I wasn't sure where this Israel, Iran and China debacle should go, so I thought I would start a new thread and post it here:

Interesting article disusing Israel's actions in trying to destabilize Iran and how it monumentally backfired and brought China into the Middle East... it's kind of crazy

 

"To the extent that Netanyahu played a role here, his plot has backfired monumentally. If the China deal goes through, Iran is much strengthened and its hard liners are entirely unleashed. The positioning of Chinese security forces in Iran will make it increasingly risky for other countries such as Israel or the US to strike Iran, lest they come into conflict with nuclear-armed China."

Edited September 10, 20196 yr by wanna-b-fanboy

13 minutes ago, Mark F said:

Looks like most ukrainians have had military training.

dont know though.

The National Guard of Ukraine serve as the main reserve component of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"Following hostilities with Russia, Ukraine increased the size of its armed forces to 204,000 soldiers (+46,000 civil servants) in 2014, not counting additional military forces such as the border guards (53,000), the newly formed National Guard of Ukraine (60,000) or the security service.^[10] The current size of Ukraine's armed forces, which consists of 250,000 (215,000 military personnel), is the second largest in the region after the Russian Armed Forces.^[11] In 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered to increase the size of the forces by 100,000 by 2025, while ending conscription in 2024. Conscription will be replaced with short-term intensive military training.^[12]"

 

^{not a small military.}

The world needs to make sure they are well armed and have supplies, javelins and stingers are causing major damage to the Russian convoys but heavy armament in coming

8 minutes ago, bustamente said:

The world needs to make sure they are well armed and have supplies, javelins and stingers are causing major damage to the Russian convoys but heavy armament in coming

I am anti war, but this Putin invasion is making me think about it.  Specially with the courage of the people of ukraine. Just watched a javelin video. Point and shoot.

Edited February 27, 20223 yr by Mark F

 

48 minutes ago, bustamente said:

The world needs to make sure they are well armed and have supplies, javelins and stingers are causing major damage to the Russian convoys but heavy armament in coming

Apparently you can be trained in 1 hour on how to use Javelins and Stingers. If they can access enough of them and with the ground swell of resistance happening that could be a game changer.

1 hour ago, Mark F said:

I am anti war, but this Putin invasion is making me think about it.  Specially with the courage of the people of ukraine. Just watched a javelin video. Point and shoot.

Me too but I'm also anti-lunacy. 

I'd like to cobble them all together (Putin, that lunatic from North Korea, the whole Trump family and their ardent supporters, a good portion of the GOP'ers, knuckle dragging free dumb fighters etc etc) and send them all on their way.

A whole lot of pressure in this world sure would be relieved.

 

Ukraine is the size of France, with over 40 M people.   Good luck with an occupation....

 

I don't know where to put this so I'm putting it here.

Presently life is hard for a lot of sane people of many stripes, colors and shapes for similar and unique reasons.

So when all this craziness of what's going on around us locally and globally gets tempered to manageable portions we are going to have an in-person Morning Big Blue member party where we can meet each other face to face and uncloak our monikers and meet each other as real people.

Because I'm just the idea guy I vote that that the top 5 members with the most reputation points organize this event. 🙂  A victim of your own success so to speak. 

All members tho will contribute what they can monetarily to make it happen. 🙂

Now back to your regularly scheduled craziness.

Go Ukraine.

 

 

 

8 hours ago, Mark F said:

Looks like most ukrainians have had military training.

dont know though.

The National Guard of Ukraine serve as the main reserve component of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"Following hostilities with Russia, Ukraine increased the size of its armed forces to 204,000 soldiers (+46,000 civil servants) in 2014, not counting additional military forces such as the border guards (53,000), the newly formed National Guard of Ukraine (60,000) or the security service.^[10] The current size of Ukraine's armed forces, which consists of 250,000 (215,000 military personnel), is the second largest in the region after the Russian Armed Forces.^[11] In 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered to increase the size of the forces by 100,000 by 2025, while ending conscription in 2024. Conscription will be replaced with short-term intensive military training.^[12]"

 

^{not a small military.}

I know a few ex-pat Ukrainians and Russians, they all had to do mandatory military service for 2 years starting at 18 I believe.  The training is brutal, if they had any fat going in, there wasn't an ounce of fat left on them when they came out.  They make our military look like sissified doughboys.

It may not be a popular opinion but I believe the Ukraine should surrender now rather than later when they're forced to, and spare the human carnage and destruction of their cities.  No way in hell they can resist the Russians if they are fully committed to conquering, just as it would be foolish for Canada to resist an invasion by the US..

That being said once the surrender is signed and hostilities stop, they are not committed to honour the agreement in any way with their illegal invader.  They have the rest of the world on their side, eventually continued financial sanctions or Putin's removal will turn the tide and allow them to regain sovereignty of their country democratically.  It may take a regime change within Russia and a number of years to achieve, but it's nothing Ukrainians haven't lived through before, patience will prevail.  Russians are not a happy lot either, I think Putin  just triggered his own demise.

Somehow I knew he would find his way over there

 

so does this mean Russia would be DQ'd if and when World Juniors continue? (but why does Belarus have to be dragged into this? is this because of their own conflict from a few months back?)

 

Edited February 28, 20223 yr by iHeart

And still Russians are allowed to compete in the Olympics. 

13 minutes ago, iHeart said:

so does this mean Russia would be DQ'd if and when World Juniors continue? (but why does Belarus have to be dragged into this? is this because of their own conflict from a few months back?)

 

Belarus is allowing the Russian forces to attack/invade the Ukraine through their territory and now seem be ready to add their own soldiers to the attack as well.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/27/russia-ukraine-war-kyiv-news/

1 hour ago, bigg jay said:

 

Belarus is allowing the Russian forces to attack/invade the Ukraine through their territory and now seem be ready to add their own soldiers to the attack as well.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/27/russia-ukraine-war-kyiv-news/

it's times like this I wish there was an angry face in the reactions tab

Not all is rosy on the Russian side of things...

The Rouble has dropped 32 percent in 2 days, against the dollar and the Euro. To try and stop a this run on the rouble, The Bank of Russia - is hiking interest rates from 9.5 per cent to 20 per cent this morning. The Russian finance ministry also ordered exporting companies to sell 80 per cent of their foreign currency revenues on the market to try to support the rouble - the value of which continued to collapse on the Moscow Stock Exchange, today.

The Russian economy has plummeted an estimated 30 per cent overnight as the West's sanctions over the Ukraine war are starting to squeeze the economy.  So there is that......

kind of wish it didn't take a serious conflict to learn about the President of Ukraine

https://people.com/movies/ukraine-president-volodymyr-zelenskyy-former-acting-career/?utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&utm_content=manual&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=621cfaf3d1f6e50001769ba3&fbclid=IwAR2_3_Mwdk0XgWnQqsji4QPsUtlD0Fb78apzmMXGLjxi6AfB87jw2-An7bc

I kind of want to say that he needs to act towards Putin the same way Paddington acts toward Mr.Curry but how Paddington acts around Mr.Curry is basically the equivalent of Dennis the Menace around Mr.Wilson

Edited February 28, 20223 yr by iHeart

9 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

It may not be a popular informed opinion but I believe the Ukraine should surrender now rather than later when they're forced to, and spare the human carnage and destruction of their cities.  No way in hell they can resist the Russians if they are fully committed to conquering, just as it would be foolish for Canada to resist an invasion by the US..

FTFY

I saw a tweet quoting an article that said China was going to cut russia out as well. Which surprised the hell out of me but then my timeline auto updated and now I can't find it. Anyone see/read it?

Nevermind...quick google search

https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/bank-of-chinas-singapore-operation-stops-financing-russian-oil-trades-source-2

Edited February 28, 20223 yr by Bigblue204

59 minutes ago, do or die said:

Not all is rosy on the Russian side of things...

The Rouble has dropped 32 percent in 2 days, against the dollar and the Euro. To try and stop a this run on the rouble, The Bank of Russia - is hiking interest rates from 9.5 per cent to 20 per cent this morning. The Russian finance ministry also ordered exporting companies to sell 80 per cent of their foreign currency revenues on the market to try to support the rouble - the value of which continued to collapse on the Moscow Stock Exchange, today.

The Russian economy has plummeted an estimated 30 per cent overnight as the West's sanctions over the Ukraine war are starting to squeeze the economy.  So there is that......

thing about the Russian economy is that it's smaller than Canada's -- don't know how you maintain that massive offensive army and all those nukes with that tax base.  Ukraine might be able to outlast Putin's economy...

6 minutes ago, johnzo said:

thing about the Russian economy is that it's smaller than Canada's -- don't know how you maintain that massive offensive army and all those nukes with that tax base.  Ukraine might be able to outlast Putin's economy...

Also need a strategy to divert stupid face Putin away from the nukes.

25 minutes ago, HardCoreBlue said:

Also need a strategy to divert stupid face Putin away from the nukes.

Horrible fact.... when the soviet union folded, the ukraine had nuclear weapons which they agreed to send to the former soviet union, to make the world safer.

 

current mess would not be happening if they still had them.

 

Course the world need to get rid of all of the nuclear weapons. Headed the other way right now.

 

just read this: 90 %.

 

"In the independence referendum on 1 December 1991, the people of Ukraine expressed deep and widespread support for the Act of Declaration of Independence, with more than 90% voting in favor, and 82% of the electorate participating.^[1] The referendum took place on the same day as Ukraine's first direct presidential election; all six presidential candidates supported independence and campaigned for a "yes" vote. The referendum's passage ended any realistic chance of the Soviet Union remaining together even on a limited scale; Ukraine had long been second only to Russia in economic and political power."

 

 

Edited February 28, 20223 yr by Mark F

I don't know if this was shared yet but this is stunning news

https://people.com/politics/ukrainian-military-says-snake-island-defenders-are-alive-and/?utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&utm_content=manual&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=621d123afb37700001dc5044&fbclid=IwAR0koIbVMOWY9F1qasJgjA0gTc63bVdiV42nltEADRfXng3465Z1-NiehdY

1 hour ago, blue_gold_84 said:

FTFY

Please tell me what I said that is so uniformed?

1 hour ago, Bigblue204 said:

I saw a tweet quoting an article that said China was going to cut russia out as well. Which surprised the hell out of me but then my timeline auto updated and now I can't find it. Anyone see/read it?

Nevermind...quick google search

https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/bank-of-chinas-singapore-operation-stops-financing-russian-oil-trades-source-2

I'd be interested in other opinions on this, but I don't think this is any indication of China cutting out Russia. I think it is more a bank trying to maintain wealth and not offer credit to corporations that are unlikely to be able to pay off the credit. I could be wrong, but I would also be shocked if China opposed Russia in any meaningful way. China's gonna be China and try to benefit from this in any way they can.