UA-RU | May 1st-20th | DISCUSSIONS

[NamelessOne]

This is true. Imagine a Jericho situation where Russia manages to smuggle a dozen nuclear weapons into the United States and detonate them inside the 12 largest US cities, making it look like a terrorist attack. With no missile launches to track origins, there would be no immediate nuclear retaliation, and the US would be crippled economically and psychologically at that point. Russia would be free to use those first few days of chaos to pretty much do whatever they wanted to do.

From my understanding, that's not really possible because the US could find out pretty quickly where the nuclear material came from. This is also why countries that have nukes put a lot into safeguarding them. Because the point of origin for the nuke would be designated as a place to be nuked back.

 

[william]

That is not hard to imagine. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/blackout-hits-northeast-united-states
" An investigation by a joint U.S.-Canada task force traced the problem back to an Ohio company, FirstEnergy Corporation. When the company’s EastLake plant shut down unexpectedly after overgrown trees came into contact with a power line, it triggered a series of problems that led to a chain reaction of outages."
Rumor has it, it was squirrels in the tree limbs that caused them to come into contact with a power line.
As a side note: The birth rate went up 9 months after this incident.

"Imagine a Jericho situation where Russia manages to smuggle a dozen nuclear weapons into the United States and detonate them inside the 12 largest US cities, making it look like a terrorist attack."
Um, I wonder if this has anything to do with the supply chain issues we are currently having?

 

[RiffRaff]

From my understanding, that's not really possible because the US could find out pretty quickly where the nuclear material came from. This is also why countries that have nukes put a lot into safeguarding them. Because the point of origin for the nuke would be designated as a place to be nuked back.

You're absolutely correct. But if I am Putin and the material is traced back to older Soviet weapons, I would claim those warheads must have been stolen from Ukraine during the breakup of the Soviet Union, creating doubt.

 

[bartok]

I suppose Romania is going to try and seize parts of Moldavia as well.
Maybe Russia believes that because Russian polemist have been telling them that for years.

who knows what could happen when a war starts? It's not a secret that Poland claims a part of Ukraine that was a part of Poland. It's not a secret that something similar is for Romania toward Moldavia.

All this stuff and potential problmes has been buried from decades of peace and stability, but they can come back topical on the right circumstances. If Polish troops will enter Ukraine, we will see.

 

[Totality 🇺🇦 🇮🇱]

If Poland went into Ukraine it would not be to invade but where invited to help and would be extremely welcome by the Ukrainian people/government as they have been asking none stop since the start for anyone in the West to intervene.

But it won't happen and is bonkers to think so. The West has no intention on risking their own skin. None of them do. Not only is the will not their to do it but Poland itself is not militarily capable of defending against Russia alone in Ukraine so a no go right there.

 

[REALHumanRights]

Don't we have equivalent MAD cyberattacks we could return to Russia if they did that in regards to our power grid or food chain. It seems we are the only ones so dreadfully vulnerable to these attacks.

USA's drive for "digital efficiency" has also made it particularly vulnerable. A push-button society creating YouTube, Twitter, etc., also creates an Achilles heel with its digital society. Enemy Russians don't have to execute cyberattacks in Russia either, and most attacks on plants would be dependent on internal sabotage. The same electrical plant sabotage that USA will cheer on happening in Russia.

20 years ago, the extremists with box cutters proved how much they could literally "get away" with killing thousands of Americans with no real consequences. I believe there was a leak (another) of an FBI analysis of link of 9/11 attackers to Saudi Arabia again. 20 years later, and what were the consequences to KSA?

The long-war is for minds and creation of more common values.

 

[REALHumanRights]

Let's be honest. The people in London, Paris, Madrid, Rome, are not going to be worrying about WWIII if the USA and Communist Cuba get into a war. That would be an "Americas" problem,
I disagree with this statement. Here is a list of Nato and allied countries that fought alongside the US after 9/11.

Countries Participating In the War in Afghanistan

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 set into motion a response from the United States and eventually a range of coalition allies that coalesced nearly a month later when the UK under the le…

foreignpolicyreport.com

William - I agree 100% and the Greater Middle East issue of Afghanistan was sold as a common threat as part of the global Jihadist threat. I think it was a mistake, and I believe if you went back to most of NATO nations who did get involved, they would tell you now that they deeply regretted it. I think NATO nations got a bloody nose there, and definitely won't do that again for USA. And Taliban won anyways, control Afghanistan again, and now dictating to women that they must wear the burqua.

Europe and Americas really do need to "pick their battles," and identify achievable military objectives. USA public is not ready for another 20 year war anywhere. Public sentiment may be (rightly) hostile towards Russia, but the USA national public is not going to be accepting troops being sent into Ukraine. Regardless of what "senior American military advisors" say to the NYT and WaPo.

 

[REALHumanRights]

Except Russia explicitly violated a treaty they signed with Ukraine guaranteeing their borders as they existed after the breakup of the Soviet Union. They have now violated that treaty twice. Why should we trust them with any negotiated end to their invasion?

I agree with you. And to be honest, when exactly have we trusted Russia on anything? Clearly the globalist capitalist argument didn't stop this. Clearly our imbedded intelligence sources were unable to stop this. So not only Ukraine, but also world peace are being held hostage by Russia. We can condemn Russia's actions and still realize that we need a hostage negotiator to intervene and de-escalate the violence. The hostage negotiations and the long-term accountability of Russia have to be treated like two separate issues. We at least need a protracted cease-fire.

Europe also needs a "Churchill" to lead it for its 21st century defense. Europe needs dignity and identity in a common defense defined by themselves, not just one dictated by the USA, or driven by the former USSR. We also need a Churchill for our times in Europe. Let's be honest, many of us, myself especially, greatly respect Winston Churchill. But if Churchill were here today, he could not have handled this 21st century mess; it would have been over his head. He was a product of a time that we will never see again.

That doesn't mean we don't also need hostage negotiations to stop the killing now in Ukraine, while Europe gets organized for the future. Like most, I have condemned Neville Chamberlain, but what was he to really do in 1938. UK was not ready to fight Germany, no matter how many want to reimagine history. We can realize that we won't achieve a "peace for our times," but still stop deaths of Ukrainian civilians from Russian troops and urban warfare.

In its invasion of the Ukraine, Russia has lost its most important military advantage, the (relative) tactic of surprise. That was a calculated decision by the former USSR, but an incredibly costly one. The "Ukraine invasion" can now be a concrete fact to galvanize a united European defense front. But a European defense and USA can't plan to solve that while Russia continues to hold Ukrainians hostage. They need a negotiated settlement to buy time for another day.

 

[Obreid]

I agree with you. And to be honest, when exactly have we trusted Russia on anything? Clearly the globalist capitalist argument didn't stop this. Clearly our imbedded intelligence sources were unable to stop this. So not only Ukraine, but also world peace are being held hostage by Russia. We can condemn Russia's actions and still realize that we need a hostage negotiator to intervene and de-escalate the violence. The hostage negotiations and the long-term accountability of Russia have to be treated like two separate issues. We at least need a protracted cease-fire.

Europe also needs a "Churchill" to lead it for its 21st century defense. Europe needs dignity and identity in a common defense defined by themselves, not just one dictated by the USA, or driven by the former USSR. We also need a Churchill for our times in Europe. Let's be honest, many of us, myself especially, greatly respect Winston Churchill. But if Churchill were here today, he could not have handled this 21st century mess; it would have been over his head. He was a product of a time that we will never see again.

That doesn't mean we don't also need hostage negotiations to stop the killing now in Ukraine, while Europe gets organized for the future. Like most, I have condemned Neville Chamberlain, but what was he to really do in 1938. UK was not ready to fight Germany, no matter how many want to reimagine history. We can realize that we won't achieve a "peace for our times," but still stop deaths of Ukrainian civilians from Russian troops and urban warfare.

In its invasion of the Ukraine, Russia has lost its most important military advantage, the (relative) tactic of surprise. That was a calculated decision by the former USSR, but an incredibly costly one. The "Ukraine invasion" can now be a concrete fact to galvanize a united European defense front. But a European defense and USA can't plan to solve that while Russia continues to hold Ukrainians hostage. They need a negotiated settlement to buy time for another day.

Germany doesn’t seem to agree

Germany’s Scholz: Russia can’t dictate peace deal in Ukraine

‘The Ukrainians will not accept that, and neither will we,’ German chancellor says in TV address.

www.politico.eu

 

[Irag8er]

They are daring Russia to hit it and give the US/NATO an excuse to get more involved. This is a very dangerous game we are playing with the Russians.

Sure is. Might even be called "Russian roulette".

 

[Obreid]

Scholz here is not as eloquent as Churchill. But who knows is German it could be quite effective

https://twitter.com/x/status/1523408874920824832

 

[SamHoarderBridges]

So it seems like your average parade. Glad i can whipe the sweat off my brow for now.

 

[SamHoarderBridges]

So it seems like your average parade.

I know it seems a little childish but I wish we in the states do military parades. Alittle patriotism never hurts.

 

[TCharley300]

Scholz here is not as eloquent as Churchill. But who knows is German it could be quite effective

https://twitter.com/x/status/1523408874920824832

Showing my age, Oh I remember Scholz--- " I know nothing, Nothing--I see Nothing, Nothing"

 

[REALHumanRights]

Germany doesn’t seem to agree

Germany’s Scholz: Russia can’t dictate peace deal in Ukraine

‘The Ukrainians will not accept that, and neither will we,’ German chancellor says in TV address.

www.politico.eu

Germany is 627.46 miles from Ukraine. USA is 4659.75 miles from Ukraine.
Most of world would expect Germany and European nations to be leading this discussion.
Much of the USA would expect that it would be European (including German) soldiers inside Ukraine, and their focus on aid.
USA has rightly provided $3.8 billion in aid to Ukraine since the war. Surely, now Germany and other countries can expand their role and more than just Germany's "budget for aid." We can all create "budgets."

Regardless, logic makes it clear that more fighting will lead to more fighting. Trying to match Russia's brutish military manuevers is not a strategy, it is a reaction. And yes, I will accept that apology any time.

 

[REALHumanRights]

Showing my age, Oh I remember Scholz--- " I know nothing, Nothing--I see Nothing, Nothing"

I believe it will be more convincing when the horrific killing of Ukrainian civilians in urban warfare stops.
I honestly do not understand so-called representative "democracies" that believe human life is so expendable everywhere in the world. It keeps doing grave damage to democratic foundations. I fear for where it will ultimately lead in the future.

 

[Obreid]

Germany is 627.46 miles from Ukraine. USA is 4659.75 miles from Ukraine.
Most of world would expect Germany and European nations to be leading this discussion.
Much of the USA would expect that it would be European (including German) soldiers inside Ukraine, and their focus on aid.
USA has rightly provided $3.8 billion in aid to Ukraine since the war. Surely, now Germany and other countries can expand their role and more than just Germany's "budget for aid." We can all create "budgets."

Regardless, logic makes it clear that more fighting will lead to more fighting. Trying to match Russia's brutish military manuevers is not a strategy, it is a reaction. And yes, I will accept that apology any time.

Real actually Solutions to end this invasion constructively now.

 

[REALHumanRights]

France: Macron said this "European political community" would be open to democratic European nations adhering to its core values in areas such as political cooperation, security, cooperation in energy, transport, investment of infrastructure or circulation of people. "Joining it would not necessarily prejudge future EU membership," he said. "Nor would it be closed to those who left it."

In wink to Ukraine and Britain, Macron suggests new European entity

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that he was in favour of a new type of "political European community" that would allow countries outside the European Union, including Ukraine and Britain, to join the "European core values."

www.reuters.com

 

[TCharley300]

I believe it will be more convincing when the horrific killing of Ukrainian civilians in urban warfare stops.
I honestly do not understand so-called representative "democracies" that believe human life is so expendable everywhere in the world. It keeps doing grave damage to democratic foundations. I fear for where it will ultimately lead in the future.

I understand, and it is serious. When I said, showing my age, I was referring to an American TV show back in the late 60's or early 70's called Hogans Heroes. You'd have to see it to understand my humor there. It was a funny show about American POWs in a German POW camp that had a huge underground network.

 

[REALHumanRights]

I understand, and it is serious. When I said, showing my age, I was referring to an American TV show back in the late 60's or early 70's called Hogans Heroes. You'd have to see it to understand my humor there. It was a funny show about American POWs in a German POW camp that had a huge underground network.

Yes, Charlie I know all about it. Good possibility I am older than you. But my point was not about the joke, which I get, but the larger issue.