USSR invades Ukraine. (51 Viewers)

[PVA]

This is good news.

He also said that 80% of Russia's pre-staged invasion forces have been committed so far.

 

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[skybluetony176]

I understand it perfectly clear. On its own entity your post may be singularly a throw away comment about Raab (who I'd wager is far more intelligent and knowledgeable on the subject than you), but when added to your numerous other posts regarding the govt on this same thread paints a bit more of a picture.

This is Raab who didn’t know so much freight moved between Dover and Calais, who thought the sea closed, who thought food bank users just had cash flow problems, tried to blag his way through the GFA before admitting that he hadn’t read it after spectacularly failing to grasp what effect brexit would have on Northern Ireland, thought the Irish Sea was the Red Sea etc etc etc etc etc. Raab is without doubt the dumbest MF ever allowed in government, he isn’t even knowledgeable on the things that his own ministerial rolls mean he has to be. Why do you think they had to make one up for him. Couldn’t be trusted with an actual ministerial position not even by this government and that’s a low bar by any standard.

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

It's an interesting thing to think what would have happened in '39 if Hitler had nukes.

It's where the stupid MAD policy falls down, it only takes 1 madman to come into power and not play by the rules and we're fucked.

As far as stating the nuclear forces are now on alert , they always are so Putin is telling us nothing we already know.
I'm hoping that ultimately it's not his decision whether to launch nuclear missiles . He may be leader of Russia, but surely the Russians have in place a mechanism to thwart a madman who's in command.

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

This is Raab who didn’t know so much freight moved between Dover and Calais, who thought the sea closed, who thought food bank users just had cash flow problems, tried to blag his way through the GFA before admitting that he hadn’t read it after spectacularly failing to grasp what effect brexit would have on Northern Ireland, thought the Irish Sea was the Red Sea etc etc etc etc etc. Raab is without doubt the dumbest MF ever allowed in government, he isn’t even knowledgeable on the things that his own ministerial rolls mean he has to be. Why do you think they had to make one up for him. Couldn’t be trusted with an actual ministerial position not even by this government and that’s a low bar by any standard.

Can you just clarify whether you like Raab or not. I'm not sure.

 

[duffer]

I've often wondered what a "tactical" nuclear weapon is. Sounds like an oxymoron.
Tactical sounds it's quite small and can be threaded through the eye of a needle to kill only military. It sounds almost benign.

Surely what was dropped on Hiroshima is the smallest you can get ? Or is it.

No disagreement here, a 'tactical' nuclear weapon sounds ludicrous, but it's how it would be spun. They really are built with different yields, mad as that sounds...

Nuclear weapon yield - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[PVA]

As far as stating the nuclear forces are now on alert , they always are so Putin is telling us nothing we already know.
I'm hoping that ultimately it's not his decision whether to launch nuclear missiles . He may be leader of Russia, but surely the Russians have in place a mechanism to thwart a madman who's in command.

It's not solely down to Putin. He can't just press a button or anything like that. There is a chain of command and ultimately the military are the ones that would press the button, not the President. (Thankfully!)

 

[tisza]

Just for perspective, an alternative view on NATO expansion. I'm not even for a moment going to suggest that this justifies Putin's actions here or elsewhere, but it is an interesting read...

Many predicted Nato expansion would lead to war. Those warnings were ignored | Ted Galen Carpenter

It has long been clear that Nato expansion would lead to tragedy. We are now paying the price for the US’s arrogance

www.theguardian.com

Context isn't used enough in this viewpoint.
The expansion states had just managed to separate themselves from over 40 years of Soviet control. They weren't coerced into joining NATO but did so to give themselves peace of mind on security and to protect themselves from any chance of a return to Soviet imperialism.
None of these countries had voluntarily been part of the Soviet Union but sold down the river at Yalta.
Again NATO troop presence (a total of around 7000 troops in the whole of the Baltic States and Poland) came in 2014 as a result of the annexation of the Crimea.
Author doesn't allow for the fact NATO membership could easily be argued to have prevented other "Ukraines" in the likes of Poland and the Baltic States. Plus he does work for a noted libertarian think-tank so isn't necessarily approaching it in a balanced way.

 

[RegTheDonk]

You might then expect your mate to give you somewhere to stay.

Of course and I dare say he'd welcome my relatives too ... IF he still had a roof over his head.

 

[tisza]

Belarus now looking like it's sending in tanks so that will kibosh the peace talks tomorrow.

This 40 mile convoy turns about to be a lot of pockets of vehicles apparently caused by machine breakdowns - something that hasn't improved from old Soviet times seemingly is the maintenance and reliability of machinery.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

It's an interesting thing to think what would have happened in '39 if Hitler had nukes.

It's where the stupid MAD policy falls down, it only takes 1 madman to come into power and not play by the rules and we're fucked.

He probably wouldn’t have used them on the areas he had identified as ‘Lebensraum’. He probably would have used them on Britain to force us to come to terms.

As you say, it only works if both sides value the lives of their populace. Historically the USSR never did, quite the opposite-and we are seeing that in evidence already

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Still an excellent film to watch the nightmare of nuclear war is Threads made when I was the same age my lad is now

 

[David O'Day]

Looks like Vasiliy Lomachenko has a joined the Ukraine Defence forces

Feel sorry for the 18 year old Russian squaddie that gets dragged from a tank by him.

 

[tisza]

It's an interesting thing to think what would have happened in '39 if Hitler had nukes.

It's where the stupid MAD policy falls down, it only takes 1 madman to come into power and not play by the rules and we're fucked.

Could argue that the Blitz was his version of nukes. First time the world had seen indiscriminate mass bombing of civilian areas. Then the Allies responded with the same tactics in 1944-45.
Often been argued if he could have got his rockets projects completed they would have changed the war again. The concept of a nuclear bomb started in germany just before WW2 but never got finished in time.
Some of those involved in the German rocket projects did go on to help America and Russia develop their nuclear arsenals and subsequent space projects - basically given amnesties for their work for Hitler in exchange for working for their new employers

 

[skybluetony176]

Looks like Vasiliy Lomachenko has a joined the Ukraine Defence forces

Feel sorry for the 18 year old Russian squaddie that gets dragged from a tank by him.

Oleksandr Usyk is out there too.

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

Still an excellent film to watch the nightmare of nuclear war is Threads made when I was the same age my lad is now

It certainly is. Got it on VHS. Special effects are very crude by today's standards but in some ways make it very real and utterly depressing. The scenes at the end on the long term effects on children not being able to speak because no one has been able to teach them the basics of communication are horrific.

 

[Otis]

International Paralympic Committee to meet with pressure to ban Russian athletes

With the Winter Paralympics just three days away, it still remains unclear as to whether Russian athletes will be able to compete amid the ongoing war in Ukraine

www.mirror.co.uk

I see the Russians are saying that if they're thrown out of the paralympics they'll mount a legal challenge, I don't think they've got a leg to stand on.

B'dum tsh

 

[Liquid Gold]

Could argue that the Blitz was his version of nukes. First time the world had seen indiscriminate mass bombing of civilian areas. Then the Allies responded with the same tactics in 1944-45.
Often been argued if he could have got his rockets projects completed they would have changed the war again. The concept of a nuclear bomb started in germany just before WW2 but never got finished in time.
Some of those involved in the German rocket projects did go on to help America and Russia develop their nuclear arsenals and subsequent space projects - basically given amnesties for their work for Hitler in exchange for working for their new employers

Most famously von braun who actually got the US into space.

 

[skybluetony176]

The EU is discussing the possibility of offering any Russian soldier who deserts political asylum, so long as they haven’t been involved in committing war crimes.

 

[David O'Day]

Oleksandr Usyk is out there too.

Add the klitschko brothers and Ukraine deffo has the hand to hand combat edge

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Could argue that the Blitz was his version of nukes. First time the world had seen indiscriminate mass bombing of civilian areas. Then the Allies responded with the same tactics in 1944-45.
Often been argued if he could have got his rockets projects completed they would have changed the war again. The concept of a nuclear bomb started in germany just before WW2 but never got finished in time.
Some of those involved in the German rocket projects did go on to help America and Russia develop their nuclear arsenals and subsequent space projects - basically given amnesties for their work for Hitler in exchange for working for their new employers

Germany made the choice to pursue a rocket program, the US chose to pursue the atomic bomb. If they had swapped things would have been very different

 

[Liquid Gold]

Germany made the choice to pursue a rocket program, the US chose to pursue the atomic bomb. If they had swapped things would have been very different

I think Germany didn't have the resources to develop the A bomb following allied bombing/raids.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

I think Germany didn't have the resources to develop the A bomb following allied bombing/raids.

It was a strategic decision made to pursue rocket technology in the late 30s I think.

 

[Otis]

Must be the most expensive chocolate bar in the world.

 

[RegTheDonk]

There was no alternative but to go to a bloody war with Hitler because the only way to stop him was to overwhelm him through force.

As much as nobody wants it you are not going to appease Putin now that he has gone all in. True retaliation would be a counter invasion-simply here all Ukraine is asking for is help to force them back out.

He hasn't gone all in yet thank fuck.

It certainly is. Got it on VHS. Special effects are very crude by today's standards but in some ways make it very real and utterly depressing. The scenes at the end on the long term effects on children not being able to speak because no one has been able to teach them the basics of communication are horrific.

Sent a chill down me watching that when it came out Al. Like the yank one at the time, The Day Afer I think it was called, the reality will be much worse. We can't live without going to Tescos at least once a week, those who don't instantly perish won't survive for long.

 

[jordan210]

 

[Otis]

I never thought of BBC1's Pointless being much of a political animal, but it seems they have been backing Ukraine in their Russian struggles for years and years.

 

[David O'Day]

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

It’s all provocation now. I’m not even sure putin knows why he’s doing what he’s doing

 

[tisza]

It’s all provocation now. I’m not even sure putin knows why he’s doing what he’s doing

News here has been that he has shut himself away in some hideout in the Urals for much of the past 12 months surrounded by a large bodyguard unit. Other unconfirmed intelligence reports are that he is turning on those closest to him and throwing his toys out the pram (that's a paraphrase) because things aren't going to plan.

 

[jordan210]

Shit me this guys has balls of steel. Tank fires at the building he is in

 

[chiefdave]

Other unconfirmed intelligence reports are that he is turning on those closest to him and throwing his toys out the pram (that's a paraphrase) because things aren't going to plan.

If that's true then there's got to be a chance someone will try to overthrow him and / or stick a bullet in his head.

 

[clint van damme]

ooft!



remember when I was saying London was a clearing house for illegal money, that the tories were balls deep in dodgy Russian cash and named a couple of high profile western assets, got a few laughing emojis!!

 

[shmmeee]

I've often wondered what a "tactical" nuclear weapon is. Sounds like an oxymoron.
Tactical sounds it's quite small and can be threaded through the eye of a needle to kill only military. It sounds almost benign.

Surely what was dropped on Hiroshima is the smallest you can get ? Or is it.

Had the same questions, reading this actually helped

Tactical nuclear weapon - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Seems the main risk is escalation to full nukes.

 

[PVA]

 

[Frank Sidebottom]

Must be the most expensive chocolate bar in the world.


View attachment 24013

Nah there was that £700m boost they gave to the economy a while back.