303 replies to this topic

[BSLChrisStoner]

Such a horrible situation for the Ukrainians, and frankly the world. This has an ability to spiral out of control. 

 

Quick Hits / Thoughts
 

- Ukraine the size of Texas, 44M people

 

- I don't think Russia is looking to occupy...  estimates are they would need 600k ground troops to do so. 

 

- At the minimum though, they are looking for regime change and a puppet state.  Looking to annex the separatist territories. 

 

- Russia has complete air control. 

 

- The pretext for this was always bs.  Ukraine wasn't anytime soon (and probably ever) going to be accepted into NATO. 

 

- Belarus has agreed for Russian troops to be there basically forever... so they are basically Russia. 

 

- The sanctions the West are implementing are going to be crippling, and deservedly so.

 

- When Russia launches Cyber attacks in response... and NATO countries are impacted.... what's the next response from the West?

 

- China refusing to criticize Russia.... seems about right. 

 

- Russia will pay a physical cost if they attempt to be an occupying force. 

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Feel for the Ukraine people. Putin legit wants most or all of the eastern bloc back and with esculation who knows. Dangerous and troubling times.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Agree with all the thoughts, Chris. Selfishly focusing on me, it’s the apparent alliance with China that is most disturbing. We’ve essentially developed China into the next super power, and it isn’t going to be pretty. For obvious reasons, they are obviously watching the worlds every move in reaction to the invasion. So if the penalties aren’t stiff enough, they could very well make their own move on Taiwan. And yet, the stiffer the penalties on Russia, the more likely they use the nuclear option (hopefully not literally). What a S show.

[DuffMan]

It's sad, one of my coworkers is from Ukraine.  He's been in the States for a while now, but I'm sure he still has friends/family over there.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Agree with all the thoughts, Chris. Selfishly focusing on me, it’s the apparent alliance with China that is most disturbing. We’ve essentially developed China into the next super power, and it isn’t going to be pretty. For obvious reasons, they are obviously watching the worlds every move in reaction to the invasion. So if the penalties aren’t stiff enough, they could very well make their own move on Taiwan. And yet, the stiffer the penalties on Russia, the more likely they use the nuclear option (hopefully not literally). What a S show.

 

Spot on with Taiwan, that's 100% part of the Chinese equation in-terms of their response. Their lock-step with Russia is a real issue.

[russsnyder]

I don't think the sanctions will be as " crippling" as many perceive.

I think we are at a point in history where Russia and China are the dominate super powers.

Also,the sanctions are not expected to target Russian crude oil at this point. Russia presently supplies 11 percent of the world's oil.

The citizens of the Ukraine are innocent victims of this game of international chess.

[DuffMan]

Meanwhile you've got 45 out there calling Putin a genius and praising him for this invasion.  What the heck is wrong with that person?

[Old Man]

Russia has a very long history of doing what they want, regardless of the rest of the world's opinions.

 

Meanwhile, just watch the gas pump price keep rising.

[russsnyder]

Agree with all the thoughts, Chris. Selfishly focusing on me, it’s the apparent alliance with China that is most disturbing. We’ve essentially developed China into the next super power, and it isn’t going to be pretty. For obvious reasons, they are obviously watching the worlds every move in reaction to the invasion. So if the penalties aren’t stiff enough, they could very well make their own move on Taiwan. And yet, the stiffer the penalties on Russia, the more likely they use the nuclear option (hopefully not literally). What a S show.

There is no doubt that the alliance between China and Russia has emboldened both countries. It seems like Putin is suggesting using nuclear weapons as a fall back. Also, We can thank W for putting China on the path of a Superpower. I'm sure he and his cohorts have made piles of $ in the process. Never mind the human rights violations, enslaved people, etc. It is quite the shit show and our country has never been weaker or more divided.

[russsnyder]

Russia has a very long history of doing what they want, regardless of the rest of the world's opinions.

Meanwhile, just watch the gas pump price keep rising.

Yep, particularly if they cut off their oil supply to west. We'll see $ 5.00 a gallon very shortly.

[Old Man]

Yep, particularly if they cut off their oil supply to west. We'll see $ 5.00 a gallon very shortly.

They already got hit with financial sanctions from the west and more to come.

 

Their first move in this chess game, is to turn off the oil.

[Mark Carver]

As useless as the UN is, Russia should be removed somehow as a permanent member of the UN Security Council as long as Putin is leading the country. He's a repeat offender. Attacked Georgia (2008), Crimea (2014) and today (2022).

[russsnyder]

As useless as the UN is, Russia should be removed somehow as a permanent member of the UN Security Council as long as Putin is leading the country. He's a repeat offender. Attacked Georgia (2008), Crimea (2014) and today (2022).

Absolutely.

Send any kind of message that you can.

[mweb08]

I don't think the sanctions will be as " crippling" as many perceive.

I think we are at a point in history where Russia and China are the dominate super powers.

Also,the sanctions are not expected to target Russian crude oil at this point. Russia presently supplies 11 percent of the world's oil.

The citizens of the Ukraine are innocent victims of this game of international chess.

The US is more powerful than Russia by a decent margin. However, they're certainly powerful enough to keep us from wanting to actually go to war with them.

You're certainly right about how divided we are.

The one potential silver lining with this is that it's the type of thing that generally unites us. However, I am skeptical of our ability to unite right now, and there are plenty that would rather use this to be divisive, plus even some that would actually side with Russia.

[You Play to Win the Game]

The US is more powerful than Russia by a decent margin. However, they're certainly powerful enough to keep us from wanting to actually go to war with them.

You're certainly right about how divided we are.

The one potential silver lining with this is that it's the type of thing that generally unites us. However, I am skeptical of our ability to unite right now, and there are plenty that would rather use this to be divisive, plus even some that would actually side with Russia.

Trump on Fox News last night...

 

"He was going to be satisfied with a peace, and now he sees the weakness and the incompetence and the stupidity of this administration, and as an American, I'm angry about it, and I'm saddened by it," he continued. "And it all happened because of a rigged election. This would have never happened."

 

So yeah, pretty much.

[Old Man]

Go back to 1963. Nobody really understands how close both countries came to pushing the send nuke missile button at each other.

 

Unless the film has been doctored, what they are showing on TV is pretty damning. Russian aircraft bombing civilian homes.

[BSLMikeLowe]

I don't think there are any sanctions that could change Putin's ways. 2014's sanctions didn't produce any results, and ever since then he's been preparing the country to weather the next round. While the west can wall Russia off, there will always be countries who will need and buy their oil and natural gas.

 

I hope Putin isn't brazen, or crazy, enough to eventually try the same thing with the former Soviet Baltic states, who are NATO members. I would think if he wanted those countries back under his control he'd have tried to do it while 45 was in office, when the commitment to defending other NATO countries was on shakier ground.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Russia’s main MOEX index ended Thursday’s session 33% lower following Russia’s military action in Ukraine. It crashed as much as 45% earlier today.

Big Russian energy companies and banks were hit the hardest amid expectations the West would announce tougher sanctions. Gazprom plunged 38% and Rosneft fell 40%, while banks VTB and Sberbank also dropped more than 40%.

The Russian ruble remains at record lows, down 7% against the US dollar.

[Mackus]

I don't have anything intelligent to add, but there are two things this makes me think of.  One is the large amount of Ukrainian immigrants who settled in the Canton neighborhood in Baltimore in the middle of the 20th century.  Tons of Ukrainian churches all over the area.  The Ukrainian Festival at Patterson Park was always full of awesome food.  Sad to think of how many of these people still have families in Ukraine that are in severe danger right now.  The second thing is much sillier: the Seinfeld episode where Kremer and Newman play Risk.  The Ukrainian man on the Subway certainly defended himself when he was (perceived) attacked in that episode.  Hopefully the Ukrainian people in real life can find a way to protect themselves and defend against this invasion.  

[DuffMan]

Champions league is moving the final from Russia.

 

F1 is supposed to race there in September really hoping they do the right thing and cancel  Sebastian Vettel arguably the most outspoken driver in F1 has already said he won't race there.

 

More on the F1 front involves the American Team Haas.  Their primary sponsor is Uralkali (it's bad enough the car color for Haas looks like the Russian flag), current sanctions haven't impacted them but it's something worth keeping an eye on.

https://www.espn.com...el-says-boycott