Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Jeff Buchanan]

Seeing a lot saying Dugin and not his daughter was probably the real target. He changed cars at the last minute.

Dugin's significance is debatable, but this is somewhat akin to an Iraqi slipping into the United States in late 2003 and assassinating David Frum, John Bolton, or Paul Wolfowitz

If Dugin's daughter was killed by someone in Russia's spy agencies or military and not the Ukrainians then that's an even bigger deal for Putin's regime.

This is the first I've heard about Alexander Dugin. There's more reporting on the car bombing that killed his daughter, Daria, from European sources this morning. There's little coming out officially from the Kremlin other than from Russia's Foreign Ministry acknowledging the car bombing and saying it is being investigated. There has been a statement from Denis Pushilin who is the head of the self proclaimed independent pro-Russian DNR, blaming Ukrainian terrorists within their secret services. Zelenski predictably pushed back against that allegation last evening in his regular TV appearance stating that Ukraine is not a criminal state like Russia. There will be plenty of back and forth statements issued by Russia and Ukraine regarding the car bombing over the coming news cycle that can pretty much be ignored.

If, and it's a big if, the car bombing was perpetrated by Ukraine, it fits a pattern of striking symbolic Russian targets both inside and outside the battle space. The intent of those kinds of strikes, as well as the recent spate of alleged Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian targets inside what was thought to be a secure Russian enclave in Crimea, is to send a clear message to the Russian population that Ukraine is not going to be conquered by Putin's special military operation in that country.

Analysts are reporting that there are an increase in posts on social media platforms that are still active in Russia questioning Putin's actions in Ukraine. Most of them continue to be supportive of Putin and call for a higher level of retaliatory strikes on key or symbolic targets within Ukraine. Tit-for-tat is what is being called for along with more aggressive actions that take advantage of Russia's overwhelming military superiority that most Russians don't know has already been - about 60-70% of it by British MOD estimates - deployed and is struggling to seize the territory needed to allow Putin to declare victory. If the bombing was perpetrated by Putin's opponents inside Russia, as DSL mentions, the bombing would be a huge deal for him.

This is a link to this mornings' BBC account of the bombing. The Analysis at the end of it is good. It gives a clear picture of who Dugin is and what is believed by sources both inside and outside Russia his undeniable influence on Putin's thinking that shapes his aggressive actions and world view about Russia's place in the world: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62621509

[Hannibal]

Seems like a futile gesture. The only guy who can singlehandedly stop the war is Putin.

[Hannibal]

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[Hannibal]

Here's some good Sunday morning Desantis porn for my fellow Right Wingers.

This guy totally gets it.

https://www.tiktok.com/@rondesantisu...from_webapp=v1

(administrative question -- can you embed tiktok vids here?)

[AlabamAlum]

Talent,

NEWCASTLE!!! GOALLL!!!!!!!!!!


(yes, I had a small wager and yes, fuck Man City).

[froot loops]

Well done by the Toon Army to subtract two points from City. Now Liverpool needs to take care of business tomorrow. The game scares me, United looked Championship bound last week, they have to bounce back.

[AlabamAlum]

Fuckin Newcastle.

[froot loops]

Haaland is going to score so many goals against the minnows of the league.

[iam416]

NUFC is coming. Not there yet, but coming. High pressing City for the full 90. God bless.

Keep building the team sensibly.

[Dr. Strangelove]

This is the first I've heard about Alexander Dugin. There's more reporting on the car bombing that killed his daughter, Daria, from European sources this morning. There's little coming out officially from the Kremlin other than from Russia's Foreign Ministry acknowledging the car bombing and saying it is being investigated. There has been a statement from Denis Pushilin who is the head of the self proclaimed independent pro-Russian DNR, blaming Ukrainian terrorists within their secret services. Zelenski predictably pushed back against that allegation last evening in his regular TV appearance stating that Ukraine is not a criminal state like Russia. There will be plenty of back and forth statements issued by Russia and Ukraine regarding the car bombing over the coming news cycle that can pretty much be ignored.

If, and it's a big if, the car bombing was perpetrated by Ukraine, it fits a pattern of striking symbolic Russian targets both inside and outside the battle space. The intent of those kinds of strikes, as well as the recent spate of alleged Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian targets inside what was thought to be a secure Russian enclave in Crimea, is to send a clear message to the Russian population that Ukraine is not going to be conquered by Putin's special military operation in that country.

Analysts are reporting that there are an increase in posts on social media platforms that are still active in Russia questioning Putin's actions in Ukraine. Most of them continue to be supportive of Putin and call for a higher level of retaliatory strikes on key or symbolic targets within Ukraine. Tit-for-tat is what is being called for along with more aggressive actions that take advantage of Russia's overwhelming military superiority that most Russians don't know has already been - about 60-70% of it by British MOD estimates - deployed and is struggling to seize the territory needed to allow Putin to declare victory. If the bombing was perpetrated by Putin's opponents inside Russia, as DSL mentions, the bombing would be a huge deal for him.

This is a link to this mornings' BBC account of the bombing. The Analysis at the end of it is good. It gives a clear picture of who Dugin is and what is believed by sources both inside and outside Russia his undeniable influence on Putin's thinking that shapes his aggressive actions and world view about Russia's place in the world: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62621509

Very unclear who is responsible. Some weird group that no one seems to have heard of before inside Russia has claimed responsibility. Seems to leave it very open that a Russian secret service may have been involved. Dugin is well to the right of Putin and the Russian Far Right has been very critical of how the war has been conducted.

[Hannibal]

Quit talking about soccer. Let’s stick to more pleasant and less divisive topics like politics.

[Da Geezer]

Fuckin Newcastle.

Fuckin soccer.

[Hannibal]

Fuckin soccer.

[AlabamAlum]

I didn’t need a 3-3 result, though, Talent.

[Hannibal]

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