville.....I am still not seeing the strategic importance. I mean by your definition every hill or plain or farmhouse is a strategic position.

I very much doubt the rail yards are in any use beyond supplying Bakhmut itself. I would imagine the battle has tore up any lines not going directly away from the line of battle. Even if they were intact they would be too risky to use.

Looking at the general geography I am not seeing anything of particular value to Bakhmut. There isnt a specific river crossing, or mountain pass, or some other geographic change that makes Bakhmut of any particular importance. The russians could literally just go around and Bakhmut would not impact the Russians.

Russia wants it because Ukraine holds it. Ukraine holds it because Russia wants it. There is no strategic value beyond it being occupied.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NorthDallas40
#53,806
#53,806
LouderVol said:
You are willing to accept one video but not another? One set of planned photo ops but not another?

It's been standard practice for Zelensky to make visits to various contested regions, or newly liberated areas. Not sure why you are balking at this one.
Click to expand...

Pretty clear that Putin is driving a car on the Kerch Strait bridge….multiple videos and photos.

What gives you the impression that Zelensky is in Bakhmut?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rasputin_Vol
#53,809
#53,809
DonjoVol said:
I have a feeling you really don't sit down and analyze things and research events. Once Russia was invited by the Syrian government to get involved ISIS pretty much became
irrelevant. They did more to fight ISIS in Syria than we ever did
Click to expand...
Well yeah. We werent willing to drop barrel bombs on civilians targets. Congrats, you got us there the Russians were willing to do more than we were.
 
#53,811
#53,811
Rasputin_Vol said:
Dude, you sound as dumb as a doorknob with this comment. Do you know how the Russians were able to defeat Napoleon? They sacrificed territory/retreated and took all the livestock/food/people with them and allowed Napoleon to march deeper and deeper into Russia during the winter and left them to the elements and starvation.
Click to expand...
Which lead to massive famines in 1813 and 14.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AM64 and hog88
#53,813
#53,813
Rasputin_Vol said:
Had the Russians went in with a shock and awe strategy and used every means they had available without regard for civilian life, you would have seen Russia do just that. Hell, had the US and UK not injected themselves in the peace talks in Turkey, this would have been over in the end of March/first of April.

Who liberated Palmyra? Who liberated Aleppo?

The US and the Kurds ended up getting pushed into the northeast and the US goals of regime changing Assad were never realized.
Click to expand...
So the same issue that makes the US an issue plague Russia too, leadership.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hog88 and NorthDallas40
#53,814
#53,814
Rasputin_Vol said:
Putin made the best decision he could make given the circumstances. He couldn't allow Donbas to be attacked for much longer. 8 years is enough. Plus, how much longer was he supposed to allow NATO to build up the Kyiv army on their doorsteps?

His only flaw is that he believed in diplomacy with the West and had no idea that we were not square dealing folks.
Click to expand...
Why couldnt he let them? When did Putin become the world's police?

Seems like you guys get upset anytime the US gets involved in a neighbors business even while their own civilians are dying. You even hold Grenada against us and that was saving American CITIZENS.

The only reason Russia was ever at the table was because it was a mess they started. They didnt belong at the table, and they certainly never acted as a third party mediator between Ukraine and the rebels.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AM64, hog88 and NorthDallas40
#53,815
#53,815
Rasputin_Vol said:
By February 24th, 2023, we will likely be approaching $150 billion thrown down that rat hole. Putin would be doing us a favor if he ended this right now. This can't drag on any longer... for our sakes.

Click to expand...

And just think of all the lives it would save by ending it sooner. It's too bad no one has been saying that from the start, oh wait, we have been. It's amazing its taking you guys 10 months to figure out what the rest of us knew from day 1.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AM64 and NorthDallas40
#53,817
#53,817
DonjoVol said:
Yes that has been the conversation going on. You and a few others claimed what we did in Iraq and Afghanistan were victories. They were not and you along with the rest of your jobbers have failed to prove anyone challenging your opinions wrong.

Perhaps you and your crew need to stop with the straw man BS. Has that ever crossed your mind?
Click to expand...
The INITIAL MILITARY actions were victories. Even you cant argue that. And that is what the conversation was about. You are the one deflecting to nation building.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AM64 and NorthDallas40
#53,818
#53,818
DonjoVol said:
No. Not everyone does.
Click to expand...
Got some examples of any modern nation? As in more than 1? I would love to see all these examples of large modern nations without a history of glorifying violence?

The swiss built their reputation on being too strong to eff with and having the best mercenaries.

The Vatican has a long and bloody history.

Tibetan monks used to control an empire larger than the concurrent chinese empire of the day.

Maybe somewhere like Lichtenstein where they went to war with 179 soldiers but came back with 181. But I dont consider them a mover and shaker.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AM64
#53,819
#53,819
DonjoVol said:
Doesn't matter if it was 20 days or 20 years. They never went away and we never defeated them. Not sure why that is hard for you to understand.
Click to expand...
I am really curious how you are jumping to the assumption that we were going to wipe out the Taliban by invading Afghanistan? They were/are an international terror group. We took and held their home territory. They were only able to survive because we didnt invade even more nations, is that what you want? The US involved in more wars in more nations?

And I must have missed all the internationalism terrorism they have been responsible for since we invaded? And I mean more than 9/11 sized attacks. They were all over the place in 2001. Now?
 
  • Like
Reactions: AM64 and NorthDallas40
#53,821
#53,821
Pacer92 said:
Pretty clear that Putin is driving a car on the Kerch Strait bridge….multiple videos and photos.

What gives you the impression that Zelensky is in Bakhmut?
Click to expand...
You can tell the difference between one bridge and another? If you are that observant maybe you cant point out some reasons to doubt its Bakhmut. Because unlike you, one generic example doesnt mean a whole lot to me and I have to take the translations at their word.

Zelensky has been in other cities before. He didnt even flee Kiev when the Russians were air dropping on the city. Putin is afraid to sit within 2 meters of anyone but his closest allies. That history says Zelenskys trip is far more likely to be real than Putins. Heck you were claiming a ten second video filmed from within a vehicle was proof the whole bridge was operational. That's not even a reasonable assumption to take.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AM64, USF grad in TN and NorthDallas40
#53,825
#53,825
LouderVol said:
You can tell the difference between one bridge and another? If you are that observant maybe you cant point out some reasons to doubt its Bakhmut. Because unlike you, one generic example doesnt mean a whole lot to me and I have to take the translations at their word.

Zelensky has been in other cities before. He didnt even flee Kiev when the Russians were air dropping on the city. Putin is afraid to sit within 2 meters of anyone but his closest allies. That history says Zelenskys trip is far more likely to be real than Putins. Heck you were claiming a ten second video filmed from within a vehicle was proof the whole bridge was operational. That's not even a reasonable assumption to take.
Click to expand...

Yes…ANYONE can tell it’s the Kerch Strait bridge…even you. Nothing generic about it. Multiple photos and angles to support it.

This isn’t the first time Zelensky and misleading photo ops have been linked.

I think you’d actually argue with a stop sign.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top