War in Ukraine

Wikipedia isn't real.

 

Somebody put a note somewhere so we can wish our comrade a happy birthday in March!

 

It’s so interesting looking back at some dystopian literature like Orwell & Bradbury and realizing what they got wrong. It’s not the thought police or the limitation of information (book burning, censorship etc) that will be our downfall but rather the proliferation of so much bullshit fake information (that is customizable to each individual based on what they want to hear) that there is no agreed upon reality. Terrifying times we are living in.

 

Or using another term "a useful idiot".

 

He strikes me as a net spewer, not a net consumer.

 

We typically win the military part of the war, and then fall apart when it comes to rebuilding the (semi-)defeated country in our own image. Had we left Iraq in 2003, we would have left as a winner of all the battles, but Saddam would still be in power, and Iraq would still be a regional security threat. And actually, we could have "won" the peace in Iraq, had we (a) not had to contend with interference from Iran; and (b) managed to adequately guard 200 tons of high explosives in a single weapons depot. George W. Bush, being an idiot, appointed a guy in charge of horse shows to be in charge of rebuilding Iraq, and when asked upon arrival if he had a message to send to Iran, he couldn't think of one. Even if he told Iran to "hold their horses", that wouldn't have been as stupid as saying nothing and ignoring Iran. And denying Iraqis the use of the high explosives would have eliminated a lot of the IED's that wound up killing so many U.S. troops.

The U.S. had a similar problem in Afghanistan, in that we provided about 40% of the weapons and ammunition that the Taliban was using to fight us. We didn't provide it directly to the Taliban, but we provided it to Pakistan for their government's support in fighting terrorism. The Pakistani government provided the weapons and ammo to their troops, some of whom were not on board with fighting terrorism, and they smuggled it over the mountains into Afghanistan.

The difference between the wars that we won the battles and the peace and the ones where we won the battles and lost the peace is this: in wars like WWII, both opponents were thoroughly destroyed and the people were reduced to starving. They had to accept our terms for the peace or they would die if we left them there. That said, I think it is possible to win the war and the peace without incinerating the countryside and leveling the cities. It just requires a lot more intelligence than a modern president typically has between his ears.

 

While I still believe we are doing the right thing in providing assistance to Ukraine, there is a considered risk of some of those weapons falling into the wrong hands (i.e. terrorists wanting to kill civilians and blow shit up).
The alternative of sitting back and allowing Vlad to rebuild his empire is not in our interests.

 

"Russia--the Comedy" continues. Half of the mobilized men in one district were sent home because they did not meet the draft criteria. Then the guy who sent them home was sacked for not being flexible enough with the criteria. It's a shame that Mel Brooks is retired, because this war would make an incredibly funny movie in many ways.

Half of mobilised men in Russian region sent home, commissar fired - governor

 

Recent updates.
Russia-Ukraine latest updates: Kyiv’s forces claw back in Kherson

Of note - is not detecting massive reinforcements from Russia despite weeks of setbacks. And the leader of the western military theatre for Russia has been replaced.
Good detail on combat here
Ukraine update: There's no stopping the Ukrainian advance

 

If you work for Russia, you’re a Russian agents. There are and have always been Americans working for Russia. Some of them know it. Some of them don’t.

 

I share this story whenever I can, and Mel Brooks is involved in it so I’m dropping it here. Completely unrelated to Ukraine or really anything on this forum, but sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face. Read through this whole Twitter thread from when Carl Reiner died in 2020.

 

Beef Stroganoff is funnier.

 

Fair.

 

I can’t remember who predicted big moves in Kherson a couple days ago, but spot on.

Putin's army runs scared as maps show huge Ukrainian advance in just four hours

 

Had to have been Duggers …

 

What effect do you think the partial mobilization will have on this map over the next month or so? From what I've read, those additional troops have not arrived at the front lines yet in Ukraine and there are supposedly already 200,000 additional troops that have signed up. It looks like Ukraine is making a mad dash to claim what they can before that additional calvary arrives from the Russ side.

 

Ukraine is trying to cut off Russia’s ability to replenish and resupply before the new troops arrive, forcing Russia to have the more difficult burden of attacking and seizing vs. defending. There is a race going right now.

 

Even assuming that Russia now has 200,000 additional troops ("signed up" is probably a misnomer, "conscripted" would be a more accurate description of how the Russian military was able to increase its manpower so quickly) how would effective would they be considering that they will be deployed to the front lines with little or no training. Tragically for them and their families they will be nothing more than cannon fodder.