Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[THE_WIZARD_]

heh

nyet

[Whitley]

I have a nephew living in Moscow right now...he told my sister that Putin is about as popular as Trump at an LGBTQ rally...

Current Trump or Trump 2016?

[THE_WIZARD_]

I don't think Trump was ever liked by that crowd was he?

[Jeff Buchanan]

Reading this morning that the Kremlin is mounting serious efforts to control the narrative following this weekend's Wagner crisis. Clearly, Prigozhen's channels through which he officially communicates Wagner information and policy to the Russian public and Prigozhen himself have been mostly silent although Telegram (Russia's FaceBook) has not been completely blocked. Reports of slowing are out there. The Kremlin did shut down access to Google news but most sophisticated Russians have figured out how to get to news sources they want to read.

Still, no public appearances by top Kremlin leadership which is being viewed by western officials as an indicator that there is uncertainty about who is in charge at the political level and at the MoD as well as concern that threats to Putin and Shoigu have been erradicated. The Russian elite - a power group of Oligarchs and high level military and government officials - is being watched carefully. This group typically starts jockeying to protect their wealth, interests and positions in the Russian power structure when there is political and military uncertainty. Over the weekend there were indicators that this process is active.

A poll released on state media Sunday evening reported that the majority of Russians support Putin while increasingly seeing Prigozhen as a traitor. I'd question the validity of the poll but it still demonstrates a strong effort by the Kremlin to shape a post Wagner crisis alternate reality.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I don't think Trump was ever liked by that crowd was he?

No but in 2016 he actually did a lot of outreach to them. Now he's following the GOP crowd.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Well I'm sorry he has turned on you and your ilk DSL...

[THE_WIZARD_]

Also...DSL...sorry to inform you that you and your domestic partner will have to cancel that coal fired pizza oven for your condo...sorry...

[Dr. Strangelove]

After churning through a bunch of losers Fox is giving Jesse Watters Tucker's old slot, as everyone expected.

[lineygoblue]

And they still picked a loser

[THE_WIZARD_]

shaddup

[crashcourse]

So you got one part of the Russia's military made up of mostly ex cons and mercenaries threatening an uprising against a leader despised by most of his own people. Much of the rest of the army is floundering in Ukraine with no real good command and control. Throw in the fact said country has the most nuclear weapons in the world. Nice to know if said despised leader gets really desperate or if the convict army happens to run across a few on their march through Russia to Belarus all nuclear hell breakout. Maybe time for Putin to pull his troops out of the Ukraine and protect the blind side

[THE_WIZARD_]

I think it's time for you to STFU...

[lineygoblue]

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[Dr. Strangelove]

[lineygoblue]

Oh how the mighty have fallen.