rabas

1 minute ago, BobBKK said:

 Wrong again bro
 

Whoa, like I said can't fool me.

That's the same protest in Hungary that I referenced in my post.  It's a protest in Hungary staged by Orban for election with a misleading headline by Times of India. Did you watch?

30 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Macron getting defeated is such GOOD NEWS!  coupled with the HUGE anti-war protests in Hungary, I do believe that many people are finally waking up to the proxy war! 

You can fool some of the people some of the time...

Can't fool me. Do you mean:

Thousands demanding change in Hungary  Feb 17

Thousands Protest Against Hungary's Orban  March 26

Tens of thousands march in Budapest against Orban  April 6

Thousands protest Hungary’s Orban in government stronghold May 6

Orban Challenger holds mass demonstration on eve of EU election June 5

or

Orbán stages  ‘peace march’  before European election June 1

4 hours ago, niccodemi said:

Yes, I watched it. I couldn't find much new information apart from what we hear from mainstream media in West, basically Russia is bad, Putin is bad and he wants to conquer Ukraine while provoking NATO and West will prevail by supplying more and more weapons to Ukraine. There are some truths in there for sure, even war in Georgia in 2008 is mentioned however there is no attempt to explain the root cause of all these issues with Russia.

By the way the war in Georgia happened only a few months after NATO summit which I mentioned earlier and I believe that that was not a coincidence. Russia opposed previous NATO expansions in 1999 and in 2004 but couldn't do anything about it. Following is what US ambassador to Moscow at the time had to say about expansion to Ukraine:

 

 

His leaked cable (NYET MEANS NYET) is also interesting to read.

 

The best explanation is provided by J. Mearsheimer who predicted Russia wrecking Ukraine already back in 2015.

 

Link to video.

 

The leaked cable is indeed very interesting. Mostly a detailed summary of Russian views from various sources. But again note there is no mention (that I could see) of any Western promise to not expanding NATO. You would think the Russians would have at least mentioned it if there were.

1 hour ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

https://archive.ph/F7T2c

 

Yatsenko says other prisoners told him they will see how he and other convicts fare before deciding. On a recent visit to their prison, bored-looking men stood in courtyards smoking. Some labored under a hot sun making concrete obstacles known as dragon’s teeth for the military.
“But prison life is like a summer holiday camp” compared with the front, said Barandich.

But you forget to mention the Russian and Ukraine conditions of recruitment are completely different.

1 hour ago, niccodemi said:

There is no question that Russia is aggressor since 2022 as far as its relationship with Ukraine is concerned but wouldn't you agree that US and NATO are to blame for the cause of the troubles (starting in 2014)?

 

Part of statement from NATO summit in 2008

 

"NATO welcomes Ukraine’s and Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations for membership in NATO.  We agreed today that these countries will become members of NATO.  Both nations have made valuable contributions to Alliance operations."

 

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_8443.htm

Watch (2 min)  Russian born Russia/Putin expert Julia Ioffe discuss NATO guarantees. This is a short clip from her longer talk Putin and the Presidents. Also see The Putin Files.

Here are a lot of details.

12 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

You say famous but there isn't even a Wikipedia article about him nor is he qouted or has written in any western mainstream journal that would pass this parishes sniff test. So it's an opinion from a marginal figure at best. Others are raising the alarm about complacent mythologies in the west and with good cause.

 

https://archive.ph/YTurB

 

These shifts are tectonic. Even in czarist times, Russia shipped its commodities to Europe and relied on imports from the West of manufactured goods. Russia’s oligarchs, blacklisted by most Western countries, have had to adapt to the new reality. Last month, the businessman Vladimir Potanin, whose fortune is estimated at $23.7 billion, announced that his copper and nickel empire would reorient toward China, including by moving production facilities into the country. “If we’re more integrated into the Chinese economy,” he said, “we’ll be more protected.”

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4nn7pej9jyo

 

The story of the price cap highlights a dilemma for the US and its partners.

Recognising that Russia is one of the largest players on the global energy market, they have tried to keep Russian oil flowing to avoid hiking energy prices. The result of that is that Moscow is still making money.

“In a way, we refused to properly sanction Russian oil,” Elina Ribakova concludes. “This price cap is an attempt to have our cake and eat it. The priorities are to allow Russian oil on to the market and to reduce Russia’s revenue. And when these two priorities conflict, unfortunately the first one wins. That allows Russia to raise a lot of revenues and continue with the war.”

 

The article then ends with a signoff that infrastructure spend has taken a dive as resources go into the war ecomomy. Pot.Kettle.Black.

He is famous and is in Wikipedia. He is Russian, works in Russia, writes in Russian so he appears in Russian Wiki. (Wiki is author language based, not English). Click image for his Wiki page in Google English.

He has numerous accolades. He is a founder of Russia's Higher School of Economics. He is author of many publications in the economic press and the first textbook in Russia on market economics for HS students, published in large quantities. "Today he is one of the most authoritative specialists in the field of marketing and pricing in Russia" and "among the 12 best teachers of Russian business education", etc.

He was recently exiled with many other experts after being deemed a foreign agent. Why? His book contents "do not contribute to love for the Motherland." (Putin) He is now in Lithuania and is quoted in Western media: Business Insider,  Business Insider,  Reuters.

Economists inside Russia can't speak freely out of fear,  those outside tell a very different story. Western media often confuses the two streams of real and fake info out of Russia. One should not believe anything coming from Putin's Russia. 
 

I skip the rest of your post as it starts on a false premise. I did give you a little red heart to show your negative feedback is not mine. 🙂
 

1 hour ago, kwonitoy said:

 

Igor Lipsits is a famous Russian economist, now in exile as are many qualified Russians. He often discusses how Putin's war is destroying the fabric of Russia. 

He writes for The Insider RU. Here is a full article by him:  How the war will bankrupt the Russian economy

His message is identical to that of another exiled Russian in this video from INSIDER RUSSIA  posted by jvs on the previous page. Everything in the video is exactly what my Russian friends have told me over the last 30+ years. I can't recommend this video enough.

If you want to know the real truth about Putin's Russia, look for qualified Russians who love their country, are outside and safe from assassination, and who want to tell the story. Garry Kasparov and Julia Ioffe are two excellent examples. 

1 hour ago, pegman said:

Same as what the Yanks threatened in 1962 when the USSR put nuclear missiles in Cuba. Biden knew he was baiting gangster Putin into invading Ukraine when he stated that Ukraine would be gaining NATO membership. Dumb is believing the nonsense fed to you by propaganda media like the right wing trash British tabloids, SKY NEWS, CNN, MSNBC, FOX News......... Did you not learn anything after WMD in Iraq????? Still eating Freedumb Fries????

Dumber is believing that Putin's Russia has a right to control Ukraine, which Russia already agreed was an sovereign nation. 

Below that is believing the US navel blockade on the high seas stopping Russian ships with Russian nukes is somehow equivalent to Russia invading and slaughtering the population of Ukraine.  

But that's what soundbites do to people. 

 DW: Chair of the Defense Committee of the German Bundestag Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann was asked "What happens if a Russian fighter jet is shot down by a Western weapon in Russian airspace?"
 
Answer: " Russia will have one less plane..."
 

Her full answer here (video). One smart woman, maybe she should be the next EU commissioner.

Time magazine June 4. interview with Biden:

1) Full transcript  [reference] 

2) Time fact check of Biden's comments [reference]

It's a long interview, the first 40% is on Ukraine.

Asked if NATO is on a slippery slope to war,

Biden:  "No, we're on a slippery slope for war if we don't do something about Ukraine."

Biden's comment on NATO and Ukraine:

Biden: Peace looks like making sure Russia never, never, never, never occupies Ukraine. That's what peace looks like. And it doesn't mean NATO, they are part of NATO.  It means we have a relationship with them like we do with other countries, where we supply weapons so they can defend themselves in the future. But it is not, if you notice, I was the one when—and you guys did report it at TIME—the one that I was saying that I am not prepared to support the NATOization of Ukraine. 

3 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

No one wishes for never ending war? Let’s see..

 

No negotiations with Russia as long as Putin is President- can you think of a more stupid law apart from 90day report?

Peace summit without inviting the main protagonist, in reality the only party that can materially affect the course of the war

Further escalation by the west on a daily basis

 

I don’t see a single action by the west that makes any attempt to end this conflict. In fact, it seems to me that certain western powers are more than happy to keep the war going as it is extremely profitable business. Same same with trying to provoke a hot war in Asia. After all, it’s not as if their own citizens are dying, not that they would care anyway, apart from hurting their re-election chances.

Sigh.

"Peace summit without inviting the main protagonist, in reality the only party that can materially affect the course of the war"

Putin was "not invited" because he repeatedly and publicly refused to attend [reference- see section Russia]. It is now reported that he also demanded China not go. This was one of his 3 demands on his recent trip to Beijing. [reference].

So you mean Putin wishes never ending war?

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

and just what forum cut and past rules would those be? I just did a check and I was unable to locate any rule relating to cut and paste. Perhaps you meant something else, and if so please refer to the correct rule.

Sigh.

27. You will not post any copyrighted material except as fair use laws apply (as in the case of news articles). Only post a link, the headline and three sentences from the article. Content in the public domain is limited to the same restrictions.

12 minutes ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

 

Time to talk - an eye for an eye will make everyone blind.

 

https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA2510-1.html

 

"Since avoiding a long war is the highest priority after minimizing escalation risks, the United States should take steps that make an end to the conflict over the medium term more likely."

 

 

President Biden has said that this war will end at the negotiating table.[74] But the administration has not yet made any moves to push the parties toward talks. Although it is far from certain that a change in U.S. policy can spark negotiations, adopting one or more of the policies described in this Perspective could make talks more likely. We identify reasons why Russia and Ukraine may have mutual optimism about war and pessimism about peace. The literature on war termination suggests that such perceptions can lead to protracted conflict. Therefore, we highlight four options the United States has for shifting these dynamics: clarifying its plans for future support to Ukraine, making commitments to Ukraine's security, issuing assurances regarding the country's neutrality, and setting conditions for sanctions relief for Russia.

A dramatic, overnight shift in U.S. policy is politically impossible—both domestically and with allies—and would be unwise in any case. But developing these instruments now and socializing them with Ukraine and with U.S. allies might help catalyze the eventual start of a process that could bring this war to a negotiated end in a time frame that would serve U.S. interests. The alternative is a long war that poses major challenges for the United States, Ukraine, and the rest of the world.

Unrelated to my post. Talking is a two way process where people focus on what each other is saying. 

Your 1.5 year old post is also not related to current events in Ukraine and violates forum cut and past rules. 

26 minutes ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

All you people who cheer for a neverending war, take a good look.Imagine another 2.5 years of this.

 

Soundbite propaganda.  No one wishes for never ending war. Most reasonable people wish that Russia (perhaps without despot Putin) could find better ways to work together with the rest of the world. Maybe not start the first war of territorial conquest since forever. 

Putin's failed push into Kharkiv achieved one thing, broad Allied permission to use Western weapons inside Russia. Here is one Russian expert's impassioned plea on Putin state propaganda TV.  

"... but to go to the war of cities, to a conscious missile strike on many populated cities is a drunken irresponsibility!", he says using a well understood scale of evil, drunken irresponsibility. 

Medvedev, do you understand ?   

3 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

3 hours ago, stevenl said:

That talk is based on Putin's ambitions.

As if anyone knows Putin’s ambitions lol. 

You have explained Putin's ambitions and intentions on Ukraine in detail several times.

You mean you don't know?

If not, which source would be more accurate and trustworthy:

1.  10000s of highly skilled  international experts in independent think tanks not controlled by any government, many from Russia, Eastern Europe, and the Balkan states.
2. Russian state propaganda controlled by Putin.
3. You.

12 hours ago, jas007 said:

Russia is a joke??  Hardly.  Maybe years ago the Soviet Union was in disarray, but today, no.  Of course, the Western propaganda machine continues to spew nonsense about an “antiquated “ Russian military, incapable of fighting the West. That’s what they want people to believe. And maybe some gullible politicians actually believe the lie.  But in reality, the Russian military is very much up to date and very well equipped for a modern war in Europe. The West simply does not have the manpower or equipment to match them in a ground war.  
 

The US has an air force and a bunch of aircraft carriers.  Not too many combat arms troops. Much of its equipment is old, designed and manufactured years ago. Together with NATO, they couldn’t put together much of a combat force on the ground.  Some military experts realize this, but far too many are beholden to the war machine. They tell their masters what they want to hear.  And they all seem to be listening to delusional war mongers. The Neocons.  People who don’t live in the real world.
 

What  happens when the ground war fails?  Escalation.  It’s a scary situation.

You've now written three fictional essays based on the same false premise. NATO is not going to attack Russian territory. The rest is just LAW, long and wrong. Russia spending 2+ years slogging away at Ukraine should tell you Russia has little chance of taking on NATO's far superior numbers, which you misrepresent. NATO vs Russia numbers 
 
TBH, your essay style is what I might get asking my Thai wife to write about why Western food tastes better than Thai food, which she doesn't believe.

As for Russia's superior tech, you mean Putin's claimed unstoppable hypersonjc missiles, impenetrable S-400 systems, and indestructible T-90 tanks (of which they've lost 125+)?

Take Putin's vaunted $1+ billion S-400 system. Good specs but multiple Western systems have made short work of them, Russia has lost ~11 systems so far. Storm shadows go right past and more are being removed by the new ATCKMS. India wonders if they made a mistake buying S-400.

VIDEO

Putin explains Crimea is now safe because of S400 (NOT)

S-400 fires 6 missiles at 3 incoming ATACMS hitting none.

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

In which case you were required to post a link to support it, hmmmmm!

 

Were you not just complaining that he hadn't posted a link to support his opinion?

I DID PROVIDE A LINK. <== emergency use of large font

It was the sole purpose of my original post:

It would be nice if you acknowledge your error.