sycasey said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

oski003 said:

---

AunBear89 said:

---

Yeah - take notes if you are having difficulty keeping up.

---

Alternatively, you can just specify what the one buried critical lie here is.

---

There is no "buried critical lie",

---

Ahh, glad we are finally in agreement that the US DIA did not lie about the Russian casualty numbers and that the ones you've been citing have been wrong. Progress!

---

You could have spared the drama by restating above that what you were referring to was the leaked NATO intel documents. There are several versions of these documents going around, the originals, and the photoshops, which were also circulated. Of course U2S et al will claim that the originals were the ones showing Ukraine with a kill ratio advantage, however US intel analysts Ray McGovern and Larry Johnson reported a 7 to 1 kill ratio in favor of Russia in the documents they've examined.

I don't think the Ukrainian themselves ever claimed a 7 to 1 kill ratio, even in their wildest, most preposterous claims.

Cal88 said:

---

US intel analysts Ray McGovern and Larry Johnson reported a 7 to 1

---

The original documents showed a ratio in favor of Ukraine. Now you want to cite some other random claims that came out afterward? Who are you, Ursula von der Leyen?

sycasey said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

US intel analysts Ray McGovern and Larry Johnson reported a 7 to 1

---

The original documents showed a ratio in favor of Ukraine. Now you want to cite some other random claims that came out afterward? Who are you, Ursula von der Leyen?

---

The documents that have been presented as originals in your news bubble that is.

Cal88 said:

---

sycasey said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

US intel analysts Ray McGovern and Larry Johnson reported a 7 to 1

---

The original documents showed a ratio in favor of Ukraine. Now you want to cite some other random claims that came out afterward? Who are you, Ursula von der Leyen?

---

The documents that have been presented as originals in your news bubble that is.

---

Right, right, everything is a conspiracy.

Right, and the Nordstream bombing was 5 guys on a sailboat.

More evidence of sanctions working. The Bank of Russia (more on them below) just reported a significant deterioration in exports for Q2. This is primarily a reduction in O&G exports, taxes on which account for 45% of Russia's budget. Obviously the massive drop in the value of the ruble is connected. This war only becomes harder to finance for Putin with this sort of economic decline.

Russia's economy dealt a crushing blow as its current-account surplus collapses by 93% https://t.co/6LiX6QBHsh

— Insider Business (@BusinessInsider) July 13, 2023

The article and Bank of Russia data speaks to the overall decline in surplus which is in part from an increase in exports (after the precipitous decline last year due to sanctions) but largely based on a reduction in exports. Energy exports are critical to Russia's finances and the happiness of the oligarchy (as well as Putin's bottom line since he built his estimated $200B fortune in large part on wetting his beak through the oligarchy).

To make up for this and to help fund this dumb loser of a war, Putin is declaring a "windfall" tax which, while only raising $4B isn't well received by prosperous Russians and serves only to increase the brain drain they've suffered. The tax won't impact energy businesses and the government said it may need to be repeated to continue to finance the war.



From the Bank of Russia:

Quote:

---

the decline in the surplus of the balance of the external trade in goods in January June 2023 compared to the comparable period of 2022 was caused by a decrease in both the physical volumes of export deliveries and the deterioration in the price situation for the basic Russian export commodities, energy commodities made the most significant contribution to the decline in the value of exports;

---

As to whether you can trust BOR's data, the bank has stated that it doesn't want to publish data that could increase Russia's vulnerability to sanctions risk, so I would assume that the data, if inaccurate, would tend to help not hurt Putin and Russia.

Quote:

---

"The lack of publicly available statistics affects the quality of analysts' and researchers' work," the bank said. "The Bank of Russia advocates restoring the publication of financial statements, except for the indicators that increase the companies' and the economy's vulnerability to sanctions risks."

---

Obviously, this post will be followed by the usual propaganda, but that's what ignore is for.

tl;dr - Russia's current account surplus has shrunk drastically in one quarter...

It's still a surplus though, right?

How is this affecting Russia's budget and debt position, let's see...

Russia had a budget SURPLUS of 800 billion Rubles in June. Imagine that!

Insane sanctions from US/EU, almost 1.5 years of war with Nazis and NATO (hard to tell the difference), low oil prices, slowing global economy…

Putin is an under-appreciated leader. pic.twitter.com/PqTPjni90r

— S.L. Kanthan (@Kanthan2030) July 10, 2023

And wealthy Russians are going to flee the country because there is a new tax in Russia, where the top income tax bracket is...15%! Yes, they're going to flee to California, where they will pay that much in state income taxes alone.

Interesting fact about Putin - he has a PhD in Economics, wrote his thesis on the management of a resource- based economy.

Lots to unpack here. Zelensky apparently a very wealthy man with homes all over the world and a part owner of a non disclosed business, and sponsored by an oligarch. Ukraine / Zelensky reviving dormant Nazi groups. Ukranians are commenting that this is truthful and that they learned more about him.

A Scott Ritter Investigation: Agent Zelensky - Part 1

oski003 said:

---

AunBear89 said:

---

Yeah - take notes if you are having difficulty keeping up.

---

Alternatively, you can just specify what the one buried critical lie here is.

---

I understand that the only way you were able to make it at Cal was by having others do the work for you, but that doesn't fly here. Do your own homework, Junior.

AunBear89 said:

---

oski003 said:

---

AunBear89 said:

---

Yeah - take notes if you are having difficulty keeping up.

---

Alternatively, you can just specify what the one buried critical lie here is.

---

I understand that the only way you were able to make it at Cal was by having others do the work for you, but that doesn't fly here. Do your own homework, Junior.

---

Believe whatever you need to believe to feel better about yourself.

AunBear89 said:

---

oski003 said:

---

AunBear89 said:

---

Yeah - take notes if you are having difficulty keeping up.

---

Alternatively, you can just specify what the one buried critical lie here is.

---

I understand that the only way you were able to make it at Cal was by having others do the work for you, but that doesn't fly here. Do your own homework, Junior.

---

Kitsap Karen mode fully activated.

Pinhead Putin Puppet mode always activated.

AunBear89 said:

---

News flash: your intelligence (or lack of) has zero impact on how I feel about myself. Where does this arrogance come from? Certainly not your accomplishments here.

---

Because you remind me of my young child who lacks the emotional maturity of an adult. Often times he feels wronged by and amplifies the actions of others and doesn't feel responsible nor have realization of the effects of his own actions. You appear to use insults as a defense mechanism. It is sad. I feel sorry for you because you aren't five years old like he is.

In the old days of this board, whole threads would be clogged with Kitsap and Blueblood engaging in endless squabbles. Blueblood also was a bit immature, but at least he had some personality and original content.

Now it's you, movielover, and BearFarce (with occasional input from Yogi sock puppets) shiiiting all over the place.

oski003 said:

---

Often times he feels wronged by and amplifies the actions of others and doesn't feel responsible nor have realization of the effects of his own actions.

---

Gee - I wonder where learned to act like that?

You have a hard time understanding the difference between disagreeing with someone's opinions or political stance, and compulsively engaging in pointless immature squabbles.

movielover said:

---

Today Joe Biden activated 3,000 reserve troops for deployment as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

Previously, Biden increased our troop numbers in Europe from 80,000 to 100,000.

Mission creep continues.

---

I am not a fan of this move. I fear a Vietnam-like incremental crawl to actual US boots on the ground in Ukraine. I'm all for arming Ukraine, but no US blood should ever be spilled there.

FSB, MI6, or Pfizer?

"Putin has two hopes for a less than completely mortifying rescue from his Ukraine blunder. One is the election of Trump, whose frivolousness about national security complements his weakling's admiration for a bully. Putin's other hope is the election of DeSantis, who says (or said, before retreating when criticized) Russia's attempt to erase a European nation is a "territorial dispute." And whose pandering to Trumpkins prevents him from denouncing House Republicans who are as eager to abandon Ukraine as they would have been to abandon Czechoslovakia in 1938."
-George Will, Washington Post

….5,4,3,2,1….

George Will parroting himself. He should go shag inconsolate Ann Coulter. Biden / Obama / Blinken have had a major hand in two of the most historic military blunders in our nation's history, and he's carping about out-of-office Trump.

P.S. Abraham Accords.

(meow)

Quote:

---

"Putin has two hopes for a less than completely mortifying rescue from his Ukraine blunder. One is the election of Trump, whose frivolousness about national security complements his weakling's admiration for a bully. Putin's other hope is the election of DeSantis, who says (or said, before retreating when criticized) Russia's attempt to erase a European nation is a "territorial dispute." And whose pandering to Trumpkins prevents him from denouncing House Republicans who are as eager to abandon Ukraine as they would have been to abandon Czechoslovakia in 1938."

-George Will, Washington Post

---

Easy, quick answer:

"Not abandonnng Ukraine" = fighting to the last Ukrainian.

Forget Trump and DeSantis, Obama also noted when asked about his stance on Ukraine that:
1- Russia has a whole lot more at stake in Ukraine than the US or even NATO, existential issue
2- Russia has military escalatory dominance

Ergo, the result of an interventionist pro-war policy in Ukraine, pushing them to fight Russia, will have for result that Ukraine, egged on to fight a much stronger foe on its borders, will be wrecked, to paraphrase John Mearsheimer.

Ideologues like George Will, whose shows and career are sponsored by the MIC, will choose to ignore or obscure these basic facts.

tequila4kapp said:

---

movielover said:

---

Today Joe Biden activated 3,000 reserve troops for deployment as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

Previously, Biden increased our troop numbers in Europe from 80,000 to 100,000.

Mission creep continues.

---

I am not a fan of this move. I fear a Vietnam-like incremental crawl to actual US boots on the ground in Ukraine. I'm all for arming Ukraine, but no US blood should ever be spilled there.

---

It's still not likely this will happen.

sycasey said:

---

tequila4kapp said:

---

movielover said:

---

Today Joe Biden activated 3,000 reserve troops for deployment as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

Previously, Biden increased our troop numbers in Europe from 80,000 to 100,000.

Mission creep continues.

---

I am not a fan of this move. I fear a Vietnam-like incremental crawl to actual US boots on the ground in Ukraine. I'm all for arming Ukraine, but no US blood should ever be spilled there.

---

It's still not likely this will happen.

---

Not likely, but more likely than 18 months ago.

More weapons, more Billions, more dead-wrong, unwise, gutless advisors, and ocassional talk of limited nuclear weapons use. The risk grows.

Will Poles blunder in? If Poles become too active, would one of Putin's generals strike Polish military bases? Meanwhile, the west, near empty on 155 calibre shells, sends cluster bombs and the MICC rejoices.

P.S. The Orange Man said NO to war at least four times (Iran several times).

sycasey said:

---

tequila4kapp said:

---

movielover said:

---

Today Joe Biden activated 3,000 reserve troops for deployment as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

Previously, Biden increased our troop numbers in Europe from 80,000 to 100,000.

Mission creep continues.

---

I am not a fan of this move. I fear a Vietnam-like incremental crawl to actual US boots on the ground in Ukraine. I'm all for arming Ukraine, but no US blood should ever be spilled there.

---

It's still not likely this will happen.

---

True, but if the war is not contained to Russia-Ukraine, the chances go way up.

I care about Ukrainians. Heck, I even care about the average Rooskie. But by far the worst thing that could happen would be if this war were to spread.