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Why didn't I think of that? What a great way to strategize., Just giving it a name like "extraction strategy attack" makes it feasible. No matter what obstacles may lie in the way, an "extraction energy attack" is an irresistible force. But I have to say I think your solution is a bit modest. Why not a "coup de grace" attack on the entire eastern front and just wipe out the Russian forces? Now that I've given it a name, success is assured.

The megalomaniac I was referring to was Xi. The previous megalomaniac was Mao. How did Mao's reign work out for the Chinese economy? There was a 37 year interregnum between the death of one megalomaniac and the ascent of another.

Kwasaki is engaged in something called "concern trolling". Concern trolls pretend to be on your side but actually work to undermine it. Thus by pretending to be gung ho about the fate of the soldiers in Mariupol, Kwasaki is actually making an obvious attempt to discredit the Ukrainian govt and military. There are telltales that appear when the mask slips. For example, he once called the Russian invasion of Ukraine a "Special Mission" thus accepting the characterization promoted by Putin and his underlings.

Really? This gives China the power to do what exactly? When it comes to crucial technology such as chips, China runs far behind the West. Maybe someday China will be number 1. But to assert that it's now number 1 is ridiculous. And given the incompetence of its current ruler, I don't think it will ever get there. He inherited a strong and growing economy, but he's doing his best to undermine it. Countries run by megalomaniacs tend not to do so well in the long run or even the medium run.

So you've got no answer to the fact that it's Russia that corresponds to a declining empire. I guess it's no fun for you to be hoist by your own petard. Instead, all you can offer is insults directed at a person. That is a telltale sign of someone who's got nothing substantive to offer. . And somehow, what was "once the world's greatest power", has deterred Chinese industry from providing crucial goods to Russia. Chinese tech firms pull out of Russia: report Chinese tech firms are leaving Russia amid crippling sanctions the international community has put on the region, people familiar with the issue told The Wall Street Journal. Tech companies such as Lenovo Group Ltd. and Xiaomi Corp. are restricting shipments to Russia as sanctions have made it difficult to operate financially in the country, sources told the outlet. A number of Chinese companies have avoided publicly announcing why they are pulling business from Russia after the Chinese government said businesses had to fight against Western sanctions. https://thehill.com/policy/international/3479807-chinese-tech-firms-pull-out-of-russia-report/ So the USA is inferior in power to what nation(s)?

I got news for you. It wasn't Biden who refused to join the Trans Pacific Partnership thus leaving China a huge opportunity to enhance it's power with its member nations. Maybe you should save some of your insults for the ignoramus who was previously in office.

So you propose a military intervention by the west? And if it's lives you're concerned bout, why should the west intervene there for the sake of a thousand when there are millions under assault by the Russians elsewhere? Do you feel some special attachment to the members of the Azov battalion?

The definition of abandoned is to be deserted or cast off. The Ukrainian armed forces didn't desert them or cast them off. They were cut off by the Russian armed forces. But even if I accept your assertion that they are abandoned, what's the solution to that? You seem to think that just by possessing weapons, the Ukrainian armed forces are obligated to go to the rescue of these soldiers even if the attempt suicidal. You're spouting nonsense.

Wow! If ever there was an example of misplaced historical blindness, it's your comment here. What decrepit nation is struggling to regain control of lands and people it once ruled as an empire? A nation with an economy smaller than others with populations that are a small fraction of its subjects? Does the name "Russia" ring any bells for you?

I did advise as you asked. And nothing I found said that the Mariupol fighters have been abandoned by the rest of the Ukrainian army. I did see pleas for the Red cross and other international agencies to work out a cease fire with the Russians so that the wounded could be rescued. Exactly whose interests would a suicidal attack on Mariupol serve? I don't need Google to answer that question. Obviously, a far more sensible question would be why those soldiers refuse to surrender? I asked Google and this is the answer that it provided me: “We, all of the military personnel in the garrison of Mariupol, we have witnessed the war crimes performed by Russia, by the Russian army. We are witnesses,” said Ilya Samoilenko, an intelligence officer. “Surrender is not an option because Russia is not interested in our lives.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/8/ukrainian-fighters-in-azovstal-plant-vow-to-fight-till-the-end#:~:text=“We%2C all of the military,not interested in our lives.”

Instead of asking us, you could ask google.

The news is that the Ukraine has shut down one entry point in the east because of Russian soldiers interfering with the operation of the system there. How did you manage not to know that but knew that the Ukraine was slowing delivery to the EU? That's a remarkable feat of knowledge blindness.

It should be to use them in ways that make strategic sense. Not out of emotionalism.

That's a pretty long investment window you got there. What's more, as I looked more closely at the chart I realized that it doesn't account for inflation "Even though the price of gold is 50 times as high as in 1971, stocks have performed even better. The S&P 500 has produced an annualized return of 11.2% since August 1971, assuming dividends were reinvested along the way. That compares with 8.2% annualized for gold. Furthermore, the only reason gold came even this close to matching stocks over the past 50 years was its huge return during the first decade following Nixon’s announcement. " https://www.wsj.com/articles/gold-as-an-inflation-hedge-what-the-past-50-years-teaches-us-11628283272 So, I guess if you've been holding on to gold for 50 years, it's nearly as good an investment as stocks. The article goes on to say that if you take away the first decade after the price of gold was decontrolled, gold has risen at a 3.6% rate, whereas stocks did over 12% and even intermediate treasury notes did over 8%. https://seekingalpha.com/article/4133639-is-gold-really-best-inflation-hedge

Here's a comparison between the performances of the S&P 500, the Dow Jones, and gold. Gold loses by a big margin. https://www.longtermtrends.net/stocks-vs-gold-comparison/

Have you noted that most of the countries that support the U.S. position on the Ukraine, did not support the US war in Iraq? Have you noted that virtually all of the countries that support the U.S. position on the Ukraine, did not support the previous administration's sabotage of the Iran nuclear agreement? Have you noted that Finland, which has kept itself scrupulously non-aligned for roughly 80 years, is now seriously contemplating joining NATO because of the Russian invasion? Does any of this look significant to you?

You really should acquaint yourself with the rules of thaivisa.com. No more than a headline and 3 sentences from the text you are quoting. And also a link is required. Try again. And then I'll shred that post for the nonsense it is. Won't waste my time now since the mods are sure to take it down.

So, are you saying that no one knows if Russia has invaded Ukraine? That it hasn't happened or that it's a false flag operation?

What nonsense. By your criteria, no one including yourself would have the faintest idea about anything that goes on in the world anywhere.

I wouldn't be citing these countries as a reason to allow Ukraine to be a member. Five objec lessons. I'm guessing that the EU has learned those lessons. That said, you make a fair point about candidate status and the incentive it offers.

Let's not get carried away. Ukraine is a far freer and more benigh country than Russia. But corruption has been rampant and until that's taken care of, it shouldn't be a member of the EU. Look at the situation in Hungary.

India isn't incurring any sanctions. Why would Thailand be incurring them?

Yes, Finland is one of the most progressive nations in the world. And despite its lack of alarmism over the years, it's truly alarmed about Russia's transgression. Ya think Finland has years to devote to the unlikely creation of a purely European self-defense pact while Russia remains a threat? You think Finland believes that Russia would respect Finland and other bordering nations during the interregnum in which Finland would push for this alliance?

You were referencing the domino theory. Are you seriously trying to contend that you were making a post that was utterly irrelevant to the topic at hand? Obviously you were using it to discredit the threat posed by Russia to its neighbors.

Finland shares a1340 kilometer (830 miles) border with Russia. It has remained studiously non-aligned for the last 75 years or so. Now it's now seriously considering joining NATO. What do you know that the Finns don't?