Malcador Posted May 16, 2022 Posted May 16, 2022 https://geopolitics-decanted.simplecast.com/episodes/analysis-of-the-war-in-ukraine-may-15-2022 Bit of a long listen at an hour, but was an interesting discussion, well, at least from Kofman. Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
Mamoulian War Posted May 16, 2022 Author Posted May 16, 2022 Ukrainian soldiers reached Russian border northeast of Kharkiv, and according to British intelligence, Russia has lost one third of all the servicemen, assigned for invasion (probably counting all servicemen unable to fight, not only the dead ones). 1 2 Sent from my Stone Tablet, using Chisel-a-Talk 2000BC. My youtube channel: MamoulianFH Latest Let's Play Tales of Arise (completed) Latest Bossfight Compilation Dark Souls Remastered - New Game (completed) Let's Play/AAR Europa Universalis 1: Austria Grand Campaign (completed) Let's Play/AAR Europa Universalis 2: Xhosa Grand Campaign (completed) My PS Platinums and 100% - 29 games so far (my PSN profile) 1) God of War III - PS3 - 24+ hours 2) Final Fantasy XIII - PS3 - 130+ hours 3) White Knight Chronicles International Edition - PS3 - 525+ hours 4) Hyperdimension Neptunia - PS3 - 80+ hours 5) Final Fantasy XIII-2 - PS3 - 200+ hours 6) Tales of Xillia - PS3 - 135+ hours 7) Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 - PS3 - 152+ hours 8.) Grand Turismo 6 - PS3 - 81+ hours (including Senna Master DLC) 9) Demon's Souls - PS3 - 197+ hours 10) Tales of Graces f - PS3 - 337+ hours 11) Star Ocean: The Last Hope International - PS3 - 750+ hours 12) Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII - PS3 - 127+ hours 13) Soulcalibur V - PS3 - 73+ hours 14) Gran Turismo 5 - PS3 - 600+ hours 15) Tales of Xillia 2 - PS3 - 302+ hours 16) Mortal Kombat XL - PS4 - 95+ hours 17) Project CARS Game of the Year Edition - PS4 - 120+ hours 18) Dark Souls - PS3 - 197+ hours 19) Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory - PS3 - 238+ hours 20) Final Fantasy Type-0 - PS4 - 58+ hours 21) Journey - PS4 - 9+ hours 22) Dark Souls II - PS3 - 210+ hours 23) Fairy Fencer F - PS3 - 215+ hours 24) Megadimension Neptunia VII - PS4 - 160 hours 25) Super Neptunia RPG - PS4 - 44+ hours 26) Journey - PS3 - 22+ hours 27) Final Fantasy XV - PS4 - 263+ hours (including all DLCs) 28) Tales of Arise - PS4 - 111+ hours 29) Dark Souls: Remastered - PS4 - 121+ hours
Raithe Posted May 16, 2022 Posted May 16, 2022 You know it's serious when... BBC - McDonald's to leave Russia 1 "Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum."
rjshae Posted May 16, 2022 Posted May 16, 2022 1 hour ago, Raithe said: You know it's serious when... BBC - McDonald's to leave Russia There goes the American embassy... 1 "It has just been discovered that research causes cancer in rats."
Gorth Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 1 hour ago, rjshae said: There goes the American embassy... Who would Australia have to invade to make them leave Australia?... 1 1 1 “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein
Gorth Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 I guess it would happen... eventually. An impressive defensive feat though https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-61461805 Ukraine's defence ministry says 264 fighters have left the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol and been taken to areas held by Russian-backed rebels “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein
Agiel Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 I suppose in that instance Thomas Friedman's "McPeace" theory of international relations holds true. Quote “Political philosophers have often pointed out that in wartime, the citizen, the male citizen at least, loses one of his most basic rights, his right to life; and this has been true ever since the French Revolution and the invention of conscription, now an almost universally accepted principle. But these same philosophers have rarely noted that the citizen in question simultaneously loses another right, one just as basic and perhaps even more vital for his conception of himself as a civilized human being: the right not to kill.” -Jonathan Littell <<Les Bienveillantes>> Quote "The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons: when it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armor and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete." -Rod Serling
Zoraptor Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 "Ukraine's defence ministry said that 264 defenders of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol had been evacuated to separatist-held territory in Ukraine's breakaway Donbas region" You can just say 'surrendered', Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, that's what it is when you're evacuated to enemy held territory. They're POWs who are going to be exchanged for other POWs, who also surrendered. 56 minutes ago, Gorth said: I guess it would happen... eventually. An impressive defensive feat though Probably isn't quite over yet. Ukraine was claiming ~2000 defenders there fairly recently, and even though that was doubtless an exaggeration I wouldn't be at all surprised if there's another batch to come tomorrow. Not completely out of the question that some refuse to surrender too.
xzar_monty Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 I hope this is not true. If it is, it takes a kind of unprofessionalism to new levels, again. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/16/putin-involved-russia-ukraine-war-western-sources 1 1 1
Gorth Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 7 minutes ago, xzar_monty said: I hope this is not true. If it is, it takes a kind of unprofessionalism to new levels, again. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/16/putin-involved-russia-ukraine-war-western-sources He's not exactly a Zhukov or a Konev Edit: Not that either gave a damn about the losses they suffered in the process, but they had results to show for it. “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein
Darkpriest Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 It's sometimes interesting to read PoV of Russian leaning publicists, who conviniently leave aside or barely comment corruption, sick nepotism, lack of qualifications and brain among russian chain of command, plus **** discipline among soldiers, they do however point a few interesting things in that grandoise of Russia type of writing https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/escobar-death-thousand-cuts-where-wests-ukraine-strategy 1
xzar_monty Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 (edited) That article describes Lavrov as "a diplomatic master", which instantly gives the whole thing the seal of ultimate credibility. I hope you're all aware that I'm a chess grandmaster and a master chef. I mean, I know the rules of chess and I can cook my own food. Edited May 17, 2022 by xzar_monty 2
Chilloutman Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 36 minutes ago, Darkpriest said: It's sometimes interesting to read PoV of Russian leaning publicists, who conviniently leave aside or barely comment corruption, sick nepotism, lack of qualifications and brain among russian chain of command, plus **** discipline among soldiers, they do however point a few interesting things in that grandoise of Russia type of writing https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/escobar-death-thousand-cuts-where-wests-ukraine-strategy ''The latter, in turn, have been totally baffled by Russia’s C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) capabilities, coupled with the stunning inefficiency of their own constellation of Javelins, NLAWs, Stingers and Turkish Bayraktar drones.'' OK Boomer 1 I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think, I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech, and freedom of choice. I'm the kinda guy that likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder, "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecue ribs with the side-order of gravy fries?" I want high cholesterol! I wanna eat bacon, and butter, and buckets of cheese, okay?! I wanna smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section! I wanna run naked through the street, with green Jell-O all over my body, reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly may feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiene"
BruceVC Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 (edited) double post Edited May 17, 2022 by BruceVC "Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss” John Milton "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” - George Bernard Shaw "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead" - Nelson Mandela
BruceVC Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 1 hour ago, Darkpriest said: It's sometimes interesting to read PoV of Russian leaning publicists, who conviniently leave aside or barely comment corruption, sick nepotism, lack of qualifications and brain among russian chain of command, plus **** discipline among soldiers, they do however point a few interesting things in that grandoise of Russia type of writing https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/escobar-death-thousand-cuts-where-wests-ukraine-strategy You have outdone yourself with this link, its definitely the best example of propaganda and Putin War alternative facts I have ever read. Dont you love the Ukraine was never about a military win. What is being accomplished is the slow, painful destruction of the European Union (EU) economy, coupled with extraordinary weapons profits for the western military-industrial complex and creeping security rule by those nations’ political elites. Its so true except for the fact the EU and NATO are more united than ever before with a country like Sweden close to joining NATO after being militarily neutral for the last 200 years or so. I was just expecting the article to say something like " and we all know the Moskva was not sunk and sails proudly on the Black Sea " The end of Putins War will not be decided by the West but the Ukrainians who are emboldened by the Russian military incompetence and war crimes. Because they have the military advantage at the moment it will take more for them to agree to peace terms than in the early days of the invasion where many of us assumed Russia would defeat the Ukrainians in a few weeks But thanks for the link, it provided a great laugh 2 "Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss” John Milton "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” - George Bernard Shaw "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead" - Nelson Mandela
xzar_monty Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 This is something quite extraordinary and highly recommended. I wonder if a change of some kind is happening or about to happen inside Russia, as far as the war in Ukraine is concerned. Look at what this fellow says. (I have seen that female presenter / TV personality before, during this same war. She is, quite frankly, frightening. What I mean by this is that any professional on any TV channel should maintain at least a semblance of impartiality, for the cause of journalistic integrity. That should be a given in her profession, as absolute as the fact that a medical doctor will not talk about his patients' problems in public. I understand you can perhaps see something similar on Fox News and worse, but I've never watched Fox News so I don't know of any examples.) 2
xzar_monty Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 And here's another interesting piece of information. Particularly relevant against the claim that "actually Russia isn't doing that much damage and most of all, it makes an effort to limit the damage it causes". Sure it does, sure it does. Of course it's still true that Russia is not going all in. But this means very little. 1 1
Darkpriest Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 18 minutes ago, BruceVC said: You have outdone yourself with this link, its definitely the best example of propaganda and Putin War alternative facts I have ever read. Dont you love the Ukraine was never about a military win. What is being accomplished is the slow, painful destruction of the European Union (EU) economy, coupled with extraordinary weapons profits for the western military-industrial complex and creeping security rule by those nations’ political elites. Its so true except for the fact the EU and NATO are more united than ever before with a country like Sweden close to joining NATO after being militarily neutral for the last 200 years or so. I was just expecting the article to say something like " and we all know the Moskva was not sunk and sails proudly on the Black Sea " The end of Putins War will not be decided by the West but the Ukrainians who are emboldened by the Russian military incompetence and war crimes. Because they have the military advantage at the moment it will take more for them to agree to peace terms than in the early days of the invasion where many of us assumed Russia would defeat the Ukrainians in a few weeks But thanks for the link, it provided a great laugh As I said, it sometimes is quite surpriaing what is the level of mind bending that some publicists go through. This is the original publication. https://thecradle.co/Article/columns/10277 I understand that ZHs policy is to gather all sorts of PoV, but sometimes the extremes are just too much of 'unreal' 1
xzar_monty Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 2 hours ago, Darkpriest said: This is the original publication. https://thecradle.co/Article/columns/10277 The author profile on the right mentions that Esocbar is the author of "countless books". As books are my profession, I had to check this out. I may have got it wrong, but apparently "countless" means "seven". That's nothing compared to Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Georges Simenon or, shall we say, "countless" others. It's the little things like this that really add to the credibility of a writer or the website publishing his stuff. 1
213374U Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 Would that we held every journalist, outlet, commentator and "anonymous source" to those standards. Heh. 1 - When he is best, he is a little worse than a man, and when he is worst, he is little better than a beast.
Elerond Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 12 minutes ago, 213374U said: Would that we held every journalist, outlet, commentator and "anonymous source" to those standards. Heh. You don't? 1
BruceVC Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 12 minutes ago, 213374U said: Would that we held every journalist, outlet, commentator and "anonymous source" to those standards. Heh. I do, I hold every journalist to very high standards of journalistic integrity Thats why you can trust every link I post is the truth "Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss” John Milton "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” - George Bernard Shaw "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead" - Nelson Mandela
Elerond Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 96% (188-8) of FInnish Parliament voted for seeking Nato membership Although Turkey has said that they will block Finland's membership 2
BruceVC Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 15 minutes ago, Elerond said: 96% (188-8) of FInnish Parliament voted for seeking Nato membership Although Turkey has said that they will block Finland's membership Elerond if I said to you 4 months ago, " Elerond, Finland is going to vote to join NATO and the vote in your parliament is going to be over 90% to join " Im sure you would have said " No chance BruceVC, why would we do that " ? Its amazing how the security of your country can change things I watched this documentary on CNN about these miles of underground tunnels under Helsinki. Their is enough space to house 900K people and their are pools and ice-hockey rinks. Incredible feat of engineering...have you been into these tunnels? https://www.myhelsinki.fi/en/see-and-do/underground-helsinki "Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss” John Milton "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” - George Bernard Shaw "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead" - Nelson Mandela
Elerond Posted May 17, 2022 Posted May 17, 2022 25 minutes ago, BruceVC said: Elerond if I said to you 4 months ago, " Elerond, Finland is going to vote to join NATO and the vote in your parliament is going to be over 90% to join " Im sure you would have said " No chance BruceVC, why would we do that " ? Its amazing how the security of your country can change things I watched this documentary on CNN about these miles of underground tunnels under Helsinki. Their is enough space to house 900K people and their are pools and ice-hockey rinks. Incredible feat of engineering...have you been into these tunnels? https://www.myhelsinki.fi/en/see-and-do/underground-helsinki Yes it seem that it only changed it to worse direction as it seem that Nato will reject Finland's and Sweden's applications and only result was to vex Russia. Yes I have been in those tunnels and similar tunnels/shelters in other cities. 1
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