Stupid Shit in Kyiv

[WyattEarp]

Sanctions will last for years, if not decades. There's already a been a brain-drain going on that is likely to continue, if not increase, as young Russians confront the limited prospects of an isolated country.

Not exactly what you are talking about, but I wonder if Russian servers will be cut off from the internet. Could Russian hackers be shut out of the World Wide Web or extremely limited?

This is a laymen's question. I would guess that there would be workarounds through neutral countries' servers.

[WyattEarp]

If Russia invades Ukraine, they will lose any pro-Russian sentiment they have forever. Instead of gaining an ally, they will make a steadfast enemy.

It seems that Russian political ineptitude has fortified the Ukrainian identity and its concept of sovereignty. Crimea and Donbas might even have lost their affinity for Russia.

On the other side, we will have to see how the Russian public views the bloody and costly foray into the Ukraine. This war is clearly not Georgia, Moldova or Crimea. The economic fallout is also something the Russian people have not had to realize from Putin's previous military actions.

[PedroMorales]

Bosnia-Herzegovina and Georgia are already in the queue to join NATO, Sweden and Finland are having serious discussions to that end, and I fully expect more countries to follow suit. And, regardless of how many countries formally join NATO, it's a veritable certainty that the number of US troops in Europe will increase, and probably new bases established. Oh, and I don't see any member countries moving to leave the alliance (not Czechia, not anyone)..

Tell me something I don't know. Zelensky, a clown by profession, addresses the Israeli Parliament today. No doubt some Mossad hack will write his speech, just as MI5 wrote his Churchillian speech for the seals in Westminster.

Hopefully, Russia will shut him and his C18 and Azov Nazi pals forever soon.

The USA is the root of all evil, as millions of dead Vietnamese, Afghans and Iraqis could have testified had Uncle Sam not murdered them. (Ukraine helped the genocide in Iraq).

Europe has to get rid of its collaborators and strike deals with Russia and China and treat Americans at all levels as the jerks that they are.

There is a lot of disquiet that is hard to direct when Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, the Bolshoi, Yuri Gagarin, Russia cats, dogs and trees are banned. We have been down this road before in 1914. The EU and USA both run on them pty tanks. That is their weakness. Hopefully this time Uncle Sam will pay.

[HulaHoops]

Hello all,

Not much to report. It seems we will be leaving Kyiv to the border. We've paid a local to help us with transportation as I've mentioned before.

I had a long post written up as to proving my validity however it didn't get posted for some reason. Ah well.

As I have said before I have no reason to mislead or lie to others. If you let me know any pictures of landmarks in Kyiv you want me to post, I will take a picture and write my name on a piece of paper to prove my validity and that I'm actually in Ukraine.

As for the poster who is also in Ukraine. I don't have the PM facility.

Will every foreigner that comes to Ukraine get attacked? Of course not. We came at a specifically ridiculous and emotionally tense time. I hope other foreigners come to Ukraine and post their reports. If they disagree with my reports that's fine, they just had a different experience. The more reports on the forum the better.

I'm not a troll. If there's anything you want me to do, pictures you want me to take, phone calls or whatever. Please let me know and I will take them. As me and my group are leaving Ukraine, this or early next week. I'm not apprehensive anymore about exposing my identity.

As for me being online, I leave my laptop turned on almost 24/7 while I do other stuff. Plus please also accommodate that when I make a post, it doesn't show instantly but must be approved by admin before it is shown on the board.

Hope that's ok.

[Jmsuttr]

Prague's beauty is because the Wehrmacht did not destroy it in 1945. Prague has always been at the heart of Western / Central Europe. Lower Bohemia is where the Wars of the Reformation were fight, with 33% fatalities.

Prague has recently been colonized by flotsam, Americans in the main, pricing Czechs out of the market. It is a major centre of off kinds of shtt.

The 1914-45 European Civil War is over. It is time for the USA to pack up and fuck off back home to continue their manifest destiny of slaughtering the Natives and locking up Blacks.

Russia will bring Clown Zelensky and his Azov death squads to heel.

Bosnia-Herzegovina and Georgia are already in the queue to join NATO, Sweden and Finland are having serious discussions to that end, and I fully expect more countries to follow suit. And, regardless of how many countries formally join NATO, it's a veritable certainty that the number of US troops in Europe will increase, and probably new bases established. Oh, and I don't see any member countries moving to leave the alliance (not Czechia, not anyone).

Putin may have the ability to destroy much of Ukraine, but he's simultaneously flushed the future of Russia down the toilet. Sanctions will last for years, if not decades. There's already a been a brain-drain going on that is likely to continue, if not increase, as young Russians confront the limited prospects of an isolated country. And let's all sit back and watch how long it takes "good friend" China to start tightening the screws on their newly acquired vassal state. I'm getting the popcorn ready now!

Once again it's clearly evident that your fantasies are irrelevant and that reality is firmly pointing in a direction that is guaranteed to make your head 'splode. Putin has strengthened the West, NATO, and the US, in a way that would never have happened had he not invaded. Sposibo bolshoye, Vlad!

P.S. I have no illusions about Ukraine. All their future paths are varying levels of dismal for years to come. But Russia, instead of playing the longer and more patient game (like China), gambled it all and is now staring into the abyss.

[DramaFree11]

Yes. Thank you for the link.

Before this war, I made 3 statements to friends--I guess my predictions. I think I am right with 2 out of 3.

1st: There is no way in hell Russia will invade Ukraine--it just doesn't make any sense. I got this one wrong (2nd: If Russia invades Ukraine, the Ukrainians will fight like hell, and they will be better than anyone thinks they will be.

3rd: If Russia invades Ukraine, they will lose any pro-Russian sentiment they have forever. Instead of gaining an ally, they will make a steadfast enemy.

Nobody, could have ever predicted this outcome, but the longer it goes on nobody wins. There will be nothing will be left of Ukraine, Russia will be broke and isolated. The rest of the world's economy will be greatly weakened or worse.

[YummyPL]

A bit long, but worth a read, IMO. The author makes the point that Russia's mismanagement of areas it's controlled, such as Crimea and Donbass, has had a negative effect on pro-Russia attitudes.

Thank you for the link.

Before this war, I made 3 statements to friends--I guess my predictions. I think I am right with 2 out of 3.

1st: There is no way in hell Russia will invade Ukraine--it just doesn't make any sense. I got this one wrong (2nd: If Russia invades Ukraine, the Ukrainians will fight like hell, and they will be better than anyone thinks they will be.

3rd: If Russia invades Ukraine, they will lose any pro-Russian sentiment they have forever. Instead of gaining an ally, they will make a steadfast enemy.

[Jojosun]

Whizzing through so many sources and channels to see what the Future hold for Ukraine, I found this very interesting Article on Ukraine, and I am afraid it doesn't sound like a promising Future for the Brave and Lovely People of this Unfortunate country being destroyed.

https://www.israelhayom.com/opinions...e-for-ukraine/

"Ceasefire agreement may come too late for Ukraine.

To avoid the appearance of failure, Russia may agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine only after ensuring it has turned the country into Syria's identical twin. "

About the writer of the Article, a Wiki search shows what A a Beauty With Brains Born in Moscow.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ksenia_Svetlova

[Desin]

Either there is some serious scapegoating going on, or the reality is that Putin was led astray by FSB's Ukraine's division. Hence the unexpected (for Putin) outcome of the invasion. Be that either way, it's good news for Ukraine.

Neurosynth's observations about HulaHoop's posts seem valid enough. There was a strong sense of a joke.

[PedroMorales]

Prague's beauty is because the Wehrmacht did not destroy it in 1945. Prague has always been at the heart of Western / Central Europe. Lower Bohemia is where the Wars of the Reformation were fight, with 33% fatalities.

Prague has recently been colonized by flotsam, Americans in the main, pricing Czechs out of the market. It is a major centre of off kinds of shtt.

The 1914-45 European Civil War is over. It is time for the USA to pack up and fuck off back home to continue their manifest destiny of slaughtering the Natives and locking up Blacks.

Russia will bring Clown Zelensky and his Azov death squads to heel.

So, when the Soviet Union (aided by Poland, Hungary, and Bulgaria) removed the Dubcek government in 1968, it was essentially an internal matter between Warsaw Pact countries. Seen in a Cold War context (and with the US involved in Vietnam) how likely was it that NATO would intervene? Answer, not very.

Fast forward to today: the USSR and Warsaw Pact are defunct, the Czech Republic is firmly ensconced in the bosom of the West AND is now a member of NATO. Therefore, in looking at the totality of historical events, I would argue that Czech happiness is a direct result of no longer being under the Soviet yoke, or being chained by the Warsaw Pact, and being able to freely run their own country.

Also, given what we're now seeing in Ukraine, I'm thinking that Czech happiness is even more enhanced by the security they feel under the NATO umbrella. I wonder if anyone has done a recent opinion poll (among Czechs) re favorable vs unfavorable sentiment toward NATO? I'd love to see the results.

[Neurosynth]

Nuclear weapons changed everything. The game theory part is difficult enough, but the assumption of rational actors is itself irrational.

Nobody posting here knows what Putin's health is like. He might be going mad. And if he is, no amount of history will matter. He gets a nuclear holocaust if he wants one. We are not in control.

But if we do survive, I hope we will finally realize nukes have to be negotiated down and then eliminated. That will be harder than ever, now that the world has seen how third rate the Russian army is.

[Jmsuttr]

It was interesting and tragic to see what Russification has brought to Crimea and the Eastern Ukraine.

I read further on the author's views on challenging Russia to break Putin's continue cycle of scaling up conflict. I have a couple issues with his views. First, the author's comparison to Nazi Germany is fallacious. The Russian military in 2022 is not as effective as Nazi Germany was relative to 1939. Second, NATO has always pursued a policy of containment and avoiding direct conflict. The policy worked until the corrupt and oppressive Soviet system crumbled from its own ineffectiveness.

One might say the invasion of the Ukraine is a brazen move. We however had Soviet violent invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia. NATO stood by and let the Soviets bully and dominate their neighbors. Unfortunately, I don't think the United States and NATO can be the policemen of the world. It also appears China is not interested in working with the Western alliance in preserving global peace.

Since the Twitter user I linked to is a historian, it's not surprising he uses historical comparisons. But, as the saying goes about history rhyming but not repeating, there will always be elements that don't fully match.

It's my sense that the author views appeasement as something to be avoided because it will only feed the beast (as with WW-II and Hitler). We don't know how Putin will respond, but we know he views the West as weak and therefore anything less than a strong response is likely to fail. Lots of room for debate, that's for sure, but that's the gist of the author's argument.

You're certainly correct about 1939 German forces vs Russian forces now. Although it seems 2022 Russia had a high estimate of their own capabilities, especially in comparison to their low estimate of Ukraine's. Putin obviously didn't have an accurate and objective assessment, or things would have been done differently. He's had a reality check now, but he clearly believed in Russia's overwhelming military superiority. Hitler made a similar miscalculation when he launched Operation Barbarossa.

About Hungary and Czechoslovakia, both were charter members of the Warsaw Pact. This was in the 1950's and 60's. So, in a Cold War context, Soviet control and suppression of their satellite states, while being publicly and diplomatically condemned, would also have been viewed as internal to the Soviet Bloc. USSR-controlled territory was theirs to command and the West wasn't going to change that.

That's a far cry from today's situation. The USSR has dissolved and former Soviet Bloc countries have mostly gone their own way. Putin is now pursuing an expansionary campaign in a way the Cold War Soviets were not. At least one facet of his scheme appears to be a partial reconstruction of the Soviet era sphere of control, except now using the rationale of uniting ethnic Russians in a New (and Greater) Russia. Both Hungary and the Czech Republic are now NATO members and I doubt either country wants to turn back the clock. I'm not sure mid-20th Century Cold War circumstances are directly analogous here. Again, those tricky historical parallels may not fully apply.

One further problem with the Ukraine situation is that (IMO) it's a mistake to think Putin won't use any victory, or concessions, as license to pursue future aggressive expansions. Why would he hesitate to declare "de-Nazification" campaigns in the Baltics or elsewhere? And Greater Russia surely can't be denied a land corridor to Kaliningrad, right?

That's why the Twitter author takes a strong stand against appeasement. And, after considering the pros and cons of the matter, I tend to agree. How that plays out in a practical sense remains to be seen. But I don't see any indications that Putin will voluntarily stop.

[Jmsuttr]

The Czech&Slovak people didn't resist, Dubceck didn't ask Nato to intervene, Nato didn't intervene.

Now in March 2022 https://www.praguemorning.cz/world-happiness-report-.

2022/ text=Share%20 via%3 A,of%20 Happiness%20 on%20 March%2020.

So, when the Soviet Union (aided by Poland, Hungary, and Bulgaria) removed the Dubcek government in 1968, it was essentially an internal matter between Warsaw Pact countries. Seen in a Cold War context (and with the US involved in Vietnam) how likely was it that NATO would intervene? Answer, not very.

Fast forward to today: the USSR and Warsaw Pact are defunct, the Czech Republic is firmly ensconced in the bosom of the West AND is now a member of NATO. Therefore, in looking at the totality of historical events, I would argue that Czech happiness is a direct result of no longer being under the Soviet yoke, or being chained by the Warsaw Pact, and being able to freely run their own country.

Also, given what we're now seeing in Ukraine, I'm thinking that Czech happiness is even more enhanced by the security they feel under the NATO umbrella. I wonder if anyone has done a recent opinion poll (among Czechs) re favorable vs unfavorable sentiment toward NATO? I'd love to see the results.

[Jojosun]

The Warsaw pact countries led by The Evil Empire invaded Czechoslovakia in August 1968,occupied it for few months, set up a puppet government, then withdrew their armies.

The rest is now history, But how does the Czech Republic now stand in world rankings?

'The Czech Republic Among the 20 Happiest Countries In The World'. https://www.praguemorning.cz/the-cze...-in-the-world/.

https://kafkadesk.org/2019/10/02/cze...es-for-expats/

The Czech&Slovak people didn't resist, Dubceck didn't ask Nato to intervene, Nato didn't intervene.

Now in March 2022 https://www.praguemorning.cz/world-happiness-report-.

2022/ text=Share%20 via%3 A,of%20 Happiness%20 on%20 March%2020.

[WyattEarp]

https://mobile.twitter.com/kamilkaza...03672019513345

A bit long, but worth a read, IMO. The author makes the point that Russia's mismanagement of areas it's controlled, such as Crimea and Donbass, has had a negative effect on pro-Russia attitudes.

Those who have lived in Ukraine can validate, or refute, from their personal knowledge. It's beyond my experience, but it does make for an interesting hypothesis as to why cities like Kharkiv are strongly resisting, rather than welcoming Russia.

It was interesting and tragic to see what Russification has brought to Crimea and the Eastern Ukraine.

I read further on the author's views on challenging Russia to break Putin's continue cycle of scaling up conflict. I have a couple issues with his views. First, the author's comparison to Nazi Germany is fallacious. The Russian military in 2022 is not as effective as Nazi Germany was relative to 1939. Second, NATO has always pursued a policy of containment and avoiding direct conflict. The policy worked until the corrupt and oppressive Soviet system crumbled from its own ineffectiveness.

One might say the invasion of the Ukraine is a brazen move. We however had Soviet violent invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia. NATO stood by and let the Soviets bully and dominate their neighbors. Unfortunately, I don't think the United States and NATO can be the policemen of the world. It also appears China is not interested in working with the Western alliance in preserving global peace.