Russia Invades Ukraine. Again
POSTED BY: captaincrunch
UPDATED: Sunday, September 6, 2026 21:09
VIEWED: 562266
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Ukraine has won a major victory over Russia
The net result of the ‘pushing back’ of the Black Sea Fleet to the east is that the water between the Ukrainian port of Odesa and Snake Island is now fairly safe for merchant shipping. South of Snake Island, ships can remain in the territorial waters of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey – all Nato members. This means that cargoes can be shipped between Odesa and the Bosporus strait, giving access to all the world’s oceans and markets.
Ever since the summer, when Putin withdrew from a previous agreement that Ukrainian grain could be shipped out without interference, the Black Sea Fleet has been trying to blockade Ukraine. It has failed.
Latest figures suggest that over 200 ships have now used the western corridor, carrying in excess of 7 million tons of cargo from Ukraine . . .
More at https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukraine-has-won-a-major-victory-o
ver-russia/ar-AA1ldmBO
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly
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“There’s Nothing Mystical About the Idea that Ideas Change History”
Q: The international-relations theory of Realism assumes that human progress (at least when it comes to the relations between states) is impossible. This is why Francis Fukuyama criticized it as the “billiard ball” theory of international relations — it assumes that state behavior will always be dictated by mindless, mechanistic forces like the distribution of power in the international system. What’s your take on Realism?
SP: As it happens, I recently debated John Mearsheimer, the foremost Realist theorist. “Realism” is a misnomer — it’s a highly unrealistic idealization of the relationships among states, barely more sophisticated than the board game Risk. It assumes that countries seek nothing but power and expansion, because the only defense against being invaded is to go on offense first. But this ignores the other ways nations can protect themselves — like Switzerland, the porcupine of Europe. It’s also unrealistic about the psychology of leaders. It attributes to all leaders all the time a motive that some leaders have some of the time, namely, territorial aggrandizement. It’s a theory of Putin now, but not all leaders are Putin. Many countries are perfectly content to stay within their borders and get rich through trade. The Netherlands once had an empire, but the Dutch are not seething to rectify this historic humiliation and annex Belgium or reconquer Indonesia. Likewise, Germany could probably conquer Austria or Slovakia or Poland, but in today’s world, why would it want to? What would it do with them? Why not just trade goods and tourists? Who cares about the number of square inches of your color on a map? So expansion is not a constant thirst of all leaders.
And as Christopher Fettweiss and others have pointed out, the theory of Realism was falsified by events since the end of the Cold War. So-called Realism predicted that large states always seek to maximize their power and aggrandize their preeminence, but the Soviet Union voluntarily went out of existence. Realists predicted that a hegemon would inevitably rise up to balance the United States, so that by the beginning of the 21st century, some other country, probably Germany, would arm itself to become as powerful as the United States. Realists not-so-realistically predicted there would be a proliferation of nuclear-weapon states across Europe, starting with Germany. That didn’t happen either. They said NATO would go out of existence because it had been held together only by the common threat of the Soviet bloc. Again, false. They predicted there would be a rise in the number of wars and war deaths in the decades following the Soviet collapse. The opposite happened.
To the credit of the Realists, they did make empirical predictions, as a good scientific theory should. So they should now concede that the predictions have been falsified and we should move on to a more sophisticated theory of leaders’ motivations.
https://quillette.com/2023/12/01/theres-nothing-mystical-about-the-ide
a-that-ideas-change-history/
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly
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Nations aren't moved by the motives of individuals, bc these individuals are themselves shaped and permitted by larger forces (eg. concentrations of money) and other, more powerful individuals.
For example, most of the EU political "elite" have been shaped by the WEF. They get identified as Young Leaders, go to the same schools, and groomed for and boosted into for office once they've become sufficiently pliable.
How else to account for the raft of impossibly brainless, nation-hating "national leaders" in the EU and USA today, like
Annalena "360°" Baerbock,
""Dancing Queen" Sanna Marin,
Ursula "vander Crazy",
"Jungle" Josep Borrell,
"Spineless" Scholz,
"Napolean" Macron
and the host of equally brainless, clueless, nation-hating USA politicians?
Anyway, there is an idea whose time has come, and -moreover- there is the power to make it stick: The USA should stop trying to dominate the entire world. Its called multipolarity.
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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger
Loving America is like loving an addicted spouse - SIGNYM
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Quote:Those "leaders" seek admiration for goodness and are striving to be reelected by the fearful. The leadership strategy that appeals to such voters doesn't work when the "leaders" are facing violent and aggressive enemies. Most "leaders" can't pivot to an effective fighting mode when confronted by Putin because they lack convictions. They are Eurocrats who are comfortable when someone else takes the awful burden of fighting. Bureaucrats can't go beyond their paperwork, speeches, and alcohol for lunch because none of them can do much more than that. Make life and death decisions? They much rather not make those because it is too stressful and might interfere with subsequent reelections. Making hard decisions means losing votes.
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
How else to account for the raft of impossibly brainless, nation-hating "national leaders" in the EU and USA today . . .
and the host of equally brainless, clueless, nation-hating USA politicians?
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly
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Quote:PERCEIVED
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
How else to account for the raft of impossibly brainless, nation-hating "national leaders" in the EU and USA today . . .
and the host of equally brainless, clueless, nation-hating USA politicians?
SECOND: Those "leaders" seek admiration for
Quote:
goodness and are striving to be reelected by the fearful.
You believe that, or expect us to believe that?
In reality, our "leaders" are looking to continue their profitable sinecures funneling taxpayer $$ into monopolies while scraping as much $$ into their pockets as possible. Mostly, they're the billionaires' gofers.
Oh, is that too much reality?
-----------
"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger
Loving America is like loving an addicted spouse - SIGNYM
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Remember "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire", or the days when Jose Conseco was the first athlete paid $1 Million per year?
Now they tell you if you don't have a Million Bucks in your 401k by the time you retire you're going to have a shitty end-life, and the shittiest baseball player on the shittiest team makes $720,000.
Meanwhile, minimum wage has risen in that time from $3.80 per hour to $7.25 per hour.
--------------------------------------------------
Political correctness is just tyranny, with a smiley face.
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Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova emphasized that Russia's maximalist objectives in Ukraine have not changed, repeating the Kremlin’s demand for full Ukrainian political capitulation and Kyiv’s acceptance of Russia’s military and territorial demands rather than suggesting any willingness to negotiate seriously. In a written interview with AFP on December 9, Zakharova claimed that a "comprehensive, sustainable, and fair resolution" in Ukraine can only happen if the West stops "pumping up the Armed Forces of Ukraine with weapons" and that Ukraine surrenders Russia’s claimed Ukrainian territory and "withdraws its troops," presumably from Ukrainian territory Russia claims to have annexed.[1] Zakharova emphasized the Kremlin's longstanding claim that Russia invaded Ukraine for "de-militarization," "denazification," and to "ensure the rights of Russian-speaking citizens" in Ukraine.[2] The Kremlin has consistently used the term “denazification” as code for the removal of the elected government of Ukraine and its replacement by some government the Kremlin regards as acceptable—i.e., regime change.[3] “De-militarization” would obviously leave Ukraine permanently at Russia’s mercy. Zakharova's comments clearly highlight the fact that the initial goals of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as set out by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, have not changed, and that Putin does not intend to end the war unless his maximalist objectives have been accomplished.[4] ISW continues to assess that Russia does not intend to engage in serious negotiations with Ukraine in good faith and that negotiations on Russia's terms are tantamount to full Ukrainian and Western surrender.[5]
Zakharova's demand that Ukraine withdraw its troops from "Russian territory" as a necessary prerequisite for the resolution of the war suggests that Russia's maximalist objectives include controlling the entirety of the four oblasts it has illegally annexed parts of. Russian forces currently militarily control portions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson oblasts, but Russia formally (and illegally) annexed the entirety of these oblasts in September of 2022.[6] Zakharova's suggestion that Ukrainian forces must entirely withdraw from territory that Russia has claimed through its sham annexation suggests that the Russian demands include the surrender of additional Ukrainian territory that Russian forces do not currently control up to the administrative borders of the four occupied oblasts. Calls for Ukraine's capitulation under the current circumstances of Russian control of Ukrainian territory up to the current frontline are already unacceptable from the standpoint of vital Ukrainian and Western national security interests, as ISW has previously assessed.[7] The Russian demand for an even more expansive surrender of Ukrainian-held territory that Russian forces could likely conquer only at the cost of tremendous additional blood, treasure, and time, if they can do it at all, indicates that Russia’s aims far transcend keeping the territory Russian forces have already seized. It is noteworthy, in this regard, that Russian forces continue to conduct offensive operations in eastern Kharkiv Oblast, which Russia has not claimed to have annexed, suggesting that Russia’s territorial aims may be even more expansive than those Zakharova laid out.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campai
gn-assessment-december-10-2023
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly
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Worrying words from Germany: "We have no alternative"
ed. KBN
10:01 AM EST, December 10, 2023
https://essanews.com/worrying-words-from-germany-we-have-no-alternativ
e,6972211502102657a
The Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, General Carsten Breuer, has expressed serious concerns over the escalating threat from Russia and underscored the need for actionable measures. "This should worry us all," he stressed.
In an interview with the German newspaper "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung", General Breuer amplified his concerns about Russia's growing military might - a phenomenon he believes should not only alarm the military, but the entire society.
"I am troubled by how rapidly Russia is amassing weapons and the stance Putin is taking. This should scare us all, but most importantly we need to turn these fears into action now," he urged the German military.
He reiterated his worry over the mounting risks from Russia and emphasized the need for strategized actions to counteract these dangers.
Situation is tense
General Breuer sees no prospects for a return to the pre-2022 status quo when Russia invaded Ukraine. "We must start getting used to the idea that one day we may have to wage a defensive war(...)" Breuer stated. "His words hint at an international situation on the brink of tension, which could force defensive action shortly."
Breuer also highlighted the necessity to brace for new technological challenges and a more aggressive hybrid war. "We have to prepare for technological advancements and an intensifying hybrid war. Recognizing the threat is the first step. It's not only us soldiers, but the entire society must acknowledge the need for even stronger deterrence," Breuer asserted.
He believes that the public should be conscious of the growing dangers and the need for action to counteract these threats.
General Breuer also pointed out shortcomings in the readiness of German armed forces for national and allied defense. "We see now a Bundeswehr that is not yet sufficiently prepared for this," the general said. He discussed "structures that make rapid and focused decisions nearly impossible". He explained how the Bundeswehr's years-long focus on international crisis management is now becoming an issue when the alliance and national defense are once again in the spotlight.
When questioned on whether the Bundeswehr could handle a potential assault from Russia on NATO following the war in Ukraine, Breuer emphatically responded, "Yes, absolutely. We have no other choice. We can defend ourselves, and we will defend ourselves". His words imply that German forces are committed to defending their nation and allies, despite the potential challenges they may face.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly
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Russia’s Military Cruelty Begins With Its Own Conscripts
Brutal hazing breaks and humiliates Russian soldiers — and they take it out on civilians.
By Kristaps Andrejsons | December 10, 2023, 6:00 AM
https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/12/10/russia-military-conscripts-hazing
-torture/
Every six months, approximately 130,000 Russian conscripts are called up for their year of service, where most of them will face sadistic hazing. In Russian, it’s called dedovshchina, a brutal internal army regime that began in Soviet times but is thoroughly embedded in modern military culture. Western militaries have worked hard to reduce bullying and hazing in the ranks with some, but not complete, success. But in Russia’s army, dedovshchina is a unique cultural staple and a formative part of the military identity. It’s a process that leaves Russian soldiers brutalized and traumatized; it in turn teaches them to inflict pain on others.
Multiple sources, both those who served in Soviet times and those with experience in the modern Russian Armed Forces, have described this hazing to me as not just a byproduct of service but as a deliberate part of Russian military indoctrination. (I interviewed these sources during my history studies and early journalism work on this subject and reached back out to many for this piece.) The same attitude is expressed all over the Russian internet. In 2006, as Lenta.ru reported, the then-prosecutor-general of Russia, Vladimir Ustinov, even admitted in a speech to President Vladimir Putin and his prosecutor colleagues that he “is unable to do anything about the criminality in the armed forces.”
The survivors of this hazing say the main goal is to break young men. They are turned into submissive, intimidated, and obedient drones who will not ask unnecessary questions nor show any independent thought or initiative. The methods are brutal. Take punching the plywood, used as a so-called toughness training exercise and also as a form of collective punishment. Service members stand in formation in a single line at attention. An authority figure passing by the formation hits each of the standing service members in the chest with the butt of an AKM assault rifle until the bolt jerks in the frame. Soldiers who’ve been through this say that it leaves your chest black and bruised for at least a week.
Then there is staking the moose, especially prominent in the Russian Air Force. The soldier puts his hands on his forehead with the palms facing outward, like a moose’s spread antlers. His abuser hits the center of the crossed palms with his fists, or a rifle butt, or a stool, or whatever else is on hand. The task of the “moose” is to remain standing. Failure to do so will, undoubtedly, result in even more severe beatings and other punishments. There are various versions of this, such as “suicidal moose,” where a far-off wall is chosen and the conscript is forced to run toward it as fast as possible until their “antlers” slam into it. If they don’t run fast enough, there are more beatings.
Not all punishments are physical. In a blog called Army Diary of a Conscript 2012-13, the author, who just goes by “Sergei,” writes: “It is one thing when you are awakened at night by a blow on the head with a stool, after which you get bullied just for ‘fun,’ and another thing, for example, when younger conscripts are sent to hard and dishonorable work in the first place. The difference is in the goals — sometimes suffering and humiliation is the main purpose, and sometimes it is a side effect.”
Another former conscript posted about his experiences in a link that’s now only accessible through waybackmachine: “Fear. Misunderstanding. And fear again. To the point of shaking at the knees. It’s a strange feeling. I’m surprised it’s so prevalent. We weren’t ‘guests for three days’ in the old army tradition. We got picked up and beaten senseless the first night.”
“Guests for three days” here means the unwritten rule once adhered to in Soviet times, where the conscripts were treated with overplayed kindness and polit
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Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Worrying words from Germany: "We have no alternative"
ed. KBN
10:01 AM EST, December 10, 2023
https://essanews.com/worrying-words-from-germany-we-have-no-alternativ
e,6972211502102657a
The Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, General Carsten Breuer, has expressed serious concerns over the escalating threat from Russia and underscored the need for actionable measures. "This should worry us all," he stressed.
In an interview with the German newspaper "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung", General Breuer amplified his concerns about Russia's growing military might - a phenomenon he believes should not only alarm the military, but the entire society.
"I am troubled by how rapidly Russia is amassing weapons and the stance Putin is taking. This should scare us all, but most importantly we need to turn these fears into action now," he urged the German military.
He reiterated his worry over the mounting risks from Russia and emphasized the need for strategized actions to counteract these dangers.
Situation is tense
General Breuer sees no prospects for a return to the pre-2022 status quo when Russia invaded Ukraine. "We must start getting used to the idea that one day we may have to wage a defensive war(...)" Breuer stated. "His words hint at an international situation on the brink of tension, which could force defensive action shortly."
What? He means that after almost 70 YEARS of Germany in NATO, they're JUST NOW getting around to the idea of fighting a defensive war???
WTF have they been doing all these years???
And maybe if they'd been more on the defense and less about World Domination and Global Hegemony, they wouldn't be in the pickle they are now.
They have got to be the stupidest bunch of sychophants ever!
That whole generation of "leadership" needs to be replaced. Just vote 'em out en masse, never to return.
Russia wants to roll back NATO to the boundaries that existed when Germany was unified and the west promised "not one inch eastward". But once Ukraine has been neutralized... literally... I believe Russia's next immediate targets are those AMERICAN MISSILE BASES in Poland and Romania. I see no way for Russia to address those concerns without directly confronting NATO.
BUT. Russia has been VERY CLEAR what its concerns are: Border and "near abroad" security. It's not like Berlin or Paris or Italy are going to be invaded.
I wish our collective neocon fuckers would get a gorram clue about the real world and start behaving rationally about it.
-----------
"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger
Loving America is like loving an addicted spouse - SIGNYM
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