friedaweed
Me and me girl named Jane
When I met my Polish counterpart in Krakow a few years ago I presented him with our services crest on a little oak plaque. Now I know why he seemed disappointed when he opened the box it was in.
Ukraine and the Russian invasion, 2022-24
- Thread starter kebabking
- Start date
clusterfarce
Member
Progozyn and Kaydarov are nobodies. They have about 10 000 each. Rosgvardia is about 340 000 and FSB is about another 300 000. GRU containing Spetsnaz and Alpha Group (kind of special forces and SAS respectively) is of indeterminate size.
These groups have vastly more muscle, the keys to best troops in the state and most importantly information, either through being basically spies or the special investigation teams in Rosgvardia. The theory is that ex KGB run Russia as a collective, (Bortnikov, Nyrishkin, Ivanov, Partushev etc) with a cadre of "technocrats" in the inner circle, Shoigu, Gerasimov, Medvdev, Lavrov) used to do the work that requires detailed knowledge. The Yetlsen oligarchs were kept on to get rich by running the businesses of the country as long as they did not think of themselves as being involved in politics.
Its plausible Russia will Balkanise. but at best Kaydarov can be king of his mountain kingdom, never any higher. More likely the real mass of power in the country, the intelligence service, will remain loyal to the core group who if Putin falls, will find a new first among equals.
My piss poor understanding is that the "capitalists" are on a short leash to a long drop from a window.
The army is under the control of loyalists and allegedly really dumbed down its training so lacks the kind of well educated upper officer corps of other armies.
The mafia is party part of the government and partly controlled through the police and courts.
The people are the real enemy and the real threat, they are kept depoliticised by misinformation and control of most avenues of dissent (a state created by secret policemen).
The battle to replace Putin will be within the inner core unless something catastrophic happens.
With the exception of Chechnya there is no regional opposition and the main power of the GRU, FSB, Rosgvardia and army would mean if the centre came for you it would be over brutally. Plus everywhere is dependent on stipends from the oil and gas.
This is not the only view of Russia, or perhaps the most widely held. But its the one I think works best.
elbows
Well-Known Member
i wouldn't be surprised if there's more to the story than just 'russia grabs crimea, living standard plummets' but here's the past 30 years in chart form
View attachment 356340
Russia GDP Per Capita 1960-2024
GDP per capita is gross domestic product divided by midyear population. GDP is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for...www.macrotrends.net
The most obvious explanation to reach for when it comes to Russia would be the price of oil. I've not checked in detail for a correlation but I believe the oil price did plummet in the final months of 2014, which is probably a good fit for what happened to Russias GDP.
David Clapson
Well-Known Member
Stuff the Russians left on Snake Island:
Yossarian
Get thee behind me, Santa
Zelensky reportedly planning to visit Washington DC on Wednesday - I hope the metal detectors are working when they let the likes of Greene and Boebert in to hear his address to Congress.
Zelensky in Washington: Ukraine's leader heads to US for first foreign trip
The White House will announce a further $2bn in aid to Ukraine, including a Patriot air defence system.
www.bbc.com
two sheds
Least noticed poster 2007
They've had a disagreement apparently, if they're bringing in guns it might be for each otherZelensky reportedly planning to visit Washington DC on Wednesday - I hope the metal detectors are working when they let the likes of Greene and Boebert in to hear his address to Congress.
Zelensky in Washington: Ukraine's leader heads to US for first foreign trip
The White House will announce a further $2bn in aid to Ukraine, including a Patriot air defence system.www.bbc.com
Lauren Boebert & Marjorie Greene Got Into A Spat, Had To Be Separated
Lauren Boebert reportedly isn’t a fan of Marjorie Taylor Greene, and the two grew so contentious that they had to be separated.
uproxx.com
Yossarian
Get thee behind me, Santa
They've had a disagreement apparently, if they're bringing in guns it might be for each other
Lauren Boebert & Marjorie Greene Got Into A Spat, Had To Be Separated
Lauren Boebert reportedly isn’t a fan of Marjorie Taylor Greene, and the two grew so contentious that they had to be separated.
Gunfight at the Q Corral
Raheem
Well-Known Member
High Loon
LDC
On est tous des pangolins
Thanks, listening for tonight sorted now!
Ukraine war: Russia not to blame for conflict - Putin
President Vladimir Putin says he still continues to see Ukraine as a brotherly nation.
www.bbc.co.uk
President Putin claimed the West had "brainwashed" post-Soviet republics, starting with Ukraine.
He said: "For years, we tried to build good-neighbourly relations with Ukraine, offering loans and cheap energy, but it did not work.
"There's nothing to accuse us of. We've always seen Ukrainians as a brotherly people and I still think so.
"What's happening now is a tragedy, but it's not our fault."
I assume that "good-neighbourly relations" equates to something like Belarus - a puppet state under his yoke. What cunt the man is. A quarter of a million dead so far, but it's not his fault.
David Clapson
Well-Known Member
I can understand the emotional side of his reasoning. The evil West seduced the more greedy and shallow Ukrainians with dreams of EU grants and a Mercedes for everyone. But there are still many brothers loyal to Russia. Their culture is more valuable to them than a new washing machine. They must be rescued with the special operation. Just a little hypocritical, if Putin really does have $200 billion tucked away. Remember that number? The story was that he's the world's richest man.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
Ukraine war: Russia not to blame for conflict - Putin
President Vladimir Putin says he still continues to see Ukraine as a brotherly nation.www.bbc.co.uk
President Putin claimed the West had "brainwashed" post-Soviet republics, starting with Ukraine.
He said: "For years, we tried to build good-neighbourly relations with Ukraine, offering loans and cheap energy, but it did not work.
"There's nothing to accuse us of. We've always seen Ukrainians as a brotherly people and I still think so.
"What's happening now is a tragedy, but it's not our fault."
I assume that "good-neighbourly relations" equates to something like Belarus - a puppet state under his yoke. What cunt the man is. A quarter of a million dead so far, but it's not his fault.
Every word the man says is a lie. Yet Ukraine is supposed to negotiate with him. Boris Johnson's more reliable, ffs.
Elpenor
a clown’s heart and a mandolin
Heavens Pizzagate
DaveCinzano
WATCH OUT, GEORGE, HE'S GOT A SCREWDRIVER!
Who Shot Libertarian Prolapse?
DaveCinzano
WATCH OUT, GEORGE, HE'S GOT A SCREWDRIVER!
The Shaman Who Didn't Know Too Much
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
That’s good but too clever . ( also one of my favourite films)
mojo pixy
○-<{[°_°]}>-○
It'll be all right on the nightThey've had a disagreement apparently, if they're bringing in guns it might be for each other
Lauren Boebert & Marjorie Greene Got Into A Spat, Had To Be Separated
Lauren Boebert reportedly isn’t a fan of Marjorie Taylor Greene, and the two grew so contentious that they had to be separated.
Yossarian
Get thee behind me, Santa
In Mariupol, the Russians are building a Russian city in place of the ruined Ukrainian one, "tearing down bombed-out buildings at a rate of at least one a day, hauling away shattered bodies with the debris," according to an Associated Press investigation.
the AP investigation into life in occupied Mariupol also underlines what its residents already know all too well: No matter what the Russians do, they are building upon a city of death. More than 10,000 new graves now scar Mariupol, the AP found, and the death toll might run three times higher than an early estimate of at least 25,000. The former Ukrainian city has also hollowed out, with Russian plans to demolish well over 50,000 homes, the AP calculated.
apnews.com
the AP investigation into life in occupied Mariupol also underlines what its residents already know all too well: No matter what the Russians do, they are building upon a city of death. More than 10,000 new graves now scar Mariupol, the AP found, and the death toll might run three times higher than an early estimate of at least 25,000. The former Ukrainian city has also hollowed out, with Russian plans to demolish well over 50,000 homes, the AP calculated.
Russia scrubs Mariupol's Ukraine identity, builds on death
Throughout Mariupol, Russian workers are tearing down bombed-out buildings at a rate of at least one a day, hauling away shattered bodies with the debris. Russian military convoys are rumbling down the broad avenues of what is swiftly becoming a garrison city, and Russian soldiers, builders...
apnews.com
not-bono-ever
meh
The propaganda force is strong on SM
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
what is SM?
Social media/Sadomasichism. Both apply.
not-bono-ever
meh
Young people are into it apparently
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Ta, I'll have to look into it . Probably a fad.
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
Probably not a surprise that the vatnik propaganda machine is going into overdrive, what with today's Ukraine Armed Forces' casualty figure announcement marking their assessment of Russian casualties as having passed the 100,000 mark.
weltweit
Well-Known Member
Like any of that is going to happen.
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