War in Ukraine

Singapore is listed as a parliamentary republic, similar to England. Sounds like democracy to me. For some reason, no one has formed a significant opposition party yet. They are theoretically allowed to form an opposition party, though.

They are a fairly homogenous people on a small island. I'm sure that plays into the politics. Malaysia next door is more multicultural, with 20% Chinese descendants, and 10% Indian descendants, along with a mixture of different religions.

Singapore - Wikipedia

 

Putin suffers yet another "massive" defeat, this time in Moldova. Putin had his oligarchs spend $15 million to bribe Moldovan voters to vote against EU membership, but they voted FOR membership by a narrow majority. Should have spent $16 million, ya tightwad bastids.

Opinion - Putin suffers another massive defeat, this time in Moldova

 

The idea of North Korea's soldiers being effective in Ukraine seems a bit far-fetched. Most N.K. troops have no experience in actual combat. There will be a language problem between the soldiers and their Russian overlords. Russia cannot handle its own troops effectively, much less someone else's.

North Korean troops fighting Ukraine will be 'fair game,' U.S. warns Putin

I'm guessing that the dead soldiers do not fight as well as the wounded ones.

 

I'm surprised Putin didn't assign Elon Musk to the job...or maybe he's saving him for something else.

 

Russia isolation colorized and without big words

 

Russia a pariah in the international community

 

Mostly accurate. Not wholly true. Opposition parties have failed to form for a very specific reason, not “some” reason. The governing party uses the power of the state to keep them from forming. Don’t get me wrong. I would rather live in Singapore than many other countries we casually call “democracies,” (and, got it, no democracy is perfect, certainly not ours). But Singapore uses many of the same tools and excuses that Russia and China do to keep the governing body in power while pretending the people could replace them if they wish.

 

I was wondering about defections. Honestly, it's probably as good a chance as they'll ever get.

 

Our government is losing its proxy war, but its winning the war against Americans …

Visualizing The Cost Of The American Dream In 2024 | ZeroHedge

 

If they’re willing to sacrifice their families back home, yes.

 

UK is arguably the most bellicose of the Western nations arrayed against Russia, but is incapable of going to war with its own troops …

Armed Forces Not Ready to Fight a War, Says Defence Secretary – The Daily Sceptic

 

I don't know if North Korea would be able to find out which of their troops defected, if Ukraine did not parade them in front of cameras as trophies or something. They might just be listed as MIA. I'm sure that Ukraine would recognize their need for secrecy, and they would be spirited away to another country and "adopted" by a South Korean family to teach them the local language and customs. They'll be making kim-chi in Poland or Germany before they know it. Once they see the horrors of a war that they have no business in, they will have plenty of motivation to surrender. I wouldn't be surprised if South Korea were to volunteer to send some people to a place like Poland to help North Korean defectors assimilate into society there, or allow them to relocate to South Korea after they demonstrate they are not dangerous for a period of time.

 

How them sanctions working for Europe ?

 

That’s all true. But what is also important is what a North Korean soldier believes will happen if they desert. You are talking about people who have been living their entire lives like it’s 1984, only less extravagant. They believe that the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-present, and all-powerful Kim Jong Un will know the moment they have committed the thoughtcrime of having considered defection. I think there will be some desertions, sure, but I am not as optimistic that the West will help hide them. Our interest is the opposite of that. So, yeah, I think there will be reprisals against family members. Of course, what can you take away from North Korean prisoners that would actually make their lives worse? Killing them might be a mercy in some cases.

 

duggers_dad never gets tired of winning.

What a stud!

 

Israel launches retaliatory attack against Iran

Only related to this thread, but Israel is hitting Iran back as we speak. No battle damage assessment yet, but unlike Iran’s missiles, Israel’s seem to be getting through and hitting whatever they’re aimed at. That was more or less the message Israel tried to send last time when they targeted a single Iranian surface-to-air missile system (Russian design, of course), adjacent to one of Iran’s nuclear sites. Oh, well, message sent does not always equal message received.

But the relation to the Ukraine thread is this: I could have been sworn I was told — yes, I’m certain I was — that Russia’s IADS was impenetrable and anything we sent against it would be shot down, including our stealth aircraft. More evidence (and there’s been plenty already) that this is not the case.

 

I think we can assume that the "magic" switch was turned off at the time. Otherwise, it would have shot down the missile.

 

Ah, that switch. Yeah, I notice Russia throws that switch a lot whenever Ukraine targets their radars and SAMs with less-than-state-of-the-art munitions. Personally, I think that’s generous of Russia. Keeping things fair.

 

North Korea's sending troops to fight for Russia may have upset one unexpected country that Putin cannot afford to offend: China. China is used to being North Korea's sponsor and protector, and they don't like any other countries horning in on their overlord status.

Surprisingly, China is not only irritated by Russia's actions, but they hinted a willingness to work with the U.S. after the elections to try to find a way to end the Ukraine War. That seems like a major shift.

Why North Korea sending soldiers to Russia will bother China