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REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS
Russia Invades Ukraine. Again
Sunday, January 22, 2023 10:36 AM
SECOND
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
Quote:Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK: Nobody cares.
Sunday, January 22, 2023 11:42 AM
6IXSTRINGJACK
Sunday, January 22, 2023 12:17 PM
Sunday, January 22, 2023 12:24 PM
THG
Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Quote:Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK: Nobody cares. -------------------------------------------------- Growing up in a Republic was nice... Shame we couldn't keep it. Plush, it's bullshit. Russia took Soledar, is flanking Bakhmut and advancing towards Zaparozhia. I don't know why you trust liars, THUGR.
Quote:Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK: Nobody cares. -------------------------------------------------- Growing up in a Republic was nice... Shame we couldn't keep it.
Sunday, January 22, 2023 1:07 PM
SIGNYM
I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.
Quote:Originally posted by THG: Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Quote:Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK: Nobody cares. -------------------------------------------------- Growing up in a Republic was nice... Shame we couldn't keep it. Plush, it's bullshit. Russia took Soledar, is flanking Bakhmut and advancing towards Zaparozhia. I don't know why you trust liars, THUGR.
Sunday, January 22, 2023 1:30 PM
Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: They play to their strength, which is industrial war production, to save their infantry. Everybody knows that. Why do you believe liars?
Sunday, January 22, 2023 1:33 PM
Quote: The Return of Industrial Warfare Alex Vershinin
Sunday, January 22, 2023 1:49 PM
Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: SECOND, why do you think you're dealing with 1940s Russia? You're 80 years behind the times. Get your head out of your ass and take a peek at reality. Quote: The Return of Industrial Warfare Alex Vershinin https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/return-industrial-warfare/ Before you get your knickers in a twist about the source "rusi", that is the. ROYAL (i.e. British) United Services Institute.
Sunday, January 22, 2023 2:12 PM
Sunday, January 22, 2023 2:18 PM
Quote: Why Are Western Establishment and pundits Losing Their Minds Over Ukraine? 21 January 2023 by Larry Johnson 133 Comments The disconnect from reality that is being published and broadcast in the West is staggering. I suppose I should not be surprised that people who embrace transgenderism as normal and declare that men can be pregnant will eagerly embrace nonsense about Ukraine winning the war as reality. I want to draw your attention to two articles — Russia faces ‘incredible poverty’, warns ex-IMF chief (The Telegraph) and What 2023 will bring for the war in Ukraine (The Spectator). Thank God that the “ex-IMF chief” is no longer in charge of the IMF. I am not sure if the man is really this stupid or a shill who will say anything to support the failing Western meme about Russia. Russia’s people face “incredible poverty” following Western sanctions in response to Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, according to the former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund. Harvard professor Kenneth Rogoff said the country is headed towards being a new Cuba, Venezuela or “a giant Iran”. Equating Russia’s economy with those of Cuba, Venezuela and Iran exposes Rogoff as an incompetent economist (Parents, don’t send you kids to Harvard). Let me present some facts: Cuba GDP — 107.35 billion Venezuela GDP — 482.36 billion Iran GDP — 359.71 billion Russia GDP — 1.78 trillion If you have trouble with math let me help you out. Russia’s GDP is greater than Cuba, Venezuela and Iran combined (949.42 billion). But GDP says nothing about the underlying strength of any economy. Iran and Venezuela share something in common with Russia — all three are major oil producers, but Russia surpasses them. In 2022, Russia’s oil output increased by 2% despite onerous international sanctions. That is because Russia is not dependent on selling oil to the United States and Europe. Countries outside the Western sphere of influence — China and India in particular — have stepped up their purchases of Russian oil. But Russia has something that none of the other three pariah states possess — vast natural resources beyond oil that makes it a self-sufficient country. Russia is the richest country in the world in terms of natural resources: The nation is a leading producer of coal, diamonds, aluminum, asbestos, gemstones, diamonds, lime, lead, gypsum, iron ore, bauxite, gallium, boron, mica, natural gas, potash, platinum, oil, rare earth metals, pig iron, peat, nitrogen, cadmium, arsenic, magnesium, molybdenum, phosphate, sulfur, titanium sponge, silicon, uranium, tellurium, vanadium, tungsten, cobalt, graphite, silver, vermiculite, selenium, rhenium, copper, and gold.
Quote: These resources guarantee that Russia will not suffer the fate of Cuba, Venezuela or Iran. Russia is not dependent on trading with the United States and Europe. In fact, it appears that the United States and Europe need what Russia produces in order to keep their economies chugging along.
Quote: Here some video evidence that Russia today is light years away from the old Soviet Union: What the failed economist Rogoff fails to grasp is that the decision of the West to try to sanction and destroy Russia is precipitating the collapse of the post-World War II financial era dominated by the United States. One indicator of that is Saudi Arabia’s decision to entertain accepting payments in other currencies: Saudi Arabia opens to settling trade in other currencies than the US dollar Saudi Arabia is open to discussions about trade in currencies other than the US dollar, according to the kingdom’s finance minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan, informs Bloomberg. https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2023/01/20/saudi-arabia-opens-to-settling-trade-in-other-currencies-than-the-us-dollar/
Quote: This is the start of a new world economic order. Maybe that is what haunts Rogoff. Next up, Charles Lipson, who is “Peter B. Ritzma professor of political science emeritus at the University of Chicago, where he founded the Program on International Politics, Economics and Security, and a Spectator contributing writer.” Pretty impressive. Just more prima facie evidence supporting Andrei Martyanov’s scathing denunciation of “political science” as a fraudulent academic field. Lipson just wrote the following: What’s happening on the battlefield itself? The fight has slowed over the past two months because of early winter weather. Now, as the ground freezes solid, Ukraine’s tanks and artillery are beginning to move again. The soft ground didn’t affect Russia, which relies on human-wave attacks by expendable soldiers and air attacks by Iranian-made drones. What has slowed them is the dwindling supply of precision weapons and conscripts. Putin can’t do much about the weapons, but he can do something about the manpower. He has secretly begun another round of mobilization, despite the political dangers. It’s one thing for him to round up men from outlying areas. It’s quite another to drag them off the streets in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the political heart of the country. Putin would only do that if he thinks losing the war would be even more dangerous. That is exactly the prospect he is facing if Ukraine continues its gains
Quote: spring and summer, and especially if it threatens to retake Crimea. Right now, Russia is continuing its unsuccessful — and extremely costly — effort to take the cities of Bakhmut and nearby Soledar, as part of their failing attempt to consolidate control of the Donbas. Meanwhile, Ukraine is slowly advancing on two cities further north: Kreminna and Svatove. Those cities and the highway connecting them represent the next steps eastward after Ukraine’s capture of Lyman in October. Ignore the fact the Russia has stepped up its missile strikes on key infrastructure during the past two months. If Ukraine’s tanks are moving and the Russians are losing, according to Lipson, then why does Ukraine desperately need hundreds of tanks from the West? If Ukraine is winning and Russia is being defeated on the battlefield, why is the West not preparing its victory party? Cobbling together a failed NATO summit in Ramstein this past week is not a sign that the West is confident of Ukraine’s military prospects. Poor Professor Lipson apparently is not keeping up with current events and does not realize that not only has Russia captured Soledar (and some American soldiers in the process) but it has tactically encircled Bakhmut and is making rapid advances in Zaporhyhia. Lipson is repeating the propaganda from Kiev that Ukrainian attacks on Kreminna and Svatove are strategically important. Nothing could be further from the truth. Russia has now established fire control over the only lines of communication that provide supplies to the Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut. True to form, Russia is not divulging its plans, but the current movement of troops and artillery and air attacks strongly suggest that Russia is going to cut off Ukrainian forces east of the Dneiper River from resupply. Shades of Operation Uranus (i.e., the Soviet cauldron that encircled and destroyed the Nazi’s 6th Army at Stalingrad). Let me conclude by posing a question — will the western cheerleaders for Ukraine ever admit that Ukraine is losing
Sunday, January 22, 2023 2:31 PM
Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Oh, there have been many discussions about that, SECOND. Does Canada, or Italy, or Belgium have space programs? Do they feed a population of 150 million AND be a major food and commodity exporter? Do they field a million- man army? Have they developed and deployed cutting edge weaponry against which other nations are defenseless? Do they have full employment? Do they have trade and budgetary surpluses? Do they have a stable consumer base? The reality, SECOND, is that GDP to as measured by the west is a myth. It includes, among other things, the money that homeowners WOULD HAVE BEEN OAUD if they had rented out their homes, cappuccino shops, the price of gasoline, and fees charged for "financial services". In other words, it's bogus. If you look at ACTUAL ORIDUCTION Russia is far ahead.
Sunday, January 22, 2023 2:56 PM
Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Quote:Originally posted by THG: Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Quote:Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK: Nobody cares. -------------------------------------------------- Growing up in a Republic was nice... Shame we couldn't keep it. Plush, it's bullshit. Russia took Soledar, is flanking Bakhmut and advancing towards Zaparozhia. I don't know why you trust liars, THUGR. Because I know the entire story comrade. Like the fact that the Russians are doing kamikaze runs that they cannot sustain. To gain a few feet of land they lose thousands of troops. Like I've said. They cannot keep it up and more and more supplies are entering Ukraine as I type. tick tock T
Sunday, January 22, 2023 3:32 PM
Sunday, January 22, 2023 6:14 PM
Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: SECOND- Russia is like N Korea??? Phfwaaaaah! You owe me a new phone! THUGR: I smell a lot of "if" coming off that video. 1) America for the most part doesn't give a shit about Ukraine, and 2) Even if TPTB "support Ukraine" for whatever purpose (profit, money laundering, ideology, hegemony) with their whole heart and soul (assuming they have either) they won't be successful. Unless they go nuclear. And then, nobody wins Sorry dood. That's reality.
Sunday, January 22, 2023 7:32 PM
Sunday, January 22, 2023 7:53 PM
Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Do you really give a fuck about how history is being rewritten? And what does this have to do with the war in Ukraine and the number of weapons and soldiers each side can field? I'm trying very hard to understand what options our neocons have in mind. They're trying to stand up a third Ukie army with a hodgepodge of western weapons. Which, AFAIK will be sitting ducks bc a) they need to be part of a COMBINED arms operation (yanno, including planes, helicopters, artillery, air defenses, tanks... the whole schmeer) in order to be successful b) the variety of training, maintenance and repair creates impossible logistics. I've heard these weapons described as "single use"... once they break down or are damaged they'll be left on the field. Stories and videos of men being dragooned off the streets of Lviv. Anticipating Polish soldiers fighting in Ukie uniforms. Supposedly our military is telling Z to give up on Bakhmut. Fighting trench warfare against the other side that can successfully attrit your side is suicide. Maybe our military is telling Z to become more maneuverable. BUT THEN WHAT? Build up your army, preserves your forces by giving up ground, train up for a few months and then...? Attack Crimea? Strike Moscow? Provoke Russians into striking NATO territory to create a pretext for using tactical nukes? I just can't create a winning scenario. Maybe I lack imagination.
Sunday, January 22, 2023 11:10 PM
Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: SECOND- Russia is like N Korea??? Phfwaaaaah! You owe me a new phone!
Quote:With alternative sources in place, Putin’s attempt at blackmailing Europe on energy has failed. . . . Even Putin’s other commodities cards are all used up. His gambit to weaponize food abjectly collapsed when even his nominal allies turned on him. And in certain metals markets where Russia historically dominated, such as nickel, palladium, and titanium, blackmail-fearing buyers combined with higher prices have expedited reshoring and reinvigorated dormant public and private investment in critical mineral supply chain and mining projects. These are mostly in North and South America and Africa, home to many undertapped mineral reserves. In fact, in several crucial metals markets, such as cobalt and nickel, the combined output of new mines to be opened in the next two years adds up to more than enough supply to replace Russian metals within global supply chains permanently.
Monday, January 23, 2023 2:14 PM
Monday, January 23, 2023 4:20 PM
Quote: America’s Insularity Is A Threat To Its Survival 22 January 2023 by Larry Johnson I believe that a country’s history shapes how its citizens view themselves and view the world outside their borders. If you accept that as true I believe you can understand why the United States acts as it does in the world. The United States, until now, has faced one existential threat — the Civil War. I count it as existential because the union of the states was at risk and a victory by the Confederacy would have created a very different America. The creation of the United States by defeating the British imperial power was followed by taking control, at times with force, of the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Oh yeah, we defeated Mexico in 1848 and claimed Mexico’s former lands as our own. My point is that at no time since the Civil War has America had to fend off a foreign military invasion. Protected by the oceans and weak neighbors to the south and north (i.e., Mexico and Canada), Americans never had the experience of foreign invaders wreaking havoc. Well, there was Pancho Villa, but he only launched some insignificant border raids and the United States declined to invade Mexico in retaliation. With no enemies capable of invading America, we developed a sort of Messianic Complex. We went to Europe towards the end of the First World War to “save Europe.” That was followed by saving Europe from the Nazis (at least that’s the narrative taught in elementary and secondary schools). We never saw ourselves as imperial invaders. We simply were going “over there” to provide freedom. At least that is what we told ourselves. While many of the people of Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and the Balkans would beg to differ, the American mindset in the aftermath of World War II is that our use of military force in foreign theaters had a noble purpose. The American overseas military missionary adventures always required a villain. In Vietnam it was International Communism. In Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria it was international terrorism, with Iran regularly mentioned as the uber villain that needed to be stopped. Now we have a new, reconstituted villain — the Russians. Russia, unlike the United States, has a long and bloody history of fending off invaders. That fact has conditioned the Russian people to be pretty prickly when they are confronted with a foreign threat. They dealt with Napoleon, the stumbled when attacked by the Ottoman Empire, the Brits and the French in the Crimea War, and defeated the Nazis. More recently, Russia beat back Islamic insurgents in Chechnya. This history makes Russia deadly serious when it believes it is threatened by foreign invaders. Which brings me to the current war in Ukraine. The Western meme, fully embraced by the American public, is that Russia is a rapacious imperial power intent on destroying the freedom of the Ukrainian people. Russia, for its part, believes the West is intent on destroying the Russian Federation. Hell, it is not a belief, Western nations have spoken openly of eliminating Putin and breaking Russia into five separate countries. Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine showed the world that a resurgent Russia means, of necessity, an imperialist Russia. And it revived discussions about whether Russia needs to be “decolonized,” or perhaps “defederalized,” to bury its imperialist ambitions and subdue its military threat. A breakup of today’s Russia, similar to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, is seen as a possible, for some even the most desirable, outcome of a failed Ukraine invasion. Regrets are voiced that the US didn’t make it a goal in the 1990s, when post-Soviet Russia lay in ruins and struggled to hold onto one, tiny secessionist region: Chechnya. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/energy/is-breaking-up-russia-the-only-way-to-end-its-imperialism/2022/06/01/e1962c3e-e170-11ec-ae64-6b23e5155b62_story.html Yep. We got to end that “Russian Imperialism.” This coming from the United States and Europe who actually have engaged in imperial conquests and attempts at conquest. Odd thing. Modern day Russia has not seized or controlled a single country in Latin America, Africa, or Asia. That is the history of the United States and Europe. As the United States and Europe scramble to send more weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, Russian politicians are laying down a stark warning: A “global tragedy” could be in store for humanity if the West keeps supplying weapons to Ukraine, Russia’s most senior lawmaker has warned. Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the State Duma, also suggested that Moscow could retaliate with more powerful arms, should its territory be threatened. . . . On Sunday, Volodin took to Telegram to point out that should the weapons provided by the US and fellow NATO member states be used to “strike civilian cities and to attempt to seize our territories, as they threaten [to do],” Moscow would respond with “more powerful weapons.” The Russian lawmaker went on to argue that Western officials should be aware of their responsibility to avert such a scenario. “Taking into consideration the technological superiority of Russian weapons, foreign politicians making such decisions need to understand: this could end up being a global tragedy that would destroy their countries,” Volodin warned. https://www.rt.com/news/570282-russian-parliament-chair-warns-west/ I fear that many of my fellow countrymen view this as empty hyperbole on the part of an insignificant Russian politician. Corporate and political America continues to promote the belief that we are doing the right thing trying to defend “democracy” in Ukraine. Yet, we ignore the prevalence of neo-Nazi ideology as embodied by the followers of Stepan Bandera, President Zelensky’s elimination of opposition political parties and media and the attacks on the Russian Eastern Orthodox clergy. We just pretend that has not happened and, even if it has, it is of no concern to Russia. The stubborn refusal of the political and media class in the United States to even acknowledge the possibility that Russia has legitimate security concerns has set the table for a devastating escalation in the war between Russia and the West. Volodin’s warning should not be ignored. But it is falling on deaf ears in Washington. The failure of the Biden Administration and his political cheerleaders to comprehend that Russia is not going to behave as an abused spouse. The days of pummeling, or trying to pummel, anyone who will not submit to our demands is over. We are likely to witness some event or series of events in the coming weeks and months when America’s imperial impotence will be exposed and Russia will be standing defiant and intact. That is likely to inflict a psychological break in the American belief that we are invincible and protected. Americans will forced to come to grips with a new reality — we are no longer an insular, protected nation.
Monday, January 23, 2023 4:57 PM
Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Quote: America’s Insularity Is A Threat To Its Survival A “global tragedy” could be in store for humanity if the West keeps supplying weapons to Ukraine, Russia’s most senior lawmaker has warned. Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the State Duma, also suggested that Moscow could retaliate with more powerful arms, should its territory be threatened. . . . On Sunday, Volodin took to Telegram to point out that should the weapons provided by the US and fellow NATO member states be used to “strike civilian cities and to attempt to seize our territories, as they threaten [to do],” Moscow would respond with “more powerful weapons.” The Russian lawmaker went on to argue that Western officials should be aware of their responsibility to avert such a scenario. “Taking into consideration the technological superiority of Russian weapons, foreign politicians making such decisions need to understand: this could end up being a global tragedy that would destroy their countries,” Volodin warned. https://www.rt.com/news/570282-russian-parliament-chair-warns-west/ The stubborn refusal of the political and media class in the United States to even acknowledge the possibility that Russia has legitimate security concerns has set the table for a devastating escalation in the war between Russia and the West. Volodin’s warning should not be ignored. But it is falling on deaf ears in Washington. The failure of the Biden Administration and his political cheerleaders to comprehend that Russia is not going to behave as an abused spouse. The days of pummeling, or trying to pummel, anyone who will not submit to our demands is over. We are likely to witness some event or series of events in the coming weeks and months when America’s imperial impotence will be exposed and Russia will be standing defiant and intact. That is likely to inflict a psychological break in the American belief that we are invincible and protected. Americans will forced to come to grips with a new reality — we are no longer an insular, protected nation.
Quote: America’s Insularity Is A Threat To Its Survival A “global tragedy” could be in store for humanity if the West keeps supplying weapons to Ukraine, Russia’s most senior lawmaker has warned. Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the State Duma, also suggested that Moscow could retaliate with more powerful arms, should its territory be threatened. . . . On Sunday, Volodin took to Telegram to point out that should the weapons provided by the US and fellow NATO member states be used to “strike civilian cities and to attempt to seize our territories, as they threaten [to do],” Moscow would respond with “more powerful weapons.” The Russian lawmaker went on to argue that Western officials should be aware of their responsibility to avert such a scenario. “Taking into consideration the technological superiority of Russian weapons, foreign politicians making such decisions need to understand: this could end up being a global tragedy that would destroy their countries,” Volodin warned. https://www.rt.com/news/570282-russian-parliament-chair-warns-west/ The stubborn refusal of the political and media class in the United States to even acknowledge the possibility that Russia has legitimate security concerns has set the table for a devastating escalation in the war between Russia and the West. Volodin’s warning should not be ignored. But it is falling on deaf ears in Washington. The failure of the Biden Administration and his political cheerleaders to comprehend that Russia is not going to behave as an abused spouse. The days of pummeling, or trying to pummel, anyone who will not submit to our demands is over. We are likely to witness some event or series of events in the coming weeks and months when America’s imperial impotence will be exposed and Russia will be standing defiant and intact. That is likely to inflict a psychological break in the American belief that we are invincible and protected. Americans will forced to come to grips with a new reality — we are no longer an insular, protected nation.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 8:36 AM
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 9:09 AM
Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: I disagree. The USA has lost multiple wars abroad and not come to a sense of vulnerability. The only thing that will shock Americans out of their stupor is another 911 moment. But seeing that TPTB simply used that terror attack to promote another whole series of nation-destruction across the globe, Russia will probably try to avoid a galvanizing event on USA soil. More likely, they will play a war of attrition with the USA dollar (and what pathetic excuse we have for an economy,) instead. A long, slow grind.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 9:57 AM
Quote:Originally posted by second: US and Western officials are urging Ukraine to shift its focus from the brutal, months-long fight in the eastern city of Bakhmut and prioritize instead a potential offensive in the south, using a different style of fighting that takes advantage of the billions of dollars in new military hardware recently committed by Western allies, US and Ukrainian officials tell CNN. For nearly six months, Ukrainian forces have been going toe-to-toe with the Russians over roughly 36 miles of territory in Bakhmut, which lies between the separatist-held cities of Donetsk and Luhansk. Heavy shelling has left the city almost completely destroyed. “It is a brutal and grinding fight,” a senior Western intelligence official said last week, with each side exchanging anywhere from 100-400 meters of land per day and exchanging several thousands of artillery rounds almost daily. “[Bakhmut] is less attractive militarily, in terms of any sort of infrastructure, than it might have been if it had not been this destroyed.” Now, ahead of what is widely expected to be a brutal spring of fighting, there is a tactical opening, US and Western officials say. In recent weeks they have begun suggesting that Ukrainian forces cut their losses in Bakhmut, which they argue has little strategic significance for Ukraine, and focus instead on planning an offensive in the south. That was part of a message delivered by three top Biden officials who traveled to Kyiv last week. In a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, deputy national security adviser Jon Finer, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, and Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl, said the US wants to help Ukraine shift away from the sort of pitched battle of attrition playing out in Bakhmut and focus instead on a style of mechanized maneuver warfare that uses rapid, unanticipated movements against Russia, sources familiar with their discussion said. More at https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/24/politics/ukraine-shift-tactics-bakhmut/index.html The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly]
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 10:09 AM
Quote:Originally posted by second: If Russia finally captures Ukraine by mass murder, torture, and nuclear threats, then everything the world has gained since the defeat of the Axis in 1945 and the end of the Cold War in 1991 will be in mortal peril. Putin will prove to himself and to every dictator on the planet that nothing has changed since Hitler, that lawless nations can achieve their aims by using force at will, by killing and raping innocent people and then literally grinding their ashes into the dirt. This is no longer about Russia’s neo-imperial dreams or Ukraine’s borders: This is a fight for the future of the international system and the safety of us all. https://web.archive.org/web/20230123232111/https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2023/01/ukraine-russia-weapons-nato-germany/672817/
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 1:28 PM
Quote: Ukraine Rocked By Corruption Scandal, Wave Of Top Officials Resign: Sports Cars, Mansions & Luxury Vacations As People Suffered Tuesday, Jan 24, 2023 - 08:50 AM The Ukrainian government on Tuesday confirmed the resignation of multiple high ranking officials amid large-scale corruption allegations, in what's being called the biggest mass resignation and graft scandal since the Russian invasion began. Some dozen officials have quit their posts after a huge political shake-up over allegations and probes into cases ranging from bribery, to mismanagement of aid funds for purchasing food, to embezzlement, to driving expensive cars while common people suffer under wartime conditions. A top presidential adviser and four deputy ministers - among these two defense officials, along with five regional governors were forced out of their posts.
Quote: And among the regional governors to step down included officials overseeing regions which have seen intense fighting, including the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, where Russian forces have lately reported gains. Zelensky to Congress in Dec. visit: aid to Ukraine is an investment in democracy and "not charity". Via Reuters In reference to the announcement by a senior government official, Oleg Nemchinov, international reports detail the following list: Deputy Prosecutor General Oleskiy Symonenko Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories Ivan Lukeryu Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories Vyacheslav Negoda Deputy Minister for Social Policy Vitaliy Muzychenk And the regional governors of Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Sumy and Kherson And separately, "the defense ministry had earlier announced the resignation of deputy minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov, who was in charge of the army's logistical support, on the heels of accusations it was signing food contracts at inflated prices." In this case regarding the food contracts, Shapovalov is accused of signing a deal with an unknown, shady firm. In his role as deputy defense minister, his is the most notable and visible resignation. Crucially he would have had no small part in overseeing the billions of dollars flowing from the pockets of US and European taxpayers as authorized defense aid. He purchased military rations at inflated prices in what appears a scheme to line the pockets of contractors, and potentially involving kickbacks to himself.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 2:27 PM
Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Yanno, I'm sure many people in Ukraine understand the corrupt nature of their government and give it little political support.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 4:24 PM
Quote:Originally posted by second: Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Yanno, I'm sure many people in Ukraine understand the corrupt nature of their government and give it little political support. According to a 2021 report by Transparency International, Ukraine is the second most corrupt country in Europe after Russia. Globally, it ranked 122nd of 180 countries. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter on Tuesday that the changes within the government showed Zelensky was committed to fighting corruption. https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/24/europe/ukraine-anti-corruption-zelensky-intl/index.html Ukraine is ranked 122 https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021/index/ukr Russia is ranked 136 https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021/index/rus A lower number is better. https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021 The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 5:01 PM
Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Quote:Originally posted by second: Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Yanno, I'm sure many people in Ukraine understand the corrupt nature of their government and give it little political support. According to a 2021 report by Transparency International, Ukraine is the second most corrupt country in Europe after Russia. Globally, it ranked 122nd of 180 countries. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter on Tuesday that the changes within the government showed Zelensky was committed to fighting corruption. https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/24/europe/ukraine-anti-corruption-zelensky-intl/index.html Ukraine is ranked 122 https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021/index/ukr Russia is ranked 136 https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021/index/rus A lower number is better. https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021 The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly] Seems a little late, doesn't it? Especially since Z is corrupt as well.
Quote:Originally posted by second: Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Yanno, I'm sure many people in Ukraine understand the corrupt nature of their government and give it little political support. According to a 2021 report by Transparency International, Ukraine is the second most corrupt country in Europe after Russia. Globally, it ranked 122nd of 180 countries. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter on Tuesday that the changes within the government showed Zelensky was committed to fighting corruption. https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/24/europe/ukraine-anti-corruption-zelensky-intl/index.html Ukraine is ranked 122 https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021/index/ukr Russia is ranked 136 https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021/index/rus A lower number is better. https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021 The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly] Seems a little late, doesn't it? Especially since Z is corrupt as well.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 5:29 PM
Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Seems a little late, doesn't it? Especially since Z is corrupt as well.
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 4:24 AM
Quote:Originally posted by second: Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Seems a little late, doesn't it? Especially since Z is corrupt as well.
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 8:55 AM
Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Quote:Originally posted by second: Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: Seems a little late, doesn't it? Especially since Z is corrupt as well.To me this is a battle between a dumb and corrupt country (Ukraine) and a dumber and even more corrupt country (Russia).
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 9:04 AM
Quote:Originally posted by second: You are not a serious person, Signym. Boiling down what is wrong with Trump to one thing: he doesn't pay his taxes. I have heard a thousand explanations for why this is not a problem ranging from he did pay but it is nobody's business to he is using the tax code as it was intended to he is innocent until proven guilty. It is still the one thing wrong: Trump didn't pay.
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 9:16 AM
Quote:Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK: No dude. You're wrong. Some years he paid, some years he didn't. But the second the Media got their hands on them they realized that he did it all within the the bullshit IRS law. Just like every other Millionaire and Billionaire in the country does. And he got the Media to talk about THAT for about 3 days before they stopped talking about it. If there's any criminals here, it's the Media. They should be talking about that 24/7 until those laws get changed. But they won't. So Trump and all of the other Millionaires and Billionaires will get away with paying almost nothing, and the IRS is going to be knocking down doors of people that don't pay their Social Security and Medicare portions of their $600+ 1099-K forms for ebay transactions when they had to sell me the shit they didn't need to pay for gas instead.
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 10:01 AM
Quote:Originally posted by second: Quote:Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK: No dude. You're wrong. Some years he paid, some years he didn't. But the second the Media got their hands on them they realized that he did it all within the the bullshit IRS law. Just like every other Millionaire and Billionaire in the country does. And he got the Media to talk about THAT for about 3 days before they stopped talking about it. If there's any criminals here, it's the Media. They should be talking about that 24/7 until those laws get changed. But they won't. So Trump and all of the other Millionaires and Billionaires will get away with paying almost nothing, and the IRS is going to be knocking down doors of people that don't pay their Social Security and Medicare portions of their $600+ 1099-K forms for ebay transactions when they had to sell me the shit they didn't need to pay for gas instead.Go away, 6ix. You don't pay taxes, either, and justify it by lying about yourself and what you did.
Quote:You fit perfectly into the paradigm of bad behavior/justify bad behavior with lies.
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 10:29 AM
Quote:Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK: I do pay taxes. I pay sales taxes. I pay property taxes. What did I do? Tell me. I hope you have Libel insurance. Did you report to the IRS all of the comic books, movies, TV shows and books that you illegally downloaded in 2022 so you can pay taxes on them, rich guy? I've got all of those links archived too. I could forward those on to the IRS myself if you forgot, buddy.
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 10:56 AM
Quote:Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK: Quote:Originally posted by second: Quote:Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK: No dude. You're wrong. Some years he paid, some years he didn't. But the second the Media got their hands on them they realized that he did it all within the the bullshit IRS law. Just like every other Millionaire and Billionaire in the country does. And he got the Media to talk about THAT for about 3 days before they stopped talking about it. If there's any criminals here, it's the Media. They should be talking about that 24/7 until those laws get changed. But they won't. So Trump and all of the other Millionaires and Billionaires will get away with paying almost nothing, and the IRS is going to be knocking down doors of people that don't pay their Social Security and Medicare portions of their $600+ 1099-K forms for ebay transactions when they had to sell me the shit they didn't need to pay for gas instead.Go away, 6ix. You don't pay taxes, either, and justify it by lying about yourself and what you did. I do pay taxes. I pay sales taxes. I pay property taxes. What did I do? Tell me. I hope you have Libel insurance. Quote:You fit perfectly into the paradigm of bad behavior/justify bad behavior with lies. Did you report to the IRS all of the comic books, movies, TV shows and books that you illegally downloaded in 2022 so you can pay taxes on them, rich guy? I've got all of those links archived too. I could forward those on to the IRS myself if you forgot, buddy.
Quote:Originally posted by second: 6ix, you are a prickly little character with a giant ego.
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 3:05 PM
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 3:21 PM
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 6:04 PM
Quote: German Foreign Minister Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud On Ukraine German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock bluntly stated in fresh remarks that Western allies are fighting a war against Russia. The remarks came during a debate at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Tuesday amid discussions over sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. While Baerbock's words were largely ignored in mainstream media, a number of pundits on social media noted with alarm that the German foreign minister just essentially declared war on Russia. German foreign minister declares war on Russia pic.twitter.com/C4cAqnZXhD — Michael Tracey (@mtracey) January 25, 2023 Ironically other German officials have long sought to emphasize their country is not a party to the conflict, fearing uncontrollable escalation. Contradicting this official stance, Baerbock said the quiet part out loud, and introduced the comments with: "And therefore I’ve said already in the last days – yes, we have to do more to defend Ukraine. Yes, we have to do more also on tanks." And that's when she asserted: "But the most important and the crucial part is that we do it together and that we do not do the blame game in Europe, because we are fighting a war against Russia and not against each other.”
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 6:18 PM
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 6:26 PM
Quote:Originally posted by SIGNYM: So, SECOND, are you giving up on the accusations that Trump is a megalomaniacal racist and rapist, who colluded* with Russia to weaken America, and who fomented an insurrection* on Jan6. He's no longer a Constitution destroyer who's very existence threatens the liberty of the United States? He didn't offer a "quid pro quo" to Ukraine? Given up on all your other accusations? It's all about TAXES? Dood, every wealthy person that I can name doesn't pay taxes. Buffet, Gates, Zuckerberg, Bezos, Brandon, Musk, Carlos "Slim", the Clintons... Every very wealthy person around the world doesn't pay taxes. Now, can we get back to the topic?
Quote:The special counsel found that Russia did interfere with the election, but “did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in these efforts, despite multiple efforts from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.” As far as obstruction, the Mueller report laid out facts on both sides but did not reach a conclusion. Barr’s letter said that “the Special Counsel states that ‘while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.’”
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 7:09 PM
Thursday, January 26, 2023 8:33 AM
Thursday, January 26, 2023 9:25 AM
Thursday, January 26, 2023 9:29 AM
Thursday, January 26, 2023 9:43 AM
Quote:Originally posted by second: Putin Is Stuck With a Ukrainian War That Is Bleeding His Country
Quote:Q. Can Ukraine maintain Western support?
Thursday, January 26, 2023 10:11 AM
Quote:Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK: Quote:Originally posted by second: Putin Is Stuck With a Ukrainian War That Is Bleeding His Country And Americans are stuck with Democrats who are bleeding their country. Quote:Q. Can Ukraine maintain Western support?
Thursday, January 26, 2023 10:26 AM
Thursday, January 26, 2023 11:42 AM
Thursday, January 26, 2023 11:56 AM
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