Author Topic: The Putin Presidency  (Read 10315 times)

Offline Peter B

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The Putin Presidency
« on: March 02, 2022, 04:48:04 PM »
Quote
Apparently Putin does have 100% support from the people around him because he's limited himself to being surrounded by sycophants and has shut everyone else out, in part because of COVID-induced paranoia.  Not that he's had it, but because he's terrified that he will.  Hence all those Really Big Tables.

At some point he's going to be having contact with his generals, and they may not want to be his friends...

Anyway, speaking of the Really Big Tables, I saw a meme somewhere recently which played with the image of Putin and French President Macron at opposite ends of one of those RBTs - turning it into a giant see-saw.
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Offline LunarOrbit

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Re: The Putin Presidency
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2022, 02:34:36 PM »
This is going to end with someone close to Putin poisoning his tea with Polonium-210 or putting a bullet through his head. He has cost his oligarch "friends" a lot of money and now he is probably sleeping with one eye open.

I know a lot of people want NATO or the UN to implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine, but I believe that is exactly what Putin wants. He wants NATO jets to bomb anti-aircraft missile launchers and radar stations so that he can use it as an excuse to escalate this into WW3.

But yeah, I would sure love to see a squadron of A-10 Thunderbolts strafe that convoy of Russian vehicles.
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Offline LionKing

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Re: The Putin Presidency
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2022, 03:19:00 PM »
Sad how some voices start to say those are Europeans with blue eyes and not Iraqi and Syrian refugees. Shame on this journalism that calls itself professional.
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Offline Peter B

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Re: The Putin Presidency
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2022, 07:40:19 PM »
One thing that worries me about this war is the parallels I see with a couple of other wars - the Soviet invasion of Finland in 1939, and the recent Sri Lankan civil war of 1983-2009.

Finland: a country that had been part of the Russian empire until 20 years previously; a manufactured excuse to attack Finland; a poorly armed but highly motivated defender; a large invading army with modern military technology expecting a walkover victory, and being brought to an unexpected halt; and final victory only being achieved after a prolonged halt to regroup, followed by a second attack supported by massive firepower.

Obviously there are differences, given that the USSR wasn't interested in conquering Finland, merely pushing its border with Finland away from Leningrad. But it points to a way the current war might progress.

Sri Lanka: both sides saw themselves as a threatened minority - the Tamils as a minority within Sri Lanka, and the Sinhalese as a minority when compared with Tamils in Sri and India.

The comparison here is that the Ukrainians see themselves as the obviously weaker party compared to Russia, but the Russians also see themselves as threatened and "surrounded" by NATO.

The danger here is that it lends both sides the desperation generated by the belief that defeat equals extinction, meaning that neither side is motivated to negotiate a peace deal which involves much in the way of concessions.

What concerns me is that Ukraine is likely to want peace to involve a return to pre-war borders, including the breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine. Given that the people there almost universally want to be part of Russia, it's hard to see how they could ever be reconciled to life as part of Ukraine; on the other hand it would set a dangerous precedent to allow Russia to emerge from the war with additional territory.
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Offline grmcdorman

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Re: The Putin Presidency
« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2022, 08:24:16 PM »
No, it's not a situation with a good exit. And given that Putin, apparently, just doubled down on his original position in a discussion with Macron today ("he's determined to press on to the end"), it's clear there's no budging on that side.

Oh, and the Russians are now apparently shelling a nuclear reactor: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-russia-invasion-march3-2022-1.6371091

The talks between the sides, on the other hand, have apparently agreed that there should be safe exit corridors for civilians. Whether those will actually appear is a different question...

Offline Allan F

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Re: The Putin Presidency
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2022, 09:02:21 PM »

But yeah, I would sure love to see a squadron of A-10 Thunderbolts strafe that convoy of Russian vehicles.

You might like this then:
Well, it is like this: The truth doesn't need insults. Insults are the refuge of a darkened mind, a mind that refuses to open and see. Foul language can't outcompete knowledge. And knowledge is the result of education. Education is the result of the wish to know more, not less.

Offline LunarOrbit

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Re: The Putin Presidency
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2022, 09:48:39 PM »

But yeah, I would sure love to see a squadron of A-10 Thunderbolts strafe that convoy of Russian vehicles.

You might like this then:

I take it back... send in the B-1s instead.
It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth.
I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth.
I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.
- Neil Armstrong (1930-2012)

Online Obviousman

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Re: The Putin Presidency
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2022, 02:42:03 AM »
Diplomacy only works with the rational and sane.

Putin is neither - he is a rabid dog which needs to be put down before he hurts more people.

Offline molesworth

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Re: The Putin Presidency
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2022, 04:19:20 AM »
Hopefully the oligarchs and/or Russian Mafia will get fed up with the huge problems they're now facing around the world, and will "remove" Putin from the scene.  Although I would prefer that he be taken to the Hague and charged with war crimes.

Things don't seem to be going his way at any level.  He wanted to create a buffer between Russia and the EU & NATO countries, but the result has been multiple neighbouring countries applying for membership of one or both.
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Offline gillianren

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Re: The Putin Presidency
« Reply #9 on: March 04, 2022, 09:02:13 AM »
Yeah, this invasion simply isn't rational.  Maybe the results weren't fully predictable, but many of them were.

I also agree that it's really sad that Ukrainian refugees are treated differently than refugees from the Middle East or Africa--or Central and South America.  Gosh, I wonder what the difference could be.
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Offline Allan F

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Re: The Putin Presidency
« Reply #10 on: March 04, 2022, 02:11:13 PM »
My totally unfounded prediction is, someday in the not to distant future, one from his inner circle gets a phone call late at night.

"Our beloved leader has suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, and has unfortunately died".

"When did this happen"?

"Tomorrow morning. There's a small gift at your front door. Take it to work. There is a bigger gift after the job is done".

(Finds a tokarev at his doorstep)


His industrial elite has had enough of sanctions which cut their business off and they are bleeding money. They are not going to take it for long.
Well, it is like this: The truth doesn't need insults. Insults are the refuge of a darkened mind, a mind that refuses to open and see. Foul language can't outcompete knowledge. And knowledge is the result of education. Education is the result of the wish to know more, not less.

Offline Kiwi

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Re: The Putin Presidency
« Reply #11 on: March 07, 2022, 03:22:49 AM »
Anyway, speaking of the Really Big Tables...

This might be worth reading - commentator Gwynne Dyer suggesting that Putin's recent actions might be the result of steroids.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/300532115/look-at-his-face-what-tack-to-take-if-russian-president-vladimir-putin-is-on-steroids

It was in my local paper on Saturday 5 March, and it's not yet on Dyer's home page but should be there soon: https://gwynnedyer.com

I even remarked a few weeks ago that Putin looked like he had piled on the fat recently, but I might have just noticed the puffed-up face.

« Last Edit: March 07, 2022, 03:25:13 AM by Kiwi »
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Offline Allan F

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Re: The Putin Presidency
« Reply #12 on: March 16, 2022, 08:16:36 PM »
Do we have any info on the maintenance cycle of the russian nuclear-tipped missiles? Tritium decay?
Well, it is like this: The truth doesn't need insults. Insults are the refuge of a darkened mind, a mind that refuses to open and see. Foul language can't outcompete knowledge. And knowledge is the result of education. Education is the result of the wish to know more, not less.

Offline Peter B

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Re: The Putin Presidency
« Reply #13 on: October 08, 2022, 11:39:22 PM »
So, the Kerch Bridge explosion. I'm seeing comments suggesting it was a truck bomb, and others suggesting it was explosives placed below the road.

Does anyone have an inside line on the most likely cause?

Cheers!
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Offline grmcdorman

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Re: The Putin Presidency
« Reply #14 on: October 09, 2022, 08:40:49 AM »
So, the Kerch Bridge explosion. I'm seeing comments suggesting it was a truck bomb, and others suggesting it was explosives placed below the road.

Does anyone have an inside line on the most likely cause?

Cheers!
There's a discussion on ISF of the invasion, the last few pages are focusing on the bridge. http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=361279&page=77 might be a reasonable place to start. Some of the posters appear to have military demolitions experience (and there is one Russian troll/apologist/propagandist).

Consensus seems to be trending to a truck bomb, but for the most part I'd say there really isn't sufficient information at this point - and, given it's Russia, there may never be.