What's happening in Ukraine
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kenpoprofessor said:
Good to hear from you Clyde & Other Forum Members-
Since the Maidan revolution in 2014, the reborn Ukrainian government has enacted a series of corruption controls/legislation to root out the remnants of the utterly degenerate practices of decades-long plundering by a legion of Putin fan-boy traitors (https://www.csis.org/analysis/corruption-and-private-sector-investment-ukraines-reconstruction). These pro-Russian Ukrainian sycophants readily exploited their own governance shortfalls and countrymen just to try to get a place at the kiddie table of Putin's oligarch feast. Putinism relies upon weak minded nativists to emulate the social contract in Russia within their own lands, specifically to disassociate their own citizens from governance in exchange for liberty from the unpopular requirements of responsible governance. The relaxation from taxation and regulation codified by the regimes spanning from Yushchenko to Poroshenko setup a revolving kleptocracy to fill the void of legislated and regulated governmental income (taxation)... those in power had to make it worthwhile for themselves.
As the dominant EU economy, Germany keeps close tabs upon the EU financial/investment sphere. A really inciteful and well-backed summary from the Institute for World Economy can be found here (https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/) about who is giving what to Ukraine and the transparency of those contributions. The working paper is a bit longer - but worth the read (https://www.ifw-kiel.de/fileadmin/Dateiverwaltung/IfW-Publications/fis-import/87bb7b0f-ed26-4240-8979-5e6601aea9e8-KWP_2218_Trebesch_et_al_Ukraine_Support_Tracker.pdf). As a student of military history, I found the comparisons of military aid spanning between other conflicts to be particularly enlightening (the fascist powers gave more to Franco in the Spanish Civil war than the west has afforded to Ukraine & we gave more to the French government as part of GDP than we currently have/are to Ukraine).
IMO there has never been a more effective investment in killing Russian combat power and embarrassing dimwit nationalists (both foreign and domestic) than the current coordinated aid structure to Ukraine. As I've mentioned previously in this forum topic, President Biden is accomplishing this at an annual investment less than President Trump paid to maintain a paltry 9,800 member combat force in Afghanistan - without remaining allies - with no chance of ever bringing a disengaged Afghan "ally" into the 21st century. Look again at the EU/NATO contribution to the Ukraine war effort cited by the IWE above, it is undeniable that President Biden has matured President Trump's stated goal to make our European allies contribute their fair share toward the defense of Europe. The defense of Europe is now centered in thwarting the expansion of Russia - the good news is that NATO member nations and EU members are ponying up their fair share - NATO membership is growing - and the hubris of the Russian tough-guy military is faltering to nerds with drones. If only Prime Minister Neville Chamberlin could have balanced this as well as President Biden and Prime Minister Johnson & Prime Minister Sunak.
kenpoprofessor
Member
NBC_LT said:
For as intelligent as you are, it's sad to see you taking the bait that there's good in our monetary aid. The EU would have no choice but to step up if we'd stayed out of it and spent that borrowed money on our own country to improve. Instead, you think Biden is doing a good job, when the fact is, we are more destitute than ever, and our military has become a shell of what is was during the time I served. We are no longer a "world power" with Democrats at the helm, we've become a 2nd rate nation that borrows money from our enemies. What could we have done with the billions we've spent to keep "Russia at bay"? If we were that concerned about Russia, or China, we'd have spent that money on technology to make ourselves self sustaining without the need for help. But you just keep thinking that there's a "positive side" to this, there isn't. We don't have Kennedys or Reagans anymore, or any representative with a backbone to stand up and say no, we're not having it, and have actual fisticuffs in the legislature. We've become soft and malleable, beat down by the hammers of corruption and hypocrisy.
Clyde
kenpoprofessor said:
Happy Friday Clyde -
Thanks for the compliment, I'm only educated - attaining smart comes from meaningful discussion with peer veterans like you and others across our great nation (like our other forum members). I appreciate those that take the time to call me out on my BS opinions... out of respect for your points I'd like to respond to some of my interpretations of your arguments:
Clyde Argument #1: We are spending too much money on Ukraine that can go to better use in the U.S.
Rich Counterpoint #1: When you look at the % of GDP we are spending to utterly humiliate a global strategic enemy like Putin's Russian Federation, it only comes to 0.3% of our GDP spending (https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/). Looking at current and past U.S. social spending that is about what the .gov spends on Rental Housing Subsidies (https://www.usgovernmentspending.com/welfare_spending_history) alone, less than half of what the US gov spends on Unemployment benefits and even far more less (almost a factor of 10) than spending upon Healthcare subsidization or direct payments, less than a factor of 3 of what the US gov spends upon disability entitlements. In total 2021 social program spending figures (https://data.oecd.org/socialexp/social-spending.htm#indicator-chart) show net US public program expenditure at 22.1% - so the 0.3% we send to Ukraine for achieving a monumental debasing Putinism - or - Oligarchal Nepotism merely approaches an order of magnitude off of what we spend on our own social programs. For EU nations contributing to the Ukraine war effort some, like the Baltic & former Warsaw Block nations are contributing much more from their social spending than us - so I see this as a positive indicator of the strength and equity of the alliance built by President Biden.
Clyde Argument #2: The U.S. military has now become a shell compared to generally when you and I served.
Rich's Counterpoint #2: I'm not sure by what metric that you or I can empirically support or counter your point. If you look at defense spending as per GDP, we are spending less than we were in the 70''s - 80's and pretty much level out once the Berlin wall fell. This lower spending was due to the U.S. Military TRADOC changing operational readiness posture from an Attrition Warfare model to a "Low Intensity Combat" (LIC) model (https://www.usgovernmentspending.com/defense_spending) after the Berlin Wall fell. Although the TRADOC change to LIC was one of the reasons I left the Army, as my objective experience of ground combat never seemed to resemble anything close to "low intensity" and I felt that TRADOC sold out their soldiers by abandoning the overwhelming firepower doctrine of the Attrition Warfare model last beautifully enacted by General Norman Schwartzkopf in Operation Desert Storm. Personally, I have been impressed with the crop of soldiers that carried the torch forward after 9/11. All in my VFW hall tell me about excellent training and espirit de corps in their service experience. The current batch of command officers are also top notch, they are from my generation - my military college classmates that were forged in the fires of Afghanistan & Iraq - they are not soft... if anything they deserve better than the douchbaggery foisted upon them by Senators Tuberville and Lee - three of my classmates are really hurting - rightful promotions and change of duty stations endlessly delayed - due to their Senatorial ideological BS.
Clyde Argument #3: We could better spend our money becoming less dependent upon our strategic enemies like Russia and China by spending money here at home.
Rich's Counterpoint #3: The Congress has passed the CHIPs and Infrastructure Acts for just that purpose. I am delighted that bi-partisan support could bring Trillions of USD over the next 10 years to invest in what makes us vulnerable to strategic adversaries - like not having micro-processors for our weaponry or not having energy for our domestic and military use. Domestic oil production under the Biden Administration has exceeded that under the Trump Administration (https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=mcrfpus2&f=m) after crashing in June - August 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic at truly no fault of the Trump Administration. Outlays for consumption on all energy sources can found here(https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/browser/?tbl=T04.03#/?f=M) and a good comparison with increasing production outlays makes me feel pretty secure about the future ability to maintain fuel stocks and prices for our defense and livelihoods. Albeit - the thought of getting screwed by OPEC - AGAIN - after their f'ing greedy price increases/production cuts last year - or - the Iranians complicating export through the Persian Gulf does concern me. Glad we have two Navy carrier groups there now.
Clyde Argument #4: We need representation with more backbone and fisticuffs.
Rich's Counterpoint #4: Did you watch last weeks news? Since we can no longer just print money like crazy and actually hold government to budgets in the post Sarbanes-Oxley Act world - the "toothless will get more ruthless". Our politicians have already debased our constitutional roles to election denialism, encouraging violent protest, explicit social media, kidney elbowing, fight challenges, and stupid smurf comments. While I frown upon this race to the civic cesspool - I accept it as inevitable - perhaps you are right - sometimes people just really may need to be punched in the face... it's just hard to keep that from spiraling out of control to something nobody wants, needs or benefits from.
I wish you shared my (cautious) optimism about our great nation's future - although anecdotally I share your opinion that "we are not what we use to be" - but neither is the rest of the world... could be just us getting older. My opinion is that nobody else comes close to having what we have here in the good old U-S-A. I would love if someone on this forum was an educated economist, as my utility of macro-economics is dismal. I once voiced my opinions about our national debt to a very well know economist at the U of A and was thoroughly b1tch-slapped to the academic sh1t-pile by expressing macro-economics in terms of micro-economics - aka trying to rationalize state economics via household "checkbook" economic utility. The honest interpretations about our unprecedented national debt level seems to vary between educated economists from a.) we are doomed to b.) we are not doomed within our current geopolitical context... I wonder if we will see who is right in our lifetimes?
I just love being retired and actually having time to engage with other firearm enthusiasts now - have a great weekend.
Suck My Glock
Member
That's a schitty way to go.
https://twitter.com/LostWeapons/status/1727891794976006507
https://twitter.com/LostWeapons/status/1727891794976006507
Suck My Glock
Member
Russia's desperation to use North Korea ammunition has cost them lives.
The world famous North Korean quality control has literally blown up in their faces. Several artillery shells have detonated in the breech or bore before leaving the artillery pieces, destroying them and killing nearly all of the crews involved. The problem was only discovered after some detonated in the bore nearly before exiting. This saved the lives of a few poor bastards who lived to tell the tale. The ones that detonated in the breech also detonated all the internal stores inside the self-propelled guns, which simply left a huge crater and tiny bits, with no one left to inform that it was NOT a direct hit by the Ukrainians.
The world famous North Korean quality control has literally blown up in their faces. Several artillery shells have detonated in the breech or bore before leaving the artillery pieces, destroying them and killing nearly all of the crews involved. The problem was only discovered after some detonated in the bore nearly before exiting. This saved the lives of a few poor bastards who lived to tell the tale. The ones that detonated in the breech also detonated all the internal stores inside the self-propelled guns, which simply left a huge crater and tiny bits, with no one left to inform that it was NOT a direct hit by the Ukrainians.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/austin-warns-congress-failing-to-pass-ukraine-aid-very-likely-leads-to-us-troops-on-the-ground-in-europe/ar-AA1l38Pc
Austin Warns Congress Failing to Pass Ukraine Aid ‘Very Likely’ Leads to US Troops on the Ground In Europe
Austin Warns Congress Failing to Pass Ukraine Aid ‘Very Likely’ Leads to US Troops on the Ground In Europe
Suck My Glock
Member
Latest desperation move by Russian forces involves turning old mothballed T55s into gigantic rolling grenades that when they go off mimic a small battlefield tactical nuke.
While Russia has thousands of T55s available, they are so outmatched by even the 70's era T64s Ukraine has (and they are breaking down so much from age) they don't dare throw them up against Ukraine's tanks because they just get obliterated and wasted. But someone had the bright idea of stuffing them to the gills with explosives, engaging the clutch and just sending them the Ukrainian lines on a suicide run. Sort of like a big giant tracked bangalore torpedo. The only problem though is when the Ukrainians see it coming, and they hit it with a tank round before it even leaves the Russian lines. OOOPS!!
https://twitter.com/UKikaski/status/1733485511681962025
While Russia has thousands of T55s available, they are so outmatched by even the 70's era T64s Ukraine has (and they are breaking down so much from age) they don't dare throw them up against Ukraine's tanks because they just get obliterated and wasted. But someone had the bright idea of stuffing them to the gills with explosives, engaging the clutch and just sending them the Ukrainian lines on a suicide run. Sort of like a big giant tracked bangalore torpedo. The only problem though is when the Ukrainians see it coming, and they hit it with a tank round before it even leaves the Russian lines. OOOPS!!
https://twitter.com/UKikaski/status/1733485511681962025
Running Out of Artillery Shells as Russia Presses With Offensive – New Military Aid Has Fallen by 90%
"Almost two years into the conflict, the MSM still seems not to have fully understood the nature of this war, or grasped Russia’s ‘war of attrition’ strategy, as they continue to label the present Russian offensive a ‘slow-moving campaign to win control of eastern Ukraine’.
Once the Ukrainian much-hyped counteroffensive ended in failure, Russia regained the initiative and is advancing at several points of the front.
Meanwhile, Russian industry is churning out equipment and ammunition at ever-greater levels, creating a widening gap in the fighting capabilities.
Ukrainian troops are now telling the Western press that they have stopped shelling small Russian units since they are running out of US-provided artillery ammunition............"
"Almost two years into the conflict, the MSM still seems not to have fully understood the nature of this war, or grasped Russia’s ‘war of attrition’ strategy, as they continue to label the present Russian offensive a ‘slow-moving campaign to win control of eastern Ukraine’.
Once the Ukrainian much-hyped counteroffensive ended in failure, Russia regained the initiative and is advancing at several points of the front.
Meanwhile, Russian industry is churning out equipment and ammunition at ever-greater levels, creating a widening gap in the fighting capabilities.
Ukrainian troops are now telling the Western press that they have stopped shelling small Russian units since they are running out of US-provided artillery ammunition............"
Little boy is coming back to the White House
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-invites-ukrainian-president-zelenskyy-white-house-ontuesday-rcna128946
Biden invites Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to the White House on Tuesday
https://1ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtontimes.com%2Fnews%2F2023%2Fdec%2F10%2Fjd-vance-ohio-republican-says-ukraine-will-have-to%2F
Sen. Vance says Ukraine will have to ‘cede some territory’
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-invites-ukrainian-president-zelenskyy-white-house-ontuesday-rcna128946
Biden invites Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to the White House on Tuesday
https://1ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtontimes.com%2Fnews%2F2023%2Fdec%2F10%2Fjd-vance-ohio-republican-says-ukraine-will-have-to%2F
Sen. Vance says Ukraine will have to ‘cede some territory’
Suck My Glock
Member
https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2023/12/11/cbs-news-discovers-the-power-of-armed-citizens-n78284
CBS News Discovers the Power of Armed Citizens
Defensive gun uses happen every day across the United States, but they rarely are covered by the national news media. Occasionally armed citizens will act to defend themselves or others in a spectacular fashion or on camera, which may result in a brief report on the nightly news, but for the most part DGUs are ignored by major press outlets.
On Sunday evening, however, the CBS News program 60 Minutes devoted an entire segment to armed citizens fighting back; not here in the United States, but in Ukraine, where civilian resistance fighters took on elements of the Russian army in the province of Kherson. Reporter Scott Pelley interviewed several of those armed civilians, some of whom had never held a gun before they took up arms in defense of their community. Others didn’t use firearms as their primary weapon of choice; instead making Molotov cocktails and other improvised weapons to engage in small-scale attacks on the occupying military force.
Self-defense is a human right, and when confronted with an immediate threat to their safety and security these men and women fought back with everything they had.
I’m not knocking CBS News for covering these resistance fighters, though tying their story to continued US funding for Ukraine’s defense was a little heavy-handed, at least in my opinion. Still, 60 Minutes has always engaged in more explicit advocacy than programs like the CBS Evening News, and at least Pelley and his editors are editorializing in support of the right of self-defense.
It would be nice, however, if they’d take that same approach to domestic defensive gun uses. The long-form reporting on 60 Minutes lends itself well to an in-depth report on armed citizens using firearms to defend themselves and their families, but I doubt we’ll ever see any segment like that on the show. Cheering on collective self-defense against the Russian military is one thing, but highlighting a dad who protected his kids from an armed attacker or a woman who defended herself against an abusive ex who tried to assault her in her home is quite literally a different story… and one not likely to garner any interest or attention from CBS or any of the other major news networks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiBnpiUrmZ8
CBS News Discovers the Power of Armed Citizens
Defensive gun uses happen every day across the United States, but they rarely are covered by the national news media. Occasionally armed citizens will act to defend themselves or others in a spectacular fashion or on camera, which may result in a brief report on the nightly news, but for the most part DGUs are ignored by major press outlets.
On Sunday evening, however, the CBS News program 60 Minutes devoted an entire segment to armed citizens fighting back; not here in the United States, but in Ukraine, where civilian resistance fighters took on elements of the Russian army in the province of Kherson. Reporter Scott Pelley interviewed several of those armed civilians, some of whom had never held a gun before they took up arms in defense of their community. Others didn’t use firearms as their primary weapon of choice; instead making Molotov cocktails and other improvised weapons to engage in small-scale attacks on the occupying military force.
Self-defense is a human right, and when confronted with an immediate threat to their safety and security these men and women fought back with everything they had.
I’m not knocking CBS News for covering these resistance fighters, though tying their story to continued US funding for Ukraine’s defense was a little heavy-handed, at least in my opinion. Still, 60 Minutes has always engaged in more explicit advocacy than programs like the CBS Evening News, and at least Pelley and his editors are editorializing in support of the right of self-defense.
It would be nice, however, if they’d take that same approach to domestic defensive gun uses. The long-form reporting on 60 Minutes lends itself well to an in-depth report on armed citizens using firearms to defend themselves and their families, but I doubt we’ll ever see any segment like that on the show. Cheering on collective self-defense against the Russian military is one thing, but highlighting a dad who protected his kids from an armed attacker or a woman who defended herself against an abusive ex who tried to assault her in her home is quite literally a different story… and one not likely to garner any interest or attention from CBS or any of the other major news networks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiBnpiUrmZ8
Bestest Customer
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/12/12/zelensky-meets-with-defense-contractors-in-d-c-during-bid-for-u-s-taxpayer-money/
Zelensky Meets with Defense Contractors in D.C. During Bid for U.S. Taxpayer Money
https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1734697180496019649
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/12/12/zelensky-meets-with-defense-contractors-in-d-c-during-bid-for-u-s-taxpayer-money/
Zelensky Meets with Defense Contractors in D.C. During Bid for U.S. Taxpayer Money
https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1734697180496019649
Attachments
Why Is U.S. Intelligence Lying About The War In Ukraine?
"1. The uptick in Russian casualties since October is a consequence of Russia going on the offensive all along the line of contact and that Russia is making significant progress in pushing Ukrainian forces out of long held positions. Avdeevka is the most salient example.
2. There is no stalemate. Ukraine’s losses, as compared to Russia’s, are greater by a factor of at least 5 to 1, and Russia, unlike Ukraine, has ample reserves of troops, tanks, artillery pieces and ammunition.
3. Russia’s defense industry is operating on a war footing and is churning out massive numbers of tanks, armored personnel carriers, drones, planes, artillery and ammunition. The United State and NATO combined are producing only a fraction of what Russia is doing."
"1. The uptick in Russian casualties since October is a consequence of Russia going on the offensive all along the line of contact and that Russia is making significant progress in pushing Ukrainian forces out of long held positions. Avdeevka is the most salient example.
2. There is no stalemate. Ukraine’s losses, as compared to Russia’s, are greater by a factor of at least 5 to 1, and Russia, unlike Ukraine, has ample reserves of troops, tanks, artillery pieces and ammunition.
3. Russia’s defense industry is operating on a war footing and is churning out massive numbers of tanks, armored personnel carriers, drones, planes, artillery and ammunition. The United State and NATO combined are producing only a fraction of what Russia is doing."
Suck My Glock
Member
baja said:
If true (and it isn't), then NATO needs to strike first and right fugging now. You had better hope that propaganda is untrue, or our own troops will be there shortly.
https://twitter.com/ClownWorld_/status/1735625954075275492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67729343
https://nypost.com/2023/12/15/news/video-shows-ukrainian-deputy-tossing-grenades-to-blow-up-meeting/
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Hra57uBHQQg
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67729343
https://nypost.com/2023/12/15/news/video-shows-ukrainian-deputy-tossing-grenades-to-blow-up-meeting/
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Hra57uBHQQg
Why Is U.S. Intelligence Lying About The War In Ukraine?
My bad, I neglected to post the link in my previous post. That was just part of it follow the link for the rest.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/12/why-is-u-s-intelligence-lying-about-war/
My bad, I neglected to post the link in my previous post. That was just part of it follow the link for the rest.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/12/why-is-u-s-intelligence-lying-about-war/
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