Russia and Ukraine

[Pat Mustard]

-we'll soon see a similar wave of disappointment in f16s - as people believe they will be used in roles they absolutely will not be.  I suspect they'll put an end to russias glide bombing, which is the only volume weapon russia appears to have left since their tanks are trash and their artillery has shut up...but it won't be out there dogfighting su over ukranian cities or providing cas on the killing fields.  Ukraine has been degrading russian aa assets for months and is set to get awacs with link16 - allowing the patriots, nasams, and f16s to share targeting data on low flying threats in radar clutter hundreds of km into russia.  The short version is that the f16s and ground batteries will be able to lock and fire at su that they can't see, from positions where the su's can't see them, well beyond release range for glide bombs, and this is how they'll be used.

Pierre Sprey* and John Boyd will be soo soooo sad there's going to be no dog-fights.

*Yes, yes I know Sprey is dead. But that idiot was the voice of the Jet fighter mafia for a long time despite having no knowledge or experience in designing military aircraft.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Pierre Sprey* and John Boyd will be soo soooo sad there's going to be no dog-fights.

*Yes, yes I know Sprey is dead.  But that idiot was the voice of the Jet fighter mafia for a long time despite having no knowledge or experience in designing military aircraft.

You never engage in dogfighting unless you absolutely have to, anyway.

[Fake Messiah]

Vatnikan: "Ukraine should just turn the other cheek."

[pocaracas]

Russia not 'bluffing' with nuclear threats as Biden greenlights limited military strikes, Medvedev says
Michael Dorgan
Sat, June 1, 2024 at 4:13 PM GMT+1

...
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chair of the Security Council of Russia, made the comments after President Biden quietly authorized Kyiv to launch U.S.-supplied weapons at military targets just over the border in Russia that are supporting an offensive against the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

"This is, alas, neither intimidation nor bluffing," Medvedev said Friday, speaking on the potential to use strategic nuclear weapons, per Reuters.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/russia-not-bl...12488.html

I don't know how much this guy is just acting tough, but there it is.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I don't know how much this guy is just acting tough, but there it is.

Medvedev is the loudest Russian rattling the nuclear saber. Acting tough is his schtick. After thirty or forty nuclear threats, the boy's cried wolf enough.

[Fake Messiah]

George Clooney Foundation to seek arrest of Russian propagandists

According to Neistat, unlike the Russian military and their commanders, many propagandists like to travel around Europe, have residence permits, relatives and property in different countries, and can be detained on the basis of a warrant in Europol member states.

‘That is, in any European country, in theory, they can be arrested and extradited to a country that is investigating a criminal case against them under the same universal jurisdiction,’ the lawyer said.

According to her, the article on ‘propaganda of war’ is included in the criminal codes of Poland, Moldova, Slovakia and several other countries. However, it has never been applied. Neistat added that she has not yet filed a complaint with the competent authorities against Russian propagandists.

The Clooney Foundation for Justice was founded in 2016 by Hollywood actor George Clooney and his wife, lawyer Amal Clooney. The organisation's goal is to fight for human rights. The Foundation works in more than 40 countries.

https://mind.ua/en/news/20274390-george-...pagandists

[The Architect Of Fate]

Ukrainian Diplomat Punches Russian Diplomat For Trying To Steal Ukrainian Flag 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Ukrainian Diplomat Punches Russian Diplomat For Trying To Steal Ukrainian Flag 

Yeah, saw that a while back.

[Fake Messiah]

Beijing wants Russia to give its gas as a gift.

Nobody wants to do business with Putin. They are around to suck the little blood he has left.

With inflation of 27%, without specialized labor and with Gazprom in the red, there is no hope for Putin.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ukraines-...08134.html

[pocaracas]

Beijing wants Russia to give its gas as a gift.

Nobody wants to do business with Putin. They are around to suck the little blood he has left.

With inflation of 27%, without specialized labor and with Gazprom in the red, there is no hope for Putin.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ukraines-...08134.html

There is inflation, yes, but not 27%. In the link you put there, they say "Russia’s official inflation rate is an uncomfortable 7.8%" and Google is giving me this table:

Year Inflation rate
2024* 6.87%
2023 5.86%
2022 13.75%
2021 6.69%


For the US:
Year Inflation rate
2024* 2.3%
2023* 4.5%
2022 8%
2021 4.69%


For Turkey:
Year Inflation rate
2024* 69.80%
2023* 53.86%
2022* 72.31%
2021* 19.60%

And yet, Erdogan is still there.
So, unfortunately, there is hope for Putin.

Sadly, us discussing things here will have zero impact on whatever happens next.
Personally, I'd like to see the countries of the world become more socially aware in the style of European countries and Canada, but without the encroachment of US-like capitalism that is driving birth rates down, leading to an increased requirement for immigration to keep the GDP up and which will happen as long as there are conflicts going on elsewhere.
China and Russia refusing to bow down to the western (US) powers hints that those areas of the world are going to influence their neighbors (and then the BRICS and then the rest of the world) to follow their not-really-democratic type of government which can be expected to lead to more poverty in the general population... but Capitalism is taking us there anyway, so... which will be the lesser evil 50 or 100 years from now?