World Politics

[JCon]

12 hours ago, Mark H. said:

Interesting...they need government to do that for them...

That's why Fox is there. 

[Tracker]

13 hours ago, Mark H. said:

Interesting...they need government to do that for them...

Well, it is up to the government to protect the hapless, is it not?

[Mark H.]

28 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Well, it is up to the government to protect the hapless, is it not?

The teeming refuse...of their own burning shores...

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

19 hours ago, Tracker said:

Newsmax channel in the US, a Qanon-Trump mouthpiece and a staunch supporter of independence from government interference is now asking  the government to force cable companies to include them on standard packages.

Just following the fox model- it's why boycotting doesn't work against fox.

[Tracker]

Putin’s Pre-Emptive Strike Plan Exposed in Satellite Photos

An analysis of satellite imagery shared exclusively with The Daily Beast provides a snapshot of Moscow’s “worried” response to a major offensive expected this year.
Russia is building up a network of fortifications and trenches along the front in Ukraine, in apparent anticipation of a new round of heavy fighting, according to satellite imagery analysis shared exclusively with The Daily Beast.

The analysis from Brady Africk, an open-source intelligence analyst, shows that Russia is building up fortifications all along the front in Luhansk, from the Russian border down to Donetsk, and throughout Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

The satellite imagery indicates that Moscow may be on edge about a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the coming weeks—or may even be preparing its own offensive to try to seize more Ukrainian land, nearly one year into the war.

“They’re trying to basically consolidate their gains and keep the parts that they’ve held on to thus far,” Africk, who works at the American Enterprise Institute, told The Daily Beast. “I think it’s definitely both a message to soldiers in Ukraine, and to everyone who might be watching, that they’re going to at least try and stay.”

The recent buildup of fortifications—depicted in an interactive map created by Africk—could indicate Russian forces are worried about losing their hold in those regions, according to William Courtney, a former special assistant to the president for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia.
“They are expecting counteroffensives, and they know that the West is going to be providing more and better equipment. They know that the West has already provided a lot of artillery which can be used to, if you will, blast away through fortifications,” Courtney told The Daily Beast. “The Russian purpose is to slow Ukraine down and try to stop it where it can,” said Courtney, now an adjunct senior fellow at the nonprofit RAND Corporation.

An analysis from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggests Russia is preparing to be on defense as well.

“Russian forces are clearly concerned to some degree about Ukrainian advances and they want to be able to secure these lines in case of Ukrainian advances,” Karolina Hird, Russia Analyst at the ISW, told The Daily Beast. “The type of defensive fortifications we’re seeing do suggest defensive intent.”

Russia is currently using the cold winter months to regroup, retrain, re-equip, and prepare for next steps in the war after a series of losses to Ukrainian forces last year, according to a White House National Security Council assessment shared with reporters this week. The United States, meanwhile, is helping Ukraine prepare to go on the counteroffensive against Russia, according to White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

For those interested, here is a thread on what russian oligarchs were planning with the downfall of Ukraine. Massive Heist.

 

 

[Tracker]

[Tracker]

Apparently Boris Johnson's Brexit plan is working to perfection. Britain is the only western European country to forecast a contraction in its economy for 2023.  Along with the recession, a spike in unemployment and inflation are expected. A bad time to be a Tory in England as well as Manitoba.

[JCon]

19 hours ago, Tracker said:

Apparently Boris Johnson's Brexit plan is working to perfection. Britain is the only western European country to forecast a contraction in its economy for 2023.  Along with the recession, a spike in unemployment and inflation are expected. A bad time to be a Tory in England as well as Manitoba.

Conservatives kill everything they touch. 

[Bigblue204]

21 hours ago, Tracker said:

Apparently Boris Johnson's Brexit plan is working to perfection. Britain is the only western European country to forecast a contraction in its economy for 2023.  Along with the recession, a spike in unemployment and inflation are expected. A bad time to be a Tory in England as well as Manitoba.

I'll have you know. Inflation is a direct result of Trudeau. Don't ask how....just trust me. Boris Johnson is a victim here!!

[Wideleft]

2 hours ago, JCon said:

Conservatives kill everything they touch. 

Is it too soon for another Scott Moe joke?

[blue_gold_84]

3 hours ago, Wideleft said:

Is it too soon for another Scott Moe joke?

A few days old but still funny as hell:

 

Edited February 2, 2023 by blue_gold_84
realized I saw this in another thread (still funny!)

[Tracker]

Top Russian Official Teases ‘the Next Ukraine’ in New Threat

Russia’s top diplomat said the actions of Western nations could soon turn Moldova into the “next Ukraine,” according to TASS.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Moldovan President Maia Sandu of being “eager to join NATO.” Sandu, Lavrov said, is “ready to unite with Romania and in fact, to do almost anything.”

Romania is a member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which was created to provide collective security against Russia.

Lavrov’s comments appeared to echo complaints Russian President Vladimir Putin made about Ukraine and NATO when announcing Russia’s invasion into Ukraine last year. Putin cited the expansion of the alliance and Ukraine’s interest in joining NATO as “fundamental threats” against Russia in his speech justifying invasion.

“Further expansion of the NATO infrastructure... are unacceptable for us,” Putin said at the time.

Lavrov’s comments come as western officials warn that Russia may be gearing up for a new offensive nearly one year into the war in Ukraine. It’s not the first time tensions have flared over whether Russia might be eyeing Moldova as an extension of the conflict in Ukraine. Moldova’s Intelligence and Security Services (SIS) has previously warned that Russia may seek to connect Russian-controlled areas in Ukraine by conducting a new offensive, and then creating a land corridor with the Russian-backed breakaway region of Transnistria in Moldova.

 

[Tracker]

                                                       

[Tracker]

'It Will Be Suicide’: Russian Troops Reportedly Ordered to Repeat Their Failed Bid to Take Kyiv

The Kremlin has reportedly ordered top military brass to make another attempt to seize Kyiv as part of a massive new offensive—a directive that has sent military officers into a state of panic. Citing a source close to Russia’s Defense Ministry, the independent outlet iStories reported on Friday that even the Russian troops ordered to take part in the assault believe it will fail miserably. “Plans to go for Kyiv again are really being drawn up, but only because the country’s leadership is demanding it. No one believes in the realization of these plans, it will be suicide,” the source was quoted saying, adding that many were worried about where Ukrainian forces might launch a new counter-offensive. In the same breath, however, the source cautioned that some rumors about where Moscow was preparing to attack from next were part of a disinformation campaign. He said claims of a new offensive from Belarus were meant to simply force Ukraine’s military to deploy troops in that direction while new attacks spring up elsewhere.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/it-will-be-suicide-russian-troops-reportedly-ordered-to-repeat-their-failed-bid-to-take-kyiv?ref=home

[Tracker]

‘THE THREAT FROM WITHIN’: Israel Braces for the ‘Terrifying’ Crisis Bibi Wanted All Along


JERUSALEM—In Jerusalem, standing beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken uncharacteristically minced no words: The United States, he said, wanted to stress “our support for core democratic principles and institutions, including respect for human rights, the equal administration of justice for all, the equal rights of minority groups, the rule of law, free press, a robust civil society.”

It was the sort of cautionary notice Blinken might have issued in authoritarian Turkey or in Poland, but never before heard from a senior American official in Israel. It spotlighted almost all the parts of Israeli governance Netanyahu plans to dismantle as part of a vast judicial blitz which would leave him, as the nation’s chief executive, with almost absolute power.

Then Blinken pulled a final arrow out and—referring to the massive protests that have emerged since Israel’s long-time leader returned to power on Dec. 29—shot it straight at Netanyahu: “And the vibrancy of Israel’s civil society has been on full display of late.”

Netanyahu and his allies, including Yair, his right-wing troll son, slam the protests as “anti-Israeli” subversion funded by “foreign money.”

In addition to street demonstrations, Netanyahu’s radical overhaul has been met with a wall of condemnation from every sector in Israel’s establishment, ranging from the entire judiciary to bank and university presidents, academic leaders, tech titans, business leaders, economists, doctors, teachers, and more than 170 mayors.

Netanyahu’s all-out assault on Israel’s judiciary would neuter the judiciary, void Supreme Court rulings, and accord him almost total authority over the levers of government. Israel does not have a written constitution, and Netanyahu is threatening to revoke some of the “Basic Laws” that guarantee civil rights.

Mordechai Kremnitzer, a renowned Israeli jurist and professor of law at the Hebrew University, told The Daily Beast that Israel is undergoing “ 

Netanyahu’s finance minister, who recently described himself as a “fascist homophobe,” and hopes to impose “the law of the Torah” on Israel, has submitted to parliament a law which would allow faith-based discrimination. Other ministers are acting to usurp the power of parents and regional and municipal authorities over educational programming, to deny the right of traditionally Arab-majority political parties to run for the Knesset—Israel’s parliament—to limit the right to strike, restrict the right of journalists to publish leaks, and entirely do away with Israel’s public broadcaster, Kann News.

‘The Threat From Within’
On the international front, his government has announced plans to, de facto, rescind Israel’s recognition of most Jewish communities in the world as properly Jewish, and to curb Israel’s unique immigration law, which was established 75 years ago so as to guarantee Jews a homeland should they be threatened by antisemitism in the lands of their birth.

And that’s not half of it: Last weekend, an Israeli army incursion into the West Bank city of Jenin resulted in the deaths of nine Palestinians, including at least two innocent bystanders, and triggered a bloody weekend in Jerusalem. Seven Israelis were killed in two terrorist shooting attacks perpetrated by east Jerusalemites: a 21-year-old who was shot dead by Israeli police, and a 13-year-old whose family home has been sealed off under orders of Netanyahu’s Minister for National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir. Ben Gvir, a rabble rouser with dozens of hate crime convictions, led a late night posse chanting “death to the terrorists!” after the first attack.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/israel-braces-for-the-terrifying-crisis-benjamin-netanyahu-wanted-all-along

[JohnnyAbonny]

On 2023-02-02 at 8:07 PM, Tracker said:

Top Russian Official Teases ‘the Next Ukraine’ in New Threat

Russia’s top diplomat said the actions of Western nations could soon turn Moldova into the “next Ukraine,” according to TASS.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Moldovan President Maia Sandu of being “eager to join NATO.” Sandu, Lavrov said, is “ready to unite with Romania and in fact, to do almost anything.”

Romania is a member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which was created to provide collective security against Russia.

Lavrov’s comments appeared to echo complaints Russian President Vladimir Putin made about Ukraine and NATO when announcing Russia’s invasion into Ukraine last year. Putin cited the expansion of the alliance and Ukraine’s interest in joining NATO as “fundamental threats” against Russia in his speech justifying invasion.

“Further expansion of the NATO infrastructure... are unacceptable for us,” Putin said at the time.

Lavrov’s comments come as western officials warn that Russia may be gearing up for a new offensive nearly one year into the war in Ukraine. It’s not the first time tensions have flared over whether Russia might be eyeing Moldova as an extension of the conflict in Ukraine. Moldova’s Intelligence and Security Services (SIS) has previously warned that Russia may seek to connect Russian-controlled areas in Ukraine by conducting a new offensive, and then creating a land corridor with the Russian-backed breakaway region of Transnistria in Moldova.

 

You mean they have aspirations of invading other countries as well?! Who, since 1938 could ever predict this?

[Tracker]

15 minutes ago, JohnnyAbonny said:

You mean they have aspirations of invading other countries as well?! Who, since 1938 could ever predict this?

People sometimes forget that Russia along with Germany started WW2 by invading and partitioning Poland. Along with this, Russia gathered all the captured Polish officers and all mayors, Polish politicians and such that could find, took all 22,000 of them to the Katyn forest and massacred them. Russia was under the command of Stalin (an ethnic Georgian) then but the massacre has never been acknowledged Russia.

[JohnnyAbonny]

You’re right. Appeasement of Nazi Germany played a huge role but the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact was the start of the war moving to a larger scale. 

The geopolitical situation right now mirrors the 1930s in so many ways. It’s terrifying quite honestly. 

Edited February 4, 2023 by JohnnyAbonny

[blue_gold_84]

https://www.reuters.com/world/putin-approved-supply-missiles-that-shot-down-mh17-2014-investigators-say-2023-02-08/

Quote

AMSTERDAM, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The international team investigating the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) by a missile has convincing evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally signed off on a decision to allow the Russian missile system into Ukraine, Dutch prosecutors said on Wednesday.

The BUK-TELAR missile system was used to shot down MH17 on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, investigators said.

However, they said the evidence was not enough to lead to prosecution.

What a complete scumbag.

Пу́тін — хуйло́

[JohnnyAbonny]

41 minutes ago, blue_gold_84 said:

https://www.reuters.com/world/putin-approved-supply-missiles-that-shot-down-mh17-2014-investigators-say-2023-02-08/

What a complete scumbag.

Пу́тін — хуйло́

Indeed. до біса Путін. слава україні.

[Tracker]

1 hour ago, blue_gold_84 said:

https://www.reuters.com/world/putin-approved-supply-missiles-that-shot-down-mh17-2014-investigators-say-2023-02-08/

What a complete scumbag.

Пу́тін — хуйло́

Yup. no wonder he was such a good buddy of Trump.

[blue_gold_84]

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russia-us-has-questions-answer-over-nord-stream-explosions-2023-02-08/

Quote

Feb 8 (Reuters) - Russia's foreign ministry said on Wednesday the United States had questions to answer over its role in explosions on the undersea Nord Stream gas pipelines last year.

Commenting on a report published earlier on Wednesday that said the United States was involved in the explosions, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called on the White House to comment on the "facts" that had been presented.

Reuters was unable to verify the report, published by U.S. investigative journalist Seymour Hersh on his blog, alleging U.S. involvement in the explosions.

 

The White House said on Wednesday that Hersh's account was "utterly false and complete fiction".

Moscow, without providing evidence, has repeatedly said the West was behind the explosions affecting the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines last September - multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects that carried Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea.

Investigators from Sweden and Denmark - in whose exclusive economic zones the explosions occurred - have said the ruptures were a result of sabotage, but have not said who they believe was responsible.

Russia said the countries "have something to hide" and are purposefully blocking Russia out from the investigation.

LOL

[Tracker]

On 2023-02-04 at 1:11 PM, JohnnyAbonny said:

You mean they have aspirations of invading other countries as well?! Who, since 1938 could ever predict this?

                                             

[Tracker]

Reports out of Ukraine indicate that the Russian army is so depleted that they have begun using their T-72 tanks (the ones where the magazine is directly below the crew and vulnerable to detonating from a side hit) again. American military assessments state that Russia has lost over 50% of all their armored vehicles and aircraft.