Russia, US, Ukraine, and the Future

[conon394]

Meanwhile, Exxon's record-smashing Q3 profit nearly matches Apple's

Well since SCOTUS decided US corporations are citizens with rights to free speech and religious objections I am perfectly happy to have Biden propose a Lithury on their profits to help make sure they are helping out the country in these troubled times. I am sure a 30% surcharge on their profits could used to provided subsides for fuel use by the poor or farmers (or contractors with large vehicles or long haul truckers) this winter. I mean citizenship comes with responsibility am I right.

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@Morticia Iunia Bruti

Pretty lame than by the Russians we all know they have not even picked a new Bond yet so it can't be the UK.

[Ludicus]

I am perfectly happy to have Biden propose a Lithury on their profits to help make sure they are helping out the country in these troubled times.

And yet big corporations almost never lose money. -Biden's corporate tax hike in the Inflation Reduction Act won't won’t hurt most U.S. companies, Wall Street analysts say

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@ Fkizz, just to conclude that the counter-reform has not brought any benefits, quite the contrary.Read Antero de Quental.In his lecture of 27 May, the second of the series of "Democratic Conferences" promoted at the Lisbon Casino in May-June 1871, according to Antero de Quental, historically, the causes of decline of the Peninsular peoples in the last three centuries are named as three, and of three orders: moral - the Counter-Reformation's transformation of Catholicism into a Roman and Jesuitic institution, stifling individual conscience and national Churches; political - the Absolutist turn of monarchy ruthlessly suppressive of local autonomies, representative institutions and potential rival powers; and economic- the Conquests and its attendant aristocratic ethos, with its neglect of productivity and disdain for the work ethic. The Causes of Decline identified the solutions were correspondingly three: the promotion of the scientific spirit of enquiry; federative government; and industry. full speech in Portuguese

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

But not everything was bad, nor could it have been. To those Brazilians who like to lament the corruption they suffer as a Portuguese legacy, I want to remind them that it has been 200 years since their independence, and that it was thanks to the Portuguese bureaucratic tradition that Brazil did not fragment like the former Spanish colonies in the Americas, and this country, the fifth largest in the world, accounts for half the land and population of the whole continent, the equal of all the ten Spanish colonies put together.

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Back to the topic,28/10/2022 Biden's nuke review abandons campaign rhetoric on disarmament

Yesterday, the Biden administration released its long-awaited Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) as part of a suite of documents, along with the National Defense Strategy and the Missile Defense Review, outlining the administration’s approach to national security and nuclear strategy.

In the face of advocates’ calls for a “no first use” policy, or a lesser “sole purpose” declaration, the NPR leaves the door open for nuclear use, attempting to portray such a catastrophic eventuality as fundamentally manageable: such a decision might be taken in order to ensure “the lowest level of damage possible on the best achievable terms for the United States and its Allies and partners.” Battlefield nuclear use is portrayed as a possible unfortunate reality of contemporary warfare, and the challenge seems to be, not to do everything in our power to make sure that a nuclear weapon is never again used, but instead to develop “resilience” in the face of their eventual “limited” use.
reading the NPR, it seems that its authors consider nuclear weapons use — if not a resulting all-out nuclear war — very possible, if not likely.

[Mithradates]

German president Steinmeier admits ‘bitter failure’ of policy on Russia

There must be no peace with Russia as long as Russian troops remain within Ukraine’s borders, Germany’s president said on Friday, in an impassioned state of the nation speech about Berlin’s foreign policy.

“When we look at today’s Russia, there is no place for old dreams,” he said, speaking from his official residence, the Bellevue Palace.

The invasion “marked the definitive, bitter failure of years of political efforts, including my efforts”, he added.

Russia’s war was “despicable and cynical, lacking regard for human life”, he told an audience of dignitaries and young Germans that included Ukraine’s ambassador. The speech was broadcast live on Germany’s main television channel.

“A supposed peace that rewards acts like this, a peace that seals Putin’s land grabs, is no peace,” he continued, urging his fellow Germans — many of whom are deeply pacifist as a result of their country’s own bloody history — to face up to an “epochal shift” under way in Europe.

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The entire 11th Russian Army Corps of Kaliningrad, which has been sent to Ukraine, has been destroyed. 12,000 troops wasted. Kaliningrad itself is currently defenseless... or maybe I should say "Königsberg" instead?

Now Wagner recruits people even with HIV and Hepatitis C, the new Russian "tactic" at each active frontline is just to dig in and hope for bad weather lol

Bonus points for almost losing a second Flagship to a country without a navy.

[AqD]

Back to the topic,28/10/2022 Biden's nuke review abandons campaign rhetoric on disarmament

Is it a compliment? Would you disarm yourself if your neighbor routinely robs his neighbors and beats his children so loud that the screams can be heard in the entire town?


We don't need less nukes. We need more. And a shield against ICBMs and cruise missiles. Everyone saw the latter hitting Ukraine, yet there are still lunatics dreaming of being free of danger by stripping themselves naked. They should try the tactic next time when they're being robbed or raped.

[Sar1n]

Kaliningrad itself is currently defenseless... or maybe I should say "Königsberg" instead?

It's Královec.

[Cyclops]

Russian navy barely coping RN. Strong 1905 vibe.

[mishkin]

reminder for some people: the first volunteers to fight against the fascist aggressions in europe in the last century were socialists. Orwell did not come to Spain to propose to Franco a partition of the country to avoid more deaths or any similar ###.

[Septentrionalis]

Now Wagner recruits people even with HIV and Hepatitis C, the new Russian "tactic" at each active frontline is just to dig in and hope for bad weather lol

Wagner is reportedly recruiting criminal convicts with HIV or hepatitis. After Russia mobilizing anti-war protesters, prisoners, ethnic groups that have little love for Russia and its army, and other groups that make for very bad morale at a failing front.

None of it makes any sense from the point of view of any military of a western democracy. The Finnish military has scientists and engineers manning officer positions and mere shoplifting gets you expelled from the military. Because in the western paradigm, warfare is serious business and you have to trust everyone you serve with.

I would say that 90 percent of the participants in this threads are pacifists. don't confuse them (us) with people buying putin's rhetoric.

I am a pacifist of a sort and I believe that, in order to make the world as tolerable as possible, people who have the least motivation to hurt or dominate other people should have the greatest capability of doing so.

If you believe that violent nutjobs should not call the shots in this world of ours, please serve in the military force nearest to you that is strongly opposed to hurting and dominating other people.

[fkizz]

The entire 11th Russian Army Corps of Kaliningrad, which has been sent to Ukraine, has been destroyed. 12,000 troops wasted. Kaliningrad itself is currently defenseless... or maybe I should say "Königsberg" instead?

This is kind of a big deal. Kaliningrad had geopolitical leverage.

I am a pacifist of a sort and I believe that, in order to make the world as tolerable as possible, people who have the least motivation to hurt or dominate other people should have the greatest capability of doing so.

There is some logic, if you leave the big guns to the more megalomaniac, result won't be as good as to more reasonable people. Knowing how to operate arms is different from being a warmonger.

[Papay]

The situation for Ukraine has become terrible. With Russians destroying methodically critical infrastructure cities like Kiev now have permament electrivity and water supply problems(and its just the begining). At the same time Kiev has start beging the west not only for military but financial aid also which is pointless while the war goes on

Russian missile strikes leave 80 percent of Kyiv without water, says mayor – POLITICO

[conon394]

The situation for Ukraine has become terrible. With Russians destroying methodically critical infrastructure cities like Kiev now have permament electrivity and water supply problems(and its just the begining). At the same time Kiev has start beging the west not only for military but financial aid also which is pointless while the war goes on

Russian missile strikes leave 80 percent of Kyiv without water, says mayor – POLITICO

And you solution?

[Heathen Hammer]

Actually Jesuits were created during the counter reform to have a persuasive dialogue based alternative that would eventually make the inquisition obsolete, as it was concluded that Inquisition didn't offer results in preventing Protestantism in the 1500s.

Indeed, and by today they kinda became the opposite of that. Support for inquisition and various wars, all the priest abuse cover ups, etc.

Creator of Big Bang Theory is a Catholic Priest, George Lemaicre. Biggest sponsorships of the Renaissance Period, including the Leonardo da Vinci, was the Catholic Church. It really depends on the period and the people sitting in it.

Yeah, Catholic church existed for 17 centuries and it would be silly to apply blanket judgement based on specific point in time.
Having said that, I'm talking about specific sect of Catholicism, Jesuits, that supported totalitarian dictators and still think Inquisition was okay, as demonstration as to why that Russian politician wasn't that far off when he ranted about Western politicians having insane beliefs.

By Oprichina I implied the sucessors aswell, like Cheka and NKVD, Stalin's purges. Playing with numbers is also part of the skillset.
You forget to mention when the French "Christian" King the Albigensian Crusade on which Christians were the literal targets to be killed. Templars refuse to join, and a precedent to begin the Templar persecution is born.

Then one day, for "no reason at all" French Revolution appears "absolutely out of nowhere".

The Hugenot Massacre comes in the context of the 30 years war events, from which you can also find acts where Protestants killed a good number of Catholics. It wasn't a daily thing, neither black and white.
There's also the Latin Massacre, rarely mentioned due to questioning the narrative, so I won't elaborate much.

Again, this isn't a Protestant vs. Catholic debate, my point was that Ivan The Terrible was only terrible by Russian standards, while monarchs behaving in the way Ivan did was routine in Western Europe.

Yeah there's pretty questionable things some members of the western elite got into, but this Mantra has been repeated since the cold war, is there anything new...

I disagree. Even going back to very bellicose early cold war years, standards for politicians were infinitely higher. Or they hid their bad laundry better, but the result, nonetheless remains the same.

[Papay]

And you solution?

Accept Russian demands

[Mithradates]

Accept Russian demands

HAHAHAHAHA!

[PointOfViewGun]

Accept Russian demands

When you see someone getting raped do you tell them to just stop struggling and enjoy it?

[conon394]

Accept Russian demands

Which ones, and the next and the ones after?

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When you see someone getting raped do you tell them to just stop struggling and enjoy it?

Sure if the rapist is Russian clearly NATO caused the problem and the Russian had no choice. Don't forget get only the US has agency in world affairs.

[Septentrionalis]

Accept Russian demands

You guys accept being the pariah of the world for all eternity. No Olympic Games, no western goods, no nothing that you cannot produce yourselves or procure out of those vassal states who deal with you not because they like you but because they fear you. The world can live without Russia, but can Russia live without the world?

[Heathen Hammer]

You guys accept being the pariah of the world for all eternity. No Olympic Games, no western goods, no nothing that you cannot produce yourselves or procure out of those vassal states who deal with you not because they like you but because they fear you. The world can live without Russia, but can Russia live without the world?

Only US and its satellites are anti-Russian, so Russia isn't a pariah in any case. They'll still have China, India and multitude of other nations to trade with. I'm sure Russia will survive without sportsball and Marvel, not that latter even matters since it is de-facto okay to pirate content there anyways.
I guess the biggest victims are average Europeans who will have to ration heat and food to survive, while their "leaders" get to "resist" Putin from their warm and comfy mansions.

[EmperorBatman999]

Only US and its satellites are anti-Russian, so Russia isn't a pariah in any case. They'll still have China, India and multitude of other nations to trade with. I'm sure Russia will survive without sportsball and Marvel, not that latter even matters since it is de-facto okay to pirate content there anyways.
I guess the biggest victims are average Europeans who will have to ration heat and food to survive, while their "leaders" get to "resist" Putin from their warm and comfy mansions.

Putin and the multitude of other nations:

[Septentrionalis]

They'll still have China, India and multitude of other nations to trade with.

Oh but that's great! Let's wait and see how it pans out. Us western pundits may end up pretty sore when Russia's economy soars while ours takes a deep dive.