Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[THE_WIZARD_]

LAIRS!

[lineygoblue]

You need to get back to that idea you had for PB&J wings.

[foxhopper]

I never did facebook...Wish I could say the same for the wife.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Liney...with no due respect...shaddup.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Cram it, Barth

[THE_WIZARD_]

DSL...you gotta be the dumbest.

[Jeff Buchanan]

A couple of interesting news reports today .......

The Biden administration stated that they have intelligence that Russia is planning on circulating a video that that shows corpses of Ukrainians loyal to Mother Russia living in the Eastern provinces of Ukraine allegedly slain by Ukrainians loyal to Zelenski in the West. This matches up with this weeks meeting of the Russian Duma that is to advance proposals to recognize provinces in Eastern Ukraine separate and independent states while naming heads of those states.

The line of Russian thinking would appear to be to give these heads of independent Ukrainian states legal cover to ask for Russian forces to respond, thus opening the door for an invasion. If this doesn't sound like something straight out of a John Le Carre' spy novel, you'd be wrong. Sounds like a great spy story but it apparently is very real.

The second news story came from an economist POD-Cast. Bottom line was that one of the guy's commenting said that no one should underestimate Putin's nationalist objectives of restoring, in some modern form, the USSR. This is a part of that long range plan that started with the seizure of the Crimea. He offers that Mother Russia is fundamentally has a long standing geopolitical presence stemming from the Czarist Russian Empire. When taken in that context, we should be prepared to stop demonstrate that Western powers, particularly the US or failing that the EU will stand up to and prevent Putin's grand strategy.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Social media alternative GETTR sounds like a fucking nightmare. If you sign up you're practically begging to have your identity stolen. This is the platform founded by horrific former Trump advisor Jason Miller and Guo Wengui, the same Chinese fugitive billionaire that has worked with Steve Bannon on a lot of things.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/gettr-fired-it-and-cybersecurity-teams-amid-financial-problems

[Dr. Strangelove]

A couple of interesting news reports today .......

The Biden administration stated that they have intelligence that Russia is planning on circulating a video that that shows corpses of Ukrainians loyal to Mother Russia living in the Eastern provinces of Ukraine allegedly slain by Ukrainians loyal to Zelenski in the West. This matches up with this weeks meeting of the Russian Duma that is to advance proposals to recognize provinces in Eastern Ukraine separate and independent states while naming heads of those states.

The line of Russian thinking would appear to be to give these heads of independent Ukrainian states legal cover to ask for Russian forces to respond, thus opening the door for an invasion. If this doesn't sound like something straight out of a John Le Carre' spy novel, you'd be wrong. Sounds like a great spy story but it apparently is very real.

The second news story came from an economist POD-Cast. Bottom line was that one of the guy's commenting said that no one should underestimate Putin's nationalist objectives of restoring, in some modern form, the USSR. This is a part of that long range plan that started with the seizure of the Crimea. He offers that Mother Russia is fundamentally has a long standing geopolitical presence stemming from the Czarist Russian Empire. When taken in that context, we should be prepared to stop demonstrate that Western powers, particularly the US or failing that the EU will stand up to and prevent Putin's grand strategy.

The Zelensky govt is casting enormous doubt on the credibility of this stuff.

Things got tense during a State Dept presser this afternoon too when reporters asked when the US would actually present any evidence of all this. They basically got told if you don't believe it then you might as well go work for RT.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Watch the clip below

[Dr. Strangelove]

The same agencies that promised Kabul could hold out for well over a year now snap at reporters who challenge their accuracy. The same agencies that said we got sweet revenge on the terrorists who had killed our troops, when all we actually did was kill some poor rando and a bunch of his kids, NOW say that if you doubt their credibility why you might as well move to Russia.

A little skepticism is absolutely warranted. It doesn't mean you're on Putin's "side".

[Dr. Strangelove]

Boris may be nearing the end. Brutal headlines as 4 of his top aides all quit today. He lost his Cheif of Staff, Communications Director, Personal Secretary, and Policy Chief

[lineygoblue]

Who does he think he is? Kamala Harris?

[THE_WIZARD_]

heh

[Jeff Buchanan]

The same agencies that promised Kabul could hold out for well over a year now snap at reporters who challenge their accuracy. The same agencies that said we got sweet revenge on the terrorists who had killed our troops, when all we actually did was kill some poor rando and a bunch of his kids, NOW say that if you doubt their credibility why you might as well move to Russia.

A little skepticism is absolutely warranted. It doesn't mean you're on Putin's "side".

A lot to unpack here, DSL ......

Snap? I thought Price remained pretty calm in the face of the dumbfuckery from Lee (and others who jumped on board). I'll explain.

American citizens are free to believe whomever they choose to believe as reliable sources of the kind of information the two in the tweet run are arguing about. I also support journalists in pursuing the facts and challenging allegations from the administration. But let's put this exchange in context .......you have a Communist government in Russia run by a former KGB operative and later a director of that agency moving 100K Russian troops both into Belarus, adjacent to Ukraine, and to the Western Boarder of Russia that abuts the Eastern boarder of Ukraine. FACT. Meanwhile Putin has the audacity to declare that Russia has no intention of invading Ukraine and the West is provoking Russia into this defensive action. FACT.

Let's leave aside what I brought up earlier today about the geopolitical importance of a Russian empire, appearing in several forms throughout its history, that then collapsed between 1988-'90. This history is juxtaposed with Russia's current leader, Putin, whose stated objective, in multiple writings either he has personally authored or members of his inner circle have authored, is to restore that empire in some modern form and return Russia to the geopolitical force it once was. MOTIVE.

Let's see, either Russia, according to Putin is conducting benign, military training exercises or, according to the Biden administration, Russia, under the pretense of a false flag operation ( that operation revealed today) will, then and in due time, will enter Ukraine from it's east and from Belarus to destabilize the Ukrainian government. That military action will be aimed at Putin's political objective to allow him to place leadership in charge there that is friendly and favorably disposed to Putin, Mother Russia and Putin's grand strategic interests.

Having said that, I spent a 20y career working closely with the US and their allies' intelligence communities, the various platforms and sources that collect intelligence and the people that analyze it and then present it to the National Security Council that the President is the chair of or a Joint Session of NATO Commanders. I sat in on compartmented Intelligence briefings for NATO Commanders. This was in the 80s. I was partially aware of the technical capabilities of the West to gather intelligence but was floored by what was actually out there and what intell is gained from that.

It's absurd for Lee to demand of Price that he disclose on what basis, or what precise sources and facts support the narrative Price advanced in his press conference today. First, the facts at hand, the motive at hand that I mention above should provide significant support to the narrative Price is advancing. What more does he expect? A personalized tour of the classified areas of the CIA, DIA and NSA so he can confirm sources and methods. Fuck him. If Lee had a clue of what those agencies do and the technical and human intell effort that was involved in identifying, developing and then divulging the operation Price outlined today, he never would have asked those questions. You report the narrative State (Price) is advancing and poke holes in it in print if you choose - I support that.

What I don't support is a public display of an attempt by, I suppose, a well meaning journalist, to allege Price is lying and to destroy the credibility of important information based on sensitive intelligence that is being publicly divulged. That this is being undertaken at a critical time when we'd all like to avoid a fucking war is really discouraging to me. There may be a place for this kind of thing Lee did but it's not now and it wasn't in that press briefing.

This isn't a matter, DSL, of being on Putin's or Biden's side in this matter. It is a matter of making your own assessment whether you believe Vladimir Putin's or our President's narrative. That should form the basis of what you think the West, collectively, should be doing about the present facts, on the ground, in and around Ukraine. After you do that, it's your choice to support the West's efforts to convince Putin it will be costly to Russia and it's not a good idea for him to order an invasion of Ukraine or oppose those efforts and offer alternatives to them.