Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Mike]

He’ll only get the message through military humiliation. He’s begging for an asswhoopin’ and the West, primarily Europe need to get off their asses and at least provide air power to the Ukrainians on the ground. The Russians are formed up in traditional elements. It’s a target rich environment for, say, a couple B1 bombers to go lay waste to Russian forces.

I thought the invasion would be more like our cakewalks through Iraq but the Ukrainians have won me over. They deserve some help.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Supposedly FIFA just banned Russia from this year's World Cup

[Da Geezer]

Really Geez? While I agree with your last paragraph, the previous three are utter nonsense. The foundations of this current crisis has nothing to do with climate change, 'globalist rule', oil prices, religion or any other rightwing fruitcake bogeymen.

Christianity inherently evil? You must worship at the church of Alister Crowley. Christians believe that people are created in the image and likeness of God, but like a cracked mirror, give back a marred and distorted reflection. This is why there is baptism to wash away the stain of original sin and the need to follow the teachings of Christ. People are neither perfect nor inherently evil. Satanists believe man is basically evil. But I do give you style points for using political nonsense to distort Christianity.

You and CGVT shouldn't comment on matters you know nothing about, and theology is clearly one of them. I said that the Christian view of man is that he is depraved. Man has fallen, and needs a Savior (the Christ). He can't save himself because of his depraved nature.

Then you go into your interpretation of Catholic Christianity which believes man is good. After all, the Pope talks to God and tells the flock what to do. You may want to read the history of the Catholic Church and its Popes. What it shows is enormous power vested in one man and that power used to enslave communicants. Martin Luther called this out and insisted on "sola scriptura" (scripture alone) and the "priesthood of all believers". He atomized power by giving the Bible (rather than the Church) ultimate authority, and by saying individual choice determines salvation.

For example, Catholics believe as you do that baptism washes away original sin. There is no scriptural basis for that, but imagine how valuable it is to a parishioner in the 1700's. Protestants believe salvation is through the individual choice to accept the death and resurrection of Christ for the remission of sins. Do you really believe baptism washes away original sin? Importantly, is salvation obtained by "following the teachings of Christ? That is not what the Bible teaches. If you think salvation is by "works", then you better go to the Pope and buy an "indulgence".

But your paragraph does show something about American politics. Non-Christians almost always refer to "Christians" when they mean "Catholics". Catholicism is the dominant form of belief on the east coast. where the big media are located. It is only tangentially related to Protestant Christianity.

And, finally, "The foundations of this current crisis has nothing to do with climate change, 'globalist rule', oil prices, religion or any other rightwing fruitcake bogeymen."
Really? So you believe the Germans were correct in shutting down their nuclear plants? Why did they do that? I submit that their decision was based on green politics, just like our own Woke Overlords have chosen to cripple our own oil and gas industry because of their anti-carbon climate views. This is not a matter of dispute. IMO the Ukrainian War would not be happening if Europe had not decided to become dependent on Russia for their energy needs.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I'd like to remind posters here that negotiations with dictators like Putin are useless. Here's the latest report of the just concluded "peace" talks between Ukraniane and Russian delegation in Belarus:

Early Monday night, a top adviser to Ukraine’s president said that the first round of talks with Russia had ended and that both delegations had returned home for consultations in their capitals.

Mykhailo Podolyak gave few details except to say that the talks, held near the Ukraine-Belarus border, were focused on a possible cease-fire and that a second round could take place “in the near future.”

Putin knows how to dole out hopium at the negotiating table in that the only purpose it serves is to sooth pacifists and those who oppose using brass knuckles in the fight because someone might get hurt. The peace talk, cease fire bull-shit just delays action by NATO.

The North Vietnamese ran circles around US peace talk delegates and Henry Kissinger in Paris as the US gave away huge military gains in that dumb ass peace process that produced numerous cease fires only to see the North Vietnamese improve their military advantages on the ground. Then the US - and democracy - just gave up.

Putin and his delegates at peace talks over Ukraine are doing and will do the same thing. I'm not in the soft, "give peace a chance" crowd. Fuck that. Meet force with force. Putin will understand that and nothing else.

[Da Geezer]

Froot, amazingly, was correct in that this is going poorly for Putin AND there is no viable off-ramp for him. He's in for a penny, in for a pound and that's concerning.

Whoever thought froot would be a sage regarding this war. Well said froot.

[Jeff Buchanan]

IMO the Ukrainian War would not be happening if Europe had not decided to become dependent on Russia for their energy needs.

This is a reductionist argument that doesn't fit the situation in Ukraine. Putin's behavior, I'll acknowledge, probably has something to do with the leverage he thinks he might have gained by the EU's energy dependence on Russian energy supplies. But that's a minor player in this mess. Putin is much more moved by his nationalism and desire to return Russia, with himself at it's head, to the global power of the Russian Czarist state of the 18th and 19th centuries and the Soviet Union of the 20th.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Jeeeze ..... just bomb the fuck out of this now. These formations are not protected in any discernable way from air attack demonstrating Putin's complete disregard for NATO air power and the possibility it might be deployed...... and this is only a sliver of these crazy line-ups. The NYTs published two pictures of 2 and 3 wide clusters of military vehicles stretching 17miles and just outside of Kiev.

Russia.JPG

[Dr. Strangelove]

There's drone footage of Ukrainians killing a bunch in one of those convoys. Reportedly it was one full of Kadyrov's Chechens. Ukrainians claim 70+ of them died.

Officially the Ukrainians claim to have already killed 4500. I've seen some experts say those numbers probably aren't much exaggerated based on the number of destroyed vehicles they've seen.

[froot loops]

You and CGVT shouldn't comment on matters you know nothing about, and theology is clearly one of them. I said that the Christian view of man is that he is depraved. Man has fallen, and needs a Savior (the Christ). He can't save himself because of his depraved nature.

Then you go into your interpretation of Catholic Christianity which believes man is good. After all, the Pope talks to God and tells the flock what to do. You may want to read the history of the Catholic Church and its Popes. What it shows is enormous power vested in one man and that power used to enslave communicants. Martin Luther called this out and insisted on "sola scriptura" (scripture alone) and the "priesthood of all believers". He atomized power by giving the Bible (rather than the Church) ultimate authority, and by saying individual choice determines salvation.

For example, Catholics believe as you do that baptism washes away original sin. There is no scriptural basis for that, but imagine how valuable it is to a parishioner in the 1700's. Protestants believe salvation is through the individual choice to accept the death and resurrection of Christ for the remission of sins. Do you really believe baptism washes away original sin? Importantly, is salvation obtained by "following the teachings of Christ? That is not what the Bible teaches. If you think salvation is by "works", then you better go to the Pope and buy an "indulgence".

But your paragraph does show something about American politics. Non-Christians almost always refer to "Christians" when they mean "Catholics". Catholicism is the dominant form of belief on the east coast. where the big media are located. It is only tangentially related to Protestant Christianity.

And, finally, "The foundations of this current crisis has nothing to do with climate change, 'globalist rule', oil prices, religion or any other rightwing fruitcake bogeymen."
Really? So you believe the Germans were correct in shutting down their nuclear plants? Why did they do that? I submit that their decision was based on green politics, just like our own Woke Overlords have chosen to cripple our own oil and gas industry because of their anti-carbon climate views. This is not a matter of dispute. IMO the Ukrainian War would not be happening if Europe had not decided to become dependent on Russia for their energy needs.

This has a hell of a lot more to do with Catholicism than Protestantism. The East/West schism literally had nothing to do with Martin Luther. The schism of 2018 has a lot to do with this current crisis and is why Putin was trying to rush to Kiev.

[Obi-Jon]

Geez, you're clearly a Flat Earther. Truth, facts, and reality don't matter because you've rationalized and internalized your nonsense. You find it impossible to look at any subject without looking through a political lens. And then spout off with a perception of either I am absolutely right or you are wrong and cannot be tolerated. Your hatred of Catholicism colors your view of Christianity, besmirching many Protestant sects of Christianity (you don't believe in) as well. The religious ignorance and intolerance you proudly demonstrate is part of the problem, not the solution. That is a sad way to live your life and I feel sorry for you. I'm amused you think I am Catholic but it is another demonstration of your habit to declare something as fact when you have absolutely no clue about the subject you speak. Perhaps you should pick up a Bible and read it before running your mouth. Sitting under a tent with evangelical snake charmers doesn't count.

Putin and his delegates at peace talks over Ukraine are doing and will do the same thing. I'm not in the soft, "give peace a chance" crowd. Fuck that. Meet force with force. Putin will understand that and nothing else.

This could be his last opportunity to 'magnanimously' withdraw and declare victory. (I think we have a giant Mission Accomplished banner somewhere in storage.) Its an opportunity to limit the damage (military by the Ukrainians and impending economic by sanctions). He's got a losing hand, he can hold or fold. The question is how many chips is he willing to throw away.

[froot loops]

Shutting down nuclear plants is a blow against true Green Woke Overlords. If you want to cut down emissions you need more nuclear plants, not less. It's a divisive issue among the green movement.

[Da Geezer]

Shutting down nuclear plants is a blow against true Green Woke Overlords. If you want to cut down emissions you need more nuclear plants, not less. It's a divisive issue among the green movement.

Then why do the Green parties in the West, including the Green Party USA, uniformly oppose nuclear power? One answer is that nuclear power is dangerous. Then why do these parties also believe dams should be removed? I'm trying not to be overly dogmatic, but I have to believe that the reason the Greens oppose both nuclear and hydroelectric power is that both are substantially cheaper to produce than wind and solar. If you want to "reorder" society, one thing you have to control is energy. IMO there is an alliance between the Green Woke Overlords and the wind and solar industries.

Oh, and why did Putin fund the Greenies in Europe who successfully banned fracking on the continent?

[Da Geezer]

This has a hell of a lot more to do with Catholicism than Protestantism. The East/West schism literally had nothing to do with Martin Luther. The schism of 2018 has a lot to do with this current crisis and is why Putin was trying to rush to Kiev.

I'm not sure which schism you are referring to.

What is the schism of 2018?

You are correct if the schism related to Luther is the Rome/Constantinople split which gave rise to the Roman church and the Eastern church. I should have been more accurate in saying the Roman Catholic Church when I said Catholic.

[Da Geezer]

Geez, you're clearly a Flat Earther. Truth, facts, and reality don't matter because you've rationalized and internalized your nonsense. You find it impossible to look at any subject without looking through a political lens. And then spout off with a perception of either I am absolutely right or you are wrong and cannot be tolerated. Your hatred of Catholicism colors your view of Christianity, besmirching many Protestant sects of Christianity (you don't believe in) as well. The religious ignorance and intolerance you proudly demonstrate is part of the problem, not the solution. That is a sad way to live your life and I feel sorry for you. I'm amused you think I am Catholic but it is another demonstration of your habit to declare something as fact when you have absolutely no clue about the subject you speak. Perhaps you should pick up a Bible and read it before running your mouth. Sitting under a tent with evangelical snake charmers doesn't count.

Other than an ad hominem attack, do you care to defend your belief that man is inherently good?

What I have talked about is the nature of man. That issue ultimately determines both your religion and your political belief. You said that you agreed with my paragraph having to do with the dissipation of power. You also claim to be libertarian. But your politics reflect the belief in a powerful government enforcing those things which you believe.

As to me hating Catholics, you are simply wrong about that. I view the whole of Christianity as like a fleet of warships. There are large warships like the Catholics and Baptists, and there are small ships like Methodists and Lutherans. I associate myself with the whole fleet in matters like abortion or homosexuality which are specifically mentioned as "abominable" in the New Testament. My fleet stands opposed to the fleet of progressivism or pantheism. I worship Jesus, not the earth. Within the fleet, there are disagreements on the interpretation of scripture but there is not a disagreement about scripture being the ultimate source of truth.

[THE_WIZARD_]

With 3:30 left in the 1st quarter Putin calls timeout. Current score is a 6-6 FG fest right now...too close to call. If Ukraine can get some free agents from the west to help I think they have a shot. Putin is threatening to bring out the nuke...a Tom Brady type arsenal...the Ukrainians are a little nervous...