Cal88 said:

---

dajo9 said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

900 bases all over the world, including in places like Syria, a country that we have occupied for a decade now. OK not the whole country, just the third of that country with all the oil. We're taking the oil, but it is for good, not evil.

---

That is not Syrian oil. It belongs to the Kurds. Interesting backstory though. Trump declared the U.S. would stay "for the oil" and proceeded to a allow a secret contract with a U.S. company that had military and Republican ties. That U.S. corrupt, oligarchy company that Trump allowed and protected with the U.S. military, proceeded to loot the oil. Biden ended that arrangement. Of course, who knows what is happening with oil in that area, but if the Kurds have complaints, I'd be willing to listen.

---

The occupation of Syria and the theft of its oil precedes the Trump administration, it was already in place under Obama. Trump, to his credit, was very transparent about "taking the oil", and he also tried to pull out from Syria, or at the very least reduce considerably US military footprint. The MIC lied to him, reporting a far smaller presence than the actual number, an act of treason.

The oil doesn't belong to "the Kurds", it belongs to Syria, a country whose borders have been in place for over 100 years. The US carpet bombed with B-52s major cities in the north of Syria like Raqqa, which were mostly Syrian Arab Christian and Muslim, killing thousands of civilians, ethnically cleansing the region.

US occupation of Syria, the theft of its oil and wheat and the stringent economic sanctions imposed on that country have resulted in great suffering among their population and continued migration to Europe. The US is effectively preventing Syria from rebuilding, and its refugees from returning home. Syria was well-off before the color revolution and civil war were pushed onto that country.

We have no right to gerrymander countries halfway around the world and to prop up minorities against majorities in classic divide and conquer colonial schemes. The main victims in these cold geopolitical plays end up being these minorities, we've seen it in Vietnam with the Hmongs and mountain people, who collaborated with the US and ended up getting slaughtered after we left.

---

You seem hung up on artificial borders drawn up by colonists over 100 years ago. The local people are the Kurds. The oil belongs to them.

Also, thanks for providing another example of Trump's weakness and his inability to do what he wanted to do. Weakest U.S. President ever.

Cal88 said:

---

Haloski said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

Haloski said:

---

Sure, that's all great and wonderful and I'm sure you had a lot fun typing it, but he's still a giant piece of **** in many respects and you lack the ability to call him out on it.

It's probably possible to achieve one's goals without having people thrown off of buildings on the regs. You're selling yourself a narrative if you don't think that's the case.

All these people suck in many ways, and there's no need to justify **** that doesn't need to happen in order for them to be able to improve the lives of others. It's ok to admit it.

I eagerly anticipate your 43 paragraph response to this.

---

The people who suck the most are those who have relentlessly pushed for this war since 2014, and have actively scuttled an early settlement that could have saved 400,000 lives.

---

I already have noted that I think they all suck.

You simply won't do that.

Something in you won't allow you to criticize Putin. He sucks. He really sucks.

Go ahead and do it. Free yourself from your self imposed mind prison! YOU CAN DO IT.

---

Putin sucks . . .

---

Absolutely.

Cal88 said:

---

dajo9 said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

dajo9 said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

900 bases all over the world, including in places like Syria, a country that we have occupied for a decade now. OK not the whole country, just the third of that country with all the oil. We're taking the oil, but it is for good, not evil.

---

That is not Syrian oil. It belongs to the Kurds. Interesting backstory though. Trump declared the U.S. would stay "for the oil" and proceeded to a allow a secret contract with a U.S. company that had military and Republican ties. That U.S. corrupt, oligarchy company that Trump allowed and protected with the U.S. military, proceeded to loot the oil. Biden ended that arrangement. Of course, who knows what is happening with oil in that area, but if the Kurds have complaints, I'd be willing to listen.

---

The occupation of Syria and the theft of its oil precedes the Trump administration, it was already in place under Obama. Trump, to his credit, was very transparent about "taking the oil", and he also tried to pull out from Syria, or at the very least reduce considerably US military footprint. The MIC lied to him, reporting a far smaller presence than the actual number, an act of treason.

The oil doesn't belong to "the Kurds", it belongs to Syria, a country whose borders have been in place for over 100 years. The US carpet bombed with B-52s major cities in the north of Syria like Raqqa, which were mostly Syrian Arab Christian and Muslim, killing thousands of civilians, ethnically cleansing the region.

US occupation of Syria, the theft of its oil and wheat and the stringent economic sanctions imposed on that country have resulted in great suffering among their population and continued migration to Europe. The US is effectively preventing Syria from rebuilding, and its refugees from returning home. Syria was well-off before the color revolution and civil war were pushed onto that country.

We have no right to gerrymander countries halfway around the world and to prop up minorities against majorities in classic divide and conquer colonial schemes. The main victims in these cold geopolitical plays end up being these minorities, we've seen it in Vietnam with the Hmongs and mountain people, who collaborated with the US and ended up getting slaughtered after we left.

---

You seem hung up on artificial borders drawn up by colonists over 100 years ago. The local people are the Kurds. The oil belongs to them.

Also, thanks for providing another example of Trump's weakness and his inability to do what he wanted to do. Weakest U.S. President ever.

---

The locals are not "the Kurds", your knowledge of the region, a former French colony, and of its history and culture is very limited. The great majority of the people in the occupied third of Syria are not Kurdish.




Kurds are the "good guys" to the extent of that minority, constituting 7% of Syrian population, is being used as the local proxy army, to the detriment of that country and of the future of Syrian Kurds themselves.

---

Nobody here will be surprised to learn that Cal88 is spreading lies. Here he speaks of "the occupied third of Syria" and then posts a chart showing the ethnic composition of all of Syria from the year 2000 (before all the wars). Cal88 isn't even a good liar. It's so easy to call him out. Here is the source of his chart.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Syria/The-winds

dajo9 said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

dajo9 said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

dajo9 said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

900 bases all over the world, including in places like Syria, a country that we have occupied for a decade now. OK not the whole country, just the third of that country with all the oil. We're taking the oil, but it is for good, not evil.

---

That is not Syrian oil. It belongs to the Kurds. Interesting backstory though. Trump declared the U.S. would stay "for the oil" and proceeded to a allow a secret contract with a U.S. company that had military and Republican ties. That U.S. corrupt, oligarchy company that Trump allowed and protected with the U.S. military, proceeded to loot the oil. Biden ended that arrangement. Of course, who knows what is happening with oil in that area, but if the Kurds have complaints, I'd be willing to listen.

---

The occupation of Syria and the theft of its oil precedes the Trump administration, it was already in place under Obama. Trump, to his credit, was very transparent about "taking the oil", and he also tried to pull out from Syria, or at the very least reduce considerably US military footprint. The MIC lied to him, reporting a far smaller presence than the actual number, an act of treason.

The oil doesn't belong to "the Kurds", it belongs to Syria, a country whose borders have been in place for over 100 years. The US carpet bombed with B-52s major cities in the north of Syria like Raqqa, which were mostly Syrian Arab Christian and Muslim, killing thousands of civilians, ethnically cleansing the region.

US occupation of Syria, the theft of its oil and wheat and the stringent economic sanctions imposed on that country have resulted in great suffering among their population and continued migration to Europe. The US is effectively preventing Syria from rebuilding, and its refugees from returning home. Syria was well-off before the color revolution and civil war were pushed onto that country.

We have no right to gerrymander countries halfway around the world and to prop up minorities against majorities in classic divide and conquer colonial schemes. The main victims in these cold geopolitical plays end up being these minorities, we've seen it in Vietnam with the Hmongs and mountain people, who collaborated with the US and ended up getting slaughtered after we left.

---

You seem hung up on artificial borders drawn up by colonists over 100 years ago. The local people are the Kurds. The oil belongs to them.

Also, thanks for providing another example of Trump's weakness and his inability to do what he wanted to do. Weakest U.S. President ever.

---

The locals are not "the Kurds", your knowledge of the region, a former French colony, and of its history and culture is very limited. The great majority of the people in the occupied third of Syria are not Kurdish.




Kurds are the "good guys" to the extent of that minority, constituting 7% of Syrian population, is being used as the local proxy army, to the detriment of that country and of the future of Syrian Kurds themselves.

---

Nobody here will be surprised to learn that Cal88 is spreading lies. Here he speaks of "the occupied third of Syria" and then posts a chart showing the ethnic composition of all of Syria from the year 2000 (before all the wars). Cal88 isn't even a good liar. It's so easy to call him out. Here is the source of his chart.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Syria/The-winds

---

As has been noted, there isn't an authoritarian regime that Cal88 won't find a way to support.

dajo9 said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

dajo9 said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

dajo9 said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

900 bases all over the world, including in places like Syria, a country that we have occupied for a decade now. OK not the whole country, just the third of that country with all the oil. We're taking the oil, but it is for good, not evil.

---

That is not Syrian oil. It belongs to the Kurds. Interesting backstory though. Trump declared the U.S. would stay "for the oil" and proceeded to a allow a secret contract with a U.S. company that had military and Republican ties. That U.S. corrupt, oligarchy company that Trump allowed and protected with the U.S. military, proceeded to loot the oil. Biden ended that arrangement. Of course, who knows what is happening with oil in that area, but if the Kurds have complaints, I'd be willing to listen.

---

The occupation of Syria and the theft of its oil precedes the Trump administration, it was already in place under Obama. Trump, to his credit, was very transparent about "taking the oil", and he also tried to pull out from Syria, or at the very least reduce considerably US military footprint. The MIC lied to him, reporting a far smaller presence than the actual number, an act of treason.

The oil doesn't belong to "the Kurds", it belongs to Syria, a country whose borders have been in place for over 100 years. The US carpet bombed with B-52s major cities in the north of Syria like Raqqa, which were mostly Syrian Arab Christian and Muslim, killing thousands of civilians, ethnically cleansing the region.

US occupation of Syria, the theft of its oil and wheat and the stringent economic sanctions imposed on that country have resulted in great suffering among their population and continued migration to Europe. The US is effectively preventing Syria from rebuilding, and its refugees from returning home. Syria was well-off before the color revolution and civil war were pushed onto that country.

We have no right to gerrymander countries halfway around the world and to prop up minorities against majorities in classic divide and conquer colonial schemes. The main victims in these cold geopolitical plays end up being these minorities, we've seen it in Vietnam with the Hmongs and mountain people, who collaborated with the US and ended up getting slaughtered after we left.

---

You seem hung up on artificial borders drawn up by colonists over 100 years ago. The local people are the Kurds. The oil belongs to them.

Also, thanks for providing another example of Trump's weakness and his inability to do what he wanted to do. Weakest U.S. President ever.

---

The locals are not "the Kurds", your knowledge of the region, a former French colony, and of its history and culture is very limited. The great majority of the people in the occupied third of Syria are not Kurdish.




Kurds are the "good guys" to the extent of that minority, constituting 7% of Syrian population, is being used as the local proxy army, to the detriment of that country and of the future of Syrian Kurds themselves.

---

Nobody here will be surprised to learn that Cal88 is spreading lies. Here he speaks of "the occupied third of Syria" and then posts a chart showing the ethnic composition of all of Syria from the year 2000 (before all the wars). Cal88 isn't even a good liar. It's so easy to call him out. Here is the source of his chart.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Syria/The-winds

---

Pathetic invectives and accusations, the usual fare. Encyclopedia Britannica is a very good source, and the Syrian war started in early 2011, after which somewhere between a third to half of the population fled the country, with over half a million dead. The figures I have cited above accurately reflect the demography of Syria before the war started.

As many of you already know, Ukraine attacked a couple of Russian ships in dry docks in Crimea yesterday, destroying one (and possibly both). Once again, Russian's "vaunted" air defense failed against storm shadows and it appears Ukraine can strike Russian occupying forces at will in Ukraine's Crimean territory.

Used Storm Shadow cruise missiles gifted by UK. First time missiles used against a submarine target. 2/

— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) September 14, 2023

Submarine Rostov-on-Don used to launch missiles at Ukraine from Black Sea. 4/

— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) September 14, 2023

September 13th, 2023 will be a day Ukrainians remember for ever.

It was the first time they destroyed a Russian submarine.

Submarine B-237 "Rostov-on-Don" was destroyed in a Ukrainian missile strike agains the dry-docks of Sevastopol, Crimea this morning. pic.twitter.com/bv0BAhtqaa

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) September 13, 2023

If Sevastopol has become a valid target for Storm Shadows/SCALP cruise missiles and Ukraine has sufficient missiles, Russia's capabilities in the Black Sea will significantly diminish. If Russian ships can’t operate safely from Sevastopol, the implications could be huge!

— Benjamin Pittet (@COUPSURE) September 13, 2023

And again, this has created an opportunity to clown Putin and his ridiculous propaganda. I guess as long as you ignore actual results, Russian's propaganda can continue to pretend that they are #winning, even if winning means losing ground, damaging their own economy, begging North Korea for 60 year old artillery, and sacrificing far too many of Russia's youth for a pointless criminal invasion in furtherance of Putin's corrupt kleptocracy.

I've lost more ships to a country without a navy in a land war.

I remain a master strategist.

— Darth Putin (@DarthPutinKGB) September 13, 2023

Following reports that UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles were used in yesterday’s attack on Russian naval vessels in Sevastopol, Vladimir Ovchinsky claims on state TV that Britain started both world wars and that Zelensky is an agent of MI6 pic.twitter.com/41QqqMdK0P

— Francis Scarr (@francis_scarr) September 14, 2023

Whatever you say, buddy

History Legends chronicles Ukranian success in the Black Sea. Guerrilla naval drones, unmanned boats, probing attacks, and UKR has secured several defunct oil platforms (?) for potential future attacks.

Ukraine likely trying to blow up the Russia - Turkish oil pipeline. The Odessa coast serving as the key launching location. Roughly 70-80% of attack vehicles neutralized.

Zippergate said:

---

Big C said:

---

BearHunter said:

---

This Ukrainian extremist group, called The Azov Battalion, has ties to neo-Nazis and white supremacists. Our latest report on international white supremacy details how they try to connect with like-minded extremists from the US: https://t.co/GtvssxwzbN https://t.co/gGHMM8L46k

— ADL (@ADL) September 23, 2019

In 2019, ADL condemned the Azov Battalion as "neo-Nazi" and "white supremacist extremists." Now they won't say anything because the Biden Admin is arming Azov:

---

Doesn't it get tough for you people sometimes... the utter back-and-forth confusion about how you're supposed to feel about Jews? Or do they just send you the talking points every day and you mindlessly parrot them?

---

The only confusion is for the warmonger left and their straw man arguments. If every conservative is responsible for the bigotry of neo-Nazis, then every liberal is responsible for Stalin, Mao, Antifa, and most of all, southern Democrats from whom they directly trace their lineage.

It's abundantly clear who the real Nazis are in this war. Holocaust mass murderers are celebrated TO THIS VERY DAY in Ukraine. Unlike the left, I don't assume their side believes in the goals of Nazism even though their uncritical support of actual Nazis would suggest that this is the case.

---

Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko posted a video of himself wearing a Black Sun patch on his X account.

☠️☠️https://t.co/noqcVoRDXH pic.twitter.com/9NXpFUfyhg

— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) September 15, 2023

I haven't seen Nazi symbols so prominently displayed since the time when Ukraine soldiers wore them on their uniforms back in 2023.

Zelensky is coming to DC next week to bully the American public to cut another check.

He's also coming to remind Joe Biden that if he doesn't pay up, all the dirt on Biden and 0bama will come out.

Business Insider: Russian manufacturers are making up to 7 times as much ammunition as Western arms makers, Estonian defense official says

https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-ammunition-manufacturing-ukraine-west-officials-2023-9

movielover said:

---

Business Insider: Russian manufacturers are making up to 7 times as much ammunition as Western arms makers, Estonian defense official says

https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-ammunition-manufacturing-ukraine-west-officials-2023-9

---

This is another example of the MSM starting to manage the public's expectations in light of the failure of the Ukrainian Spring offensive and in anticipation of Russia gradually winning the war of attrition.

Russia has a lot of idle capacity it has inherited from Soviet times, cavernous megafactories stacked with machine-tools that have been mothballed in the 90s. In 1990, the USSR had a tank production capacity of 4,000 units/yr, even though they only produced around 500-750 per year, they kept a strategic production capacity that could be instantly ramped up if things got hot. They also had a large list of client states around the world. The same strategic idle capacity situation applies to their munitions factories.

They have also created from scratch a large drone production capacity spanning the entire drone range, with the mid-range loitering Lancet drones being one of the gamechangers for them in this war, over a third of Ukrainian tanks, cannons, AA installations etc were taken out by Lancets, currently produced in several large factories.

Russia does produce 25+ nanometer chips that are a generation or two behind the latest 5 nano TSMC stuff, but are sufficiently powerful to use in their missiles and airplanes.

The Billionaires want a piece of the action.

Kiev Independent: Who is Penny Pritzker, new US special representative for Ukraine's economic recovery?

https://kyivindependent.com/who-is-penny-pritzker-new-us-special-representative-for-ukraines-economic-recovery/

Kiev Independent: New brigade bears heavy brunt of Russia's onslaught in Kharkiv Oblast

An honest assessment. Massive amounts of drones, Russians competent, Ukranians under trained and under supplied.

https://kyivindependent.com/new-brigade-bears-heavy-brunt-of-russias-onslaught-in-kharkiv-oblast/

🇩🇪In Germany the largest protest turnout this year against the German government's pro-NATO policies, arms supplies to Ukraine, and restrictions on civil liberties took place in Magdeburg today (16/09/23). pic.twitter.com/wPxrvQSP8e

— Blackrussian (@Blackrussiantv) September 16, 2023

Bigger protest still in the Czech Republic, against NATO policies and inflation:

Quote:

---

PRAGUE, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Thousands of supporters of a pro-Russian Czech opposition party gathered in Prague on Saturday to protest against the country's centre-right government, criticising its economic management and military support for Ukraine.

---

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/czech-protesters-rally-against-governments-pro-western-policies-2023-09-16/

Unit2Sucks said:

---

Remember, Russia isn't just winning this war according to propagandists, the war is making them stronger.

Here's an analysis based on Russian treasury reports. Since Russian propaganda and even Ukrainian reporting doesn't project this number of Russian casualties, what it really indicates is more Russia.ln corruption. Since nothing in Russia happens without Putin, he presumably got his beak wet also - adding to his reported $200b fortune.

Is that how Russia gets stronger?

So Russia has spent $25.6 billion on compensation to families of deceased soldiers and $21 billion on compensation to the wounded. Putin has previously signed a decree earlier in the year ordering the payout of $68,800 to the families of deceased and $41,300 to soldiers that are… pic.twitter.com/PrRRkojizo

— Intelschizo (@Schizointel) September 16, 2023

---

I don't think this war is making Russia stronger. It certainly isn't making the countries above stronger either, which I believe is the post you are responding to. What are your thoughts on the massive protests in Czech and Germany?

It's making its military stronger, more seasoned, updated. They'll have a million men with battle experience, new supply lines, new technologies / tactics, and NATO has temporarily become a paper tiger.

The longer it goes, the worse it gets for Ukraine/ NATO. Germany is hurting, so are other neighboring countries.

Not to mention stronger in their distrust of and will to oppose NATO and the US. Stronger in their support of Putin. Stronger in their will to endure suffering until victory has been achieved. Stronger in their desire to transition from a economy that is dependent on an untrustworthy West.
Mission accomplished, neocons.

The Russian invasion of Afghanistan provided the same benefits, right?

bearister said:

---

The Russian invasion of Afghanistan provided the same benefits, right?

---

That lasted 10 years, and Ukraine is not Afghanistan, it is right on their border, had the strongest military in Europe before the war started, and is populated with a large Russian minority that is being attacked and whose basic rights are being stifled, and afghan jihadis did not send drones to Moscow or blow up St Petersburg restaurants .

Ukraine is a war that could have been entirely averted had Ukraine respected the Minsk Agreements or stayed neutral. Stoltenberg signs that paper as mentioned above, 430,000 Ukrainian soldiers would be alive today, 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers would have not lost their limbs, and Ukraine would still be the largest country in Europe.

There is no question that Ukraine would have been a billion times better off by just giving the Donbass region more autonomy and conceding Crimea, a region populated by Russians that is vital to Russian navy and shipping access. Instead Ukraine was pushed into an unwinnable war, their most radical nationalist nuts who hate Russia for ideological reasons were put into power, with Zelensky as the more palatable face of the Kiev regime.

Russia is stronger militarily today, no question about this. They are however also going to be stronger economically, as they have the BRICS behind them, and have developed a number of key industries (agro-industrial, passenger jets, consumer products, auto and trucks etc ) that they used to rely on imports and foreign countries to produce. As well the sanctions on Russian billionaires and millionaires have also forced this class to repatriate their capital and invest at home:

Truth V Narrative#Russians got richer last year even as the war in Ukraine raged on, while the #US and #Europe lost trillions of dollars, UBS reported.#Russia added $600 billion of total wealth, the Swiss bank found in its annual Global Wealth Report.https://t.co/zgL2trgO3N.

— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) August 27, 2023

Russia sits on $75 TRILLION in natural resources, they are the richest country in the world by far, they have no unemployment, no debt (relative to their much larger gold and currency reserves), and have no need to import goods from the West, anything they cannot produce in the short term can be sourced from China.

Putin is now as popular as he was in the 00s, the Russians having rallied round their flag. He is however coming under increased criticism at home for being too passive and too soft. I think the Russians are going to make their move next year, either in winter or in summer after the Ukrainian military has further degraded in personnel and materiel.

The Russians have the upper hand now. They might settle for a solution with the current borders provided that the rest of Ukraine is neutral and demilitarized. However the Kiev government is still talking about reconquering Crimea and overthrowing Putin. So the carnage will go on for now...

Cal88 said:

---

bearister said:

---

The Russian invasion of Afghanistan provided the same benefits, right?

---

That lasted 10 years, and Ukraine is not Afghanistan, it is right on their border, had the strongest military in Europe before the war started, and is populated with a large Russian minority that is being attacked and whose basic rights are being stifled, and afghan jihadis did not send drones to Moscow or blow up St Petersburg restaurants .

Ukraine is a war that could have been entirely averted had Ukraine respected the Minsk Agreements or stayed neutral. Stoltenberg signs that paper as mentioned above, 430,000 Ukrainian soldiers would be alive today, 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers would have not lost their limbs, and Ukraine would still be the largest country in Europe.

There is no question that Ukraine would have been a billion times better off by just giving the Donbass region more autonomy and conceding Crimea, a region populated by Russians that is vital to Russian navy and shipping access. Instead Ukraine was pushed into an unwinnable war, their most radical nationalist nuts who hate Russia for ideological reasons were put into power, with Zelensky as the more palatable face of the Kiev regime.

Russia is stronger militarily today, no question about this. They are however also going to be stronger economically, as they have the BRICS behind them, and have developed a number of key industries (agro-industrial, passenger jets, consumer products, auto and trucks etc ) that they used to rely on imports and foreign countries to produce. As well the sanctions on Russian billionaires and millionaires have also forced this class to repatriate their capital and invest at home:

Truth V Narrative#Russians got richer last year even as the war in Ukraine raged on, while the #US and #Europe lost trillions of dollars, UBS reported.#Russia added $600 billion of total wealth, the Swiss bank found in its annual Global Wealth Report.https://t.co/zgL2trgO3N.

— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) August 27, 2023

Russia sits on $75 TRILLION in natural resources, they are the richest country in the world by far, they have no unemployment, no debt (relative to their much larger gold and currency reserves), and have no need to import goods from the West, anything they cannot produce in the short term can be sourced from China.

Putin is now as popular as he was in the 00s, the Russians having rallied round their flag. He is however coming under increased criticism at home for being too passive and too soft. I think the Russians are going to make their move next year, either in winter or in summer after the Ukrainian military has further degraded in personnel and materiel.

The Russians have the upper hand now. They might settle for a solution with the current borders provided that the rest of Ukraine is neutral and demilitarized. However the Kiev government is still talking about reconquering Crimea and overthrowing Putin. So the carnage will go on for now..

---

[Russia is] the richest country in the world by far

By any metric other than the size of their economy, I suppose.

dimitrig said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

bearister said:

---

The Russian invasion of Afghanistan provided the same benefits, right?

---

That lasted 10 years, and Ukraine is not Afghanistan, it is right on their border, had the strongest military in Europe before the war started, and is populated with a large Russian minority that is being attacked and whose basic rights are being stifled, and afghan jihadis did not send drones to Moscow or blow up St Petersburg restaurants .

Ukraine is a war that could have been entirely averted had Ukraine respected the Minsk Agreements or stayed neutral. Stoltenberg signs that paper as mentioned above, 430,000 Ukrainian soldiers would be alive today, 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers would have not lost their limbs, and Ukraine would still be the largest country in Europe.

There is no question that Ukraine would have been a billion times better off by just giving the Donbass region more autonomy and conceding Crimea, a region populated by Russians that is vital to Russian navy and shipping access. Instead Ukraine was pushed into an unwinnable war, their most radical nationalist nuts who hate Russia for ideological reasons were put into power, with Zelensky as the more palatable face of the Kiev regime.

Russia is stronger militarily today, no question about this. They are however also going to be stronger economically, as they have the BRICS behind them, and have developed a number of key industries (agro-industrial, passenger jets, consumer products, auto and trucks etc ) that they used to rely on imports and foreign countries to produce. As well the sanctions on Russian billionaires and millionaires have also forced this class to repatriate their capital and invest at home:

Truth V Narrative#Russians got richer last year even as the war in Ukraine raged on, while the #US and #Europe lost trillions of dollars, UBS reported.#Russia added $600 billion of total wealth, the Swiss bank found in its annual Global Wealth Report.https://t.co/zgL2trgO3N.

— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) August 27, 2023

Russia sits on $75 TRILLION in natural resources, they are the richest country in the world by far, they have no unemployment, no debt (relative to their much larger gold and currency reserves), and have no need to import goods from the West, anything they cannot produce in the short term can be sourced from China.

Putin is now as popular as he was in the 00s, the Russians having rallied round their flag. He is however coming under increased criticism at home for being too passive and too soft. I think the Russians are going to make their move next year, either in winter or in summer after the Ukrainian military has further degraded in personnel and materiel.

The Russians have the upper hand now. They might settle for a solution with the current borders provided that the rest of Ukraine is neutral and demilitarized. However the Kiev government is still talking about reconquering Crimea and overthrowing Putin. So the carnage will go on for now..

---

[Russia is] the richest country in the world by far

By any metric other than the size of their economy, I suppose.

---

Cal88 uses a PPP metric that is like grading countries on a curve giving them extra credit for being poor and cheap.

dajo9 said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

bearister said:

---

The Russian invasion of Afghanistan provided the same benefits, right?

---

That lasted 10 years, and Ukraine is not Afghanistan, it is right on their border, had the strongest military in Europe before the war started, and is populated with a large Russian minority that is being attacked and whose basic rights are being stifled, and afghan jihadis did not send drones to Moscow or blow up St Petersburg restaurants .

Ukraine is a war that could have been entirely averted had Ukraine respected the Minsk Agreements or stayed neutral. Stoltenberg signs that paper as mentioned above, 430,000 Ukrainian soldiers would be alive today, 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers would have not lost their limbs, and Ukraine would still be the largest country in Europe.

There is no question that Ukraine would have been a billion times better off by just giving the Donbass region more autonomy and conceding Crimea, a region populated by Russians that is vital to Russian navy and shipping access. Instead Ukraine was pushed into an unwinnable war, their most radical nationalist nuts who hate Russia for ideological reasons were put into power, with Zelensky as the more palatable face of the Kiev regime.

Russia is stronger militarily today, no question about this. They are however also going to be stronger economically, as they have the BRICS behind them, and have developed a number of key industries (agro-industrial, passenger jets, consumer products, auto and trucks etc ) that they used to rely on imports and foreign countries to produce. As well the sanctions on Russian billionaires and millionaires have also forced this class to repatriate their capital and invest at home:

Truth V Narrative#Russians got richer last year even as the war in Ukraine raged on, while the #US and #Europe lost trillions of dollars, UBS reported.#Russia added $600 billion of total wealth, the Swiss bank found in its annual Global Wealth Report.https://t.co/zgL2trgO3N.

— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) August 27, 2023

Russia sits on $75 TRILLION in natural resources, they are the richest country in the world by far, they have no unemployment, no debt (relative to their much larger gold and currency reserves), and have no need to import goods from the West, anything they cannot produce in the short term can be sourced from China.

Putin is now as popular as he was in the 00s, the Russians having rallied round their flag. He is however coming under increased criticism at home for being too passive and too soft. I think the Russians are going to make their move next year, either in winter or in summer after the Ukrainian military has further degraded in personnel and materiel.

The Russians have the upper hand now. They might settle for a solution with the current borders provided that the rest of Ukraine is neutral and demilitarized. However the Kiev government is still talking about reconquering Crimea and overthrowing Putin. So the carnage will go on for now..

---

[Russia is] the richest country in the world by far

By any metric other than the size of their economy, I suppose.

---

Cal88 uses a PPP metric that is like grading countries on a curve giving them extra credit for being poor and cheap.

---

I see, so using that metric West Virginia and Mississippi are the richest states in the US.

dimitrig said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

bearister said:

---

The Russian invasion of Afghanistan provided the same benefits, right?

---

That lasted 10 years, and Ukraine is not Afghanistan, it is right on their border, had the strongest military in Europe before the war started, and is populated with a large Russian minority that is being attacked and whose basic rights are being stifled, and afghan jihadis did not send drones to Moscow or blow up St Petersburg restaurants .

Ukraine is a war that could have been entirely averted had Ukraine respected the Minsk Agreements or stayed neutral. Stoltenberg signs that paper as mentioned above, 430,000 Ukrainian soldiers would be alive today, 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers would have not lost their limbs, and Ukraine would still be the largest country in Europe.

There is no question that Ukraine would have been a billion times better off by just giving the Donbass region more autonomy and conceding Crimea, a region populated by Russians that is vital to Russian navy and shipping access. Instead Ukraine was pushed into an unwinnable war, their most radical nationalist nuts who hate Russia for ideological reasons were put into power, with Zelensky as the more palatable face of the Kiev regime.

Russia is stronger militarily today, no question about this. They are however also going to be stronger economically, as they have the BRICS behind them, and have developed a number of key industries (agro-industrial, passenger jets, consumer products, auto and trucks etc ) that they used to rely on imports and foreign countries to produce. As well the sanctions on Russian billionaires and millionaires have also forced this class to repatriate their capital and invest at home:

Truth V Narrative#Russians got richer last year even as the war in Ukraine raged on, while the #US and #Europe lost trillions of dollars, UBS reported.#Russia added $600 billion of total wealth, the Swiss bank found in its annual Global Wealth Report.https://t.co/zgL2trgO3N.

— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) August 27, 2023

Russia sits on $75 TRILLION in natural resources, they are the richest country in the world by far, they have no unemployment, no debt (relative to their much larger gold and currency reserves), and have no need to import goods from the West, anything they cannot produce in the short term can be sourced from China.

Putin is now as popular as he was in the 00s, the Russians having rallied round their flag. He is however coming under increased criticism at home for being too passive and too soft. I think the Russians are going to make their move next year, either in winter or in summer after the Ukrainian military has further degraded in personnel and materiel.

The Russians have the upper hand now. They might settle for a solution with the current borders provided that the rest of Ukraine is neutral and demilitarized. However the Kiev government is still talking about reconquering Crimea and overthrowing Putin. So the carnage will go on for now..

---

[Russia is] the richest country in the world by far

By any metric other than the size of their economy, I suppose.

---

By natural resources.

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets-economy/090516/10-countries-most-natural-resources.asp

dimitrig said:

---

dajo9 said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

bearister said:

---

The Russian invasion of Afghanistan provided the same benefits, right?

---

That lasted 10 years, and Ukraine is not Afghanistan, it is right on their border, had the strongest military in Europe before the war started, and is populated with a large Russian minority that is being attacked and whose basic rights are being stifled, and afghan jihadis did not send drones to Moscow or blow up St Petersburg restaurants .

Ukraine is a war that could have been entirely averted had Ukraine respected the Minsk Agreements or stayed neutral. Stoltenberg signs that paper as mentioned above, 430,000 Ukrainian soldiers would be alive today, 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers would have not lost their limbs, and Ukraine would still be the largest country in Europe.

There is no question that Ukraine would have been a billion times better off by just giving the Donbass region more autonomy and conceding Crimea, a region populated by Russians that is vital to Russian navy and shipping access. Instead Ukraine was pushed into an unwinnable war, their most radical nationalist nuts who hate Russia for ideological reasons were put into power, with Zelensky as the more palatable face of the Kiev regime.

Russia is stronger militarily today, no question about this. They are however also going to be stronger economically, as they have the BRICS behind them, and have developed a number of key industries (agro-industrial, passenger jets, consumer products, auto and trucks etc ) that they used to rely on imports and foreign countries to produce. As well the sanctions on Russian billionaires and millionaires have also forced this class to repatriate their capital and invest at home:

Truth V Narrative#Russians got richer last year even as the war in Ukraine raged on, while the #US and #Europe lost trillions of dollars, UBS reported.#Russia added $600 billion of total wealth, the Swiss bank found in its annual Global Wealth Report.https://t.co/zgL2trgO3N.

— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) August 27, 2023

Russia sits on $75 TRILLION in natural resources, they are the richest country in the world by far, they have no unemployment, no debt (relative to their much larger gold and currency reserves), and have no need to import goods from the West, anything they cannot produce in the short term can be sourced from China.

Putin is now as popular as he was in the 00s, the Russians having rallied round their flag. He is however coming under increased criticism at home for being too passive and too soft. I think the Russians are going to make their move next year, either in winter or in summer after the Ukrainian military has further degraded in personnel and materiel.

The Russians have the upper hand now. They might settle for a solution with the current borders provided that the rest of Ukraine is neutral and demilitarized. However the Kiev government is still talking about reconquering Crimea and overthrowing Putin. So the carnage will go on for now..

---

[Russia is] the richest country in the world by far

By any metric other than the size of their economy, I suppose.

---

Cal88 uses a PPP metric that is like grading countries on a curve giving them extra credit for being poor and cheap.

---

I see, so using that metric West Virginia and Mississippi are the richest states in the US.

---

Pretty much

Afghanistan was on the USSR's border, right? Not that different from Ukraine in that respect.