Globally we are entering a very fragile state: is Asia ready?

[placeholder]

3 hours ago, allanos said:

"That thought, analysis and planning was deficient, because Putin had surrounded himself with yes-men. He did not have anyone in his inner circle of advisers to say this is a bad idea".

 

Do you have intimate knowledge of this, or is it simply conjecture on your part? Are you privy

to the strategic inputs of Soviet central command?

 

"Russia does not have undisputed control of Ukrainian airspace".

 

No, but they could have, if they wanted it, and was my point which you have overlooked.

 

 

Are you seriously suggesting that the advance on Kyiv was really just an advance towards Kiev? That a huge amount of resources was devoted to an advance that was meant to turn into a retreat 40 kilometers away from Kyiv? 

 

As for air power, you are clearly in the same boat as the Russians are in not understanding how things have changed. Russia has overwhelming superiority in tanks. But anti-tank missiles look like they have seriously undercut the strategic effectiveness of tanks.

 

The same goes for aircraft. Russia is flying its jets over enemy territory. A territory that is bristling with highly effective anti-aircraft missiles. Its fighter jets just aren't good enough.

 

There's also the matter of training. Russian fighter pilots are seriously undertrained. The reason being fuel. It turns out that in the corrupt Russian military system, fuel is a form of cash. Lots of it disappeared and was replaced with money that found its way to places like Cyprus.

[DaveCW]

1 hour ago, Bkk Brian said:

It does but in your points you finished off with spreading a fake story yourself. 

I'm not sure about spreading - I gave an example by way of evidence - that was kind of the point of the post. Also, my description of the news story more suggested it was fake.

 

Sorry you read/interpreted otherwise.

[toho]

13 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I've not watched one report.

The answer is to not watch western anti-Russian, anti-Chinese propaganda.

Was it any different when America was invading Arab countries?

Did we all feel the need to boycott America?

If you did not see one report, then I suggest you to do some homework first before you are commenting this issue. Maybe your opinion will be more balanced then.

[toho]

12 hours ago, BritManToo said:

The COVID restrictions have destroyed the western economy, they desperately need 'bad guys' to point the finger of blame towards, in order to distract the proletariat. Russia or China are equally good in the role of 'bad guys'.

 

Expect several years of hate from the media.

 

What has Covid to do with this? Do some research before you come up with this nonsense. Putin and his inner circle are very busy for years already trying to bring back the old USSR. Spreading fake news, hacking, trying to influence political situations abroad, etc., etc. Yes, other countries do the same. But Russia and China, both with a Dr. Evil as head of state, lead the way at this moment.

[Bkk Brian]

31 minutes ago, DaveCW said:

I'm not sure about spreading - I gave an example by way of evidence - that was kind of the point of the post. Also, my description of the news story more suggested it was fake.

 

Sorry you read/interpreted otherwise.

Not to me it didn't. In fact your narrative was because of the moving bodies with it being fake. But that was not the fake aspect at all. It was peddled as if it was from Ukraine when infact it was from Austria.

[DaveCW]

5 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Not to me it didn't. In fact your narrative was because of the moving bodies with it being fake. But that was not the fake aspect at all. It was peddled as if it was from Ukraine when infact it was from Austria.

And thats the point its fake news/propaganda no matter where its from or "pretends to be from"

 

I believe the point is made - so will leave it there - Thanks for the chat

[Bkk Brian]

6 minutes ago, DaveCW said:

And thats the point its fake news/propaganda no matter where its from or "pretends to be from"

 

I believe the point is made - so will leave it there - Thanks for the chat

Doublespeak but yes I'll leave it there.

[coolcarer]

2 hours ago, DaveCW said:

I have often thought about this - why would they bomb civilian areas as they would obviously know it would end up in the media. Whilst serving in Afghanistan we were often in contact with the Taliban sniping, shooting, remotely detonating bombs from "built-up areas", with some restraint we often dealt with this by withdrawing and taking into account collateral damage etc. We had clear rules of engagement, different from say our US counterparts, who often simply calling in air support to deal with it. Perhaps thats what the Russian have done - I don't know if these building were being used for military purposes - therefore using any civilians as "Shields" do any of us know for sure? Last year the government of Ukraine was being painted as evil and corrupt by the West now they far from it. As mentioned many times propaganda from all sides hides the truth - There was even a news story recently where there was a line of supposedly dead civilians behind someone being interview - but you could see people moving under the sheets covering them... I'm not on the ground so cant comment on whats going on - But I have been in situations I'd rather forget, and I know there are always two perspectives and the ease of social media can corrupt - Just saying...

Why would they bomb civilian area’s? Ask WHO when they verified over 70 attacks on hospitals and health care facilities in Ukraine. It’s just a behavioral pattern carried over from their bombing in Syria.

[peter zwart]

War in any way is terrible. No matter who it is. But the only good thing that comes out of this war is the end of globalism. 

[morrobay]

31 minutes ago, coolcarer said:

Why would they bomb civilian area’s? Ask WHO when they verified over 70 attacks on hospitals and health care facilities in Ukraine. It’s just a behavioral pattern carried over from their bombing in Syria.

The Russians have Intentionally fired on  civilians, apartments, hospitals in order to cause a refuge crisis in Ukraine and neighboring countries

[Bernietravelling]

18 hours ago, jacko45k said:

We see actual footage taken from within Ukraine within the last hours presented on our TVs. No government influence has been exerted in that instance. Russia is making itself look bad and like all such countries, so used to lying to it's own people, push out incredulous rubbish in an attempt to justify their actions. They crossed an International border and murder the nationals of another country as if it is a God given right.... we thought such murderous despots  could no longer exist, but Russia created and worships one. 

Well, I remember some other cases, where “someone” crossed an international border and murdered the nationals of another country….

 

Just in case, you forgot them:

 

Iraq

Afghanistan

Lybia

Panama

Somalia

Sudan

Syria

Gulf

Yugoslavia

Yemen

 

10 wars, 6.000.000 dead, 200.000 t bombs ….

 

 

[jacko45k]

10 hours ago, Lacessit said:

As for masks, a former president refused to wear one.

I would not hold that idiot up as an example of anything, except being an idiot.

[itsari]

23 hours ago, Jiggo said:

Why are their not U.N. Observers in the Ukraine, just asking.

Because they would end up as targets for the Russian  snipers as many journalists have found out .

[jacko45k]

5 minutes ago, itsari said:

Because they would end up as targets for the Russian  snipers as many journalists have found out .

Would there not have to be a vote in the UN to do this anyhow, and Russia can simply veto this. Russia, currently committing war crimes, is on the security council and the one on human rights.... mind numbing. 

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

I would not hold that idiot up as an example of anything, except being an idiot.

No argument from me, although it does beg the question: If he's an idiot, what does that make his supporters?

[metisdead]

Off topic deflection posts and the replies with insults have been removed.

[micmichd]

13 hours ago, friendofthai said:

"Globally we are entering a very fragile state: is Asia ready?"

I would rather say it this way:"Western countries are entering a very fragile state: is Asia ready to fight for the West?"
And the answer should be: "And what about this face in the mirror? Why does not he go and fight for the West in the Ukraine? Why does he want Asia to fight for him instead?"

Why should Asia fight for the West? 

[Lacessit]

15 minutes ago, micmichd said:

Why should Asia fight for the West? 

For the same reason the West has fought in Asia, to try to preserve democracy and deny totalitarianism.

There is actually nothing too much wrong with socialism/communism in theory, the problem is it does not take much in practice to morph into a dictatorship.

[placeholder]

5 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

For the same reason the West has fought in Asia, to try to preserve democracy and deny totalitarianism.

There is actually nothing too much wrong with socialism/communism in theory, the problem is it does not take much in practice to morph into a dictatorship.

How is Russia socialist? Unlike the Chinese, the Russian govt. doesn't even pay socialism lip service.

[VocalNeal]

On 4/5/2022 at 8:30 AM, shackleton said:

Money is what drives Thailand 

I think everywhere. Life is not much fun without it?

Vary few incumbent governments get thrown out at elections because of political or idealist policies.

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, micmichd said:

Why should Asia fight for the West? 

Why should the West fight for the East?

[placeholder]

On 4/5/2022 at 11:04 AM, Mr Derek said:

How is it misbehaviour to support an oppressed minority of your own people? Normally that stuff is heroic, especially to the west. In judging this war you simply have to understand who the actual victims are.

 

Btw, any discussion of this war which doesn't address the primary issue of the Donbass Russians is irrelevant and uninteresting.

"When Ukrainians voted for independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, all of its 24 “oblasts,” or regions – including Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea – supported independence. The large minority of ethnic Russians – 17.3% of the population at Ukraine’s last census in 2001 – were included as Ukrainian citizens in an independent state. For the most part, they too voted for independence."

https://theconversation.com/why-putin-has-such-a-hard-time-accepting-ukrainian-sovereignty-174029

 

Ethnic Russians in Donbass are citizens of Ukraine. Since when do ethnic claims trump the facts of citizenship? Russia has no legal right to claim it is protecting ethnic Russians. It's only since Russia invaded Donbass that large numbers of citizens have left the area. Were ethnic Russians being truly oppressed, that exodus should have begun before.

 

Dismal Russian Record in Occupied Eastern Ukraine Serves as Warning
The areas, once engines of the Ukrainian economy, are now impoverished, depopulated enclaves that increasingly rely on Russian subsidies to survive. It’s what many fear could happen to the rest of the country if Vladimir Putin carries out a broader invasion.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/dismal-russian-record-in-occupied-eastern-ukraine-serves-as-warning-11643988253

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, placeholder said:

How is Russia socialist? Unlike the Chinese, the Russian govt. doesn't even pay socialism lip service.

It's not, it is a kleptocracy. I was harking back to some time ago.

The CCP pays a fair bit of attention to capitalism, as long as it is on their terms.

[candide]

22 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Would point out, having spent a little time in China, and a lot of time in the UK, China appeared freer than the nanny state that is the UK. Suspect America is the same with very little personal freedom.

 

As for Russia and the Ukraine, it's a long way away, and I don't really care if people I don't know and probably wouldn't like kill each other.

Lol! Are you serious?

 

Try to protest against the government in China! Try to openly criticise the government positions in China! Try to use forbidden words or address forbidden topics in Chinese social media! Try to use the same words to qualify the Chinese leader, as have been used to qualify UK PMs in the media! You know like "BoJo the clown", etc....

[BritManToo]

13 minutes ago, candide said:

Lol! Are you serious?

 

Try to protest against the government in China! Try to openly criticise the government positions in China! Try to use forbidden words or address forbidden topics in Chinese social media! Try to use the same words to qualify the Chinese leader, as have been used to qualify UK PMs in the media! You know like "BoJo the clown", etc....

Why do you feel it's important to do things like that?

Always amazed about what some people consider are important freedoms.

While totally missing what's really important in day to day living.

[zzaa09]

18 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Why do you feel it's important to do things like that?

Always amazed about what some people consider are important freedoms.

While totally missing what's really important in day to day living.

Indeed.

Bigger pictures, or any pictures for that matter, are almost always missed when applying deeply conditioned comparative forms. The definitive examples that you expose - U.S/U.K. - to be much more day-to-day repressed, controlled and dependency is on the mark, where everyday independent, free and self-sufficient are systematically stifled in a highly subliminal manner......yet, under the promoted and false pretense of open and free democratic existence. 

 

I can almost go anywhere in the non-Anglophone world and find a richer sense of everyday freedoms, independence and self-sufficiencies than one might find within the scopes of the supposedly superior and developed English-speaking worlds. 

 

Few will understand such truths, as the malleable conditioning and deepest fanciful indoctrination works it's magic as it has for ages. 

[sscc]

3 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Indeed.

Bigger pictures, or any pictures for that matter, are almost always missed when applying deeply conditioned comparative forms. The definitive examples that you expose - U.S/U.K. - to be much more day-to-day repressed, controlled and dependency is on the mark, where everyday independent, free and self-sufficient are systematically stifled in a highly subliminal manner......yet, under the promoted and false pretense of open and free democratic existence. 

 

I can almost go anywhere in the non-Anglophone world and find a richer sense of everyday freedoms, independence and self-sufficiencies than one might find within the scopes of the supposedly superior and developed English-speaking worlds. 

 

Few will understand such truths, as the malleable conditioning and deepest fanciful indoctrination works it's magic as it has for ages. 

Well said 

[naka dia]

On 4/5/2022 at 9:59 AM, NemoH said:

I am not supportive of any side Ukraine or Russia. It was a war that could have been avoided. Politics have always been about "engagement", even with your enemies. Sadly, this was totally discarded by some parties resulting in this war and massive suffering. I will not be trusting too much on any media report and casting any judgments as history has proven that we have been lied to many times by the same parties who seek us to believe in them and many decades later (if we live that long) we will have hindsight to see it all... 

your comment is a disgrace to humanity. Sure, the west has made its mistakes, as has Putin. But nothing, absolutely nothing gives Putin the right to start killing innocent people. And there is more than enough evidence on a daily basis that he is doing exactly that. If you pretend Putin is not a war criminal you might as well say that Hitler was not a war criminal. This war could have been avoided if Putin was not such a terrible person with no respect for human life....

[naka dia]

I can't believe the amount of stupid comments here. I understand if Russian propaganda brain washed people spread so much BS, but people who grew up and live in free countries?! You people obviously have no idea what it means to live in a brutal dictatorship. You want to compare the US and Russia? What happens when the US by accident attacks civilians? Often the media finds out about US government scandals and when a story like this breaks in the US an investigation follows.

 

When American bombs hit civilians we all find out about it and the responsible people will be held accountable. Now look at Russia. It is Putins pattern to destroy civilians. It's not an accident, he targets them! And if any of the Russian media would report something like this, this media will be shut down and the reporter would be locked up. In Putins Russia only Putins version of the story is allowed to be reported or told. Anyone out of line faces 15 years jail or even death. American journalists uncovering the US governments wrong doing might get awarded and will for sure make a good career. You can not compare Russian journalism to western journalism - its the opposite. the western journalists get rewarded for uncovering government wrongdoing, the Russian journalist get jailed for reporting the truth... 

 

And to those of you who "dont care about Russians and Ukrainians killing eachother" - If you would have been around 80 years ago with that same attitude and it would have gone your way, you might still live in a Nazi-run world with Nazi Germany in charge. Today we are not looking at Russia vs Ukraine, we are looking at Russia vs Europe. Putin showed its real face and if we let him have his way we agree to the start of WWIII

[timkeen08]

On 4/5/2022 at 8:12 AM, StayinThailand2much said:

I just know, if it were correct, that the Thai government has 'NATO allies', or does the writer perhaps mean Western allies (e.g. the U.S.) that, accidentally, happen to be NATO members? Besides, Thailand over the past 15-20 years has more and more moved away from being allied with the West to being allied with, mostly, China, while still, at the same time, getting the benefits of U.S.-Thailand military exercises, and trade privileges.

 

Nowadays, the only country that Thailand doesn't want to 'upset' seems to be China, due to the fact that, economically, politically, and strategically all of Thailand's 'eggs' are in that red basket. 

I agree with most of what you commented but get your facts straight.  The last time I checked there were quite a few Northern States, all be it most are small land wise or were only islands.  There are many States in America that have North Atlantic coastlines, look at a map first before you try to belittle the USA.  Talk about propaganda.  A NATO member by default, not by accident at all as you erroneously contend.  Which country do you think developed NATO and funded NATO?  The European countries themselves after WWII.  NATO was developed to protect Europe against the hold the USSR had during the Cold War.  They were all devastated by war and it would have take maybe 3 times as long to become what they are today without the US aid.  That is what NATO was if you want to get down to it.  Who was it that told NATO to start paying there own fair share percentages?  Who was it that told Gorbachev to "Tear Down That Wall".  The USA built back the NATO countries, especially Germany, for free post wartime reconstruction, financially and otherwise.  But not the same damage as was done to the Southern States for decades after America's Civil War even with the short Reconstruction era.  But it was both mostly done for power, big business, and control over the Southern masses or the EU countries including Great Britain.  The US did have their alternate reasons beyond reconstruction for NATO.

 

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union (Google it).  Note the US was named first.  You were wrong by many counts.

 

But I do definitely agree with your last paragraph, right on.