Unconfirmed report: Putin to undergo cancer surgery
[URL]https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10770541/amp/Putin-cancer-operation-near-future-hand-power-hardline-ex-KGB-chief.html[/URL]
As I noted in the post title, this is as yet unconfirmed. But it's certainly something to watch for over the next few days or weeks.
So you'd like to see Ukraine capitulate?
[QUOTE=DramaFree11;2691624]When your country is destroyed, sorry that is not a win. They will never get into NATO because of the corruption. Yes, both Russia and Ukraine are screwed. Especially they every day people.[/QUOTE]On May 8 1945, many countries in Europe laid destroyed, and yet, it was a win. What does corruption or NATO have to do with the fact that Ukraine became a victim of an unprovoked aggression? Did Ukraine wake up one morning and decided: what a great day for getting destroyed? Or did Russia do it to them?
I'm not sure what you're trying to say? Should Ukraine capitulate in your opinion now that they're winning?
A perennial problem of prognosticators & pundits
[QUOTE=Kozerog;2692070]LOL. Ukraine is being ruthlessly used by rogue elements in the USA who think a,weakened Russia somehow helps the USA. On the contrary, USA would benefit from a strong Russia led bloc as an ally against China. USA certainly wasn't threatened by Russia after 1990,-but some people didn't get the message. Or maybe they did get a different message: no Russian enemy means budget cuts. Too shortsighted to see that China would justify plenty of budget for defense, so no need fur Russia as enemy.
Ukrainians are even stupider than USA to have allowed themselves to be used by these USA rogue elements. I say rogue, because according to reports in NYTimes and elsewhere, CIA has been warning for years that Ukraine is a red line for Russia and was advising against arming Ukraine. Even former President Bush the first (previously head of CIA) warned Ukrainians about nationalism in 1990. His son, of course, was the idiot (along with arch warmongers Rumsfeld and Cheney) who insisted on opening NATO for Ukraine,-which is how this mess started. Rogue elements are State and Defense Department. Defense because they never met a war they didn't like, as long as no real risk to USA. State because populated by nsive idealists. In other words, contrary to the natural assumption of a devious CIA plot, CIA are the responsible grownups in this case, and State Department is who has been running amok.[/QUOTE]Is that they become so enamored of their own superior knowledge and insight that they have blinders when it comes to anything that might cast doubt on their conclusions. I don't claim to be a geopolitical expert, but I do have a keen eye for when cherry-picking of agreeable facts, and failing to acknowledge (or look for) disagreeable facts, is going on.
With respect to pre-Feb 24th realities, all of that was mooted by Russia's invasion. With that single act Putin took a situation that was many shades of gray and turned it into one that's starkly black and white. In Europe, the West, and arguably much of the world, Ukraine is perceived as the victim and Russia, personified in Putin, as the villain and aggressor.
I use the word "personified" because it's particularly apt, as Putin's leadership is as much a cult of personality as anything else. But that becomes problematic when the leader weakens or fails. Putin's health is clearly failing, as several videos released by Russian media have shown. And his military is desperately trying to avoid failure and gin up something that can be proclaimed as a victory, esp by the symbolic date of May 9th.
If Putin dies, or becomes unable to function, it's your assumption that another hard-liner will seamlessly take over and continue as before. I would argue that, in a "Royal Court" environment in which Putin has ruthlessly eliminated and suppressed any potential rival, it's equally likely that a bloodbath could break out as possible successors fight among each other. And there's also the question of how well, in a population conditioned to revere and idolize (only) Putin, any successor would be accepted. Any successive leader will be viewed, and evaluated, through Putin-colored glasses.
BTW, it's also worth noting that some strange shit is going on in Russia:
[URL]https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2022/04/28/what-the-hell-is-going-on-in-russia-n1593602[/URL]
Events like mysterious fires and bridge collapses indicate either an extraordinary level of bad luck (or incompetence?) or perhaps an ongoing campaign of sabotage by either internal or external actors. Whatever the explanation, Mother Russia is experiencing a significant case of indigestion. I'm not making any specific predictions, simply observing that any analysis that ignores internal Russian difficulties is flawed.
Equally flawed is the assumption that Putin's army is capable of a conventional military victory, or would be able to effectively hold any territory they might conquer. All the evidence from the battlefield indicates that any gains made by Russia have come at a huge cost in men and equipment. That doesn't mean Ukraine isn't paying a high price, but they're being backstopped and replenished by the West, while Russia remains isolated. So, if a conventional victory proves to be out of reach, nukes are arguably one of the few (only?) cards Putin has left. One possible scenario would be a low-yield strike at a strategic target. But is such a move possible in the context of a "special operation" or would Putin first need to declare war and move toward full mobilization? And would such a move cost Russia the last shred of support or neutrality by countries like China and India?
I don't pretend to know the answers to all the above questions, or the scores of additional variables (known and unknown) that undoubtedly exist. All I know is that most pundits and prognosticators, like those who predicted a quick capitulation by Ukraine, have been proven embarrassingly wrong. Reality tends to play by her own rules.
Russia is being diminished while US-led NATO is being enlarged
[QUOTE=PedroMorales;2692013]You are American and so do not belong in Europe about which you should not comment because you know nothing about it.
World War Two in Europe was a win for the USA who gave the least and took the most.
NATO is an American controlled mafia gang that is fueling the Ukrainian war, just as Sweden and Finland fueled Hitler. If Sweden and Finland carry through and join NATO and thereby allow Russia's Northern fleet to be blocked and Russia's early warning nuclear defences to be countered, nuclear war heads will rain down on New York and Washington.
Corruption has losers, in this case the ordinary Ukrainians. Zelensky, a guy who plays the piano in the nude, is the world's richest comedian..[/QUOTE]If Finland and Sweden join NATO, it's as a direct result of Putin's narcissistic stupidity. He's going to rattle his nuclear saber, no matter what, but that's being seen as a sign of desperation and weakness.
Finland and Sweden are therefore giving LilliPutin the middle finger and calling his bluff. It seems to me they're betting that Vlad's trembling finger won't be able to find the red button, much less push it. And, even if he is a deranged and suicidal psychopath, it's unlikely that everyone in the launch chain of command will be willing to follow him off the nuclear cliff. It's just as likely that someone will give him a classic Stalin-style retirement.
Oh, and about corruption having losers, that's a perfect description of Putin, the uber-kleptocrat, and how he's raped his own country and population. He's losing in every conceivable way someone can lose. And, when he finally crashes and burns, it will be EPIC!
P.S. You know what else will be fun to watch? With all the new NATO bases and European deployments, there are going to be a lot of American soldiers shacking up with and shagging the local women. So that means, in about 9 months to a year, we should start seeing a bumper crop of Finnish-American, Swedish-American, and Baltic-American babies. Yep, thanks to Comrade Putin, NATO is enlarging and is stronger than ever.
Rogue elements? Well, that's specific!
[QUOTE=Kozerog;2692070]LOL. Ukraine is being ruthlessly used by rogue elements in the USA who think a,weakened Russia somehow helps the USA. On the contrary, USA would benefit from a strong Russia led bloc as an ally against China. USA certainly wasn't threatened by Russia after 1990,-but some people didn't get the message. Or maybe they did get a different message: no Russian enemy means budget cuts. Too shortsighted to see that China would justify plenty of budget for defense, so no need fur Russia as enemy.[/QUOTE]Sure, by all means. Rogue elements. Been missing your bullshit geopolitical word salad lately.
What gives? New instructions from the Internet Research Agency coming in?
Shit, you people are relentless.
Transparent too.
