"All of Vlad's forces and all of Vlad's men, are out to put Humpty together again." (6 Viewers)

[GrauGeist]

I can assure you that Russia is behind Iran's proxy attack on Israel.

While Putin may be able to pander munitions and perhaps some NK "volunteers" for his shitshow, Iran is the only country that's willing to go all in for support.

The problem with the West, is that the last generation to actually see their homes bombed, enemy soldiers marching through their streets, having to live on scraps of food and making sacrifices, has mostly faded away.

The younger generations have been insulated from those trials, and don't have the ability to actually grasp what Putin wants to accomplish.
They look at Ukraine and think it'll end there. But it won't.

Like Hitler, who kept testing by trial, Putin kept testing the West by taking little bits of other countries until he was encouraged enough by the west's apathy to take a chunk of Ukraine in 2014.

What's happening now is our fault. Had we stood up for Moldova or Georgia, 2014 may not have happened. If we stood up in 2014, I am positive that Putin would not have tried his "special operation" .

So it's up to us to ensure that Ukraine has all it needs to repel the invaders.

Because if Ukraine falls, you can be sure that Putin has plans to protect ethnic Russians in other former Soviet/Imperial "territories".

 

[WARSPITER]

I can assure you that Russia is behind Iran's proxy attack on Israel.

While Putin may be able to pander munitions and perhaps some NK "volunteers" for his shitshow, Iran is the only country that's willing to go all in for support.

The problem with the West, is that the last generation to actually see their homes bombed, enemy soldiers marching through their streets, having to live on scraps of food and making sacrifices, has mostly faded away.

The younger generations have been insulated from those trials, and don't have the ability to actually grasp what Putin wants to accomplish.
They look at Ukraine and think it'll end there. But it won't.

Like Hitler, who kept testing by trial, Putin kept testing the West by taking little bits of other countries until he was encouraged enough by the west's apathy to take a chunk of Ukraine in 2014.

What's happening now is our fault. Had we stood up for Moldova or Georgia, 2014 may not have happened. If we stood up in 2014, I am positive that Putin would not have tried his "special operation" .

So it's up to us to ensure that Ukraine has all it needs to repel the invaders.

Because if Ukraine falls, you can be sure that Putin has plans to protect ethnic Russians in other former Soviet/Imperial "territories".

Absolutely correct. I think it was Lithuania who caught 141 FSB ? operatives setting up just what you said. And that was sometime last year.

 

[Escuadrilla Azul]

Israel getting attacked has taken ALL attention in the West away from this WAR. Even this forum has apparently lost interest. COME ON, we can't let up now. Is Thump the only one still following this?

Well, the frontlines in Ukrainia had been more 9r less stable for sometime. That matters also.

 

[drgondog]

Why is anyone surprised with Israel/Hamas upon us, that western media has a new bright shiny light to engage the People on the new crisis?

Three major venture capital firms/holding companies hold 80% of US equities (and of each other). That includes defense industry, tech industry, airline, media and pharmaceutical companies. Blackrock being the elephant in the room.

Would it be cynical to ponder that each of the three Boards of Directors understands that a crisis (war, pandemics, etc) fuel growth? Or that Lobbyists for each of those (Board controlled) industries are crucial to re-elections and appointments of individuals to positions of power?

Or that 'big' news media seem to be 'on message', 'same message' daily ? What, co-incidences?

That maybe because the heat is on relative to spending and depletion of military stockpiles relative to Ukraine - that maybe jumpstarting a renewed zeal to go whack somebody, somewhere else, makes more sense? If we (US) don't actually have to put feet on the ground on a massive scale, this is a great time to invest in the 'new force leveraging technolgies' to replace the old stuff. And the added benefit - giving up the old stuff in a great cause makes us feel better all around.

Somone once said, 'never let a crisis go to waste'. Make no mistake Ukraine/Russia and Hamas/Iran/Israel constitute REAL crisis globally - and the other shoe, CCP/Taiwan is hovering - but my cynical ol' self looks at where the money goes, and note that soon national pride and our youngsters follow into the breach.

Wouldn't it be great if all of Congress, men and women, were compelled by law to be the first with feet on the ground for any conflict 'it' votes, or the CiC orders. Similar to the Spartan/Greek/Roman/Islam/Mongol leaders of past wars?

I somehow suspect that THAT Amendment will never see the light of day.

 

[SaparotRob]

Perhaps easier to achieve would be the passage of a bill that would stop pay to members of Congress during government shutdowns.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Guys, this is not the place discuss politics such as a government shutdown.

Stick to the Ukraine War.

Last time…

 

[Escuadrilla Azul]

"New" SAM with AIM-9M approved for Ukrainia and a ukrainian Su-25 destroyed by russian kamikaze UAV:

Mysterious Sidewinder Air Defense Systems Headed For Ukraine (Updated)

We now know for sure that Ukraine is getting AIM-9M Sidewinders for a ground-based air defense system that could have some very old roots.

www.thedrive.com

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Ukraine must be supplied and resupplied.

We simply cannot let up on this.

 

[SaparotRob]

We simply cannot let up on this.

I'm getting a rainbow for this one, I know it.
Maybe Israel can "lend" a few F-15Is to Ukraine.
It really pisses me off that Russian pilots flew under someone else's flag and kept getting away with it. Like they did for North Korea and North Vietnam (damn Yankees). They did it for Egypt. Turn about is fair play.


Or maybe some of those apeshit-level Phantoms I may or may not have read about.

 

[Greg Boeser]

I'm getting a rainbow for this one, I know it.
Maybe Israel can "lend" a few F-15Is to Ukraine.
It really pisses me off that Russian pilots flew under someone else's flag and kept getting away with it. Like they did for North Korea and North Vietnam (damn Yankees). They did it for Egypt. Turn about is fair play.


Or maybe some of those apeshit-level Phantoms I may or may not have read about.

The US funded and delivered an entire fighter group to fly for the Chinese back in the day. AVG.

 

[GrauGeist]

"New" SAM with AIM-9M approved for Ukrainia and a ukrainian Su-25 destroyed by russian kamikaze UAV:

Mysterious Sidewinder Air Defense Systems Headed For Ukraine (Updated)

We now know for sure that Ukraine is getting AIM-9M Sidewinders for a ground-based air defense system that could have some very old roots.

www.thedrive.com

This "mysterious air-defense system" is the US Army's MML system, which can launch a variety of missiles, including the AIM-9X Block II (* not AIM-9M).

The MML system was introduced in 2016.

* the AIM-9M is a permanent fixture on the A-10C, by the way. Regardless of the A-10's mission loadout, a hardpoint on each wing is populated by an AIM-9M for self defence.

 

[SaparotRob]

The US funded and delivered an entire fighter group to fly for the Chinese back in the day. AVG.

The AVG didn't hide the fact that they were Americans.

 

[SaparotRob]

I'm sitting in a hotel room in Pattaya, Thailand. I'm right by the beach and the bars are jumping. I just heard a band blast Hava Negila assisted by an enthusiastic crowd.
In the 30 odd years I've been coming here, I never thought I'd hear that.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

I'm getting a rainbow for this one, I know it.
Maybe Israel can "lend" a few F-15Is to Ukraine.
It really pisses me off that Russian pilots flew under someone else's flag and kept getting away with it. Like they did for North Korea and North Vietnam (damn Yankees). They did it for Egypt. Turn about is fair play.


Or maybe some of those apeshit-level Phantoms I may or may not have read about.

I think Israel's got its hands full right now ... and those F-15s will be striking Iran before too long, I suspect.

 

[drgondog]

I think Israel's got its hands full right now ... and those F-15s will be striking Iran before too long, I suspect.

Speaking of Iran, does anyone contemplate how many Hamas 'migrants' may be in US by now? One notes a rather dramatic change last week from DHS and Administration regarding wall construction.. when Hamas struck Israel, did someone in NSC raise a hand?

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Speaking of Iran, does anyone contemplate how many Hamas 'migrants' may be in US by now? One notes a rather dramatic change last week from DHS and Administration regarding wall construction.. when Hamas struck Israel, did someone in NSC raise a hand?

I will not discuss the political issues you raise at all, but I doubt there's many "Hamas" immigrants here. There's about 170,000 Palestinian-Americans living here, though.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

This "mysterious air-defense system" is the US Army's MML system, which can launch a variety of missiles, including the AIM-9X Block II (* not AIM-9M).

The MML system was introduced in 2016.

* the AIM-9M is a permanent fixture on the A-10C, by the way. Regardless of the A-10's mission loadout, a hardpoint on each wing is populated by an AIM-9M for self defence.

When the 23rd passed through Moron AB on their way to the Sandbox, they carried twin-rails on the one pylon, even for the ferry flight.

 

[drgondog]

I will not discuss the political issues you raise at all, but I doubt there's many "Hamas" immigrants here. There's about 170,000 Palestinian-Americans living here, though.

Didn't intend 'political' - used the term 'migrants' to differentiate from 'immigrant/asylum seeker'. Seemed obvious to me.

I wrote what I Meant - Hamas (or one of a group wth equally little love lost for Americans) - not Palestinian-Americans living here. That too seemed obvious but clearly I need to re-think my definitions for Obvious.

The issue of potential subtitution of 50 pounds of C-4 in lieu of Fentanyl is not 'political' but a matter of threat assessment. That too seemed obvious but clearly again, I need to re-think my definitions for Obvious.

Throttling a 100,000 per month track meet across the Rio Grande IS political - but I'm talking about a select 'couple of thousand' that not so bright varmints with bad intentions clearly can envision as an an 'opportunity'. The bright ones are capable of even greater vison than mere C-4/Semtex, whatever.That seems obvious also. Am I overthinking this too much for your taste?

So, how does one translate your 'doubt' to a major clarification? I think the Israelis are a LOT more suspicious than we seem to be - and looky what happened to them? We seem to easily pass December 7 and September 11 from memory and rest on 'they wouldn't dare' theme.

Is the question 'political' or one you just don't waste any time thinking about?

 

[Greg Boeser]

Is the question 'political' or one you just don't waste any time thinking about?

I pay taxes so I don't have to.
If I had to consider every potential threat to my safety, I'd never get out of bed.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Speaking of Iran, does anyone contemplate how many Hamas 'migrants' may be in US by now? One notes a rather dramatic change last week from DHS and Administration regarding wall construction.. when Hamas struck Israel, did someone in NSC raise a hand?

And what does this have to do with Ukraine???