Is Putin emboldened by weak leadership and appeasement?

[phade]

18 minutes ago, Splitear said:

I agree with all of this, there were definitely things that could have been done. Who knows the reasons why, but hindsight is 20/20. I don't know that anything would have kept Putin from going in other than a credible threat of all out war from NATO, but even then, I think everyone was rightfully worried that he'd call the bluff and we'd be in WW3 with nuclear powers. 

It's just so hard to watch a gritty country battling for it's own existence all alone. However, the thought of engaging in all our war with Russia and likely China and NK is too awful even comprehend. I'm praying that Ukraine can hold out and make Putin pay by dissolving the Russian support for him and his war. 

The double side of self-preservation; the dark side if you will.

But the world really did just watch a sovereign nation be fully invaded with no real premise for said action. One that has been sovereign for 30 years and gave up nuclear weapons in exchange for a promise unfulfilled. If you listen closely, you can hear centrifuges firing up in every country that has them. It remains the only true deterrent in today's age. Doesn't matter if you have good healthcare or human rights violations - if you can split an atom and deliver a payload, you are in a more secure position in the world. This event just proves that and encourages that.

Edited February 25, 2022 by phade

[left field]

21 minutes ago, Versatile_Hunter said:

At best??  I hunted there last fall and they’re overrun with game. Well, small game. Didn’t get my moose. But I could envision a happy life in Canada. Can’t you? 

As I recall, the third question on the immigration paperwork is, "point to Canada on this world map," so he may not make the grade. 

8 minutes ago, Northcountryman said:

Come on now Lefty: you wouldnt be bitchin if my Man wasnt in office right now and we were experiecning the same crazy inflationary prices??? Yeah you would- and then some!!! lol

You know I like you and therefore chalk these strange opinions up to the exuberance of youth.  

[Northcountryman]

2 minutes ago, steve863 said:

 

Seriously dude, how does Trump's butt taste after licking it as much as you do?  And then you consider it an insult when I call some of you Trump apologists? LOL  If he was as great as you think he was he would have won the election by 30 million votes and there would have been NO arguments that the election was stolen from him.  That didn't happen though, so he's far from "the man" you think he is.

 

 

 

 

He was a very good Presdient; what more can I say?  As to your second point of contention, I think you know better than that  Stevo!!  Ever heard of the term "Never Trumpers"?  Course you have !!! And there were...are, ALOT of em!!  Doesnt matter how good or bad he did anyway, they were never gonna give him credit , let alone votre for him.  Now what are the chances that YOU are one of those Never Trumpers- hmmmm....lol

[airedale]

26 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

Were you born in America, is a yes or no question.

And he gives his typical deflection answer, If I was a betting person I would bet no and the same for his alter ego Left Field! 

Al

[Robby]

What sanctions?!?!?! We are still buying Russian oil, what a bunch of crap. The most inept and corrupt government in the history of the republic, Carter and Obama got to be celebrating, they are now tied for second. 

 

robby

[Nomad]

1 hour ago, left field said:

Why would he screw up having a US president as his buddy? 

Is this part where we shift from expert epidemiologists to geo-political savants? 

Sanctions aren't meant to hurt the leader's wallet. They are designed to hurt the overall economy and the common man who then applies pressure to the leadership. 

As the article I linked to pointed out, sanctions would also have ramifications here. Are you ready to accept higher prices and fewer items on the shelf? A hit to the stock market. For Ukraine? Or to put Putin in his place? Based on the general bitching about higher prices, I say no.

Russia’s economy is almost 100% oil and mining , which these sanctions dont affect ,as I understand it .

You’re right about inflation ,it’s not hitting a hard .

Fewer items on the shelves ? Lol not our basement shelves,good for a few months , but we’ve been paying attention . 

[left field]

28 minutes ago, airedale said:

And he gives his typical deflection answer, If I was a betting person I would bet no and the same for his alter ego Left Field! 

Al

Too bad you're not a betting person ... a fellow could clean up. 

Al, say or think what you will about me, but I'm pretty straightforward in my posts.

[left field]

Ukrainian woman confronts Russian soldier. 

Quote

“Take these seeds and put them in your pockets, so at least sunflowers will grow when you all lie down here,” she said.

She continued to offer him the seeds of the sunflower, which is the national flower of Ukraine.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-soldier-woman-confrontation-b2022993.html

I was raised by Ukrainian women. They don't back down.

 

[Splitear]

6 minutes ago, left field said:

Ukrainian woman confronts Russian soldier. 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-soldier-woman-confrontation-b2022993.html

I was raised by Ukrainian women. They don't back down.

 

There's also some unverified reports that Russian soldiers morale is being impacted as they are entering the Ukraine and seeing how much better the standard of living is compared to Russia. Heard that today while listening to the radio and snow blowing. 

[Four Seasons]

1 hour ago, steve863 said:

 

Seriously dude, how does Trump's butt taste after licking it as much as you do?  And then you consider it an insult when I call some of you Trump apologists? LOL  If he was as great as you think he was he would have won the election by 30 million votes and there would have been NO arguments that the election was stolen from him.  That didn't happen though, so he's far from "the man" you think he is.

 

 

 

 

  Just the fact that you believe that shit was legit speaks volumes about you.  How did that saying go….. The flu was a democrats best friend?   How much ya wanna bet the shit that went down last election never does again?  So gives us your list of the great things the man with a 30% approval rating has achieved ??

[steve863]

4 minutes ago, Four Seasons said:

  Just the fact that you believe that shit was legit speaks volumes about you.  How did that saying go….. The flu was a democrats best friend?   How much ya wanna bet the shit that went down last election never does again?  So gives us your list of the great things the man with a 30% approval rating has achieved ??

 

Maybe you should put your marijuana joint down for a few minutes and try to find a post of mine where I ever praised Biden for anything he has done as president.  Good luck.  Trump and Biden are both sorry excuses to be presidents of a great nation like ours.  We have over 300 million people in this country and they are all we've got?  And some of you want Trump again and the other side wants to resurrect Hillary.  How pathetic is that??

 

 

[left field]

9 minutes ago, Splitear said:

There's also some unverified reports that Russian soldiers morale is being impacted as they are entering the Ukraine and seeing how much better the standard of living is compared to Russia. Heard that today while listening to the radio and snow blowing. 

I don't know about that. It's been a pretty open country for decades. Russia knows how the rest of the world lives. 

Coincidentally, I was talking with an American woman in Mexico on Monday who raved about her trip to St Petersburg a few years back. 

Despite a history of conflict with Russia - including Stalin killing 4,000,000 Ukrainians by starvation - Russians and Ukrainians are essentially "brothers" and it's difficult to say how much stomach the average Russian soldier has for killing Ukrainians. 

 

[Northcountryman]

4 minutes ago, steve863 said:

 

Maybe you should put your marijuana joint down for a few minutes and try to find a post of mine where I ever praised Biden for anything he has done as president.  Good luck.  Trump and Biden are both sorry excuses to be presidents of a great nation like ours.  We have over 300 million people in this country and they are all we've got?  And some of you want Trump again and the other side wants to resurrect Hillary.  How pathetic is that??

 

 

Sounds you dont like any of em then, huh?  Mind me asking you who you DID like as Prez - say, within the past 30-40 yrs or so?

[Northcountryman]

12 minutes ago, left field said:

Coincidentally, I was talking with an American woman in Mexico

What I wanna know is how you did on that fishin trip of yours

 

[Four Seasons]

14 minutes ago, steve863 said:

 

Maybe you should put your marijuana joint down for a few minutes and try to find a post of mine where I ever praised Biden for anything he has done as president.  Good luck.  Trump and Biden are both sorry excuses to be presidents of a great nation like ours.  We have over 300 million people in this country and they are all we've got?  And some of you want Trump again and the other side wants to resurrect Hillary.  How pathetic is that??

 

 

Trump is being praised for facts. He in fact gave the American people a better life then we had the 8 years before him. Fact is you only get 1 choice regardless who the choices are. Fact is the election was F-ed to sway in favor of the useless thing we have now. Fact you like many others don’t like the man and even voted against for that reason to put us in the position we are stuck in now. Even though that guy gave you and your family so of the best 4 years of your life. Fact. 

[left field]

2 minutes ago, Northcountryman said:

What I wanna know is how you did on that fishin trip of yours

Very well, thank you. But better discussed in the fishing thread.

 

Another Ukrainian hero.

https://god.dailydot.com/ukrainian-soldier-bridge/?fbclid=IwAR2ZVlpbh8rynvhkIxyYX-wqPxP_5jG4SNxHvuJ1XIhH2xfsSb4wkdyafB0

The thing you have to understand about Ukrainians is that they have been fighting forever. On all sides. When they had a country and when they didn't.

They haven't always been good people or in the right, but they are resigned to war and know how to fight. Putin can't win an insurgency war. 

[Splitear]

25 minutes ago, left field said:

I don't know about that. It's been a pretty open country for decades. Russia knows how the rest of the world lives. 

Coincidentally, I was talking with an American woman in Mexico on Monday who raved about her trip to St Petersburg a few years back. 

Despite a history of conflict with Russia - including Stalin killing 4,000,000 Ukrainians by starvation - Russians and Ukrainians are essentially "brothers" and it's difficult to say how much stomach the average Russian soldier has for killing Ukrainians. 

 

Yep, I'm not confirming it either, just what I heard, even with the disclaimer from the person who said it as "unverified". 

[Northcountryman]

Ok, so just researched that claim made earlier that Trump "praised " Putin for the prescience and planning he demonstarted in rolling out his offensive- uhh, not really.  Taken from an intrerview conducted by Sexton and Travis, Trump was making the point-first and formeost- that this NEVER would have happened if he were President, the basic thesis of his remarks vis-a-vis Putin in the first place.   He was merely pointing out that Putins a sharp, savvy shrewd leader and that his plans- and  its tiiming- were well thought out and executed; moreover, hes pointing out that hes WAY above the capabilities of Biden to deal with. and that, I have to agree with!!  

[phantom]

1 hour ago, steve863 said:

 

Maybe you should put your marijuana joint down for a few minutes and try to find a post of mine where I ever praised Biden for anything he has done as president.  Good luck.  Trump and Biden are both sorry excuses to be presidents of a great nation like ours.  We have over 300 million people in this country and they are all we've got?  And some of you want Trump again and the other side wants to resurrect Hillary.  How pathetic is that??

 

 

I dont recall 4.20 gas when trump was president at least .

 

[phantom]

16 minutes ago, Northcountryman said:

Ok, so just researched that claim made earlier that Trump "praised " Putin for the prescience and planning he demonstarted in rolling out his offensive- uhh, not really.  Taken from an intrerview conducted by Sexton and Travis, Trump was making the point-first and formeost- that this NEVER would have happened if he were President, the basic thesis of his remarks vis-a-vis Putin in the first place.   He was merely pointing out that Putins a sharp, savvy shrewd leader and that his plans- and  its tiiming- were well thought out and executed; moreover, hes pointing out that hes WAY above the capabilities of Biden to deal with. and that, I have to agree with!!  

Who knows if it  would have made a difference but I know this ,when Trump was President we were energy independent and the price of gas was much lower which would  have  weekend Putins economy because all they are is a gas station basically but when Biden came in he stopped the pipe line from Canada and put in a bunch of regulations  which jacked up the price of oil as soon as he became president which helped Putin make this war easier for him .

[left field]

Again, no, North.

I am a little disappointed that you don't see this for what it is. It is unconscionable for a former US president to publicly praise the war-mongering tactics of a Russian President and throw the current US president under the bus. 

I would categorize it as anti-American. 

It is a very simple statement: I wholeheartedly condemn Russia's illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine and stand with the Ukrainian people. 

Of course it's bullshit as Trump doesn't stand with anyone, but it would have been the right thing to do and he might have picked up some good will.

Even the presidents of the Czech Republic and Hungary condemn Putin's action. These guys are supposed to be friends, hell, they supported Putin in Crimea. But this was a step too far and they remember the USSR. They are now calling for Russia to be removed from SWIFT.

Quote

Until just days ago, Zeman was insisting that the Russians wouldn’t attack Ukraine because “they aren’t lunatics to launch an operation that would be more damaging for them than beneficial.”

“I admit I was wrong,” he said Thursday.

Zeman has called for harsh sanctions against Russia, including cutting it out of the SWIFT financial system which shuffles money from bank to bank around the globe.

“It’s necessary to isolate a lunatic and not just to defend ourselves by words but also by deeds,” he said.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-russia-hungary-prague-czech-republic-dfe9b03ce3553e899da79e4974fd93d7

But once again Trump shows that he can't do the simple right thing and has to be a self-serving  moron. 

 

Anyway, back to the harsh reality. 

Ukrainian couple gets married.

 

And goes on their honeymoon.

[9jNYstarkOH]

Trumps view on Germany and Europe buying natural gas and oil from Russia and financing them. I do know he was also trying to get them to buy these products from us.

 

[Four Seasons]

36 minutes ago, Northcountryman said:

Ok, so just researched that claim made earlier that Trump "praised " Putin for the prescience and planning he demonstarted in rolling out his offensive- uhh, not really.  Taken from an intrerview conducted by Sexton and Travis, Trump was making the point-first and formeost- that this NEVER would have happened if he were President, the basic thesis of his remarks vis-a-vis Putin in the first place.   He was merely pointing out that Putins a sharp, savvy shrewd leader and that his plans- and  its tiiming- were well thought out and executed; moreover, hes pointing out that hes WAY above the capabilities of Biden to deal with. and that, I have to agree with!!  

That again just the way the Trump haters spin those words to push their agenda. Just think what the man could have done without the idiot democrats pulling that shit on a daily basis. Putin made a life’s living doing what he does and Biden has done nothing in 50 plus years. 

[Salmon_Run]

On 2/23/2022 at 8:58 AM, cachemoney said:

He is probably more emoboldened by a former President praising his invasion as "genius".

 

It's all about the context that's intended; is Trump saying that he agrees with Putin and his actions or that Putin was "genius" for they strategy he used with the invasion and a dig against Biden ?

[Northcountryman]

7 minutes ago, left field said:

Again, no, North.

I am a little disappointed that you don't see this for what it is. It is unconscionable for a former US president to publicly praise the war-mongering tactics of a Russian President and throw the current US president under the bus. 

Youre wrong , my friend.  And didnt Biden- and the entire entourage of Dems- throw Trump under the bus time and agin when he was President? Youre missing the point of his remarks- nothing more.  Dont think for a minute- and deep down, I truly believe you agree with this - that Trump is, like cheering Putin on and roooting fro him to kick butt: NOT!! His point was, once again, that he could stare Putin down -and would have- if he were the current occupant in the White House; sadly (for all of us, especially the Ukranians) that is not the case  :(.