It just might blow back on us. However, I am reminded that no shortage of scumbags fought on the Union side of our Civil War as well as on the side of the Allies in World War 2. In my opinion, that fact does not significantly reduce the justice of either cause.
Our support for the mujahideen worked out great for us, you're wrong there. Our abandonment of the mujahideen really bit us in the rear though. And yeah - war isn't filled with a bunch of captain John Miller school teachers. What's your point?
It paved the way for us to reduce spending on the military, and spend money on a little something called the internet, which helped send our economy into overdrive in the 1990's. The additional tax money from that allowed us to further upgrade the technology of our military, and now we are able to defeat a former superpower and rival with Ukraine's soldiers and 1980's technology, while having 2010's technology that allows us to fly over the battlefields undetected, watching what's going on. So, yeah, it exactly ended up making us stronger. There are going to be a few losers in any large random group of people. Get over it. It's more of an embarrassment of CNN's editors than of the cause.
Wagner chief Prigo says that Russia needs to close its borders, impose martial law, and live like North Koreans for a few years. Otherwise, the people will rise up and burn down Moscow. He is predicting a 1917-style revolution in Russia. Wagner Group financier offers Russia to follow North Korea's path in order to not lose the country Things are getting desperate over there.
First I have heard of this, which I cross posted on the Chinese military thread. Russia has put on trial 3 scientists for suspicion of treason for apparently sharing hypersonic missile technology with China
All the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting.' - George Orwell -
Russia apparently had a poor response to the Belgorod incident because that is the sort of incident that Russian Special Forces troops would handle, and they essentially have no more Special Forces units after getting them most of them wiped out in the Ukraine invasion. Russia didn’t respond to Belgorod Oblast incursion because its special forces were killed in Ukraine — expert
China is driving a hard bargain with Russia on a new natural gas pipeline, delaying the start of the project and the first payments to Moscow that Russia desperately needs. China wants a really low price for gas in exchange for green-lighting the project. Russia is totally screwed. Sanctions not working? Even Putin's "friends" are turning the screws on him. China is flexing its new influence over Russia, keeping Putin waiting to see if he can have a new gas pipeline he desperately needs
Wagner going straight at the defense minister. I'm guessing that Prig doesn't have any children to send to the front. Best thing for anyone is when their opposition is fighting each other. Putin recognized that and this is why there is so much disinformation and tribalism in America now. Wagner boss attacks Russia's defense minister, says his daughter and son-in-law live in luxury while thousands are sent to die in Ukraine (msn.com) The head of the pro-Kremlin Wagner mercenary group escalated his feud with Russia's military on Tuesday, criticizing the defense minister's daughter as a child of the stereotypical elite. In an interview with Russian political strategist Konstantin Dolgov, Yevgeny Prigozhin called out Russia's elite for not sending their children to fight in Ukraine, The Times of London reported. "The children of the elite smear themselves with creams and show off on the internet, while ordinary people's children come home in zinc [coffins], torn to pieces," he said, according to The Times' translation. Prigozhin directly called out the daughter and the son-in-law of Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu, according to reports.
I had read some of those Russian freedom fighters were neonazis. I’d let them make their hay, but Ukraine should keep their distance. War can make strange bedfellows. Against ISIS, you had the US fighting them, the Kurds, and Suleman’s Iranian militias, who were ruthless against ISIS. We were kind of fighting in parallel with them but didn’t want to be associated with them or their tactics. In Yemen, you had US interests, fighting in parallel with Saudi Arabia, and Al Queda, against Iranian supported Hoothies (sp?)
Hilarious bit of ignorance. Of course, the whole war never needed to happen, but Putin insisted on an invasion. Russia sent in conscripts with even less training, sometimes only equipping them with shovels. No need to wring your hands. Ukraine's newbies did just fine, killing about five times as many Russians as were lost on their side. Maybe Ukrainians are naturally smarter (and/or more sober) than Russians.
Good point on the sober comment. As we all know alcoholism (a disease) is rampant in Russias military. Heck the whole country are a bunch of alcoholics with a small share in a gas station for income. They can’t be expected to fight. It’s ironic because Napoleon’s invasion failed for the same reason (different diseases) https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA398046.pdf
South Korea has been sending hundreds of thousands of artillery shells to Ukraine. But don't tell anyone--it's a secret. Seoul starts secretly transferring hundreds of thousands of artillery shells to Kyiv
