patrick.net

There are even some criminals who were classified as terrorists by the country’s Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) that will be armed and sent off to battle.

That sounds like desperation, not someone who is winning.

Yeah, emptying the prisons is not exactly a sign of confidence.

"But Ukraine is smaller"

Eh, 1/3 the population of Russia but a lot less border to defend, Russia can never bring their entire strength to the West and leave the Asian part unguarded.

Besides, Poland, Prussia, and Sweden alone have invaded Russia with half or less as many men in the Age of Muskets when they lined up in formation, and won many battles. Before going to far inside and getting their asses whooped when the Russians get their shit together. It should almost be added to the list of don't start a landwar in Asia, don't go against a Sicilian when lives are on the line, and don't get cocky when you're deep inside Russia.

Of course Ukraine is desperate. It's also smaller, and corrupt, and it's military was a mess. It was clear to Russia that Ukraine has snowflake's chance in hell, especially in the context of perceived US/EU/NATO impotence. So Russia started the war.

Apparently a miracle is happening (not to take away from desperation). Zelensky is in Kyiv, telling US that "he needs ammunition, not a ride", while Putin is hiding in the bunker. This sorta makes me think about Revolutionary War in US. That's how new nations are born.

To be clear. If Ukraine loses, west is screwed. That includes all of us living in US. The process will be gradual yet irreversible. China is brain and economy. The only thing that China needs is a couple of tough guys to do it's bidding. It looks like that's what's happening now in Ukraine: Russia is proving it's worth. It's applying for the job to be one such tough guy. Petty things such as detachment from SWIFT won't matter to them because SWIFT won't matter to them.

HeadSet says

That sounds like desperation, not someone who is winning.

The two countries were allies just 8 years ago and Ukraine's government was created by a coup done by the United States. I think most Ukrainians are aware of the coup, certainly some are, I wonder how much more they know?

Kiev (oops, Kyiv) is now reportedly surrounded. It's under siege. Unless NATO goes in or airlifts, Ukraine is just getting people killed needlessly. There's no point in fighting a war if you're certain to lose it.

This entire war is just stupid. I don't think Russia's demands were unreasonable and I still don't, and I expect that will be the final result of this - Russia will get what they want. It all could have been avoided. The US was promising Georgia NATO membership at one point. Georgia then attacked S. Ossetia expecting backup. They didn't get it. Once S. Ossetia asked Russia for help, the conflict was over in a day.

mostly reader says

To be clear. If Ukraine loses, west is screwed.

We're screwed anyhow. Haven't you realized this yet? We're in a dictatorship. One of the protesters that merely stepped into the capital to take pictures, committed suicide yesterday. The best the US can hope for, is a Soviet style collapse. If we don't get that, we go into full blown dictatorship.

Donetsk and Luhansk basically left Ukraine over "Stop the Steal", when a duly elected President was forced out.

Those who protested the regime change, mostly elderly people, found themselves incinerated in a building and beaten when they tried to escape and jump out of windows, along with several office workers in the building including a pregnant janitor, who had nothing to do with the protesters or the Bandera-ites

I'm never replacing Kiev for Kyiv or Lvov for L'viv. Not because I'm an asshole, but I don't hear any Germans saying "It's not Munich, it's Munchen! Never call it Munich!"

richwicks says

We're screwed anyhow. Haven't you realized this yet? We're in a dictatorship.

Correction: YOU are in a dictatorship. Earning bonus points.

mostly reader says

richwicks says

We're screwed anyhow. Haven't you realized this yet? We're in a dictatorship.

Correction: YOU are in a dictatorship. Earning bonus points.

Why? Where do you live?

The United States deserves to be screwed. I've spent my life just observing how nobody here has any civic responsibilities or virtue.

AmericanKulak says

I'm never replacing Kiev for Kyiv or Lvov for L'viv. Not because I'm an asshole, but I don't hear any Germans saying "It's not Munich, it's Munchen! Never call it Munich!"

To each their own. I'm surprised that you are making a point of it.

However. With all that's happening today, someone who sincerely believes in "civil war in Ukraine" and "farmers and miners who took up the arms in 2014" must also believe in Santa and Elfs, just as sincerely.

mostly reader says

However. With all that's happening today, someone who sincerely believes in "civil war in Ukraine"

There's been civil war in Ukraine. US media even reported on it, but they are called "Russian separatists". NOW they are being called Ukrainians.

Our propaganda doesn't give a fuck if you remember what they said 7 years ago, and they don't care when you have caught them distorting information or just outright lying. They make no retractions, they don't correct themselves, they know they are propagandists, and they have no delusions about that at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYXIOeRVQSE&source=patrick.net

If you don't realize there's been a longstanding conflict within Ukraine since the coup - it's YOU that is out of the loop.

richwicks says

There's been civil war in Ukraine. US media even reported on it, but they are called "Russian separatists".

Aaand, just like that, you believe US media. Doesn't take much, does it?

As if there was no Girkin, who was sent by Russia with his special unit and who at first complained that he couldn't find 1000 people willing to fight. As if there was no constant infusion of weaponry and ammunition from Russia. As if there were no training centers in Rostov.

You know why it's hard for an ordinary person to deal with a psychopath? Because MO of a psychopath lies outside of domain of an ordinary person. An ordinary person gives benefit of a doubt, an ordinary person just doesn't get it that all the sincerity coming from psychopath is an act. Mainstream west just couldn't properly consume the fact that Putler and his team are psychopaths. That all the assertions about not having fighting forces in those regions is an act.

By the way, to be clear. What I respond to you - it's actually meant for others. I know who you are and I know that you don't care.

“You’re always makin’ with the negative waves man.”

mostly reader says

richwicks says

There's been civil war in Ukraine. US media even reported on it, but they are called "Russian separatists".

Aaand, just like that, you believe US media. Doesn't take much, does it?

NO. Jesus.

The US media distorts information, but if you're going to pass off a lie, you liberally mix it with the truth. Shit, I study propaganda, specifically AMERICAN propaganda for a HOBBY now. They don't mention the real reason for the conflict. They call them "Russian separatists", not Ukrainians. They intimate that the "Russian separatists" started the conflict.

I had a ex patriot friend that moved to Ukraine shortly after the coup. The people in Ukraine know they had a coup. He thought the conflict was no big deal. He had to periodically go to Russia because of conditions of his Visa.

His Skype account was hacked - I started getting marketing messages on his account. I haven't heard from him since. I think he may be dead but then again, we weren't that close. Perhaps his laptop was just stolen?

So tired of you trying to mischaracterize me. You put in so much effort into it.

mostly reader says

What I respond to you - it's actually meant for others. I know who you are and I know that you don't care.

Who do you think I am? Again, ad-hominem, appeal to ridicule, mischaracterization.

Also, you delete your comments. I know people that do that, as part of their job. Fucking Habera is a fucking nightmare. Totally unethical people. Real fantatics.

richwicks says

Also, you delete your comments.

Bullshit. What do you remember that I said that you can no longer find?
I may have deleted something which I found irrelevant right after posting. Nothing that stayed longer than a couple of minutes.
You lie.

richwicks says

Fucking Habera is a fucking nightmare.

"Fucking Habera" or "Fucking Bandera"? Make up your fucking mind!

mostly reader says

richwicks says

Also, you delete your comments.

Bullshit. What do you remember that I said that you can no longer find?
You lie.

This is your earliest comment that's (currently) on this site:

https://www.patrick.net/comments?a=mostly%20reader&offset=0#comments

December 12, 2016. You have posted (at the time of my writing this) 155 comments.

https://www.patrick.net/comments?a=mostly%20reader&offset=0#comments

That's how I drew that conclusion, although it could be erroneous. It's certainly bizarre.

richwicks says

That's how I drew that conclusion, although it could be erroneous. It's certainly bizarre.

Read my fucking handle.

mostly reader says

richwicks says

That's how I drew that conclusion, although it could be erroneous. It's certainly bizarre.

Read my fucking handle.

Again, you've been on here for 1,904 days - that's a 1 post every 12 days. You've made 26 posts in this year. Starting with this post:

https://www.patrick.net/post/1322462?offset=13800#comment-1815233

That was 31 days ago. You are now posting nearly every day since then. Very unusual behavior. Doesn't matter what your name is.

You also go out of your way to not inform, but to insult and attack. This is a common tactic to derail a conversation.

Who do you think, I, supposedly am?

I don't post much on social media. I have warm feelings to this resource and to it's founder, ever since it was a resource about real estate. Even though I disagreed with many things said here, it allowed me to obtain a contrarian point of view which helped to build a better big picture. Back then I was "just a reader", not a "mostly reader" (i.e. I didn't post at all)

My post count is accurate, more or less. I (typically) don't delete. During the last week I exceeded my online presence many fold. This is due to gravity of the current events, and to the long term effects that they will have upon us.

richwicks says

Who do you think, I, supposedly am?

You are either a propaganda troll, or someone who is sincere but gets his data from propaganda trolls. It's not just the talking points, but also synchronization of delivery. Too much coincidence. One or the other, on the receiving end there's no difference.

mostly reader says

richwicks says

Who do you think, I, supposedly am?

You are either a propaganda troll, or someone who is sincere but gets his data from propaganda trolls.

Here's a question - if you know better than any body else here what is going on currently in Ukraine, why do you simply insult them and attempt to anger them, rather than correct them?

mostly reader says

It's not just the talking points, but also synchronization of delivery.

The synchronization with whom or what?

I've posted about Ukraine for YEARS. Here's me talking to YOU about it.

https://www.patrick.net/post/1336858?offset=0#comment-1716522

I'm interested in US propaganda, when MY government lies to the public. I don't care what the truth is, that's very difficult to ascertain, I'll engage in speculation on it, but I can't know for certain. When a government produces propaganda, they do it for a very specific reason. That's worth speculating about.

I've known about the Ukrainian overthrow since the "Fuck the EU" recording came out, and then I watched our "news" media make a BIG FUSS over her "horrible vulgarity". So I looked up the transcript, spent some time tracking down the names, got the context, and realized that they were picking the next leader of Ukraine. Then I found the earliest date of the transcript, and when Yanukovych fled. From there, it was obvious the US had to have overthrown Ukraine. Everybody knows now of course.

I don't think the US overthrew Ukraine just so a few assholes in our government could take some bribes and I know the US has been making some insane claims about why they have to move ICBM's around - the stupidest one was they were moving them to prevent IRAN from bombing Europe. The stupidity people actually swallow... The US has been preparing for war with Russia since shortly after 2000 probably before.

I think our financial system is about to collapse, and a small world war will allow the criminals to escape the consequences of doing that, ONCE again.

But it's just speculation. I'm only really interested in what lies my government tells me. You know, like we're a democratic republic, or that they care about humanitarian rights, etc.

T L Lips says

Putin is a statesman. He has a vision he lays out, takes hours of questions directly from the public - and most of them not 'boxer or brief?' fluffy questions, he's always willing to talk, when you fuck with him he punches back open and honestly.

Obama, like other Western leaders, is a technocratic managerial functionary...

When this topic was fresher, and interested me as a social phenomena, I'd ask a russian-speaking person the same question: "Who do you think took down MS-17?" The answer (which I didn't expect to be exact, yet it was in all but one cases) would usually do awesome job classifying the person and spare me from talking to lunatics.

First and foremost, Putin is a liar. Whether he's a sociopath by birth or managed to pull it off through training is irrelevant. The best way to "unhypnotize" yourself with regards to Putin is to watch him talking to media years ago about facts that are now common knowledge but weren't back then:
"is Russia planning military operation in Ukraine?" (2013)
"was it Russian military that blocked Ukrainian troops in Crimea?" (April 2014)
"who took down MS-17?" (oh, that's a good one, there is absolutely no way to invite that question without inviting another one, about presence of Russian military in Ukraine)

Now that we know the facts, you just can't perceive that "honest and straightforward" approach that he uses without disgust. However, it's also admirably convincing - neither Obama, nor Hillary, nor Trump come close.

I think that it's irrelevant whether or not Russia influenced the elections (because "influence" was in revealing info that public had the right to know in the first place) However, I'm more inclined to believe it because Putin denies it.

https://www.patrick.net/post/1300746/?comment_id=1362354

T L Lips being my old handle.

Interesting how this topic is the most of interest to you.

Note our exchange was about 5 years ago now, and in all that time the imminent invasion of Ukraine didn't happen.

It's funny that regime changes happen on the watch of the same people in the State Department now. As the Obama Hold overs are right back in the Obama III pastiche of Sleepy Joe's administration. Vicky Nuland for one, and unlike the Cold War but very much like the post 1990 era, the most obnoxious failures get promoted upwards.

During the Cold War, before doing anything, State and All Nat Sec advisors would say "Let's not do anything that might set a precedent for the USSR to do the same thing somewhere else and rub it in our noses". Crimea is the answer to Kosovo, and NATO created the precedent.

The whole exchange is very interesting, like:

T L Lips says

Bellingcat. About as unbiased as Salon on the subject of 32 Genders.

Bellingcat, indeed. And your response is a textbook Ad Hominem.

https://www.patrick.net/post/1300746/?comment_id=1362538

Given your time mostly lurking on this site, and the experiences of the past few years:

Would you agree there is an incredible amount of social media and election manipulation WITH the biased cooperation of Social Media Tech Giants for or against certain causes or points of view?

To be clear. If Ukraine loses, west is screwed. That includes all of us living in US. The process will be gradual yet irreversible.


How is the west screwed? What process is gradual but irreversible? Are you saying that Russia takes over all of Europa? This is the same failed thinking that got the publics support for the vietnam war (google "domino theory"). It was false then as it is false now. The only purpose of war in our time is to profit a select few. That is the only reason. That is the reason for this conflict.

Check yesterdays zerohedge stories - I saw one that claimed that the US has been involved in over 80% of armed conflicts since 1954. That's for all armed conflicts in the entire world. That's stunning.

You don't need to invent a bogeyman - if you're living in the United States the biggest threat to your way of life is sitting in Washington DC.

The Chinese government has made clear that it will remain a strategic ally of Russia despite President Vladimir Putin being viewed globally as the aggressor in the war. Beijing dropped diplomatic ambiguity about its position by promoting Russia’s narrative, saying that the U.S. was responsible for the crisis. It also announced trade support to help Russia withstand sanctions.

As recently as Tuesday, the Biden administration was hoping that China might play a constructive role in preventing or mitigating the looming Ukraine crisis, or at least not obstruct efforts to defuse it. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi seeking China’s support “to preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said. A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said Wang responded by noting that “the situation in Ukraine is tending to deteriorate” and called for a resolution based on “dialogue and negotiation.”

The administration’s hopes were diminished when Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying asserted Wednesday that the U.S. is “the culprit of current tensions surrounding Ukraine.” A day later, within hours of Russian forces moving into Ukraine, Wang unambiguously aligned China with Russia by telling Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that China “understands the Russian side's legitimate concerns on security issues” in Ukraine.

LOL, isn't it nice when your FREE INDEPENDENT THINKING aligns you with both FSB and CCP?

richwicks says

The synchronization with whom or what?

With other trolls, indeed. On other resources. You exhibit same traits. 1) Laundry list of assertions, very passionate 2) Inability to logically defend them individually and therefore moving from one to another when challenged. 3) Repetition. Repetition. Repetition.
It's almost from the textbook on how to create subversion.
Once I noticed that your "points of the day" are in sync with those of others, the picture was complete.

AmericanKulak says

https://www.patrick.net/post/1300746/?comment_id=1362354

T L Lips being my old handle.

Interesting how this topic is the most of interest to you.

Note our exchange was about 5 years ago now, and in all that time the imminent invasion of Ukraine didn't happen.

The link leads to "no post with this ID", so I don't know what you are talking about. Did I predict attack by Russia? Then I was obviously right. Why did it not happen sooner? I don't know. May be because we now have an old senile man in the WH. May be because Putler was using different drugs back then. May be because a deal with one of the shadow players hadn't yet finalized back then. Yet obviously, OBVIOUSLY the imminent invasion of Ukraine was imminent.

AmericanKulak says

Would you agree there is an incredible amount of social media and election manipulation WITH the biased cooperation of Social Media Tech Giants for or against certain causes or points of view?

I would. So what? I'm not getting my info from them where it matters.

And I'm disappointed none of you Boomers or Gen X'ers didn't correct me. It was "The Dirty Dozen" that I was thinking of.
The Dirty Dozen was the war movie fought with hardened life serving convicts. Kelly's Heroes was about stealing Nazi Gold.


https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/03/take-power-hands-not-let-nazis-use-human-shields-putin-tells-ukrainian-army/?source=patrick.net