Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)

[Iuz the Evil]

“Illegal”? Like shelling civilian targets? Huh. Interesting argument.

 

 I’m thinking fuel facility in city where Russia launched a good portion of their invasion from, and a city in which they’re launching rocket attacks from, might be considered a fair logistical target. I could be biased though. 
 

It’s not, however, like they targeted a Red Cross facility. I don’t think that argument will garner much sympathy.

[Old Man]

Saw a comment elsewhere that if Putin wanted a false flag attack, he wouldn’t have blown up an oil depot, he’d have blown up an orphanage. 

[Iuz the Evil]

3 minutes ago, Old Man said:

Saw a comment elsewhere that if Putin wanted a false flag attack, he wouldn’t have blown up an oil depot, he’d have blown up an orphanage. 

Totally, and what does that get him? A declaration of war so Belarus jumps in? Basically a crappier version of the Russian army?

[Pariah]

6 minutes ago, Iuz the Evil said:

Totally, and what does that get him? A declaration of war so Belarus jumps in? Basically a crappier version of the Russian army?

 

That's hard to believe. The Russian Army has proven to be pretty crappy so far. Crappier than that is not an easy bar to clear.

 

 

2 hours ago, Iuz the Evil said:

It’s not, however, like they targeted a Red Cross facility. I don’t think that argument will garner much sympathy.

 

I'm reminded of what my Mom used to say about sympathy: "Look in the dictionary. It's between s#!+ and syphilis." 

[assault]

The interesting thing about this war is that it is a conflict between two sides that are technically comparable.

 

Generally speaking, wars are between sides where one has all the technological advantages.

 

That's the preferred way to fight a war of course. The USA doesn't want to fight a war against a technically comparable opponent, for example. Britain didn't want to fight a comparable war until WW1 forced them into it. All colonial wars until then.

[Starlord]

The coyote is technologically superior to the road runner and he always lost.

 

*mic drop* 

[Lord Liaden]

8 hours ago, assault said:

The interesting thing about this war is that it is a conflict between two sides that are technically comparable.

 

Generally speaking, wars are between sides where one has all the technological advantages.

 

That's the preferred way to fight a war of course. The USA doesn't want to fight a war against a technically comparable opponent, for example. Britain didn't want to fight a comparable war until WW1 forced them into it. All colonial wars until then.

 

What's even more interesting is that Russia was supposed to have all the technological advantages. They've produced weaponry for their armed forces touted as among the most advanced on the planet, which was a major part of their military's reputation on paper. What we've seen in the Ukraine conflict is that that hardware either isn't being used, or where it is, either isn't used effectively or doesn't work as well as anticipated.

 

2 hours ago, Starlord said:

The coyote is technologically superior to the road runner and he always lost.

 

*mic drop* 

 

The road runner benefited from plot armor so thick it would make Batman jealous.

 

[csyphrett]

I would like to point out that the oil companies having been using the last two years to artificially keep their gas prices high, and are using this current conflict to keep doing that. It will be interesting to see what happens if Biden does start dropping the million barrels of oil a day he promised out of the reserve.

CES

[Ternaugh]

3 hours ago, Starlord said:

The coyote is technologically superior to the road runner and he always lost.

 

*mic drop* 

 

Roadrunners have better PR.

 

I saw one in the parking lot of one of our smaller casinos a few days ago. Staff there said that there's a pair that hang out nearby on a regular basis, as well as a pair of bunnies that tend to nibble on the shrubbery during the night. One of the roadrunners occasionally attempts to get into the casino, but he hasn't mastered the button to trigger the powered doors.

 

 

[Iuz the Evil]

So the next phase of the war looks to me to be the Russians pulling back from Kyiv and likely also redeployment of  forces that previously has been committed to strike against Odessa (they’re not in a position to do that at the moment, obviously) to reinforce their forces in the Donbas region. How that plays out will probably shape the Russian perspective on a long term war, if the Ukrainians have continued success in a more offensive operation against higher Russian force density it’ll prove to be militarily unsustainable (as opposed to just economically and politically unsustainable).

 

It’ll be a different conflict than the previously four region poorly coordinated assault, but I would not bet against Ukraine at this point. They’ve been the superior of the two forces at every stage. And their morale is much better, plus they’ve secured supply chains at this point by repelling the eastern invasion. Logistical support and good morale, better knowledge of local terrain and a very serious emotional investment. That is a very tough combination to beat. 

[wcw43921]

11 hours ago, Starlord said:

The coyote is technologically superior to the road runner and he always lost.

 

 

8 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

The road runner benefited from plot armor so thick it would make Batman jealous.

 

 

Not to mention that the Coyote's technology has a tendency to fail at the most crucial moments.  Very much like the Russian forces running out of gasoline and other supplies.

[Matt the Bruins]

If Putin had bought from Acme I imagine Moscow would be burning right now.

[Pariah]

I'd pay a dollar to see that!

[Pariah]

[BoloOfEarth]

23 hours ago, Old Man said:

Saw a comment elsewhere that if Putin wanted a false flag attack, he wouldn’t have blown up an oil depot, he’d have blown up an orphanage. 

 

You mean he hasn't already?  I'd have guessed one was included among the other atrocities.

 

15 hours ago, Starlord said:

The coyote is technologically superior to the road runner and he always lost.

 

*mic drop* 

 

12 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

The road runner benefited from plot armor so thick it would make Batman jealous.

 

I had a coworker who seriously insisted that the coyote really was a genius, and he just kept getting screwed by ACME.  

[Lord Liaden]

Honestly, many of the schemes the coyote came up with were inspired creative thinking. If the universe he and the road runner shared wasn't actively stacked against him, any number of them would have worked. Of course any number of them would also have killed him, if he wasn't practically indestructible.

 

There's reason to suspect Wile. E. Coyote is working for Russia, and the Road Runner for Ukraine.

[Starlord]

Fox News admits in court that it doesn't state facts, it engages in 'exaggeration' and 'non-literal commentary.'

 

https://www.npr.org/2020/09/29/917747123/you-literally-cant-believe-the-facts-tucker-carlson-tells-you-so-say-fox-s-lawye

[Lord Liaden]

Old news of course, but I was looking for that story the other day. Thanks for pointing to it.

 

Everyone who hasn't used this case should save that link, and have it ready the next time your Fox-addicted friends/relatives extol the honesty of Tucker Carlson. Many doubtlessly will rationalize it, but some might start to think.

[Ternaugh]

2 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

Old news of course, but I was looking for that story the other day. Thanks for pointing to it.

 

Everyone who hasn't used this case should save that link, and have it ready the next time your Fox-addicted friends/relatives extol the honesty of Tucker Carlson. Many doubtlessly will rationalize it, but some might start to think.

 

My new co-worker told me that fact-checking was censorship, so I'm pretty sure I know how he'd react to this.

[Lord Liaden]

So, it's his position that lies are free speech?

[Sociotard]

In the first ammendment sense, yes, it is.

[Pariah]

Bullplop. The First Amendment protects people from government retaliation for expressing an opinion. But in some cases, there are civil and criminal penalties for disseminating false information.

[Ternaugh]

4 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

So, it's his position that lies are free speech?

 

I don't really believe that he's reasoned that far. To him, the only apparent lies are things that the other side says (or is purported to say, as he's a fan of Alex Jones and the My Pillow Guy).

[Lord Liaden]

3 hours ago, Ternaugh said:

 

I don't really believe that he's reasoned that far. To him, the only apparent lies are things that the other side says (or is purported to say, as he's a fan of Alex Jones and the My Pillow Guy).

 

I'm afraid there isn't much use in pointing out the holes in the road to those who follow the path of a braying jackass.

[Teflon Billy]

16 hours ago, Starlord said:

Fox News admits in court that it doesn't state facts, it engages in 'exaggeration' and 'non-literal commentary.'

 

https://www.npr.org/2020/09/29/917747123/you-literally-cant-believe-the-facts-tucker-carlson-tells-you-so-say-fox-s-lawye

Yes, this would also be known as the "Rachel Maddow Defense", she successfully used this deflect a libel lawsuit a few years ago. So, what's good for the goose...

TB