What is going on in Ukraine?
With all the election and Trump news, is anyone paying attention to the War in Ukraine – what the United States is doing, or not doing?
America has done a lot for Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia, to be sure – but maybe not enough. That could also be said for several other nations in NATO and the European Union.
While we have sent a lot of military equipment and human relief goods, it always seems to be too little, too late – such as the longer-range missile batteries. Some things we have refused – such as declaring a no-fly zone or providing the Jet fighters currently in Poland.
We have denied Ukraine-specific intelligence that can pinpoint potential targets – although we will confirm the existence of targets. We will not provide the critical co-ordinates. Some say we are providing the co-ordinates, but not admitting to it.
One of the conditions America has placed on some of the longer-range weapons is that they are not to be fired into Russia. Really? How can one expect to win a war if you are not allowed to take out key military installations – such as weapon locations and supply dumps?
As Winter approaches, Putin’s army is engaging in prima facie war crimes by targeting energy facilities with the overt purpose of denying the civilian population essential heat. This is premeditated mass murder. Even as this outrange escalates, the United States is not responding … not increasing support of Ukraine … not taking actions against Russia. There are no new sanctions – and certainly no improved military response.
It is not even clear if the West is increasing a humanitarian response to mitigate the impact of Putin’s incessant bombing of civilian targets. There is a shortage of doctors and field medical facilities.
We may have seen one change of policy. Ukraine forces have attacked military targets inside Russia – in one case, a storage depot just two miles outside of Moscow. Some interpret this as meaning that the United States has given a wink-of-the-eye approval to attack Mother Russia. Officially, we do not approve.
There is no reason we should be coy about that. In fact, we should provide the supplies and encouragement to attacks inside Russia more often – to take out as much of Putin’s military infrastructure, resources, and equipment as possible. The strategy should be to cut off the supply lines to the Russian troops in Ukraine.
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin had the best answer to when the War in Ukraine ends. She said, “When there are no more Russian troops in Ukraine.” (A pretty bold statement from a nation awaiting final approval of its NATO application.) Anything short of that – such as a negotiated settlement that some in Washington are proposing – is a victory for Putin … period.
If there is to be a real Ukrainian victory, then the West – led by the United States – should be providing more than so-called defensive weapons. The Ukrainian military should be equipped with whatever they need to bring the War to Russian soil. We should provide all the necessary target intelligence and the equipment to attack every military resource currently feeding the Russian invasion.
And as a sideshow, we should pressure Iran to cease supplying drones and technicians to bomb those civilian targets.
Yes, I know Putin will again rattle the nuclear saber – using limited tactical nuclear weapons. He should be told with steely eyes that NATO has far more nuclear ability than Russia – and will use It in response. That message should be sent to China and North Korea – encouraging them to put pressure on Putin.
Even if nuclear weapons were used, there would no Third World War nuclear Armageddon. As insane as Putin may be, those surrounding him would not allow it. As in the United States, the President does not have a button or a single order that launches the atomic arsenal. It goes through a complicated chain-of-command in which an order from the top can be aborted. It is time we stop being intimidated by Putin’s bluster and get on with winning the War.
So, there ‘tis.
I don’t give a rip about the Ukraine war or Ukraine or Russia. Some facts about our fascist government and Ukraine. Biden’s fascist globalist democrat government and their state media’s have been handing us a ton of lies and deception about Ukraine. They aren’t telling us that Ukraine is corrupt to the core and is one of the top three nations in the world in child trafficking and pedophilia. Ukraine has been laundering money for the globalist Deep State elites & Fauci’s gain of function Bioweapon labs in Ukraine. Funding for all of the gain of function biolabs started with the Obama/Biden regime along with the funding for the Wuhan covid horror lab in China. Also, the Deep State and Ukraine has violated the 2014 Minsk 2 agreement by threatening to join NATO. Russia warned the Deep State and Ukraine years ago that it would mean war. The Deep State Democrats and their elitest puppet masters are using this war to protect their pedophile playground and kickbacks.
The Democrats sent billions of our taxpayer dollars to Ukraine, Ukraine used FTX to steal our money and then FTX sent it back to the Democrat party in political donations. Corrupt democrat AG Garland will not investigate this.
Bubba Love … Where do you get your information from? I know the blogsphere is fill with nutty conspiracy theories. You seem to have mixed some facts with a lot of misinformation. Virtually the entire world sees the Russian invasion as unprovoked, a violation of international law and an exercise in war crimes. You seem to forget that Zelensky was elected as a reform President. Most of the Russian-sponsored correction has been eliminated. That does not mean there is no corruption — but things are better. Ukraine may no effort to join NATO — and the Minsk agreement was in return for Ukraine giving up its nuclear weapons. There was no justifications for the invasion. Ukraine was increasingly an ally of the US and the west — a friendly government in a strategic location with enormous assets.
As far as Fauci is concerned, it seems clear that he lied to Congress and was more aware of what was happening in Wuhan than he admitted. He may have been involved in a cover-up of the true source of the virus — and that will be investigated more thoroughly when the GOP controls the House.
FTX also donated lots of money to Republicans.
This has been fact checked as cant be proved.
Of course, so was Hunter’s laptop.
It should be thoroughly investigated. Promptly, before the missing evidence goes away.
Need a benghazi style committee.
Bubba Love’s comments come right off Russian posts. Not saying Bubba is Russian, but he sure reads the stuff and actually believes it. Might gain some traction with the US funding gain of function in China and not vetting the lab for safety, but even there, Fauci may be a participant, no evil genius. That one is worth investigating and I am sure it will be in 2023. But mostly Bubba is a useful idiot for Russian propaganda here. jfgi.
Frank Stetson … the issue with Fauci is whether he lied to Congress about the funding money to Wuhan and gain-of-function research — which prima facia apparently he did, or at least used deceptive wording — and whether knows that the virus started in that lab. If that is the case, Fauci is a first class villain in this movie. It means as a top advisor to Trump and Biden, he was not truthful. I originally thought very highly of Fauci until more and more of the FACT started to emerge.
I think we need to investigate this one, really.
I just don’t think it clear enough to to draw conclusions. Given bans, no bans, direct research, arms length research, a number of labs, it’s not clear what happened and how deep Fauci is in.
But it appears there is research, US funding, and insufficient lab safety. Enough to warrant Congressional investigation imo.
Just not as ready to nail fauci’s coffin yet.
You are correct on this one Frank. I read the 2017 research paper written by Wuhan-based virologist Dr. Shi Zhengli, and her data cordinator/research assistant Ben Hu, and I read her 2018 update.
The funding went from our dear Dr. Fauci via his organization, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), to a US based company with a location in Australia called Eco Health Alliance which is involved in virus research, specifically SARS viruses. See “https://www.ecohealthalliance.org/personnel/dr-peter-daszak” and see the last paragraph here where I copied their funding statement from the research document.
From Eco Health Alliance’s man, Dr. Peter Daszak, the funding went to Dr. Shi Zhengli and her organization in the Wuhan Lab. There was no Ukrainian assistance of any type listed in the beginning of the paper under credits and contributors. I have followed these developments and there has never been any discussion of Ukrainians involved anywhere in the events that led up to worldwide Covid-19 epidemic.
Here is the funding statement from the 2017 paper: This work was jointly funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (81290341, 31621061) to ZLS, China Mega-Project for Infectious Disease (2014ZX10004001-003) to ZLS, Scientific and technological basis special project (2013FY113500) to YZZ and ZLS from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDPB0301) to ZLS, the National Institutes of Health (NIAID R01AI110964), the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) PREDICT program to PD and ZLS, CAS Pioneer Hundred Talents Program to JC, NRF-CRP grant (NRF-CRP10-2012-05) to LFW and WIV “One-Three-Five” Strategic Program (WIV-135-TP1) to JC and ZLS. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
You can verify the paper and all of the players at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5708621/ You can google the paper, it is titled “Discovery of a rich gene pool of bat SARS-related coronaviruses provides new insights into the origin of SARS coronavirus”
I might add that when Obama was POTUS in 2015 he ended Fauci’s funding as soon as he found out this was going on, and he made it illegal. But Fauci found a back door for funding in 2017 and the entire Trump administration did not know about it because Fauci disguised the intent and use of the funding and conveniently left out the descriptive words “gain of function” in the budget line item. This is what has Dr. Rand Paul so pissed off and why he wants to throw Fauci in jail. .
Think Vanity Fair has a more comprehensive view from multiple sources and angle which does not have the direct line to Fauci, but an association.
I just love one factoid that came from this report, which was, perhaps it came from a bat, from the market, however, the market does not sell bats and it was that hibernation season… You do the math. It’s probably infected scientist to do a little shopping Before the sickness kicks in. And the rest is history. Some of these labs have been determined to have the safety factors of your dentist. Not exactly a place you should be playing with this stuff.
Also, the ban took attacked during Obama, and was lifted during Trump. He may have overlooked, they may have overlooked, on top of that, but the band had already been lifted.
That’s another point of investigation, was this ban lifted as part of a “kill any Obama executive order you can find?” Or did they actually think about it before they killed it. Either one is pretty bad for different reasons.
Tom … That is one of the best summaries i have see on the story behind gain-of-function. It really knocks the pedestal out from under Fauci. It if turns out that the Covid Pandemic that ravaged the world was man-made and leaked out of the Wuhan Lab — and Fauci lied about it to conceal his role is the global tragedy, that would make him an enemy of humanity. And then it could be fairly said that his lies cost millions of lives. Even if the leak was tragic mistake, Fauci’s lies are unforgiveable.
Thanks Larry. Fauci was definitely funding gain of function research. I have pasted a paragraph from the document I referenced in my discussion earlier. Basically what this paragraph says in plain English is they found a target virus of interest (RS4874) and grew it. Then they used basically a reverse genetic engineering technique to design infectious bacterial chromosomes clones (DNA clones) from 8 different SARS Covid strains of viruses. Then they took these infectious genetically engineered clones and “transfected” which means they spliced them into the virus of interest (RS4874) to see if it would multiply and aggressively damage living tissue cells (in rats). At this point you can consider this transfected virus to be what Rand Paul called a “Super virus”. Rand’s contention is that this kind of recombination of viral DNA and transfecting cannot occur in nature and is therefore “gain of function”. They found that two of the super virus clones (samples Rs4231 and Rs7327) led to tissue damaging effect, and six of the super virus strains did not damage tissue. What this means is two of their rats died, the other six lived. They then took the two successful super virus cell samples and put them into the original target RS 4874 virus by gene splicing and found that the target RS 4874 virus efficiently replicated with the cloned DNA from the earlier experiments. So now we have a super unnatural virus that efficiently replicates. Then they used HeLa cells which are human epithelial cells of a strain maintained in tissue culture since 1951 and used in research, especially in virology, and exposed the cells to the super unnatural virus. Well, this super unnatural virus did enter and infect the HeLa cells using the human ACE2 gene as the doorway into the human cell. So at this point they have a genetically engineered super unnatural virus strain that can damage tissue, efficiently replicate itself, AND can easily enter human tissue cells using the human ACE2 (Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 ) gene that are in our epithelial cells. BINGO! At this point they created a super bug that can replicate efficiently (very fast) and damage tissue along the way till the human dies! That is what the paragraph I copied and pasted from Dr. Shi Zhengli’s document (below) is basically saying! Fauci funded this research as a line item in his NIAID budget but did not include in the line item the words “gain of function”.
In the current study, we successfully cultured an additional novel SARSr-CoV Rs4874 from a single fecal sample using an optimized protocol and Vero E6 cells [17]. Its S protein shared 99.9% aa sequence identity with that of previously isolated WIV16 and it was identical to WIV16 in RBD. Using the reverse genetics technique we previously developed for WIV1 [23], we constructed a group of infectious bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones with the backbone of WIV1 and variants of S genes from 8 different bat SARSr-CoVs. Only the infectious clones for Rs4231 and Rs7327 led to cytopathic effects in Vero E6 cells after transfection (S7 Fig). The other six strains with deletions in the RBD region, Rf4075, Rs4081, Rs4085, Rs4235, As6526 and Rp3 (S1 Fig) failed to be rescued, as no cytopathic effects was observed and viral replication cannot be detected by immunofluorescence assay in Vero E6 cells (S7 Fig). In contrast, when Vero E6 cells were respectively infected with the two successfully rescued chimeric SARSr-CoVs, WIV1-Rs4231S and WIV1-Rs7327S, and the newly isolated Rs4874, efficient virus replication was detected in all infections (Fig 7). To assess whether the three novel SARSr-CoVs can use human ACE2 as a cellular entry receptor, we conducted virus infectivity studies using HeLa cells with or without the expression of human ACE2. All viruses replicated efficiently in the human ACE2-expressing cells. The results were further confirmed by quantification of viral RNA using real-time RT-PCR (Fig 8).
Maybe Larry, but I do not think he was funding GoF out of Wuhan which is his testimony to Congress, Just have a hard time thinking he would torch his legacy on that one given it was legal under the Trump administration. If it turns out he was funding it somewhere else, or via cut-outs, that’s just as bad that he would weasel-word his testimony. The EoC stuff, which I think is what Tom is showing, has issues, but Congressional oversight might help, from any party. I just don’t see partisan unless some yoho on your side, like Rand, makes it personal.
No matter, on this one I am pretty sure you guys can even pull off a real bipartisan effort.
I also feel this virus is GoF or man-inspired. Why? One reason is that in 1918 we began using mustard gas, had many in the hospital, and low n behold, a GoF virus, the Spanish Flu appears killing millions. Almost sounds too familiar, too correlated to our current experience.
Plus, the concept of coming from a bat at the market is weak. They don’t have live bats there and it was hibernation season.
I honestly think someone was funding a job at Wuhan and some infected workers went to market. Maybe we funded it, maybe Fauci has ties.
We most certainly need a investigation. I think it will find things and we may be in the center of it.
FRank Stetson … you waste a lot of words. You last sentence says all there is to be said. We agree that there should be an investigation …. period. Your crystal ball view of the process and outcomes is just you biased armchair opinion — or wishful thinking. But kudos for at least seeing the need for an investigation.
Ain’t no love comin from bro Bubba x2. Didn’t say how he came to be of the opinion he carries on about. If he does not care about Putin, Russia, Ukraine, and the war atrocities with human privation, then he doesn’t really care about America either. What happens with Putin wanting Ukraine is just the beginning. He is a threat to America not to be ignored.
There are costs attached to the freedoms Americans like Bubba enjoy. Generations past in America paid a price with many giving the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom to have an opinion contrary to our government’s actions, President’s and Congress’s decisions, and one political party of the two making this a democracy.
Sadly, people of Bubba’s opinion exist in this country. I don’t judge but am dismayed for their unhappiness.
On the Russia-Ukraine debacle, mostly I concur with Larry on this one. America and the West need a free Ukraine as a democratic state on this planet. To that end America is best served by supplying the best and most advanced weaponry and intelligence possible. At the same time provide deterrence and cut off countries sympathetic to Putin and his war.
I would hope military aid from the US arsenal had complimentary assistance in the best council from our Generals’ brain trust and combat experienced officers. Technology and know how it’s best employed seems prudent and wise.
Putin fear had by decision makers in the West because of a belief he will call in nuclear tactical weaponry is a bluff working to Putin’s advantage. Putin is madman lusting for more power, but he does have his own fears limiting his decisions. He does not know exactly the retaliatory response America will give for his initiating nuclear tactical weapons on Ukraine.
The free world needs Ukraine’s freedom from Putin’s Russia occupying forces. The war ending with Putin withdrawing has to happen and soon.
Why allow the war’s grinding on with its consequences to infrastructure and property needlessly obliterated and, foremost, human casualties unspeakable previously unimaginable.
Not caring enough is just a few shades lighter than the darkest shade, not caring at all. Ukrainian people’s hope for their home land lifted higher came with US military and civilian assistance. Their hope realized requires more from NATO in Europe, the West, and the US. All aid represents investment in Democracies and with success future dividends of all kinds received.
Want it or not America has earned the role and responsibility of the defender of Democracy world wide as the result of our nation being at present the most powerful and greatest nation. Which, keeping that top position, exacts a price on us all, Americans. It’s reality and it does not come cheap.
I understand the frustration of many on this topic that we do not give Ukraine all that they need. But this would expand the war. Right now, Ukraine has the moral and strategic high ground and they cannot afford to give this up. Ukraine will need quite a bit of courage, and conviction to stay the course but it will have more lasting results if it can be achieved. I am remembering Vietnam. The North did not directly attack the USA mainland, nor did its supporters, i.e. Russia and China. Instead they went for the moral and political victory. And they accomplished this by sending home 53,000 body bags and around 300,000 physically and mentally wounded US Soldiers. So by 1967, we had seen enough body bags and wounded to turn the political landscape against the war. This led to political disruption and LBJ not running for a second term.
Ukraine needs to view the winter months as a strategic ally and use it wisely by planning a major offensive against Russian assets in Ukraine. And maybe a few more strategic attacks inside Russia to remind them of what can happen down the road. They should get those jets and plenty of defensive materials to send home many body bags to Russia because the political landscape for the war is already eroding. Keep the erosion going. Do not attack Russia directly because then Putin can justifiably conscript many, and, it will reverse the political landscape back to being pro war.
Rocky IV is an excellent movie that displays this strategy. Rock takes a near lethal beating from the superior Russian fighter, then like a cornered rat (Putin description) comes out and beats the Russian. Ukraine is that cornered rat right now. It is not yet time to come out of the corner but it is time to use the winter to send home the body bags to Russia.
Armchair General Larry is a hawk who feels nuclear war is survivable and worth the risk for Ukraine. He has been hawkish from the start, even as Ukraine held them off, pushed them back. Yes, we have restricted our weapons to the Ukrainian boarder as we, and the EU, walk the tightrope of not aggravating Russia beyond Ukraine. Larry claims no new sanctions yet the EU just added some a few days ago. There have been four rounds, the last new ones from the US were in September, less than 3 months ago and there have been seven others by different countries since then, two from the G7 which includes the US. I think Larry is wrong saying no new sanctions.
Fact is Larry has been hawkish all along, basically saying the war would be short-lived – wrong. That Ukraine would lose — so far, wrong. And so on. He said it when it began. He said it as Putin ramped up and took swaths of territory, and now he continues as Putin gets pushed back.
There have been enhancements to US actions to Russia, but Larry seems to feel not enough. Ukraine has responded using our ever-escalating weapon shipments. It’s tough, it’s cold, and the Ukrainians are holding their own.
Hey, everyone entitled to their opinion, even if wrong time and again on this topic Larry is —- he said in his Yoda voice :>)
Then he puts the gorilla on the table: “Yes, I know Putin will again rattle the nuclear saber – using limited tactical nuclear weapons. He should be told with steely eyes that NATO has far more nuclear ability than Russia – and will use It in response.” That’s the question, that’s the rub, that’s the reason for restraint, but Larry wants to leap gung ho into a nuclear game of chicken.
But wait, there’s more. Larry steps way over the factual line with his hawkish bluster: “Even if nuclear weapons were used, there would no Third World War nuclear Armageddon. As insane as Putin may be, those surrounding him would not allow it. As in the United States, the President does not have a button or a single order that launches the atomic arsenal. It goes through a complicated chain-of-command in which an order from the top can be aborted.”
BULLSHIT
Once more into the breach…. Larry presumes nuclear wars to be contained, survivable, things to not fear as the end of all times. It will all be tactical, smaller bombs with contained results. He is probably wrong. Dead wrong.
He claims Russia will threaten use of tactical nuclear weapons as if there’s a possibility of tactical nuclear war. There is. Russia may have 2,000 of these things, we only have around 200 (and yes, they surround Russia). Russia has 5,900 big uns, we have about 5,400. SO — 200 against 2,000 and then we into the big uns. And the problem with tactical is that you will be there to fire the big uns off. IMO, and most military experts, there is no way a tactical nuclear war with Russia ends there. At the first bomb’s drop, the subs will submerge and that’s history folks.
Hiroshima bombs were about 12k tons. Tactical are 1K to 50K tons, pretty sure most outclass Hiroshima bombs by a factor of two or more. Strategic nukes are 100K tons up to a megaton. Thousands of them. Each bomb is Hiroshima times 20, Hiroshima times 100.
Two words for Larry:
Overkill
Submarine
Overkill is the number needed to end it all. After that, it’s just unnecessary overkill since you are already killed. A nuclear war would devastate all Russian and American cities. A one megaton bomb clears about 80 square miles. Only ten 100K bombs would clear 160 square miles. We have 55 times that, the Russians a few more. Ten would clear Rhode Island. We have around 5,500.
For a one megaton airburst, the first 2 miles are toast. The next 5 miles are 50% toast – instantly. Most of the rest die shortly thereafter. Seven miles. Then after that you get the secondary effects of radiation combined with the pestilence unleashed from all that biomass rotting in the sun. Will there be survivors? Yes, people will live. Even in the blast zone people will live. Will it be life? Not really. If we had 1,000 cities polished off with just 1,000 of Russia’s 5,500 bombs, we are down to Monrovia California, population 37,000. All wiped off the planet. In a heartbeat. Check it out yourself: https://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/ Just put 5,500 strikes in and tell us what’s left. And then account for the secondary effects. Overkill.
Overkill. It’s the foundation that mutual deterrent is based on and why trifling with tactical nukes against a 5,500 strategic bomb enemy is a really terrible idea. We don’t care about a single bomb, we care about overkill given all those bombs.
Then, Larry presupposes the nuclear decision to be by committee with many paths to say no. Second word: submarine.
The nuclear strike can be ordered by the President, confirmed by folks as valid and away we go. The military is obliged to determine it’s a legal order, but that’s about it for oversight. But here’s the rub: submarine.
Larry misses that 70% of our nuclear arsenal is aboard our nuclear subs. Submarines have an unusual aspect when underwater — they can’t communicate. Well, maybe if they rise close to the surface, they can put up a buoy and do some Morris code, but they won’t, it’s against orders.
First thing is things get tense. Nuclear countries posture for position. At some point, an order is given, the subs submerge where they will not rise until it’s time, as ordered, and then they will not check in, doublecheck, look around; they will fire as ordered with whatever predefined targets they had before submerging. That’s how the world ends: in a blind assault. That’s 3,800 nuclear missiles firing no matter what happened to the first 1,700 from land — whether they fire those or not, whether they are tactical or not. There is no change of heart once the subs go under.
If there is a tactical nuclear war, with only 200 warheads, it won’t last long. Well before it’s over, the subs will go down and pretty sure they will not call home when resurfacing. That’s mutual deterrence: overkill and submarines. Nasty business that we don’t want to even talk about, even in whispers. Only a fool would suggest a nuclear conflict between Russia and the US is survivable. As what?
Frank Stentson … your insults, snideness and arrogance notwithstanding, I would hope you would at leas not so blatantly and dishonestly misrepresent my statements and opinions to use as straw man arguments for your own feeble counterparts. If I am that “armchair general” you claim, then you are a weak-kneed pacifist in the tradition of Neville Chamberlain.
I have never opposed sanctions. But I have pointed out that Biden lied when he said he would throw the book at Putin if he invaded. Rather he has been throwing one page at a time — with little to no effect. MY point is that sanctions have been PROVEN to be ineffective — and I do not have much hope for future sanctions.
You seem to believe that Ukraine is winning. Yes, hey have regained some territory, but you seem to be oblivious of the pounding Ukraine is taking from the aerial assaults — which are ramping up. And even regaining land has ceased for the moment. Ukraine is not losing at the moment, but they are definitely not winning.
When accusing me of thinking we can win a limited nuclear war, of course we can. BUT i do not believe it would come to that even if Ukraine more aggressively attacked military targets inside Russia. We even have seen some evidence of that. Putin’s only response to the those attacks inside Russia by increasing the aerial assaults.
Youi seem to be in line with American policy post-Reagan. Allow our enemies to win repeated partial negotiated victories. First it was the Crimea … then the Donbas … and they the eastern provinces. I am sure if Ukraine agreed to surrender the east region, Putin would take the deal and stop the invasion — for now. You seem to be among those who believe in “peace” at any cost. Along your line of thinking, Imperial Japan brought peace to the world by surrendering. The Finnish Prime Minister said it right … the war ends when there are no more Russian soldiers in Ukraine. That is my view. And I do not see that happening if we see appeasement as an option. When you express fears of what Putin might do if we become more aggressive in winning the war, that sounds like appeasement to me — and more importantly, to Putin. The Madman of Russia has not lost since he came to power, and he has certainly out maneuvered America and the west. We lost in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Georgia, etc., etc. Where did Putin lose? And you seem willing to let him win again for the sake of a false “peace.” You are becoming the personification of the definition of insanity.
Insults? I think on Ukraine you are PROVEN to be an Armchair General — you have made so many prognostications, so many errors. from your intelligence center in Boca……Not much of an insult. But you show me the others, and especially the “snideness and arrogance” that bothers you and I will attempt to throttle it back.
Weak kneed Chamberlain — that’s a new one. Try more like Bush Sr or many a US General who realizes the futility of superpowers engaged in limited actions. If you think there can be a survivable nuclear war between Russia and the US, you are braindead. Once the first tiny tactical flies, it will life over, as you know it. Look at those statistics and tell us what you think life looks like.
I never said you opposed sanctions. And we would all like to see them piled on. Some take time, some must be done slower to allow our allies time to adjust. Some need to be fixed, systemically, cuz they can’t work, like some of the financials. You just said we stopped adding them and I pointed out your error.
I never said Ukraine was winning. I just said they were holding and you were wrong to say they would lose so fast. Multiple times you miscalled that one.
“When accusing me of thinking we can win a limited nuclear war, of course we can.” There is no “limited nuclear war” between Russian and the US; there’s just 11,000 strategic nuclear bombs, half detonated in each country. What do you expect, a gentleman’s agreement on only using tactical? Is that the great Horist negotiator leveling and limiting the playing field when Russia has 2,000 of these and we only have 200, all aimed at mother Russia? What could go wrong with your way of thinking?
I have no issue with Ukraine hitting military targets in Russia supporting the Ukraine war. Never said I did. I could even tolerate a “miss” or two to bring it closer to the Russian people. It’s war, shit happens and the Ukrainians have already shown they can miss.
And I agree, I don’t think Putin will respond with a tactical.
Yes, Putin has never lost, he is shrewd in picking targets. No, I do not want to go to war with Russia over Ukraine. Not at this point at least.
“Missiles for the HAWK air defense system, along with four Avenger air defense systems and Stinger missiles are headed to Ukraine as part of a presidential drawdown authority security assistance package worth up to $400 million, the Defense Department announced today,” 11/11/22. We are finalizing plans to ship long-range Patriot missiles any day now. We are giving much and giving more to Ukraine everyday and it seems to be keeping them in the game. Patriots can be used to shoot down Russian crap BEFORE it enters Ukraine soil meaning the shit falls in Russia, wherever it falls. Good.
But, no Larry, I don’t think we should risk nuclear war; there is no limited nuclear war between Russia/US — none. And I don’t at this time, want US boys and girls, on the ground, in Ukraine. I just don’t think it’s time for our old men to order our young men and women to die in the Ukraine.
If giving Patriot missiles is like Chamberlain to you, that’s your opinion, but I think you are wrong. PS: Boca would be gone in the second wave you know……hope you live outside of town. Like in Cuba :>)
Frank Stetson … It would appear that you got all you understanding of nuclear warfare from the old movie “Dr. Strangelove.” You entire comment reads like something out of the 1950s or 60s.Times have changed. But your screed is all over the map. You say support more sanctions. So do I — but I am wondering why we still have so many left. You say you never objected to Ukraine hitting inside Russia. So you agree with me? You even agree that Putin is not likely to go nuclear if Mother Russia is hit. Me too. You claim to have never said that Ukraine was winning. I would tend to agree.
Since you are more interested in countering what you think are my positions — or those of you imaginary Larry Horist — let me be clear. I do not think Putin will go nuclear — and most certainly not more than tactical in Ukraine. The chance of an all-out nuclear exchange between Russia and the West is nil — even if Putin did use tactical nuclear weapons. It would draw a response not only from the US but from NATO and others.
You claim that the US President — or Putin — and singularly launch the nuclear arsenal is wrong. You obviously unaware of the layers and layers of safety measures. I will grant you that Putin’s system may not have as many layers as ours, but it also has abort points that are beyond Putin. There is even a report of a lower level Russian military officer stopping an unintended launch.
You say Ukraine — and all the strategic, natural resources and more impressions of a loser America — is not worth going to war with Russia. You see no American security interests, I disagree. In other words, you are prepared to yield Ukraine to Putin. On that point we differ. You agree with Chamberlain, who also did not see any British security interests in allowing Hitler to annex the Sudetenland. I see that as a shoe that fits you quite well.
If I misread you, tell me what you would be willing to do to have Ukraine win the war and expel Russian troops from ALL the occupied land — including the Crimea. What would you do to force Russia to pay reparations for the rebuilding of Ukraine? What would you do to hold Putin –and others — for the war crimes? Surprise me … because I am expecting to hear crickets.