Just now, Yagoda said:

Cambodia again? You still smarting from that ban? Your hysteria is palpable LOL

 

You are the only one here that lives in that third world country. All others can enter freely...........if they actually wanted to

2 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Disaster for Russia? I remember this being said about the abrams and the F16s. Russia now has FAB's with motors that reportadly have a flight distance of 200km. This means for the most part the SU 34's will be able to hang back a lot further meaning any aircraft trying to take out the SU's will need to be closer to Russian air defence systems.

Agreed. You forgot the game-changing Storm Shadows. Of course, now its Tomahawks that Zelensky insists will make Putin end the war. 

6 minutes ago, Summerinsiam said:

No Putin would  mean a power vacuum and a destabilised Russia, which would be worse. There is no democratic tradition in Russia, and the reality is that someone even more hardline could succeed him. 

If it did not happen right after the fall of the USSR, it certainly will not happen now. Today, the people of Russia are much more familiar with the wider world, with democratic values, and with real capitalism. Putin is the last remnant of the Russian and Soviet imperial mindset. Now, as the remaining members of the Soviet generation — people whose minds were brainwashed by Soviet propaganda — pass away, Russia will gain a real opportunity to break with its past.

1 minute ago, CallumWK said:

 

You are the only one here that lives in that third world country. All others can enter freely...........if they actually wanted to

Except you. Its evident that its one of the reasons you express yourself here with such anger, bitterness and self loathing

Just now, Summerinsiam said:

Agreed. You forgot the game-changing Storm Shadows. Of course, now its Tomahawks that Zelensky insists will make Putin end the war. 

The interesting thing about the Tomahawks is that they are pimarily vessel launched.

1 minute ago, Hellfire said:

If it did not happen right after the fall of the USSR, it certainly will not happen now.

Are you old enough to remember those days?

Just now, dinsdale said:

The interesting thing about the Tomahawks is that they are pimarily vessel launched.

Variations.

Just now, Hellfire said:

If it did not happen right after the fall of the USSR, it certainly will not happen now. Today, the people of Russia are much more familiar with the wider world, with democratic values, and with real capitalism. Putin is the last remnant of the Russian and Soviet imperial mindset. Now, as the remaining members of the Soviet generation — people whose minds were brainwashed by Soviet propaganda — pass away, Russia will gain a real opportunity to break with the past.

Sadly, most Russians support the 'special military operation' and Putin remains broadly popular.

13 minutes ago, Hellfire said:

I am 100% sure about it. Russia is a personalist dictatorship. Most people of Russia are really tired of Putin and his war. Especially the younger generation.

 

If Putin were to vapor lock tomorrow, who would replace him?

 

6 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Are you old enough to remember those days?

Yes, I think so. I am certain that the average 20-30–40-year-old Russian today understands and accepts the values of the Western world and a free market far better than before. The average Soviet person had very confused ideas about all of this and, for this reason, was again deceived by their elites, who established yet another dictatorship over the Russian people.

9 minutes ago, Summerinsiam said:

Sadly, most Russians support the 'special military operation' and Putin remains broadly popular.

According to what sources? Do you know that someone openly declaring that they are against the war in Ukraine can easily get a prison sentence in Russia today? So how can we have objective information about what Russian people truly think today?

That's just great, now that US is unreliable, but will Grippen be able to produce them fast enough? 

8 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

If Putin were to vapor lock tomorrow, who would replace him?

 

I am pretty sure it will be someone who will drastically change the situation. There is no real ideology behind Putin’s rule and propaganda (unlike the Soviet regime). All of it will collapse like a house of cards once the dictator is gone.

3 hours ago, FlorC said:

Who's going to pay for those 150 Gripen ?

The dumb euros ?

Frozen Russian Assets

3 hours ago, FlorC said:

Who's going to pay for those 150 Gripen ?

The dumb euros ?

I'm afraid nobody will.
They developed some inter-EU-transaction system where "money is not a money" 
150 jests is a sh*t load of money + markup = credit from EU w/%. In such case everybody got rich and nobody's paying. Tricky

Just now, Hellfire said:

Yes, I think so. I am certain that the average 30–40-year-old Russian today understands and accepts the values of the Western world and a free market far better than before. The average Soviet person had very confused ideas about all of this and, for this reason, was again deceived by their elites, who established yet another dictatorship over the Russian people.

Didnt mean that to be insulting, but back then, Russia was the Wild West. Moscow made Pattaya look like childs play. AKs blasting in the streets. Funerals in the style of Dion Obanion.  The Hungry Duck. Skinny, drunken Russian blondes and US dollars! Fabulous.

 

Putin got to where he was because he was the "крыша (kroosha)", the "roof" to a whole bunch of Mafiya folks. The roof got bigger and bigger until he had everyone.

 

Anybody involved with Putin is a criminal in whole or in part. Anybody with money in Russia is sycophantic. I have no hopes for Russian Democracy, there is nobody.

 

Except another strongman, probably military.
 

8 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Variations.

There are ground launch systems but not many. I remember seeing somewhere that the US only has a handful of them.

2 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Except another strongman, probably military.

 

And that's my concern.  It could go the wrong way, and bigly.   I'm nowhere near smart enough (or foolish enough) to predict.

 

3 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

There are ground launch systems but not many. I remember seeing somewhere that the US only has a handful of them.

Personally I think a lot of good cop bad cop is going on with unwitting participants

1 minute ago, impulse said:

 

And that's my concern.  It could go the wrong way, and bigly.   I'm nowhere near smart enough (or foolish enough) to predict.

 

Back in the old days, we would Kremlin watch. Who was standing next to who. I could still name them all

 

Now, there is just him.

12 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Didnt mean that to be insulting, but back then, Russia was the Wild West. Moscow made Pattaya look like childs play. AKs blasting in the streets. Funerals in the style of Dion Obanion.  The Hungry Duck. Skinny, drunken Russian blondes and US dollars! Fabulous.

 

Putin got to where he was because he was the "крыша (kroosha)", the "roof" to a whole bunch of Mafiya folks. The roof got bigger and bigger until he had everyone.

 

Anybody involved with Putin is a criminal in whole or in part. Anybody with money in Russia is sycophantic. I have no hopes for Russian Democracy, there is nobody.

 

Except another strongman, probably military.
 

Soviet people were, in essence, slaves of their state. Can we expect that the slaves to whom Gorbachev suddenly gave freedom would behave like civilized and independent people? Of course not. That is why, in 1990, Russia was dominated by criminal chaos. This was exploited by the former security services (which, unfortunately, were not dismantled by Yeltsin) to push Russia backward again. They told the people that the pseudo-capitalism of the 1990s was real capitalism and democracy, and that only a return to a strong hand and authoritarianism could be salvation. This is, in brief, the story of the rise of the Putin regime.

 

But as I wrote above, over time, ideas and thinking gradually change the population at a deep level. These new people will inevitably build the right Russia — without tsars or dictators, without total state control, with separation of powers, a proper judicial system, and real protection of property. I consider all of this absolutely inevitable. And I do not consider myself  being an idealist.

15 minutes ago, NativeBob said:

They developed some inter-EU-transaction system where "money is not a money" 

I thought that was the ailing USD?

16 minutes ago, Hellfire said:

I am pretty sure it will be someone who will drastically change the situation. There is no real ideology behind Putin’s rule and propaganda (unlike the Soviet regime). All of it will collapse like a house of cards once the dictator is gone.

If Putin dropped dead ( hope it does), the Prime Minister will be the replacement under Russia constitution and he will have to hold election in 3 months. Mikhail is a technocrat and apolitical and so it will be good for Russia. He is also popular and can win the election. 🙏

5 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

If Putin dropped dead ( hope it does), the Prime Minister will be the replacement under Russia constitution and he will have to hold election in 3 months. Mikhail is a technocrat and apolitical and so it will be good for Russia. He is also popular and can win the election.

 

If he lives through it.  There's a reason Putin is still breathing in and out.  And it's not because he's a nice guy or a technocratic genius.

 

It's very clear to me that the right wing on AN are just Russian trolls.

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

The scariest thing about this news is that the jets will take years before they can make a difference on the battlefield.  Meaning that someone is expecting (hoping?) this thing will drag on for even more years.  And more dead young people.

 

 

The Ukranian defense ministry will simply post some more video game clips and claim the Ghost of Keeve has shotten down the entire Russian air force, all while Steiner is storming the Kremlin.

 

The daily global mail express will transcribe these acts of valorism, and supporters of ethnic cleansing will like and share links on random web forumses in threads entitled "Ukraine is really winning this time trust us!"

12 minutes ago, Hellfire said:

Soviet people were, in essence, slaves of their state. Can we expect that the slaves to whom Gorbachev suddenly gave freedom would behave like civilized and independent people? Of course not. That is why, in 1990, Russia was dominated by criminal chaos. This was exploited by the former security services (which, unfortunately, were not dismantled by Yeltsin) to push Russia backward again. They told the people that the pseudo-capitalism of the 1990s was real capitalism and democracy, and that only a return to a strong hand and authoritarianism could be salvation. This is, in brief, the story of the rise of the Putin regime.

We are saying the same thing bro.

 

But, you know the Russian Saying? "When the wolf shows his teeth, he isn't laughing."

 

There will be a strongman. I assume one of the Putinite satraps such as The Boss of Moscow or St. Petes, etc.

16 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Mikhail is a technocrat and apolitical and so it will be good for Russia. He is also popular and can win the election. 🙏

There arent free elections in Russia

 

10 minutes ago, bubblegum said:

It's very clear to me that the right wing on AN are just Russian trolls.

Its very clear to me that posts as quoted above are just a troll.

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Meaning that someone is expecting (hoping?) this thing will drag on for even more years.  And more dead young people.

Yes its disgusting,  but it appears the EU/NATO/US has decided on war.

44 minutes ago, PoorSucker said:

Frozen Russian Assets

Totally illegal   and  be careful what you wish for  as it sets a  bad precedent.