Recent posts

#41

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by mongers - Today at 11:11:15 AM

400 US troops with M2 Bradleys and Abraham tanks now conducting training exercises with the Finnish Karelia brigade near the Russian border: beautiful.

What a coincidence!

Also this is something we probably can talk about far and wide. No need to make a secret of the US and NATO operating right on the Russian border in a place that wasn't NATO territory until very recently.

Jacob, there's more about the wider NATO Finnish exercises here:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/31/nato-launches-arctic-exercises-pledges-protection-of-finland

Haven't found a link to the report about the Karelia part, but good to see they're 'stretching' the russians with exercise right up into the Artic.

#42

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Legbiter - Today at 10:47:10 AM

400 US troops with M2 Bradleys and Abraham tanks now conducting training exercises with the Finnish Karelia brigade near the Russian border: beautiful.

Careful they don't accidently saunter over and retake Karelia or something.

#43

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by The Minsky Moment - Today at 10:07:25 AM

So you're saying none of that actually happened...

I'll try to translate from Russian military communique to probable fact

"From the morning of June 4, the enemy conducted a cautious reconnaissance in the South Donetsk area with a few platoons of infantry with the support of a $250 off the shelf drone and a guy with really good binoculars.

"In total, 178 soldiers were involved.

"The enemy's goal was to scout our defenses on the strongest, in its opinion, sector of the front. The enemy did not achieve its tasks, because the entire battalion manning that sector cut and run in panic before their position could be properly observed, leaving only a handful of soldiers who were too hung over to move.

"As a result of the clownish actions of the 'Eastern' grouping of troops, the losses amounted to all 178 soldiers of the enemy force, taken out of action through hysterical laughter.

"The commander of the combined group of troops - the propped up mummified corpse of V.I. Lenin - was at one of the advanced control points in this direction during this period. As expected he proved to be the most resilient and effective fighter in the force."

#44

Off the Record / Re: [Gay] Gay News from Around...

Last post by Josquius - Today at 09:59:31 AM

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/05/war-brings-urgency-to-fight-for-lgbt-rights-in-ukraine?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Ukraine looking to legalise civil partnerships.

I find it quite funny to see the super conservative guy using the logic of the anti woke nuts to support it 

The Ukrainian MP Andrii Kozhemiakin is a wiry, conservative ex-spy who likes to emphasise his Christian faith and large family. He is also an unlikely new recruit in the fight for LGBT rights in Ukraine.

A draft civil union law that would give same-sex partnerships legal status for the first time was introduced this year to Ukraine's parliament, which is still functioning despite the war.

Kozhemiakin's committee was the first to debate it and the team behind the legislation were bracing for defeat; they had even prepared a statement. He started with a script they recognised, talking about his Soviet-era KGB training, his religious beliefs and his "personal opinion about LGBT people

And then he announced his wholehearted support for the legislation, referencing Vladimir Putin's homophobic claim that there are no gay Russians.

"Anything that our enemy hates ... I will support," Kozhemiakin said. "If it will never exist in Russia, it should exist and be supported here, to show them and signal to them that we are different. This law is like a smile towards Europe and a middle finger to Russia. So I support it."

#45

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Jacob - Today at 09:54:08 AM

400 US troops with M2 Bradleys and Abraham tanks now conducting training exercises with the Finnish Karelia brigade near the Russian border: beautiful.

What a coincidence!

Also this is something we probably can talk about far and wide. No need to make a secret of the US and NATO operating right on the Russian border in a place that wasn't NATO territory until very recently.

#46

Off the Record / Re: What does a BIDEN Presiden...

Last post by The Minsky Moment - Today at 09:47:29 AM

I would add that paradoxically operational ability and experience with the executive branch can be more useful to a VP than a President.  A President that has a strong personality and public appeal can set priorities and get people to do the detailed executive work - the FDR model.  The VP OTOH has figure out a way to make a contribution despite lacking any formal public authority or responsibility.

#47

Off the Record / Re: What does a BIDEN Presiden...

Last post by The Minsky Moment - Today at 09:43:36 AM

The key qualifications for being an effective VP are being an experienced operator within the executive branch, having the trust of the President, and getting reasonably along with the President's people.  Cheney - SOB as he may have been - was effective because he ticked all those boxes.  Gore lacked the first but got along reasonably well with Clinton and his people and was smart enough to figure out some niches to fill.  Biden played a similar role for Obama.  Bush Sr. didn't have warm relations with Reagan but was a very experienced operator and was close to some key players in the Reagan White House.  Quayle OTOH had none of these qualifications.  Neither did LBJ who if Kennedy had lived would likely have been forgotten to history other than having his name on an obscure DC office building.

My sense is that Biden likes Harris but that she lacks good relationships with the President's people and has no substantive skills or experience to contribute to running a national executive.

#48

Off the Record / Re: Out And About.

Last post by mongers - Today at 09:36:32 AM

I think I've done enough travelling on the trains for a while.

#49

Off the Record / Re: The Old Geezer's Thread.

Last post by mongers - Today at 09:35:15 AM

Made the mistake of saying in a supermarket, "do I need to give you a chit for that", for a free item I had, the young lad had never heard of a chit, I think he initially thought I was swearing at him

#50

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by mongers - Today at 09:32:50 AM

I wonder if that's part of the goal with Russia. Provoking people to share videos or analysis to disprove what they're saying and providing them with more information? While also probably not diminishing the impact of the propaganda domestically, where, I imagine it's aimed.

I think some of that statement(propaganda) from the Russian MoD, might have been in response to Prigozhin rant, hence the odd comment about the chief of staff being on hand:

On Monday, Mr Prigozhin again criticised Russia's military leadership, claiming that the Russian army had lost control of some of its positions around Bakhmut, describing it as a "disgrace".

He appealed to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, to travel to the front line and rally the troops, who he claimed were quietly retreating.

"You can do it! And if you can't, you'll die heroes," he remarked.