The United States(!) of A

factotum's picture
factotum started the topic in Thursday, 27 Aug 2020 at 11:12am

Septic Tanks are going to Septic Tank

flollo's picture
flollo's picture
flollo Saturday, 1 Mar 2025 at 8:51pm
quadzilla wrote:
flollo wrote:

I think people need to cool off a bit. Some are calling Zelensky ‘the leader of the free world’. Trump is crazy, we know that. But, that doesn’t mean the other one is some sort of Jesus. Before this war (and still) Ukraine was one of the most backwards, most corrupt places in Europe. It has its own oligarchy in the same way Putin does. No name gangsters got rich overnight through privatisation of state assets in the 90s and 2000s. Only a crazy person would consider this a ‘free’ country and a worthy member of an European Union.

Are you aware that PetroPeroshenko campaigned for the 2014 UKE presidency with an anti corruption agenda( as well as to stop the incursion in Donbas).He won and set in place the equivalent of our ACC, its still in place and has done lots in its time.Ukraine is not squeaky clean at this moment AS IS just about every other country on earth.

The EU had Ukraine over the line to join but POOtin pressured Yanukovic and the rest is history.

Yes, I wrote about this extensively before. The accession treaty had to be ratified, Yanukovic didn’t want to do it, people rebelled and he started shooting them in the streets. But, it’s somehow the US who caused the war in Ukraine. Crazy stuff. But regardless, it takes a good decade + in the most ambitious timeline for a country to join the EU after they sign the accession treaty, it would probably take the Ukraine around 20 to be honest.

flollo's picture
flollo's picture
flollo Saturday, 1 Mar 2025 at 9:18pm
velocityjohnno wrote:

flollo, Starmer just cut 40% of the Foreign Office aid budget to reallocate those funds, expect more to follow. The article suggests other ways to get funds, for example billions going to offshore climate goals might go toward defence if Russia is declared the overwhelming threat.

Edit: also, ending extremely high immigration numbers will alleviate housing pressure, rent pressure, and increase local wages - thus raising living standards domestically.

Also, there's this:

https://images.spot.im/image/upload/v200/aab7f264-88fb-4388-a56c-866a79d...

Yeah ok. That sounds good. So he’s cutting foreign aid office, same as Trump is cutting USAID? And reduce offshore climate goals? And stop immigration…Sounds very Trumpian to me. But hey, I’m on board with this. Let’s see if he’ll actually do it. There will be many broken hearts if he does.

And then every other country in Europe needs to do it. And Kajla Kallas is negligible in greater scheme of things. Her Estonia would get crushed in days without NATO. I’m in support of them being in NATO but let’s be realistic, she will have to kiss the US boot for a long time to stay safe.

sypkan's picture
sypkan's picture
sypkan Saturday, 1 Mar 2025 at 9:35pm

heard them talking about that on abc - the aid bit

interesting, and totally trumpy

even before all this, it was feeling like climate change ain't even a thing anymore...

we have a new existential crisis

a few...

started with cost of living

but now the (insulated) political class have walked in to their very own...

makes sense to me

wish our political class would wake the fuck up

etarip's picture
etarip's picture
etarip Saturday, 1 Mar 2025 at 10:14pm

National resilience… going to be tough to generate anywhere ‘democratic’ these days.

Confusion's picture
Confusion's picture
Confusion Saturday, 1 Mar 2025 at 10:29pm

The world has 2 existential crises,
Trump and Putin !

Confusion's picture
Confusion's picture
Confusion Saturday, 1 Mar 2025 at 10:44pm
truebluebasher wrote:

Whitehouse UFC Tag Team Diplomacy
Putin / Bibi + NOAA Terminator Musk on Drum Machine!
JD : Don't be so Disrespectful...You can lick our #@!*...Now #@!* Off #%*!
Trump : 'Should make for Good TV or some shit...suck it up!'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqE9zIp0Muk

The drummers pretty shit

truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher Saturday, 1 Mar 2025 at 11:25pm

For those preferring the hands on technique...
Be thankful Stu never pulled any of our posts...
Bit awkward when senior crew lend a guiding hand when things start to get outta hand.
Think it's easy for tbb to Talk the Talk...but it's for a just cause to save face.

Not addressed to anyone as we're all likely to slip up over 10-20 years more as it gets more messy.
Would not be surprised if tbb gets caught out just as easy as any...so no guilt is attached!
In fact tbb is issuing an exempted waiver no troll period over innocent or contrived delivery.
Shame is when any Parents get hauled up before e Harmony Envoy...Yer doin' it all wrong...saving face!
Sticking with bland humour before this blows up in our faces on the front page!

(M) Rating...send yer Gromz to bed...

Turbare = To disturb or confuse
Manstuprare originates from being stupidly defiled (Dishonourably stunned) by hand of Man.
https://www.etymonline.com/word/masturbation
Randy French Manstuprare originates during era of Bechamel Sauce...Not to be confused...Gross!
On the other stove-top French were boiling their urine to brew batches of Urea to whiten their sauces.
Any Urea leftovers in the pot were discrecretly served up as Horsd'oeuvre Manstuprare lotion
French Master Chefs are very handy in the Kitchen...All say Aye!

"Hey good lookin', Wot ya got cookin'!"...It's a Surprise...Love surprises! You & Me both dear!"

Forward to today & Masterbaters keep doing it wrong and Masterbators give Masturbaters a hard time.

So everyone keeps doing it wrong then...Yes! Pretty cool huh!...
Well until sex experts invaded our boudoirs & stocked our bedside tables with Randy Brands!

https://usstore.tenga.co/blogs/category_masturbation/masturbator-vs-mast...

Masturbators joined hands for partners to muck up the Happy Ending together...doh! Feel better Now!

None here wanna be faced with a Happy Ending that backfires...tbb forbids it! Repent Now Sinners!
Hodad accepts (Taking one for the Team) Winner of Woke Award...
Speech : "Full credit goes to the Crew! Us Hodads just mopping up yer mess, ya pack of dirty bastards!"
tbb needs a cigarette!

Ok! Bring the Gromz back in now...Hang on! Maybe after the crew's fav Happy Ending Track!

seeds's picture
seeds's picture
seeds Saturday, 1 Mar 2025 at 11:29pm

Why am I wrong to find this lady’s talk agreeable?

?si=kis8yUPtR_op6Inn

wax24's picture
wax24's picture
wax24 Saturday, 1 Mar 2025 at 11:31pm
andy-mac wrote:

On a side note, was talking to a Californian mate yesterday and asked him what it was like with Trump.
He basically said that Californian authorities are just ignoring federal orders etc
ICE are not getting any cooperation by local authorities as one example.

Think Trump will hit some domestic roadblocks sooner than later.

My best friend’s 10 yr old daughter was sent home from school with a memo to parents to please speak to their kids to prep them to see their peers being taken away from campus.

seeds's picture
seeds's picture
seeds Saturday, 1 Mar 2025 at 11:33pm

^ backfiring happy ends!! TBB you are a cunny funt.

seeds's picture
seeds's picture
seeds Saturday, 1 Mar 2025 at 11:46pm
wax24 wrote:
andy-mac wrote:

On a side note, was talking to a Californian mate yesterday and asked him what it was like with Trump.
He basically said that Californian authorities are just ignoring federal orders etc
ICE are not getting any cooperation by local authorities as one example.

Think Trump will hit some domestic roadblocks sooner than later.

My best friend’s 10 yr old daughter was sent home from school with a memo to parents to please speak to their kids to prep them to see their peers being taken away from campus.

Hi Wax
What does that mean? Why?

Confusion's picture
Confusion's picture
Confusion Saturday, 1 Mar 2025 at 11:55pm
seeds wrote:
wax24 wrote:
andy-mac wrote:

On a side note, was talking to a Californian mate yesterday and asked him what it was like with Trump.
He basically said that Californian authorities are just ignoring federal orders etc
ICE are not getting any cooperation by local authorities as one example.

Think Trump will hit some domestic roadblocks sooner than later.

My best friend’s 10 yr old daughter was sent home from school with a memo to parents to please speak to their kids to prep them to see their peers being taken away from campus.

Hi Wax
What does that mean? Why?

Undocumented immigrants guessing ?

Confusion's picture
Confusion's picture
Confusion Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 12:07am

It’s what the people voted for !

truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 3:17am

It's what 22.31% of Pop voted for or 28.95% of Adult Pop Voted for...
Voter Participation dropped a massive 2.7% from 2020 > 2024
Trump polled 5.15% less Votes than 2020 Biden > even with 4.33% extra population
It's a piss poor victory with a massively reduced miserly mandate...
2.7% of 2020 Voters said FU and boycotted Voting in Trump's 2024 Non event Shitshow

Of what little remained > Biden's 2020 electoral win was still 2.21% higher than 2024 Trump.
2024 Turnout / Vote Numbers / % of Votes per Prez all fall miserably short of Biden's Victory...
Clearly whatever Mandate Trump Fisty Pumps comes up embarrassingly short of Brain Fogged Prez!

2020 Turnout 66.6%
Biden 81,283,501 votes of 331,449,281 US 2020 pop = 24.52% or 31.4% of 18+ pop
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election

2024 Turnout 63.9% (Less Voters > growing pop!)
Trump 77,302,580 votes of 346,437,156 US 2024 pop= 22.31% or 28.95% of 18+ pop
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidential_election

Trump has considerably less voter support
Less hold on power & clearly has a much smaller mandate than a stumbling ol' fool.

So why are we being sold this lame arse prized UFC pup...he's a loser on every level!
So why does the World falsely & wildly claim Trump amounts to more than a hill of beans...he don't!
Why is he granting himself more executive power above a Brain Fog Prez that kicked his arse.

Yanks are fuckin' delusional buying into this Weak Yuppie loser...he can't topple a Brain Fogged ol' man!
Even when they pulled the Ol' fool over...Trump had a clear run home he reduced every mandate!
Left in the Shadow of Biden forevermore! That's the Truth...that's what history records.
Biden's shit kicker trying to escape a portaloo...none listening to the shit oozing outta his mouth.

Joe : "Did someone Summon PM Khawaja!"
Joe : "Did I smoke too much KFC!"
That's near enough mate...still way more popular & coherent than the new guy!
Joe : "How ya like KFC now!"

Trump : "Why does Austria keep their pet AUKUS in Lake Burley Campbell...sounds like a Dumb Deal!"

wax24's picture
wax24's picture
wax24 Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 3:29am

Yep… deportations. None have happened yet.

andy-mac's picture
andy-mac's picture
andy-mac Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 7:13am
wax24 wrote:
andy-mac wrote:

On a side note, was talking to a Californian mate yesterday and asked him what it was like with Trump.
He basically said that Californian authorities are just ignoring federal orders etc
ICE are not getting any cooperation by local authorities as one example.

Think Trump will hit some domestic roadblocks sooner than later.

My best friend’s 10 yr old daughter was sent home from school with a memo to parents to please speak to their kids to prep them to see their peers being taken away from campus.

That's horrible.
Sorry to learn that. What a nightmare scenario.

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 8:17am

Deportations are happening they always happen Trump has even been criticised for deporting less than Biden.

"Trump deporting people at a slower rate than Biden's last year in office

WASHINGTON, Feb 21 - U.S. President Donald Trump deported 37,660 people during his first month in office, previously unpublished U.S. Department of Homeland Security data show, far less than the monthly average of 57,000 removals and returns in the last full year of Joe Biden's administration.
A senior Trump administration official and experts said deportations were poised to rise in coming months as Trump opens up new avenues to ramp up arrests and removals."

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-set-broaden-arrests-deportation-r...

The big difference now is there isn't the rate of illegal arrivals.

"Amid Trump crackdown, illegal border crossings plunge to levels not seen in decades

Washington, D.C. — The number of migrants crossing the U.S. southern border illegally in President Trump's first full month in office plunged to a level not seen in at least 25 years, according to preliminary government data obtained by CBS News.

Last month, Border Patrol recorded about 8,450 apprehensions of migrants who crossed into the country unlawfully between official entry points along the U.S.-Mexico border, the statistics show.

On some days during a record spike in illegal crossings under the Biden administration, Border Patrol recorded more than 8,000 apprehensions in a single day.

February's total, which could be adjusted when the government officially publishes the statistics, would be the lowest monthly apprehensions tally recorded by Border Patrol since at least fiscal year 2000, the last period with public monthly data. The final tallies usually don't deviate much from the preliminary figures"
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/illegal-crossings-plunge-to-levels-not-seen...

Im sure in time more and more illegal's will be deported as systems come into place, its often not as easy as just putting them on a plane, lots of deals are currently being done for countries like Costa Rica to become bridging countries.

Confusion's picture
Confusion's picture
Confusion Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 8:13am
indo-dreaming wrote:

Deportations are happening they always happen Trump has even been criticised for deporting less than Biden.

"Trump deporting people at a slower rate than Biden's last year in office

WASHINGTON, Feb 21 - U.S. President Donald Trump deported 37,660 people during his first month in office, previously unpublished U.S. Department of Homeland Security data show, far less than the monthly average of 57,000 removals and returns in the last full year of Joe Biden's administration.
A senior Trump administration official and experts said deportations were poised to rise in coming months as Trump opens up new avenues to ramp up arrests and removals."

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-set-broaden-arrests-deportation-r...

The big difference now is there isn't the rate of illegal arrivals.

"Amid Trump crackdown, illegal border crossings plunge to levels not seen in decades

Washington, D.C. — The number of migrants crossing the U.S. southern border illegally in President Trump's first full month in office plunged to a level not seen in at least 25 years, according to preliminary government data obtained by CBS News.

Last month, Border Patrol recorded about 8,450 apprehensions of migrants who crossed into the country unlawfully between official entry points along the U.S.-Mexico border, the statistics show.

On some days during a record spike in illegal crossings under the Biden administration, Border Patrol recorded more than 8,000 apprehensions in a single day.

February's total, which could be adjusted when the government officially publishes the statistics, would be the lowest monthly apprehensions tally recorded by Border Patrol since at least fiscal year 2000, the last period with public monthly data. The final tallies usually don't deviate much from the preliminary figures"
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/illegal-crossings-plunge-to-levels-not-seen...

Don’t know if Biden raided schools and churches though.

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 8:20am

Why should there be any safe zones?

Your in USA illegally they should be able to find and deport from wherever they are .

GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 8:37am

Hey @info allow me to rephrase your words to show what your gross hypocrisy looks like ….

“Why should there be any safe zones?

You’re in the West Bank and Gaza illegally they should be able to find and deport the land thieving zionists from wherever they are”.

GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 8:38am

X2 post

Confusion's picture
Confusion's picture
Confusion Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 8:47am
indo-dreaming wrote:

Why should there be any safe zones?

Your in USA illegally they should be able to find and deport from wherever they are .

A lot of undocumented immigrants have been there for years and are part of society, employment , education etc , and Trump is revoking a lot of Temporary protection status visas, as well as other visas , that Biden granted, and now Trump is making a big issue of it with Dr Phil videos, etc and tough guy Homan beating his chest ,to play to his racist base , who love the cruelty of it all .

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 9:45am
GuySmiley wrote:

Hey @info allow me to rephrase your words to show what your gross hypocrisy looks like ….

“Why should there be any safe zones?

You’re in the West Bank and Gaza illegally they should be able to find and deport the land thieving zionists from wherever they are”.

Fuck off you ignorant piece of shit.

Jews and Samaritans are quite literally named after Judea & Samaria, this was the name of the West Bank until 1949 when Jordan renamed it after it captured it in the 1948 war.

When Israel won it back in 1967 it became Israel again.

Palestine was only officially divided into two countries under the British Mandate, 77% became Jordan and 23% became Israel.

There was no other borders or countries created. (google the meaning of "uti possidetis juris")

Jordan did try to claim annexation of the West Bank in 1950. but most of the world did not recognize this, so If Israel is occupying the West Bank, it's occupying Jordanan land.

The idea Jews can occupy the very land they are named after and that is littered with thousands of Jewish and Samaritan archeological; sites including many tombs of their ancestors is just insanity, its like saying Aboriginal Australian's are occupying sites like Ulluru.

BTW. Gaza too also had no official border, it was just an area, it was won by Egypt in 1948 war and again regained by Israeli in the 1967 war along with the Sinnai, Isreal tried to give it back to Egypt in there land for peace deal in the late 80s, but Egypt very wisely didn't want it, in 2005 Israel gave Gaza self autonomy and all Israelis were removed.

While for most of the last 3,000 years there has been some Jewish presence in Gaza, it has never been a Jewish strong hold.

BTW. Something to add the idea of occupation is based on The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, basically the first two state solution, but it never happened it was rejected by Arabs who thought they could just invade Israel instead and take the whole lot as they tried in 1948.

You dont get to reject something and then come back latter after you dont get your way and say on second thought the deal i rejected actually now stands.

It's like me being offered a house to buy in the 90s for $70K and now giving the owners of the house 70K and saying the house is mine i accept the offer.

blackers's picture
blackers's picture
blackers Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 9:24am
truebluebasher wrote:

It's what 22.31% of Pop voted for or 28.95% of Adult Pop Voted for...
Voter Participation dropped a massive 2.7% from 2020 > 2024
Trump polled 5.15% less Votes than 2020 Biden > even with 4.33% extra population
It's a piss poor victory with a massively reduced miserly mandate...
2.7% of 2020 Voters said FU and boycotted Voting in Trump's 2024 Non event Shitshow

Of what little remained > Biden's 2020 electoral win was still 2.21% higher than 2024 Trump.
2024 Turnout / Vote Numbers / % of Votes per Prez all fall miserably short of Biden's Victory...
Clearly whatever Mandate Trump Fisty Pumps comes up embarrassingly short of Brain Fogged Prez!

2020 Turnout 66.6%
Biden 81,283,501 votes of 331,449,281 US 2020 pop = 24.52% or 31.4% of 18+ pop
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election

2024 Turnout 63.9% (Less Voters > growing pop!)
Trump 77,302,580 votes of 346,437,156 US 2024 pop= 22.31% or 28.95% of 18+ pop
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidential_election

Trump has considerably less voter support
Less hold on power & clearly has a much smaller mandate than a stumbling ol' fool.

So why are we being sold this lame arse prized UFC pup...he's a loser on every level!
So why does the World falsely & wildly claim Trump amounts to more than a hill of beans...he don't!
Why is he granting himself more executive power above a Brain Fog Prez that kicked his arse.

Yanks are fuckin' delusional buying into this Weak Yuppie loser...he can't topple a Brain Fogged ol' man!
Even when they pulled the Ol' fool over...Trump had a clear run home he reduced every mandate!
Left in the Shadow of Biden forevermore! That's the Truth...that's what history records.
Biden's shit kicker trying to escape a portaloo...none listening to the shit oozing outta his mouth.
....

Let's put this back into the discussion. Great post TBB.

basesix's picture
basesix's picture
basesix Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 9:39am

I liked @Salty Dog's man in congress, (a rich conservative jew a little younger than @indo, heir to Levi jeans money), calling what-a-load-of-BULLSHIT the idea that 'the american people elected trump with a resounding mandate to transform how washington works'.
Dan Sachs Goldman - true blue liberal conservative.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Goldman

wax24's picture
wax24's picture
wax24 Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 9:41am

“Why should there be any safe zones?”

I already answered that, Indo, in my very short very succinct post. Have another look. Go slowly so as not to miss it.

Confusion's picture
Confusion's picture
Confusion Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 9:43am

And guess what, Trumps lost a whole lot of popularity since the inauguration , with many Trump voters losing their jobs or knowing someone who has. ,
And the price of eggs skyrocketing.

Confusion's picture
Confusion's picture
Confusion Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 9:52am
wax24 wrote:

“Why should there be any safe zones?”

I already answered that, Indo, in my very short very succinct post. Have another look. Go slowly so as not to miss it.

Do you mean 10 year old girls, having their friends arrested in classrooms, and taken away by strangers, never to be seen again ?

wax24's picture
wax24's picture
wax24 Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 9:55am

Yep Base. One of the good’uns i spose. That notion, pushed here by some, feverishly, of course, of a “mandate” is so laughable it could ONLY go over in a fever dream. By a child.

indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming's picture
indo-dreaming Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 10:04am
wax24 wrote:

“Why should there be any safe zones?”

I already answered that, Indo, in my very short very succinct post. Have another look. Go slowly so as not to miss it.

You have no post on the previous page and two and this one on this page

"My best friend’s 10 yr old daughter was sent home from school with a memo to parents to please speak to their kids to prep them to see their peers being taken away from campus."

The other post says

"Yep… deportations. None have happened yet." (which is false)

Neither post explain's why illegal immigrants should have safe zones in churches or schools where they cant be apprehended.

Ideally its not something you want to do but if you cant find them at their home address then you have to explore all other avenues like work places, churches or even schools. (ideally the parents dropping them of at school etc) obviously the parents are the focus but i guess they need to prepare for all scenarios and also that message would be one to the parents of those there illegally who will then keep the kids home so its not needed for authorities to take kids from schools.

basesix's picture
basesix's picture
basesix Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 10:03am

push your empathy button and run your childhood memories program @indo.

etarip's picture
etarip's picture
etarip Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 10:04am
etarip's picture
etarip's picture
etarip Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 10:12am

Link to the substack that the Twitter thread above is drawn from. I’d trust Kazani’s analysis of Russian war aims that Mearsheimer et al.

https://kamilkazani.substack.com/p/three-years-of-war

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 10:18am
etarip wrote:

Link to the substack that the Twitter thread above is drawn from. I’d trust Kazani’s analysis of Russian war aims that Mearsheimer et al.

https://kamilkazani.substack.com/p/three-years-of-war

What a great summary.

GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 10:21am

G’day @wax24, it must be horrible for fair minded Americans right now, feeling your pain.

Good luck with your discussions with SN’s @drongo-dreaming, while not underplaying its importance to you he’ll love to engage you on one of his pet triggering topics all day/week as a deflection to how Trump has sold out Ukraine in recent times!

burleigh's picture
burleigh's picture
burleigh Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 10:28am

Trump hasn't sold out Ukraine. He's finally make EU responsible like they should always have been.

Zelenskyy can get richer off his neighbours now instead of USA

wax24's picture
wax24's picture
wax24 Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 10:40am
basesix wrote:

push your empathy button and run your childhood memories program @indo.

Base… since last year this young girl (I love her very much too, btw) has had 2 (TWO!) classmates commit suicide. (That’s right. At 9 years old. NINE!) She has had Active Shooter drills instituted… once a month. Now this memo. And I assume she will see something dreadful to a kid at some point re: immigration.
I have been busily finding something outdoors for her to connect to, but she’s not really that type. The outdoors has always provided balance and healing for me.
Anyways…..

GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 10:43am

Howdy @Burls, agreed, it’s too early to say he has actually sold out Ukraine but equally good luck knowing he’s doing or his end game is …. it’s all speculation right now but sadly what he says and does has real life and death consequences on innocent people in the US and abroad

andy-mac's picture
andy-mac's picture
andy-mac Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 10:45am
etarip wrote:

Link to the substack that the Twitter thread above is drawn from. I’d trust Kazani’s analysis of Russian war aims that Mearsheimer et al.

https://kamilkazani.substack.com/p/three-years-of-war

Serious question, why?
Not trying to troll but interested.
He does not seems to be in a more knowledgeable position than the other you mention?
What is the motivation of Mearsheimer et al to spread misinformation, they do not come across as Russian stooges to me.
Are they just wrong in your view, or deliberately spreading misinformation?
I have not heard of him before, why do you think his views are more accurate?

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/person/kamil-galeev
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mearsheimer
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Sachs

andy-mac's picture
andy-mac's picture
andy-mac Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 10:46am
wax24 wrote:
basesix wrote:

push your empathy button and run your childhood memories program @indo.

Base… since last year this young girl (I love her very much too, btw) has had 2 (TWO!) classmates commit suicide. (That’s right. At 9 years old. NINE!) She has had Active Shooter drills instituted… once a month. Now this memo. And I assume she will see something dreadful to a kid at some point re: immigration.
I have been busily finding something outdoors for her to connect to, but she’s not really that type. The outdoors has always provided balance and healing for me.
Anyways…..

Ah man that is dreadful....
Take care.

basesix's picture
basesix's picture
basesix Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 10:46am

jesus @wax. sorry mate, she's lucky to have you.

basesix's picture
basesix's picture
basesix Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 10:53am
burleigh wrote:

Trump hasn't sold out Ukraine. He's finally make EU responsible like they should always have been.

nah, donald and jim's admin has turned 70-years of USA's global-stabilising-role persona into one that resembles one of those middle-age ladies who has taken over all the household chores so things are done their way, and then complains publicly that their partner doesn't do anything around the house.

etarip's picture
etarip's picture
etarip Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 11:01am
andy-mac wrote:
etarip wrote:

Link to the substack that the Twitter thread above is drawn from. I’d trust Kazani’s analysis of Russian war aims that Mearsheimer et al.

https://kamilkazani.substack.com/p/three-years-of-war

Serious question, why?
Not trying to troll but interested.
He does not seems to be in a more knowledgeable position than the other you mention?
What is the motivation of Mearsheimer et al to spread misinformation, they do not come across as Russian stooges to me.
Are they just wrong in your view, or deliberately spreading misinformation?
I have not heard of him before, why do you think his views are more accurate?

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/person/kamil-galeev
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mearsheimer
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Sachs

It’s a far more compelling argument to me than the ‘fear of NATO encroachment’ - when there are clear counter-factuals to that line of reasoning in Russia’s response (or actually lack thereof) to countries wanting to join NATO. Who do you think understands Russia better from a cultural perspective.

Mearscheimer is also somewhat of an outlier within the realist camp of international relations / geopolitics.

Russia does fear losing its sphere of influence - but not because of any existential fear of invasion. Russia’s economy is interlinked with its Eurasian neighbours and closer integration of the Ukrainian / Georgian / Armenian /‘xyz’stan economies with Europe reduces the level of influence it can exert over these countries. Heard of CSTO?

If you don’t like Kalani, there’s plenty of others that you might find more to your liking. Try Galleoti - he’s a British Russ-ologist, who is pretty up front about where his areas of expertise lie, as well as his limitations.

We’re all liable to confirmation bias. I just think that constantly circling back to Sachs and Mearschiemer isn’t really that useful.

wax24's picture
wax24's picture
wax24 Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 11:15am

Hey Eta…. have ya checked out Peter Zeihan? I think he has a decent amount of sound data but don’t like the way he says things as if they WILL happen. (Little too much confidence for a crazy world…)
I’d be curious to your opinion of him.
If you’ve already stated it, sorry to ask for reheated soup, but I’ll be fucked if I’m gonna look…. Cheers

wax24's picture
wax24's picture
wax24 Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 11:15am

Hey Eta…. have ya checked out Peter Zeihan? I think he has a decent amount of sound data but don’t like the way he says things as if they WILL happen. (Little too much confidence for a crazy world…)
I’d be curious to your opinion of him.
If you’ve already stated it, sorry to ask for reheated soup, but I’ll be fucked if I’m gonna look…. Cheers

Confusion's picture
Confusion's picture
Confusion Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 11:15am

800 staff just fired from the NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Good luck with your surf forecasting in the future.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/27/politics/noaa-federal-workers-firings/ind...

andy-mac's picture
andy-mac's picture
andy-mac Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 11:16am
etarip wrote:
andy-mac wrote:
etarip wrote:

Link to the substack that the Twitter thread above is drawn from. I’d trust Kazani’s analysis of Russian war aims that Mearsheimer et al.

https://kamilkazani.substack.com/p/three-years-of-war

Serious question, why?
Not trying to troll but interested.
He does not seems to be in a more knowledgeable position than the other you mention?
What is the motivation of Mearsheimer et al to spread misinformation, they do not come across as Russian stooges to me.
Are they just wrong in your view, or deliberately spreading misinformation?
I have not heard of him before, why do you think his views are more accurate?

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/person/kamil-galeev
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mearsheimer
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Sachs

It’s a far more compelling argument to me than the ‘fear of NATO encroachment’ - when there are clear counter-factuals to that line of reasoning in Russia’s response (or actually lack thereof) to countries wanting to join NATO. Who do you think understands Russia better from a cultural perspective.

Mearscheimer is also somewhat of an outlier within the realist camp of international relations / geopolitics.

Russia does fear losing its sphere of influence - but not because of any existential fear of invasion. Russia’s economy is interlinked with its Eurasian neighbours and closer integration of the Ukrainian / Georgian / Armenian /‘xyz’stan economies with Europe reduces the level of influence it can exert over these countries. Heard of CSTO?

If you don’t like Kalani, there’s plenty of others that you might find more to your liking. Try Galleoti - he’s a British Russ-ologist, who is pretty up front about where his areas of expertise lie, as well as his limitations.

We’re all liable to confirmation bias. I just think that constantly circling back to Sachs and Mearschiemer isn’t really that useful.

OK thanks for your reply.
Not a matter of not liking, just unknown. Have read the article you posted and will read further as your suggestion.

Maybe I do have a bias, did international relations mainly involving SE Asia and Indonesia, and the CIA US influence was definitely involved in a lot of the stuff that went on there. Not very pleasant.

I am seeing I guess the Ukrainian election in 2014 through that lens, and the aftermath.
Appreciate your reply.

GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley's picture
GuySmiley Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 11:20am

Take care @wax24

burleigh's picture
burleigh's picture
burleigh Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 11:23am
Confusion wrote:

800 staff just fired from the NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Good luck with your surf forecasting in the future.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/27/politics/noaa-federal-workers-firings/ind...

Sure forecasting will be just fine. Have you heard of AI?

flollo's picture
flollo's picture
flollo Sunday, 2 Mar 2025 at 11:53am
thermalben wrote:
etarip wrote:

Link to the substack that the Twitter thread above is drawn from. I’d trust Kazani’s analysis of Russian war aims that Mearsheimer et al.

https://kamilkazani.substack.com/p/three-years-of-war

What a great summary.

This is so clear. I can’t believe people are not seeing it this way. This whole NATO propaganda is a complete nonsense. We need strong NATO with the US leading it. People are so happy to preach about democracy, freedom but fail to acknowledge that freedom and democracy need a strong army behind them.

Imagine how different things would be if Ukraine actually started the EU accession process in 2014. It would be roughly about now that they would be joining and future would be a lot brighter.